Yu Gi Oh! Dark Messiah

[Dark Sage]

Oh happy day! Pokemasters is back up, and thus, so is Dark Messiah!

So read chapter one, and see the secrets of Russell's deck!

[I][B]My name is Russell. Russell Majors.

You might say that I’m the oddball of my family. They didn’t expect me to go to this college. No member of my family ever went to a college like this. No, they all went to a very different type of college. So I’m the odd man out, the rebel, the black sheep.

Still, with my family’s history, I can’t get some things out of my blood. When I built my deck, the cards I chose came to me naturally. Maybe they chose me... And they rarely fail me.

I wasn’t really in the mood to duel tonight... I just wanted some good atmosphere and some spicy hot wings...

But things just seem to happen when you wear one of these outfits...




[size=3][B]CHAPTER ONE



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/SRL-EN062.jpg



Wednesday, September 8th, 2106, 6PM



From the penthouse of one of New York’s largest buildings, a man leaned over a balcony...

His clothing was expensive, but very out of date. It was sort of the style that noblemen in Victorian England wore. His hair was almost pure white, and somewhat shaggy, and he had a gentle face.

He picked up a newspaper dated a week ago. He turned to the movie reviews and looked at one review.

He frowned. The critics had hated that particular film. They gave it labels like “lacking feeling”, “having predictable plot”, and the dreaded “nudity that was gratuitous and unnecessary”.

One critic, when asked what it was about, said it was “about and hour and a half too long”. An old joke, but the message was clear.

The man sighed, and turned his eyes towards the lights of NYC Duel Academy.

“They say to make a great omelet you have to break a few eggs,” he said with a grin. “It’s time to start an epic that was thousands of years in the making...

“Literally...”



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


In the left wing of the Ra Yellow dorm, a meeting had been called in the common room. Male students were grouped at one end, and females at the other. In the middle was the dorm supervisor, also the school gym teacher, Ben.

Old Ben was a guy who you didn’t want to cross. Not only did he have the build of an Olympic wrestler, but his left arm below the elbow had been replaced by a prosthetic one made of metal. It was quite a marvel of science, that could do anything a normal arm and hand could do. He was quite willing to tell the story of how he lost his arm and got this one, but not tonight – it was time to give the students a talking too.

“It has come to my attention,” he snapped, “that a lot of students are breaking the rule that says that boys and girls are not to be in any dorms except their own after ten PM... Whoever is eating chocolate right now better put it away! I can smell it!

“The reason we have separate dorms within this dorm for the boys and the girls is for your own good. So let me remind everybody that the boys’ dorm is on the upstairs and the girls’ dorm is on the downstairs. Thus, after ten PM, there is to be NO going from the upstairs to the downstairs, OR from the downstairs to the upstairs! If I catch a person going from the upstairs to the downstairs, or from the downstairs to the upstairs, that person is going to be in a whole lot of trouble-stairs! Do I make myself clear-stairs?”

Everyone giggled.

“All right!” he shouted. “Dismissed!”

As everyone left the room, Ben sat on a couch and picked up a duffle bag.

He took out the Duel Bandoleer inside it. This special version of a Duel Disk was reserved for faculty and the best of the Senior class. It was a special Disk that left the user’s hands free, and had various special features.

Ben’s deck was already in it, but it wasn’t complete...

Ben took a card out of his pocket and slipped it into the part that held Fusion Monster Cards.

Finally, he thought. The last thing my new deck needed. Now, whenever I duel, I can remember how I got this...

He looked at his prosthetic arm.

Strange that I’d even want to remember, but it’s part of me, so I’d best make the best of it.



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


The Lazy Q Bar and Grill was only a stone’s throw from campus, so it was a favorite hangout for a lot of students. But when Russell entered, he was the only student there.

He shrugged. It was a school night, but he didn’t intend on staying very long.

“Russell!” called a sweet voice from the counter.

A waitress with a blonde ponytail in a tied-off halter and a pair of shorts made from a pair of jeans with the legs cut off (showing a great deal of cheek) waved to him.

“Where ya been, hon?” she asked.

“Summer break, Alice,” answered Russell. “Didn’t you know that?”

“So you’re a Ra now?” she asked.

“Guilty,” said Russell with a grin, looking at his blazer. “Although sometimes I wish The Winged Dragon of Ra had been a color other than yellow… maybe green. I mean, this makes me look... feminine...”

“You could make a petticoat look masculine,” she joked. “So, you want them hot, very hot, or radioactive?”

Russell sighed. Alice made that joke every time he came here.

“You know what I want,” he answered. “And bring a root beer here too.”

He paused.

“Caffeine free!” he added.

He turned and saw a guitarist at the far end of the room start to play. It was a slow melody without words.

He started to wonder about that report he planned to write on Pegasus. It would be hard, considering that...

“Hey pal!” said a voice, interrupting his train of thought.

He turned and saw a young teenager wearing khaki pants and a jacket full of pockets.

“You’re from Duel Academy, right?” he asked.

“I am, and how does that interest you?” asked Russell. “By the way, why all the pockets? It must be awfully hard to find where you put your keys…”

“Funny,” he laughed. “As for why it interests me, I plan on going there, and...”

“Pal, they’re accepting applications for next year until February,” interrupted Russell. “If you have a pen and paper I’ll gladly write down where you can pick up some enrollment papers, and then you can...”

“I’m thinking more of the hands-on approach...” he answered.

He whipped a Duel Disk off of his back. It wasn’t as modern a model as Russell’s, but it was pretty high-tech.

“You want to duel me?” asked Russell, almost laughing. “I warn you, I’m very good...”

“Oh?” asked the kid. “If you’re so good, why the yellow jacket? I thought the best students wore blue.”

Russell frowned.

“Kid, do you have a name?” he asked.

“Bugsy,” answered the kid.

“Fine,” answered Russell. “Let me give you the short version. The academy has three dorms, and where you are is based on seniority, not merit.

“The Slifer Red dorm is for Freshmen and Sophomores. As you can likely guess, it’s the largest dorm.

“About fifty percent of them, on average, graduate to Junior status, and get promoted to the Ra Yellow dorm. That’s where I am.

“About fifty percent of those graduate to Senior status and get promoted to Obelisk Blue.

“And you didn’t hear this from me, but there’s a rumor that a fourth level exists. Some students say that the crème de la crème of any class are offered a spot in an advanced class taught by the Chancelor herself. These students supposedly pose as members of their former dorm, but they have special rights and privileges that come from the administrators. No one knows the official name, but most call it Exodia Gold.”

Russell shrugged.

“Matter of fact, I could be an Exodia... I wouldn’t tell you if I was one...”

Russell was hoping that last remark would scare him off. He wasn’t an Exodia, and he personally didn’t believe that Exodia Gold status existed.

Alice came with the hot wings.

“I’ll make it worth your while...” said Bugsy.

So much for it scaring him off.

“If we duel and I win,” proposed Bugsy, “you write me a recommendation. You win, and I’ll... uh… I’ll…”

He paused.

“Well… I’ll owe you a favor. How does that sound?”

Russell sighed.

“A recommendation won’t do you much,” he warned. “You’ll still have to pass the written test and field test.”

“Go ahead hon,” said Alice with a sweet smile. “I haven’t seen you duel since the spring.”

“All right,” sighed Russell. “I accept your offer...”



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


Russell stood atop a table on one end of the bar, facing Bugsy who stood atop another. He realized that he hadn’t dueled using the Disk for a while... But it came second nature to him. Like riding a bike.

“All right Bugsy,” he said, “Atten…shun!”



[B](Russell: 8,000 ) (Bugsy: 8,000 )


He held up his Disk, and it whirred to life. The two crescent trays extended from the part on the outside of his wrist.

“Wow,” said Bugsy. “Where’d you get gear like that?”

“If you get accepted, you’ll get one too,” answered Russell, drawing five cards. “Now, since I’m the one who’s more experienced, I’ll let you go first...”

“Gotcha!” chuckled Bugsy, making his first draw.

He placed a card on his Disk.

“I’ll place a Monster in Defense Mode, and that will be it...”

A facedown Monster appeared in front of the table.

Russell made a draw.

Not a bad hand, he thought.

He took two cards from his hand.

“I summon Marauding Captain in Attack Mode!” he exclaimed.

A powerful-looking soldier in armor and a cape carrying two swords leapt out, brandishing his weapons. (1,200/400)

“And when he’s summoned, I get to summon another Monster of four stars or less,” added Russell, “so I’ll also summon Command Knight!”

Another Warrior leapt out onto the field, this one a woman wearing beautiful leather ceremonial armor and a fur hat, holding a burning sword. (1,200/1,900)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LOD-EN018.jpghttp://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/CT1-EN003.jpg


“And Command Knight’s special effect raises the Attack Score of every one of my Warriors, herself included, by 400!”

Both Warriors rose to 1,600 Attack.

Bugsy stared at him.

“Heh… good combo…” he said.

Okay, thought Russell. I don’t know what that Monster is, but I could hurt him good if I took a chance....

“Marauding Captain, attack with blade of battle!”

Marauding Captain flew forth...

...only to have his sword entangled in vines!

Seated on the card was a female creature with green skin and thorny vines for limbs, dressed in a pink blouse. (300/2,000)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/dr2-en078.jpg


“Heh, heh,” laughed Bugsy. “Your Captain just attacked Prickle Fairy! Not only is her Defense too strong for him...”

Prickle Fairy gave Marauding Captain a kick, and he flew backwards...

“But since he attacked her, he’s forced into Defense Mode!”

Marauding Captain groaned, and then knelt in Defense.



[B](R: 7,600) (B: 8,000)


Hmm, thought Russell. This can only mean one thing... Insects. And so long as Prickle Fairy is on the field, I’m not allowed to attack any of them...

“My draw...” said Bugsy with a smirk.

He made a draw.

If I know Insect Duelists, a DNA Surgery Trap will be coming up soon, thought Russell. That and Insect Barrier and either Insect Queen or Insect Princess.

“Well,” he said. “Much as I like Prickle Fairy, I’m going to sacrifice her...”

He switched cards on his Disk.

“Prickle Fairy, bye-bye...”

She vanished… A large form arose...

“I summon Saber Beetle!”

A very large creature appeared. It was a large beetle with a huge, sharp frontal horn, glowing with energy! (2,400/600)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/soi_en0231.jpg


“Uh, I have to admit, I’m not familiar with that one!” gasped Russell.

“Oh, it’s your standard Monster with a trampling effect,” answered Bugsy, “and the first example in the Insect Type! Saber Beetle, attack Marauding Captain with megahorn!”

Saber Beetle spread its wings and flew forward with a hideous drone, stabbing the Captain in the chest! He dropped his swords, and then shattered.



[B](R: 5,600) (B: 8,000)


“Well, that’s my turn,” said Bugsy.

This guy is good... thought Russell.

He drew a card.

A Trap Card....

“I’ll place one card facedown, and move Command Knight to Defense Mode,” he stated.

He played the card and turned the card on his Disk. Command Knight knelt.

Bugsy drew a card.

Hmm, best save this... he thought.

“Saber Beetle, attack Command Knight!” he shouted.

The Beetle flew towards Command Knight...

“I activate... Shadow Spell!” shouted Russell.

“A Trap?” gasped Bugsy, as the facedown card lifted.

A mass of chains sprung up from the floor and bound Saber Beetle! As it struggled, its Attack fell to 1,700.

“All right...” he sighed. “Your move...”

Russell made a draw.

He looked at the Monster on the card.

Perfect, he thought.

“I’ll shift Command Knight back into Attack Mode,” he stated, switching the card.

Command Knight stood up.

“And now I’ll summon Warrior Dai Grepher in Attack Mode!”

A powerful Warrior in chainmail armor carrying a two-handed sword appeared. (1,700/1,600) –> (2,100/1,600)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LOD-EN020.jpg


“Grepher, attack his Beetle with your steel blade!” shouted Russell.

Warrior Dai Grepher stabbed his weapon in the Beetle’s carapace, and it burst.

“Command Knight... Attack him directly!”

Command Knight’s sword blazed with flame. She leapt forward and slashed at Bugsy with it!

Bugsy grunted and fell on his behind.

“Truthfully,” he panted, “that’s better than the last thing I got from a girl...”



[B](R: 5,600) (B: 6,000)


“Incidentally,” said Russell, “you should know that Command Knight can’t be attacked so long as I have at least one other Monster on my side of the field.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” muttered Bugsy, making a draw.

He played a card.

“I play Spider Web!”

A huge spider appeared over him. It shot forth a strand of webbing, which struck Russell’s Disk!

“HUH?” gasped Russell.

“This Spell Card lets me take any card you discarded on your last turn and add it to my hand,” explained Bugsy.

The Spider yanked a card from Russell’s Disk, and Bugsy caught it.

“But rather than set this Shadow Spell now,” he continued, “I’ll save it for when I need it...”

He added it to his hand, and put a card down.

“I summon Chainsaw Insect in Attack Mode...”

Chainsaw Insect? thought Russell. What’s that?

A second later, he saw that “that” was another huge beetle, with jagged mandibles and a drooling mouth. (2,400/0)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/soi_en0211.jpg


“WHAT?” shouted Russell. “How can you summon a Monster that powerful without a sacrifice?”

“Doesn’t need one,” answered Bugsy. “Chainsaw Insect is a four-star Monster.”

“There’s gotta be a catch...” muttered Russell.

“Yeah, there’s a catch,” agreed Bugsy, “and I’ll show you in a minute. But first I’ll place a card facedown...”

He placed a card into a slot, and it materialized.

Is that Shadow Spell? thought Russell.

“Chainsaw Insect, attack Warrior Dai Grepher!” shouted Bugsy.

Chainsaw Insect scurried forward and struck with its powerful jaws...

“Ouch...” muttered Alice. “That hurt just watching it...”



[B](R: 5,300) (B: 6,000)


“Now we get to that catch,” said Bugsy. “Every time Chainsaw Insect engages in battle, you draw one card.”

Russell gave him a look.

“Whatever…” he said, drawing a card.

He looked at the Trap Card.

This might work, if I get the right Monster... he thought.

“My move now,” he said, drawing again.

Paydirt! he thought.

“I’ll move Command Knight to Defense Mode again,” he said, as Command Knight knelt.

“Would it be too much to ask if she could make up her mind?” asked Bugsy.

Russell ignored the wisecrack.

“I’ll also place this Monster in Defense Mode,” he continued.

He set a card, and a facedown Monster appeared.

“Finally, a card facedown.”

He played the card, and it appeared behind his facedown monster.

Bugsy drew.

Insect Knight? he thought. Eh, why not?

“First I’ll activate my facedown Trap Card,” he said.

The Trap lifted.

“It’s called… Greed!”

Russell drew back.

“That Trap...” he muttered. “It costs both players 500 Life Points whenever they draw outside their Draw Phase!”

“Exactly!” replied Bugsy. “And since you have to draw whenever Chainsaw Insect engages in battle, I’ve just turned its negative effect into a positive!”

This is just the kind of guy who’ll make the honor roll! thought Russell.

“Next I’ll summon a knight of my own,” continued Bugsy. “Insect Knight in Attack Mode.”

He placed a card down, and the ferocious mantis warrior appeared, holding his sword. (1,900/1,500)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/FET-EN004.jpg


“FINALLY something I recognize!” exclaimed Russell.

“Insect Knight, attack his facedown Monster!” shouted Bugsy.

Insect Knight spread its wings and flew towards the facedown card...

And then he screamed and was thrown back.

Standing where the card had been was a muscular Warrior holding a huge shield. (100/2,600) –> (500/2,600)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/TP5-EN002.jpg


“What’s wrong?” chuckled Russell. “Was Big Shield Gardna too big for your bug?”

Bugsy chuckled back.

“He won’t be for my other bug!” he laughed. “Since I attacked him, he was forced into Attack Mode, so when my Chainsaw Insect attacks, you’ll lose 1,900 Life Points!

“Chainsaw Insect! Attack Big Shield Gardna!”

Chainsaw Bug scurried forward...

“Actually, I was prepared for that, Bugsy!” shouted Russell. “I activate Ready For Intercepting!”

His Trap Card lifted.

“This Trap can flip a Warrior or Spellcaster into facedown Defense Mode, even in the middle of an attack!”

Big Shield Gardna vanished, and was replaced by a facedown card...

Chainsaw Bug slammed into his shield just like Insect Knight had, and tumbled backwards.

“And this guy is single, girls!” shouted Alice.

“Humph,” grunted Bugsy. “Don’t forget, you have to draw a card now...”

Russell drew, and a small shock of electricity jolted him.



[B](R: 4,800) (B: 5,100)


“I’m in the lead, Russell,” said Bugsy, “and next round, your shield is going down.”

Russell drew a card.

“Not yet,” he said.

He played a card.

“I summon Throwstone Unit.”

A large catapult appeared behind him, manned by a footsoldier in mail armor. (900/2,000) –> (1,300/2,000)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LOD-EN017.jpg


The soldier started to pull the crank, and the catapult basket lowered...

“What’s the point?” asked Bugsy.

“With Throwstone Unit, I can sacrifice a Warrior Monster and destroy an opposing Monster who’s Defense Score is less than Throwstone Unit’s Attack Score. Since Chainsaw Insect has zero Defense, any Warrior I have on the field will do.”

“Clever,” stated Bugsy, “although doing that will cost you Big Shield Gardna or Command Knight...”

“No it won’t,” answered Russell. “Since Throwstone Unit is a Warrior itself, I can sacrifice itself to use its own effect!”

The soldier pulled a lever and the catapult hurled a huge boulder; as Throwstone Unit vanished, the boulder crushed Chainsaw Bug flat!

“I’ll end my turn by moving Big Shield Gardna back to Defense Mode,” he said, as Gardna crouched behind his shield again.

Bugsy drew a card.

“I’m playing a powerful Spell Card...” he stated. “It’s called... Chrysalis!”

“What on earth?” asked Russell, as he played it.

The lights dimmed…

Russell drew back, as the frightening form of Insect Queen appeared over the field!

She turned to Command Knight and shot forth a mass of sticky strands. Command Knight gasped as she was encased in a cocoon.

Then the Insect turned to Big Shield Gardna and did the same to him...

“Creepy...” muttered Alice.

As Russell was wondering what to make of this, Insect Queen turned to Insect Knight and trapped him in a cocoon as well. Then she grabbed all three cocoons with sticky strands and pulled them up and out of sight.

“What happened, Bugsy?” demanded Russell.

“When Chrysalis is played, all face-up Monsters on the field are returned to the owners’ decks, and the decks are reshuffled,” explained Bugsy.


Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Darn, thought Russell, as he reshuffled the two Monsters back into his deck. Now I’m wide open...

“Now I’ll place a card facedown...” stated Bugsy.

He played a card and it appeared.

“And I’ll summon Parasitic Ticky in Attack Mode!”

He played the card, and a Monster that could best be described as… disgusting appeared. It was a humanoid resembling a tick or louse, with sickly white skin. It carried a quiver full of metal javelins. (0/0)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/soi_en0181.jpg


Russell was afraid for a minute, but then he saw that it had no Attack Score.

“You summoned a Monster with zero Attack Points?” he asked. “In Attack Mode?”

“A big, smart Junior like you should know never to judge a Monster by its cover,” said Bugsy. “Parasitic Ticky may be deadlier than it seems...”

He’s right, thought Russell. I don’t believe for a second that it’s harmless....

He drew a card.

But I can’t leave myself defenseless...

“I summon... Obnoxious Celtic Guardian!” he shouted. “In Attack Mode!”

He threw the card down, and the armored elven Warrior appeared. (1,400/1,200)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/CT1-EN006.jpg


“I activate my facedown card!” shouted Bugsy. “Go, Scapegoat!”

His card lifted, and four multicolored sheep popped out...

And Parasitic Ticky’s stats shot up to (2,000/2,000)!

“In case you haven’t figured it out,” chuckled Bugsy, “Parasite Ticky gains 500 Attack and Defense Points for every Token Monster on the field. A very situational effect, but one that I have no problem with…”

“Oo-kay,” answered Russell. “Think I’ll end my turn there...”

“By the way,” said Bugsy, drawing, “I happen to know that I can’t destroy Obnoxious Celtic Guardian with a Monster this powerful, so please don’t bother pointing that out. However, I also know that when my Monster attacks him, your Life Points will still take a hit.

“So, Parasite Ticky, attack with javelin sting!”

The Tick hurled one of its weapons at the Guardian, and he stumbled backwards.



[B](R: 4,200) (B: 5,100)


“My move...” stated Russell.

He drew.

“And these Western Warriors are starting to bore me... It’s time to go to the East...”

He put a card down.

“I summon Mataza the Zapper in Attack Mode!”

A grim-faced ronin with his hair tied in a ponytail, in green oriental armor, holding a long katana materialized. (1,300/800)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/IOC-086.jpg


“That’s weak!” laughed Bugsy.

“I also have a Continuous Spell Card,” replied Russell, playing it. “The A. Forces. This card increases the Attack of my Warriors by 200 for each one I have on the field. In other words, the more allies my Warriors have, the stronger they become.”

Obnoxious Celtic Guardian’s Attack rose to 1,800, and Mataza’s rose to 1,700.

“And by the way,” added Russell. “Mataza may not be the strongest Warrior, but he has a special ability. He can attack twice in one round.”

“I don’t care if he can attack ten times!” laughed Bugsy. “My Ticky is stronger!”

“True, but who said I was going to have him attack your tick?” asked Russell. “You’re forgetting one thing. It needs those Scapegoats to stay strong... so if they go, it’s weakened!”

Bugsy stopped laughing.

“Now it’s time for Mataza the Zapper to do what he does best,” shouted Russell. “ZAPPING! Mataza, take out two of those Scapegoats!”

Mataza drew his katana and concentrated… and then split into two Matazas! They both leapt in opposite directions, then leapt off the walls, and each made a slash, blasting two Scapegoats into pixels!

The two Matazas struck a pose, and then blurred together, fusing into one again.

Parasitic Ticky fell to (1,000/1,000)

“Obnoxious Celtic Guardian,” ordered Russell, “attack Parasitic Ticky with silver blade slash!”

The elf leapt forward and slashed through the bug! It gasped, and then shattered.



[B](R: 4,200) (B: 4,300)


“That’s one way to cure a bad case of ticks,” chuckled Russell. “And looks like you’re in trouble, Bugsy. Aside from those two Scapegoats, you’re out of Monsters!”

Bugsy drew a card.

He held up the Shadow Spell he had gotten from Russell.

“Time to use this,” he said.

He placed it in a slot, and it appeared.

“That was the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen!” commented Russell. “You actually showed me a Trap before you set it?”

“I gotta admit, that was pretty dumb,” agreed Alice.

“It doesn’t matter whether you know what it is or not,” explained Bugsy, “because I’m not keeping it there. See, the next Monster I’m going to summon requires two sacrifices, but in this case, you don’t sacrifice Monsters to summon it. You have to sacrifice two Spell and/or Trap Cards.”

Russell paused.

“Your Monsters are getting weirder and weirder!” he exclaimed.

“Thank you,” answered Bugsy. “So now, I sacrifice my Greed, and your Shadow Spell...”

The two Traps vanished.

“To summon... Anteatereatingant!”

A huge ant with a fiendish glow to its eyes rose on Bugsy’s side of the field. Saliva dripped from its mandibles! (2,000/500)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/soi_en0221.jpg


“Impressive...” said Russell, getting nervous.

“Of course, it eats things other than anteaters,” chuckled Bugsy. “Right now it might have a taste for certain Samurai...”

Mataza the Zapper drew back in fear as the monstrous ant eyed him hungrily...

“But I’m not going to attack him yet,” continued Bugsy. “See, by forfeiting its attack, Anteatereatingant can instead destroy one Trap or Spell Card. Such as The A. Forces!”

The Ant spit a stream of venom from its mandibles, striking the Spell Card! It dissolved, and the two Warriors returned to their original Attack Scores.

“I’m ending my turn now,” said Bugsy. “Next turn, he’s lunch!”

Russell drew.

“I don’t think so...” he said with a grin.

He switched cards on his Disk.

“I sacrifice Obnoxious Celtic Guardian...”

The elf vanished.

“To summon my good friend… Freed the Matchless General!”

A sound like a galloping of horses sounded, and a war cry was heard in the distance...

As Russell’s card appeared, a powerful form leapt out, a mighty Warrior clad in splendid armor holding a huge sword! His handsome face showed several things... wisdom, courage, strength, and majesty. (2,300/1,700)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/db2-en137.jpg


“Freed, attack the Anteatereatingant!” shouted Russell. “Blade of the battle-scarred!”

The General leapt up into the air and brought his sword down on the ant, splitting it in two!

“Mataza! Take down the last two Scapegoats with zapping blade!”

Mataza spilt into two again and sped forward, obliterating the last two sheep.



[B](R: 4,200) (B: 4,000)


“So now what, Bugsy?” asked Russell.

Bugsy slowly drew...

“I play... Pot of Greed...” he stated. “Now I can draw two cards…”

He played the card, and then drew two more cards.

He grinned...

“Freed may be matchless,” said Bugsy, “but sooner or later, everyone meets his match...”

He showed him a card.

“I just drew the strongest and rarest Monster in my deck,” he said. “I got this guy from winning a tournament last year in Boston… That’s where I’m from, by the way…

“Anyway, it’s an eight-star Insect called Doom Dozer.”

“How are you supposed to summon it?” asked Russell. “You’d need to trade two Monsters for it, and you have none on the field.”

Bugsy gave him the eye.

“It isn’t a Monster that’s summoned that way,” he answered. “It’s kind of like Dark Necrofear... But instead of removing Fiends in your Graveyard from play, you have to remove Insects.

“So, I remove Parasitic Ticky and Insect Knight from play...”

Two cards slipped out of his discard slot.

“And I summon... Doom Dozer!”

With a bellowing roar, a huge creature emerged! It looked like a centipede from Hell, with fangs, horns, claws, and a blood-red carapace! (2,800/2,600)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/soi-en0241.jpg


“EEK!” shouted Alice.

“What do you think?” asked Bugsy.

“It isn’t pretty,” answered Russell. “And it isn’t ugly. It’s pretty ugly!”

“Well by the way,” added Bugsy, “since summoning Doom Dozer was a Special Summon, I can also summon Neo Bug!”

He threw another card down, and an alien looking Insect resembling a cross between a scorpion and a wasp appeared. (1,800/1,700)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/IOC-058.jpg


“Neo Bug, attack Mataza the Zapper!” shouted Bugsy.

Neo Bug flew forward and grabbed Mataza in its pincer, crushing him.

“Doom Dozer, attack Freed the not-so-Matchless General!”

Doom Dozer lumbered forward and grabbed Freed in its mandibles! He groaned and shattered.

“Freed…” muttered Russell, sadly.

“And one more thing,” added Bugsy. “When Doom Dozer damages your Life Points, you have to discard the top card on your deck.”

Russell took the top card from his deck.

So much for using Gilford the Legend this duel... he thought, as he discarded the card.



[B](R: 3,200) (B: 4,000)


“Give it up, pal,” chuckled Bugsy. “I don’t even think there is a Warrior who’s stronger than Doom Dozer!”

Russell drew a card.

“Well, this card worked for you,” he said, showing him the Pot of Greed.

He played it and drew two more cards.

He looked at Bugsy.

“I summon Gearfried the Iron Knight,” he said.

He put the card down, and Gearfried appeared in front of him. (1,800/1,600)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/SDJ-012.jpg


“What?” asked Bugsy. “He can’t even beat Neo Bug!”

“I believe it was you who said, ‘Don’t judge a Monster by its cover’!” answered Russell. “Gearfried has a powerful secret hidden inside him that I can unleash by playing this Spell Card...”

He played a card.

“Release Restraints!”

Gearfried leapt up into the air, and cracks started to form over his armor...

In a burst of light, a new figure emerged. It was a powerful, bare-chested barbarian with wild, black hair holding a powerful blade.

“Meet Gearfried the Swordmaster!” exclaimed Russell.

(2,600/2,200)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/FET-EN022.jpg


“I’ll admit that he’s powerful,” said Bugsy with a yawn. “But he’s still not enough...”

“Really?” said Russell. “Well, Gearfried’s true strength appears when he’s armed with an Equip Spell Card. And I have a good one...”

He showed him a card.

“It’s called Armed Changer. This card is so powerful, that in order to Equip it to a Monster, I have to discard another Equip. So, I’ll discard my Fusion Sword Murasame Blade...”

He discarded a card.

“...and Equip Armed Changer to Gearfried.”

He played the card.

“Now, when Gearfried is given an Equip, he can destroy one Monster... and I’ll bet you can guess which one he’s gonna aim for!”

Bugsy gulped...

Gearfried slashed his sword downward, and Doom Dozer screamed! It was blown to pieces.

“And do you know what the best part is?” asked Russell. “I still have his normal attack to use on Neo Bug!”

Gearfried made another downward swipe, splitting Neo Bug down the middle! The two pieces shattered!



[B](R: 3,200) (B: 3,200)


“And now we get to the effect of Armed Changer,” continued Russell. “When a Monster destroys an opposing Monster while Equipped with this card, the controller can take any Monster from his Graveyard whose Attack Score is less than the Equipped Monster, and add it to his hand.”

A card slipped out of his discard slot, and he took it.

“Your move…”

Bugsy slowly drew, and considered.

“I summon… Gokipon… in Defense Mode…” he said.

He put a card down, and a cute, cartoonish Insect appeared, crouching in Defense. (800/800)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/soi_en0191.jpg


He looked at his hand.

If I survive one more round, I might turn this around, he thought. I have Monster Reborn in my hand, and when Gokipon is destroyed, I can search for an Insect with low Attack Strength. So when he destroys it, I’ll just get Nobleman Eater Bug, use Monster Reborn to summon Neo Bug, and sacrifice it to set the Bug. Then its Flip-Effect can destroy two of his Monsters!

“Okay, that’s my turn,” he stated.

“Right!” said Russell, making a draw. “Now I’ll summon the Monster I got from Armed Changer’s effect…”

He placed a card down, and Mataza the Zapper appeared again. (1,300/800)

“Oh no…” moaned Bugsy.

“Mataza, destroy Gokipon!” shouted Russell.

Mataza split in two again. One of him rushed forward and cut down the Insect.

“Now attack directly!”

Bugsy cringed as the other Mataza’s blade struck him.

“Gearfried…” ordered Russell, “finish this!”

Gearfried the Swordmaster slammed his blade down and a wave of energy shot forward! Bugsy screamed as it ripped though him…

The duel was over.

“At ease!” said Russell.



[B](R: 3,200) (B: 0)


Everyone in the bar applauded.

“Yeah!” cheered Alice. “That’s the Russell I know!”

Russell leapt down off the table and walked over to the one where Bugsy was lying prone.

Bugsy groaned.

“Guess I have a lot to learn still,” he said.

“Not really,” answered Russell. “You have a powerful deck and a lot of good strategies. I’d say you could have beaten a lot of the students who aren’t as good as me…”

He wrote something down on a slip of paper.

“Like I said, a recommendation won’t help much, but I will give you the directions on where to get an application…”

He handed him the paper.

“Just remember our deal – you owe me a favor!”

Bugsy grinned, and turned to leave.

I think we’ll be seeing more of that one, thought Russell.

He checked his watch. Nine PM.

He figured he’d best get back soon, before Ben got mad…



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


When Russell got into the common room of the dorm, Ben was still on the couch, going over his cards.

Speak of the devil, thought Russell.

“Hey, Old Ben,” said Russell. “Still working on the deck?”

“It’s done now,” answered Ben.

“Ben…” asked Russell, slowly. “If it’s personal, you don’t have to answer, but you never told me how you… you know, lost it…”

“Ya mean this?” asked Ben with a chuckle, holding up his prosthetic arm.

“Yeah…” answered Russell. “Was it in the war?”

“Naw,” answered Ben. “You might not believe this, but I lost it playing golf…”

Russell looked at him.

“I know golf is a competitive sport,” muttered Russell. “But…”

Old Ben grinned.

“Naw,” he explained. “Listen… It’s hard to believe, but my original arm was just as big as this one. When I was a boxer, I had the best left hook… They called me the Strongest Left Hand In The Land…

“One day I was vacationing in Australia, and I was playing golf. My ball went into a water hazard. Now, I was never one to want to waste anything, so I tried to fish it out…

“And as I reached in with my left hand, it grabbed me… a crocodile!”

Russell gulped.

“I guess I deserved it for being so cheap,” said Ben with a shrug.

“Were you scared?” asked Russell.

“Scared?” asked Ben. “Russell, you’re speaking to a guy who’s taken on three-hundred pound behemoths in the ring who seemed to have apes as one of their parents. Heh…

“I was petrified…

“Anyway, the croc tried to drag me into the water, but I held my ground. I pulled backwards. As strong as that guy was, I was hoping my arm would be stronger… And for a while, it seemed it was.

“Eventually, the croc gave up on the idea that he would get all of me… So he settled for my arm, and bit it clean off.

“The fact that I stayed conscious was a miracle. Now, this is one of the benefits of always having a cell phone handy. If I hadn’t had one, I’d have bled to death before anyone found me.

“They were able to save my life, and even managed to save what was left of my arm. Not that it would do me much good… But I got lucky. I had a doctor who liked to play mad scientist. He told me he was working on an experimental prosthetic arm that had as much dexterity and feeling as a normal arm, and he asked if I wanted to volunteer for the test. The best part was, since it was an experiment, it wouldn’t cost me or my insurance company a cent. I agreed.

“The whole process took about a month, and it wasn’t pleasant. But in the end I got this… And I was pleased with the result. My boxing career might have been over, and my arm was metal…

“But I was still the Strongest Left Hand In The Land…”

He paused.

“Anyway, anything happen to you tonight?”

“Oh,” sighed Russell, “ran into a few pests…”

He walked out of the room towards the boys’ rooms.



Wednesday, September 8th, 2106, 10 PM



SPIDER WEB (Spell Card)

Card Specs

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

Image: A spider on a beautifully spun web.

Card Description: Take one card from your opponent’s Graveyard that he discarded on his last turn and add it to your hand. If this card is sent to the Graveyard, it is sent to the original owner’s Graveyard.

Note: “Spider Web” was first used by Yami in the anime episode “Grappling With A Guardian (Part 3)”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



CHRYSALIS (Spell Card)

Card Specs

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

Image: Insect Queen forming a cocoon around a captive Leogun.

Card Description: Both players return all face-up Monsters to their decks and reshuffle.



Russell’s Warrior Deck:

Since the American Civil War, all male members of the Majors family (and many of the female members) have served in the armed forces, and all were proud to have done so. Most were officers, all were decorated several times. In fact, Russell’s father served in the last war, and his heroic acts earned him the Congressional Medal of Honor, the highest award a member of the U.S. Armed Forces can receive.

With his family’s history and influence, Russell could have easily entered West Point Academy and prospered as a cadet. But for some reason, he had no aspirations to become a soldier. He heard a different call instead, one that called him to the game of Duel Monsters. His family was a little disappointed, but they respected his wishes.

Still, the soul of a soldier still existed in Russell’s blood – it didn’t die easily. When perfecting his deck, he collected many powerful Warriors and Warrior accessories. While he wouldn’t be a soldier for real, he could command a troop of them in the form of a deck of cards.

Most of Russell’s Warriors favor the Earth Attribute, with a few Light ones thrown in and a handful of others. To him, Attribute doesn’t make the Monster – Type is the most important factor for him.

Russell takes pride in knowing that many of his cards were used by the Trinity, a few of them by Yugi. Any card that was good enough for them is good enough for him.



[B][I]Coming up next:

The secret of Russell’s deck has been revealed, now see the secret of Trisha’s! She takes part in some extracurricular work which proves to be more of a hassle than the extra credit might be worth! See a chapter called “A Rival Appears!” coming soon.

[Mega Horny]

“Truthfully,” he panted, “that’s better than the last thing I got from a girl...”

lmao, Great Chapter, I loved it! Your fic starts out with a bang, IMO. Keep up the awesome work and keep the chapters coming!

Nice warrior deck, Now I'm anxious to see Jason's and Trisha's!

Good stuff!

[Perfect Chaos]

Oh happy day indeed. TPM comes back and the first thing I manage to see is that DS actually posted a new chapter!

So Russell plays a Warrior-deck huh? Seems awfully familiar to one I faced before IRL (in real-life).

And its nice that you managed to use an Insect deck and I'm actually happy to see some nice support cards that have been created for them.

So Trisha is up next? Looking forward to see what she runs.

-Sean

[Shuppet Master]

In the immortal words of Rachael Ray..."That was BRILLIANT!"

I saw that his opponent was an insect duelist, but you tried to avoid making him another Weevil, which is nice. You used all the insects I was going to use in my own duel in "Sister of Anansi", which is better. Finally, you gave a wonderful story about Ra's headmaster, Old Ben, and how he lost his arm.

I can't wait to see the next chapter. ;)

Thank goodness that Pokemasters forum is back up! (Of course, that means I'll have to put up more Anansi chapters, which sucks...)

[Pokemasterkatie]

Warriors, huh? That's a good deck for a leading character! Very nice that you put in Russell's family history at the end--that's good character buildup.:)

Insects got a major boost in Shadow of Infinity, so it's nice to see a deck along today's new standards. And is Gokipon adorable or what?!^_^

So far, so good! Keep it up!

[starjake]

So Russell plays Warriors, huh? Well, even though you see an Army-Warrior deck in almost every fanfic, it was a good duel. It was nice to see the debut of some of the new SOI Insects as well.

Trisha's next? I wonder what Deck she uses. Fairies? Amazons (though that would be a bit redundant with Russell's theme)? Harpies? Cutsey-cute monsters?

Only time will tell, I guess.

[Dark Sage]

Fairies?

NO.

Amazons?

NO.

Harpies?

NO.

"Cutsie-cute" monsters?

Absolutely NO. Anything but.

Trisha's deck is certain to surprise you... With her, I hope to put an end to stereoypes on female duelists.

[Mega Horny]

I thought you might do something like that, perhaps fire monsters, that would be interesting.

But francesca?

[Pokemasterkatie]

Away from the typical female standard? The opposite of Fairies would be Fiends--Dark World monsters, maybe?

[jkBAKURA]

I have to admit, I was expecting insects to appear early. Both the first eliminator in Mandate, and the opening duel of TYD had them. I do give you points for shying away from the cookie-cutter insect combos. (although with the set's release, I doubt that they will last long before falling into that catagory)

I have the distinct feeling that Russel's duels will all too soon become boring, as so far it looks like the same cookie-cutter warrior deck that appears in every fic. (mine included, albeit a lousy one)

Just starting, and I know that the beginning is usually slow, so I'll keep reading.

By the way, I think I have an idea about Tricia's deck theme simply from the card provided in the teaser. If correct, that would certainly be a steryotype turned on it's head.

[Dark Sage]

Again, I must respond...

Russell's deck was cookie-cutter now, but he'll show some unique stratgies in the future. You forget, I'm not limited to real cards, and there are plenty of cards that he could use to make it more interesting. He'll use a combo or two in his next duel that most Warrior Duelists don't.

- DS

[Mega Horny]

Fiends seems to predictable for a non-stadard girl deck. Plus Kamiya used a zombie deck. Maybe a Machine deck?...or dinosaurs...thatd be cool.


MACHINES ROXX0rz!

[Blademaster]

Quoted from Pokemasterkatie: "Warriors, huh? That's a good deck for a leading character"

Damn straight! :biggrin:


you see an Army-Warrior deck in almost every fanfic

So? :p


I have the distinct feeling that Russel's duels will all too soon become boring, as so far it looks like the same cookie-cutter warrior deck that appears in every fic.

Watch it...! :mad:


Well, DS, do I have to say anything? Warrior duelist, star... come on. You get what I mean. :yes:

Interesting tidbit with Ben, too - I have a feeling he'll be important later on...

Incidentally, did anyone else think of that guy from Starship Troopers when Ben's mechanical arm first showed up? Hm......

Anyway, Trisha's deck is not that hard to decipher, people! Remember DS' preview of this story? A certain group of 3 cards, huh...?

...

OK, I've said enough.

(fades into shadows)

Peace out...

-Blademaster

[Pokemasterkatie]

Anyway, Trisha's deck is not that hard to decipher, people! Remember DS' preview of this story? A certain group of 3 cards, huh...?
Oh, I get it now~!:D


Incidentally, did anyone else think of that guy from Starship Troopers when Ben's mechanical arm first showed up? Hm......
Two words: Edward. Elric.:p

[Silencer]

1 thing bothered me. The explenation Russel gave to the dorms. In Yu-gi-oh GX Bastion was also a first year and he ended up in Ra Yellow. He even could advance to Obelisk Blue after he beat Chazz. But he declined since he wanted to beat Jaden.

[Dark Sage]

Silencer -

The system is this school is not the same as it is for the one that Jaden goes to.

In this school, all Freshmen start at Slifer, no exceptions (and Slifer is a typical lowerclassman dorm, not one for the underachievers and poor students). Those who become Juniors gradute to Ra, and those who become Seniors graduate to Obelisk.

Unlike Jaden's school, no one ever starts as a Ra or Obelisk here.

[Silencer]

Aah, I forgot this was a different school... I guess the names threw me off. Glad you cleared that up but the duel academy dorms seem more logical to me :p

[Inferno_Dragon]

Good start, Dark Sage. I am sorry that haven't replied in person for The Thousand Year Door. I was reading it but I just forgot to e-mail you. Hopefully now I can give you comments without you having to check your e-mail (although I will still use e-mail and PM switched so the process isn't the same.)

The first 3 parts look and I like how the Insect Deck isn't your run-of-the-mill ordinary Insect deck. I am also curious to see what Trisha's deck looks like. I bet it will be a surprise to all of us. Well, keep up the good work and hopeful this fanfic will be just as great as the others.

[Dark Sage]

Since TPM was shut down for a week (and we still don't know why - I wonder if we ever will) I decided to put up chapter two now.

So, what is the secret of Trisha's deck? Prepare to find out...

[B][I]My name is Trisha Moise, and I come from a long line of exceptional people.

Ever since I entered this school, a student who’s one year ahead of me has been a thorn in my side. She uses the signature Monsters of a famous duelist from a hundred years ago, and she’s just as arrogant as her role model was supposed to be at the beginning of her career.

It seems fate will make us rivals until she graduates… And what then? Will we cross paths again after I graduate?

The strange thing is, I really don’t know whether I despise the arrangement we have…

…or whether I’m getting to enjoy it…




[B][size=3]CHAPTER TWO



http://www.ideal808.com/images/crv_en054.jpg



Thursday, September 9th, 2106, 8AM



The next morning at the Ra dining hall, Trisha sat alone, slowly stirring a bowl of oatmeal that had long gone cold.

Wonder if I could afford a ticket to St. Louis? she thought.

“Hey beautiful,” said Jason’s voice.

He and Russell came up and sat down. She nodded to acknowledge them.

“Okay, what’s wrong?” asked Jason.

“Nothing,” she sighed.

“Bull,” answered Russell. “I dueled someone last spring who comboed Spirit Barrier with The Unhappy Girl, and she wasn’t as glum as you are right now.”

Trisha pushed the cereal away.

“I was chosen to host Freshman Seminar today,” she sighed.

Jason and Russell looked at her for a minute. They knew what that meant, but they had no idea why it would make Trisha depressed.

Hosting Freshman Seminar was one of the easiest ways for Juniors and Seniors to gain extra credit. You simply had to duel in front of a Freshman class. You got a hundred points of extra credit if you lost, two hundred if you won.

“Trisha, you’ve been wanting to do this for two years,” exclaimed Jason. “Why the sudden depression now?”

“You want to see who my opponent is?” asked Trisha, handing him a sheet of paper.

Jason looked at it.

“Lineup for Freshman seminar,” her read. “Match One: Trisha Moise versus…”

He paused.

“Oh…” he muttered. “Sersei…”

Trisha’s face sank.

When Trisha had first entered as a Freshman, Sersei Rhineheart was a Sophomore, and was her roommate in the Slifer dorm. Originally they had been close friends… But a particularly violent and painful duel between them changed all that. Since then, the two constantly tried to outdo each other, and every time one of them won a duel against the other, the other vowed revenge.

Sersei was an Obelisk now, and the cycle was starting again.

“She sent me this note this morning,” sighed Trisha, handing them a piece of paper.

Russell took it and read.


Dearest Trisha,

I have been working on my deck, and it has grown to three times its power since last time. By one this afternoon, the Harpie Lady Sisters will be gnawing on your bones.

Love,

Sersei


“I can hardly wait,” she muttered, sarcastically.

“She has a way with words,” sighed Russell. “And those Harpies freak me out…”

Trisha nodded. The Harpie Lady Monsters were best known as the signature Monsters of Mai Valentine, a duelist who was best known as Joey Wheeler’s wife. But a lot of Mai’s early career wasn’t known. Joey’s autobiography stated that he had met her when he had started his dueling career, but he had never given any details about their early relationship. The romantic version was that she had been just as nasty as her Harpies before Joey melted her heart…

And there were even darker rumors… Some folks said that Mai was actually evil and had worked against the Trinity in some way or another, and Joey had brought her to the light, so to speak. This was the reason a lot of her past before their marriage was unknown, because Joey didn’t want his beloved’s reputation damaged. It was the standard fantasy romance story: male hero opposes female villain, male hero and female villain fall in love, female villain reforms in order to love male hero…

The “Bat and the Cat” analogy.

This was the most extreme rumor, and it was likely exaggerated; but Jason had met her in virtual reality form, and she was rather nasty and sarcastic, so you had to wonder…

“So what if she’s pumped up her deck,” shrugged Jason. “So have you! I’m sure you’ll give her a big surprise.”

He leaned over and kissed her.

“We’ll be there to watch you,” he said. “Now make Henry Ford proud…”

Trisha grinned.



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


At a school where Duel Monsters was taught, dueling naturally happened all the time. An unofficial duel could happen anywhere…

But if it was an official challenge or one important to the curriculum, it took place in the Arena.

The name was no more grandiose than that, but the place was far from simple. It was a large auditorium, where the Dueling Disks were enhanced by special equipment. Monsters looked fiercer, Spells looked flashier, and the attacks packed quite a punch.

Features included a large screen to show the action and a special balcony. The balcony was usually empty…

At the moment, it wasn’t.

The seats surrounding the place were occupied by Freshman students. Jason and Russell nodded to a few of them as they walked in.

“Well,” sighed Russell, “looks like we’re in for a catfight…”

“Don’t sell Trisha short,” replied Jason. “I’ve seen her deck. It’s gotten better.”

“By that, you mean she’s kicked your tail with it…” muttered Russell.

“Don’t go there…” warned Jason. “I wonder if she’ll use that special Monster she showed me…”

“Special Monster?” asked Russell.

“Something that really… appealed to her,” answered Jason.

They watched as the two students met in the center of the floor – one was Trisha (now with her hair tied back; she had learned from experience that wearing it loose during a duel was an accident waiting to happen), and one was a girl wearing the blue blazer of the Obelisk dorm. She had strawberry-blonde hair cut short, and a sweet smile.

“Hello, Trisha!” chuckled Sersei. “Long time no see… Although I must say, I really don’t think yellow is your color… Clashes with your eyes.”

“Will you cut the insults, Sersei?” replied Trisha with a whisper. “Can’t you see who’s watching?”

She pointed to the balcony, and they both saw a tall woman who looked about forty years old, but still attractive. She wore her hair in a ponytail, and wore glasses.

“All right you two,” stated the instructor, who stood between them. “I take it you know the rules. Now each of you cut and shuffle each other’s decks.”

Sersei gave Trisha a look, but she handed over her deck. Trisha handed over hers, and they shuffled.

“Now let’s get started,” chuckled Sersei, taking it back. “It’s twelve noon… lunch time for my Harpies.”

“Hardy, har, har,” said Trisha, activating her Disk.

“Game… start!”



[B](Trisha: 8,000) (Sersei: 8,000)


“Now then,” chuckled Sersei, drawing her first card. “Where to begin… Oh, this one looks good…”

Thanks for the card, Mai, she thought.

She played a Spell Card.

“I play Guardian Treasure,” she exclaimed.

The Spell Card appeared.

“Confused?” she asked. “Here’s how it works. First I discard five cards…”

She discarded the rest of her hand.

“…then I draw two…”

She drew two cards.

“…and for as long as this card is in effect, I can draw two cards during my Draw Phase, rather than one.”

“Sheesh,” muttered Russell. “She wasn’t kidding… That’s a powerful card…”

“True,” said Jason, “but if she makes use of it, she’ll go through her deck twice as fast… Not exactly a benefit there.”

“Next I’ll summon a Monster in Defense Mode, and end my turn,” said Sersei.

She set the card, and it appeared in front of her, facedown.

“All right, Sersei,” muttered Trisha, drawing, “you’d best hope you can finish me before you run out of cards!”

She threw a card down.

“I summon… Machine King Prototype in Attack Mode,” she shouted.

Like something out of Star Trek, a large creature materialized. It was a tall, humanoid robot with streamlined features, yet somewhat rickety. (1,600/1,500)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/soi_en0121.jpg


“Attack her facedown Monster,” commanded Trisha. “Laser phaser!”

Machine King Prototype’s optic sensors glowed…

Sersei giggled.

“You fall for this every time,” she laughed.

A huge mantis appeared on the card. Machine King Prototype fired, and it was blown away.



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/SRL-EN091.jpg


“You destroyed Flying Kamakiri #1,” laughed Sersei. “So now I get to Special Summon a Wind Monster with 1,500 Attack Points or less from my deck.

“But she won’t stay that weak…”

She took a card from her deck.

“Not again…” moaned Trisha.

“So I summon… Harpie Lady 1!”

With a screech, one of Mai Valentine’s signature Monsters appeared. She had long red hair, green wings, and wore a tight, purple bodysuit. (1,300/1,400) –> (1,600/1,400)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/RDS-EN017.jpg


“That’s trouble,” muttered Jason. “She brought out her booster first…”

“Booster?” asked Russell.

“Harpie Lady 1 increases the Attack Score of all Wind Monsters on the field by 300 points, herself included,” explained Jason. “And I do believe all of Sersei’s Monsters are that Attribute.”

“My turn now,” chuckled Sersei. “I’ll draw two cards…”

She made two draws.

“And since Harpie Lady 1 looks a little lonely by herself, I’ll summon her sister, Harpie Lady 2, in Attack Mode.”

She put another card down, and another Harpie appeared. This one looked most like the first, but her hair was short, with long bangs in front. (1,300/1,400) –> (1,600/1,400)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/RDS-EN018.jpg


“And don’t bother using any Monsters with flip-effects, because she can negate them.”

“I’ll place a card facedown and leave it at that,” said Sersei, fitting a card into a slot.

A facedown card appeared behind the Harpies.

“My draw…” said Trisha.

She drew a card.

Oh yeah, she thought, looking at the powerful four-star.

“I summon the mighty Mechanicalchaser in Attack Mode,” she stated, playing a card.

Another Machine arose, this one a spherical thing, with spindly arms, wings on its back, and a skull-like face in the front. (1,850/800)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/TP3-003.jpg


“Not only is Mechanicalchaser stronger than your Harpies,” said Trisha with a grin, “but Machine King Prototype gains 100 extra Attack Points for every Machine on the field, other than himself.”

Machine King Prototype glowed, and rose to 1,700 Attack.

“So that means it’s bye-bye birdies!” laughed Trisha. “Machine King Prototype, take out Harpie Lady 1!”

The Machine’s optic sensors glowed.

“I don’t think so, Trish,” exclaimed Sersei. “I activate Harpie Lady – Sparrow Formation!”

Her Trap Card lifted, and the two Harpies took to the air with a screech! They formed into a large, brown bird, and the Machine’s laser glanced off of it.

“Heh, heh,” said Sersei. “So long as I have at least two Harpies on the field, this card works just like Waboku. Neat Trap Card, huh?”

“Yeah, neat,” answered Trisha. “But your Harpies still can’t defeat my creatures.”

She waved her hand to signal the end of her turn.

Sersei made two draws.

“We’ll see about that, Trish,” she chucked. “I’ll play Pot of Greed to increase my hand size even more!”

She played the card, and drew two more cards, bringing the number of cards in her hand up to five.

“And I got just the right combination to turn your Machines into little pieces of little pieces!” she laughed.

She flicked her wrist, and her Field Slot opened. She placed a card in it.

The results were dramatic… All of a sudden, huge, rocky bluffs started to rise around them…

Trisha looked around. They were standing in what looked like the valley of a large, rocky mountain range, with odd, flying creatures passing overhead.

“How does that old song go?” asked Sersei. “I will not rest, till I lay down my head… In the House of Stone and Light…”

“What is this place?” demanded Trisha.

“Harpie’s Hunting Ground,” answered Sersei. “Not the real House of Stone and Light, but pretty close. This is the Harpie Ladies’ home, and they’re the masters here. You’re nothing but prey for them now.

“Let me explain the benefits of this Field Spell Card. First, all Winged Beasts on the field gain a bonus of 200 points, for both attacking and defending…”

The two Harpies grew to (1,800/1,600).

“…and also,” continued Sersei, “whenever I summon a Harpie or the Sisters, I can destroy one Trap or Magic Card.”

“So?” asked Trisha. “Mechanicalchaser is still stronger…”

“It won’t be around much longer,” chuckled Trisha, holding up a Spell Card. “I play Harpie Lady – Phoenix Formation…”

She played the card, and the two Harpies took to the air again…

They formed into a huge bird made of fire!

“Now I can destroy one of your Monsters for every Harpie I have on the field,” she laughed.

Machine King Prototype and Mechanicalchaser exploded!

Before Trisha could react, she was engulfed in flames!

“And that’s not all,” mocked Sersei, as her opponent fell on her rump. “Now the total Attack Points of those Monsters are deducted from your Life Points.”

“Super…” replied Trisha, holding her head.



[B](T: 4,450) (S: 8,000)


“If it’s any consolation, my Harpies can’t attack you this round,” chuckled Sersei. “So I’ll just place a card facedown and call it a turn.”

She fit a card into a slot, and it materialized.

Even if Harpie Lady 2’s effect doesn’t cut it, she thought, Harpie’s Feather Storm will…

“Talk about a nasty card,” muttered Russell. “I certainly hope she doesn’t have more than one of them!”

“I wouldn’t count on it,” sighed Jason. “It doesn’t sound like a common one. At least, let’s hope not. I don’t want Trisha to make a complete fool out of herself in front of the Freshmen…”

Trisha made a draw.

Only Monster I have is Battle Footballer, she thought. And I have two 7 Completed cards. I can use this to raise its Attack or Defense…

Raising its Attack to 2,400 would make it stronger than those two Harpies, but I don’t like the look of that facedown card…

On the other hand, raising its Defense to 3,500 would make me practically untouchable…

“All right, Sersei, I’m summoning Battle Footballer in Defense Mode…” she stated, putting a card down.

A bulky android in a football jersey appeared. It crouched, as if to receive a blitz. (1,000/2,100)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/DCR-001.jpg


“And now I’ll Equip it with two cards called 7 Completed. These can raise a Machine’s Attack or Defense by 700 points! And I’m using it on its Defense.”

She played the cards, and the number “77” appeared on the front of Battle Footballer’s jersey. Its Defense went up to 3,500.

“And that will be my turn,” she said.

“So, you’ve put up a wall,” mused Sersei, drawing two cards. “Thirty-five hundred Defense Points, huh? Well, prepare to have it torn down…”

She played a card.

“I summon Cyber Harpie Lady in Attack Mode.”

A third Harpie appeared. This one wore black armor, which didn’t quite hide her feminine beauty. She had long red hair, and carried a glowing whip. (1,800/1,300) –> (2,300/1,500)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/SP1-EN001.jpg


“And let’s not forget the second effect of my Field Card…” added Sersei.

One of the sevens on Battle Footballer’s chest shattered, and its Defense went down to 2,800.

“Its Defense is still too strong for me, so I’ll end my turn there,” said Sersei.

Trisha made a draw.

If I know Sersei, she thought, and I do… she’ll find a way around my wall soon enough, so I have to put up some added protection… She’s been powering up her deck, but then again, so have I…

“I’ll place two cards facedown, and that will be all for me,” she stated, playing the cards.

Two cards appeared behind Battle Footballer.

Sersei made two draws again.

She grinned at Trisha wickedly…

She played a Spell Card.

“I play… Elegant Egotist!” she shouted. “Now I can summon Harpie Lady Sisters from my deck…”

A triangular pattern appeared on the field, and three Harpies flew out of it! They looked much like the other three, but weren’t as splendidly dressed. (1,950/2,100) –> (2,450/2,300)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/MRD-EN009.jpg


“Sheesh, how many Harpies does she have in that deck?” exclaimed Russell.

The other seven on Battle Footballer’s chest burst, and its Defense fell to 2,100.

“Oh no…” moaned Russell, covering his eyes. “Tell me when it’s over…”

“In case you don’t know what this means, Trisha,” gloated Sersei, “it means I win. First Cyber Harpie will destroy your Footballer, than they’ll attack…”

She pointed to the Sisters.

“…then she’ll attack…”

She pointed to Harpie Lady 2.

“…and then she’ll finish you off!”

She pointed to Harpie Lady 1.

Trisha just looked at her.

“Not much to say, huh?” asked Sersei. “Cyber Harpie, whiplash attack!”

Cyber Harpie flew forward and cracked her whip, blowing Battle Footballer to scrap!

“And now…” started Sersei.

“Hold on!” shouted Trisha. “I activate… Hyper Refresh!”

A Quickplay Spell Card on her side lifted.

“Say what?” asked Sersei.

“It’s a powerful card if you use it right,” explained Trisha, as the card glowed. “Since I have no Monsters on my side of the field thanks to that last move, and the combined Attack Scores of your Monsters is greater than my current Life Points, my Life Points are doubled.”

Trisha glowed with energy, and her Life Points shot up.



[B](T: 8,900) (S: 8,000)


“Humph,” muttered Sersei. “So you padded your points… Harpie Lady Sisters, attack directly with triangle ecstasy!”

The three Sisters put their claws together, and a burning energy triangle shot forward…

Trisha cringed as it hit her.

“Now too…” continued Sersei. “WHAT?”

To her surprise, Trisha’s Life Points hadn’t gone down.

In fact, they had increased again, to 10,450!

Then Sersei saw that Trisha had activated her other facedown card. A strange-looking Trap.

“Like it?” laughed Trisha. “It’s called Nutrient Z. Since that attack was strong enough to do at least 2,000 points of damage, I gained 4,000 Life Points the instant before it hit.

“This duel is far from over…”

“My Battle Phase isn’t over either Trisha!” shouted Sersei in fury. “Harpie Ladies 1 and 2, get her!”

The two Harpies swooped down on Trisha and she screamed as they dug their talons into her.

The two Winged Beasts grinned as Trisha caught her breath. As if to insult her, Harpie Lady 1 grabbed her shoulder, and pushed down. She was forced to her knees.



[B](T: 6,850) (S: 8,000)


“You may have survived one round, Trisha,” mocked Sersei, as the Harpies flew away, “but next round, the Harem From Hell is taking you down.”

Jason smirked as Trisha got up.

“Russell, you can look now,” he said. “I think Trisha might just be getting her second wind…”

“You haven’t won yet, Sersei,” snarled Trisha, drawing.

“I might as well have,” said Sersei. “My Monsters have you outnumbered… Four to none… Well, as far as actual cards are concerned. It looks a lot more like six to none from your side, doesn’t it?”

“I play Graceful Charity,” said Trisha.

She played the card. A beautiful angel flew into the air, and her feathers fell upon Trisha’s deck.

“Now I can draw three cards…”

She made three draws.

“…so long as I discard two.”

Okay, she thought, looking at the cards. Now I might still have a chance…

She made two discards.

“Take this…” she shouted. “Swords of Revealing Light!”

She played the card, and a flurry of gleaming swords shot forward!

“Gaah!” shouted Sersei. “Not the swords!”

“That’s right,” said Trisha. “They’ll keep your Harpies at bay for three turns.

“I believe that this Spell Card was essential in helping Yugi Mouto buy time when he faced Mai Valentine for the first time and was facing a similar problem…”

“Smart,” said Sersei, “but it won’t help for long…”

“Next,” continued Trisha, “I’ll place one card facedown, and a Monster facedown as well.”

Two facedown cards appeared.

She looked at the Spell Card in her hand.

If I draw one of them in my next turn, I’m closer to a solution, she thought. But I have twenty-seven cards left in my deck, and only three copies… drawing one isn’t likely…

“Your move…” she said.

“I’ll draw two cards…” said Sersei.

She drew two and looked at them.

“No move this turn,” she said, “I’ll just wait for your Swords to expire for now…”

Trisha closed her eyes.

Sersei had a very good strategy…

She could only hope hers worked as well. No way was she going to let her win…

She drew a card.

“I play my Pot of Greed,” she stated.

She played the card, and drew two cards.

Yes! she thought.

“First, another card facedown,” she stated.

She set one of the cards, and it appeared next to the other two.

“Now I summon… Bokoichi the Freightening Car,” she exclaimed. “In Defense Mode.”

She placed a card down, and a weird creature that looked like a freight car with a fiendish face on the front appeared. (500/500)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/RDS-EN003.jpg

[Dark Sage]

“Huh?” asked Sersei.

“You probably think that Bokoichi here looks pretty pathetic,” said Trisha with a grin. “Well, that’s the whole point! See, because his Attack Score is only 500, I can use him to play this Spell Card…”

She played the last card in her hand.

“Machine Duplication,” she said. “This lets me Special Summon two more Bokoichis from my deck.”

She took two more cards from her deck, and placed them down. Two more Freightening Cars appeared.

“Still don’t see the point?” asked Trisha. “Well you will once I flip-summon my facedown Monster. Presenting… the ultimate engine that could… Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive!”

Her facedown Monster flipped face-up, and a larger Machine appeared. This one was a steel locomotive, again with a fiendish face. (1,400/1,000)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/RDS-EN032.jpg


“Now, here’s where it gets interesting,” continued Trisha. “When Dekoichi is flipped, I get to draw one card. And for each Bokoichi I have on the field when that happens, I get to draw another.”

“Meaning, you can draw four cards now,” muttered Sersei. “Impressive combo… you’d best hope it gets you some good cards…”

Trisha made four draws.

“I’ll end my turn on that note,” she said calmly.

She eyed the Monster she had just drawn and gave a slight smirk.

“Fine,” sighed Sersei. “I’ll draw two cards…”

She drew two.

And then she laughed.

“Allow me to introduce the newest member of my team!” she said, placing a card on the field. “I summon… Harpie’s Pet Baby Dragon, in Attack Mode.”

A large creature appeared next to the three Sisters. It looked similar to the regular Harpie’s Pet Dragon, but smaller, and much cuter. (1,200/600)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/eoj_jp013.jpg


“Baby Dragon?” said Trisha in surprise. “What happened to your adult one?”

“She’s still in my deck,” replied Sersei. “But her daughter is much cuter, isn’t she? And while she might be a baby, she’s much better than her mom. You see, Harpie’s Pet Baby Dragon can have three different effects, and for every Monster on my side of the field with the word ‘Harpie’ in her name, aside from herself, she gets one of them.

“As you can see, I have four such Monsters… So she gets all three.

“First, her base Attack and Defense are doubled, and don’t forget that she also gets boosted by Harpie Lady 1 because she’s a Wind Monster.”

The Dragon’s stats shot up to (2,700/1,200).

“Second, you can’t attack any of my Harpie Monsters other than her.”

“I think Trisha’s odds just worsened to about fifty to one,” said Russell.

“And third,” continued Sersei, “once per my turn, she can automatically destroy any one of your cards on the field.”

“Now I put those odds at five-hundred to one…” muttered Russell.

“Well sure…” muttered Trisha. “Destroy my Swords. I guess I can’t stop you…”

“Heh, heh, heh,” snickered Sersei. “Oh, you want me to do that, don’t you, Trisha? Well, I know that your Swords will be gone anyway after my next turn, and since I really don’t like the look of those facedown cards you have…

“Dragon, destroy her facedown card on the left!”

Harpie’s Baby Pet Dragon shot a stream of fire at the facedown card. The card was revealed to be Sakuretsu Armor, and was burned up.

“Thought so,” said Sersei. “My turn is over. Next round, I’ll just wipe out the other one, and I’ll break your little toy train set.”

That was close, thought Trisha, drawing a card. Good thing she fell for that bluff… If she really had destroyed the Swords, I’d never have beaten her…

“Not going to happen, Sersei” she finally answered.

She switched cards on her Disk.

“I sacrifice two Bokoichis…”

Two of the Freightening Cars vanished.

“…and I’ll summon… [B]Perfect Machine King!”

A beam of light struck Trisha’s side of the field, and a huge robot with shiny, flawless armor materialized. (2,700/1,500)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/RDS-EN012.jpg


“HUH?” shouted Sersei. “When did you get that thing? It’s even bigger than your old Machine King!”

“Over the summer,” answered Trisha. “Now, let me explain Perfect Machine King’s incredible effect; in addition to his own considerable Attack Score, he gains 500 Attack Points for every Machine on the field, other than himself.

“He just loves company.

“And as you can see, I already have two…”

(3,700/1,500)

“Wha… Buh… Guh…” sputtered Sersei.

“Is that her ‘special Monster’?” asked Russell.

“No,” replied Jason. “It’s her strongest one, but she has one that she likes better.”

“But I’m about to get a few more,” chuckled Trisha. “You’re going to be the first to see my new strategy… I reveal my facedown card… DNA Surgery!”

The facedown card lifted.

“That Trap…” gasped Sersei. “It lets you change the Type of every Monster on the field to whatever you choose…”

“Exactly,” replied Trisha. “And I choose Machines.”

The three Harpies and the Sisters screeched and their Dragon roared…

But they were silenced as their flesh, feathers, and hair was transformed to metal, and their joints became mechanical.

“What have you done to them?” screamed Sersei in horror.

“I know, it isn’t pretty,” sighed Trisha. “They lost their beauty and humanity. But on the plus side, they now get over three-hundred channels, including the premiums.

“Of course, since the Harpies aren’t Winged Beasts anymore, the first bonus of your Field Card no longer applies.”

Harpie Lady 1 and 2 dropped to (1,600/1,400), while Cyber Harpie Lady dropped to (2,100/1,300) and the Sisters fell to (2,250/2,100)

“And furthermore, now that there are a total of seven other Machines on the field, well, take a look at my King…”

Perfect Machine King grew even stronger! (6,200/1,500)

“So, I can only attack your Dragon, huh?” asked Trisha. “Well, I see no problem with that… Perfect Machine King, attack with mega missile assault!”

Two hatches on the great Machine’s shoulders opened, and a volley of missiles shot out, blasting Harpie’s Pet Baby Dragon into spare parts!

Sersei shielded herself…



[B](T: 6,850) (S: 4,500)


The crowd started to cheer.

“That’s my turn, Sersei,” said Trisha, as Perfect Machine King’s Attack went down to 5,700. “So you’d best make your next move count…”

Sersei slowly drew two cards…

She growled.

“I’ll switch my four Monsters to Defense Mode, and that will be all for now,” she sneered.

The Harpies and the Sisters knelt in Defense.

She looked at the Ritual Card in her hand.

With any luck, I’ll be able to last long enough to draw Calypso and give her a big surprise… she thought.

Trisha drew.

“I play… Premature Burial,” she exclaimed, playing a card. “And I’ll use it to bring back my old friend Machine King Prototype.”

Her Life Points decreased by 800, and Machine King Prototype arose out of the ground. (1,600/1,500)

Perfect Machine King’s Attack rose back to 6,200.

“And don’t forget, he gains an additional 100 Attack Points for every Machine on the field, other than himself.”

(2,300/1,500)

“And now I’m going to play another Equip,” continued Trisha. “One I put in my deck especially for you Sersei. It’s called Jumper Cables.”

“Don’t tell me that it’s going to make your King stronger!” gasped Sersei.

Trisha laughed.

“Oh, I’m not going to equip it on any of my Monsters, Sersei,” she answered. “I’m going to Equip it on one of yours. Cyber Harpie Lady, to be precise…”

She played the card.

“Now watch…”

Two jumper cables sprouted out of Cyber Harpie Lady’s hips…

And then one of them clamped onto each of her sisters’ hips.

“Here’s how it works,” stated Trisha. “When Jumper Cables is Equipped to a Monster, it and all Monsters on the owners’ side of the field with the same name gain 1,000 Attack Points. And I know that each Harpie is assumed to have the name ‘Harpie Lady’, due to their effects.”

Harpie Lady 1 and 2 rose to 2,600 Attack, while Cyber Harpie Lady rose to 3,100.

“And you’re being so helpful, why?” asked Sersei.

“Because, they’re in Defense Mode, and that Equip didn’t raise their Defense,” answered Trisha. “And this Equip has an unfortunate side effect: If the Equipped Monster is destroyed, so are all the other Monsters who benefit from it!”

Sersei’s eyes opened wide…

“Machine King Prototype, take out the Sisters!” she shouted. “Laser phaser!”

A beam of energy shot from Machine King Prototype’s eyes, and the Harpie Lady Sisters blew up!

“Dekoichi, attack Cyber Harpie Lady!”

With a chugging noise, the Battlechanted Locomotive charged forward, striking the Harpie! All three of them exploded!

“And now that that’s done,” said Trisha, as Perfect Machine King fell to an Attack of 4,200, “Perfect Machine King, attack directly!”

Perfect Machine King’s eyes glowed. A set of crosshairs centered on Sersei…

”Target sighted…” said a voice from the huge Machine.

Sersei looked nervously.

Perfect Machine King’s hatches opened.

”Fire at will.”

The huge Machine let loose another volley of missiles! Sersei screamed as they honed in on her and exploded!



[B](T: 6,050) (S: 300)


“Ready to throw in the towel?” asked Trisha.

“Eesh…” muttered Sersei. “No!”

She drew two cards.

“I’ll place a card facedown, and summon Harpie Girl in Defense Mode,” she stated.

A card appeared in front of her, and then a cute little girl in a skimpy black outfit with blonde hair and pink wings appeared, shyly hiding behind her wings. (500/500)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/RDS-EN004.jpg


She let out a frightened chirp, as DNA Surgery glowed, and she was transformed too.

“You know Sersei,” said Trisha, drawing a card, “I think that card is a bluff…”

She looked at the card she had drawn.

“But why take chances? I play Heavy Storm.”

She played the card, and a fierce wind tore over the field. Harpie’s Hunting Ground crumbled, then Sersei’s facedown Mirror Gate (for that’s what it was) lifted up and shattered, along with Guardian Treasure. Then the DNA Surgery card shattered. Finally, the Premature Burial card shattered, as did Machine King Prototype.

“Interesting…” said Trisha. “But it wouldn’t have worked, Sersei. Even if you had triggered it, I didn’t intend to attack her with Perfect Machine King.

“Dekoichi, destroy the Girl!”

Harpie Girl screamed as Dekoichi thundered forward and ran her over.

“Now, Perfect Machine King, finish this!” shouted Trisha.

Sersei screamed bloody murder as the missiles slammed into her again, erupting in a huge explosion!

Sersei lay on her back groaning, with smoke coming from her body.

”Target neutralized… said the Machine.

“Yeah…” laughed Trisha, “you neutralized the Hell out of her!



[B](T: 6,050) (S: 0)


“Game… over!” said Trisha with a sweet smile.

The crowd cheered, as Trisha’s Machines vanished.

“I’m glad I didn’t take you up on that bet, Russell,” sighed Jason. “I told you she had gotten better.”

“Too bad we didn’t see her special Monster,” said Russell, shaking his head.

Trisha went up to Sersei, who was starting to sit up.

“So Sersei,” sighed Trisha, “until next time?”

“Oh, shut up…” sulked Sersei.

“Hey, I beat you fair and square,” replied Trisha. “Complaining about it won’t help you.”

“Yeah, fair and square,” mumbled Sersei. “Just like your brother…”

Trisha backed up.

“You take that back!” she demanded.

“Make me, gear-girl!” snapped Sersei.

“Take it back, or I swear I’m going to take this Duel Disk, and shove it up your…”

“MOISE! RHINEHEART!” shouted a demanding voice. “You stop it right now!”

They both gulped and turned around…

The figure from the balcony had come down.

One thing you had to keep in mind about Chancellor Andorra Artemis… Making her angry was never a good idea…

“Uh, afternoon Chancellor…” gulped Sersei.

“I expected better from two of my top students,” snarled the administrator. “One of the purposes behind these seminars is to show the Freshmen good conduct. Starting fights is NOT my idea of good conduct!”

“She mentioned my brother…” grumbled Trisha.

Artemis’s eyes narrowed.

“Is that true, Sersei?” she asked, now even angrier.

“Uh…” muttered Sersei.

Artemis didn’t wait for an answer. Sersei’s hesitation was all she needed to know that the answer was yes.

“I thought it was made clear that he was never to be brought up, Miss Rhineheart, especially in Miss Moise’s presence. Now you will either apologize to your opponent this instant, or you will not only forfeit the extra credit for this duel, but you will get detention as well!”

Sersei sighed.

“I’m sorry Trisha…” she mused.

“Good,” answered Artemis. “Now let’s hope the rest of this seminar passes without a similar incident…”

Trisha walked up to where Jason and Russell were sitting, and sat down herself.

“Hey Trish, you won!” exclaimed Jason.

“Really?” mumbled Trisha. “Well, how come I don’t feel very happy?”

Jason knew better than to answer.

Living in her brother’s dark shadow was a burden that had haunted her for two years now. Every time it came up, accident or not, it was a slap in the face that didn’t go away for a long time.

At the very least, Trisha would recover in an hour. At most, in a day.

Until she did, she’d be more miserable than she was at breakfast.



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


Sersei sat in an isolated part of the arena seats sulking. Eventually, another student wearing the Obelisk colors came up beside her.

She smirked a little. She knew Anthony pretty well. After all, he was her boyfriend.

“Come to console me?” she asked.

“Uhm, actually,” he muttered, “I was kind of wondering where you got that card…”

“What card?” asked Sersei.

“That Treasure thing,” he asked. “It’s mega-powerful!”

Sersei grinned. She searched through her deck and found Guardian Treasure.

“Would you believe that this card used to belong to the real Mai Valentine?” she asked.

“No…” he said, shocked.

“And technically, it still does,” continued Sersei. “She’s lending it to me.”

“She’s dead…” muttered Anthony. “How…”

“This is an incredibly rare card, Anthony,” answered Sersei. “Apparently, some ex-lover did something that made Mai incredibly angry at him. I have no idea why, but it must have been something really bad. Shortly before she married Joey Wheeler, the guy somehow got this card, and gave it to her as a means of asking forgiveness. He wasn’t forgiven, but Mai kept the card. She wouldn’t use it however, since she wouldn’t put his cards in her deck.

“Oh course, there was even a rumor that the card wasn’t even his to give, but that he had stolen it from someone who trusted him. Likely that guy never trusted him again.

“Anyway, she offered it as a prize for anyone who could win a major tournament with a Harpie Deck. But whoever won it would have to sign a contract saying that it would go back to her representatives when he or she stopped dueling permanently for any reason, including death. So only those who used her signature Monsters would ever use it.”

She looked at the card.

“Over one hundred years, four duelists have won it,” she continued. “Over the summer, I won a tournament, and I was shocked when they offered me this along with the normal prize. I couldn’t sign the contracts fast enough.

“It’s the rarest card I have…”

Sersei and Anthony didn’t notice that a figure behind them had been listening to the whole conversation.

They didn’t see him… And if they tried to, they couldn’t have.

The figure sighed; a tear trickled down his face.

And then he simply vanished.


Thursday, September 9th, 2106, 1PM



GUARDIAN TREASURE (Spell Card)

Card Specs

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

Image: A beautiful woman with silver hair in front of a crystal ball.

Card Description: Discard five cards from your hand, then draw two cards from your deck. For as long as this card remains in effect, you may draw two cards during your Draw Phase.

Note: “Guardian Treasure” was used by Raphael in the multi-part anime episode “Fate of the Pharaoh”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



HARPIE LADY – SPARROW FORMATION (Trap Card)

Card Specs

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

Image: A golden bird inside a rune-covered circle.

Card Description: You can activate this card when you have two or more Monsters named “Harpie Lady” face-up on your side of the field. All battle damage done by your opponent’s Monsters becomes zero for the remainder of the turn.



HARPIE LADY – PHOENIX FORMATION (Spell Card)

Card Specs

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

Image: A fiery blue bird inside a rune-covered circle.

Card Description: You can activate this card when you have two or more Monsters named “Harpie Lady” face-up on your side of the field. Destroy one opposing Monster for every “Harpie Lady” you have face-up on your side of the field. Reduce your opponent’s Life Points by an amount equal to the combined ATK of the destroyed Monsters. During the turn this card is activated, all Monsters named “Harpie Lady” cannot attack.



HARPIE’S FEATHER STORM (Trap Card)

Card Specs

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

Image: A flurry of multicolored feathers.

Card Description: You can activate this Trap when you declare an attack using a Monster named “Harpie Lady”. Negate the effect of the Monster you are attacking. After using this card, end your Battle Phase.

Note: “Harpie Lady – Sparrow Formation”, “Harpie Lady – Phoenix Formation”, and “Harpie’s Feather Storm” were first used by Mai in the multi-part anime episode “My Freaky Valentine”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



HYPER-REFRESH (Spell Card)

Card Specs

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

Image: A shadowy figure, holding a bottle that shines with radiance.

Card Description: You can activate this card when you have no Monsters on your side of the field and the combined ATK of your opponent’s face-up Monsters is greater than your Life Points. Double your Life Points.

Note: “Hyper-Refresh” was used by Joey in the anime episode “Down in Flames (Part Two)”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



JUMPER CABLES (Spell Card)

Card Specs

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

Image: Two jumper cables connected to a car battery on one end and free on the other end.

Card Description: You can Equip a Monster with this card when there are additional Monsters with the same name on the same side of the field. Increase the ATK of the Equipped Monster and all Monsters with the same name as the Equipped Monster on the same side of the field by 1,000. When a Monster Equipped with this card is destroyed, all Monsters with the same name as the Equipped Monster on the same side of the field are also destroyed.



MIRROR GATE (Trap Card)

Card Specs

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

Image: A cluster of glass crystals.

Card Description: This card can only be activated during your opponent’s Battle Phase when your opponent’s Monster declares an attack. Switch the control of the attacking Monster with a Monster on your side of the field. Continue the battle normally.

Note: “Mirror Gate” was used by Jaden several times in “Yu-Gi-Oh GX”, first in “Welcome to Duel Academy”.


"Harpie's Pet Baby Dragon" will be realeased in "Enemy of Justice".




Trisha’s Machine Deck

For as long as the Moise family history can be recorded, all members of the family have been known as excellent mechanics and engineers. Family legend says that one early member of the family was an assistant to Henry Ford himself.

Trisha is no exception. She was able to repair the transmission on her father’s car effortlessly when she was ten, and got perfect marks in auto shop class before attending the academy.

Thus, deciding on a Machine Deck was a natural. Trisha’s deck uses a variety of Machines and Machine accessories; her creatures are unsubtle, but they get the job done. Her most powerful card is the rare Perfect Machine King, which grows stronger with every additional Machine on the field. She also carries the normal Machine King in her deck, as well as multiple copies of the weaker Machine King Prototype, and has a special combo that utilizes all three Kings (to be revealed later).

Trisha doesn’t use Cyber Dragons or Ancient Gear Monsters, at least not most of the time. To her, those cards are a different brand of Machine that should be used in decks designed to make the most of them. She does, however, have a deck that uses special Machines that she utilizes when she wants to take opponents by surprise…

Those who want to know the nature of this special deck will simply have to wait.



[I][B]First of all, brownie points to whoever can tell me what The House of Stone and Light is, besides a song. And if you liked Sersei, she will be appearing again, although a rematch with Trisha is not planned.

You’re probably wondering who that shadowy figure is who was watching Sersei and her boyfriend. Well, put all the pieces together, and maybe you’ll figure it out.

Next chapter:

There’s more than one way to earn extra credit at this school, but many of the ways are rather painful. Also, while many great duelists from the first generation have passed to the great beyond years ago, in this future time, there are ways that duelists can meet them – and duel them too!

Coming up next, a character from the anime makes a guest appearance, as Jason tries for one of said extra credit assignments, in a chapter I’m calling “Dreamsprite”!

Who is it? You’ll just have to wait and find out…

[starjake]

Hmm...certainly an odd continuation of events...so Valon steals Raphael's Guardian Treasure and gives it to Mai to get her to forgive him?

Of course, I assume that Valon would also be dead now, so unless you're using a rather unusual plot device, that couldn't have been him standing behind the tree.

Nothing too new and unusual in the duel, though I can't think of a time when Harpies took on Machines.

So Jason's Deck has something to do with Vorse Raider...Beast-Warriors? Dark monsters? Level 4 beatsticks? Plain old violence (though that doesn't seem his type)? I suppose we'll have to wait and see.

[Mega Horny]

I KNEW IT!!!! MACHINES ROXX0RZ!!!!

[Perfect Chaos]

Nice chapter

Trisha seems like an interesting character. I wonder what the problem she had with her brother and what happened in her past.

I'm glad to see that she's using a Machine deck. It leaves a refreshing feeling after seeing a female Machine duelist. Keep up the good work.

I'm actually pulling for a Beast/Beast-Warrior deck for Jason. Sure it's going to be cookie-cutter for the most part, but hey, how often do you see a Beast-deck appear in a fic used by a hero?

See you then

-Sean

[Shuppet Master]

I hate to say this, guys, but Jason's deck isn't a Beast-Warrior deck. I can't go any further without invoking the wrath of the Dark Sage for spoilers, but I'm sure you'll be surprised when you see it. :)

Anyways, great chapter Brian. I did write more, but due to my wonky computer, I couldn't send the message. :(

[Dark Sage]

Jason's deck is not Beast-Warriors, Level-Four beatsticks, Dark Monsters, or "plain old violence", but I will say that Vorse Raider is one of his favorite Monsters.

What is the theme of his deck? Wait until Wednesday, and you'll see. It isn't exactly a theme that most real duelists could use.

[Blademaster]

(smiles)

I know what Jake's deck is...

And I loved the concept of a female Machine duelist - I think I know what her 'special card' is, too.

I can't stay too long, so I'll just say I liked the chapter, I liked the duel, and I'm confused by the brother and Guardian Treasure backstories.

And I'll be waiting for the next chapter.

Peace out!

-Blade

[Inferno_Dragon]

Interesting, so Trisha owns a Machine Deck. Well, I didn't see that coming. And It was more interesting than any Machine Deck uses in the Anime or in fanfiction. Like everybody else, I am interested to hear more about Trisha's brother. Obviously, we will probably wait a while. Can't wait until the next chapter.

One more thing, I like it how you use the actual card design to represent each chapter. It is an creative and interesting way of doing it. Keep up the good work!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Dark Sage]

Me again...

You'll find out the deal with Trisha's brother soon. As in, next chapter.

Suffice to say now, she hates him. With a passion.

[Blademaster]

Sibling rivalry, huh?

(thinks)

...

Oh, I get it...

Man, I'm slow, but at least I cross the finish line, right? :biggrin::redface::p

[Shuppet Master]

(Was going to write a witty retort, but couldn't think of anything to say without spoiling the reasons Trisha hates her brother and getting zapped by Manjyoume Thunder's wrath.)

[Zcade0]

Good, good. Now if I may be blunt, GET POKEMONESE DONE!!!!!


Nice machine deck. I would think it cool if a main character (Jake in this case) would use a deck baced on evil creatures (as vorse raider's card says, he is "wicked"). I repeat GET POKEMONESE DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[starjake]

I really must jump in and correct something here (though I'm surprised Dark Sage hasn't done so already).

I realize that I am guilty of this also, but we must remember to keep our characters straight. 'Jake' is from my fic, Virtual Disaster. Dark Sage's third member of this little trio is named 'Jason'.

And, unless Dark Sage has plans for a character named Jake (I certainly didn't send him any), Jake Forester will remain in my fic. And Shuppet Master's, but his Jake is alot different character-wise than my own.

I'm sure Dark Sage would appreciate it if we didn't mix up everyone's characters. It will be difficult for me, since my fingers are use to typing 'ke' after 'Ja', but I'll do my best.

[Shuppet Master]

Thanks for that. I am working on a small sub-plot in the next chapter of Anansi for your Jake. I wanted to make it a full chapter, but lately I'm getting sick of the fic, so I had to axe a lot of stuff. :(

Anyways, Zcade0, Dark Sage will finish Pokemonese, and I will finish Sister of Anansi, even if I have to lock myself in the closet with my computer for two weeks. j/k ;)

[Dark Sage]

Time for Chapter Three.

And stay around after you read it for something else, and your chance to put something into this story!

[B][I]I’m the kind of guy who’s an overachiever. At this place, I’ll do anything for extra credit, no matter how hard it is. I love doing it.

You know another thing I love? Revisiting the past. The same technology that my idol invented can let you meet duelists from the old generations – and duel them if you desire.

I’ve met several figures this way; my success rate is average. And now that the school year has started and the technology has improved… Well, it’s time to get acquainted with it again.

Of course, this guy who I’m facing right now doesn’t exactly look like a challenge, but if I know one thing about duelists…

Looks are always deceptive…




[B][size=3]CHAPTER THREE



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LON-EN073.jpg



Thursday, September 2nd, 2,106, 3:30 PM



When Bastion Misawa graduated with honors from the original Duel Academy, he became a great duelist who accomplished a great deal in his life, and a lot of duelists after him admired him.

Misawa was an intellectual who used mathematics, physics, and statistics to plan his dueling strategies. As a result, a lot of schools eventually started to take his ideas into practice.

Dueling Theory was one class that only the brightest students took. It involved a great deal of commitment. Jason was committed, but everyone who took it had to admit one thing…

Physics, no matter what it pertained to, was boring.

Dr. Lang was the first to notice that most of the class was nodding off. Well, that wasn’t a problem…

He picked up a Duel Disk, and turned to on, and then put a card on it…

A huge Jigen Bakudan materialized in front of him, and it exploded!

Everyone sat up with a start.

“Maybe everyone needs a five-minute break to stretch their legs,” he sighed. “But only five minutes…”

The students got up.

“Hey, Jason!” said a voice from the desk next to him.

Jason turned and saw the student in the red blazer.

“Can you fill me in on what happened with Trisha’s brother?” asked the Slifer.

Jason rolled his eyes.

“Fine,” he answered, “but if she asks you, you didn’t hear this from me…”

He paused.

“When she and I were Freshmen, he was a Junior, and was one of the best duelists in the school, or so we thought…

“We didn’t know that Patrick was cheating during his duels, and had a way of doing so that was nearly undetectable. He had learned a tricky way to shuffle from some stage magician.

“A good stage magician might know over a thousand ways to cheat at cards. And Patrick got one to teach him one of the most useful.

“See, you probably know by now that it’s customary here before an official duel for your opponent to shuffle your deck. Now, the most powerful cards in a deck are usually holofoil, and holofoil cards weigh slightly more than other cards. Patrick knew a way to shuffle so that almost all of the heavier cards wound up on the bottom of the deck. So his opponent always got bad draws.”

“Good lord,” said the Slifer.

“We might not have caught him, but his girlfriend asked him what his secret was. He told her the truth, thinking she’d be loyal. Seemed she was a much more honorable duelist than he was. She secretly told Dr. Artemis.

“They didn’t have any proof, but they started a sting operation – it seemed Artemis was suspicious of him to begin with – and she never liked him much anyway, seeing as he boasted a lot. Probably the breaking point was when he said to her face that he could beat her in a duel if she had the guts…”

The Slifer stared in disbelief.

“She made a new rule – after your opponent shuffled your deck, you had the option to cut it once. She also encouraged it by explaining that there was a rumor that some students were learning how to trick-shuffle, without naming names.

“As soon as this started, Patrick’s success started to plummet. Then he started to protest the new rule. Of course, arguing about it had a result that he didn’t expect. He protested against it so loudly, that all of his opponents were almost certain that he was rigging the shuffling, and they always took the option.

“Eventually, he told his girlfriend again to commiserate, and she recorded what he said on tape. That was all the proof they needed.

“In this college, cheating is unforgivable. He was expelled.

“It hit poor Trisha the hardest. She had never believed that the rumor was true, but when he was caught, she felt betrayed. She said publicly to him, that as far as she was concerned, he was dead. She’d never speak to him or acknowledge him again.”

“He got what he deserved,” muttered the Slifer.

“Strange part is, no-one knows what happened to him after that,” added Jason. “Not even Trisha or their parents know where he is… She kinda hoped he eventually jumped in the East River, but that’s probably wishful thinking…”

By now, the students were starting to come back in, as was Dr. Lang.

“Before I forget,” added the Professor, “the VR pods are back online, and anyone who wants extra credit is welcome to use them. Ms. Nichols has told me that a great deal of new programs have been added since last year…”

Jason’s eyes opened at this…

About time… he thought.



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


Virtual reality…

In a wing of the school library was a large room holding several of the virtual reality pods. They worked on a strange system.

When a device similar to a DVD was loaded into a pod, the recipient could project his consciousness into a small pocket cyberspace dimension. The appearance of the place depended on the whim of the Lord…

“Lord” was a catchall term for the AI entities that were programmed into them. One was in each program, and all of them had the likeness of a duelist from one of the previous generations of Duel Monsters. They were programmed with the intelligence, memories (up to a certain point of their lives) and personality of the actual duelist. A student who was brave enough could come here and challenge them – but these duelists were not pushovers.

Jason had done it several times. A few duelists were easy. Some he had beaten on the first try. However, Ishizu Ishtar had defeated him five times before he was able to defeat her. Mai Valentine had been harder – he had never been able to beat her. (And she was so sarcastic, he always wondered why Joey Wheeler had fallen for her.) Since these AI’s could remember a student if they faced them multiple times, it seemed to get worse with each defeat. The last time he dueled Mai, she asked why he had even bothered coming.

He had a good reason for dueling her, however – as one of the harder duelists, she awarded more extra credit than the others if she was beaten. How much you got was up to the AI, but there was a minimum based on the AI’s skill.

A lot of students would have loved to duel the three members of the Trinity, but they couldn’t. Making AI versions of them was illegal. (Jason personally thought that the Council was afraid someone might actually defeat one of them and their reputations would be ruined.)

As Jason walked into the chamber, he saw that only three of the twenty pods were occupied (one of them by Sersei, surprisingly).

The supervisor looked up.

“Mr. Conrad, what a pleasant surprise!” she said sweetly. “If you want another rematch with Mrs. Valentine, I’m afraid her program is being used right now…”

Jason looked over at Sersei’s pod.

Ironic, he thought.

“No, Ms. Nichols,” he answered, “I was hoping for someone new… Someone with something original…”

“Well,” said Ms. Nichols, going to the shelf, “we do have a few new additions, and no-one has tried a few of them yet except Dr. Artemis…”

She took down a disk.

“She said this one was her favorite – the Lord of this program was a real challenge, and quite original.”

“How much is he worth?” asked Jason.

“On the average, two-hundred points,” answered Ms. Nichols. “But I warn you, he’s tough…”

Jason looked at it.

“Eh, why not?” he said.

“This way,” she replied.

They walked to a booth, and Jason sat down. Ms. Nichols inserted the disk.

”Please insert deck,” said a computerized voice.

Jason placed his deck in the holder.

“Just a warning,” said Ms. Nichols. “This guy’s cards are very bizarre… but don’t take him lightly, because they’re quite deadly.”

The pod closed, and a flash of light appeared in front of Jason’s eyes…

He wondered if he’d ever get used to this…



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


“OOF!”

Jason fell and landed on his butt!

Traveling through the virtual vortex, he thought. Always a pain in the ass…

He got up, and saw himself in a dark forest, on a dirt pathway. He saw large butterflies in front of him…

Then he realized that they weren’t butterflies… They were tiny fairies!

They danced around his head, and then one of them kissed him on the nose! Then she pointed ahead.

Jason looked ahead and saw a four-way intersection with a signpost.

One pointer said:

”TO THE THREE BEARS’ HOUSE”

Another said:

”TO THE THREE LITTLE PIGS’ HOUSE”

And the third:

”TO DUELIST’S HOUSE”

What sort of crazy place is this? thought Jason. Whoever the Lord is has a weird sense of humor…

Nonetheless, he followed the pointer to the Duelist’s House. After walking for about five minutes, he came to an old-fashioned wooden house with a thatched roof.

He knocked on the door.

“Won’t do you much good to knock,” said a voice. “You see, I’m on the same side of the door as you are…”

He turned around, and saw someone who certainly hadn’t been there before. It was a young boy who couldn’t have been more than twelve, with neatly-cut hair, dyed purple and tied in a ponytail, wearing a sweater. He also wore a Duel Disk.

“It might make more sense to knock if I were on the outside and you were on the inside,” said the youth. “Then I could let you out… But then, if you wanted to be in the house, why would you do that?”

“Uhm, hullo,” said Jason. “Are you the one in charge here?”

The boy nodded.

“Leon Wilson’s the name,” he said. “Welcome to storybook land!”

“I, uh, expected someone… taller…” muttered Jason.

“Don’t knock it, pal,” chuckled Leon. “I’ll have you know I once dueled the King of Games himself.”

“Yugi?” asked Jason, surprised.

Leon nodded.

“I always wanted to duel him again in a more fair contest,” he muttered, “but you see…”

“More fair?” asked Jason. “You dueled him and cheated?”

Leon frowned.

“Well…” he said.

He paused.

“It wasn’t my fault!” protested Leon.

He sighed.

“Look, if you want,” he muttered, “after we duel I’ll give you the card catalogue number for a DVD where you can see the whole thing. But until then…”

He raised his Disk.

“…you’re the first student who’s come here since I was programmed, and I’m more than anxious to see how the next generation is shaping up. So, how about it?”

Jason hesitated, but then he remembered that these programs could not cheat. It went against their programming.

He gestured, and his own Disk appeared on his arm.

“Okay Leon,” he said, “Disk away!”

His Disk activated.

They drew their first hands, and a flock of birds flew from the trees above…



[B](Jason: 8,000) (Leon: 8,000)


Jason made his first draw.

All right! he thought. I haven’t had an opening hand this good in ages!

“I’ll start by summoning Blade Knight in Attack Mode,” he exclaimed.

He put a card down, and a beam of light struck his side of the field. A knight in brilliant armor holding a sword appeared. (1,600/1,000)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/CT1-EN002.jpg


“Not a bad Monster,” commented Leon.

He drew a card.

“Now look out!” he laughed. “I’m summoning my Forest Wolf in Attack Mode.”

He threw a card down, and a growl sounded over the field…

A weird Beast appeared. It was a wolf, dressed in a nightgown and nightcap, along with old-fashioned glasses. (1,800/300)

Jason almost laughed… But then he noticed that this Monster’s Attack Score was higher than his…

“Forest Wolf, attack!” shouted Leon.

The Wolf pounced, and to Jason’s shock, it swallowed Blade Knight whole! It liked its lips, and then spit out the sword!

“What is that?” asked Jason. “The Big Bad Wolf?”

Leon chuckled.

“You’ve got the right house,” he answered. “But you’ve got the wrong story…”

“How the heck can two stories take place in the same house?” asked Jason.

”Because it’s a two-story house!” laughed Leon, pointing to the house.

“Ugh, I walked right into that one…” groaned Jason.



[B](J: 7,800) (L: 8,000)


“All right,” he said, drawing a card, “you’ve had your fun…”

He put a card down.

“Now I’ll summon Vorse Raider in Attack Mode.”

In another flash, the wicked Beast-Warrior appeared, holding aloft his huge axe. He growled a guttural growl. (1,900/1,200)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/ct2_en003.jpg


“Attack the Forest Wolf!” shouted Jason. “Blood axe swipe!”

Vorse Raider hurled his axe, and Forest Wolf’s eyes popped out in surprise…

The Beast shattered, and an orb of light flew out of the remains…

The orb flew to Jason’s side, and formed into Blade Knight! (1,600/1,000)

He and Vorse Raider nodded to each other.

“Huh?” asked Jason. “Where did he come from?”

“Uh, yeah…” muttered Leon. “You have to make sacrifices for being a three-star Monster who’s that strong. When it’s destroyed, you get back anything it devoured.”

“Well,” said Jason with a shrug, “never look a gift horse in the mouth… Or a gift wolf. And since my Battle Phase isn’t over, Blade Knight, attack Leon directly.”

Blade Knight slashed at Leon with his sword, and he stumbled backwards.

“Not bad,” panted Leon. “I guess chapter one is over… Chapter two is starting…”



[B](J: 7,800) (L: 6,300)


He drew a card.

“I’ll place two cards facedown on the field,” he said.

Two cards appeared in front of him.

“And then I’ll summon this gal in Attack Mode,” he continued. “Meet Cinderella.”

He put a card down, and a disheveled figure appeared. It was a young woman with a dirty face, dressed in rags. (300/600)

“Huh?” asked Jason.

“Watch…” said Leon.

From out of nowhere, a shower of pixie dust, and a beautiful fairy appeared. She waved her wand over Cinderella, and her rags turned into a gorgeous ballroom gown.

Then the fairy waved her wand again, and a carriage shaped like a pumpkin drawn by white stallions appeared next to her. (100/800)

“See,” said Leon, “when Cinderella is summoned, I can Special Summon the fabled Pumpkin Carriage from my hand, deck, or Graveyard in Defense Mode. I can also Equip her with her favorite footwear…”

He played a card.

“Glass Slippers…”

Cinderella grinned, as the legendary slippers appeared on her feet.

“By the way, so long as Pumpkin Carriage is on the field, you aren’t allowed to attack Cinderella,” he said. “And I’ll call that a turn.”

This is weird, thought Jason, drawing a card. His cards seem to all be based on fairy tale creatures. And they must all be pretty rare, because I’ve certainly never heard of these cards… Doesn’t he have any normal cards?

“Vorse Raider, attack the Pumpkin Carriage!”

Vorse Raider growled and threw his axe…

“Activate Mirror Force!” shouted Leon, as one of his Traps lifted.

Vorse Raider and Blade Knight screamed, as the holy light blew them to pixels!

Well, there’s a familiar one… thought Jason.

“By the way, Leon,” he continued, “I had a feeling one of those cards was a Trap, so I purposely didn’t summon until you set it off…”

He put a card down.

“I summon La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp in Attack Mode.”

Green smoke poured out of the ground on Jason’s side, and the impressive form of La Jinn appeared. He gave a throaty chuckle. (1,800/1,000)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/SKE-009.jpg


“Interesting,” commented Leon. “I’ve read a lot of fairy tales, but the Arabian Nights ones were never my thing…”

He went to draw a card…

But then he stopped.

“Say, Jason, before I draw, a question…”

“Yeah?” asked Jason.

“So far, I’ve seen a Warrior, a Beast-Warrior, and a Fiend,” said Leon. “Your Monsters don’t seem to have anything in common except one thing…

“All of them were cards that Kaiba used in his deck.”

Jason grinned.

“You figured it out pal,” he said. “I’ve admired Kaiba my whole life. I mean, Yugi was the better duelist, sure, but Kaiba contributed a lot more to the cause of Duel Monsters. Who invented the Duel Disk? Who created the Kaibaland chain?

“So when I was building my deck, I tried hard to make one just like his, for the most part.”

“Well then,” said Leon, with a shrug, “I hate to say this, but if you want to emulate him, you’re doomed to failure…

“After all, Kaiba wouldn’t be Kaiba without the three big stars in his deck, and we both know you can’t have those.”

Jason watched as he drew.

He’ll find out soon enough, he thought.

“I activate Call of the Haunted,” exclaimed Leon.

His other Trap lifted.

“Normally in fairy tales, dead means dead, plain and simple,” said Leon. “But this is Duel Monsters, and things are never that simple, so my Forest Wolf is coming back from the grave.”

Forest Wolf arose again. (1,800/300)

“Now let me show you how this great combo works, Jason,” he started to explain. “Another great thing about Pumpkin Carriage – so long as it’s on the field, Cinderella can attack you directly. So, Cinderella…”

Cinderella kicked off her slippers and threw them at Jason!

“Humph, I barely felt a thing,” chuckled Jason.

“That’s not all,” added Leon. “Now that she did that, I can Equip the Glass Slippers to one of your Monsters.”

La Jinn looked down in puzzlement. Sure enough, he was wearing them on his feet.

“I don’t get the point…” questioned Jason.

“How long has it been since you’ve read this story?” asked Leon. “Those Slippers only fit Cinderella – on anyone else, they’re a curse. Your genie now loses 1,000 Attack Points!”

La Jinn grunted as his Attack fell down to 800.

“And now, here comes my Forest Wolf!” shouted Leon.

Forest Wolf pounced, and just like before, swallowed La Jinn!

“And as the last part of the combo,” said Leon, “the Slippers reappear on Cinderella, and she gains 1,000 Attack Points.”

The Glass Slippers magically appeared in Cinderella, and her Attack rose to 1,300.

“And next round we can do that all over again,” said Leon with a smirk.



[B](J: 6,500) (L: 6,300)


“Not if I get rid of her first,” snarled Jason.

He drew.

“All right Leon, I’m playing Pot of Greed!” he exclaimed, playing a Spell Card. “Now I can draw two more cards…”

He made two draws.

He looked at the two identical cards.

“Remember when you said I couldn’t have Kaiba’s three big stars in my deck?” he asked. “Well, I knew that, so I found three replacements that are even better…”

He showed him a card.



http://www.ideal808.com/images/crv_en015.jpg


“A Cyber Dragon?” asked Leon.

“See, the Blue-Eyes White Dragons can only be combined one way, into the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon,” explained Jason. “Admittedly, that’s a powerful creature, but Cyber Dragons can be combined LOTS of ways.

“For example, I’ll use Polymerization, to fuse these two into the Cyber Twin Dragon!”

He played the card, and two huge metal serpents appeared on the field. They swirled into a vortex of light, and formed into a huge, two headed metal serpent! (2,800/2,100)



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:




http://www.ideal808.com/images/crv_en035.jpg


“And by the way,” added Jason, “this lovable fellah can attack twice, since he has two heads to do so. Cyber Twin Dragon, squash that squash! Strident blast!”

The Dragon’s right head shot forth a blast of flame! The Pumpkin Carriage was blown to pieces!

“Now demolish the Forest Wolf!”

The left head shot forth a stream of flame, and Forest Wolf howled before it was blown apart!

“I seem to remember you saying that when that guy is destroyed, I get back any Monster that he destroyed…” said Jason.

La Jinn reappeared on Jason’s side. (1,800/1,000)

“La Jinn, wipe out Cinderella!” he shouted.

La Jinn breathed fire at the princess and she screamed! She shattered into pixels.



[B](J: 6,500) (L: 4,800)


“Lovely,” sighed Leon. “I guess subtlety in Duel Monsters must have died when I did… But the bigger they are, the harder they fall…”

“Just move,” laughed Jason. “This will be the easiest extra credit I ever got…”

Leon drew.

“I’ll place a card facedown,” he stated, “and then I’ll summon… Little Red Riding Hood in Defense Mode.”

He played the cards. A facedown card appeared, followed by a little girl with a red hood and cape, carrying a basket. She crouched in defense. (800/1,200)

“That the best you can do?” said Jason, almost laughing.

He drew a card.

“Let’s end this, people. La Jinn, take her out…”

La Jinn breathed fire. Red screamed and was blasted into pixels.

“Hold on!” shouted Leon. “When she’s destroyed in battle, I get to Special Summon one Warrior from my deck with four stars or less… and I’ve got a good one…”

He put a card down.

“Tom Thumb!”

A cute-looking elf with a stocking cap appeared, crouching in Defense Mode. (1,300/1,500)

“Clever,” stated Jason. “But I’ve still got another Monster… Cyber Twin Dragon, attack Tom Thumb with strident blast!”

The left head breathed fire…

“I activate… Negate Attack!” shouted Leon.

The Trap lifted, and the attack was halted.

“Now your Dragon’s attack is stopped cold,” said Leon, “and this battle ends right now.”

Jason paused.

Clever, he thought. He purposely let Little Red Riding Hood be destroyed so he could use her effect, saving his Trap to protect Tom Thumb.

But what’s his story?

He paused.

”What’s his story” indeed. Now he’s got me doing it…

“Okay, it’s your move,” he said.

Leon drew a card.

“Now then,” he said, “during my Standby Phase, Tom Thumb gains 300 Attack Points…”

Tom’s Attack rose to 1,600.

“And to protect him until I’m ready, I’ll play Swords of Revealing Light.”

He played the Spell Card, and the shimmering Swords rained down upon Jason!

“That will keep you from attacking for three turns,” said Leon.

“Big deal!” said Jason. “Your elf would need five turns to grow strong enough to take down my Dragon.”

“He won’t be the one who takes him down,” said Leon, slyly.

He played a Spell Card.

“I play Gingerbread House.”

A large house made of gingerbread and candy appeared behind Leon!

“What does that do?” gasped Jason.

“You’ll see when you start your turn,” answered Leon, “and I’m ending mine now.”

“Okay, fine!” said Jason, drawing.

He looked at the card.

Hmmm, he thought.

“Gingerbread House,” said Leon, “your target is the Cyber Twin Dragon!”

“Huh?” asked Jason.

Suddenly, Cyber Twin Dragon was sucked into the candy house!

And then it was spat back out… And it was covered with chocolate and crumbs.

“See,” said Leon, “during your Standby Phase, this Continuous Spell Card can take one of your Monsters and increase its Attack Score by 600…”

(3,400/2,100)

“Why would you make one of my Monsters stronger?” asked Jason.

And then Cyber-Twin Dragon burst into shards!

“I was getting to that,” added Leon. “If doing so raises its Attack to 2,500 or higher, the Monster is destroyed. Also, I gain 500 Life Points.”

Jason glared at him.

“And it’s a Continuous Spell,” he added, “so on your next turn, we’ll just do that again.”



[B](J: 6,500) (L: 5,300)


Jason put a card on his Disk.

“I summon Twin-Headed Behemoth in Defense Mode,” he stated.

A large dragon with violet scales, wings, and two heads appeared, crouching in Defense. (1,500/1,200)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LOD-EN063.jpg


“I’ll move La Jinn to Defense too, and that will be all.”

La Jinn shielded himself.

Leon drew, and Tom’s Attack grew to 1,900.

“Well,” he said, turning the card, “you can’t attack, but I sure can. I’ll move Tom to Attack Mode, and have him attack your Behemoth.”

Tom Thumb leapt up, and socked Twin-Headed Behemoth, crushing it!

“Perhaps you don’t know about Twin-Headed Behemoth’s special ability,” stated Jason. “Destroy him, and he makes a quick recovery.”

Behemoth reappeared. (1,000/1,200)

“Sure he’s not as strong as he was before, but he’s still defending me…”

“Well, it’s your move…” said Leon.

“Then I’ll draw,” exclaimed Jason.

He drew a card.

“And you know what that means…” said Leon with a grin.

Gingerbread House came to life, and this time sucked La Jinn into it.

He was spat out, gleefully munching on a piece of chocolate – he had clearly also packed on a few pounds. His Attack rose to 2,400.

Jason looked at his card.

Dust Tornado, he thought. I could use this to destroy the Swords, but La Jinn won’t survive another dose of gingerbread…

“I’ll play a card facedown, and end my turn,” he said, playing the card.

A facedown card appeared.

“All right!” laughed Leon, drawing. “This story’s about to reach the climax!”

“I activate Dust Tornado!” shouted Jason. “I do hope your House has a storm cellar.”

His Trap activated, and a furious tornado whipped across the field! Like something out of The Wizard of Oz, Gingerbread House was swept up and blown into pixels!

“Clever,” said Leon, as Tom’s Attack rose to 2,200. “Tom, take care of that Behemoth for me, will you?”

Tom laughed, and punched Behemoth again, blowing him into shards.

“Well, let’s see what else you’ve got,” said Leon.

Jason drew a card.

Rush Recklessly, he thought. I’ll give him a surprise…

“I’ll play a card facedown, and move La Jinn back into Attack Mode,” he said.

La Jinn got out of his Defensive stance, and a facedown card appeared.

“Well, Leon, it’s been three turns, so that means your Swords go bye-bye,” said Jason.

The Swords vanished.

“Indeed,” said Leon, making a draw.

Tom grew to 2,500 Attack.

“I’ll summon a new Monster,” he said, “Glife the Phantom Bird!”

A huge bird with scarlet feathers appeared behind him! (1,500/1,200)

“Hey!” shouted Jason. “What fairy tale is he from?”

“A rather obscure one,” answered Leon. “And by summoning him, I can blow away your facedown card.”

Glife beat his wings, and the facedown Spell Card shattered.

“Oh really?” exclaimed Jason. “Well by destroying my Rush Recklessly, you activated it.”

La Jinn’s Attack rose to 3,100.

“I see,” said Leon, scratching his chin. “Well, then, it’s time to play this…”

He took a Spell Card from his hand.

“Giant’s Training.”

“Huh?” asked Jason.

“Here’s how it works,” explained Leon. “When Tom Thumb is on the field, this Spell Card lets me sacrifice him for his grownup form… Globerman!”

Tom Thumb vanished, and a huge creature appeared! It was a hulking giant with green skin, bulging muscles, dressed only in ragged shorts.

He grunted and flexed his muscles.

“And Globerman’s Attack Score is whatever Tom Thumb had when I used this card, plus 1,000,” continued Leon.

(3,500/0)

“That’s… not good…” muttered Jason.

“Globerman, take out that genie with your mighty fist,” commanded Leon.

Globerman socked La Jinn, and the Fiend shattered.

“Glife, attack Jason’s Life Points directly.”

The Phantom Bird swooped down on Jason and dug his talons into his shoulders! Jason toppled over.



[B](J: 4,600) (L: 5,300)


“Leon…” growled Jason, getting up, “you’re dead…”

“Forgetting something?” asked Leon, shaking his finger. “I’m already dead.”

“Yeah, yeah,” muttered Jason, drawing a card.

“Don’t know how it will happen, though,” said Leon, shrugging. “Or when it will. They never program that into our memory. And if you were to tell me, my own programming would erase it. I’m not exactly sure why that is, but hey…

“The way I am now, I’m pretty much immortal…”

His eyes narrowed.

“Ever dream of becoming a great duelist, Jason?” he asked. “Maybe if you succeed at this school and go on to better things, a future generation will do to you what they did to me…

“All men die, but this is as close to being able to cheat the Reaper as you can get…”

Jason looked at his card.

“That is something to think about…” he muttered. “But for now…”

He played a card.

“I play something that not even Kaiba thought of,” he said. “Magical Mallet.”

He removed his deck.

“It works this way,” he explained. “I get to take as many cards from my hand as I want, shuffle them into my deck, and then draw cards equal to the number I returned there. So of the six cards I have, I’m going to return four…”

He placed four cards in his deck, and reshuffled. Then he drew four.

He looked them over.

“I’ll place a card facedown, and summon Luster Dragon #1 in Defense Mode,” he stated.

A facedown card appeared, and then a large Dragon made of sapphire appeared. (1,900/1,600)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/TP5-EN004.jpg


“Well,” said Leon, “let’s see what we have here…”

He drew a card.

“I activate… Burst Breath!” shouted Jason.

His Trap lifted.

“To play this card, I have to sacrifice my Dragon…” he said, “and then, all Monsters on the field with a Defense Score equal to or less than its Attack Score are wiped out!”

A blast of energy shot out of Luster Dragon’s jaws, and both Glife and Globerman howled! They and Luster Dragon shattered.

“Not bad…” said Leon, nodding. “But to do that, you left yourself defenseless.”

“Yeah, but I’m not worried,” commented Jason. “See, I think I see the weakness of your deck.”

“Oh?” said Leon, offhand. “Do tell…”

“Yes,” replied Jason. “With the exception of Forest Wolf, all of the Monsters you can summon with no sacrifice are weak Monsters with tricky effects. I doubt you have any real beatsticks in your deck.”

“Interesting theory…” muttered Leon.

He put a card down.

“Wrong, but interesting. Meet Puss ‘N Boots!”

A tall cat wearing a cavalier hat, a pair of boots (naturally), and holding a rapier appeared. (1,700/500)

He removed the hat and bowed.

“Puss, attack Jason directly!”

Puss ‘N Boots charged, and swiped across Jason’s stomach with his blade. Jason yelped.



[B](J: 2,900) (L: 5,300)


“I’ve been wrong before,” gasped Jason.

He drew a card.

Not bad, he thought.

“I summon Ryu-Kishin Powered in Attack Mode.” he exclaimed.

A fiendish gargoyle appeared. (1,600/1,200)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/SDK-024.jpg


“And next I’ll play… Shrink,” he continued.

Puss ‘N Boots shrank to half his size, and his Attack fell to 850.

“Ryu-Kishin Powered, attack,” shouted Jason.

The Fiend slashed with its claw, and the Beast-Warrior shattered.



[B](J: 2,900) (L: 4,550)


“Good try,” commented Leon. “But pointless. You see, when Puss ‘N Boots is destroyed in battle, I can discard one card to Special Summon him right back.”

He discarded a card called Curse of Thorns, and Puss reappeared.

“I see…” said Jason, amazed.

“My draw…” said Leon.

He drew a card.

He smiled.

“I play… Spinning Wheel Spindle,” he exclaimed.

He played a Spell Card, and an old fashioned spinning wheel appeared on the field.

Ryu-Kishin Powered got dizzy. He fell to the ground, and fell asleep.

“What?” asked Jason.

The Fiend vanished.

“He’s going to take a little nap-nap,” said Leon. “He’ll be back in three turns, if assuming I don’t finish you before then.

“Now, Puss, take Jason down.”

Puss ‘N Boots made three slashes with his sword, and Jason yelped again!



[B](J: 1,200) (L: 4,550)


“So, what do you think?” asked Leon.

Jason started to laugh.

“Your cards are so cool, Leon!” he laughed. “That Puss ‘N Boots… I’ve gotta get one of those! I’ll trade you for it?”

“Jason, Jason, Jason…” said Leon, crossing his arms, “you know that’s impossible. All my cards are virtual. They and I just made up of ones and zeroes.”

“All right, fine,” sighed Jason. “My move… But you have to tell me where you got all these cards at least…”

He drew a card.

“I play Brain Control,” he said, playing a Spell Card. “Playing this card costs me 800 Life Points…”

His Life Points fell to 400.

“But now I can brainwash your Beast-Warrior!”

A fiendish brain appeared, and grabbed Puss.

“You said that you could bring him back if he was destroyed in battle,” said Jason. “So I’ll simply sacrifice him…”

He put a card down, and Puss ‘N Boots vanished.

“…to summon Luster Dragon #2!”

A huge Dragon made of emerald appeared! (2,400/1,400)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LOD-EN050.jpg


“Luster Dragon, attack Leon directly!” he ordered. “Emerald flame!”

Luster Dragon blasted forth a burst of fire, and Leon cringed.



[B](J: 400) (L: 2,150)


“You’re a good duelist, Jason,” said Leon, slowly. “You’re giving me your best, so I’m gonna give you my best…”

“Who’s next?” asked Jason, excitedly. “Rapunzel? Snow White? I can’t wait to see who’s next!”

Leon drew a card.

“I play Monster Reborn, to bring back Cinderella,” he stated.

He played the card, and Cinderella appeared on the ankh. (300/600)

“Which, as you’ll remember, let’s me Special Summon her Pumpkin Carriage…”

The Pumpkin Carriage appeared. (100/800)

“And now I’ll sacrifice both of them…”

The two of them vanished…

“To summon… [B]Hex Trude!”

A new creature appeared. It was a sinister-looking woman dressed in a black, sexy, low-cut dress, with a wicked expression on her face. (2,600/2,000)

“Oo-kay…” muttered Jason. “On second thought, I could have waited a little longer…”

“I know with a lot of my Monsters, appearances are deceptive,” said Leon. “But Hex Trude is just what she appears to be: an evil sorceress with incredible powers! Trudy, wipe out his Luster Dragon with hex magic!”

Hex Trude pointed at Luster Dragon, and her hand glowed…

She fired a beam of black magic, and Luster Dragon shattered!

Jason cringed from the impact.



[B](J: 200) (L: 2,150)


“And now her effect kicks in,” said Leon. “Whenever Trudy destroys a Monster, she gains 400 Attack Points.”



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



Trude’s Attack rose to 3,000.

“And there’s no upper limit,” he added. “She’ll just keep getting stronger.

“It’s your move.”

Jason looked at Leon.

Okay, let’s do a brief run-down, he thought. My Life Points are at 200, his are at 2,150… And he has a Monster who was stronger than the Dark Magician when he summoned her, has now become just as strong as a Blue-Eyes, and has the potential to get even stronger…

I wish I had researched Yugi’s duels more… I might have seen this kid duel and seen how he beat Leon. Maybe I could figure out a way to defeat this Spellcaster…

He slowly drew a card.

My third Cyber Dragon, he thought. If I drew one more card, I could win this… But if I put it on the field now, it would just die.

He chose another card.

“I summon Peten the Dark Clown in Defense Mode,” he said, playing it.

A jester with black and white face paint in a harlequin costume appeared, crouching in defense. (500/1,200)

“I’ll end my turn with that,” he said.



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/EP1-EN005.jpg


Leon drew a card.

“Trudy, cream his clown,” he shouted.

Hex Trude cast her wicked spell, and Peten was destroyed.

Her Attack Score rose to 3,400.

“Nice try, Leon,” said Jason, “but when Peten the Dark Clown is destroyed in Battle, I can remove him from play to summon another one from my deck, and I just happen to have two more of them.”

He placed a card down, and another Peten appeared. He tipped his hat, and then blew a raspberry at Leon.

“Fine,” chuckled Leon. “You set up a wall. But it won’t last forever. I’ll end my turn now.”

It’s now or never… thought Jason.

He drew a card.

Gotcha!

“I sacrifice Peten to summon my third Cyber Dragon!” exclaimed Jason.

Peten vanished, and another Cyber Dragon appeared. (2,100/1,600)

“Next, I’ll play Monster Reborn, to summon another one from my Graveyard.”

Another Cyber Dragon appeared.

“I don’t get it…” said Leon.

“Remember when I said that Cyber Dragons could be combined in a lot of different ways?” explained Jason. “Well here’s another way. I play a Spell Card that you might call… evolutionary.

“Photon Generator Unit!”

He played a card.

“It’s a powerful Spell,” he explained, “that lets me sacrifice two Cyber Dragons to summon something better – a guy called Cyber Laser Dragon.”

The Cyber Dragons vanished, and a new creature appeared on the field. It looked sort of like a Cyber Dragon, but it had a different shape. Its tail had a weapon on it that looked like a cross between a laser and a dish antenna. (2,400/1,800)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/soi-en0071u.jpg


“I still don’t get it,” said Leon. “His Attack Score is still less than my Monster’s…”

“That’s the whole point,” said Jason with a smirk.

“Huh?” said Leon.

“This guy has a powerful special ability,” explained Jason. “Once per round, he can automatically destroy one Monster, assuming the target meets at least one of two criteria…

“Its Attack or Defense has to be equal to or higher than his Attack Score.”

A look of fear came over Hex Trude’s face…

“Looks like she realizes the situation…” said Jason. “She meets one criteria. And she’s got a date with the Graveyard.”

He pointed.

“Cyber Laser Dragon, wipe out Hex Trude with blue lightning lash!”

The Machine aimed its tail weapon, and the Spellcaster gulped…

A blast of brilliant blue energy shot from its tail, and Hex Trude screamed before she was vaporized.

Leon stepped back…

“And that was just his special effect,” said Jason with a smirk. “I still have his normal attack to use on you. Attack! Blue lightning blast!”

Cyber Laser Dragon blasted blue energy from his jaws, and Leon howled…

He fell flat on his back.



[B](J: 200) (L: 0)


Jason held up two fingers.

“Boo-ya!” he exclaimed.

Leon moaned as he got up…

But he was quickly smiling again. These AI duelists couldn’t truly be hurt.

“Good job, Jason…” he said. “Not exactly subtle… but good… I personally think Kaiba might be impressed…”

He smirked.

“Anyway, I’m awarding three-hundred points of extra credit. It will be on the printout when you wake up… And the card catalogue number will be on it too.”

“Card catalogue number?” asked Jason.

“Remember what I said?” Leon replied. “It will show you where to look to find information on that duel I had with the King of Games, one hundred years ago…

“And come back anytime – I’d like a rematch sometime.”

“Sure Leon,” chuckled Jason. “You weren’t bad yourself…”

He turned and walked away.

The world turned bright…



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


The VR pod opened. Jason retrieved his deck.

He saw that Sersei was sitting up in hers, and she was holding her forehead as if it was hurting badly.

He grabbed the printout on the side of the pod.

“She beat you, huh?” he asked Sersei.

“How did you…” she started.

“I guessed,” interrupted Jason. “A word of advice, Sersei. Dueling someone who likely knows how every card in your deck works is NOT a good idea.”

“You’re telling me…” she muttered.

As she left, she took the Guardian Treasure card from her deck.

Truthfully, she thought, I only dueled her because I wanted more information about this… But she wouldn’t tell me. She refused to even accept a wager for information. I guess the AI duelists can’t accept wagers because you can’t give them anything they’d want…

But I have to know…



Thursday, September 9th, 2106, 5PM



FOREST WOLF (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Beast/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 3
ATK: 1,800
DEF: 300

Card Description: This Monster cannot attack after it has destroyed one Monster in battle. When this Monster is destroyed, Special Summon the Monster (if any) destroyed by this card as a result of battle from your opponent's Graveyard to your opponent's side of the field.



CINDERELLA (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Fairy/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 4
ATK: 300
DEF: 600

Card Description: When this Monster is Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned successfully, Special Summon one "Pumpkin Carriage" from your hand, deck, or Graveyard, then select one "Glass Slippers" from your hand, deck, or Graveyard and equip it to this Monster.



PUMPKIN CARRIAGE (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Plant/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 1
ATK: 100
DEF: 800

Card Description: As long as this Monster remains face-up on the field, "Cinderella" on your side of the field can attack your opponent's Life Points directly. Also, your opponent cannot target “Cinderella” for an attack.



GLASS SLIPPERS (Spell Card)

Card Specs

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

Card Description: This card can only be initially Equipped to “Cinderella”. When a “Cinderella” Equipped with this card successfully attacks directly, Equip this card to one of your opponent’s Monsters. An opposing Monster Equipped with this card has its ATK lessened by 1,000; if this Monster is destroyed as a result in battle, Equip this card back to the “Cinderella” it was originally Equipped to and increase her ATK by 1,000.



LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Fairy/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 3
ATK: 800
DEF: 1,200

Card Description: When this Monster is destroyed as a result of battle, you can Special Summon one WARRIOR-Type Monster with four stars or less from your Deck.



TOM THUMB (Monster Card)
Card Specs

Type: Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 4
ATK: 1,300
DEF: 1,500

Card Description: During each of your Standby Phases, increase the ATK of this monster by 300 points.



GIANT’S TRAINING (Spell Card)

Card Specs

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

Card Description: Offer one "Tom Thumb" on your side of the field as a Tribute. Special Summon one "Globerman" from your hand, deck, or Graveyard in face-up Attack Position.



GLOBERMAN (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 8
ATK: ?
DEF: 0

Card Description: This Monster cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. This card can only be Special Summoned through the effect of "Giant's Training". This Monster's ATK is equal to the ATK of the "Tom Thumb" when it was Tributed to activate "Giant's Training", +1000.



GLIFE THE PHANTOM BIRD (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Winged Beast/Effect
Attribute: Wind
Level: 4
ATK: 1,500
DEF: 1,200

Card Description: When this card is Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned successfully, destroy one Spell or Trap Card on your opponent's side of the field.

This may be a good time to add that, like most of you, I have NO idea what fairy tale this creature is from. I only assume it’s an obscure one.



SPINNING WHEEL SPINDLE (Spell Card)

Card Specs

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

Card Description: Destroy one Monster on your opponent's side of the field. During your third Standby Phase after the activation of this card, Special Summon the destroyed monster to your opponent's side of the field.



HEX TRUDE (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spellcaster/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 7
ATK: 2,600
DEF: 2,000
Card Description: When this Monster destroys an opposing Monster as a result of battle, increase this Monster's ATK by 400.
I’m not certain of this character’s origins either.

Note: The preceding ten cards were used by Leon in various episodes of the Grand Prix arc. All creative credit goes to the writers.



PUSS ‘N BOOTS (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Beast-Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 4
ATK: 1,700
DEF: 500

Card Description: When this Monster is destroyed as a result of battle and sent to the Graveyard, you can discard one Spell or Trap Card from your hand to Special Summon it to your side of the field in face-up Attack Position.



Jason’s Hero-Worship Deck

Jason has researched the early days of Duel Monsters with vigor. He’s watched old tapes and DVDs almost religiously, and has witnessed almost every public duel that the three members of the Trinity engaged in. (Though not all of them, as proven by his failure to recognize Leon.) He’s also researched their lives as much as he could.

And Kaiba has always been his favorite. He admits that Yugi was the better duelist, but as he said, Kaiba did a lot more for the cause of Duel Monsters, inventing the Disk, opening a chain of Kaibaland parks, holding countless tournaments, and founding the original Duel Academy that paved the way for others of its type. That was his reason for constructing a deck to emulate Kaiba’s.

A great deal of the cards in his deck are the same as Kaiba’s favorites. His theme, if he has one, is mostly Beatdown, although he has quite a few Dragons and Dragon accessories. He doesn’t use the Crush Card Trap that Kaiba was so fond of – that’s the one area where he disagrees with his idol (he thinks of it as an overpowered card, and folks who use it these days are thought of as poor sports anyway).

As Leon pointed out, Jason can’t have Kaiba’s trademark cards – in fact, Kaiba’s will ordered the Blue-Eyes cards locked away in a very secure vault upon his death, and given to a duelist who proved to be better than he was. Whoever is in charge of making that decision isn’t widely known, but no-one has fit the bill yet. In any case, Jason replaced them with three Cyber Dragons, which are in his opinion even better. The Blue-Eyes can only be combined into one Monster (albeit a powerful one), while Cyber Dragons can be used to create four special Monsters.

Still, Jason would tear them all up if it meant obtaining Kaiba’s prize cards… A kid can dream, can’t he?



[B][I]A lot of new cards, but that’s what you have to do when a character from the anime appears.

Coming up next:

We’ve seen the three main characters – we’ve seen some of their decks. And next chapter, the villains show their faces…

One of the most sinister forces in the Yu-Gi-Oh world comes back after one hundred years in a new form, and our three students find themselves in the middle of it. Who or what is this evil being? Find out, next chapter, which will come sooner than you think…

I’m not even going to reveal the title… You’ll have to see for yourself.

[Dark Sage]

[B]Dark Messiah Monster Maker Contest


Welcome to the first contest of the series! And your chance to play a part in this ongoing series!

I’ve got ten questions below, that deal with the card game. They aren’t easy – you’ll have to put on your thinking caps.

PM me as many answers as you can. (Don’t clutter up this board.) You only get one chance. Whoever answers the most right wins. In case of a tie, whoever got theirs in first will be the winner.

This contest ends Thursday, April 6th, so get moving!



1. What Monster is Aussa the Earth Charmer’s familiar?


2. Which Continuous Spell Card has the following effect:

“Once per turn you can pay 500 Life Points to declare 1 card name. Pick up the top card from your Deck and if the card name is the one you declared, add it to your hand. If not, send the card you picked up to the Graveyard.”


3. Besides his own card, name five cards that have a picture of Dark Ruler Ha Des on the artwork.


4. Besides “Ectoplasmer”, only one card can theoretically activate the effect of “Malice Doll of Demise”. Name it.


5. What three Monsters are the highest in level that can be searched for with “Sangan”? (No credit if you get one or two.)


6. What Spell Card can be used with “Mighty Guard” that cannot be used with any other Monster of the same Type, Attribute, and level, without the use of other cards? (Trisha knows this one…)


7. This Monster only has 800 ATK, but if it attacks directly it does double damage. If you have a certain Field Spell Card and use Gravity Bind with it, it might be worth using…


8. “Enemy of Justice” question: If you Special Summon “Destiny Hero Dreadmaster” and have a copy of each of the other Destiny Heroes on the field, and all of the others have their base ATKs, what is “Destiny Hero Dreadmaster’s” ATK?


9. Situation: Your opponent has “A Legendary Ocean” and “Mermaid Knight” on the field. You have “KA-2 Des Scissors” on the field. You use “Limiter Removal” and attack his Monster with yours. “Mermaid Knight” is destroyed. How many Life Points does your opponent lose?


10. Multiple Choice: Which of the following Monsters can NOT be summoned via use of “The Light: Hex-Sealed Fusion”?

A. “Cyber Twin Dragon”

B. “Elemental Hero Thunder Giant”

C. “Ojama King”

D. “St. Joan”


The Prize: Jason, Trisha, and Russell are always looking to improve their decks, and the winner is going to help. Whoever wins this contest will get to design three Monster Cards, one for each of them.

Naturally, there are a few rules and guidelines for whoever wins, and I’ll PM them to the winner.

These Monsters will be used in Chapters 20, 21, and 22, when they must take the first big test of the year. So don’t let them down.

[Dark Sage]

Well folks, this contest is over, I'm sorry to say - someone got a perfect score! So, that makes him the winner, even if another perfect score is obtained.

But in the interest of competition, and since it didn't seem to last very long, I'll ive a few others a chance...

Keep sending in answers, and whoever can also get a perfect score will get something small.

I won't say who the big winner is, but you'll see his work when you do.

[Silencer]

2 hours after the opening. -_-

I call in the cheating police! :eek:
Maybe do it like the last time and make it a random option, since some people in different time zones didn't have any chance to win this thing.

[jkBAKURA]

Well, I can tell you it wasn't me. On to the review, I have to admit, I did like the premise of this chapter. However, it wold have been nice to see some more cards from Leon that didn't come from the anime, just to keep it unexpected. So far, I don't see Jason's deck as a hard Kaiba deck. Even though he has many of the cards, his presentation wasn't the same. This probably works for the better, seeing as he is an entirely different character.


La Jinn looked down in puzzlement. Sure enough, he was wearing them on his feet.

I nearly fell over laughing as I read this. La Jinn doesn't even have feet! On a side note, someday I want to see Leon, or a similar player actually use the La Jinn / Ancient Lamp combo, but it never happens.

[Pokemasterkatie]

On a side note, someday I want to see Leon, or a similar player actually use the La Jinn / Ancient Lamp combo, but it never happens.
That's a good thought. I have Ancient Lamp in my Nightmare Troubadour deck, and it's very useful. Though I've never used it to Special Summon La Jinn(which I also have in there)...

A Cyber Dragon/Kaiba deck is pretty cool...Personally, I was expecting Beastdown.:p

[Shuppet Master]

I was a little surprised when those slippers appeared on La Jinn too, JBakura. I was thinking that Dark Sage put feet on him for the card to work. :)

Anyways, I didn't mean to enter(I failed to see the announcement below it), but I would have gotten over half of the questions right, since I have some of the cards. Anyways, congrats to whoever got the perfect score! I couldn't get three of the questions because I'm not in the game as well as some as the others and don't know all the cards well enough. (I was trying with the Mighty Guard one though, I knew it had something to do with the attack of the monster...)

EDIT: Forget to add my review.

Brian, you are officially my best bud for three reasons:

(1) You bring in Leon Wilson, one of my favorite old-school characters. His deck is just unusual.

(2) Jason uses Cyber Laser Dragon. I am officially going to find a way to make a Cyber Dragon deck now. They are just so 'leet!

(3) You use VR pods, which is just nifty. The Japanese are getting a tag-team duel with Jaden and some other guy in the virtual world. I won't spoil anything else though, but go to the Janime board and check out the pic of Syrus! :D

[Dark Sage]

I have an announcement to make - I screwed up.

The answer to the last question was not what I thought it was. Someone answered and gave me the true answer, which was, they all can be summoned with it.

Thus, since I awarded the prize to that first guy already, and I don't want him to call me a liar, both of them are now considered winners, and will get the same prize. The one who got the answer truly right is okay with this.

For anyone who still wants to guess, question #10 is no longer valid.

- DS

[Zcade0]

Not expected deck. Not at all. I have the magic lanmp and La Gin in my deck to on the DS game. (btw, who is the trobador? that makes no sence.) Never get them both at the same time though... That stinks. Btw, I was dueling yugi once, used the lamps ability, turned his dark magician's attack on his Obnoctious Celtic Guard and won. It was kool. :biggrin:)

[jkBAKURA]

Well, I guess I can bail one of you out. I pulled a Google search. Gilfe came up nothing but last names, but Hex Trude (or Hexatic Rudy as it was called) apparently comes from a story by the name of "Rudy and the Prince." Since I do not own the story, and there were no summeries that I could find, I can only assume that this answer is correct.

[Blademaster]

Well, anyway, all quizzes and contests aside, I gotta say that that was a good chapter.

And I knew it was a Kaiba Deck - I just knew it! What else could it have been if Vorse Raider was there?

I especially loved this excerpt:

"Squash that squash!"

Very funny... lol...

Anyway, keep writing and I'll keep reading... Well, later!

(runs off to write more of The I Syndicate)

-Blade

[Mega Horny]

What else could it have been if Vorse Raider was there?

A Bastian deck? Vorse Raider is a staple in most decks, especially BD.

[Mystic_clown]

And I didn't even get a chance to be in the comp.

Interesting duel DS, I've just got one question.

Was Leon a real character in the series? If he was, when did he duel Yugi? I'm interested to know.

[Pokemasterkatie]

Leon was one of the characters in the Grand Prix season. He was the brother of Siegfried, but totally different from that greedy little company taker. He eventually faced Yugi in the finals of the tourney, but not before his bro slipped a certain card in his deck... I'm sure you can find the episodes(that duel was a three parter) in You Tube with a bit of luck.;)

[Perfect Chaos]

Very interesting chapter indeed DS

So Kaiba is a big idol for Jason, and it shows in how his deck is made-up. As we all know already, Kaiba uses a LARGE variety of cards, so hopefully, we all never get too tired of seeing Jason duel.

It was a nice surprise to see Leon make an appearance. His deck is the most original of all the other duelists that we've seen in the YGO show. Hopefully we have more of these pleasant surprises as the story progresses.

Wow, can't believe the contest had ended THAT quickly. I don't think I knew like half the questions to that question anyways, so no worries over here.

Look forward to seeing the next chapter.

-Sean

[Inferno_Dragon]

Good chapter, Dark Sage.

So Jason has a Kaiba deck with Cyber Dragons replacing the three Blue Eyes that Kaiba normally holds. I actually never saw most of the Grand Prix series. I haven't even seen the whole Yu-Gi-Oh Series to the very end but I wil eventually. But it was a good battle anyways.

So an old villian returns, huh? I can't wait to see who it is.

Anyways, I will wait for the next contest if there is one. I don't think I would got all the answers if I arrived at the exact time you posted the contest post.

Keep up the good work on this fanfic .... I bet it will just as great as your other fanfics.

[Dark Sage]

Well, here are the answers to the questions (I might as well give them):


1. “Archfiend Marmot of Nefariousness”, seen on all versions of her card.

2. “Archfiend’s Oath”

3. There are many more than five: “Bark of Dark Ruler”, “The Puppet Magic of Dark Ruler”, "Soul Demolition" “Demotion”, “A Deal With Dark Ruler”, “Skill Drain” and "Order to Smash". If anyone knows of any others, let me know.

4. “Continuous Destruction Punch”; however, that would be quite a coincidence if it happened. A couple of guys said "Mass Driver"; however, that is wrong. The tribute for Mass Driver is a cost, so it would not activate the effect.

5. “Koitsu”, “Winged Kuriboh LV 10”, and “Uria, Lord of Searing Flames”. All are Level 10, but both are searchable by Sangan because Koitsu only has 200 ATK, the Kuriboh only has 300, and Uria has zero ATK until he is actually summoned.


6. Trick question. There are actually two, and either would have been acceptable. “Machine Duplication” and "Heart of Clear Water". “Mighty Guard” is a Machine of the Earth Attribute who has four stars; no other Monsters in those categories can be affected by "Heart of Clear Water" and “Machine Duplication”, because no others exist that have low enough ATK.


7. “Piranha Army” (Everyone got this one.)


8. “Destiny Hero Dreadmaster’s” ATK when summoned is that of all other Destiny Heroes on your side of the field combined. Since “Destiny Hero Doom Lord” has a base attack of 600, “Destiny Hero Captain Tenacious” has a base ATK of 800, and “Destiny Hero Diamond Dude” has a base ATK of 1,400, the answer in this case would be 2,800.


9. 2,300. First, he loses 300 from the battle, seeing as the Field Card made “Mermaid Knight’s” ATK 1,700 and “Limiter Removal” made that of “KA-2 Des Scissors” 2,000. When “KA-2 Des Scissors” destroys a Monster, the owner of the destroyed Monster loses 500 Life Points for every level of the destroyed Monster, and despite “A Legendary Ocean’s” downgrading effect, the ruling on “KA-2 Des Scissors” means original level, and “Mermaid Knight” has an original level of four.


Good luck for everyone on the next contest; and by the way, the two winners of this one will not be eligible.

[Silencer]

Mighty guard, according to my source, is actually a fire attribute monster.

My source would be YVD a online dueling game with all cards in their database.

[Dark Sage]

My database says it's an Earth Monster, and the Earth symbol is clearly visible on the picture. See for yourself:



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/RDS-EN002.jpg

[Silencer]

Ok, guess that's another typo in YVD.

Anyway, weak monster for a 4 star...

[Zcade0]

well, I only got #1 #3 and #5 right (I didn't actually enter) al well. Btw, can u pm me the online dueling site? and is it free?

[Blademaster]

Uh, DS, I don't wanna screw up your contest, but I believe that anyone who said 'Heart of Clear Water' to question #6 would've been wrong - Mighty Guard is an Earth Machine with 4 stars, and it's weak enough to use Clear Water on...

But there is another Monster that fits all those criteria: Gear Golem the Moving Fortress.

You'd likely know better than me, but that's what I think. Unless I forgot something about 1 card or the other... :-/

-Blade

[Dark Sage]

Mmm, you're right.

Fortunately, both of the winners said Machine Duplication, so they're right.

- Brian

[Dark Sage]

Okay folks, listen up...

In the next chapter, three characters are introduced who will become regular characters.

Cassius and Sebastian are my own creations entirely...

However, when designing Cleo, I based her looks on that of Miranda, a character who was drawn by Master of Paradox's "apprentice", YamiUmiRyu. According to MoP, she based Miranda on herself. I don't know if Yami actually reads these stories, but anyway...

For the most part, enjoy the next chapter.

[B][I]My father didn’t get to be a two-star General by being dumb, and he didn’t do it by cutting corners or taking the easy ways out.

He once told me, “Russell, when you are confronted by two paths, always choose the harder path. It will be worth it in the end.”

Sound advice.

The trouble is…

In Duel Monsters, the harder path often seems to choose you…




[size=3][B]CHAPTER FOUR



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/IOC-049.jpg



Thursday, September 9th, 2106, 5:15PM



As Jason exited the library, Trisha and Russell were waiting.

“So how was it?” asked Russell.

“An experience,” replied Jason. “If you want to try tomorrow, ask for Leon – even if you lose, it will be entertaining…”

“Oh, students!” called a voice.

They turned and saw Chancellor Artemis running up, holing a long box.

“I’m glad I found you three,” she said. “I need some responsible students to run a little errand… I can give you each twenty-five points of extra-credit for it…”

“Responsible is my middle name,” answered Trisha. “Trisha Responsible Moise. What’s the errand?”

“Well, remember when Mayor Barna was here to open the new gymnasium on the first day of the year?” answered Artemis. “She left something behind, and I need these delivered to her office downtown before tomorrow morning.”

“Sure,” said Jason. “What are they?”

“What every opening ceremony needs,” said Artemis, opening a box. “The oversized novelty scissors. You’ve got to get them to her, because she has to open the new shopping mall tomorrow morning.”

“Don’t worry,” said Jason, taking the box. “We know the way.”

They turned to leave.

“Come on guys, we’ll stop for pizza on the way back!”



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



NYC Dueling Academy was situated in the heart of Manhattan, and was a quick subway ride from City Hall, where Mayor Barbara Barna was certain to be working.

She was a good friend of the academy, being a duelist herself who had been a national champion before going into politics. She had earned a fortune from tournaments, and though it was true that no-one ever became a politician to become rich, almost all of her salary went to charity.

She was one of a minority – a Liberal Republican, who attracted a lot of Democrats. Jason wished it was an election year – he’d have loved to vote for her a second time.

And it was quite common for students to run these errands to City Hall on a frequent basis. Anyone who knew how to operate a Duel Disk was welcome there.

As the three students walked to the subway stop, Jason tried to fit the box with the scissors in it into his knapsack, but it was too awkward – especially with his Disk in there.

“You should have left the Disk behind,” sighed Russell.

“Force of habit,” said Jason. “Maybe we can…”

And then there was the sound of a whip cracking…

Suddenly, the box was torn out of his hands!

The three students looked up, and saw three figures in front of them…

The first one (the one who had snatched the box with a whip) wore a vest that was open in the front, along with camouflage pants and an outback-style hat, complete with teeth decorating it. He looked to be about twenty…

Behind him was a young man and a woman, who looked about eighteen.

The man was dressed all in black leather, with short sleeves, revealing tattoos (strange ones that the three students could swear they had seen before somewhere…). He wore a studded belt and reflective sunglasses.

As for the woman, she was even stranger. She wore a tight leather top with no sleeves. She also wore a leather skirt and knee-high boots. The right side of her face was covered by her blonde hair that was styled in long bangs.

“G’day,” said the one with the whip. He took the scissors out of the box and threw the box aside.

“Give that back!” ordered Jason.

The three thugs chuckled.

“Tell you what,” said the girl. “You want these scissors so badly… Chase us… If you catch us, we’ll give it back!”

And then they turned and ran.

“HEY!” said Jason, starting to run. “Didn’t your parents ever tell you not to run with scissors?”

That seemed to elect a lot more laughter from them.

“You know,” said Trisha, “they’re probably leading us into something…”

“I know,” muttered Jason. “And I also know how much detention we’re all going to get if we lose those scissors…”

“So much for stopping for pizza…” moaned Russell.

The three hoods ran into the subway station. As the three students followed, they saw them leap over the turnstiles. The students were more law abiding – they scanned their subway passes, and went through.

“This way!” laughed the tattooed youth, waving from a stairway.

They followed him down a stairway, and to the track for the 6-Train, just as the train itself was pulling into the station.

The students ran into the train…

In this era, the subways of New York City had advanced greatly. The cramped, dirty cars of the old days had been replaced by spacious, clean, comfortable cars.

But as they looked around, the thieves were nowhere to be seen…

A note was on the floor.

Russell picked it up.

“Dear suckers,” he read. “Ride this train to the last stop in the Bronx, and then walk one block north to the Ah! Chips! factory. We’ll be waiting for you there.”

“We appear to have no choice…” muttered Trisha.

The train sped towards the Bronx…



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


An hour later, the three of them walked up to a large factory with the sign ”Ah! Chips!” on it.

“Okay…” muttered Jason. “It’s a potato chip factory. How dangerous can a potato chip factory be?”

They walked in… and gulped.

There were machines armed with slicers, dicers, and other sharp objects all around.

“Pretty dangerous…” muttered Trisha.

“Welcome!” said a voice above them.

They saw the three thieves on a catwalk above them.

“Welcome to our playground,” said the tattooed youth, “where you’ll soon find that your worst nightmares will come alive!”

“Cut the melodrama, Sebastian,” said the girl.

“Give me a break, Cleo, we’re supposed to talk that way!” he answered.

“Quiet, both of you!” said the one holding the scissors. “Glad you all could make it… You already met Cleo and Sebastian… You can call me Cassius, and…”

“Look pal!” shouted Russell. “I don’t care if you call yourself Henry the Eighth! Give those scissors back or I’m gonna come up there and give you all such a pounding!”

“Oh, you are, are you?” asked Cassius.

He grasped the handrail of the catwalk…

And then he bent it… with a simple flick of his wrist.

The three students gulped…

“My two associates are just as strong,” he added.

“What do you want?” asked Jason.

“To try a little test…” said Cassius.

He put his fingers in his mouth and whistled.

A figure walked out of the shadows in front of them…

It was another punk, this one with spiky blonde hair, a white tank top, torn jeans, and battered sneakers. Most remarkably, he wore a hunting knife in a sheath on his waist. (Russell had seen knives like that before – it was likely more expensive than everything else he was wearing combined.)

“Hello folks,” he said. “Fang’s the name. You want those scissors so bad? Then one of you is going to have to duel me for them. You win, you get them back…”

“And if you win?” asked Russell.

Fang gave an evil grin.

“I’ll keep that a secret for now…” he said in a sinister voice.

“I’m not afraid of you,” said Russell. “I’ll take you on!”

Jason took his Disk out of his knapsack and tossed it to him.

“Catch!” he shouted.

Russell caught it.

“Good luck,” urged Jason. “I don’t like the look of this…”

Russell slipped the Disk on his wrist, and plugged his deck in.

As Fang activated his own Disk, Russell noticed something odd. Fang’s Disk was a model he had never seen before. The metal was black, covered with… runes of some sort, and the tray was shaped like a wicked, scythe-like blade…

Russell considered this as he activated his own Disk.

“Meh,” he said, as the scores set.

Maybe it’s custom made… he thought. KaibaCorp can do that if you have enough money…



[B](Russell: 8,000) (Fang: 8,000)


“You’ll soon discover that there’s more riding on this duel than you believe,” said Fang with a smirk, as he drew five cards. “But anyway, make the first move…”

“Fine!” said Russell. “Atten… shun!”

He drew a card.

“I play the Spell Card, Reinforcement of the Army,” he said, playing a card.

He removed his deck.

“Now I can search my deck for a Warrior of four stars or less, and I think King’s Knight will fit my needs…”

He reshuffled and replaced the deck.

“Go ahead…” said Fang. “I’m not afraid of him…”

“But rather than use him right now,” said Russell, not noticing the comment, “I’ll summon a knight of a different type. I summon Familiar Knight in Defense Mode.”

He put a card on his Disk. A knight in shining armor appeared, kneeling and leaning on his sword. (1,200/1,400)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/EP1-EN006.jpg


“Now just try to get past him,” dared Russell.

“I’ll do more than just try,” said Fang, drawing a card.

He placed a card down.

“Let me show you a real Monster!” he shouted. “I summon Berserk Gorilla in Attack Mode.”

A very angry gorilla appeared, and beat its chest in rage! (2,000/1,000)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/IOC-013.jpg


“Trying to hold him back would be an exercise in futility,” said Fang, with a shrug. “So… Attack the Knight! Blazing berserk breath!”

Berserk Gorilla shot forth a stream of flame from its jaws, and Familiar Knight was blown into pixels!

“Seems I’ve taken the lead…” chuckled Fang.

“No,” answered Russell, “you’ve taken the bait. When Familiar Knight is destroyed in battle, we each can Special Summon a four-star Monster from our hands.”

“Very well…” said Fang, putting a card down. “I’ll summon Hitotsu-Me Giant, and have him defend me.”

A cyclopsed Beast-Warrior with green skin appeared, and crouched in defense. (1,200/1,000)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LOB-EN002.jpg


“Not much of a Monster…” commented Trisha.

“And I’ll summon a lady known as… Queen’s Knight,” exclaimed Russell. “In Attack Mode.”

He placed a card down, and a beautiful woman in ruby red armor with long, blond hair, carrying a sword and a triangular shield, all adorned with hearts, clubs, diamonds, and spades appeared. (1,500/1,600)

“You think she’s safe?” laughed Fang. “This guy isn’t King Kong, and she isn’t Fay Wray.”

“We’ll see…” said Russell, making a draw.

He put a card down.

“Now’s the time to summon King’s Knight,” he said.

Another knight, this one with a beard, wearing golden armor, a crown, and a circular shield appeared, also adorned with playing card symbols. He held a sword. (1,600/1,500)

“Notice anything similar about my two Monsters?” asked Russell. “It isn’t hard… One of them is Queen’s Knight, and one is King’s Knight.

“And when I summon King’s Knight when Queen’s Knight is on the field…”

“Yes, you get to summon Jack’s Knight, I know,” interrupted Fang. “Please, I’m smarter than I look…”

“True, but you’re still pretty dumb,” shouted Cleo from the catwalk.

“HEY, who’s the one dueling here?” snapped Fang.

Russell put a card down, and a handsome Warrior with blonde hair wearing sapphire-blue armor and a shield (again adorned with hearts, clubs, spades, and diamonds) and sword appeared. (1,900/1,000)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/een-en005.jpg
http://www.ideal808.com/images/een-en004.jpghttp://www.ideal808.com/images/een-en006.jpg


“Now I have a whole team of Warriors, and your ugly freaks are going down…” warned Russell.

“None of them can beat my Gorilla…” answered Fang with a smirk.

Russell played a Spell Card.

“I play… The A. Forces,” he exclaimed. “Now each Warrior on my side of the field gains 200 Attack Points for each Warrior present. That’s 600 for each of them!”

Queen’s Knight’s Attack Score rose to 2,100, King’s Knight to 2,200, and Jack’s Knight to 2,500.

“Hey, no fair!” shouted Fang.

“Go, my Knights!” shouted Russell. “Attack him and his freaks! Royal Flush Rush!”

Queen’s Knight brought her sword down on the Gorilla, and it howled before shattering.

King’s Knight made a swipe, cutting Hitotsu-Me Giant in two! Its remains were blasted into pixels!

Jack’s Knight made a savage slash, and Fang was thrown backwards!



[B](R: 8,000) (F: 5,400)


“OOF! Ouch, ow…” muttered Fang. “Bastard…”

“If I were you, I’d fold your cards,” said Russell.

“And to think that Dr. Peters only gave that combo a B+,” sighed Trisha. “I thought for sure that Russell deserved an A.”

“Dr. Peters is impossible to please…” answered Jason.

“Fang!” shouted Sebastian. “You’re embarrassing yourself more than you usually do.”

“Yeah, yeah,” said Fang, getting up. “Keep your pants on! I don’t know why I agreed to this…”

“Because you volunteered,” answered Cassius. “Now move.”

He drew a card.

“Bunch of arrogant jerks…” he muttered, looking at it. “Think just because they’re ‘The Three’ they can boss everyone else around…”

He played the card.

“I play Pot of Greed,” he exclaimed.

He drew two more cards.

He chuckled as he saw them.

“Don’t worry people!” he laughed. “I just drew it!”

“It?” asked Russell. “What is ‘it’?”

“You’ll see in a second,” said Fang. “But first, I’ll play Mystical Space Typhoon to wipe out The A. Forces.”

He played the card, and a whirlwind shot forth, shattering the Spell Card. The three Knights lost their bonus.

“Next I’ll summon… Enraged Battle Ox, in Attack Mode.”

He put a card down, and an armored minotaur surrounded by an aura of flames appeared. (1,700/1,000)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/IOC-070.jpg


“And now…” he said in a sinister voice. “You wanted to know what ‘it’ is?”

He held a card aloft.

“It’s a card of incredible magic… and it’s as ancient as time itself… A card of unspeakable power…”

A Field Slot opened on his strange Disk, and he slid the card in…

Thunder flashed outside…

“I play… [B]The Seal of Orichalcos!”

Only one word could describe the feeling that Russell felt next coming from Fang:

Evil.

Darkness seemed to descend on the arena, and then a glowing five-pointed star traced on the floor, and was surrounded by a circle of mystic runes!

Then Trisha and Jason screamed as something slammed into them, and they were propelled backwards!

“Guys!” gasped Russell.

He tried to run to them, but he was pushed back by the same thing!

Fang chuckled.

Russell noticed now that the same strange symbol was etched on Fang’s forehead!

“They can’t help you now, Russell, nor can you go to them,” he laughed, in a much more sinister voice. “Only the winner of this duel will leave the Seal…”

He chuckled again, his voice sounding like a madman…

“…but the loser will never leave. For now, whoever loses this duel loses his soul!”

Russell stared at him.

“Buddy…” he said, almost laughing, “I’ve seen healthier minds bouncing around padded cells! You’re delirious!”

“You’ll be a believer soon,” said Fang with a shrug. “But try to deny what’s about to happen to my Monster…”

Enraged Battle Ox’s eyes glowed with an evil light, and the symbol appeared on his forehead…

And his Attack Score rose to 2,200!

“So long as the Seal is in effect, every Monster I summon turns to a creature of darkness, and gains a 500-point bonus to its Attack Score,” laughed Fang. “And it’s still my turn…

“Enraged Battle Ox, attack his Queen’s Knight!”

The Beast-Warrior charged with his axe, and Queen’s Knight screamed as she was struck. She shattered.



[B](R: 7,300) (F: 5,400)


“All right, my move,” said Russell, drawing.

He looked at the Spell Card.

“I don’t know where you got such a broken card,” he said, “but it goes bye-bye now. I play Heavy Storm!”

He played the card.

Fang grinned and crossed his arms as a fierce wind erupted over the field…

The Storm started to quell…

“What?” gasped Russell in disbelief. “It wasn’t destroyed… That’s impossible…”

“You’re learning, cutie!” laughed Cleo. “See, the Seal is a little more durable than most Spell Cards. You can’t destroy it with Heavy Storm. In fact, you can’t destroy it with any card that you’re likely to have.”

Russell turned a card on his Disk.

“I’ll move King’s Knight to Defense Mode,” he said, as King’s Knight knelt, “and end my turn.”

“Why didn’t he move Jack’s Knight to Defense Mode?” asked Trisha.

“Because he’s smart,” answered Jason. “Fang has Enraged Battle Ox on the field, and that Monster gives all of Fang’s Beasts, Winged Beasts, and Beast-Warriors a trampling effect. Russell is going to lose Life Points if Jack’s Knight is destroyed regardless, but he’ll lose less if he’s in Attack Mode.”

“My draw…” said Fang.

He drew. He put a card down.

“I summon Vorse Raider in Attack Mode.”

The powerful Beast-Warrior appeared, holding aloft his mighty axe. The Seal appeared on his forehead as well. (1,900/1,200) –> (2,400/1,200)

“That’s a blasphemy!” shouted Jason. “A slime like you doesn’t deserve to use one of Kaiba’s signature Monsters!”

“I’d like to see you try to stop me,” laughed Fang. “Vorse Raider, take down King’s Knight.”

Vorse Raider leapt up and slashed with his axe, and King’s Knight was obliterated.

“Enraged Battle Ox, destroy Jack’s Knight!”

The minotaur made a swipe with his axe, and Jack’s Knight was no more.



[B](R: 6,200) (F: 5,400)


“Your move…” chuckled Fang.

Russell drew a card.

“I place a Monster in Defense Mode…” he stated. “And that will be all.”

A facedown Monster appeared.

Fang drew.

“I summon a second Berserk Gorilla!” he laughed.

Another Gorilla appeared! And the Seal branded to its forehead as well! (2,000/1,000) –> (2,500/1,000)

“Attack his facedown Monster…” shouted Fang.

Berserk Gorilla shot forth his berserk breath.

Obnoxious Celtic Guardian appeared on the card and fended off the attack!



Continued….

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“Clever, clever,” chuckled Fang. “But thanks to my Enraged Battle Ox, it barely makes a difference!”

“He’s right…” said Jason. “Obnoxious Celtic Guardian might survive, but Russell’s Life Points will still take a big hit…”

Enraged Battle Ox and Vorse Raider slashed at Obnoxious Celtic Guardian! He gasped.

“Ironic, huh?” chuckled Fang. “His asset is now a liability. And next round, I’ll just do that again, and you’re finished.”



[B](R: 2,700) (F: 5,400)


He’s right… thought Russell. What was I thinking? Putting him in Attack Mode would have been better…

I’d better draw something good…

If there is a Heart of the Cards, I need it now…

He drew a card.

“I play… Pot of Charity,” he said, playing a card. “In order to play this card, I must remove one Light Monster in my Graveyard from play…”

Queen’s Knight slipped out of his discard slot.

“In return for that,” he continued, “I can draw three cards…”

He drew three. He looked at them.

“I move Obnoxious Celtic Guardian into Attack Mode,” he exclaimed.

Obnoxious Celtic Guardian moved up to attack. Fang raised an eyebrow.

“And now I play a special Equip,” he stated. “Excalibur!”

Enchanting music started to play, and a boulder with a sword embedded in it appeared in the middle of the field.

The Warrior sheathed his sword, and walked up to it…

“According to legend,” stated Russell, “the noblest of Warriors can free King Arthur’s powerful enchanted sword from the stone. Let’s see if Obnoxious Celtic Guardian qualifies…”

The elf Warrior gripped the hilt with both hands and placed his foot on the stone. He pulled…

…and he pulled it free!

“Guess so,” said Russell, triumphantly. “And the Monster that holds Excalibur has its Attack Score doubled.”

(2,800/1,200)

“Go!” shouted Russell. “Smash that Enraged Battle Ox!”

Excalibur glowed, and Obnoxious Celtic Guardian leapt forth, splitting the Beast-Warrior down the middle.



[B](R: 2,700) (F: 4,800)


“Of course,” noted Russell, “Excalibur is destroyed if I draw a card from my deck for any reason. However, since I’m allowed to skip my Draw Phase when this card is on the field, that isn’t a problem.

“My turn is over. And since your Berserk Gorilla has no choice but to attack…”

“You are a feisty one,” laughed Fang, drawing a card. “I’ll avoid losing Life Points by moving it to Defense Mode, which destroys it…”

He turned the card. Berserk Gorilla knelt in Defense, and then exploded into shards.

“…and I’ll move Vorse Raider into Defense as well…”

Vorse Raider knelt in Defense.

“Your move…” he said.

“Fine,” said Russell, placing a card on his Disk. “I’ll place a Monster in Defense Mode for insurance…”

A facedown Monster appeared.

“…and then I’ll attack with Obnoxious Celtic Guardian!”

The Warrior cut down Vorse Raider.

“Seems you’re out of Monsters,” said Russell.

“Not for long,” said Fang.

He drew.

“I’ll place a card facedown,” he stated.

A facedown card appeared.

“And now I’ll summon… Nekogal, in Attack Mode!”

He placed a card down, and a cute, cat-like woman wearing a green bikini appeared. Her eyes glowed, and the Seal formed on her forehead. (1,100/900) –> (1,600/900)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/tp6-en018.jpg


“A cat?” asked Russell. “That was the best you could come up with?”

“This cat has claws!” replied Fang. “That’s my turn…”

“Then I’ll start mine,” said Russell, “skipping my Draw Phase again.”

“I activate Dust Tornado!” shouted Fang.

His Trap Card lifted, and the tornado raged towards Obnoxious Celtic Guardian. Excalibur shattered.

“Uh…” muttered Russell, looking at his remaining cards. “I’ll move my Guardian to Defense Mode…”

Obnoxious Celtic Guardian knelt in Defense.

“He’s got him on the run now,” chuckled Cleo.

“Too bad,” sighed Cassius. “I had plans to take down Russell myself. Ah, well…”

Fang drew a card.

“Nekogal, destroy his elf,” he shouted.

Nekogal swiped with her claws, and Obnoxious Celtic Guardian shattered.

“That’s all for me this turn,” he chuckled.

Russell growled and drew a card.

“I summon Command Knight in Defense Mode,” he stated.

A flame erupted on his side of the field, and Command Knight appeared, crouching in Defense. (1,200/1,900) –> (1,600/1,900)

“And I’m afraid you can’t attack her so long as I have at least one other Monster on my side of the field,” said Russell.

“Fine,” said Fang, drawing a card.

“I summon Tiger Axe, in Attack Mode.”

A large, humanoid Tiger, carrying a battle axe appeared. (1,300/1,100) –> (1,800/1,100)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/TP1-012.jpg


“Attack his facedown Monster!” shouted Fang.

Tiger Axe lunged forward…

Big Shield Gardna appeared on the card, and the Beast-Warrior was thrown backwards! (100/2,600) –> (500/2,600)

“Looks like his defense was too strong for your Tiger,” mocked Russell, as Gardna stood up in Attack Mode.

“Maybe so,” chuckled Fang. “But now, what will protect him from Nekogal?”

Nekogal pounced, and Gardna was torn in half!

“Next, I’ll play Mystik Wok,” he said, playing a Spell Card, “and sacrifice my Tiger Axe to do so…”

Tiger Axe vanished.



[B](R: 1,600) (F: 5,800)


“I’m worried, Jason…” muttered Trisha. “You don’t suppose that what Fang said is really…”

“I’m certain that he’s just a lunatic, Trisha,” assured Jason. “And I’m also sure that Russell can come back.”

“I dunno…” said Trisha.

She pressed her hand against the invisible wall.

“This barrier sure seems real…”

Russell drew a card.

“I sacrifice Command Knight,” he exclaimed.

Command Knight vanished.

“To summon… Freed the Matchless General!”

A sound like a rallying cry was heard, and the powerful General appeared, holding aloft his mighty sword! (2,300/1,700)

“Time to declaw that cat,” shouted Russell. “Blade of the battle-scarred!”

Freed swung his blade, and Nekogal screamed! She was blown away.



[B](R: 1,600) (F: 5,100)


Freed scowled and turned towards Russell.

“Yeah, I know…” muttered Russell. “These dirty freaks are barely worth dulling a good sword on. But it seems we don’t have much of a choice here…”

“I’ll set one card facedown,” he stated, “and end my turn…”

A facedown card appeared.

“All right,” said Fang, drawing. “You’re really starting to get my goat…”

He looked at the card.

“I play Graceful Charity.”

He played the card, and the graceful angel appeared before him.

He drew three cards.

“Well, I didn’t draw the best, but they’re good enough…” he chuckled, discarding two.

“First, I’ll play Soul Release,” he stated, “and remove five Monsters in my own Graveyard from play…”

He played the card.

“Next,” he said, playing another card, “I’ll play Spell Reproduction. Now I can discard two more Spell Cards to play Soul Release again. And I’ll remove the other three Monsters in my Graveyard.”

He discarded two cards, and played the card.

“What’s the point?” asked Russell, now wondering if this guy had flipped his lid.

“Would you like to see what my last card is?” laughed Fang. “I know this is going to seem like overkill, but… too bad…”

He played a card.

“I play… Dimension Fusion! I may have to pay 2,000 Life Points, but now I can bring back all the Monsters I just removed from play. Every last one of them…”

A spiraling vortex appeared above him…

“Don’t be silly,” said Russell. “You can only bring back…”

He never finished that sentence.

Monsters started flying out of the vortex. First came both Berserk Gorillas, then a Mad Dog of Darkness, then Vorse Raider…

Then Tiger Axe, Nekogal, Enraged Battle Ox, and Hitotsu-Me-Giant emerged, and landed behind the first set.

All eight Monsters’ eyes glowed with evil fire, and the Seal branded on their foreheads, as their Attack Scores went up by 500.

“No way!” shouted Jason. “That’s eight Monsters!”

“That’s impossible!” yelled Trisha. “A duelist can’t have more than five Monsters on the field at once!”

Sebastian snickered.

“Maybe you haven’t realized this by now,” he said, “but the Seal changes the rules – a lot. It doubles the number of Monsters the user is allowed to have. Fang could have ten of them at a time if he wanted to.”

“Yes,” chuckled Fang, “and I’m afraid that you’d have to take down the ones in the front row before you could get to the ones in the back… Not that you’ll have a chance.

“Even Freed would realize that a general knows when he’s outgunned, and that’s certainly the case now…”

“You’re forgetting that I can also bring back any Monsters that I’ve removed from play!” shouted Russell.

Queen’s Knight appeared next to Freed, crouching in Defense Mode. (1,500/1,600)

“Like it will matter!” laughed Fang. “Enraged Battle Ox, destroy Queen’s Knight!”

Enraged Battle Ox leapt forward, and cut Queen’s Knight down.

“You’re through!” he shouted. “Berserk Gorilla, attack Freed!”

Flames appeared in Berserk Gorilla’s mouth.

“I activate… Reinforcements!” shouted Russell as his Trap Card lifted. “This adds 500 points to Freed’s Attack Score for the rest of the round!”

Freed rose to 2,800 Attack! The Berserk Gorilla shot its blazing breath, and the Matchless General swatted it aside with one backhand! The Gorilla fell over and burst!

“Lucky…” muttered Fang.

“UNlucky for your other Gorilla,” stated Russell, “because you summoned it in Attack Mode, and it has to attack!”

The other Gorilla attacked, and the same thing happened. It was destroyed.

“My Matchless General hasn’t met his match yet…” muttered Russell.



[B](R: 1,000) (F: 2,500)


“You bought yourself one turn, nothing more…” said Fang.

It’s only a matter of time before I draw one of my kill-cards, he thought, Behemoth the King of All Animals! Once I draw it, I’ll not only have a Monster with 3,200 Attack Points, but I’ll be able to bring those two Gorillas back to my hand!

“This Seal of Orichalcos must be the most broken card I’ve ever seen!” exclaimed Jason. “Why haven’t I ever seen it on any Forbidden List? It can’t be legal!”

Trisha was silent. She was even more worried now…

“Boy,” said Cleo, “this guy just doesn’t know when he’s outmatched!”

“Well, the boss wanted an exciting duel, and he’s certainly got one,” said Cassius, with a shrug.

Boss? thought Russell. These clowns are only hired help! But what’s the point of this?

He slowly drew a card.

“I’ll play my own Graceful Charity,” he exclaimed.

He played the card, and the angel appeared.

He drew three cards…

He grinned…

He discarded two…

“This ends now, Fang!” he said, showing him a card.

It was Monster Reborn.

“Oh, sure!” laughed Fang. “Summon a Monster from your Graveyard! I assure you, it’s gonna be a round trip!”

Russell played the card, and the holy ankh appeared…

“I summon… Hero Kid!” he shouted.

A small creature appeared with a cheer, and did a somersault!

It was a child dressed in a spacesuit with colored shades, and a dome-like glass helmet over his head. (300/600)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/sol_en0051.jpg


“HUH?” exclaimed Fang. “HE wasn’t in your Graveyard!”

“Was he?” asked Russell.

Fang paused.

“Oh yeah… Graceful Charity, right?” he asked.

“Right,” said Russell. “And when Hero Kid is Special Summoned, like right now, I can Special Summon every other one that I have in my deck. So come on out guys!”

Two more Hero Kids appeared, and they somersaulted into view too.

“Well, big deal…” muttered Fang. “They’re worthless. Even my weakest Monster can beat them without breaking a sweat…”

“True, as far as soldiers go, they’re merely cadets,” agreed Russell. “But an army would be nothing without recruits. They’ll lead the way for one of my mightiest Warriors…”

He held a card up…

Lightning flashed outside…

“I sacrifice my three Hero Kids…” he exclaimed.

The three children vanished…

“To summon… [B]Gilford the Lightning!”

Lightning struck in front of him, and a powerful Warrior in magnificent, golden armor and a helmet, with a huge sword on his back appeared. (2,800/1,400)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/ct2_en001.jpg


“YA!” shouted Fang. “Is that really the legendary Gilford the Lightning?”

“Yes!” replied Russell. “And your broken Field Card may let you have more than five Monsters, but Gilford’s effect will destroy every one of them!”

Gilford drew his sword…

A series of lightning bolts struck Fang’s side of the field, and six bloodcurdling screams went up, as the six Monsters were blasted into nothing!

“Let this be a lesson, Fang,” accused Russell. “Cheaters only cheat themselves! Gilford, attack! Lightning blade!”

Gilford the Lightning charged forward, and smote the punk with his weapon! Fang was propelled against the wall of the Seal, and fell to his knees.

“At ease…” muttered Russell.



[B](R: 1,000) (F: 0)


“Well,” said Cassius with a shrug, “it was his own fault…”

“I lost…” moaned Fang.

And then… something happened.

The strange arena glowed, and the pentagram started to shrink and glow with an uncanny light!. It passed through Russell’s body… and then started to contract around Fang!

He screamed… and then collapsed.

Russell turned to the three thieves.

“All right you guys!” he shouted. “You have some explaining to do!”

“Sorry, Russell,” said Cassius, “but you’ll just have to wait. Anyway, thank you so much for getting rid of Fang… The truth is, we never liked him much anyway… He was the most stupid duelist we had.”

He wrapped the end of his whip around the scissors.

“And for being such good sports, you can have this back,” he added.

He lashed the whip forward, and the scissors landed at Russell’s feet.

Then the three of them ran down the catwalk laughing.

“We’ll never catch them…” sighed Jason. “I don’t even know how to get up there…”

Russell turned to Fang. He was lying on the floor with his cards scattered around.

“Listen buddy,” he said, prodding him with his foot. “We want some answers now.”

Fang didn’t respond.

“Hello?” said Russell.

No response.

“Hey, come on, so you lost,” said Russell. “Don’t be so hard on yourself…”

“Guys…” said Jason, picking something up off the floor.

They looked at it and gazed in fear…

It was the Seal of Orichalcos card, but it had changed…

Now Fang’s image, with the pentagram resembling bars of some sort, was on the card.

The three friends looked at it in silence for a minute or two…

“I have a bad feeling about this…” muttered Jason.



Thursday, September 9th, 2106, 9:03PM



POT OF CHARITY (Spell Card)

Card Specs

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

Image: A ceramic vase with a gentle face.

Card Description: Remove one Light-Attribute Monster in your Graveyard from play. Draw three cards from your deck.

Note: “Pot of Charity” was created by Shuppet Master for his fanfic “Yu-Gi-Oh: Sister of Anansi”. All creative credit goes to him.



EXCALIBUR (Spell Card)

Card Specs

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

Image: A shining sword of pure silver.

Card Description: Double the ATK of the Monster Equipped with this card. You may skip your Draw Phase when this card is Equipped to one of your Monsters. If you draw a card via any means, this card is destroyed.

Note: “Excalibur” was used by Yami in the anime episode “Reliving the Past”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



THE SEAL OF ORICHALCOS (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell/Field/Orichalcos
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Card Description: This card harnesses the power of Leviathan to create the following effects:

- The loser of a duel in which this card is used shall forfeit his soul.

- This card prevents access and egress to and from the arena in which the duel is occurring until a winner is decided.

- The user of this card is infused with dark power, and all Monsters summoned by the one who uses this card have their Attribute changed to Dark, and have their ATK increased by 500.

- The user of this card can have a maximum of ten Monsters on the field at once, or play a maximum of ten Spell and/or Trap Cards at once, rather than the limit of five for each.

- Under most conditions, this card cannot be destroyed by any card or other force that does not also use the power of Orichalcos. However, the Seal can be negated by the Three Legendary Dragons. The Orichalcos is powerless against Timaeus, Critias, and Hermos.


Note: This is the most complete description of “The Seal of Orichalcos” that I was able to find. The card first appeared in the anime episode “A New Evil”, and was used by various villains in “Waking the Dragons”.



[B][I]There’s no denying it anymore… The unholy power of the Orichalcos has returned after a century, and unfortunately, the Three Legendary Dragons are nowhere to be seen – yet.

Coming up next, while research is done, school will resume, and the first user character will appear! It’s a chapter called “Double Coston”. Why is it called “Double Coston”? It isn’t a tag team duel! You’ll just have to see!

[Mega Horny]

Haha, great chapter! Fangs wearing a tank top? Go fang!

Cassius seems like a really cool character you can build on.

the beast deck was a nice touch, and great using Nekogal, Tiger Axe and Hitotsu Me Giant. So far fang doesnt seem very impressive, so something drastic will proabably happen next chapter....

[Pokemasterkatie]

Damn! That blasted Seal again! ...Why do I think you're picking up where Shuppet Master left off?;)

Major love for the Hero Kid combo--they may be classified as E-Heroes, but they're still Warriors(in fact, all the Elemental Heroes are, save for Wroughtweiler). I wouldn't be surprised to see Wildheart show up in his deck in a future chapter...

[Perfect Chaos]

So the Seal has returned to take over people's souls once again huh?

I actually liked the Orichalcos arc of YGO (except when Yugi and Kaiba dueled Dartz, it was irritating with all of the weird monsters that Dartz used)

Well, I hope we get a new twist from the regular Orichalcos saga.

Look forward to the next chapter

-Sean

[Shuppet Master]

Pokemasterkatie, I may have used the Seal in Sister of Anansi, but I promise, Dark Sage came up with the idea on his own. Besides, the Doma arc was probably the most popular of the original Yu-Gi-Oh series in the anime, even if it wasn't manga canon.

Wildheart? I dunno. But you will see E-Heroes later on. I can't say when though, that's a spoiler.

Mega Horny, Fang is gone. If you recall in the Doma arc, nobody who was trapped by the seal was ever released(except for Rex and Weevil in the first episode, but that was a special condition).

Great chapter, Brian, and I can't wait to see what else you've got up your sleeve. ;)

EDIT: I forgot to point out an error. The Symbol of Orichalcos is not a five-point star. It is a six-point star. While you think this is an insult to Judaism's "Star of David", the Symbol's star is drawn with slightly distorted triangles with the bottoms nicked out. I'd put a proxy up, but I don't think linking to proxy images is legal.

[Dark Sage]

SM,

In the original Japanese, the Seal was indeed, a five-pointed star, a pentagram. It was changed in the dub because the editors are always afraid of pentagrams, thinking them as evil symbols. A lot of cards in the original Japanese have pentagrams (Spelbinding Circle and Dark Magician Girl's pendant, to name just two) but they are all edited.

[Blademaster]

So, the Orichalcos has returned...

But, what could it have to do with this 'Dark Messiah?' It can't be Dartz and the Leviathan - he was rescued from the Orichalcos, and it was eradicated...

...Wasn't he? Wasn't it? Weren't they?

:confused:

Hmmmmm...

BTW, am I the only one annoyed by the endless dubs of text, images, and ...anatomy used by the game's makers, but you look at the first sentence of Nekogal's text, and...

...

The older people here would understand that. But let's not have this get into an R-rating... :heh:

Anyway, I love animals and Warriors, so I had fun with this chapter... I will say that the Beastdown strategy is getting a bit old, though - at least Rawk Hawk had Manticore instead of Behemoth...

But in any case, I liked the use of those Hero Kids. I should get mself some of them... :wink:

Keep up the good work!

-Blade

[Inferno_Dragon]

Not that blasted Seal again!!!!! (Also sorry for repeating what Pokemaster Katie said as the first lines in her post.)

First, Yugi Senior has to face, then Yu-Gi-Oh Junior had to face, not to mention Lina and the rest of the group at Duel Monsters Camp.

At least I got a full description of The Seal. I always wanted to know how it fully worked. Sure in fanfics, you give the description but I wanted to know how it really works.

So who is the villian behind this? I guess we will have to wait.

So the first user character shows up. Double Coston, huh? I might have to think about that one, maybe I can guess its revelance to the next chapter before you post it.

[Pokemasterkatie]

Wildheart? I dunno. But you will see E-Heroes later on. I can't say when though, that's a spoiler.
Well, the E-Heroes ARE Warriors; and out of the non-Fusions, Wildheart is the most useful. Decent attack and defense for a four star(1500/1600), and he can negate Traps when he attacks(gotta check the rulings to make sure though--his effect wasn't very specific)! Very splashable monster.:)

[Dark Sage]

Wildheart doesn't negate Traps. He's immune to them.

What does that mean?

Not only will he not be destroyed by Sakuretsu Armor or Mirror Force, he won't fall into a Bottomless Trap Hole, won't drown in a Torrential Tribute (yours or your opponents), can pass right through a Wall of Revealing Light, and will even remain on the field if Last Turn is triggered.

Basically, Traps have no affect on him... at all.

HOWEVER, I can safely say that Russell does not have him in his deck.

[Mystic_clown]

It's the DOMA saga all over again! Hmm, it's strange though that they'd specifically target Russel and the others.

[Shuppet Master]

Okay, thanks for that. I watch dubs so I don't know much about the original. Looks like 4-Kids struck again. But honestly, I thought the dub Seal was cooler-looking. ^_^

[jkBAKURA]

*sigh* Such a major story point, and yet such a weak duel

Positives first. Russel's character is proving to be an experienced talented duelist. I like how his combonations with the Knights, and the increcingly popular Hero Kids were set up, rather then appearing out of the blue, it makes the match seem more realistic. Gearfried and both Gilford cards huh? That's quite a few trump cards, and with Jack's Knight and Freed, that makes quite a few tribute level monsters, though as I mentioned before, with the use of combos, getting them out should be easier. On a slightly different note, the title of the chapter was supurb.

On to the negative, quite frankly, Fang was pathetic (though I assume this was probably intentional) This chapter may have been overshadowed by the fact that Paradox outdrew you with the premiere of a Beast Deck. Even with the Seal's overhanging presence, there was no tension in the slightest. Fang's lack of a trump move, and the constant use of monsters with barely over 1000 ATK didn't do much to change that opinion. In short, Fang was just a way to advance the plot, and that unimportance made his proformance sorely lacking.

I liked the three soldiers in the Orichalcos Arc, and these three replacements seem intriguing. My wheels are already turning, trying to figure out what decks they use, but I don't have near enough information to make that call.

Now that the cat is out of the bac, the hunt is officially on.

P.S. Check your sources, the original Seal was indeed the elongated six-point design, and not a pentagram as you stated earlier. Trust me on this.

[Dark Sage]

Let me address those concerns:

First of all, Russell has quite a few powerful Monsters, but he by no means has all of them in his deck at the same time. His deck changes from day to day as the mood fits him. (Something I always believed was the case for the three main characters in the original series, and likely for Jaden in GX as well.)

Second, yes, Fang was pathetic - that was intentional. You heard Cassius himself say that he was the stupidest duelist they had.

This was an intro. Much more dangerous situations will be coming up.

[Zcade0]

Gag me with a spoon. I hated the DOMA saga. Never reading this one again. Btw, is Russell gona do the whole army talk through the entire script? My God, that gets repetative. Well, I'll be taking a permanite break from this. Bye.





GET POKEMONESE DONE NOW!!!!!

[Shuppet Master]

Well, as they say, you can please all of the people some of the time, and some of the people all of the time, but not all of the people all of the time. So long, Zcade.

[Dark Sage]

I seem to recall saying that I would give brownie points to anyone who could tell me what The House of Stone and Light was.

Well, that was an old name for The Grand Canyon, and the song, The House of Stone and Light was a song about that American landmark.

I've been to the Grand Canyon - it's a beautiful place which I believe the Harpie Lady Sisters would think of as their version of Heaven.

So now you know.

[Shuppet Master]

Oh, so that's what it was! I never thought of that! Interesting.

I've never been to the Grand Canyon, but I've seen pictures of it, and it's quite large. I think Yugi and his friends went there during the Doma Arc, but I could be wrong.

[Blademaster]

No, Shup, they were in Death Valley, California. A nice place, if you like a lot of... nothing... :redface:

[Master of Paradox]

I'm not sure which is more empty - Death Valley, California, or the Badlands of South Dakota. (When I die, incidentally, I want my ashes spread in the Badlands. Beautiful place.)

[Blademaster]

I guess the Valley is emptier - if the Badlands are beautiful, then there has to be something there besides dust and skeleton trees. :-/

[Dark Sage]

Now that we're done discussing how beautiful wastelands are...

(...and the Canyon is more gorgeous than any bleak wasteland...)

...I'd like to present the next chapter, with the first user character!

I'd like to thank Shuppet Master for the contribution of Nadia.

Randy was my own idea, but he approved of him.

Enjoy.

[B][I]When I was a new student, one of the hardest parts of this school was dueling and knowing that the upperclassmen were watching me. I knew I had a lot to prove, and that their respect for my skills would be essential in the future.

It didn’t occur to me that I would be on the other side of such a situation one day.

See, now I’m one of the upperclassmen, with a lot of experience. And Russell, Trisha, and I are watching two Freshmen go head-to-head in a conflict that they’ve likely been looking forward to since they were accepted to this school. I’d don’t know why these two kids of all people want to duel each other, whether it’s out of a rivalry or respect.

But they’ve likely seen the three of us watching by now, and I have to wonder…

…are we making them just as nervous as I was way back then?




[size=3][B]CHAPTER FIVE



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/AST-078.jpg



Thursday, September 9th, 2106, 11:30 PM



Some hours later, the three students were back in Chancellor Artemis’s office, while she and Mayor Barna were listening to what happened. The Chancellor was slowly sipping coffee…

Not many people drank coffee this late, but Artemis was sadly addicted to it. When someone brought that up, she countered with the excuse that there were a lot of worse things that she could be addicted to.

“So, he called it the Seal of Orichalcos?” asked Artemis.

“Yeah,” said Russell. “We’re pretty sure it was an illegal card, and given what happened at the end…”

Artemis and Barna looked at each other.

“Uhm, kids,” she sighed, “I wish I could tell you what this means, but I only know bits and pieces myself. But listen carefully…

“First, you are not to tell any other students about this… for now…

“Second, I’m increasing the promised extra credit to two hundred points… each…

“Third, since you’ve been through a lot, I’m excusing you from morning classes tomorrow. Why don’t you all sleep in?”

“Is there something we should…” asked Jason.

“I have research to do,” interrupted the Chancellor. “Dismissed.”

The three students left.

Artemis looked at Barna again.

“This is dire indeed,” said the mayor. “The Orichalcos was a secret that the Trinity swore to keep hidden, and not much information exists on it…”

“I’ll find that information,” answered Artemis. “I am the Chancellor of this school, after all…”



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


At the same instant, Cassius, Sebastian, Cleo, and another man were riding in an elevator in one of the buildings in the richest part of Manhattan.

They got out on a penthouse floor and into a swank apartment, where a man in an evening jacket and shaggy-white hair was pouring brandy into a glass.

The four bowed.

“Mr. Fortunado,” said Cassius. “Good news and bad news.”

“Bad news first,” replied the man.

“Well, Fang lost,” answered Cassius.

“Heh, heh, that’s not necessarily bad, Cassius,” said Fortunado with a grin. “When a flunky villain defeats a hero in an early scene, it makes for an unbelievable scene. And personally, I didn’t believe Fang could have beaten Wheeler’s sister…”

“Well, the good news is, the Seal worked like a charm,” added Sebastian.

“Good,” replied Fortunado.

He sipped the brandy.

“The King of Games may have believed that Leviathan had perished in the final battle, but enough of its essence clung to life over the past century to slowly regain at least a pseudo-life. Whether that will be enough to truly revive it again, I don’t know…

“And for now, I don’t care, so long as its magic can be channeled.”

He turned to the fourth man.

“I trust you got everything on film, Tulsley?”

“Yeah, boss,” said the man, holding up a video camera. “All ready for editing.”

“I’m counting on you and the others, Tulsley,” warned Fortunado, setting out some more glasses. “With a film like this, a lot of the scenes have to be gotten on the first take.”

“So what’s the next plan?” asked Cleo.

“An introduction to my sub-plot,” said Fortunado, smiling, “with some help from my latest employee…”

He smirked and turned behind him.

A shadowy figure appeared…

“Say boss…” said Cleo. “I didn’t even know that Wheeler even had a sister…”

“Eh…” said Fortunado. “She was a pacifist… Went to medical school when she grew up and became a cardiologist… Much preferred to heal rather than hurt. Even in the rare times she did duel, her Monsters were all cutesy-cute creatures… Not the type of duelist anyone had to worry about…

“Course, she had little to worry about… Anybody who wanted to mess with her would have to get past her big brother!”

They all laughed.

“Wouldn’t want to go there…” laughed Cassius.

The dark figure behind them simply stared, and crossed his arms…



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


Eventually, Jason, Russell, and Francesca drifted in to sleep, in the peaceful quiet of the private rooms that were, in their opinion, the greatest benefit to being Juniors.

At around two in the morning, in the midst of the deepest slumber, they dreamed…

Each of them dreamed they were on the dark streets of New York, with the other two by his or her side – but no other signs of life were around. The city seemed forlorn and deserted. A sky of dark clouds was overhead.

The looked at each other, but somehow, they knew that talking was not allowed right now.

The three of them looked up into the sky, and strange shapes started to appear in the clouds… strange faces…

Finally, a booming voice spoke in a commanding tone; it spoke a haunting verse:



[I]When cursed magic blights the land,
And Evil holds aloft its hand,
The Brothers will emerge once more,
And choose the ones to fight the war.
And when the Three can prove their worth,
They'll find the One who'll save the Earth.


At that, they woke up in a start.

The three of them stared into the darkness for a while.

Then, hardly knowing what they were doing, they turned on a light, found the nearest thing to write on, and quickly wrote down the mysterious poem.

They turned the light off again, and sleep quickly overtook them again.



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


Russell liked being able to sleep in, but eventually he got hungry. At ten the next morning, he started for the PX to get a snack...

…only to be grabbed by Jason and Trisha.

“Russell!” shouted Trisha. “You doing anything important?”

“Well…” started Russell.

“Never mind,” interrupted Jason. “There’s a duel about to start at the Arena that you do NOT want to miss.”

Curiosity got the best of Russell. So he ignored the rumblings in his stomach, and followed them as they ran to the building that housed the Arena.



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


When they got there, a bunch of students – mostly Freshmen – were sitting watching two figures on the main floor. Both of them were wearing red blazers, and Russell guessed that they were both Freshmen too.

One was a girl with a youthful face, honey-blonde hair tied in a ponytail, and green eyes flecked with gold. She wore tinted-blue glasses.

The other one was a boy with the same honey-blonde hair (cut short), and the same color eyes.

The two duelists were in the process of shuffling each other’s decks…

“So who are these guys?” asked Russell.

“Her name is Nadia Tyrelle,” answered Trisha, “and his is Randy Tyrelle.”

Russell gave her look.

“Uh, any relation?” he asked.

“Fraternal twins,” answered Jason.

Russell looked at them with disbelief.

“Okay, which one of them submitted the duel request form?” he asked in surprise.

“Both of them,” answered Jason. “On the first day class started. I think they’ve wanted to duel each other for a long time.”

“Your standard Cain and Abel match-up,” sighed Trisha. “I have to wonder whether brother or sister will emerge victorious…”

Nadia and Randy stood apart from each other, and loaded their decks.

“Hey Randy!” remarked Nadia. “Ready for a more public humiliation this time?”

“Bring it on, sis!” answered Randy.



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


In the school library, Artemis went up to the main librarian.

“Marcus,” she said, “I need access to the Z-Files.”

The librarian looked surprised.

“You mean the files that no-one except someone with authorization from the Council are supposed to even know about?” he asked.

“Yeah… those files,” she replied. “And you know very well that I do.”

He looked at her strangely.

He took a key from around his neck, and fit it into a special keyhole under his desk.

Artemis walked behind the desk, where a trapdoor had opened, revealing a stairway going down into a cellar.

“Not one word to anyone,” she warned, descending into the secret vault.



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


“All right!” exclaimed Randy, drawing his first card. “As they say, it’s time to duel!”



[B](Nadia: 8,000) (Randy: 8,000)


“And I’m going to throw down this guy in Defense Mode!” he exclaimed, placing a card on his Disk. “Elemental Hero Clayman!”

A bulky superhero made of clay appeared, and crouched in Defense. (800/2,000)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/TLM-EN003.jpg


“Let’s just see if you can get past that,” he dared.

“I can sure try,” said Nadia, drawing. “I hope all your Monsters don’t have feet of clay.”

She looked at her cards.

“I play… Graceful Charity,” she exclaimed.

She played the card, and the lovely angel appeared over her Disk. Her feathers fell on her deck.

She drew three cards, and then she quickly discarded two of them.

“Okay,” she continued. “I’ll place a card facedown…”

She played a card, and it appeared.

“And I’ll summon Fire Princess in Attack Mode.”

A beautiful-but-stern woman in a fiery red dress holding a staff appeared. (1,300/1,500)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LON-EN034.jpg


“That will be my turn,” she said.

“They’re both off to a good start,” said Jason. “That facedown card is likely Solemn Wishes…”

Randy drew a card.

“Sorry, sis,” he said, “but your Princess is going down. I summon Elemental Hero Sparkman, in Attack Mode!”

He put another card down, and a sparking hero in streamlined armor and a helmet appeared! He struck a heroic pose. (1,600/1,400)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/TLM-EN004.jpg


“Sparkman…” he started. “Attack…”

“I activate Gravity Bind!” shouted Nadia.

Her Trap Card lifted, and a wave of energy started to ripple over the field.

“Sorry Randy,” she said, “but now any Monster with four stars or more can’t attack. Of course, that means she can’t attack either…”

She motioned to Fire Princess.

“But with what I’ve got planned, it will hardly matter.”

“Okay, I guess it’s your turn then…” sighed Randy.

“Before I draw a card,” said Nadia, “I should explain to you the combo I just set up. Fire Princess will blast away 500 of your Life Points every time mine go up…

“AND, one of the cards I discarded with Graceful Charity was a useful Monster called Marie the Fallen One. Every one of my Standby Phases that she’s in my Graveyard, I gain 200 Life Points.

“So, I just have to draw…”

She drew a card.

“…and you get burned.”

Her Life Points went up by 200 points.

Fire Princess noticed the change, and aimed her staff. She shot a blast of flame at Randy, and he cringed.

“Next, I’ll summon one of my favorite Monsters!” she said, placing a card down. “White Magician Pikeru in Attack Mode.”

A cute, child Spellcaster in a white gown with a hat shaped like a sheep appeared, holding a scepter. (1,200/0)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/AST-033.jpg


“Next round,” warned Nadia, “I’ll increase my Life Points twice, which means you get blasted twice.

“It’s your move.”



[B](N: 8,200) (R: 7,500)


“Well, Nadia’s certainly in control,” muttered Russell.

“Yeah,” said Jason. “She seems to be using Gain and Drain strategy…”

Randy drew a card.

“Okay, sis,” he said, “time to get to business… I’m Equipping Clayman with Clay Wrap!”

He played the card. Clayman stood up; he mumbled as a transparent coating covered him.

“Now I’ll fuse my two Heroes together, with Polymerization!”

He played the Spell Card, and both Sparkman and Clayman swirled into a multicolored orb…



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/TLM-EN003.jpghttp://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/SDJ-036.jpghttp://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/TLM-EN004.jpg


“Forming Elemental Hero Thunder Giant!”

A huge Warrior in golden armor with a visored helmet appeared where the two Heroes had been! (2,400/1,500)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/TLM-EN036.jpg


“And here’s where it gets interesting,” chuckled Randy. “When Clay Wrap is sent to the Graveyard while Equipped to a Monster, like it just did because I used Clayman in a fusion, I can destroy one Spell or Trap Card.”

Gravity Bind shattered!

“And since that was a Special Summon, I’ll also summon someone else…” he continued, placing another card down. “Meet Elemental Hero Burstinatrix!”

A female hero in a red bodysuit, knee-high boots, and long hair appeared with a war cry. (1,200/800)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/TLM-EN002.jpg


“And I’m just getting started!” laughed Randy. “By discarding one card, like so…”

He discarded a card.

“…Thunder Giant can automatically destroy any Monster who’s Attack Score is less than his!”

Thunder Giant shot a volley of lightning bolts at Fire Princess! She screamed and shattered into pixels!

“And that was just his special effect!” continued Randy. “Thunder Giant, attack Pikeru! Thunder punch!”

Thunder giant flew forward and socked Pikeru, blasting her into pixels!

“Burstinatrix, attack directly! Burstfire attack!”

Burstinatrix flew into the air, and shot a stream of flame at Nadia! She cringed…

“And I’ll call that a turn…” he chuckled.



Continued...

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:




[B](N: 5,800) (R: 7,500)


“Well, it seems Randy is no slouch either,” commented Russell.

“Yeah…” replied Trisha. “And he seems to be using Jaden Yuki’s signature Monsters… Hmmm…”

She took the pouch off her belt where she kept her spare cards and started to look through them.

I wonder… she thought, looking at one.

Nadia caught her breath, and drew a card…

“I play Premature Burial, paying 800 Life Points to bring back Pikeru…” she stated, playing a card.

Pikeru arose again.

“Next,” she stated, “I’m playing the Spell Card Sibling Rivalry. When Pikeru is on the field, this lets me summon her dark sister, Ebon Magician Curran from my deck…”

She played the card, and another young girl, this one dressed in a black dress and a floppy-eared hood, carrying a switch, appeared next to Pikeru. (1,200/0)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/crv_en0311.jpg


The two sisters gave cold glares to each other.

“You think I’m afraid of bunny-girl?” asked Randy with a laugh. “Curran will be gone long before you use her draining effect.”

“You think so?” asked Nadia. “Well let me tell you something… Both Pikeru and Curran were fated from birth for greater things, and if they pass certain tests, they can grow and become stronger…”

She played a card.

“I’m Equipping Curran with Trial of the Princess.” she exclaimed. “This Equip first increases her Attack score by 800.”

Curran rose to 2,000 Attack.

“Hmph!” muttered Pikeru, crossing her arms.

“Next time, Pikeru, I promise,” said Nadia.

“Now, to pass the test,” she continued, “Curran has to challenge and defeat a Monster of five stars or more,” explained Nadia. “And there’s nothing in the rules that says she can’t have help. I play Gift of the Martyr. I’ll sacrifice Pikeru…”

She played a card. Pikeru gave another cold stare, and then shattered.

“…and in exchange, Curran gets Pikeru’s Attack Score added to hers for one round!”

Curran rose to 3,200 Attack!

“Curran, attack the Thunder Giant!” shouted Nadia. “Ebon blast!”

Curran yelped with glee, and leapt up into the air. She shot forth a blast of energy, and Thunder Giant shattered!

“The test is passed!” laughed Nadia. “So now, Ebon Magician Curran becomes Princess Curran.”

Curran glowed, and started to change…

She grew, and within seconds, was transformed from a child to a teenager, wearing a formal dress that suggested royalty, along with a fancy headdress. She carried a fancy scepter. (2,000/0)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/soi_en0281u.jpg


“That’s my turn,” said Nadia.



[B](N: 5,200) (R: 6,700)


Randy drew. He frowned.

“Well, sorry, Burst,” he said, “but you’re moving into Defense Mode.”

He turned the card, and Burstinatrix crouched in Defense Mode.



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


In the dim, dusty vault, Chancellor Artemis took an envelope out of a drawer, held shut with a wax seal.

[I]By order of Yugi Mouto, this information to be viewed only if The Seal of Orichalcos reappears, said a label on the cover.

Artemis broke the wax seal, and removed a very old DVD.

She placed it into a player and turned it on.

Yugi Mouto’s face, appearing as he did when he was in his early twenties, appeared on it.

“Greetings,” he said, gravely. “Since you’re playing this disk, I’m assuming that you or someone you know has participated in a duel where the evil card called the Seal of Orichalcos was used.

“If the victim was victorious, whether or not it was you, that person is to be commended. If he was defeated, his friends and family have my deepest condolences.”

Yugi sighed.

“Kaiba, Joey, and I tried our hardest to keep the horrible incident secret to keep the world from knowing of the Armageddon that almost happened. We thought the evil was gone forever. Apparently, it isn’t.

“So listen carefully. I can give you all the information you need to know so that innocent souls won’t be lost to that unholy power…

“The Seal of Orichalcos is not simply a broken card… It is pure evil.”



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


“By the way, Randy,” said Nadia, drawing, “now that Curran is a princess, her draining power is doubled! So every time I draw, you lose 600 Life Points for every Monster on your side of the field.”

Curran’s scepter glowed, and Randy cringed.

“Now I’ll summon… Cure Mermaid, in Attack Mode,” laughed Nadia.

A beautiful mermaid in a pink blouse appeared. She smiled sweetly. (1,500/800)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LON-EN041.jpg


“Cure Mermaid,” she ordered, “put out Burstinatrix’s fire with bubble blast!”

Cure Mermaid smiled sweetly. She blew a kiss to Burstinatrix, and a stream of bubbles shot from her lips! Burstinatrix winced, and then shattered into pixels.

“Curran, attack directly!” shouted Nadia. “Royal ebon blast!”

Curran aimed her scepter, and fired a beam of dark energy at Randy! He was propelled backwards!



[B](N: 5,400) (R: 4,100)


“Heh, heh,” chuckled Randy, getting up. “Not bad…”

He drew a card…

“I summon Elemental Hero Bubbleman in Attack Mode!” he shouted.

He played a card, and a caped and cowled Hero with hoses on his arms attached to tanks on his back appeared. He pointed and struck a pose. (800/1,200)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/crv_en014.jpg


“And now I’ll Equip him with this,” he continued, playing a card. ”Bubble Blaster!”

Bubbleman got down on one knee, and a huge, bazooka-like weapon appeared on his shoulder. He grasped the handle.

“This raises his Attack by 800 points!” laughed Randy, as Bubbleman’s Attack went up to 1,600. “Try these bubbles on for size! Go! Attack Cure Mermaid with bombarding bubble barrage!”

Bubbleman shot a blast of watery globs at Cure Mermaid! She screamed and exploded!



[B](N: 5,300) (R: 4,100)


“And that’s my turn,” said Randy with a smirk.

Nadia drew, and Curran cast her draining hex on Randy again!

“Curran!” she shouted. “Attack Bubbleman!”

Curran fired her dark spell…

Bubbleman shielded himself with the Bubble Blaster, and it shattered.

“Forgot to mention,” said Randy. “When Bubbleman is attacked when he has Bubble Blaster, it bursts instead of him.”

“Well what will protect him now?” asked Nadia. “I’ll place a card facedown, and end my turn.”

A facedown card appeared behind Curran.



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


“This is intense!” exclaimed Trisha. “I can hardly wait to see what comes next!”

“Indeed,” muttered Jason. “Both of them are good. We’ll soon see who’s better…”

“Okay,” said Randy, drawing, “I’m gonna play my Pot of Greed!”

He played the card.

“Now I can draw two more cards…”

He drew two.

“And it looks like I drew Bubbleman’s favorite Spell Card… Bubble Shuffle!”

“Bubble Shuffle?” asked Nadia.

“Yeah, it’s a two-step process,” explained Randy, playing it. “First, Bubbleman and one of your Monsters move into Defense Mode…”

Bubbleman and Curran knelt in Defense.

“…and then I can sacrifice Bubbleman for any Elemental Hero that I have in my hand. And I have a great one!”

Bubbleman faded away…

“Come forth… Elemental Hero Bladedge!”

A powerful-looking hero in golden armor with a winged jetpack and bladed gauntlets appeared! (2,600/1,800)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/een-en007.jpg


“And because of Bladedge’s trampling effect,” added Randy, “you’re about to take a lot of damage! Bladedge, attack Curran with slice ‘n dice attack!”

Bladedge’s jetpack ignited, and he flew towards the princess…

“I activate… Shield of Faith!” shouted Nadia.

Her Trap Card lifted, showing the image of a Giant Orc crouching behind a shield. Bladedge bounced off of Curran!

“Huh?” asked Randy.

“I knew that both Curran and Pikeru had one big Achilles heel,” said Nadia with a sweet smile. “A nonexistent Defense Score. So I added Shield of Faith to my deck. If you attack a Monster in Defense Mode who has zero Defense, it increases the Monster’s Defense to 3,000 for the rest of the round.”

“Crud,” sighed Randy. “Well, go ahead…”



[B](N: 5,500) (R: 3,100)


Nadia drew, and Curran cast her spell again. Randy cringed again.

“I should thank you for summoning that guy, Randy,” she said, “because now Curran has the chance to pass the second test of her life. I’m Equipping her with this… Coronation!”

She played the card, and Curran rose to 2,700 Attack.

“To complete this test, Curran has to challenge and defeat a Monster of seven stars or more,” stated Nadia. “So I’ll shift her back into Attack Mode…”

Curran stood back up.

“And Curran, attack Bladedge!”

Curran cast her dark spell, and Bladedge was vanquished.

“And now,” said Nadia, as Curran started to change, “Curran can finally claim her birthright, and evolve into Dark Queen Curran!”

When the change halted, Curran was now a full-grown (and rather sexy) adult, in a beautiful gown, and a golden crown on her head. Her eyes were orbs of pure darkness. (2,600/2,100)



[B](N: 5,700) (R: 2,400)


“Oo-kay…” muttered Randy. “That is rather impressive…”

He slowly drew a card.

“Well, I’ll place a Monster in Defense Mode for now,” he sighed. “And that will be it…”

A facedown Monster appeared.

Nadia drew. Randy braced himself…

But Curran didn’t cast the spell this time.

“No draining effect?” he asked.

“Not anymore,” replied Nadia, “but now, whenever she destroys a Monster, the Attack Points of that Monster are taken out of your Life Points!

“Curran, attack his Monster!”

Curran cast a powerful dark spell… Dark Catapulter appeared on the card, and was blown away.

“Your move,” dared Nadia.



[B](N: 5,700) (R: 1,400)


“Nadia’s got this duel cold,” said Russell. “She can’t lose.”

“I’ve been in worse situations,” said Trisha. “I wouldn’t count Randy out yet…”

Randy drew a card.

“Okay!” he exclaimed. “First I place a Monster in Defense Mode…”

A facedown Monster appeared.

“Then, a card facedown,” he continued.

He set the card, and the facedown card appeared.

“And finally, I’ll activate my last card… Mirage of Nightmare.”

He played the card, and it appeared.

“Well then,” said Nadia, “I guess that’s all you can do…”

She drew a card.

“Hold up, sis!” stated Randy. “My Mirage Card now let’s me draw until I have four cards.”

He drew four cards.

“And now, so I won’t have to discard any, I’ll activate Emergency Provisions.”

His facedown card lifted, and a large mouth appeared and swallowed the Mirage card.

“By sending my own card to the Graveyard, I gain 1,000 Life Points.”

“He’s clever,” muttered Jason. “He’s not only using Jaden’s strategy, he managed to pull off one of his signature combos.”

“Remarkable,” said Nadia. “Curran, attack his facedown Monster.”

Curran blasted her dark spell at the facedown card…

A robotic dog appeared on the card, and shattered.



http://www.ideal808.com/images/crv_en012.jpg


“Thank you!” laughed Randy. “Wroughtweiler only had 800 Attack Points, so the damage you did was minimal. And when he’s destroyed in battle, I get to retrieve one Elemental Hero and one Polymerization card from my Graveyard.”

Two cards slipped out of his discard slot.

Nadia looked at him.

“I’ll place one card facedown, and end my turn,” she said.

A facedown card appeared.



[B](N: 6,100) (R: 1,600)


Randy drew a card.

“Okay, Nadia,” he chuckled. “I’m playing this Spell Card…”

He played the card.

“Reinforcement of the Army. Good for any deck that uses Warriors, because it lets me add one to my hand from my deck that has four stars or less…”

He took his deck and looked through it.

“And I think Elemental Hero Avian will fit the bill.”

He put the deck back.


“Now, you know how a lot of superhero battles take place in dark factories?” he continued. “Well, I’ve got a great card called Dark Factory of Mass Production.”

He played the card.

“Sure, it looks creepy,” he said, “but it lets me retrieve two Normal Monsters from the Graveyard to my hand, so I’ll retrieve Clayman and Burstinatrix.

“And now, I’m going to use Polymerization again, to fuse together Burstinatrix with Avian!”

Burstinatrix appeared, and then a tall hero with wings appeared next to her. Again, they swirled into colored light…



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/TLM-EN002.jpghttp://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LOB-EN059.jpghttp://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/TLM-EN001.jpg


…forming a tall creature dressed in red and green, with one wing growing from the left side of his back, and a fierce Dragon in place of his right arm!

“Presenting… Elemental Hero Flame Wingman!” he shouted.



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/TLM-EN035.jpg


(2,100/1,200)

“He can’t beat Curran,” remarked Nadia.

“I’ll get to that,” answered Randy. “But again, since he was a Special Summon, I’ll also summon the guy I got from Wroughtweiler, Elemental Hero Sparkman!”

Sparkman appeared again! (1,600/1,400)

Randy flicked his Field Slot open.

“And now I play…” he said dramatically, “Skyscraper!”


Continued...

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



The Arena shook… With no subtlety at all, the buildings of a dark city arose around the two duelists!

Curran looked around in confusion…

Then she and her master noticed that the Flame Wingman was perched on the spire of the tallest building.

“When Skyscraper is active,” explained Randy, “all Elemental Heroes gain 1,000 Attack Points when they make an attack against a Monster who has more Attack Points than they do.

“Flame Wingman, attack Curran with skydive scorcher!”

Flame Wingman soared off the spire and somersaulted in mid-air. Like a meteor crashing to earth, the superhero erupted in flame, his Attack rose to 3,100, and he flew into Dark Queen Curran! She screamed and shattered!

“And thanks to his effect,” added Randy, “you now lose Life Points equal to your slain Monster’s Attack Score!”

Nadia screamed as Flame Wingman pointed with his dragon-arm and shot flames at her!

“Of yeah?” she grunted. “Well I had a Trap ready! Reveal, Option Hunter!”

Her Trap lifted.

“Now I gain Life Points equal to my destroyed Monster’s Attack Score,” she shot back. “Nifty, huh?”



[B](N: 5,600) (R: 1,600)


“Yeah?” laughed Randy. “Well, my Battle Phase isn’t over, and I have this card… De-Fusion!”

He played the card. Flame Wingman split back into Avian and Burstinatrix. (1,000/1,000), (1,200/800)

“And that means both of them can attack!” laughed Randy. “Avian, quill cascade!”

Avian pointed, and shot a swarm of razor-sharp feathers into Nadia.

“Burstinatrix, magma comet!” he shouted.

A ball of flame appeared in Burstinatrix’s hand and she hurled it. Nadia fell to her knees.

“And let’s not forget Sparkman! Shining surge flash!”

Sparkman shot forth a blast of electricity, and Nadia truly screamed. She fell down on her stomach.



[B](N: 1,800) (R: 1,600)


“See?” said Trisha. “Randy may well have turned this around.”

“Indeed. She would have lost if not for Option Hunter,” agreed Jason. “If Nadia can continue at all, she’ll have to summon something good if she wants to win – and unfortunately, not many Monsters are too strong in a Gain and Drain deck…”

“Sis?” asked Randy, getting worried. “Can you continue?”

Nadia slowly got up.

“Yeah…” she muttered.

“Then I’ll end my turn,” replied Randy.

Nadia adjusted her glasses and drew a card.

She played a card.

“I play… Monster Reborn!” she exclaimed. “And the Monster I’m bringing back is the one I discarded on my first turn… Marie the Fallen One.”

The holy ankh appeared, and a female Fiend with black skin and black feathered wings, dressed in a peasant’s outfit appeared, crouching as if prepared to pounce. (1,700/1,200)

“Heh, you almost had me there,” muttered Randy. “If not for my Emergency Provisions, I’d have lost if you attacked Avian…”

“She’s not going to attack,” said Nadia with a smirk. “You like fusing Monsters together, huh?

“Next I’ll summon… The Forgiving Maiden!”

She played a card, and a homely woman in religious robes appeared in a praying position. (850/2,000)

“And now I’ll play my own Polymerization,” she said, playing a card, “to form a woman who was born in 1412, was touched by religious visions in 1424, fought in the Hundred Years War in 1429, was burned as a heretic in 1431, was beautified in 1909, and canonized in 1920 as a Patron Saint of France… the most powerful creature in my deck… St. Joan!”



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LON-EN046.jpghttp://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LOB-EN059.jpghttp://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LON-EN044.jpg


The Fiend and the Fairy merged together, and a flash of light permeated the dark city…

…and a tall, radiant woman, dressed in silver armor and carrying a two-handed sword stepped out of the light. (2,800/2,000)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LON-EN045.jpg


“St. Joan!” commanded Nadia, “attack Elemental Hero Avian with your holy sword!”

Angelic wings sprouted from St. Joan’s back and she flew towards the Elemental Hero! She struck him with her sword, and he shattered.

“And that… is that,” said Nadia, giving a thumbs up.



[B](N: 2,000) (R: 0)


The dark city and the Monsters vanished, and Randy hung his head.

“Hey sis,” he said, “sweet duel. Can’t wait for a rematch.”

As they were saying this, Jason, Trisha, and Russell got up, Trisha going in the opposite direction from her two friends.



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


“Hey, Randy!” shouted Trisha, as Randy started to leave the arena.

“Huh?” asked Randy. “You don’t want to duel me do you?”

“Don’t take the yellow blazer the wrong way, Randy,” chuckled Trisha. “I don’t beat up on the lowerclassmen. I noticed that your deck used a lot of Jaden Yuki’s cards.”

“Yeah, well…” muttered Randy. “He was a great guy, but that wasn’t why I designed a Hero Deck… You’re gonna think I’m crazy… but…”

“Try me,” said Trisha.

“Well, Nadia and me…” he said, “our parents are great duelists, and they gave each of us a box of cards for Christmas…

“In my set were Avian, Burstinatrix, Clayman, and Sparkman. The original Elemental Heroes. I didn’t think much of them at first…

“But then, they started… uhm… talking to me…”

“Talking to you?” asked Trisha.

“Yeah,” said Randy, nervously. “Weird, huh? And they were so friendly. I decided to build a deck with Elemental Heroes, and with each new Hero I added, a new one started to talk to me…

“Although I do have a problem…”

He took a card out of his Fusion Deck.

“I have a great Fusion Monster that not even Jaden knew about, but I don’t have the Hero I need to summon him… I can use King of the Swamp, but…”

A light went on in Trisha’s head. She reached for her side deck and took out the card she was looking at.

“Is this the guy?” she asked.

Randy’s eyes almost popped out of his head.

“WOW!” he shouted. “I’ve been looking for him for the longest… Trade you for it?”

He paused.

“Well… trade you for anything except one of my own Heroes? I can’t give them away…”

“Sure,” said Trish. “I’ll trade it for your Dark Catapulter.”

Randy paused. He took the Dark Catapulter out of his deck.

“Well…” he started, reluctantly.

“Look,” said Trisha, “I know Jaden used it, but it’s hard to use right. It works better in a Machine Deck like mine. I promise, I can use it better than you ever could.

“I’ll take good care of it.”

Randy paused again.

He slowly handed over the Dark Catapulter. Trisha gave him her card.

“So, they talk to you?” chuckled Trisha. “Well, now you have someone else to talk to. Good luck, Randy.”

She turned and left.

“You think she believed you?” said a woman’s voice behind Randy.

He turned, and saw Burstinatrix there. Most folks would be surprised in the least, but Randy was so used to it occurring that he didn’t even flinch.

“Probably not,” replied Randy, “but at least she didn’t call me crazy.”

“Well,” replied Burstinatrix, “at long last, the forgotten member of our team is in your deck, and that Machine was only holding us back anyway… I’m sure you’ll do him proud.”

“I’ll try my hardest,” said Randy, looking at the card.



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


At the same time, Nadia was still in the Arena, packing her Duel Disk into a duffle bag.

“Hey,” said Jason. “Nadia was it? Great duel!”

“Thanks,” she said with a giggle. “I always like getting the better of my brother…”

“So why did you decide to put together a Gain and Drain deck?” asked Russell.

“Well,” sighed Nadia, “at first, dueling wasn’t my thing at all…

“The school was at first my dad’s idea. He was a professional duelist… But I wasn’t so keen on the idea of spending four years of my life learning a card game. My true dream is to be a television chef…”

“Really?” asked Jason with a smirk.

“But when I got a box of cards for Christmas, I found both Curran and Pikeru,” she continued. “They were just so adorable. I put together a deck and found that I was rather good at it…

“I figure that if I become better and I become a professional briefly, I can win some major tournaments and use the prize money to fulfill my real dream, and become a great TV chef.”

“That’s the spirit,” said Russell. “Always hold on to your dreams. You know, I heard if Joey Wheeler hadn’t pursued his own dreams, he’d have been nothing more than the street thug he was before he met Yugi.”

“Thanks,” said Nadia. “All I can think of now is, what’s next?”



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


In the secret vault, Artemis had filled several pages with notes.

“I’ve told you all that I know,” sighed Yugi’s voice. “You now know of our experiences with the wicked force that is the Orichalcos…

“The best advice I give now, is to hope. Hope that a solution will appear, as it did for us. Because in a situation like this, literally anything is possible.”

The screen went blank.

Raising an alarm would likely cause panic, thought Artemis. Doing nothing would likely lead to disaster…

What do I do?



Friday, September 10th, 2106, 11:05 AM




CLAY WRAP (Spell Card)

Card Specs

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

Image: Elemental Hero Clayman with his skin texture resembling wet clay.

Card Description: This card can only be Equipped to “Elemental Hero Clayman”. When a Monster is sent to the Graveyard while Equipped with this card, destroy one Spell or Trap Card on the field.

Note: “Clay Wrap” was first used by Jaden in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “A Spirit Summoned”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



SIBLING RIVALRY (Spell Card)

Card Specs

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

Image: A shocked White Magician Pikeru looking in a mirror to see Ebon Magician Curran looking back at her.

Card Description: You can activate this card when you have one “White Magician Pikeru” or one “Ebon Magician Curran” (but not both) face up on your side of the field. Special Summon one “White Magician Pikeru” (if you have “Ebon Magician Curran” on your side of the field) or one “Ebon Magician Curran” (if you have “White Magician Pikeru” on your side of the field) from your hand or deck.

Note: This card first appeared in “Yu-Gi-Oh! The Thousand Year Door”.



SHIELD OF FAITH (Trap Card)

Card Specs

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

Image: Giant Orc crouching behind a huge wooden shield and fending off an attack.

Card Description: You can activate this card when your opponent declares an attack against one of your Monsters in Defense Position who has a DEF of 0. Increase the target Monster’s DEF to 3,000 until the End Phase of the turn.



CORONATION (Spell Card)

Card Specs

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

Image: White Magician Pikeru and Ebon Magician Curran staring at each other in front of an altar holding a golden crown.

Card Description: This card can only be Equipped to “Princess Pikeru” or “Princess Curran”. Increase the Equipped Monster’s ATK by 700. If the Equipped Monster destroys a Monster of seven stars or more as a result of battle, you can offer the Equipped Monster and this card as a Tribute to Special Summon one “White Queen Pikeru” (if this card was Equipped to “Princess Pikeru”) or one “Dark Queen Curran” (if this card was Equipped to “Princess Curran”) from your hand or deck.



DARK QUEEN CURRAN (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spellcaster/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 7
ATK: 2,600
DEF: 2,100

Card Description: Having endured several trials, Ebon Magician Curran is not a child anymore. This Monster cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This Monster can only be Special Summoned via the effect of “Coronation”. When this Monster destroys an opposing Monster, deduct the destroyed Monster’s ATK from the owner’s Life Points.




Randy’s Hero Deck:

Jaden Yuki may have started at the bottom at the original Duel Academy, but he didn’t stay there forever. Eventually, he rose through the ranks, graduated with full honors, and became one of the greatest duelists in the world. Eventually, folks called him the Second King of Games, a destiny that Yugi perhaps predicted when he gave him that enchanted Winged Kuriboh card.
As a result, a lot of duelists have sought to emulate Jaden, using an Elemental Hero Deck, but mostly without success. Jaden’s Heart was strong as Yugi’s, his luck as strong as Joey’s, and his skill and strategy comparable to Kaiba’s.
Randy put together an Elemental Hero Deck for one unique reason – the Heroes seem drawn to him in the form of Duel Spirits (although he doesn’t call them by that term). Whenever he added a new Hero to his deck, it was a certainty that the spiritual equivalent would show up soon. Apparently, this only works with Monsters with the words “Elemental Hero” in their names. He has tried the “trick” with other Monsters, but without success. That’s why he was willing to trade Dark Catapulter, as no Spirit of that Monster has ever befriended him.
As far as strategy goes, Randy seeks to fuse his Warriors together as soon as possible, seeing as most Heroes are rather weak. He has a variety of Fusion Monsters, including, as stated, one that Jaden did not know about, which he can now use “properly” thanks to Trisha’s trade. He doesn’t yet have the powerful Shining Flare Wingman (the “king” of the Elemental Heroes, for all intents and purposes), though he is still looking for one.
In addition, Randy has many strategies that Jaden didn’t use. He has a few copies of King of the Swamp to bring out Polymerization fast, and Reinforcement of the Army to bring out the right Hero when he needs it. Since he has planned carefully, he can succeed well where others have failed.



Nadia’s Gain and Drain Deck:

Although Nadia was a reluctant duelist from the start, dueling tended to run in her blood, and when she got her gift of cards for Christmas, she discovered White Magician Pikeru and Ebon Magician Curran. Pikeru and Curran are the Yin and the Yang, fierce rivals, but they have more in common than they think. Though they may fight eternally outside the duel, they can work well side-by-side in the same deck.
Nadia’s strategy consists of raising her own Life Points and bringing her opponent’s down at the same time. Monsters like Fire Princess play a large part in this strategy, as do Traps like Solemn Wishes, and her two stars Pikeru and Curran. She also has two copies each of UFO Turtle, Mystic Tomato, and Shining Angel to act as searchers. Since her Monsters mostly aren’t the strongest Attack-wise, she also has several lockdown cards like Level Limit Area B and Gravity Bind. She also has ways to get rid of these cards when she brings her true stars out…
Nadia has three copies of Trial of the Princess, and one copy of Coronation, which can be used to evolve Pikeru and Curran to more powerful forms. White Queen Pikeru (who will appear later) and Dark Queen Curran are hard to summon (after all, they are NOMIs who are summoned through use of Monsters who are themselves NOMIs), but the end result is worth it.
Despite her dream of being a TV chef, Nadia does not have Mystik Wok in her deck. She has enough healing cards already.



[B][I]Coming up next:
Fortunado’s diabolic “subplot” begins, and caught in the middle is our second user character! Who could it be? Plus, a fantastic blast… from the anime past! It’s all in a chapter called “Patrician of Darkness”, coming up next!

[Shuppet Master]

This is brilliant. (Applauds)

You brought my user character to life in a wonderful way and implemented your own ideas into it. I happen to like Elemental Heroes too(why do you think I purchased tons of Jaden special packs as well as the special starter deck to get Bladedge?) and I feel that this "new" Elemental Hero fusion will be nothing short of amazing.

I also liked how you cut to the Chancellor and how she got information on the Orichalcos. That shared vision was also impressive.

Mr. Fortunado, eh? Sounds like a delirious filmmaker using the Seal of Orichalcos and Leviathan to make a major motion picture. Man, that's one insane individual. :)

Keep it up, Brian! Your star is rising here!

[Master of Paradox]

(why do you think I purchased tons of Jaden special packs as well as the special starter deck to get Bladedge?)

Huh. One of the first three Elemental Energy packs I ever bought contained Bladedge. (Then again, I have the "bastard's luck" - it only kicks in when I don't need it, thus my lack of a Treeborn Frog.)

As usual, I can't actually review the chapter due to circumstances.

[Pokemasterkatie]

I happen to like Elemental Heroes too(why do you think I purchased tons of Jaden special packs as well as the special starter deck to get Bladedge?)
=3 I like the E-Heroes as well...but maybe that's just the result of them pushing Jaden as hard as they can so he'll be recognized.^^; That can work sometimes and not work other times. I think it's the former--Jaden's such a neat character, and it's hard not to like him.:smilie:


Huh. One of the first three Elemental Energy packs I ever bought contained Bladedge. (Then again, I have the "bastard's luck" - it only kicks in when I don't need it, thus my lack of a Treeborn Frog.)
XD BTW, Treeborn Frog was banned as of a few days ago...

[starjake]

Actually, Treeborn Frog was only Limited to one per deck, not outright banned.

That was a fun duel, I guess. Should Jaden ever duel Rebecca Hawkins, at least we'll know who the victor will be.

I'm not sure I'm too thrilled about the prospect of a new E-Hero fusion and (possibly) member; they have enough support IMO. We'll have to see. Of course, this obviously means that Randy will appear again at some point.

And I really must say this since no one else has...I'm sorry, but the previous chapter was - for all intents and purposes - a direct cut from the anime, with different characters and a slightly different location. Just thought I'd point that out.

Fortunado...that last name sounds very familiar; where have I heard it before?

[jkBAKURA]

Pokemoneese. The leader of Team Chaos was Faustus Fortunado.

[Pokemasterkatie]

Fortunado Faustus! No wonder it rang a bell in my head!:p And I could've sworn Treeborn was banned and not restricted. Either way, it's bad for the Frog decks.;)

[SamSPAM]

This is my favorite fic. I like Zane because hes the strongest duelist. But you got Jaydens deck wrong, its the elemental hero deck.

[jkBAKURA]

Ummm...Sam, That last post didn't make any sense to me...

[Blademaster]

An E-Hero Deck and a Gain-Burn Deck, huh? Nothing too exciting, but it got the job done.

And I'm glad the E-Heroes lost, to be honest - I used to like them, but they're such a big part of GX, who I still haven't forgiven for humiliating the Dark Scorpions. :mad2:

Anyway, are you going to be doing that 'deck description' thing through the whole story? It just seems unnecessary to me... :notfunny:

As for you, Shup, not a bad character; considering the next chapter's title, I doubt that my character is gonna be appearing. :eek:

...I wonder who it is? I don't even know how many people have sent in ideas that've been excepted, let alone who... :confused:

Anyway, nice touch with the Yugi DVD - reminded me of that chapter of Mandate of Heaven. Ahhh, memories... :rolleyes:

Well, keep writing; I have to get back to work on 3.0, if I ever get re-motivated, that is. :p

Peace out!

-Blade

[Mystic_clown]

Hmm, I wonder who's up next? I doubt it's mine, but we'll see.

[Mookie]

Can it be?.... Bwehehehehe. I am waiting for the next chapter. Bwehehehe.

Now. About decks - The Gain-Burn deck - LOVE IT.
The Elemental Heroes - Im not too fond of them anymore. I used to like them, but now I feel a bit bored with them.

But the duel was great. There were some points of it, which I didnt like, but the points are just personal preferences and nothing to worry about.
For now, I think, this is your best fic yet. :smilie:

[Silencer]

Hmmm, patrician of darkness. Dark world? Fiends? or the obvious zombies? or just a plain dark deck? That are the only deck themes I can think of. So it'll prob not be my user char

[Inferno_Dragon]

Interesting!!

I know of the Elemental Hero Deck but I never heard of the Gain and Burn Deck, or maybe the name is not familiar but I have seen it done. So maybe I have, and I am just confusing everyone.

Well, it still was a good battle between brother and sister although it is interesting that the title is called Double Coston. I thought it would be called Sibling Rivalry or maybe you are saving that for a later chapter. Or maybe not at all.

Well, I can't wait to see what our villian cooking up for our heroes in the next chapter.

Keep up the good work!!!!!!

[Pokemasterkatie]

I never heard of the Gain and Burn Deck, or maybe the name is not familiar but I have seen it done.
Those who watch the animé have seen it in action: Rebecca Hawkins used this theme for her KC Grand Prix deck. It's also in the Nightmare Troubadour game. The one flaw is that Gravity Bind hinders most of her own monsters...but the game made sure to slip in a Servant of Catabolism to make it even MORE annoying--that monster is a 700 point Direct Attacker(that slips right under the Bind limit)!

[mario72486]

Hey, how's it going?

Finally decided to register here, so I'd be able to put in my two cents on whatever I read. Hope none of you mind. I'll try my best to fit in as best I can.

Sage, I gotta say that Thousand Year Door was one of the best Yu-Gi-Oh fics I've ever read. After finding the rest of the chapters on the site, I chose to read it all in a few sittings. And Dark Messiah is shaping up to be yet another one of your greats. I can hardly wait to see what else you have in store for us.

I know this may be a little late (then again, I just started coming to this forum), but I wasn't sure if you were still looking for characters to appear later on in Messiah. I remember you saying that you were all set for the moment, but if you're in need of someone interesting to use in the future, be sure to drop a line. :biggrin:

Can't wait for the next chapter. Until then, this is mario signing off. :cool2:

[Blademaster]

Hey, a fellow Mario fan! Welcome to the family, bro!

HERE WE GOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

(A/N: Yes, I know I'm weird. Get used to it. :p:lol:)

[mario72486]

Gee, what a way to be welcomed. Thanks for the sound off, Blademaster.

By the way, Sage isn't the only one working on an impressive fiction. It's been a while since I've done any real work on it, but I've got one of my own.

If anyone's interested I'd be more than happy to provide a link. Or even better - post it here. Though I'm not sure it'd fit in a Pokemon-oriented forum...

Until then, this is mario signing off. :cool2:

[The_Missing_Link]

The fanfic forum is open to all kinds of fics - Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, fantasy, romance, etc. Right now, there are probably more Yu-Gi-Oh fics than anything else


Chapter was ok, seen enough of Elemental Heroes though. I'm more interested in seeing where Shadow Realm P.I. goes

[Dark Sage]

Big day...

Not only am I updating "Dark Messiah", but "Shadow Realm P.I." as well!

Anyway, this chapter to follow has the first user character.

So I'd like to thank The Blue Avenger for his unique contribution.

- DS

[I][B]Call me Ansel. Please don’t ask me if I’m a basketball player, because I’ve heard that silly joke a thousand times. I’m just a student, a duelist, and a music-lover. Though it is true that disco died over a century ago, such classics appeal to me.

I didn’t think I’d be dueling tonight. I just wanted to go out and get some fast food. But it seems some creepshow wants a piece of me now…

Well, better men than this weirdo have taken me on. He’s just lit my fire…

…so let’s dance.




[size=3][B]CHAPTER SIX



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LOD-EN058.jpg



Friday, September 10th, 2106, 5:15 PM



Dinner in the Ra dining hall that evening was roast beef and mashed potatoes. Unfortunately, the beef wasn’t the best. Rosa the chef was going to have a word with the Chancellor about the grade of food they had just gotten.

Russell, however, could have eaten anything that was edible. As his two friends sat trying their best to cut the tough meat, he sat going over his cards.

“Eanie, meanie, minie, moe, catch a Monster by the toe…” he muttered. “If he stinks… then let him go…”

He sighed.

“What’s the matter Russ?” asked Jason.

“The big problem when you want to put a new card in your deck is deciding what to take out,” replied Russell. “A deck only has limited room…”

“I hear you…” muttered Trisha, going to her side deck. “For a while I almost considered putting this guy in my deck…”

She showed him a Cyber Commander card.

“What good is that guy?” asked Jason, looking at it. “He’s weak… and he not weak enough to use Machine Duplication.”

“Well, he’s a… good luck card,” answered Trisha. “See, Joey Wheeler’s best friend Tristan Taylor wasn’t any good as a duelist, but this card was his favorite. Something about the image on the card… a tough-as-nails soldier with a diehard attitude…”

She put it back in her side deck.

“But I decided that luck was for guys like the real Joey, and not for me.”

A student wandered in. The three friends took notice. This was the guy who would stand out anywhere.

He was very tall and wiry. He wore shiny white pants, and platform shoes that were about six inches tall, boosting his already considerable height even further. He also wore a long black scarf that hung down his back. His hair was black, and was a good-sized pompadour.

He passed by a student who was coming by with a tray.

“Hey buddy,” chuckled the student, “how’s the weather up there?”

The tall student frowned.

“Drafty…” he growled.

He passed by.

“Uh, Louis,” called over Jason to the student who had made the joke. “Come over here, will you?”

“What’s up?” asked Louis, putting his tray down.

“A word of advice,” warned Jason. “Don’t get on Ansel’s bad side, because he makes a bad enemy…”

Trisha nodded.

“He’s not the most pleasant person,” she said. “He looks down on everyone, both literally and figuratively, but he has a lot of influence. His family, the Spraguses, are incredibly rich, and they’re well known. They just love throwing their money around. They’ve donated to the school on more than a few occasions.”

Jason nodded.

“They pushed Ansel into dueling at an early age, since it’s a profitable and respectable profession. Even before he started coming here, he entered quite a few tournaments… He usually won…”

“Yeah…” interrupted Russell. “But no one is sure whether it’s due entirely to his own skill or due partially to his parents’ influence.”

“Are you folks talking about me?” asked a voice.

They looked up, and saw Ansel looking at them.

“No, Ansel,” protested Russell, “just rearranging my deck…”

Ansel scoffed.

“Well, the food here tonight stinks,” he said, hoisting his knapsack over his shoulder. “I’m going to go eat off-campus…”

He turned to leave.

“Uh, Ansel?” said Jason, getting up. “That may not be a good idea… There are… some weird things happening around here, and…”

“Puh-lease!” answered Ansel. “I can take care of myself!”

The three students watched as he left.

“Maybe we’d better…” said Trisha.

They got up and started to follow him.



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


Fortunado looked out the balcony of his penthouse apartment.

A shadowy figure stood behind him.

“Everything is ready,” said a sinister voice. “The first of your operatives is set to go…”

“You sure this will work?” asked Fortunado. “I was kind of suspicious of this from the start.”

“It worked like a charm,” said the shadowy figure. “And I can assure you, the plan will be a success…”



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


Ansel walked out of a hamburger joint a few miles from campus, sipping the remains of a shake.

“Blech!” he grunted, tossing it away. “I ordered strawberry, not smelly sneaker!”

He had changed out of the yellow blazer – that thing irritated him. His casual clothes were much more to his liking.

His shirt now consisted of a neck v-line cut down to mid-chest, and had a flared bottom and flared sleeves.

Disco may have been dead for a long time, but so was Latin, and that didn’t stop schools from teaching it.

Well, he thought. The night is young… It’s Friday night. Maybe there’s something else for this party animal to do on a night like this…

He looked up at the full moon.

And it is a lovely night…

Then a cloud suddenly blew in, and eclipsed the moon…

Strange… he thought.

He looked around. Odd. Normally, this part of the city was bustling, but it was empty now…

An evil laugh sounded behind him…

“All right, who’s there?” he said, turning around.

He turned face to face to see the person who had snuck up on him… And the man he saw was certainly worthy of notice. He was just as tall as Ansel was, but much broader. He was dressed entirely in black – a black overcoat, trousers, and a strange skullcap. The letters P and K were printed on his coat.

And his eyes… There was something wrong with his eyes…

“Wow,” said Ansel. “And they say my clothes are loud!”

“What have we here?” said the stranger, not noticing the remark. “A young duelist trapped eternally in the 1970’s? Well, I guess you’ll do…”

“I’ll do? Where did you escape from anyway?” asked Ansel.

The stranger chuckled evilly.

“That’s a secret, duelist,” he answered. “But I’m here to duel you. You may have heard of me… I am called Panik…”

“Sorry, never heard of him,” responded Ansel. “And I have better things to do than mix it up with some loony with a bad hairdo. More like a hair-don’t if you ask me…”

He turned to leave…

…only to see the strange figure back in front of him.

“I’m afraid you’ll find getting away from me rather impossible,” chuckled Panik. “I have all night… And I warn you, the deeper the darkness gets, the stronger my skills become…”

This guy is nuts… thought Ansel.

“All right, fine,” he muttered. “If I must resort to a duel to get rid of you, I guess I simply must…”

He took his Disk out of his backpack and slipped it on his arm.

Panik grinned…

His left arm glowed, and the strange Duel Disk that Fang had used appeared on it…



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


At that moment, Jason, Trisha, and Russell saw them.

“Oh no!” gasped Trisha. “He’s about to start a duel… and that guy is using that creepy Disk that you went up against, Russell.”

“We have to put a stop to this…” said Russell, as they started to run up.



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


Unfortunately, Panik saw them.

I thought this might be a problem, he thought. Well, I can keep them from interfering…

He placed a Spell Card in his Disk.

A skull appeared in the air above the three students, a spooky laugh echoed above them, and a cage of dark swords surrounded them!

My Swords of Concealing Light will keep this fool from seeing or hearing them while I defeat him, he chuckled to himself.



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


“What’s going on?” shouted Trisha, pounding on the restraints. “ANSEL!”

“No good,” sighed Jason. “Some sort of spell. We can’t get to him, and he can’t hear us…”

He looked closely at Ansel’s opponent.

“You know, that guy looks familiar…”



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


The Disks activated…



[B](Ansel: 8,000) (Panik: 8,000)


“All right!” shouted Ansel, making his first draw. “Here we go!”

He spun around on one foot, and struck a pose.

“Whoa-oh-oh, I’m on fire!” he sang.

“Uh… well…” muttered Panik. “He’s clearly the most energetic duelist I’ve ever faced…”

Ansel took two cards from his hand.

“Look out!” he exclaimed.

“I place one card facedown on the field…”

He played the card, and a facedown card appeared.

“And next, I’ll summon this gal in Attack Mode… Sonic Maid.”

He placed a card on his Disk, and a beautiful woman in a dress appeared, holding a scythe shaped like a musical note. (1,200/900)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/TP2-012.jpg


“HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!” laughed Panik. “You’re actually playing that?”

“I am…” replied Ansel. “Is that a problem?”

“Please…” laughed Panik. “That Monster is nothing but a fan card… No one actually uses her in a duel!”

Sonic Maid gave him a dirty look.

“Can you make your move so we can get done sometime before Duel Monsters becomes obsolete?” asked Ansel.

“Very well,” chuckled Panik, drawing a card. “I’ll also place a card facedown…”

A facedown card appeared in front of him.

“And now I’ll summon a real Monster… Skull Knight #2!”

A fiendish knight in armor with a bare skull for a face, carrying a scimitar appeared. (1,000/1,000)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LOD-EN006.jpg



“What?” asked Ansel. “That isn’t even as strong as my Monster.”

“He’ll soon be stronger,” chuckled Panik, opening his Field Slot. “I play…”



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


“NO!” screamed Jason. “He’s going to use that horrible Field Card!”

“Ansel…” gasped Trisha.



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


“I play…” exclaimed Panik.

He fit a card into the slot.

“Mystic Plasma Zone!”

An uncanny darkness started to exude from where he was standing, covering the entire field in a dark fog.

Sonic Maid shuddered in fear.

“Calm down…” whispered Ansel.

Panik grinned, and his eyes glowed.

“They say that before the world began, there was only primal darkness,” he said. “Pure, living darkness that ruled before the coming of light. It was darker than the blackest midnight… darker than…”

“Save it!” scoffed Ansel. “You actually think I’m afraid of the dark? I got over that when I was ten.”

“I isn’t the dark you should be afraid of,” laughed Panik. “It’s the things that lurk in it, ready to strike! And in this aura of absolute darkness, all Dark Attribute Monsters gain 500 Attack Points in exchange for 400 Defense Points. Of course, I’m not the kind of guy who defends most of the time!”

Skull Knight #2 changed to (1,500/600)

“Skull Knight, attack his Maid!” shouted Panik.

The Fiend raised his scimitar, and flew forward with an evil grin.

“Hold it right there, Panik!” shouted Ansel. “You walked right into my Trap!”

His facedown card lifted.

“I activate… C-Minor!”

“C-Minor?” said Panik, startled. “What does that do?”

“As the name suggests, it’s a Trap for “minor” Monsters, as in ones with no effects and who are three stars or less,” said Ansel with a grin. “Since Sonic Maid was in Attack Mode, and you declared an attack, her Attack Score is doubled for one round.”

Sonic Maid rose to 2,400 Attack.

“Counter attack!” shouted Ansel. “C-note slash!”

Sonic Maid twirled her scythe, and sliced the Fiend in two!

“Ergh!” shouted Panik.



[B](A: 8,000) (P: 7,100)


“My move now,” said Ansel with a grin, as Sonic Maid returned to her normal Attack Score.

He drew.

Perfect… he thought.

“Time to bring out one of my stars,” he stated. “I’ll change this solo to a duet by summoning another lovely lady… the Beautiful Headhuntress.”

He placed a card down, and a young woman in an exotic hairstyle dressed in a kimono, carrying a large cleaver appeared. (1,600/800)

“And she is beautiful, isn’t she?” he asked.

“But I’m not done. I’m playing Polymerization, to fuse my two ladies together!”

He played the card, and both Warriors swirled into a vortex of light…



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/TP2-012.jpghttp://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LOB-EN059.jpghttp://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/TP2-011.jpg


“Presenting… Warrior of Tradition!”

A new Warrior appeared. She looked like Beautiful Headhuntress, but wore a red kimono, an even more exotic hairstyle, and had a larger cleaver. (1,900/1,700)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/TP2-014.jpg


“If you think Warrior of Tradition looks pretty sharp, that’s because she is!” said Ansel with a grin. “Especially because you have no Monsters to defend you!

“Warrior of Tradition, attack that creepshow directly! Kabuki slash!”

Warrior of Tradition leapt up into the air and brought her weapon down on Panik! He grunted as he staggered back.



[B](A: 8,000) (P: 5,200)


“Humph,” said Ansel. “You still think you can scare me? I’ve had scarier birthday parties!”



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


“And to think we were worried about Ansel!” laughed Russell. “He’s handling this guy like an expert.”

“And you suggested he wouldn’t have won those tournaments without his folks’ influence,” added Jason.

“I was just stating a rumor,” protested Russell.

“Let’s not count our chickens yet guys,” said Trisha. “This weirdo likely has a lot more Monsters than that…”



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


Panik’s eyes glowed with a silvery light.

“Not bad…” he snickered. “But I’ve broken better duelists than you!”

He drew a card.

“I activate my facedown card, Call of the Haunted,” he exclaimed, as his facedown card lifted. “And with only one Monster in my Graveyard, you likely know who’s coming back…”

Skull Knight #2 crawled out of the ground… (1,000/1,000) –> (1,500/600)

“And now…” laughed Panik. “I’ll sacrifice my Skull Knight… to summon one of my favorites…”

Skull Knight vanished.

“I call forth King of Yamimakai!”

A huge, hulking creature appeared. It was blocky and muscular, with huge claws, shark-like teeth, and no eyes. (2,000/1,530) –> (2,500/1,130)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/MRD-EN074.jpg


“Heh, heh…” said Panik with a smirk. “This beast was born of darkness itself, so whatever created it saw no need to give it eyes.”

The Fiend drooled…


Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“Gross…” said Ansel.

“And by the way,” continued Panik, “you should know that when Skull Knight #2 is sacrificed to summon a Fiend-Type Monster, I’m allowed to Special Summon another Skull Knight #2 from my deck!”

Another Skull Knight #2 appeared. (1,000/1,000) –> (1,500/600)

“Not good…” muttered Ansel.

“King of Yamimakai…” ordered Panik.

The Fiend growled…

“…obliterate Warrior of Tradition with electro-shock attack!”

Lightning appeared in the demon’s hands, and it shot forth a barrage of electric bolts! Warrior of Tradition screamed and shattered into pixels.

“Skull Knight, direct attack!” shouted Panik.

Skull Knight flew forward, and slashed at Ansel with his scimitar.

Ansel groaned…



[B](A: 5,900) (P: 5,200)


That really hurt… he muttered. It’s almost as if that was a real sword that hit me…

But that’s impossible…

“All right,” he said, holding his chest. “So maybe you aren’t a total loser…”

He drew a card.

“I’m gonna play my Pot of Greed,” he said, playing the card. “Now I get to draw two cards…”

He drew two.

“And now I’ll play… Re-Fusion,” he continued. “This card lets me revive a Fusion Monster from my Graveyard, so long as I pay 800 Life Points and Equip it with this card.”

He played the card, and Warrior of Tradition reappeared. (1,900/1,700)

“Fool!” shouted Panik. “She’ll just die again!”

“Will she?” asked Ansel. “I’m also Equipping her with Fusion Weapon.”

He played another card.

“This Spell Card can only be Equipped to Fusion Monsters of six stars or less, but it gives them 1,500 Attack and Defense Points, and that’s one groovy boost, if you know what I mean.”

Warrior of Tradition’s cleaver vanished, and a metal, trident-like weapon appeared on her right hand. She looked at it with delight. Her stats changed to (3,400/3,200).

“Well, not so groovy for your King of Yamimakai,” he said. “Warrior of Tradition, take out that big Fiend. Trident blast!”

Warrior of Tradition shot an energy bolt from her weapon, and King of Yamimakai was blasted to pieces!

Panik growled.



[B](A: 5,100) (P: 4,300)


“My draw…” growled Panik.

He drew a card.

“I’ll move Skull Knight #2 to Defense Mode, and place another Monster in Defense Mode…” he said.

Skull Knight knelt and covered himself with his shield, and a facedown Monster appeared.

“And that will end my turn,” he said.

Ansel drew a card.

“I’ll place a Monster in Defense Mode too…” he said.

A facedown Monster appeared next to Warrior of Tradition.

“Warrior, kill the Skull Knight!”

Warrior of Tradition blasted her trident, and the Fiend was vaporized.

“Fine… my Life Points stay the same…” growled Panik.

He drew a card.

This guy is getting on my nerves, he thought. But eventually the true strength of my deck will be unleashed…

He fit a card into a slot and a facedown card appeared.

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

Ansel drew a card.

All right, he thought. With this gal, it’s only a matter of time before another of my stars shows up…

“I’ll set yet another Monster facedown,” he said, setting the card.

A facedown Monster appeared.

“And then I’ll attack yours with Warrior of Tradition!”

Warrior of Tradition fired a blast…

A spooky grim reaper carrying a scythe appeared on the card and was blown away.



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/AST-076.jpg


“Fool!” laughed Panik. “By destroying Emissary of the Afterlife, you’ve activated both my Trap, and its special effect…”

His Trap lifted.

“First, the Trap Option Hunter. Now I gain Life Points equal to that Monster’s original Attack Score, which is 1,600.”



[B](A: 5,100) (P: 6,800)


“Also, when that Monster goes to the Graveyard, both players can pull a Normal Monster of three stars or less from their decks…”

He took a card from his deck.

“And I choose Ancient Brain.”

“Very well…” chuckled Ansel, taking his own deck. “I’ll pick a gal named Lady of Faith.”

“It’s my move now…” said Panik.

He drew a card.

“Heh, heh, heh,” he chuckled.

“I just drew Mystical Space Typhoon,” he laughed, fitting it into a slot. “Now I can destroy one Spell or Trap Card… Like your Re-Fusion!”

The cyclone blew across the field, and Re-Fusion shattered. Warrior of Tradition screamed and fell to her knees before she shattered as well.

“Next, I’ll summon The Gross Ghost of Fled Dreams…” he chuckled. “And it’s certain to give you nightmares!”

He played a card, and a small bed with a sleeper on it appeared…

A hideous ghost with a sword and shield floated out of the bed and howled! (1,300/1,800) –> (1,800/1,200)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LON-EN053.jpg


“Attack the facedown Monster on the left!” shouted Panik. “Nightmare sword!”

The Ghost moaned, and struck the facedown card. A woman who looked similar to Sonic Maid, except dressed in a darker gown, appeared before she was struck down.

“Fine,” muttered Ansel. “You may have destroyed Hibikime, but my deck is loaded with powerful Monsters ready to take you down.”

He drew a card.

“I play the Spell Card… Fusion Sage,” he said, playing the card. “Now I can take one Polymerization card from my deck.”

He got what he wanted from his deck, reshuffled, and then replaced it.

“Next, I flip my facedown Monster into Attack Mode… Witch of the Black Forest.”

A lady with dark hair in a long, black robe appeared. (1,100/1,200)

“And now I’ll play the Polymerization I just got to fuse her with the Monster you so generously let me have… Lady of Faith.”

A woman in holy clothing and a headdress with her hands clasped in prayer appeared next to the Witch… (1,100/800)

They faded into a blur of Light and Darkness…



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/SKE-020.jpghttp://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LOB-EN059.jpghttp://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/MRD-EN119.jpg


“And together they create… Drum roll please…”

A flash of light pierced the darkness.

“The rip-roaring Musician King!”

A tall figure appeared where they had been. He was a guitarist with a wild hairstyle, dressed in slacks and no shirt, holding an electric guitar. (1,750/1,500)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/MRD-EN103.jpg


“That’s weak!” laughed Panik.

“You just worry about the two facedown cards I’m putting down, and then we’ll see who’s weak,” said Ansel, placing two cards into slots.

Two facedown cards appeared.

Panik snickered...

“Do you really think you’ll fool me with the same trick twice?” he asked. “I’m not stupid, Ansel.”

“Maybe not,” answered Ansel, “but being intelligent doesn’t necessarily make you sane, ugly…”

Panik snarled.

“And speaking of ugly, have you looked in a reflective surface lately? I’ll bet when you were born, the doctor slapped your mother!”

Panik was now very angry. He drew a card.

“You’re a gutsy one, Ansel,” he growled. “The only other person who had the gall to insult me was a much better duelist than you…”

He looked at the card.

Eh… he thought. This Monster is powerful, but he likely has a Trap waiting… Then again, there’s nothing that says I have to attack with it…

He switched cards on his Disk.

“I sacrifice my Ghost to summon The Beast of Talwar!” he exclaimed.

The Gross Ghost of Fled Dreams shattered, and an intimidating form appeared. It was a muscular Fiend with green skin and short wings, holding two wicked blades. (2,400/2,150) –> (2,900/1,750)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/PSV-EN103.jpg


“And I think I’ll end my turn there…” he muttered.

“Playing conservatively, eh?” chuckled Ansel, making a draw. “Well, your Fiend is going down…

“I activate my Trap Card, Metalmorph.”

His Trap Card lifted.

“It’s a rare card,” said Ansel, “which ‘morphs’ a Monster with metal. And I’ll Equip it to Musician King.”

Musician King’s skin became metallic and shiny.

“And this lets me sacrifice him to summon an even stronger Spellcaster Monster from my deck…”

Energy surrounded Musician King, and he started to change.

“Meet Heavy Metal King!”

The creature that appeared resembled Musician King in outline, but his costume was much different – consisting of black leather, studded with spikes and chains, with a great deal of black and white face paint on his face. (2,050/1,700)

“HA, HA!” laughed Panik. “He’s not nearly strong enough!”

“Oh?” asked Ansel. “Unlike his lesser counterpart, Heavy Metal King is a Dark Monster, so due to your own Field Card, he gets stronger.”

(2,550/1,300)

“That’s…” started Panik.

“Still not enough?” interrupted Ansel. “Well, I also have this…”

His other facedown lifted.

“Rush Recklessly. This gives him 700 more Attack Points for one turn.”

Heavy Metal King’s Attack rose to 3,250.

“Attack!” shouted Ansel. “Requiem blast!”

Heavy Metal King played a powerful note on his guitar… Beast of Talwar screamed and covered his ears before shattering.



[B](A: 5,100) (P: 6,450)


“Oh, and Heavy Metal King has a special ability,” said Ansel. “When he destroys a Monster, half of that Monster’s base Attack is added to his Attack Score.”

Heavy Metal King’s Attack went down to 2,550, and then went up to 3,750.



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


“That is one powerful Monster…” muttered Russell.

“Well, pay attention,” answered Trisha.

“How come?” asked Russell.

“Don’t forget, our first exam is in a couple of weeks, and for all we know, one of us might be paired against him.”

Jason rubbed his chin.

Heavy Metal King is a strong Monster, yes, he thought. But I know he has a weakness. Let’s just hope that Ansel’s opponent doesn’t know it.



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


“So you’ve managed to summon a powerful Monster,” snarled Panik. “You’ll still lose in the end.”

He drew a card.

“I place one Monster in Defense Mode, and that will end my turn,” he stated.

Ansel drew.

“Heavy Metal King, take out his mystery Monster,” he ordered.

Heavy Metal King blasted his song on his guitar…

A silly-looking Monster appeared on the card before being blasted to pulp.



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/TP4-015.jpg


“Mystic Tomato?” said Ansel, surprised, as Heavy Metal King’s Attack rose to 4,450.

Panik smiled a smile that Ansel didn’t like.

“Tomatoes are strange fruits, Ansel,” he said, removing his deck, “and don’t believe people who tell you they’re vegetables. Everyone loves tomatoes… They’re good for pasta, pizza, sandwiches, salad, and a lot of other things…

“But tomatoes have a darker side… One of the tomato plant’s close relatives is the belladonna plant, which isn’t as good to eat. This plant is so toxic, that it is nicknamed the deadly nightshade…

“And the Monster you just destroyed takes after its sinister relative, allowing me to now summon a Dark Monster from my deck, so long as it has 1,500 Attack Points or less.

“And I choose Tainted Wisdom!”

He placed a card down. A sinister-looking brain appeared in front of him. (1,250/800) –> (1,750/200)

Ansel looked at him.

“Make your move…” he growled.

Panik drew a card.

“Since you’re so fond of Fusion Monsters,” he said, “I’ll play one of my own.”

He played a card, and Polymerization appeared on the field.

“I’ll fuse Tainted Wisdom with the Ancient Brain I got from my Emissary!”

Ancient Brain appeared on the field, and the two Fiends merged…



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/MRD-EN081.jpghttp://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LOB-EN059.jpghttp://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/MRD-EN082.jpg


“If you thought Skull Knight #2 was a handful,” chuckled Panik, “wait until you see the original Skull Knight!”

A hideous form rose up in front of Panik. It was a creature in armor, with a breastplate shaped like a skull, and a horned helmet. He also had a shield shaped like a skull, and a wicked sword. (2,650/2,250) –> (3,150/1,850)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/MRD-EN123.jpg


Skull Knight and Heavy Metal King stared at each other for a minute…

“Skull Knight!” shouted Panik, “silence the Heavy Metal King with skull sword swipe!”

Skull Knight flew forward, and with one slash of his sword, struck down the musician! The Heavy Metal King was blasted into shards.

“I hate heavy metal…” muttered Panik.



[B](A: 4,500) (P: 6,450)



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


“I don’t get it…” muttered Russell. “Ansel’s Monster had over a thousand more Attack Points than that thing…”

“No he didn’t,” answered Jason. “Heavy Metal King has a weakness, and this guy did his homework.

“See, Heavy Metal King may gain Attack Points with each Monster he strikes down, but those bonuses only apply to when he’s actually attacking. Any other time, like when the controller’s opponent attacks, he loses that bonus. When Skull Knight attacked him, his Attack Score was only 2,550.

“And now Ansel is in trouble… That Monster was a NOMI, so he can’t bring it back, and his opponent has something very strong on the field.”



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


“I’m not going to quit, pal!” shouted Ansel. “It’ll be a cold day in Nashville when a Spragus looses to some square!”

He drew, and then placed a card on his Disk.

“Spirit of the Harp in Defense Mode.”

Beautiful music started playing over the field, and a lovely woman in a golden robe appeared, seated at a harp. (800/2,000)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LOB-EN078.jpg


“Heh, heh,” chuckled Panik. “You’re hitting all the wrong notes!”

He drew a card.

“I summon the wicked Witch’s Apprentice in Attack Mode.”

He placed a card down, and a young woman in a witch’s robe and hat, with feathered wings on her back, carrying a broomstick appeared.



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/MRD-EN121.jpg


“Now, in addition to the benefits of Mystic Plasma Zone,” laughed Panik, “this Spellcaster will raise the Attack Score of all Dark Monsters on the field, including her own, by another 500.”

(550/500) –> (1,550/100)

“Skull Knight, destroy his harpist!”

Spirit of the Harp screamed as the Knight made a savage slash, and she was obliterated.



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“Witch’s Apprentice, attack directly! Hexagram curse!”

Witch’s Apprentice started to chant, and strange symbols appeared around her…

A magical circle appeared, and shot forward, striking Ansel!

ARGH! AH! screamed Ansel inside his mind. That really stings!

What kind of demented duel is this?

He caught some deep breaths…



[B](A: 2,950) (P: 6,450)


“Play whatever you like!” mocked Panik. “You’ll never summon anything strong enough to defeat Skull Knight!”

Ansel drew a card.

“Well, I can buy myself some time…” he answered. “Time to shed some light on this darkness…”

He played a card.

“I play… Swords of Revealing Light!”

Panik gasped as the cage of Swords crashed down on him and his two Monsters!

“ARGH!” shouted Panik. “I loathe that card!”

“Tough darts,” chuckled Ansel. “Now I have three turns to find a way out of this, and when they’re done, we’ll see who’s dancing in the dark!

“To complete my turn, I’ll summon a Monster in Defense Mode. I summon… Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands.”

A weird creature appeared on the field. Ten-thousand might have been exaggerating, but he sure had a LOT of hands. (1,400/1,000) –> (1,000/1,000)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/IOC-088.jpg


“And now he’ll lend me a hand,” said Ansel, taking his deck. “Because he lets me search my deck for any Ritual Spell or Monster Card. And I’ve got a good one in mind…”

He got what he wanted and then shuffled his deck.

“And I’ll turn it over to you…”

Panik drew a card.

Blasted Swords, thought Panik, drawing a card. I have to protect myself for now…

“I summon Versago the Destroyer in Defense Mode,” he stated, playing a card.

A ghostly Fiend dressed in green wrappings with large, violet wings appeared. (1,100/900) –> (2,100/500)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/TP5-EN015.jpg


“That all?” chuckled Ansel. “Your Field Card has a weakness – your Monsters now have great Attack, but they have pathetic Defense…”

He drew a card.

Bingo… he thought.

“I play a powerful Spell Card,” he said. “Pot of Avarice.”

A holographic projection of a goofy jar inlaid with jewels an a lolling tongue appeared.

Five cards slipped out of his discard slot.

“Now I can take five Monsters of any kind from my Graveyard, and reshuffle them into my deck…”

He shuffled the five cards into his deck.

“…and then draw two cards…”

He put the deck back, and drew two.

“Now I play… Heavy Storm!” he shouted.

He played the card, and a fierce wind blew through the whole arena! The Swords shattered, and the inky darkness of the Mystic Plasma Zone literally blew away!

All three of Panik’s Monsters lost 500 Attack Points.

“That was the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen!” laughed Panik. “You destroyed my Field Card, but you destroyed the only thing keeping my Monsters at bay.”

“Oh really?” asked Ansel, playing a card. “Well, how about this… I play Snatch Steal.”

He played the card, and two ghostly hands reached out of it and grabbed Skull Knight!

“Eek…” muttered Panik.

“And now I’ll play this Ritual Card,” continued Ansel. “Commencement Dance.”

He played the card, and a lovely dancer with blades on her wrists appeared and started to dance around Skull Knight.

“Now I have to sacrifice at least six stars worth of Monsters, and your Skull Knight is more than enough…”

The Spellcaster vanished, and the dancer started to change…

“Now the curtain will truly rise… Presenting the star of my show, Performance of Sword!”

The dancer transformed into a tall belly-dancer dressed in a bikini top and skirt, holding two long rapiers. (1,950/1,850)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/SRL-EN067.jpg


“Ain’t she a beauty?” asked Ansel. “And I’ll give her even more moves with this… The Equip Card, Ritual Weapon.”

He played a card. Performance of Sword’s rapiers vanished, and were replaced by two much fancier blades.

“This Equip is just like Fusion Weapon, only it works on Ritual Monsters,” he said. “In case you need reminding, it brings her Attack and Defense up by 1,500 apiece.”

Her stats went up to (3,450/3,350).

“I’ll switch Maju into Attack Mode too…” chuckled Ansel.

Panik just stared at him as Manju moved into Attack Mode.

“Performance of Sword, wipe out his Witch’s Apprentice with Dance of Death!”

The Warrior started dancing and capering about… Witch’s Apprentice dropped her broom and covered her head in fear before she was struck and blown into a million pieces.

“Manju, destroy Versago,” shouted Ansel. “Thousand-fist pummel.”

The strange Fairy flew towards Versago the destroyer and punched it with all of its hands, blowing it into shards.

“No Monsters left, pal,” chuckled Ansel. “I’d say you’re in big trouble…”



[B](A: 2,950) (P: 4,050)


Panik smirked.

He drew a card.

“I’m in trouble, Ansel?” he asked. “Actually, I’ve already had a solution to this problem in my hand for quite a while…”

He played a card.

“I play Eternal Rest!”

Performance of Sword gasped!

Ghostly spirits flew from the Spell Card and started to fly around her…

“This Spell Card destroys all Monsters armed with Equip Spells, so all I can say to your dancer is, rest in peace!”

Performance of Sword screamed, and was consumed by the spirits.

“Next I’ll play Revival of the Wicked,” he said, playing a card. “This Equip lets me Special Summon a Fiend-Type Monster of five stars or less from my Graveyard, so I’ll bring back King of Yamimakai.”

King of Yamimakai arose again. (2,000/1,350)

“Destroy his Manju!” ordered Panik.

The demon shot forth his thunderbolts, and Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands was blown away.



[B](A: 2,350) (P: 4,050)



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


“He can revive any Fiend of five stars or less and that’s it?” asked Trisha. “That seems unfair!”

“Well, if memory serves me correctly,” said Jason, “The resurrected Fiend is destroyed if the user does not discard one card during each of his Standby Phases. But he has two cards remaining in his hand, which might give him at least two turns…”



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


“My draw!” shouted Ansel.

He drew and looked at the card.

“One Monster in Defense Mode, and that will be all…” he said.

Panik drew a card. Then he discarded one.

“I summon my third Skull Knight #2,” he said with a laugh.

A third of the lesser Knights appeared. (1,000/1,000)

“King of Yamimakai, attack the facedown Monster.”

The Fiend shot forth its lightning.

Magician of Faith appeared on the card, and was blown away.

“Yoink!” chuckled Ansel. “Now I get to retrieve one Spell Card from my Graveyard.”

A card fell out of his discard slot and he took it.

“Too bad you can’t play it,” laughed Panik. “Skull Knight, attack directly!”

The Fiend flew forward and slashed across Ansel’s chest. He screamed...



[B](A: 1,350) (P: 4,050)


“I end my turn…” said Panik with a smile. “Soon, you’ll be finished…”



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


“These direct attacks seem to be hurting him a lot,” said Russell. “I wonder why?”

“Maybe his Disk is set too high,” suggested Trisha.

“I hope so,” said Jason, “because if it isn’t…”

He paused.

“What?” asked Trisha.

“Well,” said Jason, “they say that when an attack hurts that much, it…”

He paused again.

“…I’ll tell you later.”



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


Ansel looked at his deck, and at the two cards in his hand.

I just need one card, he thought. If I draw the card I need, I might beat this guy…

He drew a card.

“I play the card I got back from Magician of Faith,” he exclaimed. “Polymerization! And this time, I’ll fuse together two more glam girls… First, Hibikime.”

A Warrior in a green dress holding a weapon similar to Sonic Maid’s appeared. (1,450/1,000)

“And joining her in this duet… Queen’s Double.”

A smaller female Warrior in a violet robe with braided hair appeared. (350/300)

The two Monsters merged together in a swirl of light…



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/MRD-EN055.jpghttp://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LOB-EN059.jpghttp://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/MRD-EN051.jpg


“Presenting… Empress Judge!”

A tall, stately woman in a judicial robe, holding a sword in one hand and a set of scales in the other appeared! (2,100/1,700)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/MRD-EN046.jpg


“Empress Judge, attack the Skull Knight!” shouted Ansel. “Sword of judgment!”

Empress Judge rushed towards Skull Knight, and it was cut down!

Panik cringed



[B](A: 1,350) (P: 3,050)


“That’s my turn, spooky,” chuckled Ansel. “Now you can either discard the only card you’ll have to let that thing defend you, or you can choose not to, and leave yourself wide open.”

Panik’s hand shook as he drew a card.

Worthless… he thought.

He discarded it, and then turned the card on his Disk. King of Yamimakai crouched in Defense Mode.

“Thought you might,” chuckled Ansel, drawing a card.

Trap Card, he thought.

“I’ll place a card facedown…” he stated.

A facedown card appeared.

“…and then I’ll attack with Empress Judge!”

Empress Judge slashed with her blade, and King of Yamimakai was vanquished.

“Well, your move, fellah,” he said. “You’d best hope that your next draw is a Monster, or the curtain is going down… for you.”

“I draw one card…” muttered Panik.

He made a slight grin as he looked at it.

I just drew my Night Assailant! he thought. I’ll be able to eradicate his Empress Judge!

“I place a Monster facedown in Defense Mode…” he said, placing it on his Disk.

The facedown Monster appeared.

“Will you now?” chuckled Ansel. “I activate… Shadow of Eyes!”

Panik gasped as the Trap Card lifted. The shadowy assassin was flipped up and into Attack Mode! (200/500)

“A Night Assailant, huh?” asked Ansel. “What Fiend Deck would be complete without one?

“Well, since you have no more cards to play, I’ll take my turn…”

He drew a card.

“And now, the closing number,” he said, playing it. “I play an Equip called… Fulfillment of the Contract.”

The card appeared.

“For a small admission fee of 800 Life Points,” he continued, “this lets me bring one Ritual Monster back from the grave, so Performance of Sword is coming back for an encore.”

The dancer rose again, flashing her blades. (1,950/1,850)

“Performance of Sword, take out that Night Assailant. Dance of Death!”

Performance of Sword danced towards the Fiend and gracefully struck it with her sword, blowing it to atoms.

“All right!” shouted Ansel. “Empress Judge, give this guy a queen-sized crowning! Attack directly!”

Panik screamed as the Warrior charged and struck with her sword. He fell to his knees.



[B](A: 550) (P: 0)


And then the unexpected happened. Shadowy shapes started to rise, and he just vanished.

“Well…” muttered Ansel.

He took a comb from his pocket and started to comb his hair.

The Swords of Concealing Light faded.

“Ansel!” shouted Trisha.

“Well, hi guys,” laughed Ansel. “How long were you watching?”

They were pleased he was in a good mood. It must have been from winning.

“Since the start,” said Jason. “Who was that guy?”

“Some nutjob,” chuckled Ansel. “He said his name was Panik. Totally square, right?”

“Panik?” asked Jason.

He searched his mind.

Then he compared the duelist he had just seen to someone else he had seen… On a DVD…

“Now I remember where I saw that guy before…” he said in a low voice.

“Huh?” asked Russell. “Where?”

Jason didn’t reply for a minute.

“That guy looked pretty good,” he said, “for someone who would have had to be about one-hundred and thirty years old…”



Friday, September 10th, 2106, 8:20 PM




C-MINOR (Trap Card)

Card Specs

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

Image: A musical scale with multicolored notes.

Card Description: You can activate this card when your opponent declares an attack against one of your Attack Position Normal Monsters that has three stars or less. Double the ATK of the Monster being attacked until the end phase of the round.



REVIVAL OF THE WICKED (Spell Card)

Card Specs

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

Image: Dark Ruler Ha Des in a dark cemetery with fiendish spirits flying from the graves.

Card Description: Special Summon one FIEND-Type Monster of five stars or less from your Graveyard in face-up Attack Position and Equip it with this card. If this card is destroyed, remove the Equipped Monster from play. If you do not discard one card during each of your Standby Phases, this card is destroyed.



HEAVY METAL KING (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spellcaster/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 6
ATK: 2,050
DEF: 1,700

Card Description: This sinister creature combines music with black magic to strike down enemies. This Monster cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This Monster can only be Special Summoned from your hand or deck to your side of the field by offering one "Musician King" equipped with "Metalmorph" as a Tribute. When this Monster destroys an opposing Monster as a result of battle and sends it to the Graveyard, increase the ATK of this Monster by half the base ATK of the destroyed Monster. If this Monster is attacked by an opposing Monster, it is not considered to have these bonuses.

Note: “Heavy Metal King” was used by Johnny Stepps in the anime episode “Steppin’ Out”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



Ansel’s Recreation Deck:

[I]Ansel is a big fan of outdated music and dance styles… Some would say dead styles. Of course, a lot of people would say that you can’t be rich without being eccentric. His dueling strategy mirrors his likes – a deck based on music and dancing.

Although Ansel calls it a “Recreation Deck”, it is truly a Fusion and Ritual Deck. He has four major players that are his main offensive force, three of which are Fusions, and one which is a Ritual: Musician King, Empress Judge, Warrior of Tradition, and Performance of Sword. The Monsters in his deck are almost entirely the fusion material Monsters, as well as three Manjus to make the Ritual easier. Heavy Metal King is a fifth player that only shows his face rarely, as he isn’t the easiest Monster to bring out. (And the rare card Metalmorph is a useful Trap to use on any Monster, not just Musician King.)

All four of the major players are six stars or less, so they can all benefit from Fusion Weapon, or in Performance of Sword’s case, Ritual Weapon. In addition, Ansel has two copies each of Re-Fusion and Fulfillment of the Contract, as well as Spell Economics, which lets him use them for free.

Other spaces in his deck are interchangeable with his side deck. Traps such as Shadow of Eyes are used as the mood fits him.

At times when he knows he faces a serious opponent (he was not expecting one in this instance) Ansel has a second deck centered around a much more powerful dancer – Alexis Rhode’s signature Monster, Cyber Blader. This second deck was actually the key to Ansel winning most of his major tournaments, but he doesn’t use it for casual play. The fact is, Ansel has a soft spot for such a magnificent dancer, and whenever she is defeated during a duel, he is depressed for a long time. As a result, the Cyber Girl Deck is reserved for when he knows he needs someone powerful. (Ansel may have arrogance, but he has a lot of respect for his cards.)



[B][I]Well, that was interesting…

Was Panik an imposter? Or was he somehow reborn through the foul magic of the Orichalcos?

The question will go unanswered… For now.

Coming up next…

The weekend is upon the school, and with it comes a new user character, and Russell tries to help a student who may be in over his head. The chapter is called “Big Wave, Small Wave”, and it’s coming up next.

[Blademaster]

...

Whoa...

Panik is back? And NOT as a ghost revived by Anastasia Pegasus' evil magic? Hmmmmmmm...

Not a bad duel - Johnny Stepps vs. Panik. Interesting concept, but there aren't really enough musical cards to keep Ansel's deck theme fresh...

Anyway, it was a fun chapter; keep writing, and I'll keep reading.

Peace out!

-Blade

[starjake]

I have to admit that this Duel highly pleased me, but that might be because I'm a Music Major. No bias at all...

Even from a non-interest standpoint, it was fun to see someone take Johnny Step's deck from WAAAAAY back when and make it into something that actually works.

One thing: I think you may have interchanged King of Yamimakai's name for Skull Knight's near the end. You might want to go back over that part; I was confused as to what monster was on the field.

Other than that nitpick, this was a pretty decent chapter. The next sounds like a Water duel; while I can't say that thrills me to pieces, I'll still be here to read it. Until then, this is StarJake, signing off.

[Shuppet Master]

I didn't notice this update because my Hotmail server didn't alert me. Weird...

Anyways, this was a great duel. Liked seeing Panik being used in a better way than you used him in "Legacy of the Duelist." Ansel's deck was really neat too. So he used Alexis' monsters in a second deck, huh? That's really cool. I'd love to see that in action. ;)

And what do you mean this is the FIRST User Character? Have you forgotten about my contribution, hmmm? :(

Keep it up.

[Perfect Chaos]

It was nice to see a Johnny Steps vs. Panik type of duel.

Blue Avenger's character certainly seems VERY interesting. Kudos to him for the creativity and to you for making his character work real well in this chapter.

Don't have much else to say, hope to see the next chapter REALLY REALLY soon.

-Sean

[Dark Sage]

Starjake -

While the title of the next chapter is a card used in Water Decks, the chapter itself has nothing to do with Water Monsters.


Chris -

Sorry, my mistake. Your UC was first.

[The Blue Avenger]

Dude. Awesome. ^_^

Aside from my rather obvious bias concerning this chapter, I'm pleased with the way it turned out. I wasn't expecting a Panik reappearance, and the duel was close until the very end (another plus). I'm very curious to see where this plot is going exactly, because right now I'm kinda in the dark.

Eagerly awaiting the next chapter.

[Silencer]

Hmmm, I see a Panik mistake. Not character wise but duel wise. If he would have used tainted wisdoms effect(change it to def position and destroy heavy metal king) and then fuse it he would have a clean shot with Skull Knight. Other than that a few spelling mistakes here and there. I just read your Shadow Realm fic and I also noticed alot of spelling mistakes there.

[Dark Sage]

Uh, Silencer, Tained Wisdom does NOT have the power to destroy Monsters.

When you shift it to Defense Position, you shuffle your deck. That's all. Where'd you get the idea that it could destroy a Monster?

So neither I nor Panik made a mistake.

[Silencer]

aaagh, I read when this card is changed from attack position, I immediatly thought of the clown effects. My brain auto filled it in so that's where I went wrong.

[starjake]

Silencer, I believe you're thinking of Dream Clown and/or Blade Rabbit. Those are the two cards with those effects.

Not a Water chapter? We'll have to see how it turns out then; I'd much rather have something less obvious, as long as it still makes sense. Hopefully, this chapter will make quite a splash.

[mario72486]

The Johnny Steps-type character was interesting to see, as were the 'recreational' monsters he used. And Panik making an appearance didn't exactly surprise me, with all of the weird character-types and themes recurring. Then again, that's what makes this kind of fic great - bringing back old favorites and breathing new life into them. All in all, another great chapter, as usual.

Hey Sage, you never did reply to my earlier message.

- (Repeating in head: I will not be a nag, I will not be a nag... )

[Mystic_clown]

So Panik's back huh? You know, he was always my favourite of Pegesus' henchman, but how's he back I wonder?

Why do I get the feeling Ansel is related to Johnny Steps somehow? Anyway, nice duel.

[Dark Sage]

It's time for a new chapter!

I'd like to thank Goldenzigzagoon for the contribution of this great user character. We might be seeing more of this guy (and likely Ansel too, I forgot to add).

[B][I]My name is James. All the good names were taken.

My folks claim I could talk when I was eight months old. I could read at first grade level when I was two. I could read Milton when I was five.

I’ve always been a bit on the brainy side, but unfortunately, I never had a body as strong as my mind. I’ve been called so many names in my life – geek, nerd, shrimp…

I’ve always felt I had a lot to prove, and that’s why I’m here…

And that’s why I designed my dueling strategy the way I did.




[size=3][B]CHAPTER SEVEN



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/SOD-EN046.jpg



Saturday, September 11th, 2106, 10:15 AM



Classes weren’t held on Saturdays, other than a few voluntary electives (those who believed in Exodia Gold said that they met on Saturdays in a secret location), and that gave the three teens time to research the strange duel they had witnessed.

They were in the library, surrounded by books and papers.

“It was so strange,” muttered Trisha. “Who was that guy?”

“I’ll tell you who he was…” said Jason, bringing a book to the table.

He started to skim through it.

“In Maximillion Pegasus’s original Duelist Kingdom tournament, forty contestants were invited, which meant eighty star chips were given out total at the start… but there could only be four finalists, meaning that they’d have forty chips between them when the finals started.

“So he needed a way to collect the other forty and weed out a few contestants…

“Pegasus hired a bunch of dueling mercenaries… Eliminators, he called them. These duelists used dirty tricks to defeat the duelists and disqualify them. They were more or less dueling assassins.

“Panik was the worst of the lot… He was sadistic and cruel. See, these guys knew secrets about the dueling arenas that most people didn’t… Like built-in manacles and flamethrowers that he used to scare and intimidate victims.”

He opened the book.

“And Panik used a nearly unbeatable strategy. His deck had three copies of this thing…”

A picture of Castle of Dark Illusions was on the page.

“This Monster’s effect has been changed since it was first designed. Back then, it had a different effect than the Zombie-boosting ability it has now. It originally cast a shroud of inky darkness that hid all of his Monsters from view, protecting them from any possible attack.

“Even worse, Panik only ‘hunted’ at night, and due to the environmental effects of the dueling stations on Duelist Kingdom, playing at night gave an arena a permanent and indestructible Yami field.”

“And his Monsters were all Fiends…” muttered Trisha. “Fiends gain power in the Yami field.”

“Giving Castle of Dark Illusions an almost unbeatable Defense, and his Monsters a very powerful offense,” agreed Jason. “Even worse, the Castle prevented the arenas’ usual field effects from working, so unless his opponent used Fiends or Spellcasters, he was at a disadvantage.”

“But how could he be back?” asked Russell. “Duelist Kingdom was over a hundred years ago.”

“Even stranger,” sighed Jason, “his duel with Yugi would have been his last, apparently. Yugi vaporized him… A Millennium Item-style death sentence for his cruelty.”

“Maybe the guy we saw was an imposter,” suggested Russell.

“I don’t know,” replied Jason. “Remember the guy saying he ‘loathed’ the Swords of Revealing Light? Well, that’s the exact card Yugi used to defeat him. It’s too much of a coincidence…”

“Are you suggesting he was a ghost?” asked Trisha.

Jason paused.

“Panik was an evil man, and a sadist, but he was no magician,” answered Jason. “So who else but a ghost would be able to create a Shadow Game?”

“Shadow Game?” exclaimed Trisha and Russell at once.

“Ansel was really hurting when those direct attacks hit him,” muttered Jason. “It leads me to believe that those images weren’t the result of any Disk-created hologram…

“They were real…”

“Lovely,” muttered Trisha. “First weirdoes with crazy cards, then duelists who might be ghosts. What next?”

“HEY! Give those back!” shouted a voice. “Those aren’t mine!”

The three teens turned around.

A bulky student wearing an Obelisk blazer was holding two books out of reach of a Slifer who was incredibly short.

“You want these so bad?” laughed the Obelisk. “You can have them if you can reach them!”

The poor Slifer tried to reach for them, but he was way too short. Two other Obelisks nearby snickered.

The Slifer was a geeky kid, skinny with glasses and black hair. He wore battered sneakers and jeans and a white t-shirt under his blazer.

Russell sighed.

He walked up to the confrontation.

“Reginald!” he shouted. “Leave the poor kid alone!”

The Obelisk looked at him with a sneer.

“It’s Reggie, Russell!” growled the Obelisk. “And this is none of your business!”

“You haven’t changed, Reginald,” chuckled Russell. “Still picking those who are weaker than you… I thought you had learned your lesson.”

Reggie dropped the books.

Russell turned to the Slifer.

“Don’t mind Reginald,” chuckled Russell. “He’s still mad because I humiliated him in a duel last year.”

“That was because of a lucky draw on your part, Russell,” sneered Reggie. “And let him fight his own battles.”

“Sure!” laughed Russell. “You’re only twice his size, twice his weight, and three years ahead of him!”

“Wait…” said the Slifer.

He paused.

“I’m not a coward, pal,” said the Slifer. “If you think I’m easy pickings, why don’t you prove it…”

Reggie chuckled.

“You want to duel?” he asked. “Why not? I’ll meet you after lunch at The Fountain. And my titans will squash you flat.”

He started to turn to leave…

But then he turned around.

“Russell!” he snapped. “Don’t you dare tell him anything about how my deck works!”

He and his friends were gone in the next minute.

“Thanks,” said the kid, picking up his books. “My name’s James, by the way…”

“Aren’t you a little young to be here?” asked Trisha.

“Well, before coming here, I skipped a lot of grades,” answered James.

He sat at the table.

“My parents always expected a lot out of me, so they sent me to a lot of strict schools,” he explained. “I’ve studied mythology, art, math, social studies, literature and science… Duel Monsters seemed the most logical next step.”

“Look James,” said Russell, “Reginald plays rough. You should know…”

“Stop that thought!” interrupted James.

He sighed.

“If I’m ever going to master dueling, I have to win on my own,” he said. “So I really have no right to know his strategy. So please don’t tell me.”

Russell looked at him. He truly had the heart of a duelist.

And as much as he hated it, there was truth in that – telling him how Reggie’s deck worked would give James an unfair advantage. It would be almost cheating.

“Okay James,” sighed Russell, “but why don’t we treat you to lunch in the Ra dining hall, and we’ll support you for this.”

“Thanks!” he exclaimed. “I just need to go find another book…”

As James went to the card catalogue, Jason spoke up.

“Just out of curiosity,” asked Jason. “What IS Reggie’s strategy?”

Russell paused.

“Goblins…” he answered.

“Goblins?” asked Trisha, surprised.



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


Lunch was better than last night’s dinner. It wasn’t every day that one of the cafeterias served chili cheeseburgers.

James was going over his deck.

“I’m sorry,” he muttered, looking at a card, “but I really can’t use you in my deck anymore… I need to make room for another Kozaky…”

“Kozaky?” asked Trisha. “Who’s that?”

James grinned.

“You’ll see…” he said.



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


The Fountain, as it was called, was an elaborate work of art situated at the center of campus.

The statue in the center of the large basin was dominated by a large image of The Legendary Fisherman. Two Mermaid Knights were below him, and the base was supported by four statues of Water Omotics, spilling water from their jars.

Reggie was waiting by The Fountain with his two friends behind him as James walked up with Russell behind him, and Jason and Trisha behind him.

“Well, their names might be James and Reginald,” said Russell, looking at Reggie, “but they might as well be David and Goliath.”

“Glad you could make it, short stuff,” chuckled Reggie. “Thought for a minute you’d chicken out. How about we make this interesting… Loser has to folk over his rarest card, ala Battle City!”

“Reggie!” said one of his friends, pulling him aside.

“That’s not a good idea…” he whispered. “You know playing with antes is against the rules… You could get detention…”

“You let me worry about that, Will!” snapped Reggie.

“You’re on!” answered James.

“Okay James,” cautioned Russell. “Don’t let him or his scary Monsters intimidate you. Just trust yourself, and tell yourself you can win…”

“All right!” laughed Reggie. “Let’s do this…”

The Disks activated.

They both drew their first hands.



[B](James: 8,000) (Reggie: 8,000)


“My creatures will crush you…” laughed Reginald. “But anyway, I’ll let you go first…”

“Well thanks…” said James, drawing a card.

“Be careful James!” cautioned Russell. “Going first isn’t always a good thing. He’ll be able to see part of your strategy…”

James nervously looked over his cards.

“Okay…” muttered James. “Let’s see here…”

He nervously looked over the cards.

“I play a Spell Card,” he said. “A Continuous one called Heart of the Underdog…”

He played the card, and a card bearing the image of a young man in rugged clothing appeared.

“What does that do?” asked Reggie.

“You’ll see when I start my next turn,” replied James. “Now I’m going to summon a Monster in Attack Mode. A little guy called Skull Servant…”

He placed a card down, and a small skeleton clad in a ragged, purple robe appeared. (300/200)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LOB-EN004.jpg


“And that will be my turn…” he said, nervously.

“What is he doing?” asked Trisha, startled. “Playing that really weak Monster in Attack Mode with nothing to protect it…”

“You call that a Monster?” laughed Reggie, drawing. “I’ll show you a Monster… I summon Giant Orc in Attack Mode.”

He played the card, and a huge, ugly ogre with a bald head, fangs, and carrying a huge femur as a club appeared. (2,200/0)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/MFC-012.jpg


“You think that scares me?” said James with a smirk. “That guy may be strong, but I happen to know that when he attacks, he has to shift into Defense Mode, and his Defense Score is a big, fat zero.”

“Look who knows so much,” said Reggie, sarcastically. “True, you’d destroy him easily if he attacked. But then, there’s no rule that says I have to attack now, so I’ll just end my turn.”

“Now what’s he up to?” asked Jason.

“Reginald used this strategy on me too…” muttered Russell, getting worried. “I know exactly what he’s up to…”

And he was really was really worried. A blow from that thing could knock James out cold…

“Well,” said James. “Now I’ll show you what Heart of the Underdog can do. See, during my Draw Phase, if I draw a Normal Monster, I can draw again if I show the card to you, and then again, and again, so long as I keep drawing Normal Monsters…”

He drew a card.

“I drew… Kozaky!” he exclaimed.

He drew again.

“Now I drew… Dancing Elf.”

He drew again.

“I drew… Mokey Mokey.”

He drew a fourth time.

He looked at the Trap Card.

“Well, it seems I can’t draw again…” he said with a shrug.

“I’ll place two cards facedown, and end my turn,” he said.

Two facedown cards appeared.

“Fine,” said Reggie, “first I draw…”

He drew a card. He gave it a look.

“…then I attack! Giant Orc, bone basher!”

Giant Orc lunged forward and smashed the Skull Servant to smithereens! James shielded himself.



[B](J: 6,100) (R: 8,000)


Giant Orc stumbled backward, dropping his club and landing on his behind in a daze.

“Well now he has to move into Defense,” chuckled James. “Not that he has any. And I summon Ruklamba the Spirit King!”

He placed a card on his Disk, and a strange Fiend appeared. It looked like a humanoid crocodile with beady eyes and long, wet, black hair. (1,000/2,000)

“It’s still my turn…” started Reggie.

“True, but due to Ruklamba’s effect,” explained James, “I can Special Summon it immediately if I lose 1,000 or more Life Points from a single attack.

“By the way, this guy is my rarest card, in case you still want to play with that ante…”

“Clever,” chuckled Reggie. “You wanted me to destroy that Skull Servant, didn’t you? Well I can be clever too…”

He fit a card into a slot.

“Say hello to my little friend,” he said, in a bad impression of Al Pachino, “or rather Giant Orc’s little friend, Second Goblin.”

A tiny Fiend with a bald head and an eyepatch carrying a towel appeared. (100/100)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/MFC-013.jpg


It hopped on Giant Orc’s shoulders and mopped the ogre’s brow with the towel…

“What’s going on?” asked James.

“Second Goblin is a Union Monster,” replied Reggie. “It’s a Monster that you use like an Equip Spell Card. And it works great with Giant Orc, because once per round, it can return my Orc from the defensive to the offensive.”

Giant Orc grabbed his club, and stood up again.

“The only offensive thing is his body odor…” muttered James.

“My draw,” he said, drawing. “And Heart of the Underdog works again, because I drew Goblin Calligrapher, letting me draw again.”

He drew.

“Mmm, not the right card,” he said. “And since Heart of the Underdog has served its purpose, I’ll play Emergency Provisions to get rid of it… And gain 1,000 Life Points.”

He played a card, and a huge mouth appeared, swallowing the Spell Card.

“Next I’ll activate Ruklamba’s other special ability,” he continued. “By sacrificing it, I get to summon as many Monsters as I want, so long as the sum of their Attack Scores doesn’t exceed 2,000.”

Ruklamba vanished.

“So first, I’ll summon Mokey Mokey.”

A little, square Fairy with stubby arms, tiny wings, and a question mark on its head appeared. (300/100)

“Then, Dancing Elf.”

A small, female pixie with dragonfly wings appeared. (300/200)

“Goblin Calligrapher.”

A little Fiend with purple skin, a horn on his forehead, and a pen behind his ear appeared. (400/400)

“Kozaky.”

A creepy mad scientist in a lab coat with reflective glasses appeared. (400/400)

“And finally… Gigobyte.”

A cute-looking little lizard man appeared, with tiny claws and teeth. (350/200)

“That will be all for now…” he said.



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/AST-057.jpghttp://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/TP2-016.jpg
http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/SOD-EN004.jpghttp://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/AST-058.jpghttp://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/AST-056.jpg


[B](J: 7,100) (R: 8,000)


“Oh, I get it…” muttered Jason.

“What?” asked Trisha.

“James’s strategy,” he replied. “Professionals call it ‘Human Wave’… Those with less respect for it call it ‘Weenie Rush’. He’s using very weak Monsters with no effects and likely has a lot of cards to take advantage of them.”

“How cute,” mocked Reggie, drawing. “I’ll take down all your minor-league Monsters one at a time! I summon Goblin Elite Attack Force!”

A squad of four goblins wearing armor and holding spears appeared. (2,200/1,500)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/crv_en020.jpg


“These guys have the same weakness as Giant Orc,” he said, “but unlike him, they have a respectable Defense Score.”

“Giant Orc, attack his… what did he call it? Oh right, Mokey Mokey!”

Giant Orc lunged forward and smashed Mokey Mokey to bits.

“Nice try,” said James, “but you activated both of my Traps…”

His two facedown cards lifted.

“The first is Spirit Barrier. This prevents me from losing Life Points as long as I have at least one Monster on the field, and as you can see, I have four more.”

Thunder started to roll…

“Next, Human-Wave Tactics. So long as this card is active, whenever a one-star or two-star Normal Monster is destroyed, I can summon a new one from my deck at the end of the round.”

Giant Orc toppled over into Defense Mode again.

Reggie glared at him.

“Goblin Elite Attack Force, attack Dancing Elf!”

The four goblins rushed Dancing Elf, and she was blown away.

The goblins started panting in exhaustion, and knelt in Defense Mode.

“And now Second Goblin moves Giant Orc back into Attack Mode…” he continued.

The little Fiend rubbed its host’s forehead with the towel, and Giant Orc arose again.

“Great,” said James. “And thanks to Human-Wave Tactics, I can now summon a second Mokey Mokey and a second Dancing Elf from my deck.”

Two more Monsters appeared to replace the destroyed ones.

“Fine,” muttered Reggie. “I’ll just start over again.”

“Now I’ll reshuffle,” said James, reshuffling. “Then I’ll draw…”

He looked at the card.

“And I just drew my favorite Spell Card!” he laughed. “The Law of the Normal!”

Thunder rolled again…

“What does that do?” asked Reggie.

“This Spell Card can only be played when I have five one-star or two-star Normal Monsters on my side of the field,” replied James, playing it.

His Monsters started to glow with intense light.

“And first, all cards on the field except Monsters that fit that category are destroyed.”

A great wave of orange energy blasted forth! All of Reggie’s Monsters shattered to bits, as did James’s two Trap Cards.

James smirked.

“And we also both have to discard all the cards in our hands…” he continued.

Reggie gulped.

They discarded their hands.

“Talk about a powerful card…” muttered Trisha.

“And since you’re defenseless…” chuckled James. “Kozaky, Goblin Calligrapher, Dancing Elf, Skull Servant, Mokey Mokey, ATTACK!”

The next few seconds were chaos! Kozaky and Gigobyte raked at Reggie with their claws, Dancing Elf landed a flying kick, Mokey Mokey fired a beam of light from his eyes, and Goblin Calligrapher’s pen grew to the size of a sword, and he slashed with it!



[B](J: 7,100) (R: 6,250)


“Hey, there’s a duel going on!” shouted someone.

Two Ras ran up to see what was happening as Reggie caught his breath.

“My draw…” he muttered.

He drew a card.

“Hey, not bad…” he chuckled. “I hope you like candy…”

“Candy?” asked James.

Reggie played a Spell Card.

“As in bars! I play Nightmare’s Steelcage!”

The ground around James and his Monsters erupted in fire, and a dome-shaped metal cage studded with spikes surrounded them!

“Now you can’t attack me until two of your turns are over!” laughed Reggie.

“By the same token, you can’t attack me,” replied James.

“Well, since I have nothing to attack you with, I see no problem,” answered Reggie with a shrug.

“Well in that case, I’ll move now…” said James.

He drew one card.

I’ll save this, he thought.

“I’ll pass for this turn,” he said.

Reggie drew a card.

“I play Pot of Greed…” he stated.

He played the card.

“And I’m sure I don’t need to tell you what that does…” he added, as he drew two cards.

All right! he thought, looking at them.

“I first place a card facedown,” he said, playing a card.

A facedown card appeared.

“And then I activate Mirage of Nightmare.”

He played the card, and it appeared.

“Clever…” sighed Jason. “Ten bucks says that the facedown card is Emergency Provisions.”

“No it isn’t,” answered Russell, shaking his head. “Reginald has another way to get rid of Mirage…”



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“My turn now…” said James.

He drew a card.

“And Mirage of Nightmare activates!” laughed Reggie. “Now I can draw until I have four cards!”

He drew four.

“And next I’ll activate my facedown card… It’s a Quickplay called Goblin Trader.”

“Huh?” asked James. “What the…”

The card lifted, revealing a picture of Goblin of Greed selling Pots of Greed at a merchant’s stand.

“To play this card, I have to pay 1,000 Life Points,” explained Reggie, “then you gain 1,000 Life Points…”

The scores adjusted.

“And in return, I can send any number of cards I have on the field to the Graveyard, and then draw two cards for each. So I’ll send Mirage of Nightmare to the grave…”

The card vanished.

“And draw two cards,” he said, drawing. “I may have given you a lead, but now I have a full hand, while you only have two cards.”



[B](J: 8,100) (R: 5,250)


And with the cards I have, another strategy is forming… he thought.

James looked at the card he had drawn.

“I’ll place a card facedown, and end my turn,” he said.

The facedown card appeared, and the Nightmare’s Steelcage dissolved, fading like sugar in the rain.

“Then I’ll move,” laughed Reggie, drawing a seventh card. “First I’m going to summon two special Monsters called Half Goblins…”

“You can’t summon two Monsters at once!” protested James.

“Yes I can,” answered Reggie. “If I discard a Warrior-Type Monster, I can summon a Half Goblin as a Special Summon. So I’ll discard Blindly Loyal Goblin and Goblin Attack Force, and summon both of these guys, in Defense Mode.”

He discarded the two cards, and two short goblins in leather armor with helmets appeared, kneeling in Defense. (500/500)

“And now I’ll summon… Goblin King!”

He played the card, and a small imp with green skin in a royal robe and a small crown appeared. (0/0)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/AST-031.jpg


“Huh?” asked James.

“Goblin King gains 1,000 Attack and Defense Points for every Fiend on the field aside from itself,” explained Reggie. “Oh, and by the way, that includes your Kozaky and Goblin Calligrapher, so thanks so much, you fool!”

Goblin King grew to giant size, and roared! (4,000/4,000)

“I activate Gravity Bind!” shouted James, as his Trap Card lifted.

A wave of energy covered the field.

“Now, all Monsters of four stars or higher can’t attack!”

Reggie laughed out loud.

“Izzat so?” he snickered. “I’ve got news for you… Goblin King is a one-star Monster!”

“Eek…” gasped James.

“Goblin King, attack his Mokey Mokey!” shouted Reggie.

Goblin King leapt up, and flattened the small Fairy with a mighty fist!



[B](J: 4,400) (R: 5,250)


“Just so you don’t get any ideas,” continued Reggie, fitting his last two cards into slots, “I’m Equipping both my Half Goblins with Heart of Clear Water.”

Two crystal amulets appeared around the Half Goblins’ necks.

“This Equip can only be Equipped to Monsters with less than 1,300 Attack Points, but it makes them almost indestructible.”

“We’ll see about that…” said James.

He drew a card.

“And by the way James,” chuckled Reggie, “Goblin King has another ability… You can’t attack him so long as I have at least one other Fiend on my side of the field, which means that even if you found a way to make your weaklings strong enough, he’s just as untouchable as my Half Goblins.”

“That’s some powerful strategy…” muttered Trisha. “It’s like a lock!”

“Well, give Reggie some credit,” answered Jason. “He does have a big head, but he made it to Obelisk, after all.”

James looked at his card.

“I play the Spell Card, Pot of Charity,” he exclaimed.

He played the card, and the golden version of the more familiar Pot of Greed appeared.

“Now I can make three draws, so long as I first remove a Light Attribute Monster in my Graveyard from play…”

One of his Mokey Mokeys slid out of his discard slot. He made three draws.

Yes! he thought. Now I can pull off one of my favorite combos.

“I Equip Goblin Calligrapher with Opti-Camouflage Armor,” he said, playing the card.

A shimmering light surrounded the Calligrapher.

“This Equip can only be Equipped on a one-star Monster, and it lets such a Monster attack directly.

“Goblin Calligrapher… attack.”

Goblin Calligrapher flew over Reggie’s goblins and stabbed him with his pen. Reggie didn’t seem to care.



[B](J: 4,400) (R: 4,850)


“What on earth are you up to?” asked Reggie.

“You’ll see,” chuckled James. “I’ll place two cards facedown, and end my turn…”

Two facedown cards appeared.

By now, quite a crowd had formed, and Reggie was getting nervous.

I didn’t expect this duel to draw so much attention… he thought. And if someone turns me in…

“Uh, James…” he said softly. “You know, that Ruklamba isn’t really a card I could ever use, so uh… I’m willing to call off that deal…”

“Fine with me,” said James, laughing softly. “So just move…”

“I draw one card…” said Reggie.

He made a draw.

“I activate my facedown card!” shouted James. “The Trap Card… Collected Power!”

The Trap lifted.

“Collected Power?” asked James. “What does that do?”

“Don’t you even pay attention in class?” asked Russell. “Yugi himself used this Trap.”

Although he thought, I don’t know why James is using it.

“Here’s how it works,” said James. “When Collected Power is triggered, all Equip Cards on the field are Equipped to one Monster of my choice. And I chose Goblin King.”

The two amulets on the Half Goblins floated off and alighted around the puzzled Goblin King’s neck. Then the shimmering light floated off of Goblin Calligrapher and surrounded Goblin King instead.

“Of course, since Goblin King is far stronger than 1,300 Attack-wise, that means those two Heart of Clear Water cards are destroyed,” said James.

The amulets and the cards shattered.

“However,” he continued, “the Opti-Camouflage Armor is a perfect fit.”

“What are you up to?” asked Reggie, surprised. “Now my King can attack you directly! And he has 4,000 Attack Points!”

“Would you like to know what my other Trap is?” chuckled James.

His other facedown card lifted.

“Really Eternal Rest. Now, all Monsters on the field Equipped with Equip Spell Cards die.”

A swarm of ghostly spirits flew out of the card! Goblin King screamed as they pounced on it, and it shattered!

Trisha laughed.

“James!” she shouted. “When you take Dueling Strategy, submit that as your combo project!”

“I’m glad he didn’t decide to duel me…” chuckled Russell.

“Oh, you’re a clever one…” growled Reggie, angrily.

He looked at the card he had drawn.

He fit it into a slot.

“I’ll get rid of your annoying Trap with Mystical Space Typhoon!” he shouted.

A whirlwind shot from the Spell Card, and Gravity Bind shattered.

“Next I’ll switch both my Half Goblins to Attack Mode,” he stated, turning his cards.

The two small Fiends got up and drew daggers.

“And now I’ll have them attack your Kozaky and Goblin Calligrapher.”

The two Half Goblins charged, and stabbed the two opposing Fiends. Kozaky and Goblin Calligrapher shattered.



[B](J: 4,200) (R: 4,850)


“My turn is over…” he said.

James drew.

He smiled as he looked at the card.

“As a wise man once said,” he chuckled, “master your anger, or anger will be your master. You should have kept those guys in Defense Mode…”

He played a Spell Card.

“I play Brain Control!”

His Life Points fell by 800. The hideous brain appeared, and its two ghostly arms reached out and grabbed one of the Half Goblins, pulling it over to James’s side.

“And now I’ll use it to attack the other Half Goblin,” he exclaimed.

The two Half Goblins ran towards each other with daggers held high…

They burst in an explosion!

“And now, I’ll attack with Gigobyte and Dancing Elf,” he laughed.

The two little Monsters charged.

“Ow, ow, DAMN!” shouted Reggie, as he was kicked and clawed.

“And that will do it for now…” said James.



[B](J: 3,400) (R: 4,250)


“Who’d have thought a duel between an Obelisk and a first-year Slifer would be this close?” asked Trisha.

“Stranger things have happened,” answered Jason. “After all, when Yugi dueled Kaiba for the first time, almost everyone thought that the odds against Kaiba losing even one Life Point were about five hundred to one.

“And, I might add, when Yugi assembled Exodia to win, it was the first time anyone had ever done so. Pegasus had meant for Exodia to be a sort of experiment, like the ultimate ‘Easter Egg’ of Duel Monsters… Likely, he never believed anyone would truly manage to summon him... Any duelist who was lucky enough to find one of the pieces other than the head, which was the rarest piece, might have heard rumors of an automatic win strategy, but the four limbs were simply odd-looking one-star Normal Monsters with enigmatic flavor text. Only those who found a head realized what Exodia was about until Yugi actually did it.”

“My move!” shouted Reggie.

He drew.

He smirked as he looked at the card.

“Heh, heh…” he chuckled.

He closed his eyes.

“HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!”

“I… think he got a good card…” muttered Trisha.

“You met my Goblin King,” laughed Reggie, evilly, “now prepare yourself for the dreaded Goblin Queen! To summon the creature I’m holding, I’ll remove my two Half Goblins and my Second Goblin from play…”

Three cards slipped out of his discard slot…

“What is he doing?” gasped Trisha.

“Wait…” muttered Jason. “There’s only one Monster that can be summoned like this… A rare Fiend of incredible evil power…”

A black flame appeared in front of Reggie…

“Behold… Dark Necrofear!” he cackled.

A sinister form appeared. It was a female figure with a bald head and pointed ears, dressed in a metal brazier and knee-high boots. It clutched a demonic infant in her arms…

It opened its eyes, and they stared at James with evil light!

(2,200/2,800)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LON-EN065.jpg


“What on earth?” shouted Russell. “That wasn’t in your deck when you dueled me, Reginald!”

“Yes it was,” corrected Reggie, “but you were lucky… It had hit the bottom of my deck…

“I remember the duel where you humiliated me, Russell, I remember the last round. I had 2,400 Life Points, you had 2,000.

“I had my Giant Orc Equipped with Second Goblin, Goblin Elite Attack Force, one Half Goblin, and Goblin King… my side was stacked…

“But you had the most frustrating opposition! Two Marauding Captains and an Axe Raider! I was helpless to touch you!

“And then you made the luckiest draw ever… Gilford the Lightning! By sacrificing your three Monsters to summon him, you vaporized all my Monsters and went in for the kill…

“But think now, Russell… If I had been luckier and had managed to draw this Monster before you had drawn Gilford, wouldn’t that duel have ended very differently?

“Well, if wishes were fishes, they say… Dark Necrofear, wipe out his Dancing Elf with doom gaze!”

Dark Necrofear’s deadly eyes opened wide, and it blasted a ray of blackness at Dancing Elf, eradicating her in a great explosion!



[B](J: 1,500) (R: 4,250)


“Your move…” chuckled Reggie.

James started to sweat as he drew.

“I’ll move Gigobyte… to Defense Mode…” he stated.

Gigobyte shielded himself.

“That’s all I can do,” he said.

Reggie drew a card.

Dust Tornado… Might come in handy…

“I’ll place one card facedown,” he stated.

A facedown card appeared.

“Dark Necrofear, take out that lizard!” he shouted.

Dark Necrofear’s evil eyes blew Gigobyte away.

“You’re next…” warned Reggie.

James paused before he drew.

He drew a card.

He showed him the card…

Pot of Greed.

He played the card, and brought the total in his hand up to four.

He made a slight grin.

“I summon my third Mokey Mokey…” he stated.

Yet another of the little Fairies appeared. (300/100)

“Defending with that pathetic marshmallow won’t do you much good,” chuckled Reggie.

“Take a closer look,” said James. “I summoned him in Attack Mode.”

“Huh?” asked Reggie. “You really think it can defeat Dark Necrofear?”

“Yes he can,” answered James, “because I also have a Spell Card…”

He played the card…

“Triangle Power,” he continued. “This Spell increases the Attack Strength of all one-star Normal Monsters on my side of the field by 2,000.”

Mokey Mokey got excited, and his Attack Score increased to 2,300!

“Mokey Mokey, attack Dark Necrofear!” shouted James. “Infinite anger burst!”

“MOKEY MOKEY!” shouted the little Fairy. Beams of intense light shot from his eyes, and Dark Necrofear was vaporized!

Reggie grinned.

“Fine by me…” he said.

A strange look came over Mokey Mokey’s face…

And then he floated over to Reggie’s side. His eyes glowed with an evil red light.

“When Dark Necrofear is destroyed, it possesses one of your Monsters!” laughed Reggie.

“You think I didn’t know that?” asked James. “I was expecting it!”

“Huh?” asked Reggie.

“Triangle Power has a side effect,” answered James. “When I end my turn, Mokey Mokey will be destroyed, and Dark Necrofear will be gone for good.”

Reggie’s eyes opened wide…

“Okay Reginald,” he said, “I’m ending my turn now.”

Mokey Mokey shattered into pixels.



[B](J: 1,500) (R: 4,150)


“Uh, yeah…” muttered Reggie, drawing. “Well don’t get too comfy! All I need to do is draw the right Monster, and one direct attack will finish you off!”

He looked at the card he had drawn.

A bad draw… Mystic Plasma Zone would not even be useful as a bluff.

“I have to pass…” he said, nervously.

James drew a card.

“I summon another Goblin Calligrapher…” he stated.

Another Goblin Calligrapher appeared. (400/400)

“And now I’ll play the card I just drew to summon my first one… Monster Reborn.”

He played the card, and the original Calligrapher appeared.

“And finally the last card in my hand… Another Triangle Power.”

Reggie gasped as the energy Triangle surrounded the two Fiends, and their Attack shot up to 2,400 apiece.

“Hey, wait a minute!” gasped Reggie.

“Both of you, attack!” yelled James.

The two supercharged Fiends lunged at Reggie and stabbed him with their pens. He toppled over.



[B](J: 1,500) (R: 0)


“I win,” he said.

As Reggie got up, everyone started laughing at him.

“No!” he said, looking towards James. “Just keep your little beasts away from me!”

He turned tail and ran.

“Well,” said Russell, “I said this would be a battle between David and Goliath, but I didn’t know how right I’d be…”

James started shuffling his deck again as Russell came up to him.

“Wow,” muttered James. “He turned out to be nothing more than a big coward…”

Russell put his hand on James’s shoulder.

“Most bullies are, James,” he confirmed. “Most bullies are.”



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


In the lush penthouse, Fortunado mixed a Bloody Mary.

He turned his head slightly as a shadowy figure appeared behind him.

“Well,” muttered Fortunado, “Panik was a big, fat, failure…”

“Do not worry, my liege,” said a sinister voice, “he was among the weakest of the minions I could use; after all, most of his experience came from a time when Battle City rules hadn’t been designed, and Duel Disks hadn’t been invented.

“There’s a lot more where he came from. I already have plans for someone else soon.”

“Well, take your time,” said Fortunado. “It’s time to start working on the main plot again, and I have the Three Swordsmen looking for someone who should serve our purposes nicely…”

At that moment his cell phone rang. He answered it.

“Speak,” he said.

“Boss?” said Cassius’s voice. “Good news, and good news. We found the guy, and he’s more than willing.”

“Excellent,” said Fortunado. “Bring him here for a little briefing. If all goes right, we can shoot the next scene on Monday…”



Saturday, September 11th, 2106, 1:30 PM



RUKLAMBA THE SPIRIT KING (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Fiend/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 8
ATK: 1,000
DEF: 2,000

Card Description: This strange creature is said to rule over evil spirits. If you lose 1,000 Life Points or more from one attack, you can Special Summon this Monster from your hand. Offer this Monster as a Tribute to Special Summon Monsters whose Attack Scores add up to 2,000 or less.

Note: “Ruklamba the Spirit King” was used by Gansley in the anime episode “Isolated in Cyber Space”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



HALF GOBLIN (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Fiend/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 3
ATK: 500
DEF: 500

Card Description: These nasty imps are the footsoldiers of the Goblin King. Discard one WARRIOR-Type Monster from your hand to Special Summon this Monster from your hand.

Note: “Half Goblin” was used by Briar and Beauregard in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “The Duel Giant”. All creative credit goes to the creators of that episode.



GOBLIN TRADER (Spell Card)

Card Specs

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

Image: Goblin of Greed at a merchant’s stand selling Pots of Greed.

Card Description: Pay 1,000 Life Points. Your opponent gains 1,000 Life Points. Send any number of cards on your side of the field to the Graveyard. Draw two cards for every card you sent to the Graveyard.



James’s Human-Wave Deck

James has been a small, geeky kid all his life, and rather than try to fight it, he has made the most of it. Thus, when designing a deck, he settled on a Human-Wave strategy, focusing on Monsters that were seemingly just as weak as he was. (He detests the term “Weenie Rush”.)

Almost all of his Monsters are one-star and have no effect. Ruklamba is an exception, but this clever eight-star Monster can fill up his side of the field with his true weapons quickly.

His arsenal of Spells and Traps naturally take advantage of Monsters with his unique brand. The Spells include Triangle Power, Opti-Camouflage Armor, Heart of the Underdog, Level Limit Area B, and Enchanting Fitting Room. As for Traps, he has Gravity Bind, Spirit Barrier, and the powerful Human-Wave Tactics, which can replace his Monsters quickly. His powerful Spell Card, The Law of the Normal, is always risky to use, but it can devastate an opponent if he uses it at the right time. James plays a lot of Traps, but his deck is one where Spells can make up for it if his Traps are shut down. At one duel, his opponent summoned Jinzo, but James destroyed it with a combination of Triangle Power and Kozaky.

James also created a unique strategy with two Traps in order to get rid of powerful Monsters: Collected Power and Really Eternal Rest. This combo first moves all Equips on the field to one Monster, and then destroys it, destroying both the Monster and any annoying Equips.

James has proven in many instances that bigger does not always mean better.



[B][I]”What fools these mortals be!”

If I said that, you’d likely be prepared for me to quote more Shakespeare, but coming up next, Trisha befriends a student who happens to be another user character…

What does it have to do with The Bard? Stay tuned for “Reasoning”, coming up next, and you’ll find out!

[Shuppet Master]

That was a great chapter, Brian! I had a feeling the user character had a deck like Brigit's. The classic "Bully vs. Nerd" confrontation, but it was done really well.

[jkBAKURA]

Wohoo, and now the chapter's title makes more sense then ever. Non, tribute monsters on opposite ends of the ATK scale. Though I must say, I was a bit dissapointed in James. Not the character, but just the fact that a lot of these moves are identical to Merlee's deck in your last story.

Reggie on the other hand, OK, I tried making a Goblin deck before, and fell flat. This is what that one GX episode should have looked like. The inclusion of Necrofear was brilliant, and I never saw it coming. She's slightly overused in fanfiction, but with the deck theme she managed to suprise me.

I know exactly who's up next, and it's nice to have the main three back dueling again.

[Dark Sage]

True, Dark Necrofear is slightly overused in fanfiction. I felt the need to include it here, but I hereby promise not to use it again in this fanfic. It seems to be too much of cliche.

That is not to say there won't be Fiend Decks, because there'll be a few. But Dark Necrofear is used a lot in fanfiction, considering it was card that was so rare (anime-wise) that neither Yugi nor Kaiba had even heard of it.

[Pokemasterkatie]

...That is, before we saw Bakura and his big bad Occult deck.:p Though I must say, it's different having Necrofear in a deck other than Occult.^^

And did I hear that right--The 3 Swordsmen?! They weren't referred to that name in the dub; but nevertheless, most of us know what that means...

[Blademaster]

Hmmmmmm...

Well, on the one hand, the duel was very clever: Goblins vs. Munchkins? Not too shabby at all...

Unfortunately, I was kinda distracted because almost every line of dialogue was just a repeated quote from one of your previous stories:



Nightmare’s Steelcage dissolved, fading like sugar in the rain.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“As a wise man once said,” he chuckled, “master your anger, or anger will be your master.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Heh, heh…” he chuckled.

He closed his eyes.

“HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!”

“I… think he got a good card…” muttered Trisha.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Well, if wishes were fishes, they say…

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Take a closer look,” said James. “I summoned him in Attack Mode.”


You see? I don't mind a few borrowed quotes, but there seemed to be a lot more than usual in this chapter, for some reason.

Oh, well, I'm just glad to see a new chapter - it reminds me to get my act together and get my next chapter up! :lol:

Well, see ya later!

-Blade

[goldenzigzagoon]

Yay, my user character! Great use of Dark Necrofear and Ruklamba. The one mistake I noticed was that James plays a card and then asks how to use it and then Russell answers him. I think the two names should have been switched around, unless James doesn't know much about his own deck. But that was all. Great use of a goblin deck, even though I was planning on using one in my next chapter, I guess I'll just have to change my character's deck. Sorry for not replying before.

[Perfect Chaos]

As mentioned before, classic "Bully vs. Weakling" type of confrontation.

Again, this chapter reminded me alot of the GX episode with Briar and Beauregard, with the exception that the "weakling" faced off against the Goblin deck rather than use it.

The chapter was OK at best (nothing new to surprise me with) so I only can say that I look forward to the next chapter.

-Sean

[Mystic_clown]

Hmm, interesting, I didn't know there were so many good goblin cards.

Aww, it seems my user characters not up next oh well, I can wait. Who here's a Shakespiere fan?

[starjake]

Hmm...how to best sum up this chapter...

Ah, I know. A conglomeration of things that have already been done.

1) The Nightmare's Steelcage / candy bar joke. I didn't really find it funny when it was first said back in Mandate of Heaven, it was growing old when it was used a second time (I don't remember exactly where that was), and now it's just...well, let's just say that third time isn't always the charm.

2) Maniacal laughter -> someone thinking "He/She got a good card." You use it all the time. Please come up with something else.

3) Jason's comment about the Kozaky. Direct cut from the anime; Chumley said it when making his Koala deck. And why is Jason using Giant Kozaky?

4) James' Deck. I realize that it was a user character, but it's too fresh in our minds from Merlee's duel. Why so soon?


I don't know...this was a bit of a letdown, IMO. Hopefully the next chapter will be better.

[Master of Paradox]

1) The Nightmare's Steelcage / candy bar joke. I didn't really find it funny when it was first said back in Mandate of Heaven, it was growing old when it was used a second time (I don't remember exactly where that was), and now it's just...well, let's just say that third time isn't always the charm.

And top it all off, it was originally a quote from an episode of Pokemon.

[Dark Sage]

Jason didn't say he was using Kozaky, James did.

Sorry if it didn't meet your expectations.

- DS

[Silencer]

I think you mixed up skull sevent and gigobyte here



“And since you’re defenseless…” chuckled James. “Kozaky, Goblin Calligrapher, Dancing Elf, Skull Servant, Mokey Mokey, ATTACK!”

The next few seconds were chaos! Kozaky and Gigobyte raked at Reggie with their claws, Dancing Elf landed a flying kick, Mokey Mokey fired a beam of light from his eyes, and Goblin Calligrapher’s pen grew to the size of a sword, and he slashed with it!

[starjake]

Jason didn't say he was using Kozaky, James did.

I stand corrected.

Regardless of the character of who said it, though, it's still a direct cut from the anime. Which isn't in and of itself a bad thing, but in a story that is already has a dangerously high amount of things cut from the anime...

And I must have missed the Pokemon episode Master of Pardox refered to. Thankfully.


Sorry if it didn't meet your expectations.

Actually, it's impossible to 'meet my expectations' because I try not to have any expectations hen I read someone's work ('letdown' wasn't exactly the right word, but I couldn't think of how else to describe it). I was just pointing out something(s) that I found annoying. Consistant steals from the anime and previous stories without any real purpose fall under that category.

[Blademaster]

1) The Nightmare's Steelcage / candy bar joke. I didn't really find it funny when it was first said back in Mandate of Heaven, it was growing old when it was used a second time (I don't remember exactly where that was), and now it's just...well, let's just say that third time isn't always the charm.

Ummmmmm... that would be from Vinny's duel with Wally Huffington from YGO 3.0.

Sorry - I didn't know what else to use - maybe Swords of Revealing Light and a play on those circus actors that swallow swords, but... :redface: :p

[Mega Horny]

Regrettably, as you may have noticed, I stopped reading this. Your writing is great, but I'm just not all that into Yugioh as most of you guyes and was reading it mainly for the sake of your writing. I fear I must step out of this one, and may read parts later, but in the wise words of Zcade, "Get pokemonese done!"

[Inferno_Dragon]

Interesting chapter!!!

It is true that Jason's deck does seem familiar to Merlee's Deck but what are you going to do? Although I have never heard of a Human-Wave Rush Deck before. Just like I have never heard of the Gain and Burn Deck before (I am not very cultured to different deck types.)

Dark Necrofear in a Goblin Deck was weird, I don't think she would considered a Goblin, she looks like some demon.

As for the Nightmare Steel Cage, I think that was from the episode when Brock stays with Professor Ivy while Ash and Misty head back towards Pallet Town with the GS ball. They board a mysterious repaired blimp and then the lines are used. I think it was Meowth who said it in that episode. (I know this making me sound nerdish but that's okay.)

Good chapter though and the title did make sense. Well keep up the good work!!!!!

[Blademaster]

Dark Necrofear in a Goblin Deck was weird, I don't think she would considered a Goblin, she looks like some demon.

Or an alien, if you ask me...

[Dark Sage]

My last chapter wasn't so good, so I thought I put up a new one as an Easter treat. Or maybe I'm still just a little high off the sugar rush - I gave my girlfriend lilies for Easter, and she gave me a chocolate rabbit that must have weighed a pound.

Anyway, the user character in this chapter belongs to Master of Paradox, who, as you may know, is my beta reader. Enjoy.

- DS

[B][I]My name is Malvolio.

You might think it’s a strange name; in case you don’t know, it was the name of the villain in Shakespeare’s comedy “Twelfth Night”, a play I’ve memorized. Everyone in my family has had a thing for the Bard…

…and for dueling.

A lot of weight has fallen on my shoulders, and I don’t like it. Being part of a legacy might seem good to some people, but it’s really a pain.

I’ve tried hard to keep my fellow students away…

But I knew my act wouldn’t fool everyone…




[B][size=3]CHAPTER EIGHT



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/PGD-081.jpg



Saturday, September 11th, 2106, 4:50 PM


That evening, the Ra students made their way to the dining hall. Trisha was followed by two of her close friends, June and Amy.

Amy sighed.

“Chicken cutlets…” she muttered. “I think this school has a cookbook entitled 1001 Ways to Prepare Chicken. Those cutlets are fattening…”

“It isn’t the chicken that’s fattening,” answered June, “it’s that thick sauce they put on it.”



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


As the three girls crossed the cafeteria with their trays (Jason and Russell were on the other side), Trisha noticed someone.

He was sitting by himself, as he always was, a half-eaten plate of chicken and yams and a dish of chocolate pudding to his right, and a Duel Disk to his left. A few cards were in front of him.

He was a very delicate young man… It looked like a strong wind could snap him into pieces and scatter the pieces. His limbs were long and lanky, and his torso was flexible. He had short, blonde hair, and pale grey eyes. His hair was combed up with the edges trimmed.

Both his blazer and pants were a size too large, making him look unkempt.

He noticed Trisha looking at him.

He held in his hands two Monster Cards: Command Knight, and Dream Clown. He held the two cards so they were facing each other.

He raised the Command Knight card.

“Save, thee, friend, and thy music!” he said in a high voice. “Dost thou live by your tabor?”

He lowered the card and lifted the Dream Clown card.

“No, sir,” he said in another voice, “I live by the church.”

He lifted the other card.

“Art thou a churchman?” he said in the high voice.

He lifted the Clown again.

“No such matter, sir,” he said in the second voice. “I do live by the church for I do live at my house, and my house doth stand by the church.”

Trisha went up to him.

“Uh, Malvolio?” she asked. “Would you like to join us?”

“Mmm…” muttered the youth in his high voice. “The sky is very blue today, is it not?”

“Come on, Trisha, leave the lunatic alone…” said June.

At the table with Jason and Russell, Trisha continued to look at Malvolio.

“Why are you so interested in him?” asked Amy. “Don’t you know that he’s nuts?”

“Yeah,” replied June. “They say his parents sent him here to get rid of him.”

“I’m worried about that guy…” said Jason. “He hasn’t done anything bad yet, but insanity can often lead to violence. I’m afraid Malvolio is going to really snap one of these days, and hurt someone… or himself.”

Trisha took the last bite of her chicken.

“I don’t know,” she said, chewing. “There’s something strange about him being strange…”

They looked at her.

“Uhm, that didn’t come out right…”

She picked up her pudding.

“Anybody want this?” she asked. “I’m full.”

She hefted her backpack over her shoulder and went up to Malvolio’s table.

Malvolio was looking at another Monster Card – the Machine called Patroid. He placed it on the table and started making siren sounds.

“Malvolio,” said Trisha, “I want a few words with you…”

Malvolio’s eyes narrowed.

“I fear I must decline, dear lady…” he said, in a faux British accent.

“Well I fear I must insist!” said Trisha.

She grabbed his arm.

“Well, in that case…” he said.

He grabbed his Duel Disk from the table, but then made no more resistance.

“Russ,” said Jason. “I have a feeling that Trisha might make him snap sooner than he should.”

“All right,” sighed Russell. “Let’s follow from a safe distance.”



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


In the center of the Ra complex was a large promenade. You reached it via a stairway going down. In the center was a large pool in the shape of the image of the Spell Card, Spring of Rebirth. Students would often toss coins into this spring when they had an important duel in their schedule… a little luck never hurt.

Malvolio sat on the edge of the Spring, and looked up into the evening sky.

“Ah, what mysteries lie among the beauty of the infinite stars of the cosmos?” he said in his high voice.

“Can you cool it, Malvolio?” asked Trisha. “I’m starting to think you want people to think you’re crazy…”

“Well, maybe I am a tad… off…” he replied.

“Are you really?” asked Trisha.

Malvolio giggled, and took a card out of his pocket.

“They say I’m nuts…” he chuckled. “They say I’ve gone crackers… Well, maybe it is true that I am a little… batty…”

He tossed her the card, and Trisha caught it.

It was Dark Bat.

“…blame it on the bats in my belfry!”

“Well, I don’t buy it, Malvolio,” she answered.

Malvolio looked at her.

“You’ve been acting crazy since we were both Freshmen,” she said, “well, I don’t believe it. If you were nuts, you wouldn’t have lasted long here.

“I know what happened at the end of last year… Dr. Artemis personally congratulated you for acing all your exams, and you were third on the honor roll.

“You want to tell me what the deal is?”

Malvolio looked at her in silence for a long time.

“You can tell me,” assured Trisha. “I’ll keep it a secret.”

Another long silence.

“You want the short version or the long version?” he finally said.

His voice was different. One octave lower and far more lucid.

“I want the most complete version,” answered Trisha.

Malvolio paused. He took a piece of chewing gum out of his pocket and popped it in his mouth.

“It hasn’t been easy for me, Trisha,” he said, as he slowly chewed. “My family line goes back a long time. My great, great grandfather, Demetrius Lark…”

“Demetrius?” asked Trisha. “Is everyone in your family named after characters in Shakespeare?”

“It’s a family tradition, Trisha,” he answered. “All male children have been.

“Anyway, Demetrius was a duelist who took the Americas by storm one hundred years ago. He was undefeated, winning every possible title in North, South, and Central America…

“But to his regret, he never got to challenge a member of the Trinity.

“Anyway, the dueling tradition was passed down to sons and daughters, and they all carried on his legacy. My father Bassiano was the champion of Canada before his untimely death four years ago dumped it all on me…”

He let out a long sigh…

“You don’t know what a pain it was, Trisha,” he moaned. “It seemed that everyone wanted to duel me just to win and prove he was better than a Lark. That’s the reason for the façade. I just want to keep people away from me…”

“So you pretend to be nuts so that gloryhounds won’t bother you?” asked Trisha.

“I know it’s hard to understand…” he replied.

“It is…” said Trisha, “but I know what can help…”

She took her Duel Disk out of her pack.

“Great,” muttered Malvolio. “Now you’re challenging me too.”

“Yes, but I don’t have anything to prove,” said Trisha. “A lot about a person can come out in a duel. Consider it a… gentleman’s challenge, and we’ll see if we can figure anything out.”

Malvolio looked at her.

“A gentleman’s challenge?” he asked.

He picked up his own Disk.

“I can live with that…”

He reached under his oversized blazer and took a deck out of a holster.



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


Jason and Russell looked over the railing, down at the Spring of Rebirth.

“Huh,” said Jason. “It looks like Trisha is going to duel him.”

“Should we stop this?” asked Russell.

“Not yet…” said Jason. “This could get interesting…”



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


“All right, Mal,” said Trisha. “Uhm, you mind if I call you Mal?”

“Eh, fine,” answered Malvolio.

“Okay!” said Trisha, as her Disk activated. “Game start!”



[B](Trisha: 8,000) (Malvolio: 8,000)


Malvolio drew his first card.

“My first card will be…” he said.

He played a Spell Card.

“…Graceful Charity.”

The beautiful angel appeared, and her feathers fell on his deck. He drew three cards.

“And, since I’m such a nice guy,” he continued, “I’ll show you one of the cards I’m discarding…”

He turned a card towards Trisha.

“He’s a Warrior called Chain Thrasher.”

“And you’re telling me, because?” asked Trisha.

“Just remember that for later,” said Malvolio, discarding it and another card.

“Next, I’ll place a Monster in Defense Mode, and that will be my turn.”

A facedown Monster appeared.

Trisha drew a card.

She smirked.

On my first draw! she thought.

“I summon my favorite Monster!” she said, throwing a card down. “The incredible Nanobreaker!”

A shimmering light appeared on her side of the field, and the Monster formed. It was a woman dressed in futuristic, silvery armor, holding a large sword. She had glowing silver eyes, and long black hair. (1,600/1,800)




http://www.ideal808.com/images/een-en018.jpg



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


“That’s it!” exclaimed Jason. “Her special Monster!”

“How come?” asked Russell.

“Take a close look.”



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


“And why is she your favorite?” asked Malvolio.

“Well… just look at her,” answered Trisha. “See anything familiar?”

Malvolio gave the Machine a look…

And then it came to him. Nanobreaker was a dead ringer for Trisha herself. Trisha didn’t have the armor and was less metallic, but the resemblance was uncanny.

All right, thought Trisha. That facedown Monster might have a nasty flip-effect or a high Defense…

But it might be a bluff…

“Nanobreaker, attack with Nano-blade!”

Nanobreaker flew forward…

A weird creature appeared on the card. It looked like a face with a big nose, and a feathered headdress. Below it were two hands holding an axe.



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LOB-EN110.jpg


Nanobreaker slashed with her sword, and it was sliced in half.

“Heh, heh,” said Malvolio. “That was a Hane-Hane. And when it’s flipped…”

Nanobreaker vanished.

“…one Monster on the field is returned to the owner’s hand.”

Trisha stared in disbelief.

“Oo-kay…” she said. “I guess I have to end my turn there…”

Malvolio drew a card.

“I summon another Chain Thrasher,” he said, placing a card down, “in Attack Mode.”

A young Warrior in a leather coat and trousers, holding a spiked chain appeared. (1,000/600)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/soi-en015.jpg


“Well, uh… that’s not so bad…” muttered Trisha. “Unless he has a…”

“…special ability?” answered Malvolio. “Yes. In addition to his normal attack, Chain Thrasher has an additional attack for every other Chain Thrasher in my Graveyard.”

“And you put one there with Graceful Charity…” gasped Trisha.

“Exactly,” said Malvolio, “so he can attack twice. Chain Thrasher, attack directly with chain rend!”

Chain Thrasher swung his chain, and then lashed at Trisha with it!

“Again!” ordered Malvolio.

Chain Thrasher twirled his weapon. Trisha groaned as she was whipped a second time.

She held her torso...



[B](T: 6,000) (M: 8,000)


“I’ll end with a facedown card,” said Malvolio, placing a card into a slot.

A facedown card appeared behind Chain Thrasher.

“My move…” muttered Trisha.

I’m starting to understand why this guy’s family was so sought after… she thought as she drew.

She looked at the Spell Card.

Not bad…

“I play the Spell Card, Magnet Circle LV 2,” she said, playing it.

A metallic circle appeared in front of her, and a magnetic crane started to lower.

“Uh, cool name,” said Malvolio, “but what does it do?”

“This Spell lets me Special Summon a Machine from my hand,” she explained, “so long as its star level is no greater than two. So I’ll summon Bokoichi the Freightening Car, in Defense Mode.”

The large freight card with the fiendish face appeared. (500/500)

“Next I’ll play… Machine Duplication.”

She played the card, and two more Bokoichis appeared.

“And next, I’ll sacrifice two of them, to summon Perfect Machine King!”

Two Freightening Cars vanished, and the huge robot appeared! (2,700/1,500) –> (3,200/1,500)

“Not bad…” said Malvolio.

“Perfect Machine King,” ordered Francesca, “attack Chain Thrasher with mega-missile assault!”

Two hatches opened on the Machine’s shoulders, and a volley of missiles blasted forth. Chain Thrasher shielded himself before he was eradicated.



[B](T: 6,000) (M: 5,800)


“Well…” said Malvolio. “I’ll admit you are better than a lot of the egotistical fools who came looking for members of my family.”

“I aced the exams last year too,” answered Trisha.

Malvolio smirked.

He drew a card.

“I activate my facedown card…” he stated.

A Trap Card lifted…

Call of the Haunted.

“I’ll use it to bring back my old friend Chain Thrasher,” he added.

Chain Thrasher reappeared.

“But, I’m sending him right back to the Graveyard,” he continued, “because I’m sacrificing him…”

Chain Thrasher vanished.

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

“Next, another facedown card,” he said, playing a card.

A facedown card appeared.

“And it’s your move…”

Trisha drew a card.

He sacrificed a Monster for one that he put facedown in Defense Mode, she thought. There aren’t many Monsters that you summon like that. But Perfect Machine King should handle it…

“I’ll summon Nanobreaker again,” she said.

Nanobreaker reappeared. (1,600/1,800)

“And now that I have two other Machines on the field,” she continued, “my King gets stronger.”

Perfect Machine King glowed. (3,700/1,500)

“Attack his facedown Monster!” she ordered.

Perfect Machine King fired his missiles…

“I activate… Negate Attack!” shouted Malvolio.

His Trap Card lifted, and the missiles were stopped by an invisible barrier.

“My Trap protects my Monster and ends this battle right now…” said Malvolio.

“Then it’s your turn…” answered Trisha.

“Well,” said Malvolio, drawing, “you might wonder why I used Negate Attack when there are so many better Traps that can protect a Monster. Well, see, to activate the effect of this Monster, I had to flip it myself…”

The card flipped into Attack Mode…

And a huge, stone statue appeared! It looked like the Great Sphinx of Gaza, as it was presumed to have looked when it was new. (1,700/2,400)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/PGD-025.jpg


“That’s Guardian Sphinx!” gasped Trisha.

“Oh, you’ve heard of it,” answered Malvolio. “Then you know that now all three of your Monsters go back to your hand.”

Perfect Machine King, Nanobreaker, and Bokoichi vanished.

“Guardian Sphinx, attack directly!” he shouted. “Monolith smash!”

Guardian Sphinx rose up and clapped its stone paws together…

Unfortunately for Trisha, she was between them.



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


“Trisha is getting clobbered!” gasped Russell. “We have to stop this!”

“Why?” asked Jason. “I don’t see any rules being broken.”

“Well, yeah, but…” muttered Russell.

“We’re duelists, Russell, it comes with the job description,” said Jason. “I think Trisha would rather fight it out than have us end it forcefully for no legitimate reason.”

“I guess…” answered Russell.



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


[B](T: 4,300) (M: 5,800)


Trisha held her head and staggered to keep her footing.

“Any questions?” asked Malvolio.

“One…” said Trisha, panting. “I noticed you seem to like Monsters that send mine back to my hand… is this a trend?”

Malvolio smirked.

“It’s called a Bounce Strategy, Trisha,” he said. “The Bounce has been the Malvolio family’s trademark strategy since Demetrius. The current version of my family’s deck, which is mine, was perfected by my great uncle Iago. His greatest success was using it to defeat a duelist who used the Five God Dragon…”

He smirked.

“The guy was shocked when his 5,000 Attack Point abomination was thrown off the field by a Penguin Soldier!

“To end, I’ll activate Guardian Sphinx’s other effect, which returns it to facedown Defense Mode.”

Guardian Sphinx vanished, and was replaced by a facedown card.

Trisha looked at him for a few seconds.

Demetrius Lark may never have challenged any of the Trinity, but she realized he may have stood a fighting chance against them. Cards that used bounce effects were very potent…

She could just image the look on Kaiba’s face if someone had bounced his Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon…

If I attack his Sphinx, he can’t use its effect, she thought, but with 2,400 Defense Points, I’d lose Life Points slowly… There’s got to be a way out of this…

She drew a card…

She grinned.

“I play Soul Release,” she exclaimed, playing a card. “I’ll use it on my own Graveyard, removing my two Bokoichis from play.”

The two cards fell out of her discard slot.

“And just why did you do that?” asked Malvolio.

“So I could play a powerful Spell Card,” she said, playing another card. “I play… Advanced Robotics!”

A card appeared, showing the image of a grim-faced, giant mecha standing amid buildings.

“Advanced Robotics is a powerful card, but only if you draw it early in a duel,” explained Trisha. “See, it can only be played when I have no Monsters in my Graveyard. That’s why I used Soul Release.

“Now, by discarding two Spell and/or Trap Cards…”

She discarded two cards.

“…I can summon a high-level Machine with no sacrifices required. So I’ll summon Perfect Machine King again.”

She threw a card down on her Disk, and Perfect Machine King arose. (2,700/1,500)

“All right!” she shouted. “Attack his Guardian Sphinx!”

Perfect Machine King blasted his missiles. Guardian Sphinx appeared, and was blasted into shards of rock!

Malvolio cringed.

“Not bad…” he said. “My move now…”

He drew a card.

“I play my Pot of Greed,” he stated, playing a card. “Now I’ll draw twice…”

He made two draws.



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“All right…” he stated, playing another card. “I’ll unearth Premature Burial, to bring a Monster back from the grave…”

His Life Points fell by 800, and Hane-Hane reappeared. (450/600)

“Next I’ll sacrifice my Hane-Hane for another Monster,” he said.

Hane-Hane vanished.

“But once again, I’ll keep you guessing.”

A facedown Monster appeared.

“That ends my turn.”



[B](T: 4,300) (M: 5,000)


That’s clearly another Guardian Sphinx, thought Trisha, but now he has no Traps to protect it…

She drew a card.

“Here comes Nanobreaker again,” she said, playing a card.

Her look-alike reappeared again. (1,600/1,800)

Perfect Machine King grew to 3,200 Attack.

“Perfect Machine King, take it out!” she shouted.

Perfect Machine King shot his missiles forward…

…and the Monster that appeared was NOT Guardian Sphinx. It looked sort of like Hane-Hane, only bigger, with a fancier headdress, holding two axes in its hands.



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/SOD-EN032.jpg


It was blown up.

“Heh, heh,” said Malvolio. “That was Hane-Hane’s older brother, Hade-Hane. His flip-effect is stronger, because he can bounce up to three Monsters back to the owners’ hands.”

Perfect Machine King and Nanobreaker vanished.

“Not again…” muttered Trisha.

“My turn?” asked Malvolio.

“Uh huh…” muttered Trisha.

“I must say, this is fun!” said Malvolio, as he drew a card. “I had forgotten how enjoyable casual dueling can be!”

He fit two cards into slots.

“I place two cards facedown now,” he said.

Two facedown cards appeared.

“Next, I’ll summon a Warrior that Joey Wheeler used at one time… Go, Hayabusa Knight!”

A Warrior in shining armor appeared, holding a rapier. His head was like that of a hawk. (1,000/700)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/PSV-EN086.jpg


“I must say, this guy always confused me,” said Malvolio. “He has the head of a bird, and yet he’s an Earth Monster? Wouldn’t Wind be more appropriate?”

“Maybe…” said Trisha nervously. She wasn’t looking forward to what was coming next.

“He certainly moves like the wind,” added Malvolio. “Because he can attack twice. Hayabusa Knight, peregrine saber slash!”

The Knight flew forward…

Trisha cringed as he made two swipes across her torso.

She clutched her chest in pain.



[B](T: 2,300) (M: 5,000)


“All right, my move…” muttered Trisha.

She drew a card.

She looked at the Trap Card.

“I’ll set a card facedown,” she stated.

A facedown card appeared.

“And I’ll summon Nanobreaker yet again.”

She played the card, and Nanobreaker appeared again. She didn’t look very happy this time. (1,600/1,800)

“Attack Hayabusa Knight!” she shouted.

Nanobreaker raised her sword…

“I activate my facedown card,” declared Malvolio.

A Trap Card lifted.

“Ordeal of a Traveler.”

With a rumbling sound, another Sphinx rose behind him.

“Here’s how it works, Trisha,” he said. “Before your Nanobreaker can reach my Knight, you have to choose a card in my hand, and guess whether it’s a Monster, Spell, or Trap. If you guess right, your Monster can attack. If you guess wrong, she’ll be returned to your hand again.”

“Uh…” muttered Trisha. “Okay…”

“Shouldn’t be too hard, Trisha,” he said. “I only have two cards in my hand…”



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


“This is trouble,” muttered Russell.

“Tell me about it,” answered Jason. “Ordeal of a Traveler is a nasty Trap Card. You have only a one-in-three chance if your opponent uses it right, so the odds are against you…”



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


“Come on, Trisha…” said Malvolio. “The longer you take, the harder it’s going to be…”

“All right, all right!” said Trisha. “I believe that… the card on the left is… a Monster Card.”

Malvolio looked at the card.

He closed his eyes and flipped it around.

It was Armed Samurai Ben Kai.

“Well…” he sighed, “you got it…”

“And now your Hayabusa Knight is gonna get it!” exclaimed Trisha.

Nanobreaker swung her sword, and Hayabusa Knight fell backwards before shattering.



[B](T: 2,300) (M: 4,400)


“Don’t celebrate just yet, Trisha,” warned Malvolio. “Nanobreaker avoided one Trap only to fall victim to the other…”

His other Trap lifted.

“I activate… Begone, Knave!”

An iron doorway appeared next to the Sphinx, and a knight with a halberd appeared in front of it.

He stretched out his hand, and Nanobreaker vanished.

“Huh?” said Trisha.

“Begone, Knave! is a very underrated and underused Trap,” explained Malvolio. “When I take battle damage, the Monster responsible is returned to your hand.”

“And by the way, Trisha,” he added, “both Ordeal of a Traveler and Begone, Knave! are Continuous Traps which will activate whenever you attack.

“And now, it’s my move…”

He drew a card.

“Since you saw this card, I’ll summon him… Armed Samurai Ben Kai in Attack Mode.”

A Warrior dressed in oriental clothing with a practical arsenal of weapons on his back appeared. (500/800)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/FET-EN023.jpg


“And now I’ll Equip him with Axe of Despair,” he continued.

An ugly-looking axe appeared in Ben Kai’s hand, and his Attack Score went up to 1,500.

“Oh, and in addition to his normal attack, Ben Kai can attack again for every Equip that he has…”



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


“This is it!” gasped Russell. “If this attack hits, Trisha loses!”



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


“Attack!” ordered Malvolio.

Ben Kai rushed at Trisha.

“I activate Sakuretsu Armor!” shouted Trisha.

Her Trap Card lifted, and a shimmering wall of force surrounded her. Ben Kai was blown to pieces.

“You aren’t the only one who can set Traps…” she said with a grin.

“Well…” said Malvolio. “That’s my turn…”

Trisha looked at the field.

He has one card in his hand, but I don’t know what it is, she thought. And even if a Monster gets past Ordeal of a Traveler, it won’t get past Begone, Knave! There has to be another way…

She drew a card.

Hey, it’s the card I got from Randy! Well, why not?

She placed a card on her Disk.

“I summon Dark Catapulter in Defense Mode,” she said.

A large, bulky robot made of black steel with a dragon-like head appeared. (1,000/1,500)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/crv_en013.jpg


“Next I’ll Equip it with 7 Completed,” she said, playing a card, “which increases its Defense by 700.”

The number seven appeared on the Machine’s chest, and its Defense rose to 2,200.

“And that’s my turn,” she said.



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


“A new one?” said Russell.

“Yes,” replied Jason. “One with a powerful effect if used right. Trisha is using a clever strategy.”



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


Malvolio drew a card.

“I summon my third Chain Thrasher in Defense Mode,” he said.

He put a card down, and another Chain Thrasher appeared, kneeling in Defense. (1,000/600)

“And that’s my turn,” he said.

Oh boy… thought Trisha, nervously. If he manages to bounce my Monsters again, that guy will be able to attack me three times!

She nervously drew a card.

“I summon Battle Footballer in Defense Mode,” she said.

The android wearing a football jersey and helmet appeared, crouching in Defense. (1,000/2,100)

“And I’ll end my turn,” she said. “So it’s your move.”

Malvolio drew.

“Actually, I choose to end my turn without making any move,” he said.

“Good!” said Trisha, drawing. “Now you can see what Dark Catapulter can do.”

“Huh?” asked Malvolio.

“See,” explained Trisha, “For every one of my Standby Phases that it remains in Defense Mode, it stores one burst of energy. So it stored two. So now, I can remove two cards in my Graveyard from play to fire them, and destroy two Spell or Trap Cards.

“So, I’ll remove Soul Release and Advanced Robotics from play…”

The two Spell Cards fell out of her discard slot.

“And now…”

Dark Catapulter gripped the ground tight, and the two catapults on its back cranked backwards…

And then they shot two blasts of energy forward! The Sphinx was blown up, along with the Ordeal of a Traveler card, and then the doorway and the knight were blown into pixels, along with the Begone, Knave! card.

“Crud…” said Malvolio.

“And now I’ll sacrifice Dark Catapulter and Battle Footballer…” said Trisha.

The two Machines vanished.

“…to summon Perfect Machine King again!”

Perfect Machine King arose once more. (2,700/1,500)

“Attack Chain Thrasher!” shouted Trisha.

Perfect Machine King blasted forth his missiles, and Chain Thrasher was blown to pieces.

“Heh, heh, heh…” laughed Malvolio. “HA, HA, HA, HA!”

“What’s so funny?” asked Trisha.

“This is great!” laughed Malvolio. “Finally, a real challenge. This is what a duel should be about!”

He drew a card.

“I’ll place a Monster in Defense Mode for my turn, and that will be all,” he said.

A facedown Monster appeared.

Uh oh… thought Trisha. That’s definitely another flip-effect Monster… Well, sorry, Mal, but I’m not falling for it this time…

She drew a card.

“I’m going to pass for this turn,” she said.

“Suit yourself,” said Malvolio, drawing a card.

He added the card to his hand.

“I’ll also pass…”

Huh? thought Trisha. Why didn’t he flip it himself?

So, it is safe to attack it!

She drew a card.

“I summon Nanobreaker yet again,” she said, playing a card.

Nanobreaker appeared once more. (1,600/1,800)

“Perfect Machine King, take out his facedown Monster!” she shouted. “Mega missile assault!”

The barrage of missiles shot forward…

A rocky, wild-haired man wearing a martial arts gi appeared on the card, and was blown to pieces.



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/AST-017.jpg


And then Perfect Machine King vanished!

Trisha’s eyes opened wide!

“That was my Legendary Jujitsu Master,” chuckled Malvolio. “He’s not really a bounce Monster, he’s a ‘spin’ Monster. When he’s attacked while in Defense Mode, the Monster who attacked him isn’t sent back to your hand, he’s sent to the top of your deck!”

“Ingenious…” said Trisha. “But maybe it was worth it… Because now your side is clear! Nanobreaker, attack Malvolio directly!”

Nanobreaker flew forward and slashed at Malvolio with her sword! He gasped and fell over.



[B](T: 2,300) (M: 2,800)


“Oof…” said Malvolio, getting up. “Not bad… Well, Trisha, I guess it all depends on what I draw next…”

He drew a card.

“Well,” he said, “time to bring this to a close…

“I summon Mataza the Zapper in Attack Mode.”

He placed the card, and the dark ronin holding a katana appeared. (1,300/800)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/IOC-086.jpg


“Uh, yeah…” muttered Trisha. “He can attack twice too, right?”

“Yes,” said Malvolio, “and he will once I use another Axe of Despair.”

He played the card. Mataza sheathed his sword, and the Axe appeared in his hand. His Attack Score shot up to 2,300.

“And now, double attack!” commanded Malvolio.

Mataza the Zapper faded into a blur, and split into two Matazas…

They rushed forward! One of them struck Nanobreaker, and she gasped before exploding…

And then the other struck at Trisha with his axe, and she was thrown backwards!

“Ooh…” she moaned.



[B](T: 0) (M: 2,800)


“Trisha!” shouted Jason, running down the stairs.

Mataza vanished.

“You all right?” he asked.

“I’m fine,” she said.

She sat up.

“And how are you, Mal?” she asked.

Malvolio smirked.

“You know,” he said, “I think I feel better. Maybe it’s time to stop the whole façade and take these challenges in stride. After all, I was born to be a duelist… I shouldn’t fight it.”

“I hope so,” said Trisha.



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


The moon slowly moved across the night sky…

In Fortunado’s penthouse, the owner was deep in thought.

He heard the door open.

He turned and saw Cassius walk in with another young man.

“Found him,” said Cassius.

“Ah, yes,” said Fortunado, walking up to them. “I heard you have a beef with the Academy?”

“Do I ever,” said the youth.

“Well, I take it, my men have filled you in on the details?” asked Fortunado. “I must warn you that using what I’m about to give you involves a great deal of risk, which many folks don’t consider…”

“Oh, I live for risk!” answered the youth.

“Very well…” said Fortunado with a grin.

He handed a card to him.

“Nice…” said the youth.

“Oh, and one other way you can improve your deck,” added Fortunado, taking two cards out of his suit. These should fit your deck nicely.”

He handed them to him.

“Well I’ve… Never heard of these…” said the youth. “Pretty powerful…”

“They were designed by a card designer for Industrial Illusions,” said Fortunado. “Let me tell you the story. One day he was dueling a colleague, and that colleague walloped him badly using Jinzo. The next time he slept, he claimed he had a nightmare about Jinzo, and in that nightmare, he saw visions of a powerful Monster that had never been made. The next day, he sketched out what he saw while it was still fresh in his mind, and designed the two cards. Only five copies of this set were made, but unfortunately for him they were never greenlighted for production.

“He didn’t mind… On the average, only one out of five of a designer’s ideas are made into cards for distribution, so he went onto his other ideas.

“Anyway, since it’s an illegal card, a normal Disk wouldn’t register them…

“But your new one will…”

“Well, uh… I don’t have Jinzo in my deck…” muttered the youth.

“Don’t worry, it’s not necessary,” said Fortunado.

“Anyway, on Monday there’ll be an unscheduled assembly at nine AM at the college. Go there, choose a target, and make a challenge. It doesn’t matter who.”

“Yes…” said the youth, “I have someone in mind already…”



Saturday, September 11th, 2106, 7:10 PM



ADVANCED ROBOTICS (Spell Card)

Card Specs

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

Image: A grim-faced, giant mecha standing amid buildings.

Card Description: You can only activate this card when you have no Monster Cards in your Graveyard. Discard two non-Monster Cards from your hand. During the turn that you play this card, you can Normal Summon a MACHINE-Type Monster with five or more stars with no Tribute(s) required.



Malvolio’s Bounce Deck

Since Demetrius Lark first put together a deck, the Lark family has specialized in bounce strategy. The blueprint of the deck they have used went through several versions, before being perfected (for now) by Malvolio’s great uncle Iago.

Roughly half of Malvolio’s Monsters and several of his Traps are designed to rid the field of his opponents’ Monsters by sending them back to their hands. Since the Monsters he defeats are not sent to the Graveyard, an opponent must repeat the process of summoning them again, a chore if they are five-stars or more (or worse, Special Summoned only). This means a great deal of flip-effect Monsters, such as Hane-Hane, Penguin Soldier, and Guardian Sphinx, and Traps like Ordeal of a Traveler and Begone, Knave! His other Monsters are designed to strike his opponent hard and fast once they are unprotected. Usually, this means Monsters that can attack multiple times, such as Hayabusa Knight, Mataza the Zapper, Chain Thrasher, and Armed Samurai Ben Kai. These Monsters can become deadlier due to the multiple copies of Sword of Deep-Seated and Axe of Despair he has.

Malvolio’s strategy is not without weakness. Nobleman of Crossout can cause him a lot of trouble, and his deck has little defense against opposing Spells or Traps. However, so long as he has a few of his bouncers left, he can take out almost anything.



[B][I]Coming up next:

The threat of the Orichalcos comes back, as the story turns serious again. We’ll see who that mysterious guy is, and who he targets.

Don’t miss a chapter that I’m keeping such a surprise, I’m not even revealing the title! Coming soon.

[jkBAKURA]

Well, well, with such a bizzare character, I wonder who came up with this? Nice invention Paradox. I liked the use of multi-attackers. That was one stratagy that came out of left field. In general, this chapter was a lot of fun, if a bit short. I'm in the dark about next chapter, but it may be so obvious I'll be kicking myself when the time comes.

[The_Missing_Link]

I think this was the best chapter so far. Interesting chapter, deck theme I've never seen before, and Trisha loses. Gotta love it when the main characters prove to be mortal

[Dark Sage]

Becca -

Indeed, I wanted the main characters to be "mortal". So I resolved that their records would not be perfect. They will not win every single duel that they take part in.

Whether they will lose when the stakes are higher than it was here, that's for me to know, and you to find out.

- DS

[starjake]

That was certainly an interesting decktype, and one that not many people see. However, Begone Knave affects both sides of the field, meaning that your monsters are returned to your hand if they inflict Battle Damage to your opponent's Life Points. I'm not entirely sure if the Trap was on the field when Mal attacked and I'm too lazy to go back and check, but that may be something you want to re-examine. Aside from that, nice duel; MoP created a deck with a fun theme that is rarely used in the real world and yet is entirely feasible.

The next chapter...I have a feeling that you didn't tell us the title because that would make the chapter too easy to guess. I'm sincerely hoping that the person that immediately jumps to mind isn't the antagonist, because that would be too predictable. Of course, if we haven't met this character yet, my theory is (quite happily) shot out of the water.

[Mystic_clown]

Hmm, a bounce deck, that's a new one. Interestign character Paradox. How many Yu-Gi-Oh characters have you seen that pretend to be nuts?

[jkBAKURA]

How many Yu-Gi-Oh characters have you seen that pretend to be nuts?

Quite a few less then the number of those who actually are.

[Perfect Chaos]

New type of character Paradox and interesting deck too (we noticed alot of those in Tilting the Balance too)

I played against a Bounce deck once (and it was really irritating at first, but not after I got Ha Des out :D). Again a very interesting and original decktype.

Nothing much to say about this chapter, can't wait for the next one.

-Sean

[Blademaster]

A Bounce Deck AND a Multi-Strike Deck mixed together? Nice strategy, indeed, Paradox... Very clever...

Not a bad character, too, though in my mind I didn't see Malvolio as crazy as he sounded. :p

Anyway, once again, DS, you've kept us all in the dark, like a good writer usually does (Grrrrrrr... :lol:).

Anyway, keep up the good work, and happy Easter to you and everyone reading! :wave:

Peace out!

-Blade

[Pokemasterkatie]

I'm still just a little high off the sugar rush - I gave my girlfriend lilies for Easter, and she gave me a chocolate rabbit that must have weighed a pound.
I got no chocolate(;_; ), but got an extra can of soda!(I usually get one a day) I too, get major sugar rush off it...helps me write my own fic(it's not on here...it's on Serebii's forums)!

What a coincidence in the bounce theme, seeing as how it's spring(yes, PUNish me now).(unfortunately, I also started thinking about a certain 80 year old fictional bouncing tiger^^) Paradox must take one of those Shakespeare Literature English classes in high school. That, or he has a lot of free time on his hands.^_^;

Malvolio kind of reminds me of myself: people see him as weird, so he has basically no real friends.;_; I also quote stuff too, though not as much as he does.^_^

I've been the victim of Ordeal of A Traveler(thanks to Yugi's grandpa in NT). Annoying card, but I love the artwork.:)

[Inferno_Dragon]

Once again, another Deck I haven't heard of but I am learning a lot.

It is nice to see the heroes lose once in a while because it makes them seem more human. In the Anime, the main Characters lost once in a while. (Yugi lost to Seto Kaiba and one of Dartz's Henchmen, Seto Kaiba lost to Yugi (twice if I might add), Joey lost to Yugi and Marik.)

But I am curious on what the next chapter is about. And I too have been the victim of Ordeal of a Traveler when Playing Yu-Gi-Oh: NT. It is a very crafty card but I do get lucky sometimes (Usually when he has one or two cards in his hand, I can guess the Right Type.)

Keep up the good work, Ven ... Cyber ... I mean Dark Sage.

[Pokemasterkatie]

(Yugi lost to Seto Kaiba and one of Dartz's Henchmen, Seto Kaiba lost to Yugi (twice if I might add), Joey lost to Yugi and Marik.)
The henchman in question was Raphael. And Yugi might have won those duels if Raphael had not played Exchange(his only card was the Seal, so Yami had to take it) and if Kaiba not threatened to jump off the castle(in the Japanese he did anyway...).

Despite that little interruption inthe Battle City finals, Yugi won that match with Kaiba fairly(no HotC, unless it was to get Slifer...:p). Yugi's win the first time was the pilot episode...and they GOTTA show off Exodia too.^^

Joey lost more times than anyone in the Trinity: Marik, Yugi, Kaiba(twice), and Zigfried(his final duel in the animé). He surely would have lost to Mai if he had not, to quote Tristan, "used his nose".


Once again, another Deck I haven't heard of but I am learning a lot.
Ditto. It actually took me a few hours to actually learn the game in Dark Duel Stories. And even then it's a bit different since they have the subtype advantage going on.

[Master of Paradox]

Joey lost more times than anyone in the Trinity: Marik, Yugi, Kaiba(twice), and Zigfried(his final duel in the animé). He surely would have lost to Mai if he had not, to quote Tristan, "used his nose".

Technically, he also lost to Mai during their second encounter in the Orichalcos arc, as well (okay, he passed out, but if we're counting Marik...).

[Blademaster]

Yeah, Joey passes out too much for his own good. Lazy bum... You think he's related to Gerald at all? :lol:

[Mystic_clown]

Don't forget, he got stomped into the ground by Tea at the beginning of the series (although I don't think that actually counts).

[Pokemasterkatie]

I don't think it was official since we didn't see the whole duel...and the fact Téa used one of the cheap monster killer Spells that didn't make it to the Ban List(Breath of Light, I believe).:p


Yeah, Joey passes out too much for his own good. Lazy bum... You think he's related to Gerald at all?
More Jaden than Gerald--Joey fights to the bitter end, plus he's more aggressive(he passed out in the Battle City finals cause of the stress of being in the Shadow Realm too long). And besides, when the fate of the world's not on the line, Joey also has fun with his duels.;)

...Totally forgot about his rematches with Mai...-_-;

[Dark Sage]

Breath of Light isn't a real card, except in video games. However, Last Day of the Witch and Warrior Elimination are, and they're very legal, and unlimited. However, you'd have to be very lucky or very rich to get even one.

Now can we stop discussing their records? This is getting old.

[Pokemasterkatie]

-_-; Sorry DS, nya...

[Dark Sage]

Incidentally, I have actually seen "Ordeal of a Traveler" used by a real player in my game store - and I had to tell the guy that he wasn't using it right. You see, after your opponent guesses, you are required to show him the card, and this guy wasn't doing that. (As you saw, Malvolio knew the rules better.)

That's the weakness of this otherwise powerful Trap Card - your opponent gets to see the cards in your hand, even if it's one at a time.

[Inferno_Dragon]

I apologize for getting the whole anime characters win and loss record started. I am very very very very very very very very times infinity sorry, Dark Sage.

[Pokemasterkatie]

That's the weakness of this otherwise powerful Trap Card - your opponent gets to see the cards in your hand, even if it's one at a time.
Right--that's what led Joey to beat Solomon! BTW, I didn't know you worked at a game store(like the type the Mouto family runs, right?)! I guess that's how you got so good at this!:p

[Dark Sage]

To answer Katie's question, no, I don't work at a game store. By "my" game store, I meant the one that I frequent and play card games at.

Anyway... Time for a new chapter, and the fanfiction debut of a Monster that is sure to be all the rage when he is released next month! Read on...

[B][I]Gazing out on the city, I am reminded of a quote from “Macbeth”…

“By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes.”

Three of my best students had an encounter with a duelist holding the forbidden power of the Orichalcos… I’d be a fool to think that it was an isolated incident.

More duels in that unholy arena will occur, and I have no idea who is behind it or where it will strike next.

But I have a pretty good idea that it’s coming soon.

A war is about to start, and I fear New York might be the battleground…




[size=3][B]CHAPTER NINE



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/AST-017.jpg



Sunday, September 12th, 2106, 11:40 PM


They say that New York never sleeps.

Bull.

On a Sunday night, the city practically snores!

On the night before a work day, most folks were asleep or trying to, except some graveyard shift night owls who didn’t have to.

Or some who simply couldn’t.

In the eves of Central Park, three figures sat on benches, not doing much except feeling depressed and wallowing in self-pity. It wasn’t possible for them to sleep. Or eat, or do anything that required a living body, for that matter.

Fact was, they weren’t even alive anymore.

One hundred years ago, they were men. But as boys, they had suffered horrible tragedies. At the ends of their ropes, they were willing to believe anything to make the pain go away…

So they chose to believe lies told to them by a madman. And using the evil magic of the Orichalcos, they had committed several crimes against humanity.

Eventually, they were defeated by three heroes, and the madman was defeated. They recovered, thinking they could start their lives over…

…but it wasn’t that simple. No matter how much they had suffered, it had not given them the right to torment others and use evil powers. Using such unholy forces would come with a price. And unlike some who used the Orichalcos, they had few people who were willing to forgive, few loved ones to turn to, and few who could lift the stain on their souls.

Several years after they thought it was over, all three of them fell ill. Despite the best attempts by doctors, they died… All three of them at the same instant.

And the next thing they knew, they were facing each other… As bodiless phantoms.

They were unable to enter any sort of afterlife; they were stranded on the moral plane. They could only go wherever some unseen force told them to go, even though they never saw whoever was giving them these orders. Twenty years ago, the command told them to go to New York City, and they had no choice but to obey. They had been here since then.

No humans could see or hear them except under certain conditions, and if there were others like them, they couldn’t see them either. The only company they had was each other. They could produce a few of the belongings they had in life, such as their Duel Monsters cards, but they couldn’t do much with them. The only people they could duel were each other, and it got boring after a while. They got sick of each other after awhile, but none of them was able to leave the other two for long before the unseen master pulled him back to the others.

It didn’t take them long to realize that they were under some sort of a curse. Whether it was an evil spell cast by Leviathan for failing it, or a punishment cast by a holy force as penance for their crimes, they didn’t know…

But they were able to enter hallowed ground, so they likely weren’t evil spirits.

They did realize that curses could be lifted…

…how, they didn’t know. And after almost ninety years, they were still clueless as to how they could find a way to rest.

“So,” said the one, who looked physically oldest. “You do realize what this means…”

They looked at him.

“What do you expect us to do about it Raphael?” asked another one. “We thought that the Orichalcos was gone… finished… kaput… history…”

“Congratulations, Valon, you can use a thesaurus,” said the third.

“Alister, I never found your jokes funny,” said Raphael. “And we’ve got to try to do something! Need I remind you that we helped start all this? Russell was incredibly lucky to win that duel… If he hadn’t drawn Gilford when he did…”

Alister gave a sad look, and reached into his pocket. He took out a battered old action figure…

He must have been the only one on Earth who remembered the Dyna Dude line of toys that had been cancelled decades ago.

Whoever had put this curse on him had been nice enough to let him keep it. When he knew he was dying, he had hoped he would see his brother again… But that was denied him. His brother was likely in Heaven, separated from him just as much as he always was. This toy was the last thing he had to remember his smiling face… His laugh that had never wavered, even in the destruction of a war-zone…

Valon leaned his head in his hands.

“I miss Mai…” he moaned.

“Here we go…” groaned Alister.

“Still obsessing over Mai,” grumbled Raphael. “Valon, you ever stop to think that maybe she’s the reason we’re in this mess?”

“What makes you say that?” asked Valon.

“Well, something about the way she screamed at you and said she hoped that even Hell wouldn’t take you in,” he answered. “That kind of set off a few bells.”

Valon’s face fell into a sulk.

“What did Wheeler have that I didn’t?” he asked.

“Well, let’s see,” said Alister. “He was honest, honorable, trustworthy, kind, caring, dedicated…”

“Wasn’t a thief…” grumbled Raphael.

“…wasn’t a thief,” continued Alister, “and might I add, he was a better duelist than you, because he kicked your armor-plated ass!”

“He got lucky!” snapped Valon. “I was smarter and handsomer…”

“Handsomer, questionable,” said Raphael. “As for smarter, do you know what I think? I think Joey just played dumb to fool his opponents. He was very intelligent.”

“And about that crack about me being a thief…” added Valon.

“You stole my Guardian Treasure card to give to Mai!” snapped Raphael. “Heck, why didn’t you just ask for it? It wasn’t as if I was ever going to duel again.”

“Well I wasn’t that bad a duelist…” muttered Valon.

“Please, your Armor Monsters were a joke…” muttered Alister.

“And I suppose your Action Figure Monsters were any better?” shouted Valon. “Name one other duelist who uses a deck based on toys!”

“They’re no sillier than Pegasus’s dumb Toon Monsters!” protested Valon. “Dear God, I can’t believe I actually used his stupid cards…”

“Both your decks were stupid,” grumbled Raphael.

They stared at him.

“And I suppose you think you’re the world’s best duelist just because you beat the Pharaoh?” asked Alister. “Maybe you did the first time, but he kicked your Guardians good the second time.”

“People, let’s focus!” shouted Raphael.

He paused.

“When we were the Three Swordsmen of Dartz, I was designated as the leader… We may have left that title behind, but I’m still the best one to lead this group.”

“Lead us to what, oh great leader?” asked Valon. “We’re ghosts… We aren’t even very powerful ghosts like the ones in Poltergeist. We’re weak! If we were Duel Monsters, Joey’s Swordsman of Landstar would take us out.

“We can’t even duel anymore… We can’t pick up a Disk…”

“We know a few tricks…” said Raphael. “And we have to try with all our might to help anyone who these new users of the Orichalcos target.

“Consider this…

“Timaeus, Critias, and Hermos may well show their faces soon. Maybe if we aid the new Chosen Ones when they do, this curse will be lifted…

“…and then we’ll finally be able to rest…”

Alister looked at the action figure in his hand.

“So where do we start?” he asked.

Raphael turned towards NYC Duel Academy…



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


The next morning at the Ra dining hall, everyone was scrambling to get the blueberry pancakes before they were gone. Rosa tried to assure everyone that there was plenty.

As Jason, Trisha, and Russell took their trays to a table, Dr. Artemis’s voice sounded over the loudspeaker.

“Attention all students,” she said. “Everyone come to the main auditorium at nine AM for a mandatory assembly. I will explain why there.”

“What do you suppose she wants?” asked Trisha.

Jason grimaced. When Dr. Artemis called an assembly, it was rarely good news.



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


The auditorium was used for the same reason most auditoriums were used for – plays, concerts, speeches, and in this case, assemblies. The students weren’t looking forward to what Dr. Artemis was going to say, but when she told you to do something, you did it, no questions asked. Dr. Artemis was a person who deserved respect and got it from others willingly – she never had to run the school through intimidation (though she would if she had to).

The students started piling in, as she watched from the podium. The dorm supervisors took attendance.

“All right…” said Artemis. “Marcus?”

“All Slifer students present,” said one of the Slifer supervisors.

“Ben?” she asked.

“All Ra students present,” answered Old Ben.

“Dr. Franct?”

“All Obelisk students present,” answered the Obelisk supervisor.

“Very well,” said Artemis, speaking into a microphone. “Anyway, people, I’ll be brief. Something has come up that has required a change in the curfew rules until further notice…”

There was a dead silence.

“From now on,” she said, “no students are to be away from campus after nine PM on Fridays and Saturdays, and not after seven PM on other nights.”

Groans came from the crowd.

“I know you likely want an explanation,” she said. “But I can only say that I’m doing it for your own…”

“I dare you to tell them the whole reason!” shouted a voice.

Everyone gasped.

No one ever dared interrupt Dr. Artemis…

Then someone stood up in the aisle…

“No…” whispered Trisha.

Artemis’s eyes narrowed.

“Patrick…” she said. “I thought I told you that you weren’t welcome here anymore…”

The young man with a boyish face, the same hair color as Trisha, and dressed in a duster and jeans started to walk up to the stage.

“Yeah, but I got homesick,” he said. “Decided to pay a visit…”

“Patrick, please…” urged Trisha.

“Quiet, Trisha!” he snapped. “You told me that as far as you were concerned, I was dead, remember?”

“You want me to call security?” asked one of Artemis’s aides.

Artemis looked at the strange Duel Disk on Patrick’s left arm.

“No, I’d rather hear this…” she said.

Patrick walked up to her.

“So what do you want?” she asked.

“This…” said Patrick, taking off his leather glove.

And then the crowd gasped as he slapped her across the face with it!

“I believe that was the way a duel challenge was issued in medieval times…” he said.

Murmurs broke out among the crowd.

“Why on earth do you want to duel me?” asked Artemis.

“Why else?” asked Patrick. “To humiliate you! Just as I was humiliated when I was expelled.”

“Typical…” said Artemis. “When a student breaks the rules and is expelled, he blames the chancellor, he blames the teachers, he blames the other students, he blames everyone except the one person who’s truly at fault…

“…himself…”

“This is stupid,” said Jason. “Dr. Artemis has nothing to prove. She’ll never accept this…”

“You’re on!” said Artemis.

Everyone gasped.

“I’ll meet you at the Arena in one hour,” she continued. “Everyone who wants to watch is welcome.”

“Not gonna miss this,” said one student.

“For sure,” said another.

Oh, Patrick… thought Trisha. What are you planning?



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


Fortunado was sipping a Bloody Mary in his penthouse.

Suddenly, Cassius, Cleo, and Sebastian rushed in.

“Uh, sir?” said Cassius, nervously. “We got word from our spy… Patrick has just issued his challenge…”

“Oh? To who?” he asked.

“Uh… well… Dr. Artemis…” answered Cassius.

Fortunado spit out the mouthful he had just drank in shock.

“WHAT?” he shouted.

He closed his fist, and the glass shattered.

“Oh, that will require a Band-Aid…” he muttered.

As Cleo went to get the first aid kit, Fortunado slumped in his chair.

“Well,” he muttered. “This calls for a slight change in this scene’s script…

“Change the title from ‘Villain’s Fiery Quest For Vengeance’…

“…to ‘Downfall of a Fool’…”



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


The Arena started to fill up.

“Jason, have you ever seen Dr. Artemis duel?” asked Russell.

“No, never,” he answered. “I have no idea what her deck is like.”

“I might have an idea,” said Old Ben, who was sitting behind them.

“See, since she was a little girl, she’s been a practitioner of the Japanese art of Jujitsu. She’s a tenth degree black belt in it now. Jujitsu is a defensive martial art, where the fighter uses her opponent’s attacks against him. She told me that she built a Jujitsu Deck, to symbolize her talent.

“But what that means exactly, I have no idea…”

Trisha watched with a concerned look as Patrick walked onto the Arena. Artemis was waiting, wearing a Duel Bandoleer.

“Nice Disk,” said Patrick, sarcastically.

“If you had reached the top, you would have gotten one,” said Artemis. “But sadly, your dishonorable ways prevented it…”

Four security guards stepped up on the corners.

“They will make sure there is no cheating on your part,” she continued, “and if you think I’ll let you touch my deck, you are sadly mistaken.”

“Fine,” said Patrick. “Then let’s get on with it.”

He lifted his arm, and the sinister Duel Disk activated…

“No…” gasped Trisha. “Patrick, you didn’t…”

Artemis gestured, and five cards slipped out of the deck holder on her chest. She looked them over.

“Ladies first,” said Patrick, with a grin.

“Then it’s time to duel,” said Artemis.



[B](Artemis: 8,000) (Patrick: 8,000)


Artemis gestured again, and another card flew into her hand.

“Very well,” she said, placing a card on her Disk. “I’ll place a Monster in Defense, and one card facedown.”

A facedown Monster appeared, followed by a facedown card.

“And that will end my turn,” she said.

“And here I come!” said Patrick, drawing a card.

He threw a card on his Disk.

“I summon Mechanicalchaser in Attack Mode,” he exclaimed.

The spindly, spherical Machine appeared, raising its arms. (1,850/800)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/TP3-003.jpg


“Attack!” he shouted.

Mechanicalchaser flew forward…

And a huge, blocky statue shaped like a face appeared. Mechanicalchaser slammed into it and fell back. (300/2,000)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/AST-014.jpg


“Your Machine ran smack into Stone Statue of the Aztecs,” said Artemis. “And due to its effect, you lose twice the usual Life Points you normally would have.”



[B](A: 8,000) (P: 7,700)


“All right, you win round one,” muttered Patrick. “I’ll place a card facedown, and that will end my turn.”

He fit a card into a slot, and it appeared.

“I take it his deck is just like yours?” asked Russell.

“In a few ways,” said Trisha, sadly. “But he uses a few different strategies…”

Artemis drew another card.

“I play a Spell Card,” she said, “and you can tell it’s a Continuous one, because it has the word ‘Continuous’ in the name. It’s called Continuous Destruction Punch.”

She placed it in her Disk, and a card appeared, bearing the image of a boxer being knocked senseless by Des Kangaroo.

“And what does that do?” asked Patrick.

“Didn’t you ever study?” asked Artemis. “When this card is in effect, if you attack a Monster in Defense Mode whose Defense is too high, you won’t only lose Life Points, you’ll lose the Monster that attacks.

“My turn is over.”

“All right…” said Patrick, drawing a card. “I’m playing a Spell Card of my own. It’s called Reasoning.”

He played the card.

“That means…”

“I know how it works,” interrupted Artemis. “Who has the Doctorate in Dueling here? I have to state one number, and then you pick up cards until you reach a Monster. If it’s the star level of the number I named, you discard it. Otherwise, you Special Summon it.

“And the number I choose to state is four, seeing as the majority of Monsters in a deck are of that star level.”

“Well, let’s see,” said Patrick, going to his deck.

He took the cards.

“Spell Card, Trap Card, Spell Card…”

He laughed!

“Joke’s on you! I just drew a seven-star Monster!”

He threw it on his Disk.



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“So meet the Land Ironclad TM-1… Launcher Spider!”

With a burst of flame, a mechanical spider with rocket launchers on its back appeared! (2,200/2,500)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/MRD-EN095.jpg


“That has to be the most pathetic seven-star I’ve ever seen,” said Artemis. “Don’t forget, you now have to discard those three other cards…”

“Oh, really?” said Patrick, discarding them. “True, but I was prepared…”

His facedown card lifted.

“I activate Disgraceful Charity.”

A winged form flew out of the card…

“That’s Marie the Fallen One!” exclaimed Nadia.

Marie shot a bolt of energy at Patrick’s Disk, and the three cards fell back out.

“When this Trap is activated, both players get back all the cards they discarded during the round from card effects,” said Patrick, adding them to his hand.

“And now, just as soon as my Spider takes care of your Statue,” he said, “Mechanicalchaser is going to take care of you! Launcher Spider, attack Stone Statue of the Aztecs with shock rocket attack!”

The Machine’s missile launcher opened, and a barrage of missiles blasted forward…

“I activate Castle Walls!” shouted Artemis, as her Trap Card lifted. “This increases the Defense of my Monster by 500.”

“Ulp…” muttered Patrick.

The missiles fell back on themselves…

“And thanks to my Continuous Destruction Punch…” she continued.

Launcher Spider exploded!



[B](A: 8,000) (P: 7,100)


“This is fun!” laughed Artemis. “I should really get out of that stuffy office more!”

“I’ll place a card facedown, and end my turn,” said Patrick, setting a card.

A facedown card appeared.

“Artemis is dancing circles around him, and she hasn’t even declared an attack yet!” exclaimed Ansel.

“She’s just getting started,” said Sersei. “I’ve heard she has an incredibly rare card… One of those Special Summon-only Monsters.”

Artemis drew a card.

“I activate Dust Tornado!” shouted Patrick. “And I’ll take out your Continuous Destruction Punch!”

His Trap Card lifted, and the tornado blew across the field, shattering the Spell Card.

Artemis didn’t seem to care.

“I sacrifice my Stone Statue to summon the mighty Hieracosphinx in Attack Mode,” she said, switching cards.

The Stone Statue vanished, and a larger statue appeared. It had the body of a lion with wings, and the head of a hawk. (2,400/1,200)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/TLM-EN012.jpg


“Hieracosphinx, crush Mechanicalchaser,” she ordered. “Pummeling pounce.”

Hieracosphinx leapt up, and crushed the Machine.



[B](A: 8,000) (P: 6,550)


“And my turn is hardly over,” she said, taking a card from her hand. “I now summon a creature so powerful, that the only way to summon it is to sacrifice a sphinx Monster. So I sacrifice Hieracosphinx…”

Hieracosphinx vanished.

“And I summon Exxod, Master of the Guard, in Defense Mode.”

An enormous creature arose in front of Artemis. It was a huge golden statue, with a face resembling a tutan mask, and a radiant disk on its back. It shielded itself in Defense Mode. (0/4,000)



http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/c162/shriek5/sd7/sd7-jp001.jpg


“Four-thousand Defense Points?” gasped James.

“It looks like… Exodia!” gasped Malvolio.

“True,” said Artemis. “This statue was indeed modeled after the great bound deity Exodia the Forbidden One. But there is a big difference… Exodia is unstoppable… Exxod, on the other hand, prides himself on being immovable. The perfect guardian.

“It’s… your move…”

Patrick drew a card.

“Perfect…” he snickered. “With this little card, you won’t only lose the duel…”

His Field Slot opened.

“…you’ll lose your very soul! I play the Seal of Orichalcos!”

He played the card, and the lights dimmed. The cursed Seal surrounded them, and the four security guards screamed as they were thrown backwards!

Patrick cackled as the Seal appeared on his forehead.

“What’s happening?” shouted Old Ben.

“It’s nothing to be concerned about, people!” said Artemis. “He’s playing an illegal card, but I’ll finish the duel nonetheless…”

“Why don’t you just tell them, doctor?” laughed Patrick. “You don’t have a choice!”

“Seal or no Seal, I’ll still defeat you,” said Artemis. “Have you forgotten that even with that card, Exxod has a Defense more powerful than the Attack of anything you likely have in your deck?”

“If it’s an illegal card,” asked Nadia, “why did his Disk even register it?”

Patrick placed a card on his Disk.

“I’ll defend myself with Battle Footballer,” he said.

The android football player appeared, and the Seal appeared in its forehead. (1,000/2,100) –> (1,500/2,100)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/DCR-001.jpg


“Next, I’ll place a card facedown and end my turn…” he said.

He played a card, and a facedown card appeared.

Just try to attack, he thought. My Widespread Ruin will make you sorry…

“The Seal doesn’t make you a better duelist, Patrick,” said Artemis, drawing a card. “It makes you even more pathetic… Relying on broken cards in a vain attempt to bully others… You’ll only be more of a loser.”

“We’ll see who the loser is…” he warned.

“I place one card facedown,” she said, “and I summon Grave Ohja in Defense Mode.”

First, a facedown card appeared. Then a statue made of onyx with thick limbs, claws, and a head resembling a tutan mask appeared, and knelt in Defense Mode. (1,600/1,500)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/TLM-EN017.jpg


What’s she doing? thought Patrick. Nothing but defending?

He drew a card.

“I summon Acrobat Monkey in Defense Mode,” he stated.

He placed a card on his Disk, and a robotic monkey made of shiny metal appeared. (1,000/1,800) –> (1,500/1,800)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/DCR-003.jpg


“Very well,” said Artemis, drawing a card.

“I place a Monster facedown in Defense Mode,” she stated.

A facedown Monster appeared.

“Now allow me to explain this setup,” she said. “The facedown Monster I just set is one that I can return to facedown Defense Mode after flipping it face up. Also, Grave Ohja cannot be attacked so long as I have a facedown Monster on the field. Also, whenever I flip it face-up, Grave Ohja will drain you of 300 Life Points.

“And to make sure you don’t destroy my facedown Monster, I play Messenger of Peace.”

She played a Spell Card, and a pious holy man appeared.

“For the low price of only 100 Life Points per round, no Monsters with 1,500 Attack Points or more are allowed to attack. So the powerful asset you thought you had with the Seal of Orichalcos is now a liability.

“I end my turn.”

Patrick drew a card.

“I sacrifice Acrobat Monkey to summon Machine King!” he shouted.

Acrobat Monkey shattered, and the huge robot appeared. Its eyes glowed with evil light as the Seal branded on its forehead. (2,200/2,000) –> (2,900/2,000)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/db2-en099.jpg


“I’ll find a way to break up your combo soon!” he threatened. “And due to your own Messenger of Peace, you can’t destroy him either!”

“Can I?” said Artemis, drawing a card. “I draw. And I pay 100 Life Points to keep Messenger of Peace…

“And I flip my facedown Monster into Attack Mode. Reveal… Medusa Worm.”

The card flipped up, and an ugly, serpentine worm made of rock appeared. (500/600)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/TLM-EN022.jpg


“Now I can destroy one of your Monsters,” she continued.

Medusa Worm shot a ray of energy at Machine King. It turned to stone and shattered.

“And now, Grave Ohja’s effect…”

Grave Ohja’s eyes glowed, and he blasted a ray of energy at Patrick. He cringed.

“And I forgot to mention,” she said. “Every time I Flip-Summon an Earth Attribute Monster, Exxod will blast away 1,000 more of your Life Points.”

Exxod’s eyes glowed…

Then it blasted a ray of burning energy at Patrick, and he screamed!



[B](A: 7,900) (P: 5,250)


“Now I’ll activate Medusa Worm’s other effect, flipping it back into facedown Defense Mode.”

Medusa Worm was replaced by a facedown card.

“And I’ll place another Monster in Defense Mode, ending my turn.”

Another facedown Monster appeared.

“My brother’s an idiot,” said Trisha, shaking his head. “Well, good riddance Patrick. I never liked you much anyway…”

Patrick drew a card.

“I play Graceful Charity,” he stated.

He played the card, and the beautiful angel appeared in front of him. He drew three cards.

He looked them over and discarded two.

“Now, I play Heavy Storm!” he shouted, playing the card.

A storm whipped over the field. His Widespread Ruin and her Messenger of Peace shattered.

“Why didn’t that card destroy his Seal card?” asked Malvolio.

“It isn’t that simple…” muttered Russell.

“Now I play Brain Control,” he said, playing the card. “Since I don’t even know if that will work on your Guard, I’ll pay 800 Life Points to use it on Grave Ohja.”

The fiendish brain appeared, and its two ghostly hands grabbed Grave Ohja.

“And now I’ll sacrifice it and Battle Footballer to summon Perfect Machine King!”

The two Monsters vanished, and the evolved form of Machine King appeared, glowing with evil light as the Seal branded to it. (2,700/1,700) –> (3,200/1,700)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/RDS-EN012.jpg


“Perfect Machine King, take out her Medusa Worm!” he ordered. “Mega missile assault!”

Perfect Machine King blasted a barrage of missiles, and Medusa Worm was blown to pebbles!



[B](A: 7,900) (P: 4,450)


“What do you say to that?” he asked.

“I say you’re an idiot,” said Artemis, drawing a card. “Brain Control would have affected Exxod just fine.

“I play Pot of Greed, which, as I’m sure even you know, allows me to draw twice.”

She played the card, and then gestured over her vest. Two cards slipped out of her deck.

She looked over them.

“Next I’ll move Exxod into Attack Mode…”

Exxod, Master of the Guard rose up.

“But it has zero Attack Points!” shouted Patrick.

“Not for long,” said Artemis. “I play one of Joey Wheeler’s favorite Spell Cards. The reverse polarity power of Shield and Sword.”

She played the card.

“Now, the Attack and Defense of all Monsters on the field… switch…”

Exxod’s stats became (4,000/0), while Perfect Machine King’s became (1,700/3,200)

“Exxod, destroy Perfect Machine King!” she shouted. “Monolith blast!”

Exxod’s eyes glowed, and it shot a burning beam of energy, vaporizing the Machine!

“I’ll end by placing one card facedown,” she said.

A facedown card appeared. Exxod’s stats returned to normal.



[B](A: 7,900) (P: 2,150)


“Wow, Dr. Artemis can sure duel!” exclaimed Trisha.

“Yes, but that facedown card had better be something good,” said Jason. “Exxod is now in Attack Mode, and its Attack is zero.”

Patrick growled as he drew a card.

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

“Fine,” answered Artemis. “I get more cards too.”

They each drew until they held six cards.

“Perfect!” stated Patrick. “First I’ll place two cards facedown…”

He threw two cards into slots.

“Then I’ll use… Emergency Provisions to send them to the Graveyard and gain 2,000 Life Points.”

He played the card, and a huge mouth appeared and sucked in the cards.

“Next, I’ll play Monster Reborn, to bring back Perfect Machine King.”

He played the card, and the mighty Machine appeared on the ankh. (2,700/1,700) –> (3,200/1,700)

“And now…” he said, “well, it may be a little early for Christmas, but I’m going to play one of my favorite Spell Cards… Nutcracker Suite.”

“Nutcracker Suite?” said Russell. “What does that do?”

“I’ve seen him play it,” said Trisha. “He gets to pay Life Points, and for every 200 he pays, he gets to summon a Nutcracker Token in Defense Mode.”

“And I’ll spend 1,800 Life Points!” he laughed, playing the card.

First, two wooden soldiers with huge jaws, armed with wooden swords appeared to either side of Perfect Machine King. Then five more appeared behind them! They were every color of the rainbow, and they knelt on one knee. All nine of them were branded with the Seal! (0/0 x9) –> (500/0 x9)



[B](A: 7,900) (P: 2,350)


“Ten Monsters?” gasped Ansel. “This is the most broken Field Card I have ever seen!”

“And now that I have nine other Machines on the field,” laughed Patrick, “primitive Machines, but Machines nonetheless, well, just look at my King…”

Perfect Machine King’s Attack Score grew to 7,700!

“Go! Attack Exxod, Master of the Guard!”

Perfect Machine King’s missile hatches opened…

“I activate my Trap Card!” shouted Artemis.

Her Trap lifted.

“It’s called Shift,” she stated. “Now I can reroute your attack towards my facedown Monster.”

The missiles blasted forward, and Magician of Faith appeared on the card. She screamed and was incinerated.

“Now I can recover a Spell Card from my Graveyard,” she continued.

A card slipped out of her discard slot, and she took it.

“Fine, it’s your move…” said Patrick.

Artemis drew a card.

“I’ll place one card facedown, and move Exxod back into Defense Mode,” she said.

Exxod crouched in Defense, and a facedown card appeared.

“Your move…”

“Strange…” muttered Jason. “Wasn’t that card she got back from Magician of Faith her Shield and Sword? She could have destroyed Perfect Machine King and reduced him to 50 Life Points if it was.”

“I guess it wasn’t…” said Russell.

Patrick drew.

“Well, I can still break your statue and do you some serious damage,” he said. “I move all my Nutcrackers to Attack Mode…”

The Nutcrackers stood up and raised their swords.

“Perfect Machine King, attack!”

The Machine blasted its missiles again…

“You’re a fool…” said Artemis.

Her facedown card lifted.

Mirror Force appeared, and all ten of the Machines were blown to pieces!

Patrick shuddered.

“You won’t get a free shot at me!” he shouted, playing a Spell Card. “Nightmare’s Steelcage!”

In an eruption of fire, an iron cage formed around Artemis and Exxod.

“I’ll end my turn there…”

Artemis paused.

“I draw one card…” she muttered.

She looked at the card.

There, the card I need to end this… she thought. But I can’t use it just yet…

She added it to her hand.

“I pass for this turn…”

Patrick drew.

“I play my Pot of Greed,” he said.

He played the card, and drew two cards, bringing his hand size up to three.

I have the cards I need to bring out my ultimate weapon, he thought. Now all I need is a good Monster…



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“I pass as well,” he said.

Artemis drew.

“As will I,” she said.

The Nightmare’s Steelcage crumbled.

Patrick drew a card.

“Now it ends…” he said in a sinister voice.

He played a Spell Card.

“I play Silent Doom,” he said. “Now I can raise Launcher Spider from the Graveyard in Defense Mode.”

Launcher Spider appeared, shielding itself with its claws. (2,200/2,500) –> (2,700/2,500)

“Next I summon… Mighty Guard.”

He played the card, and a robot with gears for joints appeared. (500/1,200) –> (1,000/1,200)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/RDS-EN002.jpg


“And finally…” he said, “I play Final Power Surge!”

“Huh?” asked Artemis. “What does that do?”

“It’s a Ritual Card,” laughed Patrick. “One that will summon the mightiest Machine in my arsenal…

“Your carbon copy of Exodia may be good at the defense, but I have one who has a much better offense!”

A huge, scale-like device appeared on the field, crackling with electricity. The two Monsters appeared on it.

“I now have to sacrifice at least ten stars worth of Monsters…” he said.

The two Monsters and the infernal scale vanished…

…and a hulking form started to rise out of the ground…

“Arise…” he said. “Come forth, mighty [B]Mechanical Exodia!”

The huge Machine in front of Artemis looked more or less like someone had built a robot in the image of Exodia the Forbidden One. Trisha remembered a painful duel in her Freshman year where she had lost when a student had assembled Exodia – this creature looked like the unstoppable golden deity, only steel instead of gold. (2,000/2,000)

And the cursed Seal branded on its forehead!

“In addition to the bonus from the Seal, it gains the base Attack Scores of the Monsters I sacrificed to summon it,” laughed Patrick.

(5,200/2,000)

“Now my beast could flatten Obelisk the Tormentor himself!” he cackled. “And even Slifer the Sky Dragon if the duelist using him didn’t have more than five cards in his hand!

“No Traps to protect you this time…”

“Mechanical Exodia, destroy Exxod!” he shouted. “Beam of obliteration!”

The Machine blasted forth a ball of pure darkness, and Exxod, Master of the Guard was blown to gravel!

“Where did Patrick get that thing?” shouted Jason.

“You’re asking me?” gasped Trisha.

Dr. Artemis stared at her opponent for a minute…

“My move…” she said.

She drew a card.

“I summon Giant Soldier of Stone in Defense Mode,” she said, placing a card on her Disk.

The huge statue appeared, crouching in Defense. (1,300/2,000)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/SYE-010.jpg


“You think that overgrown pile of pebbles can protect you?” laughed Patrick.

He drew a card.

“Look what I got!” he said. “I summon Overdrive in Attack Mode!”

He placed a card on his Disk, and a rugged tank with a turret appeared. (1,600/1,500) –> (2,100/1,500)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/PSV-EN060.jpg


“No…” gasped Jason.

“Take out her Soldier!” shouted Patrick. “Turret blast!”

Overdrive blasted its cannon, and Giant Soldier of Stone was smashed to pieces.

“Mechanical Exodia…” he ordered.

The horrible Machine powered up its beam.

“…attack directly!”

Artemis screamed as the mighty attack hit her! She fell to her knees.



[B](A: 2,700) (P: 2,350)


Artemis gasped for breath as smoke rose from her torso…

“Oh, did that hurt?” asked Patrick, sarcastically. “Did I give you an owie?”

“You’re insane…” muttered Artemis.

“Am I?” asked Patrick.

“There’s a fine line between normality… and insanity. Becoming a great duelist was my dream… Being expelled ruined it.

“You know what separates a madman from a normal person? Only one rotten day! That’s all it takes for a normal person to snap.

“My rotten day happened when I was kicked out of this school, so if I’m truly mad, you’re the one who… blew my fuse.”

“How many times must I say this, Patrick?” she replied, angrily. “How many times must I say it before it sinks in? You were a cheater. You rigged the shuffling of your opponents’ decks. Is it my fault that you violated the most important rules that the founders of this school set up?

“And now you’ve only made your situation worse by siding with forbidden power. You can blame me all you like, but it doesn’t change the fact that you dug your own grave.”

“I refuse to accept that…” growled Patrick.

“Unfortunately, your refusal to accept it does not change the fact,” said Artemis.

“I refuse to accept that too!” he shouted.

“Unfortunately,” said Artemis, “your refusal to accept the fact that your refusal does not change the fact also does not change the fact that you dug your own grave.”

Patrick looked at her.

“Fine, I’ll accept that…” he growled. “But it doesn’t matter. YOU don’t matter. In a minute or so, you won’t even be matter. You’ll still lose this duel, and your soul will be mine.”

“We’ll see,” growled Artemis. “I believe… it’s my move…”

“Then make it,” mocked Patrick. “It will be your final move…”

Artemis got up and glared at him.

She drew a card.

“I place one card facedown on the field…” she said.

She set the card, and it appeared.

“And I’ll summon another Stone Statue of the Aztecs in Defense Mode,” she said.

Another Stone Statue appeared. (300/2,000)

“A fighter to the end, huh?” said Patrick. “Well now it truly ends…”

He drew a card.

“I activate… Ring of Destruction!” shouted Artemis.

Her Trap Card lifted, and the ring of grenades appeared around Mechanical Exodia’s neck!

“Huh?” said Patrick. “But that means…”

“She’s forcing a draw!” shouted Jason.

“Yes…” said Artemis. “Mechanical Exodia will be blown to bits, and we’ll both lose 5,200 Life Points.

“And while the Seal of Orichalcos would just love to consume both of us, I know that it simply can’t…

“So it’s not going to take either of us!”

With a deafening burst, Mechanical Exodia exploded, and both of them were thrown back! The Seal vanished!



[B](A: 0) (P: 0)


When the light came back, Artemis was down on one knee, panting for breath, and Patrick was flat on his back.

Artemis slowly picked up her cards and got up. She walked over to her opponent.

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

Artemis gave him a stern look.

“Don’t look at me like that!” laughed Patrick. “I didn’t win, but you couldn’t beat me either! You had no choice but to force a draw!”

“Oh, really?” asked Artemis. “Actually, I did have a choice… I had this other Trap Card in my hand, but I didn’t set it…”

She showed him the card…

Barrel Behind the Door.

“That Trap…” muttered Patrick, in fear.

“If I had set it and triggered it at the same time I triggered Ring of Destruction,” she said, “you’d have lost 10,400 Life Points, I’d have lost none, and you’d have lost. You’d have fallen victim to your own mad trap.”

Patrick stared at her.

“Why?” he asked. “Wh… Why?”

“It wasn’t out of mercy or compassion,” replied Artemis. “Truthfully, I wanted the Seal to take you. But dead men tell no tales, as they say. I needed you and your soul intact. There’s a rogue starting Orichalcos duels, and you’re going to lead us to him. We’re going to stop his plans before they start.

“Security… take him.”

The security guards grabbed Patrick.

“I’ll never tell you anything!” he cursed.

He struggled, but they were too strong for him.

“We’ll soon see,” said Artemis, staring him in the face. “I can be a very persuasive bitch when I want to...”

She picked up the Seal of Orichalcos card that had fallen to the floor. She reached into her pocket.

“And as for this thing, Patrick…” she added.

She lifted a cigarette lighter and flicked it on, setting the card on fire. It quickly burned.



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


In Fortunado’s penthouse, an expensive vase smashed against the wall.

Fortunado howled in anger as his fist shattered a coffee table. His rage was so great, Cassius, Sebastian, and Cleo looked ready to run.

“Boss, calm down!” pleaded Cleo. “Remember your blood pressure! Need I remind you that these are your things that you’re destroying?”

Fortunado growled.

He slumped in a chair.

“If Patrick tells Artemis where he came from, our secrecy will be a thing of the past…” he muttered.

“Maybe Patrick won’t talk…” suggested Cassius with a shrug.

“I’ve seen her crack tougher nuts than him…” he moaned, clutching his forehead.

“You want us to bust Patrick out of their detention center?” suggested Sebastian.

Fortunado paused.

“You guys are helpless without your cards,” he said. “Artemis will keep him under tightest security… If even a lawyer wants to see him, he’ll be searched to the skin. No normal cards or Disks will get anywhere near him, let alone Orichalcos ones…”

He picked up a cell phone.

“We need a different plan…”

He dialed a number.

“Get me Alphonse…”



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


Several hours later, Sersei was walking to her dorm.

That stupid Anthony, she thought. Telling me to meet him at a private spot to make out and then never showing up.

Boy, a lot has happened today…

Then she saw that her path was blocked by a dark figure.

He was short, and dressed in a dark robe and hood.

“A little early for Halloween, isn’t it?” she asked.

“Dunno,” he said in a raspy voice. “I dress better than those skanks in your deck…”

Sersei drew back.

“My Harpies are NOT skanks!” she shouted.

“Then prove it,” he said, raising one of the black Duel Disks. “Duel…”



Monday, September 13th, 2106, 4:10 PM



DISGRACEFUL CHARITY (Trap Card)

Card Specs

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

Image: Marie the Fallen One’s visage, with a card between her two claws.

Card Description: Both players recover all cards they discarded from card effects during the current turn.

Note: “Disgraceful Charity” was first used by Yugi in the multi-part anime episode “Clash in the Coliseum”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



SILENT DOOM (Spell Card)

Card Specs

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

Image: A hand with a glowing light in the palm.

Card Description: Special Summon one Normal Monster from your Graveyard in face-up Defense Mode. The Special Summoned Monster cannot declare an attack for as long as it remains on the field.

Note: “Silent Doom” is a Japanese card that has not yet been released in the United States. It was used many times in the anime (where it could be used to Special Summon any Monster), originally by Kaiba in “A Duel With Destiny”.



NUTCRACKER SUITE (Spell Card)

Card Specs

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

Image: A Christmas nutcracker surrounded by holly leaves and sugar plums.

Card Description: Pay as many Life Points as you desire, in increments of 200. For every 200 Life Points you pay, Special Summon one “Nutcracker Token” in Defense Position (Machine/Earth/1 star/0 ATK/0 DEF). “Nutcracker Tokens” cannot be used as Tributes for a Tribute Summon.



FINAL POWER SURGE (Spell Card)

Card Specs

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

Image: A scale-like device, crackling with energy.

Card Description: This card is used to Ritual Summon “Mechanical Exodia”. You must also offer Monsters as Tribute whose total level stars equal ten or more from the field or your hand.



MECHANICAL EXODIA (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Machine/Ritual/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 10
ATK: 2,000
DEF: 2,000

Card Description: This robotic version of the unstoppable Exodia must have been designed in the mind of a madman. This Monster is Ritual Summoned by the Ritual Spell Card “Final Power Surge”. You must also offer Monsters as Tribute whose total levels equal ten or more from the field or your hand. Increase the base ATK of this Monster by the base ATK of the Monsters used as Tribute to activate the Ritual Card used to summon it.

Note: “Final Power Surge” and “Mechanical Exodia” first appeared in “Shadow Realm: Fifteen” by Master of Paradox. All creative credit goes to him. Used with permission.



Artemis’s Jujitsu Deck

Since she began to learn the ancient Japanese art of Jujitsu, Dr. Andorra Artemis has believed that the best offense is a powerful defense. Thus, her deck strategy reflects that. Similar to Jujitsu, most of her strategy involves staying on the defensive and letting her opponent do himself it.

Her deck contains three copies each of Hieracosphinx and Grave Ohja, and many Monsters that can be reverted to facedown position after being flipped face-up. This can put opponents in a near-unbreakable lock where they lose Life Points slowly but surely. Also in her deck are two copies of the incredibly rare Exxod, Master of the Guard, who can only be Special Summoned by sacrificing a sphinx – this Monster, nearly unbeatable in Defense Mode, adds even more firepower to her flipping combos.

Contrary to belief, there are offensive moves in Jujitsu (mostly throws and locks), so Artemis also has three copies of Shield and Sword in her deck. Using this card while Exxod is on the field can punish a foe with a mighty blast that has 4,000 Attack Points behind it, which is nothing to scoff at. Her other Spells and Traps take advantage of her defensive nature. Castle Walls and Continuous Destruction Punch can destroy a powerful Monster by surprise.

The vast majority of her Monsters are Rock Monsters, but this seems to be the nature of defense. Stone is solid, so it is naturally good at defending. Strangely, Artemis does not truly have the card Legendary Jujitsu Master in her deck, but she keeps this card in her side deck to remind her of its origins. (She also once said that it reminded her of her original sensei, who is long since retired.)



[B][I]Coming up next…

If you think Sersei is in trouble, you’re right!

Next chapter, a turning point in the story. One of the heroes faces a duelist who uses a deck that mirrors one of the most memorable villains from GX’s second season. The road towards the coming of the Dark Messiah begins in earnest.

Don’t miss “Vengeful Bog Spirit”, coming soon.

[Dark Sage]

I should probably add...

If any of you want to build a deck using Dr. Artemis's favorite card, "Exxod, Master of the Guard", wait until next month, when the Invincible Fortress Structure Deck comes out. He'll be in it.

[Shuppet Master]

Man, Patrick is a son of a...

Well, that was a great duel, and it shows that you can't expect to get away with harassing a Chancellor and getting away with it. :)

A deck from the White Organization's arc? This should be good! :)

[Silencer]

The madness of Patrick didn't come over alot. So I was kinda confused when he said Dr. Artemis blew his fuse...

[jkBAKURA]

For those of you who felt a tremmor earlier, that would have been the impact of my jaw to the ground. Mechanical Exodia's appearance came out of left field.

Other then that, I may be hypocritical, but I don't see why siblings always have to have similar deck themes. The plot here seemed a bit forced, and the entire chapter seemed just to give these two duelists screen time. The result was not altogether a waste of time, however.

I fail to see Juditsu in the Chancelor's theme, but the deck itself is an incredible build that I will definately be looking into. Patrick was two-demensional at best. And was the Heart-Speech really nessicery? If the character isn't going to change this chapter anyway, it just makes another one during his second appearance both inevitable and repeditive.

All in all, I was so much more interested in one compeditor then the other. The duels are good so far, but the plot so far is giving too little to keep me very interested. Though it looks like the next chapter may fix that problem. I'll be watching.

[Inferno_Dragon]

Wow!!! So we see her brother finally. Interesting duel, especially with Mechinical Exodia.

So the next chapter includes a deck similar to a deck used in Yu-Gi-OH GX's Second Season. I haven't seen all of Yu-Gi-Oh GX but I bet I will still be surprised.

Keep up the good work!

[Pokemasterkatie]

SPOILERS FPR THE SECOND SEASON!
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
There are two main villians in the second season--Edo/Aster Phoenix(really more of a mini-villian than anything), who apparently leaves the side of evil...but still doesn't give a damn about Jaden; and Saiou Takuma, the main baddie. Edo uses the Destiny Heroes, and Saiou used a Tarot type deck. We had an E-Hero deck a while ago, so I wouldn't bet on the D-Heroes.
.
.
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END SPOILERS

Artemis forcing a draw was pretty smart...then again, I wouldn't expect any less from this school's principal!;) She paid very good attention to that video!

[Dark Sage]

Katie -

The villain in question is not Edo or Saiou. It's a minor - but memorable villain whom you might be able to guess if you look at the title of the next chapter.

As for Artemis, she didn't become the chancellor of the school by being stupid or being a bad duelist. If anything, Patrick was the one who was stupid.

[Blademaster]

(pant, pant, pant, pant, pant...)

Sorry... I'm late...! Ran here... from school... 12 miles away... lousy incompetent trains... O_O;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

New chapter... Good... Jujitsu Deck... was interesting... Machines... nothing major, but... can't believe... Paradox actually... let you use... one of his ideas... Must be... feeling generous... on birthday...

Awesome new... Monster, that... Exxod... thing... Very abuseable... I bet...

Clueless about... next chapter... Hope is... up soon...

(collapses from exhaustion)

Peace... out...

-Blade

Someone... call hospital...

:dead:

[Mystic_clown]

Hmm, interesting. We hardly ever get to see any good rock decks in these fics.

Why do I get the feeling Patrick's going to DIE before the fics out?

[Dark Sage]

MC,

Good question. And truthfully, I don't know.

I do know that he will participate in one more duel, much later in the story (and he'll use a much different deck). But I have not decided whether he will survive or not.

- Brian

[Perfect Chaos]

Well, this was an OK chapter. Again, as jkBakura pointed out, it didn't seem to give much in plot-wise (although the Chancellor's deck was a nice surprise). It would've also been nice to see if Patrick had used a much different deck-type than what Trisha was using. But I have the next chapter to look forward to anyways.

-Sean

[Shuppet Master]

Blademaster, you shouldn't try to catch up here, this thread would have been waiting for you. *laughs*

Anyways, Exxod is a monster in one of the upcoming structure decks, the Earth structure deck called "The Invincible Fortress." It's mainly a rock deck. Artemis could do well to use that Criosphinx(which I have in real-life) to protect her Medusa Worm. If you don't know what I'm talking about, ask Dark Sage. He's more knowledgable in Duel Monsters than I am.

[Dark Sage]

Since Exxod can only be summoned using sphinx monsters, and a lot of Artemis's strategy uses flipping, she likely had at least one Criosphinx in her deck. Maybe two Hieracosphinx and two Criosphinx. But you can't have too many tribute Monsters in a deck...

[Blademaster]

Blademaster, you shouldn't try to catch up here, this thread would have been waiting for you. *laughs*

......

......

......

......

......

...Shut up.

......

:dead:

[Shuppet Master]

I'm sorry.

[Blademaster]

(has been restored by a kind Samartian [who demanded $20 afterwards])

It was a joke, Shup. Relax. Haven't you learned yet? Everything I say is a joke!

...Except that.

...And that.

And that.

And that, and that, and that, and that, and that, and that, and that, and that, and that, and that, and that, and that, and that, and that, and that, and that, and that, and that, and that, and that, and that, and that...

...

And that.

[Mystic_clown]

...You've been watching Family Guy haven't you?

So Varon, Alistair and Raphael are back huh? Cool, except for the whole, being unforgiven thing. I mean, Marik, Pegesus, they've done much worse (hell, in the manga, Kaiba tried to kill Yugi and the gang a few times). What those three did was nothing.

[Dark Sage]

MC,

It's quite possible that the current condition those three are in is not their fault. It will be explained in an upcoming chapter.

One of them might even get a chance to duel again... You never know...

[Dark Sage]

Before someone brings it up after I post this next chapter, I'd like to point something out.

Yes, this antagonist's deck has three copies of a card that is Limited in the real world, making it an illegal deck.

However, in a world where Pot of Greed, Mirage of Nightmare, and even Monster Reborn are used all the time, I see no reason why this would not be illegal here.

After all, an anime character with a similar deck also had three copies of the same card, and no-one accused her of cheating.

Now that that's out of the way, enjoy the chapter.

[B][I]I’m a fast learner… Twice now, I’ve witnessed the use of a powerful Field Spell Card called The Seal of Orichalcos. Here’s what I know, aside from the fact that it cheats:

Whoever plays it can use more than five Monsters at once. His Monsters gain 500 Attack Points and become Dark Monsters. The card itself cannot be destroyed by standard methods…

And it gets creepier. The card has magical powers. Once it’s used, no-one can enter the arena, and the two duelists cannot leave until the duel is over. Even worse, if what the users say is right, the loser of a duel in which it is used loses his soul. To what or who, I don’t know. The only way both duelists can escape unscathed, as far as I know, is if the duel ends in a draw.

I’m going on a rescue mission, and I just know the danger of this evil card will be a threat…

But strangely, I’m sensing a great power… It’s as if someone is whispering in my ear, like a voice beckoning from the shadows. It’s something good, telling me to have courage, and to face this evil.

Who is this person? Why won’t he show himself?

Whoever you are, show yourself before it’s too late!




[B][size=3]CHAPTER TEN



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LON-EN103.jpg



Monday, September 13th, 2106, 4:15 PM


Sersei was feeling pretty confident right now.

She still had all her Life Points, and had brought her opponent down to half of his. The mountains of Harpie’s Hunting Ground were surrounding her, and four Monsters were on her side of the field: Harpie Lady 1, Harpie Lady 2, Cyber Harpie Lady, and Harpie’s Baby Pet Dragon.

Her opponent only had one Monster on his side of the field in Defense Mode, and it was a pathetic little thing…

…only problem was, she had used all four of her attacks and her Dragon’s effect on it, and it had simply refused to die.

“Give it up, pal,” she said. “You can’t stay hidden behind your little shield forever…”

The hooded stranger drew a card.

“I don’t intend to…” he said.

“Draw a good Monster?” asked Sersei, in a bored voice. “Well fine… Don’t forget, you’re only allowed to attack my Dragon…”

Five minutes later, a scream that was half from pain and half from complete panic echoed over the Obelisk complex…

…it clearly belonged to Sersei…



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


One hour later…

Jason, Trisha, and Russell weren’t saying a word as they sat in the library pouring over books.

“So…” said Russell at last. “Think Dr. Artemis can get your brother to talk?”

“Please…” answered Trisha. “She could have gotten Don Carmelli’s right-hand man to talk.”

If you knew anything about Don Carmelli, you knew that this was likely an exaggeration. Carmelli was the ruler of organized crime in New York City about fifteen years ago. He was into everything; drug dealing, protection, gambling, prostitution, loan sharking, contracts for hire… everything that organized crime did.

Carmelli was eventually caught, along with many of his lieutenants. The trial was a long one, and he was eventually convicted of ordering five murders and other minor charges. He was now serving five consecutive life sentences, and would likely never see daylight again.

But if the prosecution had convicted him on twenty-seven other murders, some of which were more serious, he likely would have gotten the death penalty. However, not many people were willing to testify against him. Carmelli was so influential and so feared, very few figures in organized crime circles would turn against him, not even in exchange for pardons and protection.

Of course, Dr. Artemis was a woman to be feared too. You didn’t want to get on her bad side. Rumors were that once, a disgruntled student had tried to punch her, and she responded by holding him in a lock until security arrived. And she was likely capable of scaring the information out of Patrick.

“Conrad? Moise? Majors?” said a voice.

They looked up and saw the librarian.

“Sorry to disturb you,” he said, “but the Chancellor wants to see you… In the infirmary.”

They all looked at each other.

“Infirmary?” asked Trisha. “I only have a slight cough…”



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


The three students walked into the medical ward, where Dr. Artemis was sitting by a bed, her brow furrowed with worry.

They were shocked to see Sersei lying in it, apparently unconscious.

“Sersei?” said Trisha, surprised. “Dr. Artemis, what happened to her?”

“Her body is alive,” said Artemis, sadly, “but Sersei is somewhere else. Someone lured her into an Orichalcos duel…

“…and she clearly lost…”

“No…” whispered Jason.

“Even worse…” continued Artemis, “whoever did this is having the gall to hold her soul for ransom! This was pinned to her blazer when we found her…”

She handed Jason a sheet of paper. It was a hand-written letter, written in red ink.


[I][B]To Dr. Artemis,

We have taken the soul of this student, but we are merely keeping her in storage for now. Whether she stays that way and is able to return to her body is up to you.

We are willing to trade her for Patrick Moise’s safe return.

At midnight tonight, bring him to the World of Enchantment Aquarium, where we will make the switch. You had best bring Sersei too, to ensure a safe transfer. To make the switch, send the three students who encountered the Orichalcos first.

One warning. At any time, Sersei’s soul can be sacrificed to dark forces. If we see anyone except them, or they refuse to come, she will be lost forever.

We await their arrival.

- The Three Swordsmen of Orichalcos


“Certainly, someone doesn’t want him talking…” muttered Artemis.

“What are we going to do?” asked Jason.

Artemis paused.

“Sersei is no doubt languishing in some dark prison,” she answered, “crying her eyes out, pleading for release… We can’t allow her to suffer. We have no choice… As much as I hate letting Patrick go, the safety of a more respectable student is more important…”

She tossed Jason a set of keys.

“Take the van, get there fast, but don’t get a speeding ticket…”



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


The Bronx.

Not far from Yankee Stadium was the World of Enchantment Aquarium, a menagerie that could be thrilling for some people, and scary for others. You see, the main attraction at this aquarium was the walk-in shark tank.

Well, you didn’t actually walk into it. However, the tank was constructed in a shape that let you walk into a large chamber where the tank surrounded you on all sides and above. There, you were surrounded by some of the most vicious looking sharks, skates, and rays. There were no great whites (such fish could not be kept with other fish) but there were plenty of other fish who might eat you up if were on their side of the thick, shatterproof glass.

A van pulled up to the aquarium doors.

Russell and Trisha came out of the side door, with Russell carrying Sersei.

“Man, Sersei, you gotta watch the cheesecake…” moaned Russell.

Jason paused.

Strange… he thought.

Ever since we left the school, it’s like there’s been a presence… something trying to whisper in my ear… But whoever it is, I can’t hear what he’s saying!

Not exactly anyway… But I can tell he’s trying to encourage me… Calm my fears…

As Jason came out of the driver’s seat, Trisha opened the back, where Patrick was sitting, his hands cuffed behind him.

”Out,” ordered his sister.

“Uh, sis?” said Patrick, nervously. “I don’t suppose it’s too late to cut a plea deal with Dr. Artemis?”

Trisha raised her hand as if to hit him…

But then she lowered it.

“Why?” she asked. “Afraid what your boss is going to do to you? Patrick, I thought you had betrayed me when I found out you were a cheater, but now that I know you’ve turned truly evil, it’s more than a betrayal, it’s a blight on our family’s name. I’d clock you over the head with this Duel Disk, but I won’t…

“You’re such a slime, I won’t sink to your level. Now OUT!”

Patrick hung his head, and walked out.

“Get moving!” said Trisha, pushing him towards the doors of the aquarium.

The front doors opened, and the lights came on.

“We’re here!” said Jason.

“Good…” said Cassius’s voice over a loud speaker. “Come to the shark chamber, and we can conduct our business with a minimum of fuss…”

They walked through the aquarium, past tanks containing crabs, squid, octopi, and fish of all varieties, until they came to the corridor leading to the shark chamber.

As they entered the tunnel made of glass, they shivered. The vicious sharks, skates, and rays swam around and over them, bearing sharp teeth.

They entered a circular, one-hundred-foot wide chamber, with glass walls, with the deadly fish behind them. Another corridor was opposite theirs.

As they entered, Cassius, Cleo, and Sebastian entered from the other corridor.

“Long time no see,” said Cassius.

“Cut the formalities,” said Jason. “We have the guy you want, now let Sersei’s soul go.”

“Don’t talk to me!” protested Cassius. “Talk to the guy who took it.”

Cleo turned around.

“Alphonse, get in here,” she called.

A short man in a dark robe walked in.

He lowered his hood, and the three teens drew back in surprise. The man was clearly an albino – his skin and short hair were chalk-white, and his eyes were pink, indicating a complete lack of pigment. He was portly and had a bulbous nose.

“And who, pray tell, are you?” asked Jason.

“Like Cleo said,” said the albino, in a raspy voice, “my name is Alphonse, and some folks call me… King of the Swamp!

“My card…”

He held up a Duel Monsters card…

It was King of the Swamp, all right.

“King of the Swamp?” replied Jason, sarcastically. “I’d say it’s a safe bet that no one has ever challenged you for that title.”

Alphonse frowned.

“I find it hard to believe that Sersei lost to someone like you…” continued Jason.

“Looks can be deceptive, Jason,” said Alphonse, placing the card back in his robe. “You see a man in front of you who doesn’t look like much of a threat… Short and slightly overweight… But in my line of work, assassins such as myself pride ourselves on being deceptive… Sersei also doubted my abilities until it was too late.”

“Enough!” shouted Jason. “We came for Sersei…”

Alphonse raised a Seal of Orichalcos card. Imprinted on it was Sersei’s picture, her face contorted in horror.

“Simply send Patrick over here, and she’s yours…” said Alphonse with a grin, waving the card.

Trisha glared at Patrick.

“We’re waiting…” said Alphonse.

“You lucked out, bro,” she said. “But here’s something to think about – if you ever show up at the school again, I’m going to tie you to a pole, and then Russell, Jason, and I are going to attack you with every Monster in our decks before we give you to Artemis. Is that clear?”

“Uh yeah…” he stammered. “C-clear… crystal clear!”

“Now BEAT IT!” she shouted, kicking him.

He stumbled towards the Three Swordsmen.

“Well,” said Alphonse with a shrug, “a deal’s a deal…”

He waved his hand over the card, and Sersei’s image vanished…

Sersei slowly opened her eyes…

“Whu…” she said. “Guh… Galuh…”

“Sersei?” said Russell.

“Muh… Bahguh…” she said.

“Heh, heh,” said Alphonse. “The prison of the Orichalcos is a very traumatic experience. She likely won’t be able to talk for a little while…”

“Take it easy…” said Russell, stroking her head.

“Oh, and she also probably shouldn’t go swimming for at least an hour!” laughed Alphonse. “HA, HA, HA, HA!”

Jason walked up to the albino, his face twisted with rage…

“You know something, buddy?” he said. “I don’t find you the least bit funny…”

“Really?” answered Alphonse. “Well, my ex-wife thinks I’m hilarious. Of course, the judge told her she isn’t allowed to come within a hundred and fifty feet of me…”

“How’d you like to duel someone who can fight back?” dared Jason.

Jason, no! thought Sersei. He’s good!

“Heh, heh, heh…” laughed Alphonse. “You’re certainly very brave, kid…”

He looked him in the eye.

“You’ll find me much more formidable than Fang or Patrick were,” he said. “It was of utmost importance that we recover this guy. Do you think my boss would have sent one of his penny-ante duelists to take a hostage from the Obelisk Blue dorm? I’m the cream of the crop!”

“I can still beat you…” said Jason.

“You’re serious, aren’t you?” said Alphonse with a grin. “Ha! I’ll fix you just like I did Sersei…”

And fortunately, thought the albino, since Sersei can’t possibly talk to him for a good half-hour, there’s no way she can warn him about what my strategy entails…

“We’ll soon see about that…” cursed Jason.

He gave the thug a shove, and he stepped backwards.

“All right, fine,” said Alphonse. “But remember, you asked for it…”

“Jason, please!” shouted Trisha. “He has that awful card!”

“I’m not gonna lose…” said Jason. “I don’t know why I think that, but a little voice inside me is telling me…

“I’m not gonna lose…”

“Heh, heh…” said Alphonse. “You know you’re going crazy when you start listening to little voices inside your head. When you do that, it’s time to get on the water wagon.”



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


Jason and Alphonse stared at each other.

“This ought to be good…” said Sebastian.

“You think you could undo these handcuffs?” asked Patrick. “This isn’t very comfortable…”

“Pat, you’re in enough trouble,” answered Sebastian. “So shaddup!”

“Guh… buh… galuh…” said Sersei, desperately trying to put a sentence together.

“Don’t try to talk…” said Russell in a comforting voice.

Alphonse’s wicked-looking Disk activated.

“Let’s start,” said Jason. “Disk away!”

His own Disk activated.




[B](Jason: 8,000) (Alphonse: 8,000)



They both drew their top five cards.

“Me first!” shouted Alphonse, drawing his first card.

Heh, heh, he thought, looking at his six cards. If only this fool knew that the Seal was now in my opening hand. Unfortunately, due to the… limitations on the Monster that makes up a key part of my strategy, I can’t play it right now…

He placed a card on his Disk.

“I will play… Graceful Charity,” he said, playing a card.

The angel appeared in front of him, and he drew three cards. Quickly, he discarded two of them.

“Next, I’ll play this Monster in Defense Mode… Treeborn Frog.”

A frog the size of a large dog with feathered wings and a halo appeared. It shielded itself in Defense. (100/100)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/soi_en025.jpg


“Well, that’s a pathetic excuse for a Monster…” said Russell.

“That will be enough for now…” said Alphonse.

Jason drew a card.

Only one Monster, he thought, looking at his hand. He only has 500 Attack Points, but that’s higher than 100.

“I summon Peten the Dark Clown in Attack Mode,” he stated.

He played the card, and Peten appeared, casually palming a dagger. (500/1,200)

“Don’t let his smile or loud clothing fool you,” he said. “He means business. Peten, turn that thing into frog’s legs!”

Peten vanished into darkness…

…and then reappeared behind Treeborn Frog, driving his dagger into it! The amphibian shattered.

Peten vanished again and reappeared in front of Jason.

“Not bad…” said Alphonse, drawing a card.

He added it to his hand.

“I activate Treeborn Frog’s special ability,” he said. “Since I have no Spells, Traps, or other Treeborn Frogs on my side of the field, I can Special Summon it from the Graveyard. Defense Mode!”

In a burst of light, the Frog returned.

“Now I play a Spell Card…” he said, playing a card.

A card appeared, showing the image of rotting skeletons bursting out of the ground.

“Since my Frog was Special Summoned, I can now play Inferno Reckless Summon,” he continued. “Now I can summon in Attack Mode all Monsters in my hand, deck, and Graveyard that have the same name as the one I just Special Summoned. And then, you can do the same with a Monster you have on the field.”

Two more Treeborn Frogs appeared. (100/100 x3)

Jason looked at him strangely, and went for his deck.

“Fine,” he said. “Here come two more Petens!”

Two more Dark Clowns appeared on Jason’s side.

Be careful, Jason! thought Sersei. This is exactly how he defeated me!

I thought he was crazy letting me summon all three of my Harpies at once…

But his ultimate strategy wiped me out!

“Now I’ll place one card facedown, and that will be all…” said Alphonse.

“My move!” said Jason, drawing a card.

There we go… he said.

“I summon Battle Ox in Attack Mode,” he exclaimed.

He threw a card down, and the axe-wielding minotaur appeared. (1,700/1,000)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/SKE-002.jpg


“I activate my Trap Card!” shouted Alphonse.

His Trap lifted.

“It’s called Gift of the Mystical Elf…”

The gentle form of Mystical Elf appeared behind him, and cast a spell.

“Now I gain 300 Life Points for every Monster on the field,” he explained, “and I see seven of them.”



[B](J: 8,000) (A: 10,100)


Jason grimaced.

“Petens… take out his Frogs!”

The Clowns leapt forward, and skewered the Treeborn Frogs.

“Battle Ox, attack…” he started.

“Not so fast, Jason!” shouted Alphonse. “I can even activate Treeborn Frog’s effect on your turn.”

Treeborn Frog appeared again, crouching in Defense Mode.

“So your Battle Ox will have to attack it instead attacking directly…” he said with a grin. “So long as I can activate his effect, your Monsters simply can’t get to me!”

Nuts, thought Jason. There were plenty of Enraged Battle Oxes in the card store, Jason, but no, you had to go for that good, old-fashioned charm…

Battle Ox charged forward and cleaved the Frog in half.



[B](J: 8,000) (A: 9,300)


“It’s my turn…” said Alphonse, drawing.

“First I’ll use Treeborn Frog’s ability again…”

Treeborn Frog appeared again, once more in Defense Mode.

“Next, I’ll play Premature Burial, to summon a Monster that I discarded with Graceful Charity – a little guy called a T.A.D.P.O.L.E.”

He played the card. A Monster appeared that was, more or less, a tadpole. (0/0)



http://www.yugioh-cards.net/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/crv/CRV-EN027.jpg


“And next I’ll play… another copy of Inferno Reckless Summon.”

He played the card, and two more T.A.D.P.O.L.E.s appeared.

“Well, I don’t have any more Battle Oxes,” said Jason. “But that was really smart… putting three Monsters with zero Attack Points in Attack Mode…”

If only you knew… thought Alphonse.

“By the way…” said Alphonse. “If you want to know what T.A.D.P.O.L.E. stands for, it’s: This Aquatic Denizen Prepares Overwhelmingly Large Encounter.”

Jason drew a card.

He smirked…

“First I’ll place a Monster in Defense Mode…” he said.

He played a card, and a facedown Monster appeared.

“Battle Ox, take down one of the T.A.D.P.O.L.E.s!” he shouted.

Battle Ox sliced the larva in two.

“Petens, take out the others!”

The Clowns destroyed the Treeborn Frog and the other two T.A.D.P.O.L.E.s.



[B](J: 8,000) (A: 5,800)


“So now what?” asked Jason.

Alphonse drew a card.

“I play my Pot of Greed,” he exclaimed.

He played the card, and drew two more cards.

“I’m activating Treeborn Frog’s ability once again…” he said.

Treeborn Frog appeared again.

“Again?” said Trisha in disgust.

“Yes, but this will be the final time,” said Alphonse, taking another card. “Because from this point on, activating its effect will be impossible. See, its effect cannot be used if a Spell or Trap Card is active on my side of the field…

“And I’m going to play one… I play…”

He threw a card into his Field Slot.

“…The Seal of Orichalcos!”

No… thought Sersei. Just like he did to me… Jason…

Darkness descended on the room, and the cursed pentagram appeared around them! Alphonse’s eyes glowed, and the Seal appeared on his forehead.

“Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh….” he cackled. “You’re through!”

Treeborn Frog’s eyes glowed, and it rose to 600 Attack.

The sharks in the tank started swimming around excitedly, as if they were anxious to feast on whoever fell… The Orichalcos didn’t reach into the tank, but it seemed to corrupt even them.

“Pay attention, Patrick,” said Sebastian. “You’ll see how this is supposed to be done.”

“Time to get serious,” said Alphonse in an evil voice. “I sacrifice Treeborn Frog, to summon something better… Des Frog!”

Treeborn Frog vanished. A much larger frog appeared, and its eyes glowed as the seal branded on its head. (1,900/0) –> (2,400/0)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/crv_en026.jpg


“And that’s not all,” continued Alphonse. “When I summon a Des Frog via sacrifice, I can summon another one from my deck, for each T.A.D.P.O.L.E. I have in my Graveyard. Technically, I could summon four of them, if I were allowed to have four copies in my deck, but since I can’t…”

Two more Des Frogs appeared, and they fell under the spell of the Seal as well.

“Scared?” asked Alphonse.

“No,” said Jason casually, crossing his arms.

“Humph,” said Alphonse. “Well, my Frogs are plenty strong enough to take out your Monsters, but with the Spell Card I’m holding, I don’t need to…”

He played the card.

“It’s called Des Croaking!” he laughed. “It can only be played when three Des Frogs are on my side of the field, and when that happens…”

The three Frogs let out a loud bellow! The three Dark Clowns and Battle Ox cringed, and then they and Jason’s facedown Monster shattered!

“…I can wipe out every card on your side of the field! Scared now?”

“No,” repeated Jason, calmly.

Alphonse gave him a funny look.

“Well, I’ll bet you’ll be scared after I play my next Spell Card,” he said, fitting a card into his Disk.

“I Equip my central Des Frog with Chthonian Alliance. This Equip Spell Card increases the Attack Score of the Equipped Monster by 800 for every other Monster on the field who has the same name. Do the math…”

“Hold on…” said Russell. “Two other Des Frogs… 800 points for each… Plus 2,400…”

The Des Frog in the center rose to an Attack of 4,000!

Trisha quickly counted.



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“He can deal 8,800 points of damage this round!” she screamed.

“And Jason is completely defenseless!” shouted Russell.

No… thought Sersei. This is my fault…

“Now, my Des Frogs…” said Alphonse, raising his arm.

Jason crossed his arms and glared at him.

Alphonse paused.

Okay, something is seriously wrong here… thought Alphonse. He doesn’t have a single card on his side of the field, I have enough firepower to win this duel, the Seal of Orichalcos will consume the loser, and he doesn’t seem the least bit worried…

What is going on?

“Well?” asked Jason. “Are you going to attack?

“Or are you going to end your turn?”

“I didn’t say that!” shouted Alphonse, getting nervous.

“Des Frogs, attack him directly! Resounding ribbit!”

The three Frogs let out three waves of destructive sound, hitting Jason squarely…

He didn’t even flinch.



[B](J: 8,000) (A: 5,800)


“Heh, heh, heh…” said Jason with a smirk.

“What in the name of…” said Russell.

“Surprised?” asked Jason.

“Actually, no,” answered Alphonse. “I kind of suspected you had some sort of secret strategy. Care to tell me what the Hell it was?”

“Remember that facedown Defense Mode Monster that I had on the field?” he said. “The one that was destroyed by Des Croaking? Well, despite what you may have thought, I saw a Des Frog combo coming from a mile away, ‘King of the Swamp’. So I put that little guy on the field to protect myself…”

An image of a small, furry creature with wings appeared behind him.



http://www.ideal808.com/images/gx1-en002.jpg


“Winged Kuriboh?” said Alphonse, startled.

“Right,” said Jason. “On the round where this guy is destroyed…”

“You can no longer take damage from a battle…” muttered Alphonse.

“Someone’s done his homework,” said Jason, as the little Fairy vanished.

“Okay, heart, resume beating…” said Trisha.

“You ever hear Alphonse,” continued Jason, “that sometimes small creatures can be the solution while fighting large ones? David and Goliath. Take Winged Kuriboh. He may be small, but his power can’t be denied…

“Rumor had it that one of these creatures was Jaden Yuki’s spirit guide…”

“Ha!” laughed Alphonse. “Personally, if I was a guy like him and that were true, I’d have traded it in for a stronger spirit guide!”

Jason glared at him.

“Well fine,” said Alphonse. “You’re hardly Jaden Yuki, and he may have defeated a deck like mine at one point, but you won’t be so lucky… You survived one round. You won’t be so lucky on the next round.

“I end my turn.”

Jason drew a card.

“I play Mystical Space Typhoon!” he said, playing a card. “Say goodbye to your Chthonian Alliance!”

The whirlwind shot forward and shattered the Equip Card, and the Frog’s Attack went back down to 2,400.

“Now, since there are no Monsters on my side of the field, I’ll summon Cyber Dragon in Attack Mode!”

He played the card, and the huge, mechanical serpent burst out of the ground. (2,100/1,600)

“Now,” said Jason, “I want to try an experiment…”

“An experiment?” replied Alphonse.

“Yes,” said Jason. “I know that The Seal of Orichalcos can’t be destroyed, but what if I were to get rid of it with a card that didn’t destroy it?”

“Get rid of it with a card that didn’t destroy it?” asked Alphonse. “What the blazes are you talking about?”

Jason showed him a card in his hand.

“Giant Trunade?” gasped Alphonse.

Everyone else in the room looked very surprised.

“I’m betting that you don’t even know what would happen to the Seal if I played Giant Trunade!” said Jason, with a smile.

“Come to think of it, neither do I!” said Cassius.

“Looks like we’re gonna find out!” said Sebastian, nervously.

“I play Giant Trunade!” shouted Jason.

The card appeared, and a furious wind whipped across the field…

It slowly died down.

“Aw… shoot… my monkey…” muttered Jason.

Unfortunately, the Spell Card had done nothing…

The Seal of Orichalcos was still in place.

“Heh, heh,” said Cassius. “You learn something new every day!”

Jason looked at another card in his hand – D.D. Designator…

So much for that plan… he thought.

“I’ll end with a facedown card…” he grumbled, playing a card.

A facedown card appeared.

Alphonse paused.

That facedown card worries me, he thought. It’s likely some Monster-destroying Trap…

He looked at his hand.

No other Des Croakings in my hand... I have Monster Reborn, but if that card is Mirror Force, I can only use it to revive one Monster…

He drew a card.

Heh, heh… Yes… I can only use it to retrieve ONE Monster! Fortunately, with this little card, one Monster is all I’ll need…

He played the card.

“I play Polymerization!” he shouted.

“Huh?” asked Jason. “What are you going to fuse?”

“Why, all three of my Des Frogs, of course,” laughed Alphonse.

The three Frogs swirled together into a murky blur, and grew into a huge shape…

“Together they form the mighty D.3.S. Frog!” he shouted. “D… times three!”

A huge, hulking form appeared on the field. Jason had seen a lot of classic movies from the Information Age, and this creature seemed to be a cross between a twenty-foot-tall toad and Jabba the Hut.

(2,500/2,000)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/soi-en036.jpg


“Heh, heh…” said Alphonse. “Not only does this guy gain a 500-point boost to his Attack from the Orichalcos, but he gains 500 more for each Treeborn Frog in my Graveyard. And I’ve got three of them there!”

(4,500/2,000)

“That thing’s as strong as Kaiba’s Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!” gasped Russell, in shock.

“D.3.S. Frog…” commanded Alphonse. “Attack Cyber Dragon with colossal croak!”

D.3.S. Frog let loose a huge belch that shook the whole arena…

“I don’t think so!” said Jason. “I activate my Trap… Attack Reflector Unit!”

His Trap Card lifted.

“This Trap lets me sacrifice my Cyber Dragon for an upgrade… Known as Cyber Barrier Dragon.”

Cyber Dragon transformed into a bulkier serpent, with a large metal collar around its neck. (800/2,800)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/soi_en006.jpg


“And so long as I keep it in Attack Mode, it can negate one attack per round, so your Frog’s colossal croak won’t be so colossal!”

Cyber Barrier Dragon’s collar glowed, and a force field formed around it, blocking the attack.

“Clever…” said Alphonse. “You are persistent… But you’ll still find it difficult to defeat my beast.”

“Come on, Jason!” shouted Trisha. “Don’t you have Smashing Ground in that deck of yours?”

Jason drew.

“If I did, don’t you think I would have used it by now?” he said, annoyed.

He looked at the card he had just drawn.

Monster Reborn… he thought. A fat lot of good that does. Any Monster I could summon from either Graveyard would be no good against D.3.S. Frog… I’d best save it for later…

If there is a later…

“I’ll pass for this turn…” he said.

“Very well…” said Alphonse, drawing a card.

He looked at it.

“Well,” he said, “your Cyber Barrier Dragon is quite a Monster… It can negate one attack, no matter how powerful… But can it do so twice in the same turn?”

He played a card.

“I think not… I summon Beelze Frog in Attack Mode.”

A new frog Monster appeared. It was as big as Des Frog, but it had red and black skin, and small, batlike wings on its back. (1,200/800)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/soi-en026.jpg


“Now let me explain how this guy works,” said Alphonse. “In addition to the bonus from the Orichalcos, he gains 300 extra Attack Points for every T.A.D.P.O.L.E. in my Graveyard, and again, I have three. Considering that this is only a three-star Monster, that’s pretty powerful, wouldn’t you say?”

(2,600/800)

“Beelze Frog, attack Cyber Barrier Dragon with frog-fire!”

Beelze Frog shot a blast of flame from its mouth! The force field sprang up, and the attack was deflected.

“And now, my D.3.S. Frog will finish what he started…”

D.3.S. Frog let out his colossal croak, and the force field shattered. Cyber Barrier Dragon exploded! Jason shielded himself from the debris.



[B](J: 4,300) (A: 5,800)


“Face it, Jason,” said Alphonse, smugly, “while you’ve held out longer than most of my opponents, you’re finished. Even if by some miracle you find a way to destroy D.3.S. Frog, he won’t stay in the Graveyard for long... For all you know, I’ve got plenty of ways to use him again.”

Does he mean Monster Reborn? thought Jason.

He paused.

I could get rid of that card with D.D. Designator…

No, it would be too risky! If that isn’t what he’s talking about, I’d lose a card from MY hand!

“Why not just give up?” continued Alphonse. “I’ll be merciful and quick…”

“Never…” said Jason. “I’m not finished yet…”

But the truth is… he thought, as he reached for his Disk, …maybe I am. His strategy is too well thought out, and his cards are too powerful. I don’t know what I’m gonna do, bearing a miracle…

“Why do they always want to do it the hard way…” mumbled Alphonse.

Jason’s hand slowly reached for his deck…

His vision started to blur…



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


It was like waking up in another place. Jason had been transported from the cursed arena, from the aquarium, and into…

“A swamp?” he said. “Where am I?”

“You’re on sacred ground,” said a gruff, deep voice.

He spun around.

Vorse Raider was in front of him!

“Vorse Raider?” he said in surprise. “Did you bring me here?”

“Indeed,” said the Beast-Warrior. “The master thought I should be the one to summon you, seeing as we share a bond…”

“Bond?” asked Jason.

“Don’t you remember?” asked Vorse Raider. “When you built your deck, I was the first Monster that went into it. I was with you from the beginning, and I hope to be there until the end.”

“Yeah, well, I hate to say this,” said Jason, “but the ‘end’, as you put it, is going to be in a few minutes… Even if I draw Brain Control, D.3.S. Frog will have only 2,500 Attack Points on my side, and that’s less than Beelze Frog.”

“True, your chances of winning this duel are slim,” said Vorse Raider. “That is why the master told me to summon you.”

“Who is this master?” asked Jason.

“It isn’t my place to say,” said Vorse Raider. “He will explain himself. Come…”

Jason followed the Beast-Warrior through the thick swamp, and after a short distance, they came to an elaborate shrine, completely free of the mud and vegetation of the odd swamplands.

Vorse Raider knelt and placed his axe on the ground.

“Lord Timaeus!” he announced. “I have brought him!”

As he bowed his head, an intimidating figure walked forward. It was a noble-looking knight in emerald-green armor, wearing a cape and a sword at his hip.

The knight looked over Jason carefully.

“Yes…” he said. “He is the one…”

“Me?” said Jason. “Who am I? Who are you?”

“I am Timaeus,” said the knight. “Listen closely Jason, for there is much to be said, and time is limited.

“One hundred years ago, my two brothers and I bonded ourselves with three great duelists to combat the Orichalcos. We succeeded, and we thought that the evil had been banished forever.

“But as you no doubt know, that evil did not die. It has returned in a new shape.

“We must intervene once more. But this time, the Orichalcos is stronger. We must bond with new duelists, to help bring forth the only one who can truly destroy it…

“…the one known as the Dark Messiah.”

“Dark Messiah?” asked Jason. “Where can we find him?”

Timaeus shook his head.

“We do not know,” he said. “But once I and my brothers gain power again, the answer will come.

“Jason, if you will accept my power, you will become a potent weapon against the evil force. But I warn you… If you accept, there is no turning back…”

Jason paused.

“Do it,” he said. “I accept…”

Timaeus drew his sword.

“Then kneel, duelist…” he said.

Jason knelt.

The knight held his sword high.

“From this point on,” he said, “I grant you, Jason Conrad, the power of Timaeus!”

He struck Jason’s shoulder with the blade, and energy coursed through him!

“Arise!”



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


Jason drew a card…

He looked at it, and his eyes narrowed.

“This has got to be the longest move in creation!” complained Alphonse. “Just move so I can finish this and take your soul.”

“I’m terribly sorry, Alphonse,” said Jason, “but my soul already belongs to someone else, and he’s much better than you…

“In fact, I’d like to introduce you to him…”

He took a card from his hand.

“I play Monster Reborn!” he exclaimed, playing a card. “And I’ll use it to revive a Monster from your Graveyard!”

A Des Frog appeared in front of him. (1,900/0)

“HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!” laughed Alphonse. “Why the heck did your do that? It can’t hurt my two Monsters!”

“We’ll see about that,” said Jason. “I play…”

He threw a card on his Disk.

”The Eye of Timaeus!”

The whole room started to shake. The sharks in the tank swum away in fear!

“What’s happening?” asked Cleo.

“That’s what I wanna know!” shouted Sebastian.

From out of nowhere, a huge, emerald-green dragon, as big as D.3.S. Frog, appeared, and spread its wings! It let out a great roar!



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


In his penthouse apartment, Fortunado drew back in surprise.

“WHAT?” he shouted. “Hey! This isn’t in the script!”



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


“Timaeus!” shouted Jason, raising his hand. “Combine yourself with Des Frog to form the Amphibian Dragon!”

The huge Dragon and the Des Frog swirled together into a blur, and in a flash of light, a new Dragon appeared! It had smooth skin, membranous wings, and a toad-like face. Its feet were a cross between claws and flippers. (2,500/2,500)

“Ha, ha, ha,” laughed Alphonse. “Quite dramatic for a failure! Your Monster only has 2,500 Attack Points! My Frogs will crush it!”

“They won’t want to anymore!” answered Jason. “Amphibian Dragon is the God of Frogs, so all frogs obey him without question.

“And now he’s telling D.3.S. Frog and Beelze Frog to reject the evil of the Orichalcos and the one who’s using it!”

Both of Alphonse’s Monsters bowed their heads… and then they vanished…

And then reappeared on Jason’s side!

“WHAT?” screamed Alphonse.

“In game terms, Alphonse,” said Jason. “This Monster has the power to take control of any and all Monsters that have the word ‘Frog’ in their names. Of course, I’m not using the Orichalcos and I have no Treeborn Frogs and T.A.D.P.O.L.E.s in my Graveyard…”

D.3.S. Frog fell to 2,500 Attack and Beelze Frog fell to 1,200.

“But this is more than enough! So now, Mr. King of the Swamp, you’re about to be royally crowned, and not in a good way!

“This is for Sersei…

“D.3.S. Frog, attack with colossal croak!”

Alphonse screamed as the huge toad let loose a huge bellow, and he was thrown against the wall of the Seal.

“Beelze Frog, attack with frog fire!”

Beelze Frog blasted its fiery breath at Alphonse, and he screamed again…

“And now, Amphibian Dragon, attack with mire shockwave!”

Amphibian Dragon opened its jaws and shot a blast of energy rings at the King of the Swamp!

He groaned, and fell to his knees.



[B](J: 4,300) (A: 0)


“Boo-ya…” muttered Jason.

The Seal of Orichalcos started to glow, and then started to shrink… Alphonse let out an unholy scream...

“What do we do now?” asked Patrick in fear.

“What a silly question,” said Cassius. “We run in panic!”

As Alphonse collapsed, the Swordsmen and the liberated prisoner fled the way they came.

Amphibian Dragon and the two frog-Monsters vanished.

Trisha, Russell, and Sersei were speechless, and more than a little afraid. Jason looked at the strange card on his Disk.

“Thank you, Timaeus,” he said. “I promise to do you proud…”

“Jason…” said Trisha. “That was amazing… When did you put that… card in your deck?”

“Well, it’s a… kind of a long story, Trisha…” he said.

And yet, it’s incomplete, he thought, looking at The Eye of Timaeus.

That knight mentioned his two brothers… logic states that they’ll show up eventually.

And now I have to find the Dark Messiah, whoever he is… But I have no idea where to start looking.

He could be anywhere…

He could be anyone…



[I]* * * * * * * * * *


So… thought Fortunado, reclining on a chair.

Alphonse has been defeated, and Timaeus has emerged…

Well, at least one mystery has been revealed… The Seal is even stronger than was previously believed…

When Joey faced Mai in an Orichalcos duel, he believed that he could foil her plans by playing his Fiber Jar, forcing them both to restart the whole duel…

Could a Fiber Jar have defeated the Seal? He never found out, because Mai countered its effect with her Trap Card.

Now it seems clear that even if she hadn’t used her Harpie’s Feather Storm, it would have failed. The Seal cannot be removed from the field until the duel ends…

And as for Timaeus…

Perhaps I can benefit from this…



Tuesday, September 14th, 2106, 1:07 AM



THE EYE OF TIMAEUS (Special Card)

Card Specs

Type: Special
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: A powerful dragon with emerald-green scales.

Card Description: This card can fuse with any Monster Card to form a new Monster of incredible power.

Note: “The Eye of Timaeus” first appeared in the anime episode “Legend of the Dragons”. It was one of the main focuses of the “Waking the Dragons”.



AMPHIBIAN DRAGON (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Dragon/Effect
Attribute: Water
Level: 7
ATK: 2,500
DEF: 2,500

Card Description: This divine being is the God of Frogs. All amphibians obey him without question. This Monster is descended by activating “The Eye of Timaeus” and offering one “Des Frog” as a Tribute. When this Monster is summoned, you can take control of any or all opposing Monsters that have the word “Frog” in their names.



Alphonse’s Swamp Deck

Alphonse is a guy who, like most assassins, likes to end things quickly with a minimum of fuss. The fact that he also was well acquainted to swamplands helped with his strategy.

As a minion of Orichalcos, Alphonse’s strategy is a lethal one that consists mostly of frog Monsters, based on an animal commonly seen in the swamp. Using Des Frogs in combination with the Seal and Des Croaking, he often manages to achieve an OTK after a few rounds. His habit of summoning all his Treeborn Frogs and T.A.D.P.O.L.E.s using Inferno Reckless Summon often costs him some Life Points, but so long as he wins in the end, he doesn’t care. Besides, Treeborn Frog’s effect makes for an unbeatable shield from direct attacks (if used right) and due to the limitation on Treeborn Frog’s effect, he can’t actually use the Seal until he’s ready to bring out the Des Frogs. If he’s lucky enough to have his copy of Chthonian Alliance when he prepares to attack, an OTK is almost a guarantee.

His D.3.S. Frog and Beelze Frogs don’t see much use. He only uses them if his Des Croaking combo fails. If an opponent chains Waboku to Des Croaking, D.3.S. Frog might be necessary, and if someone destroys one of his Des Frogs with Bottomless Trap Hole, Beelze Frog becomes an essential. Even better, because the strength of both these Monsters depend on the Monsters in HIS Graveyard, his opponent can’t gain an advantage by brainwashing them.

If Alphonse recovers from his current situation, his strategy likely won’t change. After all, as of right now, Jason is the only one capable of summoning Amphibian Dragon.



[B][I]You all were probably expecting that someone with Jason’s tastes would have been chosen by Critias rather than Timaeus. Well, Timaeus had his reasons, and I can’t reveal them right now.

But while Timaeus has been released, but much more remains to be done.

I the meantime, next chapter, a new user character appears, and I guarantee, you have [I]never seen a user character quite like this one! Russell duels again when an innocent soul is on the line from a threat other than the Orichalcos! Don’t miss “Physical Double”, coming soon.

[starjake]

That was pretty interesting. Frog Decks are always fun, and out of all the monsters I could think of that would fuse with Timaeus, Des Frog was not one of them. That's using creativity!

I also liked the remove-from-field-instead-of-destroy rule that you brought into it...your outcome still makes sense, but using nitpicky rules makes the story seem a little more lifelike.

Overall, I'd have to say that this is the best chapter so far. I'm excited to see what's happening next chapter.

[Shuppet Master]

Hey, don't worry about the three Treeborn Frogs, Brian. You did good.

EDIT: So it was Princess Rose, eh? I liked that character. Of course, the Quiz Guy Kanda was kooky too, making Jaden do all those(spoiler)...

[Dark Sage]

In case anyone doesn't know it by now, the villain from GX I was talking about was Princess Rose, one of Saiou's most powerful henchmen - although not necessarily the most stable. Of course, Jaden still beat her, so maybe he could have gotten better...

[jkBAKURA]

Personally, I don't see why Treeborn is restricted anyway, so I really couldn't care.

I kind of feel bad here, as I didn't see as muck of Kaiba this time around, but like last time, Jason is his own character, so I should really try to stop looking for something that wasn't meant to be there.

As for the Frog deck, as well played as anything I could make, and let's face it, the whole theme is so wierd, it just has to be fun.
I can't say I felt the effect made sense, but Amphibian Dragon's appearance was a worthy creation.

Oh man, I'm all out of things to say already. I've lost all of my reviewing powers... or maybe I'm just too tired to think straight... yeah that must be it.

[Pokemasterkatie]

So it was Princess Rose's Frog deck. I should've known(a little eccentric, but she was a good duelist).:p Very nicely played...and I guess Treeborn Frog's effects were too big of a threat right now for it to get restricted all the way to one per deck(the same thing happened to Sacred Phoenix of Nephtys).

Surprising to see a Winged Kuriboh in a Kaiba deck...seeing as how Seto always took the oppurtunity to insult Yugi's Kuriboh when it was summoned.;) Same with Timaeus, but he has his reasons, I suppose.^_^

[Dark Sage]

The probable reason that Kaiba always insulted Yugi's Kuriboh was because it was a one-star Monster that made a fool out of his incredibly powerful ones on more than one occassion. In Duelist Kingdom, it rendered his Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon's attacks worthless. In Battle City, It halted Obelisk's attack. Kaiba hated the fact that something so small could stand up his titans, and he likely never read the story of David and Goliath.

But while Jason admires Kaiba, he doesn't follow all of his opinions blindly. He doesn't want to be a clone.

As for Amphibian Dragon, with this fic, I'm trying my hardest not to make the mistake that most writers do - make the creations of the Legendary Dragons broken and too powerful. Timaeus is a powerful entity, but he's not a god. There should be limits on what he can do.

All Dragon creations, when they appear, will have limits. Amphibian Dragon was situational, and that was my intent.

[Shuppet Master]

Are you subtlely blasting Anansi? I apologize for making Lina's Timaeus creations too powerful. It was just that Yugi only used Timaeus twice, and both times it was with his sig monsters(Dark Magician and DMG), and they had some powerful effects. I'm sorry.

Anyways, I have ideas for other special monsters in the future, based on my favorite video game series, but I will try to keep them toned down. If you're looking for really broken monsters, there's a fanfic called "Rising Star of the Heavens" where the author has monsters that are extremely powerful.

[Perfect Chaos]

Frog decks are always fun to duel against/use and reading about them is also interesting. I'm sure Paradox would liked this chapter. Too bad they restricted Treeborn Frog to 1, almost crippling Frog decks in general, which is a big shame. Alphonse seemed like the monk person from the Da Vinci Code book (if you guys have read the book/seen the movie trailer)

At least Sersei was saved. I'm predicting something happens between her and Russell later in the fic.

-Sean

[Blademaster]

Frog Decks are generally interesting, to say the least, but this one was lacking...

...Nothing. It was great! I've never seen D.3.S. Frog before, though. Uck...

I was quite surprised to see Winged Kuriboh in Jason's deck, but it's not an unworthy addition - its effect is great, and it's soooooo cute! :biggrin:

Anyway, not much else to say, except this: No dispespect to Shup, but I'm glad Amphibian Dragon was so situational (Granted it was super-broken in the one situation where it actually worked, but at least it made sense - good use of an opponent's Monster to fuse with Timaeus, BTW.) . The Knights were always pretty tough, but not too tough - well, maybe some were. Oh, well...

HOWEVER...

One thing that always really irked me about the Knights was the randomness involved with them, and this is a prime example - how did Jason know that fusing Timaeus and Des Frog would work? How'd he know Amphibian Dragon's effect. And how did he know that his opponent's card would work, but not his own? I could never figure that out, and it bugged the Hell outta me. Still does... :confused:

...Well, anyway, I'm outta here - I need sleep.

Peace out!

-Blade

[Inferno_Dragon]

So the first Legendary Dragon shows up and it is Timaeus. I really never understood the three Dragons at all. (Of course, I never fully watched the whole Orichalcos saga.

A frog deck sounds quiet interesting and creative. When I thought of a bog, I thought of more than just frogs. But this chapter was great.

So another user character shows up? I wonder when mine will show up. Well, it will probably be a while. Dark Sage plans out each chapter. Of course, I wouldn't know when it would show up even in the preview synopsis.

Well, keep up the good work, Dark Sage.

[Master of Paradox]

HOWEVER...

One thing that always really irked me about the Knights was the randomness involved with them, and this is a prime example - how did Jason know that fusing Timaeus and Des Frog would work? How'd he know Amphibian Dragon's effect. And how did he know that his opponent's card would work, but not his own? I could never figure that out, and it bugged the Hell outta me. Still does... :confused:

Because he's a hero and Dark Sage is writing him. That simple.

[Dark Sage]

Blademaster -

Jason knew what to do with Timaeus for the same reason Yugi, Kaiba, and Joey knew right away what do with their Dragon cards and how the resulting creations worked (and I seem to recall that Joey combined one of Valon's Monsters with Hermos during their duel, so using an opponent's Monster is nothing new). If you want my opinion on how they knew what would work, and what the creations' effects were, I think the Dragons themselves told them, likely through a telepathic message.

[Shuppet Master]

Yeah, that would be correct. I doubt the three legendary ones would be so arrogant as to think that their owners would know what to do with them.

[Blademaster]

Because he's a hero and Dark Sage is writing him.


I think the Dragons themselves told them, likely through a telepathic message.


I doubt the three legendary ones would be so arrogant as to think that their owners would know what to do with them.

Hmmmm...

I think I like Paradox's explanation the best. :lol:

...

...

What? Geez, you guys need to lighten up... :notfunny:

-Blade

[Mystic_clown]

*giddy with excitement* My user characters coming up! I'm so excited.

Yeh, I know it's your story and the knights were bound to appear, but I still feel annoyed the Russel won thanks to intervention rather then skill.

[Dark Sage]

Well, the "Maintenence Mode" is finally finished, so it's time for a new chapter.

I would like to thank Mystic Clown for his contribution of this... unique user character. This is his first appearance, but it won't be his last, that's for sure.

[B][I]Yugi Mouto had something in common with his nemesis, Ryo Bakura.

See, they both owned Millennium Items, and each one housed an ancient spirit that shared their bodies.

But there was a big difference as well…

The spirit that shared Yugi’s body was a benign spirit, whom Yugi considered a friend. They were partners, and they supported and cared for each other.

The spirit in Bakura’s body was much different. He was a demon who dominated poor Bakura, treating him as a slave. Bakura hated him, and the spirit only protected him because he didn’t have a choice.

Right now, I’m facing a duelist who also seems to have two souls in the same body…

And sadly, his situation seems to reflect Bakura more than Yugi…




[B][size=3]CHAPTER ELEVEN



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/MFC-047.jpg



Tuesday, September 14th, 2106, 3:15 PM



Cleo sat in a comfortable lounge with a group of cards spread out in front of her.

She picked up a Spell Card.

Everyone who’s faced this sort of deck knows this combo, she thought. There has to be a way to use it in some new way, to take even Jason completely by surprise… One that would defeat any creation of Timaeus that he could… create.

“Hey, Princess,” said Cassius’s voice.

The older young man walked into the lounge; Sebastian was close behind him.

“Don’t call me Princess, Cassius,” said Cleo. “That’s what Lewis used to call me.”

“Uh, yeah,” muttered Cassius. “Whatcha doing?”

“Going over my cards,” she responded. “You should try it. It might help if you come face-to-face with Timaeus.”

“You think I’m scared of that Amphibian Dragon?” asked Cassius.

“Timaeus can turn into lots more than that,” said Cleo, looking at a Trap Card.

“So,” he replied, sitting down next to her, “you give any thought to my offer?”

“Offer?” she asked.

“You know, once the plan is set and done, and we get what we want,” said Cassius. “About retiring… Buying some nice place out in the country, maybe Texas… or Montana…”

“Mmm, tell you what…” said Cleo. “You go to Texas… I’ll go to Montana…”

“Uh heh…” chuckled Cassius, looking as Sebastian. “She’s full of laughs…”



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


“Okay…” said Dr. Ting. “Who here can give me the definition of a pair of prime numbers?”

The class was quiet.

“Randy?” he asked.

“Uh, a pair of prime numbers are two numbers… that aren’t the same?” he asked.

“Anyone else?” sighed Ting.

Trisha raised her hand.

“Yes Trisha?”

“A pair of prime numbers are two numbers whose only whole-number factors are one,” she said.

“Very good,” said Ting.

“So why do we have to learn math so much here anyway?” muttered Randy.

“A lot of reasons, Randy,” said Ting, who was known for having excellent hearing. “Duel Monsters is a lot about numbers, and you can’t always use the readouts on holograms to tell the statistics.

“In 2050, one great duelist became national champion of the United States, despite the fact that he was one-hundred percent blind in both eyes. His cards were specially encoded with Braille, but for every duel, he had to keep track of his Life Points, his opponent’s Life Points, and the Attack and Defense Scores of all Monsters on the field, in his head.

“Trust me, this individual never flunked a math class.

“All right… With the exception of Jason, class is dismissed for today…”

Jason was surprised as everyone got up and left.

“Uh, Dr. Ting?” he asked. “Am I in trouble?”

“I don’t know,” he said. “Dr. Artemis and the other administrators want to speak to you in the conference room, and she told me to escort you there.”

Jason gulped.

This was not a good sign.



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


Dr. Artemis was nervous. The whole world was turning upside down, and there was little she could do to stop it.

No, that was a lie.

There was absolutely nothing she could do to stop it.

“Twinky!” she shouted.

With a whir, a strange creature rolled into the conference room. It was a four-foot tall robot on treads.

“Coffee…” she said.

The robot nodded and rolled into the other room.

Everyone in the room grinned. Artemis had gotten Twinky as a Christmas present last year, and she used it as a gofer.

“Andorra,” said a man sitting next to her. “It seems all you ever have that robot do is get your coffee. You should stop being so dependent on it and get it yourself…”

“Johnson…” said Artemis, “In the 1950 anthology I, Robot, Isaac Asimov assigned three rules for robots. The first one is, a robot must never harm a human being. The second one is, a robot must always obey a human being unless doing so violates the first rule.

“I told Twinky to get my coffee. You don’t want him to violate the second rule, do you?

“Besides… I don’t see him complaining.”

Down the table, someone whispered to the person next to him:

“Someone should tell Twinky that coffee is dangerous to humans, so he’s technically violating the first rule.”

“Maybe so,” replied the other, “but Andorra is even more dangerous to the rest of the world if she doesn’t get it.”

Jason walked in.

“Uh, hi…” he said, nervously. “Am I allowed one phone call?”

“You aren’t under arrest, Jason,” said Artemis, rolling her eyes. “Please sit down…”

Jason sat in the central chair.

“Uh, how’s Sersei?” he asked.

“Better,” said Artemis. “She was able to talk about that duel last night… And about the new card you obtained…”

Artemis stood up as Jason started to sweat.

“Let’s get the unpleasant part out of the way, Jason,” she said. “First of all, Timaeus has chosen you as his avatar, and it is not my right to take that card away from you…

“However…”

She paused.

“The Eye of Timaeus is a card that is to be used to combat the Orichalcos. Therefore, it is to be in your deck only if you are facing an opponent who you have plausible reason to believe will use the Orichalcos. All other times, it is to remain in your side deck.

“I give you fair warning… If I learn that any student was subjected to Timaeus’s wrath, your punishment will be the same as if you used a card listed on the Forbidden List!”

“I… understand…” said Jason, taking his deck out of the holder.

“But I am willing to grant you clemency in your case,” continued Artemis. “So long as Timaeus is in your side deck, I’ll allow your side deck to have sixteen cards, rather than the normal fifteen.”

Jason placed it in his side deck.

“Now then Jason,” she said, with her voice turning calmer, “as your chancellor, it is my job to give you… advice…”

She paused again.

“That card has incredible power. Of the thousands of Monster Cards that have been created since Duel Monsters was invented, Timaeus can combine with every one of them, and every one of these thousands of combinations is incredibly powerful.

“That card has incredible power, Jason, so do your best to use it wisely. I trust Timaeus’s judgment…

“And you must know that you’re in it for the long run now. A war is starting… And the one who has Timaeus can’t just turn his back on it.”

She looked at Jason.

“I’ll do my best…” said Jason.



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


“And that’s what she said,” muttered Jason, as he and his two friends walked into the Arena.

“She only said it for your own…” started Trisha.

They walked in.

“…good…” she muttered. “Wow…”

The Arena had been transformed into The Sanctuary in the Sky!

On one side was an Obelisk with short, black hair, wearing glasses. His side was clear, and he had 3,000 Life Points remaining.

His opponent – the one who had played the Field Card – had only Shining Friendship on the field in Attack Mode, and he had 2,500 remaining.

The Fairy Duelist (his name was Janus) was a guy who would stand out. He was barely five feet tall, with violet hair that fell neatly to his shoulders, and large, emerald-green eyes. He would be considered beautiful rather than handsome. His yellow blazer identified him as a Ra.

He looked over the three cards in his hand and played one, placing a facedown card on the field.

“Your move, Louie,” he said.

Louie drew a card.

“I’ll place a card facedown,” he said, playing it.

His own facedown card appeared.

“And then I summon… the one and only Don Zaloog!”

In a flash of light, the eyepatched bandit appeared. (1,400/1,500)

“Attack his Fairy!” he shouted.

Don Zaloog lunged and stabbed Shining Friendship, and it burst.

“Not bad,” said Janus. “But Don has to damage my Life Points to use his effect, and thanks to the Sanctuary, I don’t lose any Life Points when a Fairy is destroyed.”

“I know that!” said Louis, rolling his eyes. “It’s your move.”

Janus drew a card.

“Well,” he said. “Seeing as I know that Don Zaloog plus facedown card equals Monster-destroying Trap, I’ll activate mine…”

His facedown card lifted.

“Royal Decree. And until this decree is repealed, Traps aren’t allowed.

“Now I’ll summon The Agent of Creation, Venus.”

A beautiful woman with angelic wings appeared, surrounded by multicolored orbs. (1,600/0)

“Venus, attack Don Zaloog! Rainbow orbs!”

The orbs around Venus started to spin, and she hurled them. Don Zaloog gasped, and was blown to shards.

“That’s my move,” said Janus.

“Fine,” muttered Louis, drawing a card. “I’ll just summon Cliff the Trap Remover in Defense Mode and hope for the best…”

He played the card, and the bespectacled thief appeared, kneeling in defense. (1,200/1,000)

“Okay…” said Janus drawing a card.

He smiled when he saw what it was.

“I’m activating Venus’s special ability,” he said. “See, I can spend 500 Life Points for her to Special Summon a Monster called a Mystical Shine Ball from my deck. So I’ll spend 1,000 Life Points so that she can summon two of them.”

His Life Points decreased, and Venus started to pray. Two globes of pure, silvery light appeared next to her. (500/500 x2)

“They say when you see a Mystical Shine Ball,” said Janus, “you should make a wish.

“I wish that… Guardian Angel Joan would appear and win this duel for me.”

He switched cards on his Disk, and the two Mystical Shine Balls shattered.

From the clouds of the Sanctuary, the mighty Guardian Angel Joan flew up in front of him! (2,800/2,000)

“What do you know…” he said. “I got my wish!”

“Uh oh…” said Louis.

“Venus, take out Cliff the Trap Remover!” ordered Janus.

Venus blew Cliff away with her rainbow orbs.

“Guardian Angel Joan, attack directly! Searing light of Heaven attack!”

Joan fired a beam of pure light, and Louis cried out in pain. His Life Points fell to zero.

The Sanctuary and Janus’s Monster’s vanished.

As Louis limped away, Russell went up to Janus.

“Not a bad job, Janus,” he said. “Care for a rematch any time soon?”

“Please Russell,” said Janus, “you always beat me. I’d be dumb to…”

They heard a cell phone ringing.

“Excuse me…” said Janus.

He activated the phone.

“Hello?” he said.

His eyes narrowed.

“Oh, it’s you…” he said angrily. “Omaly, leave me alone!”

Jason, Russell, and Trisha took notice.

They knew about Omaly. He was a spook who had been haunting the campus over the last school year. The students said he was a sadistic lunatic that forced them into duels and made them make a painful wager – if they lost, they had to take a direct attack from his five strongest Monsters at once. The chancellor was after him, of course, but he had yet to be caught.

They tried to listen as Janus whispered curse words into the phone. It was clear a heated argument was happening.

“If you even think about it, you bastard…” he muttered into the phone.

Tears fell down Janus’s cheeks…

Finally, he hung up.

“Janus,” said Russell. “I couldn’t help overhear… Is Omaly some sort of friend of yours?”

“I know him,” muttered Janus, “but he’s no friend…”

He held his head.

“Listen guys, I have an errand to run, and that new curfew is going to make it hard. See you later…”

He walked out.

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” asked Trisha.

“He’s going to meet with Omaly,” said Jason. “Maybe even duel him… And if he loses…”

“Come on,” said Russell. “We’ll follow him and finally catch that spook…”



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


They followed Janus as he left campus…

And slowly, Janus started to change.

He unbuttoned his blazer, and then his shirt underneath; then he ran his hands through his hair, and it became mussed up. His spine seemed to straighten, adding a few inches to his height. A wicked grin appeared on his face.

Puzzled, they followed him as he walked into a local nightclub.

“Janus in a nightclub?” asked Russell. “I didn’t know he was into these places…”

They walked in, to the sound of loud music, and saw Janus walk up to two girls who were quite indecently dressed and had dyed hair – one pink, one green.

“Ladies…” he said, in a voice that was deeper and more sinister. “Start the party, because I’m finally back!”

They giggled as he put his arms around them.

Russell looked at his two companions and then went up to him.

“Janus!” said Russell. “I thought you were shy around girls… Let alone ones like this…”

He turned and looked at them.

“Well, well, well,” he said, somewhat annoyed. “Who invited the scrubs? It’s Janus’s dumb pals, trying to crash our fun!”

The girls giggled and smiled evilly.

“Cut the music, Jeeves!” he shouted.

The music stopped.

“What’s going on?” said Russell in wonder. “Janus…”

“You’re speaking to the wrong person, Russell,” he answered. “Janus isn’t here right now… You can call me Omaly…”

“Janus is really Omaly?” asked Trisha.

“No…” said Omaly. “He’s locked away, in a small cell in here…”

He pointed to his head.

“But don’t worry, he’s sure to break free eventually,” he said with a shrug. “You can have him back then. But soon I’ll find a way to fix it so he can’t escape…”

There was a long pause…

“I’m beginning to get the picture…” said Russell, looking at him. “This isn’t an act, is it?”

He stared at Janus.

“This is a case of D.I.D.”

“What?” asked Trisha.

“Dissociative Identity Disorder,” answered Russell. “Most folks call it Multiple Personality Disorder. Omaly is another side of Janus’s personality… A dark side…

“And from what I’m hearing, Janus is still the dominant side… But Omaly is trying hard to change that…”

“Give the man a prize!” laughed Omaly. “And I’d like to see you try to stop me…

“Every time I come out, I get stronger, and I last longer… Eventually, I’ll bury little Janus forever…”

Russell looked at him.

What do I do? he thought. Turn Janus in? This isn’t his fault… For all intents and purposes, Omaly is a completely different person…

He looked at the Duel Disk on Omaly’s arm.

“Omaly…” he said. “I know that you’re a duelist… Enough students on campus are afraid of you for me to know that you’re rather good…”

“That I am,” said the fiend with a smile. “What? Are you challenging me?”

“Maybe I am…” said Russell. “I dare you to accept a wager… If we duel and you lose, you retreat to that cell you locked Janus in, and never come back out.”

“Quite a heavy wager!” exclaimed Omaly. “Well, if I’m going to make a bet with stakes that high, you and your two friends must agree to suffer if I win…”

He opened a pouch on his belt.

“If you lose this duel, all three of you will endure something I call the Punishment of One Hundred Fiends…”

He held up a card. It was Dark Ruler Ha Des.

“I don’t get it…” said Trisha, scared.

“Simple,” said Omaly. “If Russell loses, the three of you will stand against the wall, and I will attack you directly with this Monster one hundred times… each!”

“You’re mad…” said Jason. “But to get rid of you and save Janus, I’ll take that risk.”

“I will too…” said Trisha.

“Fine,” said Omaly. “Clear off the dance floor!”



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


In the middle of the nightclub, a dance floor decorated with flashing lights was set up. Russell and Omaly faced each other at each end.

“Mop the floor with this loser!” shouted one of Omaly’s girls.

“Give him an ass-whuppin’!” said the other.

“Russell,” said Trisha. “You sure you can beat him?”

“Please,” said Russell. “Janus was never able to beat me…”

“Well then,” said Omaly, “why don’t I just put his deck away then…”

He placed the deck inside his blazer.

“…and use my own?”

He took out a second deck.

“See, I’m hardly the same as Janus. In the times I’ve been in control, I’ve built a deck more to my liking that Janus’s pansy creatures. My Monsters have a different… flavor.”

“Fine,” said Russell. “I’ll beat you anyway…”

The Disks activated. He drew five cards.

“Atten… shun!”



[B](Russell: 8,000) (Omaly: 8,000)


Not a bad hand… thought Russell.

“I’ll go first…” said Omaly, drawing a card.

“And for my first move, I choose to play a Spell Card, and the Spell Card I choose to play is… Different Dimension Capsule.”

He played the card, and a glowing sarcophagus appeared in front of him.

“Now,” he said, taking his deck, “I can take any card from my deck I desire, and seal it in the Capsule, and in just two short turns, I can add it to my hand.”

A card appeared in the air. The Capsule opened, and it was sucked into it. It slammed shut.

“True,” said Russell. “But if the Capsule is destroyed, that card is gone for good.”

“Maybe,” said Omaly, with a grin. “But what are the chances of that?”

Russell tried hard not to smile as he looked at the Mystical Space Typhoon in his hand…

“Now, to finish my turn,” continued Omaly, “I’ll summon Keldo in Attack Mode.”

A strange, metallic creature, colored silver and green, with a vaguely feminine appearance appeared in front of him. (1,200/1,600)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/DCR-077.jpg


“My move,” said Russell, drawing. “And now I play… Mystical Space Typhoon!”

He played the card, and the whirlwind tore forward, shattering the Different Dimension Capsule!

“YAY!” shouted Trisha.

“That’s showing him!” cheered Jason.

“Heh, heh, heh…” said Omaly. “Fool… You did exactly what I wanted you to do.”

“What do you mean?” asked Russell. “Whatever was in that Capsule is gone.”

“Finish your move, and you’ll see…” demanded Omaly.

“I will!” said Russell. “And you should have summoned that piece of tin in Defense Mode. I summon Obnoxious Celtic Guardian in Attack Mode!”

The brave, elven Warrior appeared, brandishing his blade. (1,400/1,200)

“Attack Keldo!” shouted Russell.

The Guardian slashed with his sword, and Keldo shattered.



[B](R: 8,000) (O: 7,800)


“Not bad…” said Omaly, “but now it’s my turn…”

He drew a card.

“…and you’ll see the secret behind my strategy. The card I put inside that Capsule was this Spell Card…”

He held up a card.

“It’s called Card From A Different Dimension. When this card is removed from play, like it was because you destroyed the Capsule, it returns to my hand on my next turn, and when that happens, we both draw two cards.”

Russell looked at him.

“Clever,” he said, as they both drew twice.

“Now I’ll summon someone with a stronger Attack,” said Omaly. “Kelbek, in Attack Mode.”

Another strange creature resembling two spined wings with claws on the front and a face with one glaring eye appeared, shielding itself. (1,500/1,800)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/DCR-078.jpg


“I realize that Obnoxious Celtic Guardian can’t be destroyed by Monsters who have 1,900 Attack Points or more,” said Omaly. “Fortunately, this one only has 1,500.

“Keldo, wipe out his Warrior! Staring glare!”



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



Keldo shot a beam of energy from its one eye. The Guardian groaned, and shattered.



[B](R: 7,900) (O: 7,800)


“I recognize these Monsters…” said Jason.

“Huh?” asked Trisha.

“I’ve dueled Ishizu Ishtar in the VR pods several times,” he answered, “and these sand Fairies were the driving force of her deck. They can be more dangerous than they appear…

“I could warn Russell what Kelbek can do… But as cruel as Omaly is, this is still a duel, and I can’t cheat…

“Damn…”

“My move…” said Russell, drawing.

He looked at the Spell Card.

“And you aren’t the only one who can refresh you’re hand, Omaly,” he said. “I can do the same thing, and summon a powerful Warrior to boot!”

He placed a card on his Disk.

“First, I summon Axe Raider to the field…”

A powerful-looking barbarian clad in armor, holding an axe appeared. (1,700/1,150)



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


“Then, I play a Spell Card,” he said. “A powerful one called Command Offensive!”

He played the card, and it appeared, showing the image of Freed delivering an angry blow to Shadowknight Archfiend.

“When this card is played,” he explained, “I can sacrifice one Warrior on the field to Special Summon Freed the Matchless General from my hand, and then both duelists draw twice!”

A battle cry was heard as Axe Raider vanished, and the mighty General Freed appeared, holding his mighty sword! (2,300/1,700)

Both Russell and Omaly drew two cards.

“Oh, a powerful Monster!” said Omaly, sarcastically. “Whatever will I do?”

“Freed, attack Kelbek!” shouted Russell.

Oh, no! thought Jason.

With one swipe of his mighty blade, Freed cleaved Kelbek in half! The pieces shattered.



[B](R: 7,900) (O: 7,000)


“Good effort!” laughed Omaly. “But that will cost you. When Kelbek is attacked, the Monster who does so is returned to the owner’s hand!”

Freed vanished.

“You dirty…” muttered Russell. “Fine, it’s your turn…”

“Well, now that you’re defenseless,” laughed Omaly, drawing, “and I have plenty of cards thanks to your Command Offensive, it’s time to use them… I’ll summon Zolga in Attack Mode!”

Another strange creature appeared, this one in a dark cloak with a metal collar and headdress and one red eye. (1,700/1,200)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/DCR-079.jpg


“Attack Russell directly!” ordered Omaly. “Cloak of destruction!”

Zolga flew forward, and to Russell’s horror, it covered him with its cloak! He was buffeted by dark winds that stung his flesh!



[B](R: 6,200) (O: 7,000)


“Heh, heh, heh,” said Omaly. “Your move…”

And I almost have all I need to bring out a big surprise, he thought.

Russell drew a card.

Nothing that can defeat Zolga, he thought. Best defend.

“I summon Queen’s Knight in Defense Mode,” he said, placing a card.

Queen’s Knight appeared, kneeling and crouching behind her shield. (1,500/1,600)

“That will end my turn,” he said, nervously.

I’ve got to turn this around, he thought. I can’t let him punish Jason and Trisha with 245,000 Life Points worth of direct attacks!

“My draw…” said Omaly.

He drew a card.

“And I couldn’t have asked for better,” he said, taking another card from his hand. “First I’ll play a Continuous Spell Card called Samsara…”

“Uh, catchy name…” answered Russell, “but what does it do?”

Omaly played the card, and a fancy table appeared next to him. A bejeweled chest appeared on it.

“You’ll see in a minute,” he said. “Next, I summon Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands.”

He played the card, and the grotesque Fairy with numerous hands appeared next to Zolga. (1,400/1,000)

“Now I can add a Ritual Spell Card from my deck to my hand,” he said, taking a card from his deck.

“But it won’t stay in my hand, because I’m using it, seeing as I already have the Monster. I play a deadly Ritual known as… End of the World!”

“I don’t like the sound of that…” said Russell.

“You’re about to like it even less…” said Omaly.

He played the card, and a sinister cloud, crackling with lightning concealed the ceiling of the nightclub…

“End of the World is a unique Ritual Card,” said Omaly, “because there are two different Monsters you can choose to summon with it… beings of great destructive power. I have to sacrifice exactly eight stars worth of Monsters, so I’ll sacrifice Zolga and Manju…”

The two Fairies were struck by lightning from the cloud. Then they formed into orbs of light, and flew into the Samsara chest, which slammed shut.

“You were wondering what Samsara did?” he asked. “Thanks to this card, any Monsters that I sacrifice to summon a Ritual Monster don’t go to my Graveyard, they’re shuffled back into my deck! So you might be seeing those two later if you survive long enough.”

He shuffled the two cards into his deck.

“So what are you summoning?” asked Russell.

“The most evil Fairy you’re ever likely to see,” answered Omaly. “Descend, harbinger of doom… Ruin, Queen of Oblivion!”

A tall form floated down from the cloud. It was a woman of sinister beauty, wearing a red dress and a tiara. She held a wickedly bladed staff. (2,300/2,000)

She grinned evilly at Russell.



http://www.ideal808.com/images/soi_en034.jpg


“Ruin…” said Omaly, “attack Queen’s Knight with Rod of Ragnarok!”

Ruin laughed and aimed her staff at Queen’s Knight. She fired a wave of green fire! Queen’s Knight screamed bloody murder! She was reduced to bones, and then the bones shattered!

“Eek…” gasped Russell.

“And now…” continued Omaly, “attack Russell directly!”

Ruin cast her evil spell again, and Russell screamed as it hit him, ripping right through him!

“RUSSELL!” shouted Trisha.

Russell fell to his knees.

Ruin grinned, and crossed her arms.

“In case it hasn’t sunk in yet,” said Omaly, “Ruin can attack a second time in one turn, so long as she destroys one Monster first.”



[B](R: 3,900) (O: 7,000)


“This is crazy!” shouted Trisha. “Russell is down to half his Life Points, Omaly has 7,000, and that spook has the most demented Monster I’ve ever seen on the field!”

“Don’t give up the ship yet…” said Jason.

“My move…” moaned Russell, getting up.

He drew.

“I play Graceful Charity…” he played the card, and the angel appeared again. He drew three cards.

Hey… he thought. I drew one of my strongest Monsters. Only problem is, I have to trade two Monsters for her…

He looked at the other two cards.

But maybe that won’t be a problem…

He discarded two cards.

“I play Reinforcement of the Army,” he said, playing a card.

He took his deck.

“And I’ll use it to bring Marauding Captain to my hand.

“And now I’ll summon Marauding Captain…”

He played the card, and the armored veteran appeared.

“And, I’ll use his effect to summon… another Marauding Captain.”

A twin of the first Warrior appeared. The two Captains turned to each other and nodded.

(1,200/400 x2)

“Ha!” said Omaly. “They can’t beat Ruin!”

“True, she has nearly twice as many Attack Points as they do,” replied Russell. “But allow me to explain to you how this strategy works…

“It’s called a Captain Lock!

“See, when a Marauding Captain is on the field, you aren’t allowed to attack any other Warrior.

“And since I now have two of them on the field, and Marauding Captain himself is a Warrior…”

Omaly gave him a look.

“I can’t attack at all!” he exclaimed.

“You’re learning,” said Russell. “See, the first one protects the second, and the second one protects the first!

“I’ll end my turn on that note.”

“So, you’ve managed to stall,” said Omaly, drawing. “But I’ll find a way around it soon enough. In the meantime, I’ll set one card facedown, and that will be my turn.”

“Then I’ll draw…” said Russell, doing so.

“And my Trap activates!” said Omaly, as his facedown card lifted. “Solemn Wishes. Now I’ll gain 500 Life Points whenever I draw.”

“Well, you’re gonna need them,” said Russell. “Because now I sacrifice both my Captains…”

The two Marauding Captain’s vanished.

“…to summon the toughest lady in Duel Monsters… Crescent Moon Queen!”

A dark form arose. It was a beautiful, mysterious woman with ebony skin, dressed in silvery armor, with a cape that looked like the night sky. Her eyes were silvery pools of light. She wore a silvery crown set with a single white diamond.

She drew two sharp scimitars shaped like crescent moons!

(2,600/1,700)

“It’s Russell’s rarest card!” said Trisha, in awe.

“Toughest lady in Duel Monsters?” scoffed Omaly. “Guardian Angel Joan is stronger…”

“Attack Points aren’t everything,” said Russell. “Crescent Moon Queen, attack Ruin!”

The Queen ran with her scimitars outstretched, and with one swipe, cut the Queen of Oblivion in two! She shattered!

“And now, attack Omaly directly!”

The Queen slashed at Omaly with her other sword, and he fell backwards with a gasp.



[B](R: 3,900) (O: 4,100)


“She can attack twice?” said Omaly in surprise.

“You got it,” said Russell. “Of course, there’s a catch. If she does, she has to move into Defense Mode…”

Beads of sweat appeared on Crescent Moon Queen’s face. She crouched on one knee and shielded herself with her swords.

“…but, she has 1,700 Defense Points, so you’d best hope you have a good Monster waiting in the wings.”

Hmm… thought Omaly. Interesting… That creature would make a fine addition to my Doomsday Deck…

Maybe once I crush this fool, I’ll make an offer… To spare him and his friends the pain of one hundred direct attacks if he’s willing to hand over that card.

If he refuses, it’s their funeral…

He drew a card. A shower of gold fell on him, and his Life Points went up.

“I’ll summon Agido in Defense Mode,” he said.

He placed a card down, and an orange, spherical creature with one glaring eye and weird claws and blades surrounding it appeared. (1,500/1,300)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/DCR-080.jpg


“That’s my move.”



[B](R: 3,900) (O: 4,600)


“Fine,” said Russell, as he drew.

Crescent Moon Queen stood up again and bore her blades menacingly.

“This will make you say uncle! Attack!”

The Queen rushed forward, and smashed Agido to bits!

“And now…” he continued.

“Hold up!” shouted Omaly.

A golden die appeared in the air.

“When Agido is destroyed in battle, I get to roll one die,” explained Omaly, “and then I get to Special Summon a Fairy from my Graveyard whose star level matches the result.”

The die fell forward, and rolled…

And it landed on a four.

“Perfect,” said Omaly. “And since Agido itself has four stars, I’ll summon it right back, in Defense Mode!”

Agido reappeared.

“Crescent Moon Queen, take it down again!” shouted Russell.

The Queen smashed it again. Then she crouched in Defense Mode again.

The die appeared again.

“Forgot to mention,” said Omaly. “If it lands on a six, I can not only bring back a Fairy with six stars, but one with more than six stars. Including an eight-star one, like Ruin…”

Russell’s eyes opened in fear.

“Please not a six…” muttered Trisha as the die skipped again.

It landed…

But it was a four again.

“Oh well,” said Omaly. “I’ll just summon back Kelbek in Defense Mode.”

Kelbek reappeared. (1,500/1,800)

“All right,” said Russell, “I’ll end my turn.”

Omaly drew.

He gave a good look at the frightening looking Monster he had drawn.

“Eh…” he said. “I’ll pass…”



[B](R: 3,900) (O: 5,100)


Russell drew a card.

“Well, you won’t fool me again,” said Russell, “I remember what that guy can do. So I’m just going to keep my Queen in Defense Mode and pass.”

“Very well,” said Omaly, drawing a card.

The shower of gold fell upon him again.



[B](R: 3,900) (O: 5,600)


“Next, I’ll summon a guy who you might remember…”

He played a card, and Manju appeared again. (1,400/1,000)

“You’re going to use another Ritual?” asked Russell.

“No,” said Omaly, “another copy of the same one. End of the World!”

He played the card, and the evil cloud appeared again.

“But this time, I’m not going to summon Ruin, but rather her Fiend counterpart. I’ll sacrifice Manju and Kelbek…”

Lightning struck the two Monsters, and once again, they were sucked into the Samsara chest.

“Naturally, that means they are shuffled back into my deck,” he said, reshuffling.

“And now, I summon… Demise, King of Armageddon!”

An intimidating form rose out of the ground. It was a hulking Fiend in grey armor, with a skull-like face, holding a huge axe. (2,400/2,000)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/soi_en035.jpg


“This guy’s effect is even better than Ruin’s,” laughed Omaly. “But he isn’t going to use it just yet. Demise, attack Crescent Moon Queen with Siamese cut!”

Demise lifted his axe, and lunged at the Queen… and then with one downward slash, split her down the middle! A look of fright was frozen on the Queen’s dead face for a second, before her remains shattered.

Russell shakily drew a card.

“Are you beginning to get the picture, Russell, of why I constructed this deck the way I did?” asked Omaly. “Ruin and Demise are like two sides of the same coin. One, a Light Fairy… The other a Dark Fiend. Polar opposites, yet alike in so many ways. It’s sort of like…”

“Give me a break, Omaly!” shouted Russell. “If you’re making a comparison between them and you and Janus, it’s a bad one! Ruin may be a Fairy of Light, but she certainly wasn’t a being of Goodness. She’s just as evil as any Fiend.

“After all, every race has its bad apples…

“Janus is nothing like her. I’ve dueled him a few times, and while he’s never beaten me, he’s come close a few times. I’ve taken a blow from Guardian Angel Joan more than once, and there’s a big difference between her and Ruin…

“Ruin seemed to enjoy hurting me, something no respectable Fairy would.”

“And Demise will enjoy it even more,” said Omaly. “I believe it’s still your turn.”

Russell looked at the card he had drawn.

What am I worried about? he thought. I have both Big Shield Gardna and Ready For Intercepting! Time to give this guy a big surprise…

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

A facedown Monster appeared.

“And one card facedown.”

A facedown card appeared.

“So, you think you’re safe putting a Monster in Defense Mode?” asked Omaly.

He drew, and Solemn Wishes kicked in.

“It’s time to use Demise’s big effect,” he said. “But first…”

He placed a card on his Disk.

“I’ll summon Jar of Want in Attack Mode.”

An object looking like a gold-plated version of the Pot of Greed appeared in front of him. (0/0)

“Zero Attack Points?” said Russell.

“And now to use Demise’s ability,” said Omaly. “If I spend 2,000 Life Points, he can destroy every card on the field except himself!”

Russell’s eyes opened in fear…

“Demise, doomsday purge!” shouted Omaly.

Demise slammed his axe into the ground, sending out wicked shockwaves! Russell’s facedown Monster and Trap shattered, as did Omaly’s Solemn Wishes and Samsara, and his Jar of Want.

“By the way,” laughed Omaly, “when Jar of Want is destroyed by a card effect while in Attack Mode, I can draw three cards.”

He drew three.

“Now, Demise, attack Russell directly!”

There was nothing Russell could do…

The horrid fiend lifted his axe, and seemingly cut him in half!

He fell to his knees, shivering.



[B](R: 1,500) (O: 4,100)


I’ve let them down… thought Russell. He’s going to spend the night using us as target practice for that Fiend, and there’s nothing I can do about it…

Even worse, both us and Janus are going to miss curfew…

He looked at his deck.

There’s gotta be something that I can do…

He paused.

There is one thing…

He drew a card.

He looked at it.

And this is the one!



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



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

A facedown card appeared.

“And one card facedown,” he continued.

A facedown card appeared.

“Heh, heh,” laughed Omaly, drawing. “Time to finish you off… I can use Demise’s big effect more than once, and I have plenty of Life Points left…”

“So I’ll spend another 2,000…”

His Life Points fell.

“And Demise, doomsday purge!”

Demise raised his axe…

“Not so fast, Omaly!” shouted Russell. “I activate my Trap Card…”

His Trap lifted.

“Divine Wrath! Now, by discarding one card…”

He threw one card into his discard slot.

“Demise’s effect is negated, and he’s destroyed!”

Lightning struck from above, and the King of Armageddon roared! He dropped his axe and fell to his knees…

…and then shattered into shards!

“So your Monster’s big effect was a big waste…” said Russell.



[B](R: 1,500) (O: 2,100)


“You’re really starting to get… on my bad side!” shouted Omaly. “Well, since I haven’t summoned yet, I’ll summon Mudora in Attack Mode.”

A tall Fairy fighter wearing an Egyptian mask and holding a curved, bronze sword appeared.



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/DCR-076.jpg


“This guy gains 200 extra Attack Points for every Fairy in my Graveyard,” said Omaly, “and I have three of them there.”

Images of Keldo, Agido, and Ruin appeared behind him.

(1,500/1,800) –> (2,100/1,800)

“Attack his facedown Monster,” he ordered. “Scimitar slash!”

Mudora flew towards the facedown card…

A huge rodent appeared on the card. Mudora smashed it to pieces.

“Thanks for killing my Giant Rat, Omaly,” laughed Russell. “Now I can summon an Earth Attribute Monster from my deck with 1,500 Attack Points or less. And I choose… Throwstone Unit.”

The huge catapult appeared in front of him. (900/2,000)

“Fine…” grunted Omaly. “I’ll end my turn with a facedown card…”

A facedown card appeared behind Mudora.

Russell drew a card.

“I sacrifice Throwstone Unit, to summon Freed the Matchless General!” shouted Russell.

Trisha and Jason cheered as the catapult vanished to make room for the mighty General. (2,300/1,700)

“Him again?” shouted Omaly.

“Of course,” said Russell. “Why would he have left my hand? Freed, attack Mudora!”

Freed made a slash with his sword, and Mudora exploded into sand.



[B](R: 1,500) (O: 1,900)


“Okay, Russell…” growled Omaly, drawing a card. “I’ve had enough, so now I’m going to use a Monster I only use for special occasions…

“You ever hear of the Rule of Threes?”

“Rule of Threes?” asked Russell.

“According to universal law,” said Omaly, “important things come in threes. Wishes come in threes, stories come in threes, Heaven, Hell, and Earth make up three…

“The solar system has nine planets, and nine is three threes! See two things, always look for the third.

“Ruin and Demise are no exception. A third apocalyptic being exists. Ruin was created by Heaven, Demise by Hell…

“The third, however, was created by mortals, in a scientific experiment gone out of control. And he’s a Ritual Monster even more powerful than Ruin or Demise…”

His facedown card lifted.

“First I’ll activate another Solemn Wishes.”

He played a card.

“Then I cast the Litmus Doom Ritual!”

A huge microscope appeared behind him, and glowed with eerie light. Sparks flew…

“To complete this ceremony, I have to sacrifice at least eight stars worth of Monsters, so I’ll sacrifice one Keldo and one Agido…”

The two sand Fairies appeared in front of him. They were struck by the microscope’s light, and were consumed.

“And now I can summon the mighty Litmus Doom Swordsman!”

An intimidating form appeared in front of him. It was a Dark Warrior dressed like a matador, holding two long swords. (0/0)

“An eight star Ritual Monster with zero Attack Points and zero Defense Points?” said Russell, looking at the Monster. “I’m guessing this guy’s effect is pretty potent…”

“It is!” said Omaly. “Litmus Doom Swordsman can’t be destroyed in a battle, and he’s also immune to Traps. But he loves having Traps around, because when one is active, like Solemn Wishes is right now, he gains 3,000 Attack Points.”

The Swordsman’s Attack Score skyrocketed!

“Go!” he shouted. “Destroy his general!”

Litmus Doom Swordsman struck a pose, and then rushed forward with his swords, striking down Freed.



[B](R: 800) (O: 1,900)


“That will end my move…” said Omaly.

Man, I don’t have much left… thought Russell. Certainly nothing in my hand…

He drew.

Hey… it’s the card Jason sent me for my birthday two months ago! Might as well…

He played a Spell Card.

“I play Magical Mallet,” he exclaimed. “Now I’ll return my five cards to my deck, reshuffle, and draw five new ones.”

He reshuffled, and made five draws.

Hey… he thought again. Now I got the card that Trisha sent me for my birthday. And I can bring this duel to close…

“I play Monster Reborn,” he said, “and I’ll use it to bring back my old friend, Crescent Moon Queen.”

The holy ankh appeared, and the dark Queen appeared. (2,600/1,700)

“Next I’ll summon… Goblin Attack Force.”

He played a card, and a squad of four goblins in leather armor carrying clubs appeared. (2,300/0)

One of the goblins turned and winked at the Queen. She gave him a dirty look, and he backed off.



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/PSV-EN094.jpg


“Neither of them can hurt my Swordsman,” said Omaly.

“We’ll see about that,” said Janus. “I Equip my Queen with this… Burning Soul Sword.”

The Queen’s scimitars vanished, and a very long sword with a crimson blade appeared in her hands.

“Now let me explain how this useful Equip works,” said Russell. “I sacrifice one Monster on the field, and for one round only, the Monster holding Burning Soul Sword gains the Attack Points of the Monster I sacrificed.

“So, I’ll sacrifice my goblins…”

Goblin Attack Force vanished, and the Burning Soul Sword blazed with fire. Crescent Moon Queen’s skin, hair, and clothing became golden and shiny, and her attack rose to 4,900.

Omaly drew back in fear.

“Sure, Litmus Doom Swordsman will survive this attack,” said Russell, “but you sure won’t. Crescent Moon Queen, attack the Litmus Doom Swordsman with burning soul strike!”

Flames surrounded the Queen, and she raised her sword, and struck the Litmus Doom Swordsman. A shockwave struck Omaly, and he was thrown to the floor.



[B](R: 800) (O: 0)


“At ease…” said Russell.

Crescent Moon Queen and Litmus Doom Swordsman vanished.

Trisha and Jason ran up to him.

“Guys,” said Russell, “did I ever thank you for your birthday presents?”

“Many times, Russ,” said Trisha, smiling.

“Well, I’m going to get you two something great for your birthdays,” he said.

Omaly’s two girls looked at his unconscious form with disgust.

“What a loser…” said one of them, nudging him.

“And he said he was a good duelist,” said the other.

“Let’s get him out of here,” said Russell. “We have to get back before the curfew…”



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


As they started to carry the unconscious duelist back to the school, he came to.

“Guys?” he mumbled, in Janus’s voice.

He paused.

“Man, I have a headache… It was Omaly, wasn’t it?”

“Don’t worry, we took care of him…” assured Russell.

“Guys, please…” begged Janus. “You can’t tell Dr. Artemis. I try hard to keep him buried, but sometimes…”

“Don’t worry, Janus,” said Russell. “Omaly made a wager and lost. I think you’ll be able to keep him locked up from now on.”

Janus shook his head.

“I only wish I could find some way to duel him myself,” he said. “Challenge him and let him know once and for all just who’s body this is… The only problem is, I don’t know of any way I can do that.”

“Here,” said Russell, handing him a deck of cards. “This is Omaly’s deck. A duelist is nothing without his deck. If you just lock it up in a secure place, he’ll be helpless.”

Janus took it.

“I’ll keep that in mind…” he said.



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


Deep in the farthest reaches of Janus’s mind, a figure sat in a dark chamber, his limbs shackled by chains.

He wouldn’t be able to break them as easily as he did before after what happened, but he wasn’t worried.

“You won’t get rid of me so easily, Janus,” he chuckled. “In time, you’ll be the one wearing these chains, and I’ll still work to make sure that you stay in them.

“In time, in time… It will only be me…”



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


As night fell, the moon drifted slowly across the sky.

Manhattan was still busy. A vendor was doling out New York style pizza… floppy, foldable slices, dripping with gooey cheese and piled with pepperoni.

Raphael, Valon, and Alister watched him, and their mouths watered. They’d have given anything to be able to eat again…

“Get ahold of yourselves, mates,” said Valon. “We have better things to do than crave food.”

“You know,” said Raphael, “I always imagined that if you made it to Heaven, you were allowed to eat anything you wanted, and all the food was of the best quality…”

“Guys, focus!” said Valon. “Timaeus has showed up, so his two pals shouldn’t be far behind…”

“Since Timaeus showed up first,” said Alister, “logic states that Critias will come second…”

“And you’d be the expert on Critias, right?” asked Raphael, sarcastically.

Alister paused. When he worked for Dartz, he had tried his hardest to bring down Kaiba, the one whom Critias had chosen. In one fateful duel where he had played the Seal, Kaiba had used Critias to defeat him, and the Seal had taken his soul…

He had wanted so many times to apologize to Kaiba to his face for all he had done after it was over, but he never had the nerve to do so. After all, he doubted that a guy like Kaiba would have accepted an apology.

“Listen people,” he finally said, “I happen to know what those three goons are going to do next, and who their next target is.”

“Care to fill us in?” asked Raphael.

“I will later,” replied Alister. “But first, I need to go do something, alone.”

He walked away, towards the Academy.

The next victim will be at a disadvantage, he thought. But I know a way I can help… All it will take is sacrificing a little part of me…

And I’m more than willing to do it.



Tuesday, September 14th, 2106, 8:20 PM




CARD FROM A DIFFERENT DIMENSION (Spell Card)

Card Specs

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

Image: A mysterious machine, crackling with electricity, with a Duel Monsters card inside it.

Card Description: When this card is removed from play, return it to your hand during your next Standby Phase. Then, both players draw two cards from their respective decks.

Note: “Card From A Different Dimension” was used by Zane in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “The Graduation Match”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



CRESCENT MOON QUEEN (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 7
ATK: 2,600
DEF: 1,700

Card Description: Mistress of the night, queen of the darkness. Many have perished under her crescent blades. This Monster may attack a second time in the same Battle Phase. If this Monster attacks a second time in a Battle Phase, move her into face-up Defense Position after completing the second attack.

Note: “Crescent Moon Queen” first appeared in “City of Souls”.



COMMAND OFFENSIVE (Spell Card)

Card Specs

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

Image: Freed the Matchless General angrily attacking Shadowknight Archfiend with his sword.

Card Description: Offer one WARRIOR-Type Monster on your side of the field as a Tribute. Special Summon one “Freed the Matchless General” from your hand. Then, both you and your opponent draw two cards from your respective decks.



JAR OF WANT (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Rock/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 2
ATK: 0
DEF: 0

Card Description: This strange artifact is believed to be the polar opposite of the Pot of Greed. If this Monster is destroyed by a card effect and sent to your Graveyard while in Attack Position, draw three cards from your deck.



LITMUS DOOM RITUAL (Spell Card)

Card Specs

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


Image: A huge microscope, crackling with electricity.

Card Description: This card is used to Ritual Summon “Litmus Doom Swordsman”. You must also Tribute Monsters who’s total Level Stars equal eight or more from the field or your hand.



LITMUS DOOM SWORDSMAN (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Warrior/Ritual/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 8
ATK: 0
DEF: 0

Card Description: This Warrior was the creation of a scientific experiment that unfortunately, went out of control. This Monster is Ritual Summoned with the Ritual Spell Card “Litmus Doom Ritual”. You must also Tribute Monsters who’s total Level Stars equal eight or more from the field or your hand. This Monster cannot be destroyed in battle (damage calculation still applies), and is not affected by Trap Cards. If at least one Trap Card is active on the field, increase this Monster’s ATK by 3,000.

Note: “Litmus Doom Ritual” and “Litmus Doom Swordsman” were used by Bastion in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “The Duel Off (Part Two)”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



BURNING SOUL SWORD (Spell Card)

Card Specs

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


Image: A sword with a red blade, inside a bonfire.

Card Description: This card can be Equipped to any WARRIOR-Type Monster. Once per turn, you can offer one Monster on your side of the field, other than one Equipped with this card, as a Tribute. Increase the ATK of the Monster Equipped with this card by an amount equal to the ATK of the Tributed Monster until the End Phase of the current round.

Note: “Burning Soul Sword” was used by Joey in the anime episode “Courtroom Chaos (Part Two)”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



Omaly’s Doomsday Deck

Janus Omastas is a kind, shy, pretty boy, whom no one would ever expect would hurt anyone. As a duelist, he uses Fairies of Light, beautiful creatures who use mercy to deal with their foes.

However, he hides a darker side. A sufferer of the incredibly rare syndrome that psychiatrists call Dissociative Identity Disorder, and most common folk call Multiple Personality Disorder, the entity that names himself Omaly strives to become the dominant personality, and can access Janus’s dueling skill, in a different way.

Omaly’s Doomsday Deck is actually a Ritual Deck that focuses on three powerful Ritual Monsters: Ruin, Queen of Oblivion, Demise, King of Armageddon, and Litmus Doom Swordsman. The first two are summoned using the same Ritual Spell Card, End of the World, making his job easier (and he has three copies). These three Monsters are both very powerful and very frightening – many opponents have surrendered after seeing what they can do, rather than face their wrath second time.

As far as other Monsters go, he also uses Fairies, but darker ones than his counterpart – the strange sand Fairies that were favored by Ishizu. He also naturally has three copies of Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands.

Omaly also has three copies of Samsara, a useful card that lets him recycle his Monsters after using them for a Ritual.

Omaly also has three copies of Solemn Wishes, a card that serves two purposes. First, it restores his Life Points, allowing him to use Demise’s ability without risk. Second, it is a Continuous Trap, which changes Litmus from helpless to powerful.

Also, because summoning Ritual Monsters can deplete the cards in your hand quickly, Omaly has many ways to make extra draws. Card From A Different Dimension and Jar of Want are examples, and he also carries Pot of Charity. One copy of Pot of Greed simply isn’t enough when it can take four cards to summon one Monster.

No matter where Janus stores the deck, it likely won’t hinder Omaly if he breaks free. Even from his prison, Omaly knows what Janus knows, and Janus cannot hide much from him. Fortunately for Janus, this works both ways…

…for now.



[B][I]Coming up next:

What is Alister up to?

Find out, and find out what the villains are up to, as new pieces are added to the puzzle of this story on both sides.

That’s right… It’s another Orichalcos duel, and it’s not gonna be pretty. The next chapter is called “Trap Master”, and it’s coming soon.

[Inferno_Dragon]

Interesting duel!!!

I see a little bit of the Shadow Queen's Deck in their. Though I was suprised to see Russell summon Crescent Moon Queen. The strategy that Russell used with his Maruading Captains reminded of the Yu-Gi-Oh GX Episode with Dark Magician Girl and Jaden dueling.

So what is Alistar up to and who is Critias going to choose?

I can't wait to see!

Keep up the good work!!!!!!!!

[Pokemasterkatie]

The strategy that Russell used with his Maruading Captains reminded of the Yu-Gi-Oh GX Episode with Dark Magician Girl and Jaden dueling.
This a commonly known strategy in Warrior decks. Magician's Valkryia is the Spellcaster version, but she can't summon a Spellcaster of her own.:) Besides, she hasn't been released here yet.:(


Though I was suprised to see Russell summon Crescent Moon Queen.
Ditto, but it's a nice addition. CMQ is a great fanmade card.:)

[starjake]

Well, apart from the fact that the Card from a Different Dimension tactic was glaringly obvious (especially after you mentioned the Mystical Space Typhoon), and from the fact that this was the most extreme case of D.I.D. I've ever seen, it wasn't that bad of a chapter.

I gotta admit, though: your characters need more work. I have a hard time distinguishing between the characters of Jason, Russell, and Trisha. Granted, no one does it perfectly (I myself have problems splitting Jake and Bryan apart, and their accounts are in first person!), but your characters border on bland.

Makes sense that Critias would show up in a chapter entitled Trap Master. Who this Trap Master is I don't know, but we're sure to find out.

[Shuppet Master]

Great duel, Brian, and great user character, Mystic_Clown! I had a feeling your character would be similar to Bakura's(are you a Bakura fan)?

Anyways, can't wait to see what the next victim is.

[Silencer]

Intresting character and chapter.

Nexh chapter, trapmaster. An Odion kind of character perhaps?

[Dark Sage]

I forgot to mention...

On Thursaday or Friday, when my next chapter appears, so will the next contest.

And this time, I have a more fair way to determine the winner. Of all those who get it right, I will put them in a random generator, and have it choose.

So be there.

- DS

[Perfect Chaos]

Really interesting character design Mystic. Do you duel online (over AIM, etc.). If you do, I believe I need to duel you for titles of "Top Bakura Fan" and "King of Fiends" :pirate:.

I liked this chapter alot. As mentioned before, Janus was a very unique character of his own and the little bit of how Omaly might return adds a bit to the foreshadowing. Plus, the deck was a nice tech as well.

Look forward to the next chapter and contest (prays he'll be able to participate despite IB Exams).

-Sean

[Blademaster]

Not a bad chapter at all...

I mean, Omaly's deck seemed quite a bit more random than most others you've used, but there's nothing wrong with that... Though, to be honest, I don't think Lithmus Doom Swordsman makes the best choice to be with Ruin and Demise in a trinty - maybe Reshef the Dark Being or Black Luster Soldier would've worked better? :confused:

Anyway, Trap Master, huh? I'm thinking Jinzo + Amplifier, myself...

Well, later.

-Blade

[Dark Sage]

[color=blue][B]Once, when someone asked me why I wanted to be a duelist, I answered, “It looked like fun.”

And it was fun for a long time.

I didn’t know how serious my hobby could get. I decided to attend NYC Duel Academy to become a champion, and devote my life to it… But even so, it still didn’t make it less fun.

But now… Someone has tainted my hobby with something evil, and it has taken it to a new level.

The duelist I’m facing is a hardened criminal, and I’m not dueling for fun…

…in this duel, my very soul is on the line…




[size=3][B]CHAPTER TWELVE




http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/SKE-018.jpg



Wednesday, September 15th, 2106, 1:02 AM


In her dorm room, Trisha lay in her bed, fast asleep.

She was in the middle of a recurring dream that she often had, a strange one…

She was dressed as Dark Magician Girl, and she was standing in a dark chamber – her card in a dueling deck.

She looked up anxiously, and the darkness above her vanished. Her duelist had just drawn, and she would be the one drawn on his next turn…

Once that happened, she’d be summoned to the field (her duelist never lacked a sacrifice, and never waited even one turn before doing so), and then the dream could take one of about ten different pathways…

The best one involved her being ordered to make a direct attack, which resulted in her duelist winning…

The worst involved the opponent triggering a Nightmare Wheel – the worst way this dream could turn into a nightmare.

As the dreamer waited in anticipation, Alister appeared beside her bed.

He looked at her.

Trisha, he thought. If you only knew the terror that was waiting for you soon…

He gestured, and an envelope appeared by her pillow.

I can’t stop it, but by giving up a small part of my very soul, I can make these real. They’ll help you with what is to come…

He vanished.

Trisha woke up with a start.

Sadly, the dream had ended badly, as her Spellcaster self was defeated by Dark Ruler Ha Des. The last part of her dream consisted of her falling into the Graveyard…

That was a new one. The memory of Omaly was still fresh in her mind.

Then she noticed the envelope.

Hello? she thought, turning the light on.

Written on the envelope were the words, A gift from a friend.

“Jason?” she said.

She opened it.

She looked strangely at the two odd Spell Cards and one Monster Card.

Never heard of these, she thought. Wow, this is pretty powerful…

She paused.

Very powerful!

Jason couldn’t have gotten cards like this…



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


The next day passed without much incident…

But at noon on Thursday, a prison transport car drove through upstate New York.

One of the two officers looked back at the prisoner in the compartment behind them.

“We’ll be there in about an hour, Duncan,” he said. “And then this annoying red tape will all be just an unpleasant memory. Aren’t court appearances a pain?”

The convict was a sullen figure. He had a bald head and a short, brown goatee. His eyes were slate grey. He wore prison-issue clothes, and his hands and feet were shackled.

At first he didn’t respond to the comment.

Finally, he answered:

“I don’t speak to cops,” he said. “Sorry.”

“Suit yourself,” said the guard. “Hey…”

He looked up ahead, and saw someone in the middle of the road…

And then a huge, metallic dragon appeared in front of the truck, and roared!

The truck slammed on the breaks, and the dragon lifted its claw, crushing the hood! The driver and the passenger were thrown forward and had the wind knocked out of them.

Cleo opened the door and felt for pulses.

“They’re alive,” she said, taking a remote off one of their belts. “We need to rectify that?”

“No,” said Cassius. “Let’s just get what we came for…”

He placed a card in a Duel Disk, and a Blast With Chain appeared on the back door of the truck. It burst, blowing the door open.

The convict held his head and stared at the three Swordsmen.

“Daniel Duncan,” said Sebastian, as Cleo hit a code on the remote and the shackles fell away. “So nice to make your acquaintance.”

“As much as I appreciate an early release,” said Duncan, rubbing his head. “I’d prefer to know who my liberators are…”

“We were sent by someone who needs your lesser talents,” said Cassius. “We were able to get this from the police impound…”

He handed him a deck of cards.

“My Duel Monsters deck?” said Duncan. “Heh… they took it from me after I used it to gamble too much… Personally, I think they were upset because I was winning all the time…”

“Our boss heard you were pretty good, Duncan,” said Cassius, “and he can make you better…

“He’s gonna make you an offer you’re going to like…”



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


The next day, at lunch, Trisha still couldn’t stop looking at the three strange cards that had been left on her pillow.

On the television in the cafeteria, the news was being broadcast.

“Police still have no leads to the whereabouts of Daniel M. Duncan,” said the broadcaster, “who escaped while being transported yesterday morning. Most believe he had outside help. Duncan is considered to be very dangerous, but are advising people not to worry.”

“Yeah, right,” said Jason. “If a guy who used to be on New York State’s Most Wanted List was at large again, I’d certainly be worried…”

“Never heard of him,” said Russell. “How’d he get on the Most Wanted List?”

“Oh, the usual,” said Jason. “Armed robbery, bank robbery, kidnapping, extortion, safecracking, grand larceny…”

“Yeah…” said Trisha, changing the subject. “Say, guys, it’s Friday… That curfew isn’t as restrictive today. Want to go to the mall after school?”

Jason and Russell shrugged.

“Sure,” said Jason. “I have nothing better to do…”

“Maybe we can see a movie…” said Trisha, looking at the newspaper. “Here’s a good one… It’s a courtroom drama…”

“I never really got into those…” answered Russell.

”Godzilla Versus the Board of Education,” said Trisha.

“You’re kidding!” exclaimed Russell.

“Yes!” said Trisha with a giggle.

“Okay…” he said. “Very funny… What’s really playing?”



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


In the year 2106, the Mall of Manhattan had grown to enormous size. With stores and amusements of every possible type, it was a great place to spend a Friday afternoon.

Having finished a plate of cheeseburgers and curly fries at the food court, Trisha and Russell were killing time waiting for when the next movie at the cinema was to start by playing a tabletop duel on the table while Jason watched.

Secretly, Trisha was going to try her luck with those three new cards.

Right now, Russell had Freed on the field, and Trisha’s Machine King was tied down by his Shadow Spell – however, Trisha had Swords of Revealing Light active, and it was her turn.

“Okay,” said Trisha, “I play Pot of Greed…”

She drew twice.

“Be careful, guys,” said Jason. “You don’t want to get ketchup on your cards…”

Trisha grinned.

“First I’ll play this…” she said.

“Never saw that Spell Card before,” said Russell, rubbing his chin. “What does it do?”

“Well, it…” said Trisha.

Then someone from behind grabbed her purse!

“HEY!” she shouted.

She and Russell gathered up all their cards, and ran after the purse snatcher. They only barely managed to slip the cards into their cases as they ran.



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


Strangely, keeping up with the purse snatcher was rather easy. Just when it seemed like he might lose them, he stopped, and then after a few seconds, ran again.

Wait… thought Jason, as they chased him into the parking garage. Does he want us to catch him?

The snatcher ran up the ramps, and they chased him up the levels, until they were at the top floor of the parking garage.

“Okay, fellah,” said Trisha, panting for breath. “Nowhere left to…”

He turned to face them.

“…run…” she said, startled.

They recognized him from the news reports.

“Duncan…” muttered Trisha.

“That’s my name, my dear,” he replied. “Don’t wear it out, or I might have to steal another one.”

Trisha’s eyes narrowed.

“How the mighty have fallen,” she said with a scowl. “A criminal genius and master thief reduced to… purse snatching…”

“Trisha!” whispered Russell. “This guy is dangerous!”

“Oh, this?” said Duncan, holding up the purse. “True, it was a rather penny-ante attempt, compared to what I’m used to. But did you really think I wanted the pocket change in your purse? I’ll gladly return it…”

He tossed the purse to her.

“My true goal was to get your attention…”

He raised his left arm, revealing a Duel Disk on it.

“What?” said Trisha. “You want to duel me?”

“Yes,” said Duncan. “Make you a deal… I’ll turn myself in if you beat me. Might I add that the police are offering a very rich reward for information leading to my recapture?”

“Trisha, wait,” said Jason. “That Disk… You’d better let me duel him.”

“Ah, yes…” said Duncan. “You… The one I was warned about… Well, I won’t duel you, and if you don’t let me duel her… Watch…”

He took the top card off his deck and showed it to them: It was Raigeki.

He held it up, and it glowed…

A bolt of lightning struck a car behind them, and it burst into flames!

“This enchanted Raigeki card can do that to more than cars…” said Duncan. “It can do that to people, too…”

“You demented…” said Trisha.

She took out her deck and gave it a thorough shuffle.

“Fine,” she said. “I’ll duel you, just put that thing away…”

Duncan placed the card in his pocket; Jason took his Disk out of his knapsack and tossed it to Trisha.

“Don’t forget,” warned Jason, “Raigeki is an illegal card!”

“I don’t intend to use it,” he answered.

He paused.

“I hear you like Machines, my dear,” he said, placing his deck into his Disk. “Well, I like them too – you aren’t a career criminal for as long as I’ve been without knowing a little about how they work. But I like ones of a more… long-lasting type…

“So prepare to face the fury of my Medieval Shadow Deck!”

Medieval Shadow Deck? thought Jason.



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


Alister appeared behind Trisha. No one saw him, but he was there.

I’ve given you part of my soul, Trisha, he thought. Please beat this creep…

He watched as the two Disks activated, and they each drew five cards.



[B](Trisha: 8,000) (Duncan: 8,000)


“Game… start,” said Trisha.

“I agree…” said Duncan, drawing a sixth card. “And I’ll play this… Ancient Gear Castle!”

He played a Spell Card, and with a rumbling noise, a huge castle rose out of the floor behind him! It was a crazy structure, covered with gears, pistons, turrets, and cannons.

“This Spell Card gives all Monsters with the words ‘Ancient Gear’ in their names a little extra kick, raising their Attack Scores by 300. Next I’ll summon one Ancient Gear in Defense Mode…”

He placed a card on his Disk, and a small contraption resembling a set of gears and cogs on wheels appeared. (100/800) –> (400/800)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/sol_en0081.jpg


A torch inside Ancient Gear Castle lit.

“And I’m not done,” he said. “When one Ancient Gear is on the field, I can Special Summon all copies of it in Attack Mode that I have in my hand, and I just happen to have another one right here.”

He placed another card on his Disk, and a second Ancient Gear appeared in Attack Mode.

“That’s my move for now…” he said.

“First move, first mistake,” said Trisha, drawing. “I’ll summon a much better Machine.”

She placed a card on her Disk.

“Machine King Prototype!”

The Prototype materialized.

Another torch in the Castle lit.

“And he gains 100 Attack Points for every additional Machine on the field, yours included. That’s 200 more.”

(1,600/1,500) –> (1,800/1,500)

“Attack the Ancient Gear in Attack Mode!” she shouted. “Laser phaser!”

Machine King Prototype shot a beam of energy, obliterating the Ancient Gear.



[B](T: 8,000) (D: 6,600)


“Howdya like them apples?” said Trisha, as her Monster’s Attack fell to 1,700.

“Heh, heh, heh, heh,” said Duncan. “I like them a lot.”

He drew a card.

“You did exactly what I wanted you to do, my dear,” he said. “For now I shift my other Ancient Gear into Attack Mode…”

Ancient Gear moved into Attack Mode.

“…and then I play… Creature Swap.”

He played a Spell Card.

“This Spell requires us each to choose a Monster on the field and trade it… And since we each have only one, the choice is clear.”

The two Monsters vanished and reappeared on opposite sides of the field.

“Now that I have the stronger Monster,” he said, “I’ll have it attack my former one!”

Machine King Prototype blasted his ray, and the Ancient Gear blew apart.

“Man, this guy is good…” muttered Russell.



[B](T: 6,700) (D: 6,600)


“All right, my move!” said Trisha.

She drew a card.

“Sorry, Prototype,” she said, “but you’re either with me, or you’re against me. I summon Nanobreaker in Attack Mode!”

She played the card, and her Machine look-alike appeared. (1,600/1,800)

A third torch in the Castle lit. Trisha noticed this, and was getting nervous…

Three… she thought. One more than he actually needs…

“Attack Machine King Prototype!” she shouted.

Nanobreaker lifted her sword.

“Trisha, are you nuts?” shouted Jason. “With her on the field, Prototype is stronger!”

“Thanks for the warning,” said Trisha, “but you’re forgetting Nanobreaker’s effect – she automatically wins whenever she attacks a Monster who has three stars or less!”

Nanobreaker slashed with her sword, and Machine King Prototype exploded.

“Very clever…” said Duncan.

He drew a card.

“Well, I can be clever too… I summon Ancient Gear Soldier in Attack Mode.”

An old-fashioned robot, crafted from spare parts and gears with a machine gun for a right arm appeared. He glared with one bright optic sensor. (1,300/1,300) –> (1,600/1,300)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/TLM-EN008.jpg


“That will be my turn…” he said.

Four torches were now burning inside the Castle.

“A standoff…” said Jason.

Trisha drew.

“Not for long…” she said. “Time to say goodbye to Nanobreaker, because I’m sacrificing her to summon the regular Machine King!”

She switched cards on her Disk, and Nanobreaker vanished. A much larger robot with powerful arms and armor appeared.

A fifth torch lit inside the Castle, casting flickering lights on the whole arena.

“This guy also gains 100 Attack Points for every Machine on the field, but unlike the Prototype, that includes himself.”

(2,200/2,000) –> (2,400/2,000)

“Machine King, take down that Soldier with jet punch attack!” ordered Trisha.

Machine King raised his arms, and his fists fired like rockets, blowing Ancient Gear Soldier to shards.



[B](T: 6,700) (D: 5,800)


“So now what are you gonna do?” asked Trisha.

Duncan drew.

“I’ll show you,” he said. “I’ll play Pot of Greed, to draw two more cards…”

He played the card, and drew twice.

“Heh, heh, heh,” he laughed. “Now my dear… let’s take this duel to the next level…”

His Field Slot opened, and he played a card.

“I play The Seal of Orichalcos!”

Russell, Jason, and even Alister were thrown backwards, as the cursed pentagram formed around the two of them!

Duncan cackled with glee as the Seal appeared on his forehead...

“They were right,” he said in a sinister voice. “This is power!”

“Duncan you lunatic…” cursed Trisha. “Don’t you realize that if you lose this duel, you’ll lose your soul?”

Duncan looked at her for a few seconds.

“So what?” he finally said.

He let out a small laugh.

“Trisha,” he said, “eventually, I’d have been caught – I’m always caught. I won’t be eligible for parole until I’m seventy-five years old, and even then there’s no guarantee. Do you think I want to spend the rest of my life rotting in jail?

“By serving the Orichalcos, I’ll have more power than ever, and so what if I lose? At least I’ll go out with a bang, the way I always wanted to go!

“If you’re gonna go out… Go out big! That’s what I’ve always said…”

“You’re insane…” said Trisha.

“And you’re in major trouble…” said Duncan, placing a card on his Disk. “I summon the incredible… Ancient Gear Golem!”

In a cloud of dust, a huge robot appeared! It looked like it was made of gears, pistons, and other jury-rigged parts, but it still gave the impression of a well-running and deadly machine. It had one glowing red optic sensor that stared like one glaring eye.



Continued...

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:


The symbol of the Orichalcos branded on its forehead.

(3,000/3,000) –> (3,500/3,000)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/TLM-EN006.jpg


“How the Hell did he summon that thing with no sacrifice?” gasped Russell.

“It’s the Castle…” said Jason. “Every time either duelists Normal Summons or sets a Monster with that thing on the field, it gets a counter, and if you want to summon a high-level Ancient Gear Monster, you can sacrifice the Castle itself, and it counts as the same number of Monsters as it has counters…”

Ancient Gear Castle’s torches burned brightly, and the whole contraption shattered.

“Now my Golem,” shouted Duncan, “show that hunk of junk who the true Machine King is! Attack her Monster with mechanized melee!”

Ancient Gear Golem threw its fist forward, and Machine King exploded in flames!



[B](T: 5,500) (D: 5,800)


No… thought Alister. Not even the card I gave her can stand up to that… thing…

Trisha drew a card.

She looked at the cards in her hand.

“I’ll place one card facedown,” she said, playing a card. “And I’ll also summon a second Machine King Prototype in Defense Mode.”

A facedown card appeared, and Prototype appeared, shielding itself. (1,600/1,500) –> (1,700/1,500)

“Heh, heh,” said Duncan. “Defending and setting Traps is worthless against Ancient Gear Monsters…”

“I know,” said Trisha, “but this will slow you down. I play Swords of Revealing Light!”

She played a card, and a blizzard of swords blasted forward, surrounding Duncan and his Golem.

“I’ll end my turn there,” she said.

“Very well…” said Duncan, drawing.

He looked at the fancy Spell Card he had drawn.

“You can stall if you want, but I have all day,” he said. “I choose to pass for this turn…”

Trisha drew. It was a Spell Card.

This might come in handy, she thought. But not right now…

“I’ll pass as well,” she said.

Duncan drew.

“Well, my dear,” he said. “Let’s see if your Swords can protect you from my next move… Because frankly, they can’t.”

He played a card.

“I play a Spell Card called… Orichalcos Damper.”

A Spell Card appeared, resembling The Seal of Orichalcos, but blurry, as if the ink were running.

“What does that do?” asked Trisha.

Alister drew back in surprise…

Even he didn’t know what it did, and he thought he knew about all cards with the word “Orichalcos” in their names. He remembered well how Dartz had showed him the special cards in his personal deck… very frightening Monsters and other cards, including two additional layers to the Seal that only he was allowed to use…

Were there some of these Orichalcos cards that even Dartz hadn’t known about?

“It’s a Spell,” said Duncan, “a very special card called a Card of Sin.”

“I’m liking this less and less…” muttered Trisha.

Card of Sin? thought Alister, surprised. Okay, this is really new… Dartz would have never admitted that what he was doing was anything but holy… These guys are admitting that it’s a sin?

“Anyway…” said Duncan, “these cards can be used by whoever uses the Seal. Here’s how this one works. For the remainder of the round in which I use this card, the 500-Attack Point bonus that the Seal grants to my Monsters is temporarily negated.”

The Golem’s Attack returned to 3,000.

“Why on Earth would you do that?” asked Trisha.

“I’ll show you,” said Duncan. “I’ll summon my Ancient Gear Cannon…”

A large cannon made of gears and gewgaws appeared. (500/500)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/soi-en008.jpg


The Seal bonded to it, but its Attack Score didn’t go up.

“Next I play… Machine Duplication.”

He played another Spell Card.

“This lets me summon two more Ancient Gear Cannons from my deck.”

Two more Cannons appeared.

“I get it!” exclaimed Russell. “Machine Duplication only works if the Machine has 500 Attack Points or less… So he had to nullify the bonus for it to work.”

Ingenious… thought Alister. The power behind the Orichalcos has learned new tricks, and has become deadlier…

“And now,” said Duncan, “by sacrificing my Cannons, each one of them can blast away 500 of your Life Points!”

The Cannons fired, and Trisha staggered back, falling against the wall of the Seal.

She groaned as she clutched her torso. That had really hurt…

So this is what an Orichalcos duel feels like… she thought.

The Cannons shattered.



[B](T: 4,000) (D: 5,800)


“Your move…” said Duncan.

The Orichalcos Damper card shattered, and Ancient Gear Golem regained 500 Attack Points.

Trisha drew a card.

It was Mechanicalchaser.

I’m getting there… she thought. One more good draw, and I’ll be closer to ending this…

“I’ll pass this turn,” she said.

Duncan clutched his forehead, as if he was dizzy.

“Ugh…” he muttered. “Now where was I…”

He drew a card.

“Oh, right…” he continued. “I summon a second Ancient Gear Soldier, in Attack Mode.”

He played a card, and another Soldier appeared. (1,300/1,300) –> (1,800/1,300)

“My turn is over,” he said, “and when it goes, so do your Swords…”

The Swords vanished.



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


Cleo put a pair of binoculars down.

“Uh oh…” she said. “Looks like someone is getting a bad migraine…”

She, Sebastian, and Cassius were watching from the roof across the street.

“This may be bad, people…” muttered Cassius, rubbing his chin. “The boss warned us that these special cards might be physically draining.”

“Duh…” said Sebastian. “That’s why we wanted him to try it before we tried them ourselves.”

“You would think that cutting the power of the Seal would be less straining,” said Cleo.

“Actually,” said Sebastian, “I once heard that sometimes, it takes more energy to weaken something than it does to strengthen it. Besides, Orichalcos Damper is a Sloth Card, and Duncan really doesn’t seem like much of a slacker or a coward to me.”

“Well, keep close watch,” said Cassius. “If he has a heart attack and Trisha wins by default, we’ll know enough to stay away from these things…

“After all, Orichalcos Damper is nothing… compared to most of them.”



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


Trisha closed her eyes and drew a card.

All right… she thought. Secret weapon time!

She took another card from her hand.

“All right, Duncan,” she said, “I’m about to go medieval… on your ass!”

She played the card.

“I play… Junk Dealer!” she exclaimed.

Russell took notice.

“That’s the new card she had!” he exclaimed. “What does it do?”

“Glad you asked, Russ,” she said, as she played it. “Junk Dealer lets me revive up to two Warriors or Machines from my Graveyard whose combined star level is seven or less, so long as I cut their Attack Scores in half.”

Nanobreaker and her first Machine King Prototype appeared. (800/1,800), (800/1,500)

“Humph,” said Duncan, holding his head again. “Your Junk Dealer card is well-named… The Monsters you brought back are no better than junk now.”

“Maybe they aren’t very formidable, but they’ll let me summon something that is,” she said, taking the card she had just drawn. “I play another Spell Card… Go, Sky Union!”

She played the card, and the three Monsters on her side of the field shattered into pixels.

“Sky Union lets me sacrifice three Monsters to summon an incredibly powerful Machine from my deck,” she said. “Let’s all welcome… Air Fortress Ziggurat!”

An enormous form arose above her. It was an enormous airship! It was circular, but the outline was broken up by hundreds and hundreds of turrets and laser cannons! Where the bridge would be was what looked like the head of some colossal action figure. It stared at Ancient Gear Golem with cold, emotionless eyes. (2,500/2,000)

“WHOAH!” shouted Jason. “When did you get that thing? It’s freakin’ awesome!”

“I’ll admit that that’s impressive Monster,” said Duncan, “but my Golem has 1,000 more Attack Points.”

“Not for long…” said Trisha with a grin. “I activate my Trap Card… Elemental Blight!”

Her Trap Card lifted, showing the image of Dark Ruler Ha Des blasting Elemental Mistress Doriado with evil energy.

"And behold, I shall be a blight upon the land and everything I touch shall wither and die!" said Trisha, with a smirk.

“Here’s how it works… I merely remove one Monster in my hand from play, and every Monster on the field with the same Attribute as the one I’m removing loses 1,500 Attack Points for one turn.”

“Well…” said Duncan with a shrug. “I guess you’ve got me…”

“Save it…” said Trisha. “You think I’m going to use an Earth Monster, but I know better – the Seal turns all your Monsters Dark, right?

“So I’m removing my Mechanicalchaser, who’s also Dark!”

She placed the card in a special slot in her Disk, and Ancient Gear Golem fell to 2,000 Attack. Ancient Gear Soldier also fell to 300 Attack.

“Air Fortress Ziggurat,” shouted Trisha, “turn his Golem to spare parts!”

The airship opened fire with all its guns, and a barrage of laser beams and missiles honed in on Ancient Gear Golem! It staggered back, and then exploded into miniscule pieces!



[B](T: 4,000) (D: 5,300)


“All right!” shouted Jason. “Ancient Gear Golem is ancient history!”

“I’ll end my turn,” said Trisha, “and by doing that…”

The Ziggurat’s “mouth” opened, and a creature dropped out of it and fell to the ground. It looked like some sort of man-sized action figure in robotic armor. It crouched in Defense Mode. (0/0)

“Each time I end my turn,” she explained, “I can create one of these Toy Robot Tokens, and you can’t attack the Ziggurat when at least one of them is on the field.”

Yes! thought Alister. I knew that she knew enough about Machine Monsters to use my best card like a pro… She’s going to punish this hoodlum good, and I’ll be able to say I helped!

Duncan drew a card.

He finally shook the fog out of his head.

“I sacrifice my Ancient Gear Soldier to summon Ancient Gear Beast!” he exclaimed.

Ancient Gear Soldier shattered, and a large, wolf-like creature made of metal and gears appeared, with razor-sharp teeth and claws. (2,000/2,000) –> (2,500/2,000)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/TLM-EN007.jpg


“Attack her Token!” he shouted. “Piston pounce!”

Ancient Gear Beast pounced, and the Toy Robot Token shattered.

“So what are you going to do now?” he asked.

Trisha drew a card.

Sakuretsu Armor? she thought. Well, Traps are no good against his Monsters, but… why not?

She fit it into a slot.

“I place one card facedown,” she stated.

The card appeared.

“Then I summon Battle Footballer in Attack Mode…”

She played the card, and the football jersey-clad android appeared in an offensive position. (1,000/2,100)

“As for what I’m going to do…” she continued. “Air Fortress Ziggurat, fire on Ancient Gear Beast!”

The Ziggurat’s guns blazed, and the Beast howled! It was blown to pieces!

“What?” exclaimed Duncan. “That battle should have been a draw!”

“My Ziggurat can battle a Monster with equal Attack without being destroyed,” said Trisha. “A point I forgot to mention.

“And I’m not done… Battle Footballer, attack directly! Blitz tackle attack!”

Battle Footballer charged, and tackled Duncan, slamming into his gut! The convict was thrown against the wall of the Seal.



[B](T: 4,000) (D: 4,300)


He picked himself up, rubbing his head.

“You’ll pay for that…” he muttered.

“Come on…” said Trisha. “A big, tough guy like you doesn’t like to play football? I’m shocked.

“I end my turn.”

Another Toy Robot Token appeared.

Duncan drew a card.

“Heh, heh, heh…” he snickered.

“Did you really think you could destroy my Golem and be done with it?” he said. “That it would be all over with that? I had two in my deck, and I just drew the other one!”

“Oh?” asked Trisha. “What about sacrifices? As in, Ancient Gear Golem needs them?”

“With this,” he answered, showing her the last card in his hand. “A little thing called Ancient Gear Factory…”

“Oh no…” muttered Jason.

“What does that do?” asked Russell.

“Well,” said Duncan. “I certainly know what it does… But… for everyone else, why don’t you fill them in, Jason?”

He played the card, and with a rumbling sound, a huge contraption appeared behind him. It was a giant chamber, with a conveyor belt leading into it on the front, and a carousel on the top decorated with stars.

Jason glared at him.

“Ancient Gear Factory lets you summon a high-level Ancient Gear Monster with no sacrifice,” he growled, “so long as you remove from play Ancient Gear Monsters in your Graveyard whose total level stars equal twice the star level of the one you want to summon!”

“Your friend is smart,” said Duncan. “So in this case, I need to remove a total of sixteen…”

The contraption hummed to life, and two small cranes started feeding scrap metal onto the conveyor belt, which transferred it into the chamber. Steam started to rise, and the stars on the carousel lit up.

“So, I’ll remove both Soldiers, my Beast, and one Cannon…”

Four cards slipped out of his discard slot.

“And come forth, Ancient Gear Golem!”

The doors on the chamber opened, and the huge Golem stepped out! (3,000/3,000) –> (3,500/3,000)

“I don’t think I need to remind you…” said Duncan, “when the Golem attacks a Monster in Defense Mode, the difference between that Monster’s Defense Score and the Golem’s Attack Score is taken out of your Life Points…”

“NO!” screamed Russell. “That Token’s Defense is zero!”

“And now…” said Duncan with an evil grin, “attack the Toy Robot Token!”

The Golem smashed the token, and Trisha was thrown backwards hard, thrown violently against the barrier of the Seal.

She groaned…



[B](T: 500) (D: 4,300)


“My… move…” she said, stumbling to her feet.

She slowly drew a card.

“I play… Mystik Wok,” she said, playing a Spell Card. “And I’ll sacrifice my Battle Footballer to do so…”

Battle Footballer vanished, and she glowed with energy.



[B](T: 2,600) (D: 4,300)


“I’ll end my turn…” she muttered. “And I’ll opt not to have my Fortress create a token.”

“Pity,” said Duncan. “I was kind of hoping that the effect wasn’t optional…”

He drew a card.

Ancient Gear Drill? he thought. Eh, I need to discard something to use this. Well, who cares…

“Ancient Gear Golem,” he said, “ground that Air Fortress Ziggurat! Mechanized melee!”

The Golem socked the huge Machine with its fist, and sparks flew! Explosions erupted all over the airship, and flames started to fly from it!

Trisha shielded herself, as the huge Ziggurat shattered.

I’m so sorry, Trisha, thought Alister, hanging his head. It was the best I could do…



[B](T: 1,600) (D: 4,300)


Trisha looked at her hand. Then she looked on the field.

The only cards in her hand were 7 Completed and Call of the Haunted, which were pretty much useless right now. Her only card on the field was Sakuretsu Armor, which was worthless against the Golem.

There wasn’t a non-Tribute Monster left in her deck that could stand up to it even with 700 more Attack Points, and defending wouldn’t do any good…

She reached for her deck…

…the world around her started to turn bright…



Continued...

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



She looked around.

She was in what looked like a strange factory. Gears and pistons powered weird machines. The steady sound of machinery running was all around.

“Where am I?” she asked.

“You’re in a vital place,” said a voice that sounded mechanical.

She turned, and saw… Nanobreaker!

“You…” she said. “You can talk?”

“Trisha,” said the Machine in a monotonous, digital voice. “The programmer wishes your presence.”

“Programmer?” asked Trisha. “I’m not sure…”

Nanobreaker paused.

“Trisha,” she said. “You put me in your deck to serve as your avatar… You must trust me.

“I will tell you this… In the duel you are in, the chances of you winning right now are almost zero. However, if you follow me, we can increase the odds substantially…”

Trisha looked at her.

“Lead on…” she answered.

“Come,” said Nanobreaker.

She led her into a larger room, which was also full of machinery, but seemed to be dominated by bronze, gold and silver. Nanobreaker knelt, and placed her sword by her side.

“Lord Critias,” she said, bowing her head, “she has come…”

From out of the shadows came a splendidly dressed knight, clothed in sapphire blue armor and a cape, with a sword by his side.

“Who…” said Trisha.

“Welcome, Trisha,” said the knight. “I am Critias. You’ve seen my brother already – Jason holds his power now.”

“Timaeus?” asked Trisha.

Critias nodded.

“But more needs to be done,” said Critias. “I and my other brother must emerge. Only together can we fight the Orichalcos…

“Only together can the Dark Messiah be found.

“Trisha, I can grant you the power to fight the Orichalcos if you choose to accept it. But once this decision is made, it cannot be unmade.”

Trisha paused.

“I’d be honored…” she said.

“Then, brave duelist,” he said, “kneel…”

Trisha knelt, and bowed her head, as the knight drew his sword.

“Trisha Moise…” he said, touching her with the blade, “I grant you the power of Critias!

“Arise!”

Trisha felt energy flowing through her…



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


Trisha opened her eyes…

She drew a card.

Jason noticed that the pouch where he kept his side deck was glowing.

He opened it and took out the card.

Timaeus… he thought.

Trisha looked at the card.

“I play…” she said.

She threw the card on her Disk.

[I]”The Fang of Critias!”

Thunder rolled, and the sky darkened…

“What’s happening?” asked Duncan.

From out of the sky, a huge form descended. It was a magnificent dragon with dark blue scales and a face that exuded wisdom. It flew right through the Seal, and landed by Trisha’s side!

Trisha’s facedown card lifted.

“Critias…” she said. “Merge with Sakuretsu Armor!”

The Trap Card and the great dragon swirled into a ball of light.

“WHAT?” shouted Duncan. “Since when can you fuse a Monster with a Trap?”

“Since right now,” said Trisha with a grin. “And I’m fusing them into Doom Armor Dragon!”

A huge dragon appeared, with gunmetal grey armor, studded with razor-sharp blades all over!

(0/0)

“Zero Attack Points and zero Defense Points?” asked Duncan, snidely. “Defending with that thing is asking to lose…”

“Who said I was defending?” answered Trisha. “Take a closer look – I’ve summoned Doom Armor Dragon… In Attack Mode!”

The Dragon growled.

“Fine,” said Duncan. “Your funeral…”

“I’ll place a card facedown, and end my turn,” said Trisha, fitting Call of the Haunted into a slot.

The card appeared.

“What part of ‘Traps don’t work’ don’t you understand?” asked Duncan with a grin.

He drew a card.

Eh, my other Ancient Gear Beast, he thought. No matter…

“Ancient Gear Golem… Attack!” he shouted.

The Golem lumbered forward…

“I was waiting for that, Duncan,” said Trisha, narrowing her eyes. “See, to make up for his nonexistent Attack and Defense, Doom Armor Dragon has a potent ability that can be used if he’s attacked while in Attack Mode.

“If that happens, I can offer him as a sacrifice… and the Monster that’s attacking him… goes boom…”

Doom Armor Dragon glowed… He roared and flew forward… Duncan gasped…

With a massive explosion, Ancient Gear Golem was blasted to pieces, and Duncan was thrown backwards!

He groaned…

He looked at disbelief at the smoldering crater where his Monster had been.

Doom Armor Dragon vanished.

“I uh…” he said, getting up.

He took a card from his hand.

Better bluff… he thought.

“I end my turn by placing one card facedown…”

“Then it’s my move!” shouted Trisha.

She drew.

Perfect… she thought. That facedown card has got to be a bluff, or he’d have set it before…

“I activate Call of the Haunted, to bring back Nanobreaker!” she shouted.

The card lifted, and Nanobreaker reappeared. (1,600/1,800)

“Now I play… 7 Completed!”

She played the Equip Card, and Nanobreaker rose to an Attack of 2,300.

“And finally…” she added, playing the last card in her hand. “I play Limiter Remover. Since you like Machine Monsters so much, I’m certain you know what this card does to them…”

Nanobreaker glowed with blue fire, and her Attack rose to 4,600!

“Go!” she shouted. “Attack him directly and end this!”

Nanobreaker leapt up, and slashed violently at the criminal with her sword, and he staggered back.

He fell to his knees…

“Game… over…” said Trisha.



[B](T: 1,600) (D: 0)


Duncan started to laugh as the Seal started to glow.

“HA, HA, HA!” he laughed, as the Seal started to shrink. “Like I said, my dear… If you have to go, go out big!”

The Seal contracted around him, and he collapsed, his face frozen in an insane grin.

Trisha paused as her two friends ran up to her.

She took The Fang of Critias out of her discard slot and looked at it.

“I won’t fail you…” she whispered.

“Trisha…” said Jason. “That dragon… is he…”

“I think he’s related to yours,” she answered.

There was a long pause.

“He said he had one other brother…” she added. “Once he appears, they’ll be stronger…”

She and Jason looked at Russell…

Russell gulped.

Alister smiled.

You did good Trisha, he thought. Take care of those cards… They’ll help you a great deal…

He turned and disappeared.



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


Fortunado walked down a hallway with his three henchmen behind him.

“So,” said Cassius. “Now Timaeus and Critias have appeared. How does this affect your film?”

“It might actually make it more interesting,” said Fortunado. “I’ll have to give the Legendary Dragons billing, but at least I won’t have to pay them…”

“Sir,” said Cassius, “there is something else we should be concerned with… That Fortress that Trisha used… I know for a fact that it was the headliner of Alister’s deck. Don’t you think it’s kind of a coincidence that…”

“It isn’t a coincidence at all, Cassius,” interrupted Fortunado. “Alister gave it to her.”

The Swordsmen paused.

“The original Swordsmen are still around?” asked Cleo. “Suddenly I feel nervous…”

“Those three failures have been haunting this city for a long time,” said Fortunado. “They think nobody knows, but I sure do.

“And now, apparently, they want to poke their noses in where they don’t belong… Well, fine by me… If they continue to be a problem, I’ll have them taken care of.

“After all, they have no bodies anymore… The Orichalcos can hold them even tighter than it did the last time.

“At any rate, we’d best put the Seal away for now, and continue on the subplot…”

He opened a door.

Beyond it was a sinister-looking temple, with torches flickering. The smell of incense was in the air.

A dark figure turned to meet them. He looked rather annoyed.

“I’m working as fast as I can, Mr. Fortunado,” he said. “Your new operative will be ready by tomorrow morning.”

“He’d better be,” said Fortunado. “I don’t like to wait.”

“You rush the Master Specter, you wind up with rotten specters,” said the figure. “Rome wasn’t built in a day, you know.”

“It would have been if I was paying by the hour!” answered Fortunado. “Besides, it isn’t like you have anything better to do…”

He and the three Swordsmen turned to leave.

“That spook worries me, boss,” said Sebastian. “How do we know he won’t turn on us with these creatures?”

“He worries me too,” said Cleo. “That card he has in his deck… What if he actually uses it? It seems to me like the Duel Monsters equivalent of pouring gasoline on a grease fire!”

“Trust me,” said Fortunado, “if he does anything uncouth, he’ll regret it…

“Greatly…”


Friday, September 17th, 2106, 7:36 PM




JUNK DEALER (Spell Card)

Card Specs

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

Image: A ragged and muscular junk man.

Card Description: Special Summon up to two WARRIOR- or MACHINE-Type Monsters from your Graveyard whose combined star levels do not exceed seven in Attack Position. The ATK of these Monsters is cut in half. These Monsters cannot attack during the round you use this card. You cannot use these Monsters as a Tribute for a Tribute Summon.



SKY UNION (Spell Card)

Card Specs

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

Image: Silhouette of a hulking, shadowy machine amid the clouds.

Card Description: Offer three Monsters as a Tribute to Special Summon one “Air Fortress Ziggurat” from your hand or deck.



AIR FORTRESS ZIGGURAT (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Machine/Effect
Attribute: Wind
Level: 8
ATK: 2,500
DEF: 2,000

Card Description: This powerful flying war machine was created using Dark World technology. This Monster cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This Monster can only be Special Summoned through the effect of “Sky Union”. This Monster is not destroyed when it battles a Monster with equal ATK. This Monster is not affected by your opponent’s Spell or Trap Cards. At the End Phase of your turn, you may Special Summon one “Toy Robot Token” (Machine/Earth/1 star/0 ATK, 0 DEF) in Defense Position. This Monster cannot be attacked so long as at least one “Toy Robot Token” is on your side of the field.


Note: “Junk Dealer”, “Sky Union”, and “Air Fortress Ziggurat” were used by Alister in the anime episode “Flight of Fear (Part Two)”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



ELEMENTAL BLIGHT (Trap Card)

Card Specs

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

Image: Dark Ruler Ha Des striking down Elemental Mistress Doriado with an evil spell.

Card Description: Remove from play one Monster Card in your hand. All Monsters on the field with the same Attribute as the Monster you remove from play lose 1,500 Attack Points until the End Phase of the current turn.



ORICHALCOS DAMPER (Spell Card)

Card Specs

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

Sin: Sloth

Image: Similar to “The Seal of Orichalcos”, but blurry, as if the ink were running.

Card Description: During the turn in which you use this card, the 500-point bonus that “The Seal of Orichalcos” grants to your Monsters does not apply.



THE FANG OF CRITIAS (Special Card)

Card Specs

Type: Special
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: A powerful dragon with deep blue scales.

Card Description: This card can fuse with any Trap Card to form a Monster of incredible power.

Note: “The Fang of Critias” first appeared in “Deja Duel! (Part Two)”. It was one of the main focuses of “Waking the Dragons”.



DOOM ARMOR DRAGON (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Dragon/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 6
ATK: 0
DEF: 0

Card Description: This Dragon’s mere appearance gives the impression of danger. This Monster is descended by activating “The Fang of Critias” and offering one “Sakuretsu Armor” as a Tribute. If this Monster is attacked while in Attack Position, offer this Monster as a Tribute to destroy the attacking Monster.



Duncan’s Medieval Shadow Deck

There’s a big difference between a normal bank robber and a safecracker. If you barge into a bank and rob the place with a weapon, you’ll wind up a few thousand dollars richer at most. However, if you’re skilled enough to sneak into a closed bank, bypass the security system, and break open the vault, not to mention knowing exactly what to take, you could wind up with millions of dollars. Thus, a safecracker makes a much more respected criminal in the underworld than a crude armed robber.

Duncan has been a career criminal all his life, and knows the “proper” ways to commit crimes for maximum profit. Thus, he knows a great deal about machinery and computers. Thus, as a duelist, he favors not only Machines, but ones that are durable. And none are more durable in his opinion than the Ancient Gear Machines.

Having two Golems and two Beasts in his deck seems like a hard task, but one of the key points in Duncan’s strategy is summoning high-level Monsters quickly. He has many ways to do so, and this chapter only showed two methods: using Ancient Gear Castle and Ancient Gear Factory. Another clever way is to use Magnet Circle LV 2 to Special Summon one Ancient Gear, use its effect to Special Summon another, and then sacrifice them both. Yet another is through use of another creature in his deck, The Trojan Horse, which can summon the Golem with one sacrifice.

Duncan doesn’t use many Traps, but most of the ones he has are Counters. If a Golem or Beast is sent to the Graveyard, it’s usually a one-way trip, so he has many ways to negate Spell Cards that can destroy Monsters. He doesn’t worry much about Traps – after all, his most important Monsters are immune to most of them.

Of course, Duncan is a bit of a hypocrite. His criminal career relied on subtlety, and his dueling style… is anything but.



New Card Type: Card of Sin

Cards of Sin are cards created by the mysterious force currently behind the Orichalcos. Whether or not this is Leviathan or someone channeling its power is not known, but it is clearly someone or something of great evil and great magical prowess.

In effect, Cards of Sin are nothing new. Practically every card in Dartz’s personal deck except the actual Seal of Orichalcos was one, although he did not know it. After all, he refused to believe that his deeds were sins, even though they were. It is important to note that the Seal itself is not a Card of Sin – in effect, that card is the power source of all Cards of Sin, and is in a class by itself.

All Cards of Sin have different effects, but share a few things in common. First, not everyone can use one. To use The Seal of Orichalcos, one simply has to have darkness in his heart, and not necessarily be evil, the reason why Mai (who was simply scared and confused) and Atem (who was dark by nature) were able to use it. However, to use a Card of Sin, a duelist must truly have an evil soul, and have committed serious actual sins in his life. Note that the definition of “sin” is not the same as the definition of “crime”, although sins often lead to crimes.

Use of one of these cards is physically and mentally draining on an individual, and most minions don’t dare use more than one in a single duel. (Dartz had godlike willpower, and was able to use a whole deck of them with few ill effects – he was one of the exceptions that makes it a rule). There are seven different types of Cards of Sin, each type corresponding to one of the Seven Deadly Sins that define human nature: Pride, Sloth, Envy, Wrath, Gluttony, Greed, and Lust. The effect of the card is usually dependent on what sin the card represents. A duelist can use one of them more easily if the card’s sin is one he possesses in abundance. (This is why Orichalcos Damper was draining on Duncan – it was Sloth, and he didn’t have much of that.)

A Card of Sin cannot be played unless the duelist is currently using The Seal of Orichalcos, which is the power source for all of them. These cards are worthless otherwise. Most of these cards work with the Orichalcos in some way, strengthening Monsters under its influence and helping the minion. If the Card is a Monster, it gains the regular 500-point bonus that the Seal confers.

Rumors persist that the Cards of Sin have polar opposites called Cards of Virtue. If these cards exist, they may be the perfect thing to combat both them and the Orichalcos itself. How these cards may be obtained, however, is unknown.

Cards of Sin are restricted to this fanfic, and cannot be used elsewhere.



[B][I]Coming up next…

Another blast… From the anime past!

A student’s deck has been stolen, and Jason goes to get it back… But he must face a duelist so infamous, that almost all information on him has been classified! Who is he?

Find out, in “The Illusory Gentleman”, coming up next!

[Dark Sage]

[size=3][B]The “Who Said It?” Contest



"And behold, I shall be a blight upon the land and everything I touch shall wither and die!"



In the chapter you just read, Trisha said this to intimidate Duncan. However, she was not the first person to say this quote…

The question is…

Who said it?

Here are the rules of this contest:

The two winners of the first contest are ineligible.

PM me your answers.

If you get it right, I will put your name in a pool, and at the deadline, I will use a random number generator to determine a winner from those who got it right from the pool.

You only get one chance, so use it wisely.

Deadline is one week.


Now, here’s what you need to know. That quote above was spoken by a character in a work of fiction that was at least relatively recent. That’s the only clue you get. The work of fiction is not necessarily an anime, or even a television show, but it isn’t one so obscure that you have no chance to find it.

Your job is to both identify the character, and the work of fiction he appeared in. (If the work was a television program, the name of the episode is not necessary.)

Simple? Good. Now get on it.



The Prize: You’ve seen quite a few minions of the Orichalcos thus far, but let me tell you… a lot more exist. In fact, so many exist, there’s at least one that even I don’t know about!

That’s because the winner of this contest will get to put his villainous mind to work and design a minion who will appear in the final arc of this story. The villain’s appearance, mannerisms, deck strategy… Everything.

So…

Who said it?

Good luck.

[jkBAKURA]

Hey, I actually know the answer to this one!

[Shuppet Master]

Well, I don't. I suck at quotes which aren't related to Square-Enix's work or Pokemon, so I can't participate. (In fact, I never heard this quote before!) However, since I got a nice user character, I won't be upset. :)

[Silencer]

Might I suggest giving the oncoming deckthemes to the winner? You don't want to have 2 times the same kind off deck do you?

[Pokemasterkatie]

It looks Shakespearish...but I've never read his books, unfortunately.:p

Looks like someone's been reading Tilting the Balance!XD But the Cards of Sin are still pretty cool.

A villian from the animé? And that clue gives me a few guesses...that are from the Duel Monsters animé. But one villain's still not out...if we can take Chumley's graduation into account!

[Dark Sage]

I intend to, Silencer. I intend to. The winner will have a lot of info to work with.

And the next chapter will be up soon. Sooner than you think.

- Brian

[Master of Paradox]

Looks like someone's been reading Tilting the Balance!XD But the Cards of Sin are still pretty cool.

Just to cut off any speculation down that avenue, it's sheer coincidence. The two stories and the concepts therein were thought up independently a long time before either of them started being posted.

[Dark Sage]

Yes... I spoke to MoP before this chapter went to print to assure him that I did not plagarize his work. I thought this up long before his Cards of Night ever appeared.

And mine are different. In his fic, evil is in the eye of the beholder. In my fic, evil is a true power that is very prevailant. The Cards of Sin are most certainly evil.

Most would assume that the Cards of Night are too, but in TtB, that's only the opinion of whoever is observing, and no judgment can be made.

[Blademaster]

Well, I'm officially confused...

But this was a good chapter, overall. The Ancient Gear theme is getting old quickly, but Alister's cards made up for it, I suppose. Nice use of them.

Later.

-Blade

[Shuppet Master]

Well, this IS fiction, Blademaster, and it's sort of connected to Yu-Gi-Oh, which ignores political and economic stuff. (I mean, if the Doma arc was real, the armies wouldn't be asking Yugi and Kaiba to help beat Dartz, they'd be firing nukes at the tower non-stop!)

[Dark Sage]

It takes a LOT to get me angry, but you just did, Blademaster.

I live in New York. The people here are friendlier and more helpful than you think. I ride the subway all the time, and people never hesitate to give their seats to someone who needs it more. People are courteous, and when a crisis grips the city (most recently I'll use the subway strike as an example) people support each other and help each other more.

At one point, a city crisis would have caused an explosion of crime and looting. There was none of that during the strike. Total strangers banded together to help others commute and avoid disaster.

I went to a major NYC University, and it was full of "kind, law abiding students". Pace University had no major issues with students violating laws (unlike some more upper class schools in the country that I won't mention right now) and ninety percent of my class graduated.

New York isn't perfect, but it isn't a rat's nest. It's a nice place to live if you give it a chance. Maybe you have to be a native to appreciate it like I am. And my hope is that in the future, it will be the greatest city in the world, just like it is right now.

At least in the minds of everyone who lives here.

If you don't like it, stay out of it.

[Dark Sage]

Think you're off the hook just because you edited your post, Blademaster?

Well, you aren't.

I still know it was there, and I won't forget.

[Blademaster]

It takes a LOT to get me angry, but you just did, Blademaster.

Oh, great... Why do I always seem to say the worst possible thing in any situation...?

DS, I'm sorry. Seriously, I did NOT mean to offend you. I've been to New York City a few times, but maybe I've just gone to the wrong places. My most recent jaunt to New York City was on a class field trip to Queens. I think it was a place called Jackson Heights... Port Jackson, something like that, anyway. And it was scary. I was hit on by a 35-year old Latina prostitute, asked for money by a homeless Hindu, and approached by a black pimp who didn't talk to me - he 'meeped' at me like the Road Runner did in the old Bugs Bunny cartoons. Honest to God -you CAN'T make up stuff like that. I was scared, even with a class of 2 dozen college students.

Before that, I went to a few other places in New York, and a lot of the memories weren't much better. As a kid, I went to the Natural History Museum and got lost the first few times and another time I got in trouble for touching the dinosaur bones. I took the bus and subway to the Beacon Theatre last fall, and not a minute passed that some stranger was hatefully glaring at me on the subway. And a 5 summers ago, I went to the World Trade Center, only to see it collapse a few weeks later...

I know my view of New York may not be a great one, but I've been there several times; I'm just speaking MY mind from MY experience. New York probably is a lot nicer than I think, but I'm still leary of the place, and the fact that I wasn't allowed to go there for almost 4 years after 9/11 because my paranoid family was afraid I'd be the victim of a terrorist attack didn't make things any better.

And please understand that I wasn't attacking New York City, DS - I'm just saying is that I took World Geography classes all year this year, and I learned that most major cities advance in 'steps.' Step 1 is when the city is first settled and is growing. Step 2 is when the city grows larger and larger, both in area and population. Step 3 is when the city is in 'full bloom,' with millions of people and an advanced economy - as well as overpopulation and housing and social services beginning to run out. Finally, Step 4 is when the city is pretty much split into a healthy, successful power and a 'downtown' area. Now, I'm assuming that New York City is pretty much at Step 3 today, so... you do the math. I was just saying what I think is going to happen, hopefully as a worst-case scenario and not a reality.

I live just outside of New York, DS - I don't wanna agitate anyone or cause any problems, and I'm sorry that I got you angry - I was just saying, is all...

-Blademaster

[jkBAKURA]

Just as warriors seem to be growing more popular, so iit shall be with the Aincent Gears.

Jokes aside, this duel kept it's individuality from the one in Tilting the Balance, and even managed to remain seperate from Crowler, their original player, and take on a life of its own (even if some of the combos were indeed used before)

Tricia is so far unlike any other Machine duelist I've seen in fanfiction, then again many of the cards are more recent. Tell me, is Ziguraat going to be a one time thing, or will it become a reacurring (though probably seldom used) monster? Not that it's tottally out of character by any means.

I don't know, I just don't feel like we've seen enough of her deck yet, but then again this is only her third duel, and she probably has many more then her starting fourty cards, so if I can be patient long enough, I'm sure her deck and character will continue to develop.

The stratagies were good, but the descriptions were nothing new. While the classics need to remain the same, sometimes a more unorthadox visual representation is refreshing. But at least you didn't try to fix something that wasn't broken.

I kind of hope my User character will show up soon, but until then I really can't complain.

My review of this chapter is now complete. If you need me, I'll be refreshing the fanfiction page over and over looking for more updates.

Enjoy your lives people. I wish I had one.

[Inferno_Dragon]

So Alistar helps out Tricia by adding some of his powerful cards to her deck .... that sort of reminds me of another Swordsman who gives some of his cards to Diane. But the Cards of Sin are interesting. When I heard of that, I suddenly thought of the Shadow Spawn's Soul Cards and how it related to their sins.

But a good chapter indeed.

I might try the contest, I might not be good when it comes to quotes but I shall try.

Keep up the good work, DS.

[Mystic_clown]

*pants* sorry I've been gone for so long.

First of all, I loved the way you characterised Janus and Omaly. Depending on how things go with them, I might even write a spin-off.

Shuppet: Yeah, I am a Bakura fan, but I was more thinking of Jekyll and Hyde when I came up with them.

[envoy of time]

So Trisha uses Critias nice.I thought Critias was my favorite of the dragons because his potential was limetless, the others seemed a bit goofy. Who is this mysterious spook?Will Russell ever meet hermos?Only time will tell.

"May time be on your side."

[Dark Sage]

[B][I]When Ansel dueled Panik – or someone claiming to be him – I didn’t know what to make out of it. Was Panik an imposter, or was he some phantom come back to some form of pseudo-life?

Whichever the case, I know now that this Panik was only the tip of the iceberg.

Another of these strange phantasms has appeared, and he’s done something that is unforgivable. I must find him and defeat him…

I hope I can, because according to legend, this guy was no slouch…

This guy has a Monster in his deck that’s so rare, the only other person known to have one was the one who defeated him, the King of Games himself…




[size=3][B]CHAPTER THIRTEEN




http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LOD-EN053.jpg



Saturday, September 18th, 2106, 12:10 PM



News reports often raised more questions than they answered, and that was certainly the case.

“Escaped convict Daniel Duncan was found by police on the top level of the Mall of Manhattan’s parking garage,” said the newscaster, “in a strange catatonic state. The notorious convict remains in a strange coma, and no one is certain just how he wound up in this condition.”

Only a few knew the truth…



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


Jason and Russell were waiting outside the conference room.

Just like Jason had, Trisha had been called there for a talking to.

Eventually, she came out.

“Well?” asked Russell.

“Basically,” moaned Trisha, “she had my butt for lunch!”

She looked at The Fang of Critias.

“This is the most powerful card I have ever seen,” she said. “Able to fuse with any Trap Card in the game to form something lethal…”

They all looked at each other.

“Guys, we have to do some research…” said Jason.

“How?” asked Trisha. “We don’t even know how to spell the word ‘Orichalcos’!”

“Easy,” said Russell, sarcastically. “We’ll just look in the database for cursed magical artifacts…

“…under ‘O’…”



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


Three hours later, the three of them were at the computers at the library.

And they were getting nowhere fast…

“No good…” muttered Jason. “Not even a reference to ‘Orichalcos’, ‘Timaeus’, ‘Critias’, or ‘Dark Messiah’…”

“Hang on a sec,” said Russell, who was searching through the microfiche.

“Here we go…” he said. “I found something dated about ninety years ago…

“An author named Lester Grimes intended to publish a book called White Lightning: A Biography of Seto Kaiba. He wrote the manuscript without Kaiba’s knowledge, but before he published it, he announced that it would portray all of Kaiba’s ‘heroic’ life, including his encounter with something called the Orichalcos…”

Trisha looked at the screen.

“So that’s how you spell it,” she said.

“Kaiba immediately demanded to see Grimes,” continued Russell, “and wanted to see the manuscript, and Grimes happily complied…

“…and once he had, Kaiba filed a lawsuit to stop its publication, claiming it was full of slander.

“Halfway though the lawsuit, Kaiba made an offer to Grimes that he would let the book be published, but only if he was allowed to personally edit it. Grimes felt he would lose the case anyway, and accepted.

“The book was published, and became reasonably successful, but no mention of anything called Orichalcos was in it.”

There was a long pause.

“Seems there was stuff in the original draft that Kaiba didn’t want the public to know,” said Trisha.

“Obviously,” said Jason. “So the mystery deepens…”



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


When they got back to the dorm, and entered the common room, they were met by a surprise.

Old Ben and Dr. Artemis were in the common room, trying to calm a student who seemed incredibly scared. Trisha was shocked to see who it was.

“Malvolio?” she said.

“What happened to him?” asked Jason.

“Something serious,” said Artemis. “Someone dueled him, and then stole his deck.”

Jason’s eyes opened wide.

“The beast…” he muttered.

“So fast, didn’t see it coming…” gasped Malvolio. “So fast, didn’t see it coming…”

“Try to calm yourself, Mal,” said Ben. “Get a grip!”

“Ben,” scolded Artemis. “Don’t you realize the gravity of this situation? Someone has stolen a student’s deck. You of all people should realize how serious that is!”

“I know…” muttered Ben, slouching.

She put her arm around Malvolio.

“Malvolio,” she said, in a comforting voice, “try to calm down, and tell us who did this…”

“Ar… Ar…” he stuttered. “Arkana…”

“Arkana?” said Jason in surprise.

Ben scratched his chin.

“Lovely,” he said. “His deck was stolen by Arkana… Or someone claiming to be him. And this will be hard, because information about him was classified by the Council.”

“I know a little about him,” replied Artemis. “He was a Rare Hunter who was one of Yugi’s opponents in the first Battle City. The reason talking about him is taboo is because he used Yugi’s signature card, Dark Magician, and perverted its use, disrespecting his cards. He cut up and trimmed his cards to manipulate where they’d end up when he shuffled – no respectable duelist would intentionally damage his cards…”

“Malvolio,” asked Ben, “did this guy use Dark Magician?”

Malvolio shivered.

“I’ve seen pictures of Dark Magician…” muttered Malvolio. “This was not the same Monster! He was different… He was… evil…”

“Mmm,” muttered Artemis. “Arkana used a different variant than Yugi used… A rare version of a card that was already incredibly rare…”

Jason looked at Malvolio’s feet.

A stuffed toy had been dropped there. It was some sort of funny-looking gnome or troll dressed in colorful clothes and a pointed cap.

He picked it up.

“Where did this come from?” he asked.

“He was clutching that when he came in here,” said Ben. “I have no idea what it is…”

Jason looked at it.

“Mr. Puck…” he said.

“Huh?” said Russell. “Mr. Puck? What’s with the toy gnome?”

“It isn’t a gnome…” muttered Jason, “it’s an elf…”

They all looked at him.

“Guys,” said Jason, “I’ve got to go somewhere… Keep trying to calm Malvolio down…”

He rushed out the door.



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


A short subway ride to Brooklyn later, he was standing outside an old factory.

The sign on the front said, MONARCH TOY COMPANY, along with many signs that said “condemned” and “keep out”. On the roof was the same company name, along with pictures of the traditional King of Spades and Queen of Hearts, faded with age.

He went up to the front door, and found that the boards that had nailed it shut had been removed. He walked in. A light came from a room up ahead…

After moving inward for a few minutes, he found himself in a large room full of what appeared to be macabre stage magician tools…

A guillotine… A fortunetelling machine with a wax statue of an ugly hag-like gypsy inside… An iron maiden with its door ajar… Grotesque puppets… Several demonic masks…

It looked like a bad dream.

The center of the floor had been cleared away, and a five-pointed star in a circle – a magical pentagram – was painted on it.

“You might as well come out,” he said. “I know you’re in here…”

A cackling laughter echoed through the room, and blue smoke started to rise at the other end…

From out of the smoke stepped a tall figure. He was dressed in a formal tuxedo colored purple, with an oversized bow tie with stripes, and a top hat. Most remarkably, he wore a large, striped domino mask.

“So,” he said, snidely, “you found me…”

“It wasn’t hard…” said Jason, tossing the toy gnome on the floor. “You left a clue I could recognize…

“My sister got one of these toys when she was two. But I know that the Mr. Puck line of dolls was discontinued when the company that made them – this one – went out of business three years ago.

“And I want answers, Arkana, if that’s truly who you are. Arkana has been dead for a hundred years, and I think you’re something more than just an imposter…”

“Oh, ho, ho, ho,” snickered Arkana. “That’s a good question, Jason. Am I an imposter? Or am I the real Arkana, brought back to life by some powerful spell?

“I’m afraid that’s one question that I can’t answer right now…”

“Fine,” said Jason. “But I’m not leaving without Malvolio’s deck! You don’t steal a duelist’s deck, Arkana! That’s hitting below the belt!”

“You want his deck back?” laughed Arkana. “Well, it’s somewhere in this room, but you’ll never find it on your own…

“Make you a deal… Duel me, and if you win, I’ll gladly give it back…”

One of the Orichalcos Duel Disks appeared on his arm, and then a deck of cards appeared in his hand, which he started to shuffle.

“Fine…” said Jason. “If that’s what it will take…”

He shuffled his own deck, secretly placing The Eye of Timaeus in as he did.

“Well,” said Arkana as the Disks activated, “it’s showtime! Let the curtain rise, and the show begin!”

“Disk away!” shouted Jason.



[B](Jason: 8,000) (Arkana: 8,000)


“Let’s begin!” laughed Arkana, drawing a first card.

He chose a card from his hand.

“I summon the Malice Doll of Demise…” he stated.

He played a card, and a sinister-looking, wooden puppet holding a nasty axe appeared in front of him. (1,600/1,700)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/SOD-EN018.jpg


“Next, I’ll play… Ectoplasmer!”

He played a Spell Card, and it appeared behind the Doll. Jason raised an eyebrow.

“This diabolic Spell Card requires each duelist to sacrifice one Monster at the end of their turns,” he explained. “The very soul of the sacrificed Monster is then transformed into a destructive form of energy called ectoplasm. This is fired at the opposing player for damage equal to half of the sacrificed Monster’s Attack Score.

“And so…”

He snapped his fingers, and Malice Doll of Demise slumped over…

A ghostly spirit flew out of it, and shot towards Jason! He cringed as it hit him.

The remains of the Doll vanished.



[B](J: 7,200) (A: 8,000)


“All right, Arkana,” said Jason, drawing a card. “If you want to play dirty, I’m as game as you are…”

He placed a card on his Disk.

“I summon the D.D. Warrior Lady in Attack Mode.”

A beautiful woman dressed in a silvery leotard with long sleeves, holding a gleaming sword appeared. (1,500/1,600)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/DCR-027.jpg


“Attack directly!” he shouted. “Dimensional slice!”

D.D. Warrior Lady flew forward, and slashed at the conjurer with her sword! Arkana grunted.

“And I’m not done,” continued Jason. “I happen to know that both duelists can use Ectoplasmer’s effect. So I’ll use it on my Warrior!”

D.D. Warrior Lady fell to her knees…

And then her spirit arose from her body, and slashed at Arkana with her sword again! The magician’s hat fell from his head.

D.D. Warrior Lady vanished.



[B](J: 7,200) (A: 5,750)


Arkana growled, and retrieved his hat.

“Ha, ha!” laughed Jason. “Got you good!”

“Clever,” said Arkana, placing the hat back on his head, “but you’ll soon learn the penalties for trying to heckle the headliner!”

He drew…

And then he snapped his fingers. In a burst of dark energy, Malice Doll of Demise reappeared! (1,600/1,700)

“What?” said Jason. “How? You didn’t even do anything!”

“When this Monster is sent to the Graveyard by means of a Continuous Spell Card, he comes right back on my next turn,” said Arkana. “Admittedly, there are very few cards that can do that, so this Monster was made to combo with Ectoplasmer!

“Next, I’ll summon a Spellcaster named Mythical Beast Cerberus in Attack Mode…”

He placed a card down, and a glowing hound with two heads appeared. (1,400/1,400)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/sd6-en0021.jpg


“Next,” he said, “I’ll play Pot of Greed from my hand…”

He played the card, and drew two cards.

“And whenever a Spell Card is played, by either of us, Cerberus gains 500 Attack Points!”

Cerberus glowed, and grew to 1,900 Attack. Jason gulped.

“However,” added Arkana, “when I actually decide to attack with him, he goes back to his original level, so I won’t attack you with him just yet…

“But my Doll is another story! Malice Doll of Demise, attack him directly! Heaver cleaver!”

The Doll hurled its axe at Jason, and he staggered back, wincing in pain.

“And now I’ll activate Ectoplasmer again!” laughed Arkana.

The Doll slumped down again, and its spirit shot towards Jason again! He screamed and fell over.

“I end my turn,” laughed Arkana, as the Doll vanished.



[B](J: 4,800) (A: 5,750)


All right, thought Jason, making a draw, I’m gonna do what I should have done on my first turn…

He played a card.

“Say goodbye to that Ectoplasmer card!” he exclaimed. “I play Mystical Space Typhoon!”

The whirlwind ripped across the arena, blowing the Spell Card to bits.

Mythical Beast Cerberus rose to 2,400 Attack.

“Next, I’ll summon Vorse Raider in Attack Mode,” he said.

Vorse Raider appeared, holding his axe high. (1,900/1,200)

“And I’ll end with a facedown card,” he said.

He played a card, and a facedown card appeared.

“Oh, a facedown card!” said Arkana. “Whatever will I do?”

He drew a card, and then snapped his fingers again. Malice Doll of Demise returned again. (1,600/1,700)

“I think I will place one facedown as well,” he said. “And that will be all…”

A facedown card appeared.

Jason drew. He considered for a minute.

“Vorse Raider, attack that Doll!” he shouted.

Vorse Raider leapt up, and brought his axe down on the Fiend, splitting it like a piece of wood.



[B](J: 4,800) (A: 5,450)


“Your Doll split!” said Jason. “And it looks like your facedown card was a big bluff…”

“Yes…” muttered Arkana. “Parting is such sweet sorrow…”

He drew a card.

Perfect… he thought. Jason will soon learn how lethal it is to match wits with a conjurer as trained as I am…

After all, when you have Monsters that are high-level, you learn tricks on how to summon them fast, getting around sacrifice conditions…

And I don’t need to cheat to outduel some college preppy!

“I play Monster Reincarnation,” he said, playing a Spell Card.

“Now, by discarding one card…”

He discarded a card.

“I can bring Malice Doll of Demise back to my hand…”

The card slipped out of his discard slot.

“Him again…” muttered Jason.

“And since I just played a Spell Card, Cerberus gets even stronger!” added Arkana.

Mythical Beast Cerberus grew to 2,900 Attack.

“Cerberus, attack his Vorse Raider!” shouted Arkana. “Mythic blast!”

The Mythical Beast’s two heads breathed out blue flames…

“I activate… Mirror Force!” shouted Jason.

His Trap lifted, and the flames turned back on Cerberus, blowing it to shards!

“You little brat!” shouted Arkana.

“Gotcha…” said Jason, with a grin.

Then he frowned. He never liked using that Trap…

Kaiba could have easily put Mirror Force in his deck, but he was reluctant to use anything that his rival was so fond of.

But Jason couldn’t afford to be as flexible as someone who could afford to put almost any card he desired in his deck. If a duelist of his level got ahold of a Mirror Force, he used it. He’d be a fool not to.

“I’ll summon my Doll back in Defense Mode…” growled Arkana.

He played the card, and the Doll appeared again, shielding itself with its axe. (1,600/1,700)

I’ll teach him to upstage me, he thought.



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



Jason drew a card.

Ryu-Kishin Powered.

Not bad, he thought.

He placed it on his Disk.

“I summon Ryu-Kishin Powered in Attack Mode,” he exclaimed.

The fiendish gargoyle appeared. (1,600/1,200)

“You took the bait!” laughed Arkana. “I activate my Trap!”

His facedown card lifted, and an ominous coffin appeared in front of him, with a pentagram on the front…

It opened, and sucked both Malice Doll of Demise and Ryu-Kishin Powered inside! Then it slammed shut!

“What happened?” shouted Jason.

“It’s a rare Trap called Dark Renewal,” said Arkana. “A very special sort of version of Soul Exchange, in a way… When you summon a Monster, I can sacrifice it along with one of mine to Special Summon a Spellcaster from my Graveyard.”

“Fine,” said Jason. “Bring back Cerberus… Vorse Raider will crush him…”

“Who said anything about Cerberus?” asked Arkana, as the coffin started to glow.

Jason paused.

“That card that you discarded when you used Monster Reincarnation…” he muttered. “Don’t tell me it was…”

“It was!” laughed Arkana, as the coffin opened. “The opening act is over… Now the real show can begin! Dark Magician, you’re on!”

A sinister figure stepped out of the coffin.

“Super…” muttered Jason.

Jason had seen DVDs of Yugi’s duels many times, and had seen his Dark Magician in action in a lot of them. But Yugi’s famed Spellcaster was dressed in royal purple, and had a kind, gentle face.

This guy, however, was a wicked parody. His robes were blood red, his hair was shock white, and his expression suggested insanity. (2,500/2,100)

“That’s a blasphemy…” he muttered.

“Says who?” asked Arkana. “I’m the ultimate master of magicians, a sorcerer supreme! Yugi may have bested me with that harlot Spellcaster of his, but I’m back, he’s not, and I’ll soon reclaim the title of the true Master of the Dark Magician!”

“Harlot?” said Jason, angrily, taking a card from his hand. “Dark Magician Girl is no harlot!”

He looked at his cards.

That guy may be Dark Magician’s evil twin, he thought, but unfortunately, for all practical purposes, he’s the same Monster. And as anyone who dueled Yugi could attest, defeating him is incredibly hard…

“I’ll place a card facedown,” he said, “and move Vorse Raider to Defense Mode…”

A facedown card appeared. Vorse Raider knelt, and held his axe in his lap.

“…and I end my turn.”

Arkana drew a card.

“Stop me if you’ve heard this one…” he said with a grin. “A lunatic walks into a card store, and he tells the guy behind the counter, ‘I’d like a bag of carrots’.”

Jason raised an eyebrow.

“And the guy says,” he continued, “’We don’t sell carrots, now get lost!’ And the lunatic leaves. The next day, the same lunatic comes in, and tells the same guy, ‘I’d like a bag of carrots’.”

Jason looked at him, annoyed.

“And the clerk gets angry, and says, ‘We don’t have carrots! You come in here again, I’m going to nail you to the wall!’ And the lunatic leaves again.”

Now Arkana’s Dark Magician started to look annoyed…

“The day after that, the lunatic comes in again, and he tells the clerk, ‘I’d like a bag of nails.’ And the clerk gets really mad, and says, ‘We don’t have any nails!’

“And the lunatic says, ‘In that case, I’d like a bag of carrots!’”

Jason stared at him.

“Boy…” he said. “I haven’t heard something that funny since I had a root canal…”

“Okay…” answered Arkana. “I’ll stick to stage magic then.”

“Case in point, for my next trick…” he said, choosing another card, “the great Arkana will make Vorse Raider… disappear!”

He played a card.

“By playing the Spell Card… Thousand Knives! This Spell lets my Dark Magician wipe out any opposing Monster!”

Like I said… thought Jason.

The Dark Magician gripped two glowing daggers, and then hurled a swarm of them forward!

“Not so fast!” shouted Jason. “I activate Spell Shield Type-8!”

His Trap Card lifted, and a weird machine appeared in front of Vorse Raider.

“This negates your Spell Card! And because Thousand Knives targets a Monster, I don’t have to pay a dime.”

The daggers fizzled.

“Fine…” growled Arkana. “I still have his normal attack! Dark Magician, attack Vorse Raider!”

The wicked sorcerer aimed his staff, and with a burst of eldritch energy, blew Vorse Raider into shards.

Got to do something… thought Jason, drawing a card.

He set a card down.

“I summon Peten the Dark Clown in Defense Mode,” he said.

Peten appeared, crouching in Defense. (500/1,200)

“That’s all you could do?” asked Arkana. “A clown?”

“Look who’s talking…” answered Jason.

Arkana drew a card.

“I’ll place a Monster in Defense Mode…” he said.

A facedown Monster appeared.

“Dark Magician, attack his Clown!”

Dark Magician blew Peten away.

“Fine,” said Jason. “But destroy one Peten, and I get to summon a second one…”

Another Peten appeared.

“He just hates to say goodbye…” he added.

“But you will shortly,” said Arkana, “make your move…”

Jason drew a card.

It was Polymerization.

That’s what I’m talkin’ about! he thought.

“I summon Saggi the Dark Clown,” he said.

He played a card, and another goofy jester appeared. (600/1,500)

“You actually put that worthless Monster in your deck?” asked Arkana.

“Don’t call him worthless,” said Jason, angrily. “I put him in my deck for the same reason that Kaiba did…

“I believed in him.

“And now I’m going to use him to summon a Spellcaster that’s even stronger than yours, Arkana. I fuse Saggi and Peten together with Polymerization!”



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/EP1-EN005.jpghttp://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LOB-EN059.jpghttp://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/MRD-EN066.jpg



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


“So, where do you think Jason went?” asked Russell.

“He sure seemed to know where he was going,” answered Trisha.

Her face fell.

“Poor Malvolio…” she said sadly. “His deck was the product of a century of planning and strategy, and it had a lot of rare cards… And for all we know, that guy who took it is selling his cards to some dealer in Chinatown…”

“It’s not right…” said Russell. “A duelist’s whole… essence is in his cards, it’s what defines him. They shouldn’t be taken by another! If I ever find this Arkana, I’m gonna rip him a new one…”



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


From out of the vortex came a tall figure. He was dressed in a jester’s outfit, completely black and white, with a foolscap and a dark mask, not unlike Arkana’s.

“Meet Dark Harlequin!” said Jason, triumphantly.

(2,000/1,500)

“Impressive,” said Arkana, “but you were wrong on one aspect… Your Harlequin is 500 Attack Points weaker than Dark Magician.”

Dark Harlequin grinned at this remark…

“Oh really?” said Jason. “Well, why don’t I just explain his special ability! He gains an extra 700 Attack Points if there’s a Dark Attribute Monster face-up on the field, other than himself.”

Arkana paused.

“But the only other face-up Monster on the field…” he started.

“…is your Dark Magician,” interrupted Jason, “emphasis on the word ‘Dark’.

“Dark Harlequin, attack with acrobatic flip!”

Arkana’s Dark Magician gulped…

Dark Harlequin leapt up, and did a somersault, and drop-kicked Dark Magician, smashing him to bits!

“So much for that!” laughed Jason. “I end my turn…”



[B](J: 4,800) (A: 5,250)


“Ooh, this is getting annoying…” muttered Arkana, drawing a card. “No matter… A good conjurer is always prepared…

“I flip my facedown Monster into Attack Mode…”

The facedown Monster flipped, and revealed a scaly green creature with spines all over its body. (1,600/1,800)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/DCR-014.jpg


“A Des Feral Imp!” exclaimed Jason.

“Yes,” said Arkana, “and by Flip-Summoning it, I get to take one card from my Graveyard, and shuffle it back into my deck.”

A card fell out of his discard slot.

“I’ll give you one guess what one it is!” he said with a grin, showing him the Dark Magician card.

He placed the card in his deck, and reshuffled.

“Incidentally, Jason,” he said, “my chances of drawing him again are better than you might think, since I have two copies in my deck.

“But right now, I’ll summon a Spellcaster of a different color. I sacrifice my Imp, to summon the Chaos Command Magician!”

Des Feral Imp vanished, and a tall Spellcaster in glossy black robes and a pointed hat carrying a staff appeared. (2,400/1,900)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/MFC-068.jpg


Dark Harlequin frowned.

“And since this guy isn’t a Dark Monster,” he continued, “he can easily defeat your Harlequin. Chaos Command Magician, attack the Dark Harlequin with chaos magic!”

Chaos Command Magician shot forth a blast of rainbow-colored light, and Dark Harlequin cringed before he was blown away.



[B](J: 4,400) (A: 5,250)


“Nuts…” muttered Jason.

“It’s your move…” said Arkana, with a sinister smile.

“Fine,” said Jason, as he drew.

“And I play Pot of Greed.”

He played the card, and drew two cards.

“Your mage is going down,” said Jason. “I summon Battle Ox!”

He played the card, and the minotaur appeared. (1,700/1,000)

“He can’t defeat Chaos Command Magician,” laughed Arkana.

“He’ll be able to in a minute,” said Jason. “I play… Shrink!”

He played the card, and Chaos Command Magician gasped, and shrank to half his size, falling to an Attack Score of 1,200.

“Battle Ox, get him!”

The Beast Warrior made a swipe with his axe, and Chaos Command Magician shattered.

Arkana gritted his teeth.



[B](J: 4,400) (A: 4,750)


“That narrows the gap,” said Jason. “It’s your move…”

Arkana drew a card.

He grinned evilly.

“I summon Double Coston in Attack Mode,” he said.

He played the card, and two black globs with faces connected by an energy cord appeared. (1,700/1,650)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/AST-078.jpg


“And I’ll also set a card facedown…” he said.

A facedown card appeared.

I know that Monster… thought Jason. If he sacrifices it for a Dark Attribute Monster, it counts as two Monsters!

He drew a card.

Eh, this will cost me Battle Ox, but I have to stop him from summoning his Dark Magician again!

“Battle Ox, attack Double Coston!” he shouted.

Battle Ox lifted his axe…

“I activate… Zero Gravity!” shouted Arkana.

His Trap Card lifted, and both Battle Ox and Double Coston shifted into Defense Mode.

“This Trap Card changes the battle positions of all Monsters on the field,” he said with a grin. “Moving both our beasts from offense to defense.”

Jason put a card on his Disk.

“Then I’ll place one Monster in Defense Mode…” he stated.

A facedown Monster appeared.

“…and I’ll end my turn.”

Arkana drew a card.

“And now,” he said, “I’ll sacrifice my Double Coston, and behold, ladies and gentlemen, as Dark Magician makes his triumphant return!”

Double Coston vanished, and the evil Dark Magician appeared again. (2,500/2,100)

“Attack his Battle Ox!” ordered Arkana.

Dark Magician fired a blast, and Battle Ox was blown away.

“You’re lucky he was in Defense Mode,” laughed Arkana. “So make your move…”

Jason drew a card.

Hmmm… he thought.

“I place one card facedown, and that will be all…” he said.

A facedown card appeared.

“Very well,” said Arkana, drawing a card.

This might come in handy later, he thought.

“Attack his facedown Monster!” he shouted.

Dark Magician fired a blast…

A small lizard-man carrying a sword appeared on the card, and was blown to bits.



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LOD-EN042.jpg


“Sorry, Arkana,” said Jason, “but that was a Troop Dragon. And he has an ability similar to Peten’s – destroy one, and another takes its place.”

Another Troop Dragon appeared, crouching in Defense Mode. (700/800)

“Then it’s your move…” said Arkana.

Jason drew.

“I’m passing then,” he said.

Come on, he thought. Summon another Monster… You know you want to…

Arkana drew a card.

“I summon Mystic Tomato in Attack Mode,” he exclaimed.

He played a card, and a huge tomato with a silly-looking face appeared next to Dark Magician. (1,400/1,100)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/TP4-015.jpg


“You fell right into my Trap, Arkana!” shouted Jason. “I activate… Safecracker!”

His Trap Card lifted, revealing the image of Cliff the Trap Remover attempting to break open a bank vault.

“Now, by discarding one other Trap Card from my hand…” he continued.

He discarded his Negate Attack.

“…this Trap can duplicate the effects of one Trap Card in your Graveyard. And I think I’ll duplicate… Dark Renewal!”

Arkana drew back in fear as the dark coffin appeared on Jason’s side! It opened, and Troop Dragon and Mystic Tomato were sucked into it!

“See?” said Jason, as it slammed shut. “What helped you so much before is going to hurt you now. Because now I can summon a Spellcaster from MY Graveyard.”

“But that means…” said Arkana, with a shudder.

The coffin opened, and Dark Harlequin stepped out. (2,000/1,500)

“He’s baaaack!” said Jason.

Arkana frowned.

“How do you expect me to put on a proper show…” he said angrily, “when that guy keeps stealing it?”

“Hey…” said Jason. “That’s show biz!”

“I’ll move Dark Magician to Defense Mode, and end my turn…” growled Arkana.

Dark Magician glared angrily at the Harlequin, and then knelt in Defense.

“My move!” said Jason, drawing.

He drew.

“And I summon Spear Dragon.”

A small Dragon that looked like a pterodactyl appeared. (1,900/0)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LOD-EN035.jpg


“Dark Harlequin, attack his Dark Magician!”

Dark Harlequin flipped, and kicked the Spellcaster, blasting him to pieces.

“Spear Dragon, attack directly!” shouted Jason. “Cyclone blast!”

Spear Dragon exhaled a blast of fierce wind, striking the mad magician! He grunted and staggered backwards.



[B](J: 4,400) (A: 2,850)


“And now my Spear Dragon moves to Defense Mode…” said Jason.

Spear Dragon lowered its beak and folded its wings. It closed its eyes and fell asleep, softly snoring.



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“Clever,” said Arkana, “but this is my show, and the grand finale will be coming soon…”

He drew a card.

“I’ll simply place this Monster in Defense Mode,” he said.

A facedown Monster appeared.

“All right…” said Jason, drawing a card.

Spear Dragon woke up. Its eyes opened and it moved back into Attack Mode.

“Spear Dragon, take care of his facedown Monster!” he shouted.

Spear Dragon fired his cyclone blast…

A grizzled old sorcerer in colorful clothes with a fancy staff appeared on the card. (450/600)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/DR1-EN122.jpg


“Heh, heh,” said Arkana. “That’s Old Vindictive Magician. And since you flipped him, your Dark Harlequin is destroyed!”

Old Vindictive Magician aimed his staff and fired a beam of darkness, eradicating Dark Harlequin.

Then he shattered himself.

“Big deal…” said Jason. “You still lose Life Points because of Spear Dragon’s piercing effect.”

Spear Dragon fell asleep and backed up into Defense Mode again.

“I’ll end by playing a card facedown.”

A facedown card appeared.



[B](J: 4,400) (A: 1,550)


“I believe… it’s my move…” said Arkana, not seeming to care.

He drew a card.

“And I play Graceful Charity,” he said, playing a card.

He played the card, and the angel appeared.

He drew three cards.

“HA, HA, HA, HA!” he laughed. “With the cards I just drew, the fat lady will be singing shortly!”

He discarded two cards.

“Now,” he said, “I’ll bring my Dark Magician back, by playing Silent Doom.”

He played the card, and Dark Magician reappeared, kneeling in Defense Mode.

“Despite his fame,” continued Arkana, “Dark Magician is not an Effect Monster, so this card can easily revive him.”

“You think that scares me?” asked Jason. “Since you summoned him with Silent Doom, he can’t attack.”

“Actually,” said Arkana, “I only summoned him so I could sacrifice him for someone who IS an Effect Monster… A powerful sorcerer who can only be summoned by sacrificing a Dark Magician!”

Jason drew back.

“I’ve never heard of such a thing!” he exclaimed.

“Once this duel is over,” laughed Arkana, “I assure you you’ll never forget it either!

“I sacrifice my Dark Magician…”

A cloud of darkness consumed Dark Magician…

“And come forth, [I]Dark Eradicator Warlock!”

A powerful-looking form stepped forward. He resembled Dark Magician at first glance, but wore a fancier robe and a cape, and carried a more elaborate staff. His eyes glowed with dark energy. (2,500/2,100)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/sd6-en0011.jpg


“Well, that’s… impressive…” said Jason. “But he’s no stronger than Dark Magician… Unless…”

“Didn’t I tell you?” asked Arkana. “This guy IS an Effect Monster, one with a deadly effect. Now, whenever either of us uses a Normal Spell Card, you lose 1,000 Life Points!”

“No… way…” muttered Jason.

“I’ll show you,” replied Arkana. “I play… Monster Reborn, and bring back the normal Dark Magician!”

He played the card, and Dark Magician arose next to his more elaborate counterpart. (2,500/2,100)

Dark Eradicator Warlock’s staff glowed with dark energy, and pain ripped through Jason!



[B](J: 3,400) (A: 1,550)


“If only I could face Yugi now!” laughed Arkana. “Even he would admit that I am the true master of magicians! The ultimate archmage!”

“A demented madman…” growled Jason.

“We’ll soon see!” shouted Arkana. “Because now I’m going to finish you! I play the Spell Card, Double Attack!”

He played the card.

“And in case you didn’t know, it’s also a Normal Spell Card…”

He played the card. Dark Eradicator Warlock’s staff glowed again, and Jason screamed…

“And now,” continued Arkana, “I’ll discard my eight-star Dark Magician of Chaos so that my seven-star Dark Magician can attack twice!”

He discarded a card.

“Dark Magician, destroy his Spear Dragon!”

Dark Magician fired, and Spear Dragon burst!

“Now, attack directly!”

Dark Magician grinned an evil grin and aimed at Jason.

“Go! Draining Shield!” shouted Jason.

His Trap Card lifted, and a dome of force surrounded him. The blast of dark magic flowed into him, and he felt a surge of energy…



[B](J: 4,900) (A: 1,550)


Arkana growled.

“My Warlock still has an attack, Jason…” he said, “and he intends to use it! Attack! Dark curse!”

Dark Eradicator Warlock’s staff glowed with dark flames, and Jason howled in pain…



[B](J: 2,400) (A: 1,550)


“I’m not through yet, Arkana…” he said, panting for breath.

He looked at his deck.

He drew a card.

“I play… Card of Demise,” he said, playing the Spell Card. “See, I now get to draw five cards. However, after five turns are over, I have to discard my entire hand.

“But that really doesn’t matter, because if I don’t get some good ones, this duel is going to be over long before then.”

He played the card.

"Don't forget..." said Arkana with a grin. "Card of Demise is also a Normal Spell Card..."

Dark Eradicator Warlock's staff blazed, and Jason cringed in pain again...

He stopped to catch his breath.

Please let these have something that can beat him… he thought as he started to draw.

He drew five cards.

He looked at them.

He placed one of them on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

“Is that all?” laughed Arkana. “Well… I guess the curtain will soon be going down…”

He drew.

“And just in case that Monster is something with a nasty flip-effect, I’ll place this card facedown…”

He played a card, and a facedown card appeared.

“Now…” he ordered, “Dark Magician, attack!”

Dark Magician aimed his staff.

“That’s just what I wanted you to do, Arkana,” said Jason with a grin. “Reveal… Ancient Lamp!”

As Dark Magician flew to attack, an old oil lamp on spidery metal legs appeared on the card. (900/1,400)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/sp2-en001.jpg


“Ancient Lamp?” said Arkana, confused. “What does that do?”

“I thought you were a master of magicians,” said Jason. “This is another Spellcaster…

“And since you attacked it while it was in facedown Defense Mode, I can force your Dark Magician to attack one of your other Monsters!”

Dark Magician turned towards Dark Eradicator Warlock.

“ARRGH!” shouted Arkana. “If he attacks him…”

“They’ll both be destroyed…” said Jason.

The two Spellcasters fired blasts of black magic at each other, and they shattered into pixels!

Arkana looked in disbelief.

“Not much to say, huh?” asked Jason. “I’d be speechless too, if my whole strategy had just been blown to Hell…”

“You haven’t won yet!” cursed Arkana.

“We’ll see…” said Jason.

Just try to attack me, thought Arkana. My Magic Cylinder will make it the last thing you ever do!

Jason drew a card.

“Perfect,” he said. “I’ll use Ancient Lamp’s other ability, to Special Summon this guy from my hand…”

La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp appeared, and gave a throaty chuckle. (1,800/1,000)

“And now…” said Jason, “I’ll sacrifice La Jinn and Ancient Lamp to summon one of my most powerful Monsters…”

The two Monsters vanished…

“The mighty Tyrant Dragon!”

A huge, mean-looking Dragon with rust-red scales and a huge wingspan arose! It roared! (2,900/2,500)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LOD-EN034.jpg


Arkana drew back…

“Tyrant Dragon, attack with imperial inferno!” shouted Jason.

Flames appeared in the Dragon’s jaws…

“I’m real sorry…” laughed Arkana, as his Trap lifted, “but my Magic Cylinder will blast your attack right back at you!”

“I’m afraid your puny Trap won’t work against this guy!” shouted Jason.

Tyrant Dragon blasted its flame, and the Cylinders shattered into pieces. Arkana screamed…



[B](J: 1,400) (A: 0)


“Boo-yah!” said Jason.

When the smoke cleared and Tyrant Dragon vanished, only one thing was left of Arkana…

…his hat.

Jason went and picked it up, and saw that, just as he suspected, a deck case was inside it.

He took the cards out and looked through them.

Yep, these are Malvolio’s cards, all right, he thought. Not bad for an evening’s work…

He took some deep breaths and looked around.

“And that is why,” he said, to no-one in particular, “I will not do two shows a night, people, I simply won’t. Thank you, you’ve been great.”

He turned and left.



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


When Jason got back, Malvolio was still sulking, and Trisha was trying hard to console him.

“Mal!” he said holding up the deck. “That creep couldn’t duel as well as he could steal!”

Malvolio immediately looked up.

“You…” he said. “You got it back?”

“Of course,” said Jason. “Here…”

Malvolio took the cards. He quickly looked through the deck.

“They’re all here…” he muttered.

He paused.

“I owe you one…” he said.

“It was nothing,” said Jason.

“No…” said Malvolio. “A Lark always repays a debt. I’ll remember this… And I swear I will…”

Trisha snuggled up to Jason.

“Jason, that was one of the best things I’ve ever seen you do…” she said.

“Yeah,” said Jason, “but things got a whole lot more complicated, and I’m worried…”

“Aw…” said Trisha. “I can make you feel better… I think I can sneak past Old Ben…”

Jason grinned.



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


Several hours later, Trisha was fast asleep, with Jason holding her close.

But Jason found it hard to sleep.

Judging from the pain that Spellcaster had doled out, that duel had clearly been a Shadow Game… Even if Arkana was an imposter, he wasn’t a normal one…

Tomorrow, the sun would rise, but what would happen next? What new creature would appear?

Eventually, he fell asleep, and his dreams were strange…



Saturday, September 18th, 2106, 11:38 PM



DARK RENEWAL (Trap Card)

Card Specs

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

Image: A dark coffin with a pentagram on the cover.

Card Description: Activate this card when your opponent Normal Summons a Monster. Offer the summoned Monster and a Monster on your side of the field as a Tribute. Special Summon one SPELLCASTER-Type Monster from your Graveyard.

Note: “Dark Renewal” was first used by Arkana in the anime episode “The Master of Magicians (Part 2)” and was later used by Yugi (or Yami working alone) infrequently. All creative credit goes to the writers of the anime.



SAFECRAKER (Trap Card)

Card Specs

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

Image: A Cliff the Trap Remover working on a bank vault with tools.

Card Description: When this card is activated, discard one Trap Card from your hand. Duplicate the effect of one Trap Card in your opponent’s Graveyard.



DARK HARLEQUIN (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spellcaster/Fusion/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 6
ATK: 2,000
DEF: 1,500

Card Description: Saggi the Dark Clown + Peten the Dark Clown

This shadowy jester’s sense of humor could best be described as dark humor. When there is at least one Dark-Attribute Monster on the field (aside from this one), increase this Monster’s ATK by 700.



CARD OF DEMISE (Spell Card)

Card Specs

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

Image: An executioner about to chop a deck of cards in half with a guillotine.

Card Description: Draw five cards from your deck. After your fifth End Phase after using this card, discard all the cards in your hand.

Note: “Card of Demise” was first used by Kaiba in the multi-part anime episode “Clash in the Colosseum”. He used it frequently after that.



[B][I]Coming up next:

A new user character appears, and her unique OTK strategy makes the Swordsmen very interested in her! Russell duels again, to prove a major point and stop a disaster before it happens. Don’t miss “Light of Intervention”, coming soon.

[jkBAKURA]

Well, you already created a fusion of those 2 clowns, so I suppose it's a Wingman/Phoenixguy situation. Probably a good choice though, since a repetition of Clown-A-Round may have brought down the hammer.

As for the chapter, it gave a lot to like. None of the evil cheater or evil speeches that usually plague an Arkana reappearance, or even a reference, were present, and the deck wasn't a 'hard' DM deck, which I remember you shying away against early on.

Shame there wasn't another Timaeus combo, but the Clown fusion filled the void.

For those interested, the character in the next chapter is mine, and I want to appoligise if she doesn't sit well with you. I tried breaking a few molds with this one, and I know how dangerous it is to try something new. Hopefully, if the duels aren't to your liking, it will at least be an interesting character.

P.S. Still using Imperial Inferno I see. heh heh... I helped! :smilie:

[Pokemasterkatie]

A stuffed toy had been dropped there. It was some sort of funny-looking gnome or troll dressed in colorful clothes and a pointed cap.

He picked it up.

“Where did this come from?” he asked.

“He was clutching that when he came in here,” said Ben. “I have no idea what it is…”

Jason looked at it.

“Mr. Puck…” he said.

“Huh?” said Russell. “Mr. Puck? What’s with the toy gnome?”

“It isn’t a gnome…” muttered Jason, “it’s an elf…”
Puck? Isn't that another Shakespeare reference(Midsummer Night's Dream)?

As soon as I read the lead-in to the chapter, I immediately realized the Arkana appearance. It makes total sense now...my guess was Pegasus or Bakura.^^;

[Shuppet Master]

I had a feeling that you'd sneak in Arkana there, Brian, since we both know you like him. :)

I was expeting a repeat of Andy's match with that demon in your last fic when you played that combo, but was pleasantly surprised to see you changed the fusion. Of course, if that Peten in your story had turned into Dark Harlequin, he would have lost against Andy post-haste, so I understand the uber Clown. (On the offset, my spin-off with Cyrus will have a few unorthodox fusions of unlikely creatures, including an Injection Fairy Lily fusion! Oops, I spoiled it. :D)

Poor Trisha, I think she's overreacting, but then Artemis is quite an intimidating character to "have someone's butt for lunch."

Nice cameo of Malvolio again. I have a feeling that we'll be seeing Bugsy and Malvolio helping out against the bad guys in the future.

JBakura, if you recall, Artemis strictly forbade Jason from using Timaeus except agains the Seal of Orichalcos. In the original story, Yugi only used Timaeus three times, Kaiba only used Critias three times, and Joey used Hermos only...three times(Yugi used him once). If you recall, in my last version of Sister of Anansi, I had Timaeus, Critias, and Hermos attack fellow campers, but when I revised it, I nixed the idea. Timaeus, Critias, and Hermos are broken cards who could make any card they fuse with into an uber-weapon, and I didn't want to "inflict their wrath" on innocents beause the consequences of loss were harmless.

Of course, if Brian has some creativity, he might send them against Shadow Duelists. After all, Shadow Games were just as terrifying and fatal as the Seal...but that's his call. :)

Great chapter Brian, and loved how you introduced the Spellcaster's Judgment signature monster in it. Keep up the good work.

[Blademaster]

(peeks around the corner)

Hey... Can I still review here? :redface:

...

I never was a big fan of Arkana, to be honest, but at least in this chapter he wasn't as... annoying as usual. And I was kinda wondering when the Warlock would show up - good choice for a first appearance.

And Mr. Puck... Awwwwww, that sounds cute! Where can I get one? :oh:

I was kinda surprised that Jason had a Tyrant Dragon in his deck, but Kaiba had a Chaos Emperor Dragon... I guess Tyrant Dragon is about as close to CED as you can get as far as ultra-effect Dragons go...

So, JKBakura's character is next, huh?

FIEND ALERT! FIEND ALERT! FIEND ALERT!

...

Or maybe not. 'Light of Intervention,' huh? Hmmmmmm...

-Blade

[jkBAKURA]

Hey, just because I'm a Bakura fan doesn't mean I'm bringing in Fiends! But it is interesting that you brought that up.

I put quite a bit of time into thinking of a character that went in a few directions we hadn't seen before, and i can pretty much garuntee that in Dark Sage's fiction at least, she's the first duelist of her kind in more ways then one.

Can't say more for fear of spoiling the suprise. Dark Sage will hopefully update again soon and we can all find out the answers at once.

[envoy of time]

Another cool chapter DM.It was nice to see more of Jasons deck.I was wondering dose jason own a Clown-A-Round?Anyway time to see if Russle can staop this new OC in time.

"May time be on your side."

[Shuppet Master]

I think that Tyrant Dragon is basically Jason's version of the Blue Eyes White Dragon. Not in fusion or numbers, Cyber Dragon has that in spades, but in terms of pure power. After all, it's only 100 points weaker than the big guy, but it also has two sweet effects which Blue Eyes doesn't have. :)

Also, I wanted to point out an error. If Card of Demise is a normal spell, then Jason should have lost a thousand life points due to Warlock's effect.

[Dark Sage]

Chris -

I know. The chapter is now edited. Why don't you reread it.

- DS

[Perfect Chaos]

Cool chapter DS,

I like Dark Magician decks, and I'm glad that this one was used from a villain's point-of-view. I was actually hoping for Dark Magician Girl's appearance, but we have the rest of the story to look forward for that I suppose.

So jkBakura's character is the next to appear huh? Hopefully his character will be interesting.

-Sean

[Pokemasterkatie]

I was actually hoping for Dark Magician Girl's appearance, but we have the rest of the story to look forward for that I suppose.
He has a bit of a grudge against DMG, I suppose--remember that he didn't know of her when Yugi summoned her for the first time?;)

As for the next deck, the latest banlists have rendered the last of the OTK decks pretty much obsolete. And they probably won't give up Cyber End Dragon(too popular~)... It seemed to suggest a Light or Fairy themed deck. We'll see...

[Dark Sage]

He didn't have Dark Magician Girl in his deck. Think about it - would you use a card that had done you in?

I won't say, however, that everyone's favorite buxom blonde beauty won't ever appear in this fanfic...

Eh...



http://www.ideal808.com/images/le5_002.jpg



No comment...

[Shuppet Master]

After looking at that image, I realize that the edits for the dub weren't really necessary. The only things which could be considered "sexy" would be the exposed tops of the breasts and the almost completely-exposed thighs.

[mario72486]

Another excellent chapter, Sage. You're certainly outdoing yourself with these extravagant duels. I can hardly wait to see what else you have in store for us.

I also look forward to seeing who wins that little contest of yours. While the selection process is random, I think whoever does win will have earned the right to add a character of their own to this fic.

Until then, this is mario signing off. :cool2:

[Dark Sage]

So... Who said it?

It was Derik Powers, aka Blight, the primary villain in the first season of Batman Beyond.

Also the perfect archenemy for a hero, for a very good reason.

Derek Powers was once the owner of Wayne-Powers Industries. After Powers took over Bruce Wayne's company, he ruled corporate Gotham with an iron fist. Often involving himself with black market practices, assassins, and selling biological weapons, it was obvious that Powers didn't obtain his wealth and power through honest methods. He made the mistake of having Terry McGinnis’s father killed because he knew too much. Terry became the new Batman, dead set on revenge. During a biological weapons sale, Powers encountered the new Batman and accidentally exposed himself to a toxic gas. Powers was saved only after receiving a massive dosage of radiation. He then used an artificial skin to pose as a normal human. As a result of the radiation, Powers gained massive radioactive powers and was a walking nuclear power plant capable of expelling high amounts of concentrated radiation.

The radiation also affected Powers mentality as well, not that he was truly sane to begin with. As Blight, Powers was more temperamental and impatient, and very different from his Powers alter-ego. Eventually his Blight persona took over when Powers revealed his secret to the entire world and forced him to go into hiding. Paxton Powers, Derek's son, betrayed his father and Blight was blown up inside a nuclear submarine. With Powers' death, Terry finally avenged his father's death.

Why is Blight the perfect archenemy? Well, by killing Terry’s father, Powers created Batman… And by opposing him, Batman created Blight. Both hero and villain had a hand in making each other. If that doesn’t define an arch-villain, I don’t know what does.


Now, while I inform the winner, you read my next chapter. I'd like to thank JKBakura for the... unique user character.

- DS

[B][I]There come times in every human beings’ lives when they approach crossroads, and must make difficult choices.

I remember one that I had to make; I could either have gone to West Point and become a great soldier, or come to this school and become a great duelist. I took the latter choice, and I have not regretted it.

When making these choices, there are often temptations and persuasions. One must beware, because making the wrong choice can lead one to a life of misery and despair that is often cut short.

I’ve met a student who faces a choice… One where she isn’t quite aware of the consequences of taking the wrong road…

And I have to try my best to make sure she doesn’t take that road, or her life might be doomed to darkness…




[size=3][B]CHAPTER FOURTEEN



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/PSV-EN031.jpg



Sunday, September 19th, 2006, 6:30 AM



Jason’s dorm room window faced the east, so Trisha was able to see the sun coming up.

He was still asleep right now, and his warm arms were still around her. She gently stroked his hair.

Then she reached over, and took something off the bedside table…

The Fang of Critias.

She looked hard at the card…

A haunting voice echoed through her head…



[I][B]When cursed magic blights the land,
And evil holds aloft its hand,
The Brothers will emerge once more,
And choose the ones to fight the war.
And when the Three can prove their worth,
They'll find the One who'll save the Earth.


That strange poem started to make sense right now…

“Cursed magic” must mean the Orichalcos, she thought.

She paused.

And the Brothers must be these Knights… Timaeus and Critias and whoever the third one is…

She paused again.

”Choose the ones”? Did they choose me and Jason?

Another pause.

And “the One who’ll save the Earth” must be that Dark Messiah character that Critias mentioned, whoever or wherever he is…

But where the heck do we start looking for a “Dark Messiah”? Churches?

She hugged Jason closely as fear started to come over her.



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


Three hours later…

“Guys,” said Russell, “let’s just not worry about it for now, and try to relax. It’s Sunday, for pete’s sake!”

They entered the Arena.

“There’s sure to be some interesting duels happening…” he said.

He looked on the floor.

“Or, perhaps one that’s gonna be a total slaughter…”

A small group of Freshmen were at one end, and a smaller group of Obelisks were at another, watching two duelists on the central floor. One was an Obelisk who Russell recognized – Maverick Louis, a power player known for his Fiend Deck. The other duelist was a Freshman – a young girl with wavy red hair down to her shoulders.

They were shuffling each others decks, and the girl looked rather angry…

Russell and his friends sat down next to the spectators.

“How did this happen?” asked Russell.

“Maverick slapped Amanda on the ass,” said another of the girls. “She got upset, and demanded to duel him.”

“He laughed at first,” said one of the boys, “but then she promised him a one-minute long, French kiss if he beat her, on the condition that he’d apologize in front of everyone if she won.”

“She’d best be ready to kiss him,” muttered Russell. “Maverick didn’t get to be an Obelisk by losing to Freshmen…”

The Duel Disks activated.

“All right, Maverick,” said Amanda, “let’s get this over with…”

“Fine with me,” said Maverick. “This won’t take long…”

“DUEL!” they both said.



[B](Amanda: 8,000) (Maverick: 8,000)


“I can be chivalrous when I want to be,” said Maverick. “I’ll even let you go first…”

“Fine…” mumbled Amanda, drawing her first card.

“I’ll place three cards facedown…”

She played three cards, and they appeared.

“And one Giant Soldier of Stone in Defense Mode…”

She played a card, and the huge statue appeared, crouching in Defense. (1,300/2,000)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LOB-EN068.jpg


“That’s my turn…” she said.

Seems to be a “turtle” player, thought Russell, playing defensively for now…

“All right…” said Maverick, drawing a card.

“For now, I’ll summon my Slate Warrior in Attack Mode.”

He played the card, and the weird-looking Fiend with a blank face and a golden breastplate appeared. (1,900/400)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/WC4-003.jpg


Once Maverick manages to summon his Dark Ruler, he’ll be able to walk all over her, thought Russell.

Amanda drew a card.

“I’ll place another card facedown,” she said, “and end my turn…”

She played a card, and a fourth facedown card appeared.

Maverick drew.

“I’ll increase my forces,” he said, “by summoning Archfiend Soldier in Attack Mode.”

In a burst of black flame, the horned Archfiend arose, holding a jagged sword. (1,900/1,500)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/DCR-057.jpg


“My side is stacked already,” he said. “It’s just a matter of time…”

“Yes…” said Amanda, with a depressed frown. “It is…”

She drew a card.

“I sacrifice your two Monsters to summon the Lava Golem to your side of the field!” she shouted.

To Maverick’s shock, along with those of the three Ras, his two Fiends shattered…

…and then an iron cage formed around him, and a gigantic creature made of boiling magma rose up, attached to it! (3,000/2,500)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/PGD-107.jpg


“What the Hell?” he shouted.

“I thought you liked Fiends,” said Amanda sarcastically. “Aren’t you glad to get one that has 3,000 Attack Points? And by the way…”

One of her facedown cards lifted, and a scary tiki mask appeared next to her.

“…my Mask of Restrict will make sure it stays there. I end my turn…”

Russell got up in surprise.

“Of course…” he said. “I know what she’s planning… One of her other facedown cards is Ring of Destruction, and another is Barrel Behind the Door!”

“Uhm…” said one of the other Freshmen.

“Eh…” said another.

Maverick started to get scared. He drew a card.

The cage got hot, and he cringed…



[B](A: 8,000) (M: 7,000)


“Well, why don’t you attack?” asked Amanda.

“Oh, you’d like me to do that…” said Maverick, with a grin.

He placed two cards in his Disk, and they appeared in front of the Golem.

“Ooh, she’s in trouble!” whispered Russell. “I saw one of those Traps… Pikeru’s Circle of Enchantment! When she sets off her Ring/Barrel combo, it’ll fizzle!”

“It isn’t a Ring/Barrel combo…” said one of the girls.

Russell looked at her.

“What else could it be?” asked Russell.

“Something much deadlier,” answered the girl.

Amanda drew a card.

“Think I’ll pass for this turn,” she sighed.

Maverick drew again, and the cage glowed red hot again…



[B](A: 8,000) (M: 6,000)


“All right…” he said. “You want an attack, you’ve got one! Lava Golem, attack Giant Soldier of Stone!”

Lava Golem opened its mouth and a ball of flame started to form in it…

“I activate… Astral Barrier!” shouted Amanda.

One of her Traps lifted.

“Huh?” said Jason.

“Huh?” said Trisha.

“HUH?” shouted Russell.

“Astral Barrier?” asked Maverick. “What does that do?”

“It lets me force the Golem to hit ME instead of my Monster!” shouted Amanda.

The huge ball of flame shot forward! Amanda screamed as flames erupted around her!



[B](A: 5,000) (M: 7,000)


“Why would you do something so stupid?” asked Maverick.

Amanda panted for breath…

“It was worth it…” she gasped, “in order to activate this…”

Another facedown card lifted.

“Inferno Tempest,” she said. “Since I lost 3,000 Life Points in one blow, all the Monsters in both our decks and Graveyards are removed from play…”

She took her deck…

“What are you up to?” shouted Maverick.

“You’ll see,” said Amanda, returning what was left of her deck. “Now, it’s my move…”

She drew a card.

“First, I’ll play a Spell Card… Chaos End!”

She played a card.

“Since at least seven of my cards have been removed from play, all Monsters on the field are wiped out…”

Lava Golem and Giant Soldier of Stone shattered into pixels!

“And now I activate my final Trap,” she said, as it lifted. “It’s called Return From The Different Dimension!”

A swirling vortex appeared in the air over the arena…

“By paying half my Life Points, I can bring back as many of my Monsters that have been removed from play as I can!” she shouted.

Five Monsters flew out of the vortex. First came Luster Dragon #2 (2,400/1,400), then Spell Canceller (1,800/1,600), followed by Hyozanryu (2,100/2,800), then Chaos Command Magician (2,400/1,900), and finally, Jinzo (2,400/1,500).



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LOD-EN050.jpghttp://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/MFC-020.jpg
http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/SKE-011.jpghttp://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/MFC-068.jpghttp://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/PSV-EN000.jpg


“Hey, wait a minute…” gulped Maverick.

“And since one of them is Jinzo and another is Spell Canceller,” said Amanda, “I’m afraid your two facedown cards, whether they’re Traps or Quickplay Spells, aren’t gonna cut it. Now…

“Attack! Combination strike!”

Luster Dragon blasted fire, Spell Canceller fired a beam of energy, Hyozanryu shot a blast of diamond crystals, Chaos Command Magician shot a blast of magic, and Jinzo fired a mighty cyber energy shock!

A huge explosion centered on Maverick to the sound of a bloodcurdling scream…



[B](A: 2,500) (M: 0)


Maverick lay on the floor, and he saw stars… Amanda came up to him.

“Well?” she shouted.

“I’m sorry!” he gasped. “I’m sorry! Just stay away from me! Please!”

“Don’t you forget it!” shouted Amanda. “You ever slap another girl again, you’ll answer to me!”

She frowned and walked towards the exit to the Arena where the Obelisks were. They backed out of her way in fear…

Odd… thought Russell. For a Freshman who just beat an Obelisk, she seems pretty upset…

They didn’t know that three people had been watching who weren’t supposed to be watching.



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


Five minutes later, an Interdimensional Matter Transporter appeared under the Brooklyn Bridge.

A beam of light shot out of it, and Cassius, Sebastian, and Cleo emerged.

“Oh, why do we have to do surveillance using this thing?” complained Sebastian, kicking it. “It’s cramped in there!”

“Perhaps you’d be happier just walking in the front door of the campus where the security is likely to see us!” scolded Cassius.

“Well, Fortunado’s dumb rules make me so mad!” shouted Sebastian.

“Everything makes you mad…” replied Cleo.

“Not everything!” answered Sebastian.

He paused and crossed his arms.

“Okay, fine, everything,” he said. “But some things make me madder than others. Like coleslaw, napkins on ice cream cones, lines at the post office, those little packages of ketchup, those commercials they play in the movies, and all that popcorn you get! Why the Hell would they give anyone a garbage pail-sized bucket of popcorn? Who could possibly eat that much?”

“Do you need a tranquilizer?” asked Cleo.

“Well, if someone is done complaining,” said Cassius, “we might have found a valuable asset. Fortunado wanted us to look for potential recruits, and this Amanda Jikarn fits the profile that I like… Her OTK strategy combined with the power of the Orichalcos… She would be a potent weapon for the cause.”

“Well why don’t we bag her, then?” asked Sebastian.

Cleo slapped him.

“Sebastian, you are so thick,” she scolded.

“A recruit can’t just be ‘bagged’, as you say,” said Cassius. “No one can ever be forced to serve the Orichalcos… A little persuasion and hitting where she’s weakest might help…”

He thought for a minute.

“Seems to me that one of us should talk to her… The one of us who is the least threatening…

“That leaves you out, Sebastian.”

They both looked at Cleo.

“Okay, fine…” she said. “Leave it to sweet, cuddly Cleo to draw them in… But I can’t promise this will be easy…”

She walked up to the Transporter and it hummed…

She was sucked into it, and it vanished.

“Uh, Cassius?” said Sebastian. “You do realize that she just took our ride, right?”



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


Russell, Trisha, and Jason were walking across the campus.

Trisha pulled a candy bar out of her backpack.

“Hey Russell,” she said, “one Snickers says you can’t do the whole thing without a mistake.”

Russell smirked.

“I’ll bet two of them that I can do it without a mistake, AND in under a minute!” he answered back.

“You’re on!” she said, taking out another.

“Jason, time me!” said Russell.

“Okay…” said Jason, looking at his watch, “go!”

Russell quickly started to sing an old tune:



I am the very model of a modern Major General,
I've information vegetable, and animal, and mineral,
I know the kings of England, and I quote the fights historical,
From Marathon to Waterloo, in order categorical;
I'm very well acquainted, too, with matters mathematical,
I understand equations, both the simple and quadratical,
About binomial theorem I am teeming with a lot o' news,
With many cheerful facts about the square of the hypotenuse.
I'm very good at integral and differential calculus;
I know the scientific names of beings animalculous:
In short, in matters vegetable, and animal, and mineral,
I am the very model of a modern Major General.
I know our mythic history, King Arthur's and Sir Caradoc's;
I answer hard acrostics, I've a pretty taste for paradox,
I quote in elegiacs all the crimes of Heliogabalus,
In conics I can floor peculiarities parabolous;
I can tell undoubted Raphaels from Gerard Dows and Zoffanies,

I know the croaking chorus from the Frogs of Aristophanes;
Then I can hum a fugue of which I've heard the music's din afore,
And whistle all the airs from that infernal nonsense Pinafore.
Then I can write a washing bill in Babylonic cuneiform,
And tell you every detail of Caractacus's uniform:
In short, in matters vegetable, and animal, and mineral,
I am the very model of a modern Major-General.
In fact, when I know what is meant by "mamelon" and "ravelin",
When I can tell at sight a Mauser rifle from a javelin,
When such affairs as sorties and surprises I'm more wary at,
And when I know precisely what is meant by "commissariat",
When I have learnt what progress has been made in modern gunnery,
When I know more of tactics than a novice in a nunnery,
In short, when I've a smattering of elemental strategy,

You'll say a better Major-General has never sat a gee.
For my military knowledge, though I'm plucky and adventury,
Has only been brought down to the beginning of the century;
But still, in matters vegetable, and animal, and mineral,
I am the very model of a modern Major-General!



“TIME!”
“Fifty-one seconds…” said Jason. “And I don’t believe I heard a mistake…”
Russell snatched the two candy bars from Trisha.
“Don’t mess with the master…” he said with a grin.


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


On a part of the campus known simply as The Green, grassy knolls dotted with picnic tables dominated the peaceful atmosphere.

Amanda sat at one table, with her cards spread out.

She took one of her three Lava Golems.

“This has to be the ugliest Monster ever created…” she muttered.

“Mind if I take a look?” said a sweet voice.

She turned, and saw Cleo.

“Amanda Jikarn, right?” asked Cleo, sitting down.

“Do I know you?” asked Amanda. “I haven’t seen you in class.”

“I’m not really a student,” said Cleo, sitting down. “you might say I’m a scout…

“Jinzo, now that’s a pretty rare card…”

“Uh… It was a gift from my brothers,” answered Amanda. “A scout?”

“Quite a deadly strategy,” said Cleo. “I’ve never seen a more lethal way to achieve an OTK… Nor have I ever seen a duelist willing to take a direct attack from a Lava Golem to make it happen…

“I know someone who could use your talents, who could make such a deadly strategy even deadlier…”

“Deadlier than an OTK?” asked Amanda.

A glimmer appeared in Cleo’s eyes.

“You were offended – maybe even a little violated – when Maverick slapped you where he shouldn’t have, Amanda,” she said. “So you put him in his place where he belonged. You outdueled him, humiliated him…

“But had you been working for us, his punishment wouldn’t have ended there…

“It all would have started with this…”

She took a card out of her shirt.

It was The Seal of Orichalcos.

“Uh, pretty, I guess…” muttered Amanda. “But what is it?”

“The Orichalcos Seal,” said Cleo. “A type of magic that can grant great power… The power to completely dominate snakes like him.

“Imagine… Seeing your tormentors panic at the sight of you when you use a card this powerful… Imagine them pleading for mercy…”

“Wait a minute…” interrupted Amanda. “Patrick used that against Dr. Artemis! Didn’t she say it was an illegal card?”

Cleo tucked the card into her shirt, and changed the subject.

“Amanda, listen,” she said. “I know what it is with you and your strategy. As strong as it is, it isn’t yours. Your brothers told you how to duel, and told you every card to put in that deck. Basically, it isn’t your deck, and as a duelist, you have little identity of your own.”

Amanda’s face fell.

That was the whole problem. She didn’t design her deck, and frankly, she hated it. She considered Lava Golem torture, and she really hated having to choke down 3,000 Attack Points worth of flaming death to make the strategy work.

It wasn’t her deck… There was no Heart or soul in it. Her brothers had designed the strategy, and told her every card to put in it.

Why did she even use it? She had little choice. Her brothers would be furious if she rejected their perfect, OTK strategy, and frankly, she was afraid of them. She couldn’t say no to them… After all, she owed them so much…

It would be nice to make it even stronger without their help…

“Yeah, sort of…” she finally muttered.

“With the power of the Orichalcos, you’d be a different person,” said Cleo. “You’d be your own duelist! And you’d be more powerful than ever!”

“Well, I…” said Amanda.

At that point, Russell, Jason, and Trisha walked over the hill, and stopped short as they noticed Amanda with Cleo.

“Uh… Well…” muttered Cleo. “Look, meet me at the Lazy Q at four this afternoon if you’re interested. Remember, it’s a great opportunity!”

She got up, and started to run, as Jason and Trisha started to chase her!

“Amanda!” shouted Russell. “She didn’t hurt you, did she?”

“Uh, no…” said Amanda. “She seemed pretty friendly… She wanted to help me with my deck…”

“With The Seal of Orichalcos?” asked Russell, in horror.

“Uh, yeah…” answered Amanda.

“Amanda, listen…” warned Russell. “That card isn’t just a card! It’s an… evil thing! It’s a blasphemy!”

“Hey, back off!” said Amanda. “What difference does it make?”

“Did she perchance mention what happens to the losers of Orichalcos duels?” asked Russell. “What might happen if your strategy were to fail while you while using that card?”

“Russell, please!” muttered Amanda. “My brothers knew what they were talking about. The strategy always works! If my opponents never attack, they eventually die from the Golem’s effect.

“And if this Seal can help, I don’t see what the problem is…”

Jason and Trisha came walking back.

“You missed it,” said Jason.

“An Interdimensional Matter Transporter appeared out of nowhere,” said Trisha, “it swallowed her whole, and it vanished.”




Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“Forget her for a minute,” said Russell.

“Amanda,” he continued, “I can assure you, your strategy is NOT foolproof! In fact, I’m willing to bet any amount of money I could defeat it if I were prepared.

“Meet me here in an hour and duel me, please! I have to show you the truth.”

Amanda looked at him, annoyed.

“Fine,” she said. “I’ll let you find out the hard way…”

She turned and left.

Russell opened his backpack and took out some cases of cards.

“Are you really going to duel her?” asked Trisha.

“If it can save her from making the worst mistake of her life,” said Russell, “then yes…

“I warn you, this isn’t gonna be pleasant…”



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


“Do you really think it was safe giving her an hour?” asked Trisha, one hour later.

“How would she even find Cleo?” asked Jason. “We never can…”

Then Amanda walked up the hill of the main knoll.

“Glad you could make it,” said Russell, taking his deck. “And to show you that I didn’t do something like put Heavy Storm on the top of my deck, we’ll each shuffle each other’s decks.”

She handed him her deck and he handed her his.

“Although,” said Russell, “if you were working for Orichalcos right now, such niceties wouldn’t happen.”

Amanda looked sort of confused as they shuffled.

“Hey,” she said, taking it back. “Like I said, my brothers knew what they were doing! I’m undefeated!”

“We’ll soon see…” said Russell. “I can tell when someone has doubt… And that last statement had a lot of doubt.”

They stood apart, and activated their Disks.

“Atten… shun!” said Russell, drawing five cards.

Amanda drew five.



[B](Russell: 8,000) (Amanda: 8,000)


“Since I’m far more chivalrous than Maverick was,” said Russell, “you may go first…”

Amanda drew her first card.

“All right, I’ll start by playing my Pot of Greed,” she said, playing the card.

“Now I’ll draw two cards…”

As she drew two, she frowned.

Well guys, she thought, sadly. Your deck comes through for me again… Surprise, surprise… I haven’t had an opening hand this complete in ages… Only Mask of Restrict is missing…

“I’ll set three cards facedown,” she said, playing three cards.

Three facedown cards appeared.

“And then I’ll summon Gear Golem the Moving Fortress in Defense Mode.”

She played a card, and a weird contraption made of heavy, spiked gears appeared. (800/2,200)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/AST-018.jpg


“And that will end my turn,” she said, sadly.

Russell drew.

Hmmm… he thought.

“I’ll summon Queen’s Knight, in Attack Mode…” he said.

The lovely queen in scarlet armor appeared. (1,500/1,600)

“And I’ll place this facedown,” he said, “for later…”

He played a card, and it appeared facedown.

Amanda drew.

Hmm… she thought. A second Astral Barrier. Well, they warned me about this… My deck has three copies, so that happens from time to time… They said not to worry about it.

“I’ll pass for this turn…” she said.

Russell drew.

“As will I,” he said.

Humph, thought Amanda. He’s clever… He knows I can’t bring out the Lava Golem unless he has two Monsters on his side of the field…

She drew.

But he can’t win with only one, and I just drew Mask of Restrict. Lucky me…

She placed a card into a slot.

“I’ll place another card facedown, and end my turn,” she said.

Russell drew a card.

There it is, he said. One of the additions I made to my deck to specifically counter hers…

And since another is already in my hand and the third is already on the field, it’s time to drive the point into her…

With a sledgehammer.

“First I’ll place another card facedown,” he said.

A second facedown card appeared.

“And I’ll summon Axe Raider in Attack Mode.”

A hulking barbarian in armor carrying an axe appeared. (1,700/1,150)

Russell, no! thought Trisha.

“I end my turn,” said Russell.

“Well…” muttered Amanda, “time for the ‘fun’ to begin…”

She made a big sigh as she drew a card.

“And now I can sacrifice your two Monsters to summon the Lava Golem!”

Axe Raider and Queen’s Knight shattered, and the hideous Golem rose up behind Russell! The iron cage formed around him! (3,000/2,500)

Strangely, Russell didn’t seem worried.

“And now I activate… Mask of Restrict!”

One of her Traps, lifted, and the fright mask appeared.

“That’s my turn, Russell,” she said. “And since you know my strategy, you can either attack, or you can melt… It’s your choice…”

Russell drew…

He cringed as the cage glowed red…



[B](R: 7,000) (A: 8,000)


“True, Amanda, your Golem just cost me 1,000 Life Points,” he said, “but I’m not going to lose any more!

“After all, there’s plenty of room to summon another Monster…”

He played a card.

“First, I’ll remove my Queen’s Knight from play, to play Pot of Charity…”

Queen’s Knight fell out of his discard slot.

“Now I can draw three cards.”

He drew three.

“Next, I’ll summon this guy… Des Wombat, in Attack Mode!”

He played the card, and a strange creature that looked like a large weasel or badger appeared, with long claws and beaver-like teeth. (1,600/300)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/TLM-EN031.jpg


“That’s not a Warrior!” exclaimed Trisha.

No, thought Russell, but when you know you’re facing a Lava Golem, he’s a valuable Monster.

“Des Wombat?” asked Amanda. “What’s a wombat?”

“It’s a bat that you use to play wom with, of course,” said Russell. “But seriously, this Beast has a potent effect. So long as he’s on my side of the field, I don’t lose Life Points from card effects.”

Amanda paused for a minute.

“That means Lava Golem’s draining effect…” she started.

“…no longer hurts me,” added Russell. “But my move is only starting…

“You said that I could either attack or melt… Well, given that option…

“I choose to attack!

“Lava Golem, attack Gear Golem the Moving Fortress with burning volcano blast!”

Lava Golem roared, and the ball of flame appeared in its mouth…

“Only Russell could think up a name for Lava Golem’s attack…” muttered Trisha. “I can’t watch…”

“I activate Astral Barrier!” shouted Amanda.

I knew you would… thought Russell, as the huge ball of flame flew towards her.

Amanda screamed as the inferno erupted around her!



[B](R: 7,000) (A: 5,000)


“That hurt…” she gasped. “But it seems it always will…

“Activate Inferno Tempest!”

Her facedown Quickplay lifted.

“Hold it right there, Amanda!” shouted Russell.

One of his own Traps lifted, showing the image of Breaker the Magical Warrior in front of a magical circle.

“I activate Spell Vanishing!”

“Spell Vanishing?” gulped Amanda. “What does that do?”

“I have to discard two cards to activate this Trap,” said Russell, discarding two cards, “but it does just what the name suggests… It makes your Spell… vanish!”

The Inferno Tempest card disappeared!

“And it does more than just negate that one Inferno Tempest, Amanda,” added Russell. “You are also required to discard all copies of Inferno Tempest that are in your hand and deck. Unless you have a Magician of Faith, you won’t be using it.”

Amanda gulped.

She reluctantly discarded the two cards.

“And now it’s your move…” said Russell.

“I’ll find a way to beat you!” shouted Amanda. “If I destroy your Des Wombat…”

“How will you do that?” asked Russell. “The way I see it, there are two types of Monsters in your deck – defensive ones with not near enough Attack Points, and powerful ones that you bring back with Return From The Different Dimension. But those powerful ones all need a sacrifice to summon normally, and thanks to your own Mask of Restrict, you aren’t allowed to sacrifice anything!”

Amanda drew a card.

It was Chaos End, which she couldn’t use – not in this duel.

“I have to pass…” she stuttered.

“Then it’s my turn,” said Russell, drawing a card. “And due to Des Wombat, Lava Golem doesn’t hurt me at all.

“Lava Golem, attack Gear Golem the Moving Fortress! Burning volcano blast!”

Lava Golem fired its blazing ball of flame, and Gear Golem exploded!

“And now,” said Russell, “Des Wombat attacks you directly!”

Des Wombat ran towards Amanda and leapt, biting her deeply on the shoulder! She yelped!



[B](R: 7,000) (A: 3,800)


“Your move…” said Russell.

Amanda’s hand shook as she drew.

Well… she thought. This will help me stall for at least two rounds…

“All right, Russell,” she said, “I play… Scapegoat!”

She played the card, and four fluffy sheep tokens appeared.

“I don’t think so, Amanda,” said Russell. “I figured that a duelist like you had cards that used tokens, so I included this too…”

His other facedown card lifted. It had the picture of a group of sinister gremlins around a banquet table.

“It’s a Trap called Token Feastevil,” said Russell, “and it’s activated when you summon Token Monsters. Not only are the tokens destroyed…”

The four Scapegoats burst.

“But for each one that it destroys, you lose 300 Life Points.”

Amanda cringed as four small explosions burst on her chest.



[B](R: 7,000) (A: 2,600)


Amanda hung her head.

Even if I had another Monster to defend with, she thought, I wouldn’t be able to summon it because I played Scapegoat… Russell will win next turn no matter what I do…

She sadly raised her right hand and covered her deck with it.

“I surrender…” she said, sadly. “I’d rather not be attacked by that Golem again…”



[B](R: 7,000) (A: 0)


“At ease…” said Russell.

The Golem and the rest of the cards vanished.

As Amanda hung her head, Russell walked up to her.

“Now Amanda, listen closely,” said Russell. “If you were using the Orichalcos, that might have been the last thing you ever did. In such a duel, the evil power consumes the very soul of the loser, and it doesn’t play favorites.”

Amanda’s eyes opened in fear…

“Amanda,” said Russell, “I can’t tell you what to do, but I will tell you that Cleo’s promises were lies…

“And if you ever confront one of the three of us using that evil card, we won’t be friends any more. We’ll show no mercy, and do our best to make sure that another minion of the Orichalcos falls victim to her own trap.”

Tears appeared in Amanda’s eyes.

“You’re right…” she muttered. “I shouldn’t have listened to her…

“I guess it’s true what they say… If something seems too good to be true, it usually is…”

“You spend too much time listening to other people anyway,” said Russell. “First your brothers, now this… In the army, a soldier has to listen to his superiors…

“But even they can’t tell him how to spend his free time when he gets it; and he’s the one who decided to join the army in the first place. People have independence, Amanda. They have free will.

“When you make the most vital decisions in your life, the only person you should listen to is yourself.”



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


At four o’clock, Cleo sat in the Lazy Q, talking on a cell phone.

“Don’t worry about it Cassius,” she said, “this is one of the most naïve folks I’ve seen since Lewis. She’ll be putty in our hands.”

The phone at the bar rang, and Alice answered.

“Hello, Lazy Q?” she answered. “Hang on, I’ll check…”

She covered the receiver.

“Is there a Cleo here?” she asked.

Cleo gave her a strange look. She motioned for her to give her the phone.

“Hello?” she said, as she picked up a mug of beer.

“Cleo?” said Amanda’s voice. “Look, I thought it over, and I have to decline…”

“Any reason?” asked Cleo, with her eyes narrowing.

“Well, I had a long talk with someone, and… well, he kind of made me think it was a bad idea. No hard feelings, anyway, but I can find my own identity in other ways, you know what I mean?

“I’ll see you around…”

She hung up.

Cleo gripped the mug…

…and it shattered.

Alice stared at her.

“Uh heh!” laughed Cleo. “Sorry… Why don’t I pay for that…”



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


One hour later, the Ra students herded into the dining hall rather quickly, as they always did on spaghetti night.

As Jason, Trisha, and Russell sat at the table, they noticed two students. One of them (his real name was never used – his friends called him Silver) was a tall boy with whitish-black hair with bangs. Under his blazer he wore a white shirt with an orange collar, and wore black pants with red sneakers.

The other one was a girl (Karen Marianas was her name), with long blonde hair, sea green eyes, and a slender physique. Just by looking at her, you’d assume that Kuribohs were her favorite Monster. She had Kuriboh earrings, a Kuriboh hairclip, and her blazer and backpack were full of Kuriboh keychains.

As the three friends looked over, Karen put four Monster Cards on the table, side by side. They were Aussa the Earth Charmer, Hiita the Fire Charmer, Eria the Water Charmer, and Wynn the Wind Charmer.

Then she took a fifth card and placed it above the four Charmers…

Elemental Mistress Doriado.

“It’s an old legend that is seldom told,” said Karen. “Not many know it…

“Long ago, there were four young girls. They were the best of friends, who seemingly could never be found alone… always playing together and sticking up for each other… And some would say that they were brave to the point of being foolish. They always wanted to see new things, and would explore any place where they hadn’t been.

“So when they found an old cave deep in the woods, they delved into it. Inside it was dark, but the one named Hiita lit a spark from a tinderbox, and they went deeper…

“And they entered a hidden shrine. On a lavishly decorated altar were four mystic scepters, each one topped with a gorgeous gem. The beauty of these four artifacts was matched only by that of the mysterious lady who was in front of them.

“The lady looked at them sadly, as if she was seeing four people who had walked to their doom.

“She told them that she was Elemental Mistress Doriado, and that they were in trouble. They had trespassed on sacred ground, the home of the elemental forces, and the only way they could ever leave was if they were accepted by them. She told the children that they each had to take one of the scepters – if the elements accepted them, they would gain great power. If not, they would be consumed by them.

“But the brave girls approached the altar without fear.

“Aussa, who’s father was a farmer who had worked the land all his life, took the scepter that bore the power of Earth.

“Hiita, who’s father was a blacksmith who shaped metal in the flames of the forge, took the scepter that bore the power of Fire.

“Wynn, who’s mother worked a mill, where the windmill’s power ground grain into flour, took the scepter that bore the power of Wind.

“And finally, Eria, who’s father was a fisherman who had profited from the sea’s bounty all his life, took the scepter that bore the power of Water.

“Energy coursed through the bodies of the young girls…

“…and the elements accepted them.

“Doriado smiled, and told them that the elemental beasts would bow to them now, and as they gained power, the very building blocks of nature would respond to their whim. They were now the Elemental Charmers.

“The Elemental Charmers are the driving force behind the forces of nature. Their magic can cause the ground to tremble, flames to quench, gales to blow, and the sea to rise…

“But despite it all, they remain closest friends, a bond that cannot be broken.”

“Quite a story,” said Silver. “Too bad they don’t have a Duel Monsters fiction class.

“Say, that’s not a bad idea… A Duel Monster’s fiction class…”

“So what are you two talking about?” asked Russell.

“We were complaining about that dumb curfew,” muttered Silver. “I wanted to go to the East Village tomorrow when my comic books come in…”

“And I have to get a manicure tomorrow,” added Karen, “but because of that dumb curfew, we both have to rush!”

“Trust me,” said Russell, “it’s for your own good. Weird things happen to duelists in this city after dark…”



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


They didn’t know that Fortunado was listening in on the conversation.

“Interesting theory,” he said. “But whether it’s light or dark, I can still strike…

“After all, a movie would grow stale if all the scenes happened under a night sky. Heck, an action scene in broad daylight is quite original these days!

“And tomorrow, we’ll be ready to shoot…”



Sunday, September 19th, 2006, 5:57 PM



Amanda’s OTK Deck

As far as duelists go, Amanda is a beginner, and she has yet to find her own style or her own call. Thus, her deck is not truly based on Heart at all. Her two older brothers, both of whom are duelists of no small skill, pretty much dictated her whole deck construction and strategy to her.

The result is deadly nonetheless, and takes many by surprise. It consists of the following steps: One, summon a defensive Monster; two, summon Lava Golem to her opponent’s side; three, force him to attack and activate Astral Barrier, which leads to her activating Inferno Tempest; four, clear the field with Chaos End; five use Return From The Different Dimension to summon her five powerful Monsters and pound him to death.

Naturally, this strategy has a lot of flaws. She has three copies of all the key cards in her deck, which takes up eighteen slots. Thus, her deck has had to make a few sacrifices, and do without some “staples”. She has no copy of Heavy Storm (and rarely would want to use it, since it would mean wiping out her own facedown cards), and very few other Traps. There are other ways besides Russell’s method that could ruin her strategy (Heavy Storm might well be her worst enemy, and Royal Decree would stop her strategy cold.)

Since Russell has pointed out that her deck is indeed flawed, Amanda might take it to heart and try to design her own strategy. After all, using another person’s idea never makes you a winner – it only supports the person who truly designed it.



[B][I]Coming up next:

Silver and Karen are User Characters, but you’ll have to wait to see more of them.

Coming up next, Trisha tries to cheer up another User Character who’s had a bad day. It’s a chapter called “Respect Play” coming soon.

[Pokemasterkatie]

Russell, Trisha, and Jason were walking across the campus.

Trisha pulled a candy bar out of her backpack.

“Hey Russell,” she said, “one Snickers says you can’t do the whole thing without a mistake.”

Russell smirked.

“I’ll bet two of them that I can do it without a mistake, AND in under a minute!” he answered back.

“You’re on!” she said, taking out another.

“Jason, time me!” said Russell.

“Okay…” said Jason, looking at his watch, “go!”

Russell quickly started to sing an old tune:



I am the very model of a modern Major General,
I've information vegetable, and animal, and mineral,
I know the kings of England, and I quote the fights historical,
From Marathon to Waterloo, in order categorical;
I'm very well acquainted, too, with matters mathematical,
I understand equations, both the simple and quadratical,
About binomial theorem I am teeming with a lot o' news,
With many cheerful facts about the square of the hypotenuse.
I'm very good at integral and differential calculus;
I know the scientific names of beings animalculous:
In short, in matters vegetable, and animal, and mineral,
I am the very model of a modern Major General.
I know our mythic history, King Arthur's and Sir Caradoc's;
I answer hard acrostics, I've a pretty taste for paradox,
I quote in elegiacs all the crimes of Heliogabalus,
In conics I can floor peculiarities parabolous;
I can tell undoubted Raphaels from Gerard Dows and Zoffanies,

I know the croaking chorus from the Frogs of Aristophanes;
Then I can hum a fugue of which I've heard the music's din afore,
And whistle all the airs from that infernal nonsense Pinafore.
Then I can write a washing bill in Babylonic cuneiform,
And tell you every detail of Caractacus's uniform:
In short, in matters vegetable, and animal, and mineral,
I am the very model of a modern Major-General.
In fact, when I know what is meant by "mamelon" and "ravelin",
When I can tell at sight a Mauser rifle from a javelin,
When such affairs as sorties and surprises I'm more wary at,
And when I know precisely what is meant by "commissariat",
When I have learnt what progress has been made in modern gunnery,
When I know more of tactics than a novice in a nunnery,
In short, when I've a smattering of elemental strategy,

You'll say a better Major-General has never sat a gee.
For my military knowledge, though I'm plucky and adventury,
Has only been brought down to the beginning of the century;
But still, in matters vegetable, and animal, and mineral,
I am the very model of a modern Major-General!


“TIME!”
“Fifty-one seconds…” said Jason. “And I don’t believe I heard a mistake…”
Russell snatched the two candy bars from Trisha.
“Don’t mess with the master…” he said with a grin.
My favorite scene in the chapter. Very awesome, considering the tempo it has(and a few tongue twisters).;)


“Des Wombat?” asked Amanda. “What’s a wombat?”

“It’s a bat that you use to play wom with, of course,” said Russell. “But seriously, this Beast has a potent effect. So long as he’s on my side of the field, I don’t lose Life Points from card effects.”
For those who don't watch Crocodile Hunter, Wombats are native Australian mammals. Don't think Chumley has one in his deck, though.:(


The other one was a girl (Karen Marianas was her name), with long blonde hair, sea green eyes, and a slender physique. Just by looking at her, you’d assume that Kuribohs were her favorite Monster. She had Kuriboh earrings, a Kuriboh hairclip, and her blazer and backpack were full of Kuriboh keychains.
So this is the Kuriboh duelist DS spoke of! Can't wait for her duel!

[Dark Sage]

Actually, no. Karen does not play a Kuriboh Deck. Kuribohs are just monsters that she really likes. I mean, who wouldn't like the cute little guys?

[Pokemasterkatie]

I mean, who wouldn't like the cute little guys?
Seto Kaiba and Manjoume Thunder.XD I'd also say Pegasus, but he was on the verge of losing to Yugi when the fluffball trap was sprung on his Thousand Eyes Restrict. I'd bet he'd love them otherwise--I mean, one of his favorite cards is a CAT(Doppleganger)!

[jkBAKURA]

Well, due to bias, I can't really review this chapter. I can however, give a bit of a glance behind the curtain.

Amanda really came out of a realisation of mine, most characters somehow always play the deck they love to play, and somehow have every card they need to play it. They also all enjoy dueling, win or lose, and most often have faith in whatever they're playing. Amanda was a bit of a norm breaker.

Most fanfiction duelists, simply enjoy the theme they are playing. Amanda took a harsher approach, where cold, hard, logic and stratagy take over to end the duel quickly, without the thril of playing the game. This makes it more like the real tournaments I've been to, back when Chaos and Yata were everywhere. I realise in a story however, that the duels are more drawn out and exciting.

For those who thought the duels were too short (and I know I did at first) I came to a realisation. That was what was supposed to happen. In the first one, the stratagy kicked in right away, and in the second, the legs were kicked out from under it. It's the same with any combo based deck.

I just liked the idea for some reason.

P.S. In my first pitch, the Golem/Inferno combo was supposed to be completed by a Morphing Jar #2, resulting in an instant deckout for the opponent, while Amanda still had the Golem to fall back on, but the RfDD combo grew on me as well.

Now that I'm done blabbering, we can all get back to our lives.

[Perfect Chaos]

I actually liked Amanda as a character.

The deck-theme was most certainly VERY unique and the chapter was pretty good in general, nothing too much to add. I do wonder though what that song Russell sang for the bet and whether Jason and Trisha did anything risque when they sleeping next to each other as stated at the end of the last chapter and beginning of this chapter.

I do wonder who the next user character will be (mine still won't be coming for a while, that I know)

Until then

-Sean