Yu-Gi-Oh! The Thousand-Year Door (Act One)

[Dark Sage]

The last chapter was short, and not my best work, so I figured I put up a new chapter - with the debut of a new user character!

I'd like to thank Sesshomaru for the contribution of this character. I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I did writing it.

- Dark Sage

[Dark Sage]

[B][I]When I dueled Tyson, it was a terror.

Not just because he was the product of an unholy alliance between an evil sorceress and a demon, but because he used fire as a weapon. Fire can be deadly if used wrong. It burns. It destroys. It makes life unpleasant.

Now I’m watching Stan duel someone who shares Tyson’s tastes. She seems much more friendly than he was, and she doesn’t want to drag him to his doom…

But her Monsters and other cards are no less serious in nature. And I hope that Stan can handle them.

Because like I said, fire is a serious business…




[B][size=3]CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR



Flames of Passion



At the breakfast table the next morning, three forks went simultaneously for the last Belgian waffle.

“I want it!” shouted Francesca.

“Come on guys…” sighed Stan. “I’m the one who had to go up against tall, dark, and gruesome last night…”

Andy and Francesca looked at each other.

“He has a point, Fran,” said Andy with a shrug.

Stan took the waffle and poured syrup on it.

“So where are we off to after breakfast?” asked Fran.

“The next town is called Poshley Heights,” said Andy, studying the map.

“After dueling that Fiend, I’m in the mood for a normal duel for a change,” muttered Stan. “Anything to get a fifth Crystal Card…”

“You know guys,” mentioned Andy, “we learned something important yesterday during Francesca’s duel with Maria…”

“What’s that?” asked Stan, with his mouth full.

“Well,” answered Andy, “at first I thought the Queen would try every dirty trick in the book to defeat us. But it turns out she’s forbidden from playing any way but fair. That might give us an edge…”

“Don’t be so sure…” muttered Francesca.

“Pardon?” asked Andy.

“If you know the rules too well,” answered Fran, “you find loopholes and ways to bend them. There are many fair ways to manipulate the rules to meet your ends. And the Queen is probably a master at doing just that.”

They were silent for a few seconds.

And then the door to the inn opened an she entered.

It was a young, sixteen-year-old girl, with long, light brown hair and hazel eyes. She wore a revealing halter top and a short skirt. She was tall and skinny, with very long legs.

A Duel Disk was on her arm.

“Hey folks!” she shouted. “Who’s ready to par-tey?”

She strode around the tables.

“Start the party, folks, because Lyn Rykern is here, and she’s ready to play!” she announced.

Everyone turned to her.

“Aw, why all the gloomy gusses?” she asked. “Anyone want to take on the meanest Monsters this side of Clash of the Titans? I guarantee you, they’ll shock your frowns into smiles!”

“Talk about bubbly,” muttered Francesca.

“Maybe this could be a big ticket…” muttered Stan. “And she does seem more pleasant than The End of Anubis…”

He called over.

“Yo!” he called. “Lyn, was it?”

“Yeah, sweetie?” she asked.

“So,” asked Stan, nervously, “you having any luck so far?”

Lyn giggled and took out five Crystal Cards.

Nuts, she’s one ahead of me… thought Stan.

“Well,” thought Stan, “I’ll take you up on that offer… Just don’t expect an easy duel…”

“Wouldn’t think about it cupcake!” she giggled. “Meet me on the beach next to that big ship in twenty minutes!”

Francesca shuddered. She wanted to duel next to Maria’s ship. Lovely…

Lyn bent over and stroked Stan on the cheek.

“Just be careful,” she whispered. “Most men find me too hot to handle… In more ways than one.”

She slowly walked out of the restaurant…



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


Speaking of said ship…

In Maria’s private quarters on The Sea Witch, Lord Crump was snoozing on a cot…

Then his cell phone rang. He grumbled and answered it.

“WAKE UP STUPID!” shouted a voice on the other end.

“Uhm, your excellence!” sputtered Crump. “I’m awake!”

“Well stay awake!” shouted the Queen. “Stan has just accepted a challenge, and I want you to watch.

“These kids have more to them than we first thought. Stan actually used Sorcerer of Dark Magic to help him defeat The End of Anubis!”

“Sorcerer of Dark Magic?” gasped Crump. “Where’d he get a card that rare?”

“I can’t read minds, Crump,” grumbled the Queen. “If I could, I likely wouldn’t be in this mess to begin with. We need to know all that we can about these kids so that, hopefully, the rest of our henchmen can handle them.”

“If you’re so damn powerful why don’t you duel them yourself…” said Crump, under his breath.

“WHAT WAS THAT?” shouted the Queen.

“Nothing!” pleaded Crump. “I’ll watch for them…”

“Make sure you do…” warned the Queen.

She hung up.

“Pushy, egotistical, bitch…” muttered Crump.

His cell phone rang again.

He answered it…

A bolt of electricity struck him, knocking him down!

“I heard that!” growled the Queen’s voice.

“I’m sorry…” squeaked Crump.

“Well say anything like that again,” she responded, “and you’ll know what ‘sorry’ means!”

She hung up again.



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


Stan shuffled his deck as he and his two friends walked down to the beach Lyn was waiting, shuffling her own.

“I love the beach,” she mused. “So peaceful… serene…”

“So,” asked Stan, “how long have you been into Duel Monsters?”

“A long time,” she replied. “I always wanted to be a Duel Monsters champion, and this tournament is my first big break!”

She loaded her deck into her disk.

“So let’s stop beating around the bush, and have at it, ‘kay?” she said with a smile. “My deck is really going to warm you up?”

Warm me up? thought Stan.

The holo-imagers shot out of the Disks, and they flipped into position. The Life Point meters both set to 8,000.

“Ladies first…” said Stan, drawing his first five cards.

“Why thanks,” giggled Lyn, drawing six.

She almost let out a squeal.

This hand rocks! she thought. I have just what I need for a great three-card-combo!

“I’ll place a Monster facedown in Defense Mode, and end my turn,” she announced.

She placed a card on her Disk, and the facedown card appeared.

Stan drew and looked at his hand.

“Okay…” he said, considering. “I’ll summon Skilled Dark Magician in Attack Mode.”

He put the card down, and the black-robed mage appeared. (1,900/1,700)

She put a defensive Monster down, he thought. It could have a high Defense or a nasty flip-effect, but from what I’ve seen of her so far, she’s bluffing…

“Skilled Dark Magician, attack!” he shouted.

The Magician cast forth his dark spell. A creature that looked like a flaming shadow appeared on the card, and was blown away.

Lyn chuckled.

“Thank you!” she laughed. “You just destroyed a Monster called The Thing In The Crater! And when it’s destroyed in battle, I get to Special Summon any Pyro Monster from my hand!”

She placed a card down.

“So now I’ll summon my Molten Zombie!”

A hulking form arose. It was a semisolid humanoid mass made entirely of lava, dripping the magma over the sand. (1,600/400)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/IOC-064.jpg


“Fine,” sighed Stan. “It’s your turn.”

Lyn made another draw.

She switched cards on her Disk.

“Now I’ll sacrifice Molten Zombie to summon Mr. Volcano!” she exclaimed.

Molten Zombie shrunk into a ball of fire, and the ball grew into a sorcerer in colorful clothes and red hair, with flames covering his hands. (2,100/1,300)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/PSV-EN044.jpg


“Mr. Volcano,” she ordered, “attack Skilled Dark Magician with volcanic blast!”

Mr. Volcano shot forth a blast of fire, incinerating Skilled Dark Magician!

Stan’s Life Points fell to 7,800.

“Wow,” exclaimed Andy. “Bubbly she may be, but this chick is actually pretty good.”

“Yeah…” muttered Francesca. “But don’t count Stan out yet…”

“Okay,” continued Lyn, “I’ll set one card facedown.”

She threw a card into a slot, and it appeared behind Mr. Volcano. She waved her hand to signify the end of her turn.

Stan drew.

“I summon Goombella the Scholar in Defense Mode!” he exclaimed.

Goombella appeared, and hopped on his shoulder. (500/2,000)

“Huh?” asked Lyn. “Cute!”

Goombella grinned.

“Cute and helpful,” replied Stan. “Because now I can see the top four cards on my deck and rearrange them any way I want!”

The four cards on the top of his deck floated off.

Aw, man, he thought. None of these are all that good…

He only made one adjustment, and they floated back.

“I’ll place one card facedown, and that will be all.”

He fit a card into a slot, and it appeared.

Lyn drew.

“Well, sorry Goombella,” she said, “but… Mr. Volcano, attack!”

The Pyro cast forth his fiery spell…

“Activate Spellbinding Circle!” shouted Stan.

The fire was blocked, and Mr. Volcano was trapped in the pentagram! His Attack fell to 1,400.

Lyn gave a slight grin…

“Okay, your move…” she said slowly.

Stan drew.

Something’s wrong, he thought. Lyn doesn’t seem the least bit worried…

He paused.

Her facedown card! What does it do?

He paused again.

Well, if it’s a Mirror Force, Goombella is in Defense Mode…

“I summon Neo the Magic Swordsman in Attack Mode!” he shouted, placing a card facedown.

Neo appeared, swinging his magical sword.

“Neo, attack Mr. Volcano with your enchanted blade!”

Neo’s sword glowed, and he lashed forward, smiting the Pyro with enchanted energy! Mr. Volcano was vaporized.

Lyn’s Life Points went down to 7,700…

And then a bonfire erupted around Stan! He screamed!

His Life Points fell to 7,300.

“What happened?” he asked.

Lyn pointed to her Trap Card.

“It’s a Trap called Backfire,” she said. “Now, every time you destroy one of my Fire Monsters, you’ll lose 500 Life Points! Neat, huh?”

“Yeah…” muttered Stan. “Neat…”



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


Up on the ship’s deck, Crump was watching.

Heh, he thought. Just looking at her hand, I think this Lyn gal has a better strategy than Tyson did! I know just what she’s gonna do on her next move…

Look out Stan… Pretty soon, even your strongest Monsters aren’t going to be able to protect you…



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


Francesca saw something out of the corner of her eye.

She turned her face, and saw Crump.

“Don’t look now,” she whispered to Andy, “but that little creep is spying on us again.”

“I say we go up there and shake him until he tells us what he’s up to…” muttered Andy.

“Well, Stan can’t stop the duel or he’ll forfeit,” sighed Francesca. “We’ll have to wait. But as soon as it’s over, we get that little sneak…”



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


“Can it be? My turn?” giggled Lyn.

She drew, and then took two cards from her hand.

“I’ll place this card facedown…” she said, slapping a card into a slot.

Another card appeared facedown.

“Then I’ll summon this little guy in Attack Mode… Raging Flame Sprite!”

She put a card down, and a tiny elflike fairy appeared. It was dressed in brown clothing and a pointed hat, carried a short wooden club, and was surrounded by flickering flames. (100/200)



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


“HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!” laughed Stan. “I’m supposed to be scared of that? Your little fairy only has one hundred Attack Points!”

“Don’t judge a Monster by its cover, Stan!” chuckled Lyn. “Raging Flame Sprite is more powerful than it appears. First, it possesses the ability to hop over all of your Monsters and attack you directly!

“Raging Flame Sprite, attack with pixie fire shot!”

The Sprite let out a laugh and flew towards Stan! It shot a tiny fireball, hitting him in the face!

Stan’s Life Points fell down to 7,200.

“Humph, I barely felt a thing!” scoffed Stan.

“And there’s more!” continued Lyn. “Every time Raging Flame Sprite succeeds in attacking you, it gains 1,000 Attack Points!”

The Sprite’s Attack rose to 1,100.

“I end my turn,” she said.

“Yeah?” said Stan, drawing, “well it’s still pretty weak…”

He threw a card down.

“I summon The Illusory Gentleman in Attack Mode!” he exclaimed.

The cyclopsed, gentleman Spellcaster appeared, brandishing his cane. (1,500/1,600)

“Gentleman, attack her raging Flame Sprite!” he shouted.

The Illusory Gentleman started to cast his spell…

“Here I come, Lyn,” threatened Stan, “ready or not!”

The Gentleman shot forth his colorful spell…

“ACTIVATE WABOKU!” shouted Lyn, as her Trap lifted.

The three priestesses sprang up, and the spell was halted.

Andy groaned.

“She was ready…” he sighed.

“Ugh…” sighed Stan. “I end my turn.”



Continued...

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:


“Splendid,” laughed Lyn, drawing. “Raging Flame Sprite, attack Stan again!”

The Sprite leapt up with a laugh, and this time shot forth a larger ball of flame, hitting Stan in the face again!”

Stan clutched his eyes…

That hurt…

His Life Points fell to 6,100.

And as he watched, Raging Flame Sprite’s Attack Score grew to 2,100.

“Your move!” laughed Lyn.

This is serious, thought Stan. I know what my next two draws will be, and the next won’t be a Monster strong enough to defeat it… And the card after that will be no help either…

He drew. He chose another card.

This will be a risk, but I have to take it…

“I play the Magic Card… Clock Out!” he shouted.

He placed the card in the slot, and the huge grandfather clock appeared.

“Clock Out?” asked Lyn.

“Yes,” said Stan. “I’m giving up 1,000 of my Life Points…”

His Life Points fell to 5,100, and the hand on the clock started to spin…

“…and whatever number this hand stops on is the number of your turns that you can’t attack!”

“So you’re putting this all up to chance?” asked Lyn, with a pout.

“Yeah!” replied Stan. “You have a problem with that?”

The pointer slowed… and landed on the three.

Not the best, he thought, but it will buy me some time.

“I’ll end my turn there,” said Stan.

“Whatever you say sweetie…” giggled Lyn.

She drew.

This will be good for insurance… she thought.

“Okay Stan,” she said, “I’m summoning a new Monster, but first I have to remove one Fire Monster in my Graveyard from play…”

She hit a command on her Disk.

“And since I don’t need The Thing In The Crater anymore, I’ll remove that…”

The card slipped out of her slot, and she transferred it to the removal slot.

“So now I summon Inferno in Defense Mode.”

The creature that appeared could only be described with one word – fire. It was a living bonfire, with two flaming blue points that suggested eyes. (1,100/1,900)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/IOC-019.jpg


“Boy this duel is heating up…” muttered Andy.

“You had to say it…” sighed Francesca.

“I’ll turn it back over to you,” said Lyn.

The clock ticked down to two.

Stan drew.

“I choose to pass this turn,” he said.

Lyn drew.

“Well, two can play at that game…” she said. “I’ll pass as well.”

The clock ticked down to one.

Stan paused.

Okay, he thought. This next draw is the first one I don’t know about… If it or the next draw isn’t something that can get rid of her Raging Flame Sprite, it will hit me for 2,100 points of damage when she can attack again… and then grow too powerful for me to stop…

Come on deck, show me some love…

He drew… the card glowed in the pale morning light…

“I sacrifice Goombella…” he started.

Goombella vanished.

“…AND the Illusory Gentleman…” he continued.

The Illusory Gentleman vanished.

He threw the card down.

“…to summon the mighty [B]Buster Blader!”

The enormous, armored Warrior arose, brandishing his mighty sword! (2,600/2,300)

Lyn gasped!

“Buster Blader?” she said with a shudder. “I’ve never seen him before!”

“Well then…” said Stan with a smile. “Lyn, Buster Blader, Buster Blader, Lyn. Now it’s time for your Sprite to meet him! Attack!”

Buster Blader raised his mighty sword, and charged. Raging Flame Sprite squeaked in fear and tried to flee, but it was cut down.

Lyn’s Life Points fell to 7,300.

“Now then…” said Stan.

He screamed as another bonfire surrounded him.

“Oh yeah,” muttered Lyn. “I almost forgot about the Backfire Trap… But is it true that he gains 500 Attack points for every Dragon your opponent has used?”

“More or less…” gasped Stan, as his Life Points fell to 4,600.

“Wow, I have a million questions…” muttered Lyn.

“Well, I don’t have time to answer a million questions,” muttered Stan. “We’re in the middle of a duel here… And I think it’s your turn.”

“Oh right…” said Lyn, drawing.

She looked at the card, and gave a slight smirk.

“I’ll place a card facedown, and that’s my turn,” she said.

A card materialized next to Backfire.

Stan drew.

Just what I needed… he thought.

“Say goodbye to your Backfire,” he shouted. “I play Mystical Space Typhoon!”

The whirlwind gusted forth, shattering the Trap Card.

“Now, Buster Blader, attack her Inferno!”

Buster Blader leapt forward, and brought his sword down on the blazing creature! The flames scattered!

And then Buster Blader groaned… He shattered!

“I did it!” shouted Lyn in delight. “I defeated the greatest Warrior in Duel Monsters!”

“What?” stammered Stan. “What happened…”

Then he noticed that Lyn had triggered a Trap.

“When you destroyed my Inferno, you triggered a Trap called Michizure!” she laughed. “It activates when one of my Monsters is destroyed, and destroys one of yours!”

Stan stood dumbfounded.

“Sheesh!” gasped Francesca. “That was a smart move!”

“My move isn’t done yet, Lyn!” exclaimed Fran. “Because now that you have absolutely nothing to protect you… Neo, attack her directly!”

Lyn wailed as Neo charged forward and slashed at her with his sword. She fell to her knees.

Her Life Points fell to 5,600.

She gasped for breath…

“Are you… Are you all right?” asked Stan, somewhat worried.

She looked so fragile…

“Heh, heh, never better, Stan!” she chuckled. “I love to get dirty! You’re my kind of guy!”

She blew him a kiss.

“Um, Fran?” muttered Andy. “Is it legal to flirt with your opponent in the middle of a duel?”

“Well, uhm… I never heard of a rule against it…” muttered Fran. “I don’t think I can ever remember it happening…”

She paused.

“Although, come to think of it, I heard a story of two students in my school who were seniors when I was a freshmen. They were both duelists who dueled each other a lot, and eventually, he fell in love with her because of her skill… I think they’re married now…”

Andy sighed.

“You think something like that could ever happen again?” he asked.

Fran looked at Andy.

She didn’t answer…

“My move, cupcake…” said Lyn, drawing.

Stan rolled his eyes. He was really glad Colette wasn’t here to see this…

“Wow!” said Lyn.

“I think she got a good draw…” muttered Andy.

“You bet I did!” exclaimed Lyn. “I got this incredibly rare card from winning a tournament! It was worth it…”

She threw the card down.

“Blaze Magician, in Attack Mode!”

A flame erupted on the field, and a fiery female form arose. She could best be described as a more elegant Magician of Faith although her kimono was red with yellow fire designs on it. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail, but it was bright red. She waved her hands and a scepter appeared in it, topped with a glowing sun on the end of it. (1,900/1,400)

Blaze Magician? thought Stan. Well this is new…

“Blaze Magician, attack Neo with fiery blaze!”

The Spellcaster waved her staff and shot forth a stream of flame, blowing the Magic Swordsman to pixels!

Stan’s Life Points fell to 4,400.

“Your move,” said Lyn, with a smile.

And Blaze Magician’s special effect will come in handy, she thought.

Stan drew.

“All right!” he exclaimed.

Stan chose another card.

“I’ll summon Mystical Elf in Defense Mode,” he said.

He put the card down. The holy elf appeared, chanting her mantra. (800/2,000)

“Now I play the Magic Card… Sweet Treat!” he exclaimed.

“YES!” exclaimed Andy.

Stan placed it into a slot.

“Sweet Treat?” said Lyn, with her eyes narrowing. “I don’t like the sound of that… Blaze Magician, go!”

Blaze Magician shot forth a blast of flames, and as the Magic Card appeared, it was burned up!

“WHAT?” shouted Stan. “Your Blaze Magician can negate Magic Cards?”

Lyn held up her Inferno card.

“I have to remove a Fire Monster from My Graveyard to do so, but it’s worth the price!” she said, slipping it into the removal slot.

Stan grumbled.

“I’ll end my turn,” he said.



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


Crump dialed his cell phone.

“Your excellence,” he said. “were you watching?”

“Yes Crump,” responded the Queen, “and I must say, I’m very pleased…”

She paused.

“Up until this point, I feared that the Enchanted Cards might well be unstoppable – but they aren’t. It may be true that only the forces of… ugh… Good can use them. But they still have to follow all the rules for Duel Monsters concerning card effects. If Blaze Magician can halt Sweet Treat from working, Magic Jammer can as well, and Art Attack can be foiled by Heavy Storm…

“This is vital information indeed…”



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


“Now it’s my move…” said Lyn with a smile.

She made a draw, and chose another card from her hand.

“I summon Flame Dancer in Attack Mode!”

She put a card down, and a weird-looking creature with one eye and flames coming out of a pipe on its head appeared in a burst of flame. It was carrying two torches. (550/450)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LON-EN058.jpg


“Why would you summon a Monster so weak?” asked Stan.

“All because of Blaze Magician’s other ability!” said Lyn with a big smile. “When she’s on the field, all of my Pyro Monsters have their Attack Score raised to 1,900!”

Flame Dancer’s score rose to (1,900/450)

“But since I can’t get by your Elf yet, I’ll turn it over to you, honey.”

Stan sighed as he drew.

What kind of crazy duel is this? he thought.

He looked at his card.

Oh yeah… he thought.

“I sacrifice Mystical Elf to summon Chaos Command Magician!” he exclaimed.

Mystical Elf vanished in a beam of light, and the Spellcaster with shiny black robes appeared in a flash! (2,400/1,900)

“Chaos Command Magician, attack her Blaze Magician with chaos blast!”

The chaos mage fired his scepter, and Blaze Magician screamed… she vanished in a puff of smoke.

Lyn’s Life Points fell to 5,100.

“And without her, your Flame Dancer loses its big bonus,” said Stan with a grin. “It’s your move…”

Lyn sighed. She drew.

“I’ll place this card facedown,” she said, placing it into a slot. “And I’ll move Flame Dancer into Defense Mode.”

A facedown card appeared, and Flame Dancer covered itself with its torches.

“Your move,” she sighed.

Stan drew.

Pixie Knight… he thought. She may come in handy…

“I’ll summon Pixie Knight in Defense Mode…” he said.

He placed the card down, and the fairy Spellcaster appeared, shyly hiding behind her gossamer wings. (1,300/200)

“Chaos Command Magician, attack Flame Dancer!” he shouted.

Chaos Command Magician aimed…

“I activate Shadow Spell!” shouted Lyn!

Chaos Command Magician gasped, as chains erupted from the ground, binding his wrists and ankles! His Attack Score fell to 1,700.

Lyn giggled.

“Gee Stan, I didn’t know your Monsters were into that kind of kinky stuff!” she laughed.

This is demented… thought Stan.

“Man, the way she talks, it almost like she and Stan are on a date rather than dueling…” muttered Andy.

“Maybe that’s how she looks at it…” muttered Francesca.

“Huh?” asked Andy.

“You know the old saying, ‘You don’t know a man until you’ve walked a mile in his shoes’?” asked Francesca. “Everyone is unique. Everyone has their own outlook. Not everyone sees the game of Duel Monsters as a bloodthirsty, violent spectacle. Maybe Lyn has found some sort of romantic side of it, and by dueling it brings her sensual pleasure… her own form of libido.

“After all, conquest in battle and conquest of the heart are just two types on conflicts – many old-school religions put love and war in the same category…

“That’s probably why her deck is full of Fire Monsters. Passion is always described as hot, and that may be what fuels her own energy.”

“Your awfully smart, Fran,” sighed Andy.

“I do what I have to,” shrugged Francesca.

“My move now…” said Lyn.

She drew.

“Yes!” she said.

She spun around.

“All right!”

She threw a card on her Disk.

“I summon Hand of Nephthys!” she shouted.

A whirlwind appeared on the field, and a young priestess in Egyptian royal clothing appeared, folding her arms in a praying position. (600/600)



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


“Huh?” asked Stan. “That… doesn’t look so formidable…”

A card slipped out of Lyn’s deck.

“She won’t be staying for long, Stan!” she laughed. “Now I can sacrifice her and one other Monster to summon my favorite Monster!”

She placed a card down.

“So, I sacrifice Hand of Nephthys and Flame Dancer…”

The two Monsters were consumed in fire…

And enormous bonfire started to erupt.

“…to summon a great beast that was spawned before mankind even discovered fire! Behold… [B]Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys!”



Continued...

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:


An enormous bird with golden, metallic skin, burning with flames all over its body arose out of the flames! It gave a great screech, and Chaos Command Magician and Pixie Knight shook in fear! (2,400/1,600)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/FET-EN005.jpg


“Go, my great Phoenix!” she shouted. “Attack Chaos Command Magician with divine flames!”

The Sacred Phoenix exhaled a blast of burning fire, blowing Chaos Command Magician to ashes!

Stan’s Life Points fell to 3,700.

“Oh geeze,” muttered Francesca. “Stan may be in trouble…”

“That thing is… amazing…” gasped Andy.

“I remember hearing about Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys,” pondered Fran. “It has an effect of some sort… but what?”

Stan shakily drew…

All right! he thought. Dark Magician Girl! Now I can use the card I’ve been saving for a special occasion!

He switched cards on his Disk.

“I sacrifice Pixie Knight to summon Dark Magician Girl!” he exclaimed. “In Attack Mode!”

Pixie Knight vanished, and a magical circle appeared out of the ground. Dark Magician Girl spun out and struck a pose. (2,000/1,700)

“Tee hee,” chuckled Lyn, as the Phoenix alighted in front of her. “Sorry, Stan, but she comes up 400 Attack points too short!”

“Let me show you a little magic trick…” said Stan, placing a card into a slot.

The card showed itself.

“It’s called Mystic Box…” explained Stan. “For this trick, Dark Magician Girl needs a volunteer, and…”

“My Phoenix volunteers!” interrupted Lyn.

Stan gave her a strange look.

“Fine,” he answered. “Not that she was going to give it a choice. Now watch… stage one…”

A tall black cabinet covered with question marks enclosed Dark Magician Girl.

Then another cabinet magically formed around Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys.

“How’d it fit in there?” asked Andy.

“Don’t ask me,” said Francesca with a shrug.

“Now stage two!” shouted Stan, throwing his hand forward.

Then, a rain of swords fell from the sky, all of them piercing the cabinet that Dark Magician Girl had entered!

“Wha?” said Lyn, startled. “You skewered your own Dark Magician Girl?”

“Not exactly!” said Stan, with a smile.

A door on the cabinet in front of Lyn opened, and Dark Magician Girl stepped out!

“And as for your Phoenix…” said Stan.

The other cabinet vanished, revealing the Phoenix impaled by the blades! It shattered into pixels!

And that was only half of Lyn’s problem. Dark Magician Girl was standing right in front of her!

“Dark Magician Girl…” said Stan.

“Uhm…” muttered Lyn.

Dark Magician Girl grinned. She gleefully pressed her scepter against Lyn’s exposed naval…

“Wait…” squeaked Lyn.

Then she screamed as the Spellcaster’s dark spell hit her from point-blank range! Dark Magician Girl laughed as Lyn landed on her behind.

Her Life Points fell down to 3,100.

Lyn looked up in time to see the Spellcaster give her a wink before floating back to Stan’s side.

“And that’s my turn, Lyn,” said Stan. “So, do you have any more new tricks?”

“No…” said Lyn, with a smirk.

She got up and drew.

“…just an old one…”

And then, flames surrounded her, and Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys arose from behind! It screeched louder than before!

“WHAT?” screamed Stan. “But I destroyed it!”

Lyn chuckled.

“Don’t you know the legend of the Phoenix, Stan?” she said, grinning wickedly. “It can’t be killed! It can’t even die of old age! It is said that every ten thousand years, this creature immolates itself, and from the ashes a new Phoenix rises!

“In game terms Stan, the only way Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys will stay in the Graveyard is if it’s sent there via battle. If you send it there any other way, like the Magic Card you used, it will just come back on my next turn!”

“Good lord…” gasped Andy. “It’s a flaming, winged Vampire Lord!”

“Sacred Phoenix,” shouted Lyn, “attack Dark Magician Girl with divine flames!”

Sacred Phoenix screeched… Dark Magician Girl drew back in fear…

The blast of flames incinerated the Spellcaster.

Stan’s Life Points fell to 3,300.

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

Okay. thought Stan, drawing. Now I’m running out of ideas.

The card was Magician of Faith.

Maybe I can get my Sweet Treat card back with this… he thought.

“Defense Mode!” he shouted, placing the card facedown.

The card appeared.

“Your move…” he said.

Lyn drew.

“Well, why don’t I just take care of that, sweetie?” she said.

She threw a card into a slot.

“Nobleman of Crossout!”

Stan gasped, as the knight with his sword appeared and stabbed into the card. Magician of Faith appeared and shattered!

“Nice try…” chuckled Lyn. “Oh Phoenix? Give Stan a kiss for me, will you?”

Sacred Phoenix screeched, and blasted its flames, engulfing Stan in an inferno! He screamed and fell on his back.

His Life Points plummeted to 900.

“Stan!” yelled Andy. “Get up!”

Stan slowly pulled himself to his feet.

Gotta… focus… he thought. It’s just a Monster… You’ve beaten tougher Monsters than this…

Heck, you just beat Exodia! There’s got to be something I can draw that will beat this thing…

He drew.

“I play… Graceful Charity!”

He plugged the card into the slot.

The angel flew out, and handed him three cards.

Stan looked at them.

“Oh… no…” he groaned.

“Disappointed with your draws, honey?” asked Lyn.

Stan glumly handed the angel two cards, and she flew into the discard slot.

“No Lyn,” sighed Stan. “I got the best draws I could hope for. These cards will enable me to perform a combo that I’ve only done twice since I started dueling…”

“So why are you upset?” asked Lyn.

“Cause, you’re gonna hate me…” sighed Stan.

“No I won’t!” pouted Lyn.

“I’m serious!” said Stan. “The first guy I used this on called me a cheating bastard, and the second guy made vulgar crank calls to my house until I found out it was him and reported him!”

Lyn paused.

“Well they must have been really mature,” she chuckled, sarcastically. “Show me. I promise not to hate you…”

“Promise?” asked Stan.

“Hey, I might even like it!” laughed Lyn.

Stan sighed again.

“Okay…” he said. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you. It all comes down to the three Magic Cards I just drew…”

He fit a card into a slot.

“First, Monster Reborn!”

The holy ankh appeared, and Dark Magician Girl reappeared. (2,000/1,700)

“Now then,” continued Stan, “the second one… I play The Sage’s Stone, which allows Dark Magician Girl to summon Dark Magician from my deck!”

He played the card, and the powerful Dark Magician arose! (2,500/2,100)

Lyn drew back.

“The third one,” continued Stan, playing another one, “Dedication Through Light And Darkness, which allows me to sacrifice Dark Magician for Dark Magician of Chaos from my deck!”

Dark Magician vanished, and the even stronger Dark Magician of Chaos arose in his place! (2,800/2,600)

“And finally…” said Stan.

A card flew out of his discard slot.

“…when Dark Magician of Chaos is summoned, I get to retrieve on Magic Card from my Graveyard! I chose Monster Reborn!”

He played the card.

“And I’ll bring Dark Magician back!”

Dark Magician returned.

The three sorcerers stared down Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys…



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/MFC-000.jpghttp://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/BPT-007.jpghttp://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/IOC-065.jpg


“YIII!” screamed Francesca. “Stan managed to summon all three of his Dark Magicians in one turn!”

“Holy shi – itake mushrooms!” yelled Andy. “I’ve never seen anyone do that!” exclaimed Andy.

Lyn looked at the three Spellcasters in front of her…

And then she smiled, and closed her eyes. She stretched out her arms…

“Dark Magician of Chaos!” shouted Stan. “Attack her Sacred Phoenix with chaos scepter blast!”

Dark Magician of Chaos thrust his staff forward and cast a mighty spell. Sacred Phoenix screamed as was blown to pieces!

Stan checked Lyn’s score…

It was at 2,900. He had no choice. He had to attack with both of his other Spellcasters.

“Dark Magician… Dark Magician Girl…” he ordered. “Double dark magic attack!”

The Dark Magician and his apprentice put their staffs together and fired forth an entwining beam of energy straight at Lyn. She didn’t flinch as the powerful blast hit her, although she did strain a little…

And then, she collapsed.

As her Life Points were reduced to zero, the holograms shut down. Stan ran over to her.

“LYN!” he shouted. “Are you all right?”

“Heh, heh, heh…” chuckled Lyn.

“That was a blast!” she shouted. “That was the best duel ever!”

She reached up and kissed Stan on the cheek.

“Thank you so much!” she giggled.

“Well, at least she isn’t a sore loser,” muttered Andy. “Stan, you finish here, Francesca and I have to handle something…”



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


Meanwhile, Crump was cowering in fear behind a stack of barrels on the ship.

All three of them in one turn? he thought. Oh, this is too much! These kids are like super-duelists! What are we going to do?

“Hey, creep!” shouted a voice.

He looked up, and saw Andy and Francesca boarding the ship.

“You want to spy on us, buddy?” asked Francesca. “Well we want some answers!”

Crump gulped.

“No!” he gulped. “Stay away!”

They closed in on him. He reached for the Duel Disk on his back.

“Don’t hurt, me, okay?” he pleaded. “My take-home’s less than twenty-five hundred!”

“You’re overpaid!” scowled Andy.

Crump flicked the Duel Disk into position.

“Give us a break…” said Francesca.

Crump threw a Dimensionhole card into a slot, and a vortex appeared. He vanished into it.

Andy and Francesca stood dumbfounded.

“Well, that was weird,” said Andy.



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


“Well, I lost,” said Lyn, with a smile. “So I guess I owe you this…”

She handed Stan a Crystal Card.

“Keep it safe cutie,” she said. “You’re sure to get to the Thousand Year Door with your strategy.”

“I intend to,” said Stan. “And as soon as my friends finish what they were doing, we’re heading for Poshley Heights.”

“Ooh,” giggled Lyn. “I heard that all the rich folk on Monster Island hang out there! Have a good time! As for me, I’m staying in Keelhaul Key for awhile. Maybe I can get another duel in around here. Ta, ta!”

Stan looked at the Crystal Card.

“Five down, two to go…” he muttered.



MYSTIC BOX (Magic Card)

Card Specs

Type: Magic
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Card Description: Image of two black cabinets covered with question marks, one of which is pierced by swords. You can only use this card when a Monster with the words “Dark Magician” in its name is on your side of the field. Destroy one opposing Monster.

Note: This is the anime version of a Japanese card that has not been released in the United States (the actual card has different effects). The card was first used by Yugi in the multi-part episode “Double Trouble Duel”



BLAZE MAGICIAN (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spellcaster/Effect
Attribute: Fire
Level: 4
ATK: 1,900
DEF: 1,400

Card Description: When this Monster is face-up on the field, the base ATK of any PYRO-Type Monster you summon becomes 1,900. Also, you can remove one FIRE-Attribute Monster in your Graveyard from play to negate the activation of a Magic Card and destroy it.

Note: “Blaze Magician” was created by Starjake for use in his fanfic “Yu-Gi-Oh: Virtual Disaster”. All creative credit goes to him.



[B][I]Coming up next:

The road to Poshley Heights is well-maintained, but long, and on the way, the team meets a new user character, with a very unique deck! Don’t miss a chapter entitled “Relics of Ancient Times”, coming soon.

[starjake]

YAY! GO BLAZE MAGICIAN!

*ahem*

That was cool! Wait, no, not cool at all, but you get the idea. Of course, the fact that this was a Fire duel has nothing to do with my enjoyment of this chapter at all...not that i'm biased or anything...

One problem I found, which I don't think affected the duel very much: Molten Zombie's effect onylactivates when it's Special Summoned from the Graveyard. Since Lyn Special Summoned it from her hand, she wouldn't have gotten to draw a card. Like I said, it probably didn't affect the duel very much, but I just thought I'd point it out (you can't mess up a Fire card in my presense and get away with it!)

Relics of Ancient Times? That can only mean one thing, but I'm not about to give it away for those who can't figure it out. Let's just say that whoever duels this new guy is in for a blast from the past!

[Dark Sage]

Starjake:

I checked and - sigh - you're right. The chapter is now edited. Sorry to make a mistake with a Fire Monster in your presence. (I'm glad I didn't get Blaze Magician wrong! I'm so sorry Stan's Chaos Command Magician destroyed her, but at least she stopped him from using his Enchanted Card.)

Anyway, wait until you see the next chapter.

- DS

[ssj4supernerd]

____0____ to Fire Decks(although Blaze of Destruction sucks)

I like Lyn,she's interesting.I for a while thought while to not compete in the quiz,but I changed my mind.:p

I actually would like her more as Stan's girlfriend,but I don't think Stan would to that.She's to rash for Stan.

Again,nice chapter and i think I too know what deck comes next.

[Shuppet Master]

I like the name of Stan's girl, it's the female lead character from "Tales of Symphonia." Haven't played the game? Get a GameCube and try it! I had a blast!

Poor Stan, getting hit on by a girl like that. I hope Stan exlpains Colette. And Crump got spotted. Heh, classic. Anyways, another great fire deck, and it used Raging Flame Sprite, my favorite fire monster. Starjake, weren't you glad to see Sacred Phoenix again?

And the three Dark Magicians appearing reminded me of Yugi Jr.'s rematch with Kanasta. Great. ;) That dialogue between Fran and Andy about Lyn's flirting was neat. And it was submitted by someone with the name of an Inuyasha character.

Can't wait for the next chapter!

[Perfect Chaos]

That was a very interesting chapter. I liked how Lyn had her own style and personality and another appearance of a Fire deck never hurt (since they're so rare to begin with IMO). Overally, I liked this chapter and user character.

One thing though, DS, at the end, you put Andy instead of Stan (I don't know if you meant for that or not, but if you didn't, just thought I'd point that out for you)

-$3@n

[Mystic_clown]

Hmm, Relics of Ancient Times huh? Well, if that means what I think it means, I'm definately looking forward to the next chapter.

[Dark Sage]

I was going to wait another day to put this up, but Starjake was very insistant.

As you can guess, the user character that appears in this chapter is his. You are also likely surprised (as I was) that his user character had nothing to do with Fire Monsters.

But anyway, after a lot of editing and hard work (because the cards used in this chapter are complicated), it's ready to go up, and I'd like to thank Starjake for his contribution.

- DS

[Dark Sage]

[B][I]History is full of mysterious situations. Ancient history more than any.

Stonehenge is an example. It was in great Britain before there was a written language there, so whoever built it had to be able to move ten-ton blocks a great distance for a purpose that no one yet knows.

That isn’t the only mystery of history. Now one knows who built the strange statues of Easter Island, and exactly how the Egyptians managed to build the wondrous Pyramids without iron tools or modern engineering equipment is one of the greatest puzzles of all.

I almost feel bad about having to duel my next opponent. The Monsters in his deck all look like priceless antique museum pieces, and in order to win, I have to smash them to pieces. Fortunately, they’re cards, and will be back the next time he duels.

But that doesn’t make them less powerful…




[B][size=3]CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE



Relics of Ancient Times



It was one hour after the duel with Lyn, and the three teens were traveling down a well-worn road. Andy was humming to himself:



[B][I]On the road again,
Just can't wait to get on the road again,
The life I love is makin' music with my friends,
And I just can't wait to get on the road again.
On the road again.
Goin' places that I've never been,
Seein' things that I may never see again,
And I just can't wait to get on the road again.


“You have a great singing voice, Andy,” said Francesca, with a smile.

“Thanks,” answered Andy. “So Stan, how long before we get to Poshley Heights?”

“Hmm,” said Stan, studying the map. “I’d say about two hours, give or take.”

They looked up ahead.

Off the side of the road were a cluster of statues. They all were very worn and made of something that looked like granite. All of them depicted a woman of some sort.

“Interesting…” said Stan.

They went up to the statues.

These statues were clearly centuries old – and they could clearly tell there wasn’t something right about them.

Then they saw that they weren’t the only ones interested in them.

A teenager about a year older than they were was studying one of the statues, and jotting things down in a notebook. He looked intently at it.

He had light blonde hair and big, bright blue eyes. He stood about 5’8”, and wore khaki clothing. He also had a Duel Disk on his arm.

“Interesting,” he said, mostly to himself. “Clearly it dates back to roughly the 10th Century AD, but I can’t identify the culture…”

“Ahem,” said Fran.

“Oh, hi,” he mused.

“Interested in the scenery?” she asked.

“Archaeology always interests me,” said the boy. “I just wish I could figure out what these statues were. They’re clearly over a thousand years old, but other than that, I can’t make out anything about them… Not the culture, or who they’re supposed to represent…”

Francesca smiled.

“I notice you duel…” she said, offhand.

The boy smiled.

“Are you challenging me?” he asked.

Francesca took her Crystal Cards out of her Disk.

“I have five so far,” she said.

The boy took out five of his own cards.

“Join the club,” he said. “The name is Kyle Stevens, by the way, and I warn you – I not only study relics of ancient times – my deck is loaded with them!”

“Then by all means,” chuckled Francesca. “Let’s do it!”



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


A wide, grassy knoll was in the center of the strange statues, and the holo-imagers started to glow.

“What do you think Kyle meant by relics of ancient times?” asked Andy.

“Well, the Gravekeepers aren’t relics – they’re people,” answered Stan. “We’ll just have to see.”

The Disks flipped into position.

“It’s time to duel, as everyone is so fond of saying,” said Fran, drawing five cards.

She studied her hand.

“Why don’t you go first, Fran,” said Kyle.

Always let your opponent go first, and see what you’re up against. That was his primary strategy.

“Sure thing,” said Fran, drawing her first card.

She looked at it.

“I’ll summon Amazoness Swords Woman in Attack Mode!” she declared.

She placed a card down, and the fierce barbarian appeared, swinging her sword. (1,500/1,600).

“Nice,” said Kyle, drawing.

He looked at the card.

“Now I’ll summon a relic from one of the most advanced civilizations of ancient Latin America!” he exclaimed. “Stone Statue of the Aztecs in Defense Mode!”

He placed a card down, and a huge statue resembling a huge head with hands made of unhewn rock appeared (300/2,000)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/AST-014.jpg


“And that’s my turn,” he said.

“Well,” said Fran, drawing. “Seems you made a mistake, I know all about that thing’s effect…

“Amazoness Swords Woman, attack his Stone Statue!”

Amazoness Swords Woman leapt up and slammed into the Statue! She gasped and fell on her back.

“I hate to hurt my own Monster,” chuckled Francesca, “but any damage inflicted from a battle involving her is taken by you. And since all damage resulting from battles with Stone Statue of the Aztecs is doubled, you lose one thousand Life Points!”

Kyle’s Life Points fell to 7,000.

“Okay, that was a clever move,” he sighed. “But now it’s my move.”

He drew.

This Magic Card will come in useful in a minute, he thought.

“Now then,” he said, “I’ll sacrifice my Stone Statue…”

The Statue vanished.

“…for a Monster which I’ll place in facedown Defense Mode,” he continued.

A hidden Monster appeared.

“I’ll also play this card facedown,” he said, fitting a card into a slot, “and turn it over to you.”

The facedown card appeared.

Fran drew.

He sacrificed a Monster to summon a defensive Monster, so it likely has a high Defense. No matter – I still have my Amazoness Swords Woman… So his Life Points are easy prey.

She put a card down.

“I’ll summon Amazoness Paladin in Attack Mode!” she exclaimed.

The mighty Paladin appeared. (1,700/300) –> (1,900/300)

“Now, Swords Woman, attack his facedown Monster!”

Swords Woman raised her Sword.

“Not so fast!” shouted Kyle. “I activate Negate Attack!”

His Trap lifted. Swords Woman’s blade slammed into an invisible shield.

“Fine, it’s your move,” sighed Fran.

“You might be wondering why I have Negate Attack in my deck and not Waboku,” said Kyle, drawing. “The simple answer is, in order to activate the flip effect of this Monster, I have to flip it myself…”

The card flipped around…

“So I Flip-Summon… Guardian Sphinx!”

A huge Monster resembling the Great Sphinx of Gaza appeared where the card had been, only this one looked as good as new. (1,700/2,400)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/PGD-025.jpg


“And when it’s Flip-Summoned, its special effect kicks in, returning all the Monsters on your side of the field to your hand,” noted Kyle.

Francesca let out a yelp as both her Amazons vanished, their cards thrown off her Disk.

“Now Guardian Sphinx,” ordered Kyle, “attack directly with monolith smash!”

The next moment could not be believed. The great Sphinx clapped its huge stone paws together, and unfortunately, Francesca was between them!

“FRAN!” shouted Andy.

Francesca teetered for a minute, but maintained her balance. Her Life Points fell to 6,300.

Kyle gave her a minute to recover before making her next move.

“Are you done?” asked Fran.

“No,” said Kyle. “I’m activating its other effect…”

Guardian Sphinx vanished, and was replaced by a facedown card…

It can revert back to facedown Defense Mode? thought Francesca, in panic. He can just do it again…

“And, since I can’t have you ramming your Swords Woman into it,” muttered Kyle, “I play… Exchange!”

He fit the card into the slot.

Francesca cringed.

“Fine,” she sighed.

She walked up to him, and showed him her hand.

Kyle quickly took the Swords Woman.

“Your turn,” he said, holding out his hand.

How can I choose when I’ve never even seen any of these cards? thought Francesca. Better choose one at random…

She picked a card.

As she walked back to her position, she saw that it was a strange Monster called Dummy Golem. She slowly read the description…

“Your move…” said Kyle.

If I just attack his Sphinx, he can’t activate its flip-effect, though Fran, But that would slowly drain my Life Points and give him time to summon something nasty…

She drew.

Now that’s it… she thought.

“I summon Amazoness Paladin again,” she said, placing the card down.

Amazoness Paladin reappeared. (1,700/300) –> (1,800/300)

“And now I arm her with The Girdle of Hippolyta!” she exclaimed.

She fit the Magic Card into the slot, and the golden belt appeared around Paladin’s waist. Her Attack rose to 2,600.

“Your Paladin should be ashamed of herself,” scolded Kyle. “Only her Queen should be allowed to wear that.”

“Her Queen is generous,” commented Francesca. “Paladin, take out his Sphinx!”

Paladin charged. Guardian Sphinx appeared on the card, and was blown to pebbles!

“All right! Go Fran!” shouted Andy.

“It’s your move,” said Fran.

Kyle drew. He considered.

“I’ll play Mystical Space Typhoon!” he shouted, throwing a card into a slot.

The Girdle of Hippolyta shattered.

“Now I’ll summon another Stone Statue of the Aztecs in Defense Mode,” he said.

Another huge, hewn statue appeared. (300/2,000)

“Your move.”

Fran drew.

“I’ll summon Amazoness Fighter in Attack Mode,” she said.

Fighter appeared, and flexed her muscles. (1,500/1,300)

Paladin’s Attack went up to 1,900

“And I’ll also place this card facedown,” she said.

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

Mirror Force should blow his Monster away if he summons a stronger one, she thought.

“And I’ll turn it over to you,” she said.

Kyle drew.

He looked at the card.

“Now,” he said, “I’ll sacrifice Stone Statue of the Aztecs to summon an ancient artifact known as Ancient Gear Beast in Attack Mode!”

A large creature appeared. It looked like a mechanical wolf made of stone and metal, with gears for joints. (2,000/2,000)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/TLM-EN007.jpg


“Gear Beast, attack her Paladin!”

Ancient Gear Beast charged forward…

“Activate Mirror Force!” shouted Fran.

But the card stayed down. Mirror Force did not activate.

And Paladin was torn to shreds!

Francesca’s Life Points fell to 6,200.

“Hold it!” shouted Andy. “Time out! Fran’s Disk malfunctioned!”

“No malfunction, my friend,” chuckled Kyle. “When Ancient Gear Beast attacks, Traps cannot be activated during the Battle Phase. So Fran’s Mirror Force couldn’t be triggered.

“And thank you so much for telling me that card is a Mirror Force. I’ll know to be more careful from now on…

“It’s your move.”

Fran drew.

Maybe I can fool him, she thought.

“I’ll place a Monster facedown and end my turn,” she said, placing a card on her Disk.

A hidden Monster appeared.

“And it’s your move,” she said.

“Heh, heh,” chuckled Kyle, drawing. “You can’t fool me, Fran! I know that that’s my Dummy Golem, and I know what its flip-effect is. But I also know that if my attack destroys it, its flip-effect is invalid.

“So, Ancient Gear Beast, attack the facedown Monster!”

Ancient Gear Beast leapt forward…

D.D. Warrior Lady appeared on the card! She screamed and was torn apart!

“Yes!” shouted Stan. “Good thinking Fran!”

Ancient Gear Beast growled…

“WHAT?” exclaimed Francesca. “Your Beast should have been banished!”

“That’s the second effect of Ancient Gear Beast!” laughed Kyle. “Like the legendary Dark Ruler Ha Des, it nullifies the effects of any Monster it destroys. That means it doesn’t have to worry about Man-Eater Bugs, Night Assailants, Magicians of Faith, and a four-page list of other Monsters who you have to think twice about before attacking!

“Your move…”

Okay, I’m running out of ideas… thought Fran.

She drew.

Hey… she thought. This might work…

She fit a card into a slot.

“I play Fairy of the Spring!” she stated. “This allows me to bring back one Equip Magic Card from my Graveyard!”

A card flew out of her discard slot.

“But I can’t Equip it on a Monster this turn. Now I’ll set a card facedown, and end my turn.”

She fit a card into a slot, and a card appeared next to her facedown Mirror Force.

Kyle drew.

“I’m activating a Trap!” shouted Francesca. “Waboku!”

Her Trap lifted, and the three emissaries rose up.

“You didn’t say I couldn’t activate Traps at any time other than the Battle Phase,” he said with a smirk.”

“Clever,” said Kyle with a frown. “I’ll move Ancient Gear Beast to Defense Mode, and end my turn.”

The Machine sat.

Fran drew.

“Now I’ll Equip my Fighter with – you guessed it - The Girdle of Hippolyta!” she exclaimed.

She fit a card into a slot, and the golden belt appeared around Fighter’s waist. Her Attack went up to 2,300.

“Attack his Beast!” she shouted.

Amazoness Fighter leapt forward and crushed Ancient Gear Beast with her fist.

“Make your move…” chuckled Francesca.

“Well Fran,” said Kyle, “you are pretty good…”

He looked at the card.

“But I’m still taking you down.”

He slid a card into a slot.

“I play Graceful Charity,” he said.

The angel flew out, and handed him three cards. He handed her two.

“And by the way,” he added, “I’m burying your Swords Woman.”

Francesca was a little irked by that.

“Now I play… Tribute to the Doomed!” he shouted.

He threw a card into a slot and discarded one. Francesca screamed as her Fighter was mummified and then pulled underground!

“Eek, that was nasty!” exclaimed Andy.

“And now I summon, Ancient Gear Soldier!” exclaimed Kyle, placing a card down.

A more humanoid contraption appeared. It was made of stone and metal, like Ancient Gear Beast, and carried a device that looked like an antique Tommy gun. (1,300/1,300)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/TLM-EN008.jpg


“And by the way,” said Kyle, “this Monster also prevents you from triggering Traps during the Battle Phase.

“Ancient Gear Soldier, attack directly!”

The Soldier raised his gun and pumped ten rounds into Fran’s torso! She screamed and toppled backwards.

Her Life Points fell to 4,900.

Francesca got to her feet.

“Finally, one card facedown,” he said.

He threw a card into a slot, and it appeared.

“It’s your turn,” he said.

She drew.

“I summon my Amazon Archer in Attack Mode,” she said, placing a card down.

The Amazon bow-woman appeared, notching an arrow in her bow. (1,400/1,000)

“Attack!” shouted Francesca.

The Archer fired, and Ancient Gear Soldier was blasted into junk!

Kyle shielded himself from the debris as his Life Points fell to 6,900.

“That was pointless,” muttered Fran. “Well, make your move…”

Kyle drew.

“I’ll play the Magic Card… Earthenware Jug,” he said.

He placed a card in a slot, and a jar that looked like an antique, clay version of the Pot of Greed appeared.

“To activate this card,” explained Kyle, “I have to remove one Rock Monster from the game. So I’ll remove the first Stone Statue of the Aztecs.”

An image of the Stone Statue appeared and was sucked into the Jug.

“In return for that, I get to draw three cards.”

A hand made of clay reached out of the Jug, took three cards off of Kyle’s deck and handed them to him.

“Thank you,” he continued. “Then I’ll activate Call of the Haunted, to bring back the other Stone Statue of the Aztecs!”

His Trap Card lifted, and the Stone Statue reappeared.

“But I’m not done!” he laughed. “I’ll sacrifice my Stone Statue to summon an ancient creature known as Hieracosphinx in Attack Mode!

The Stone Statue shattered, and a different statue appeared. Made of stone, it had the body of a lion with small wings, and the head of a colorful hawk. (2,400/1,200)



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


“Let me explain how this creature works,” explained Kyle. “So long as it’s on the field, you can’t attack any of my facedown Monsters!

“Now, Hieracosphinx…

“Oh, I almost forgot, you still have that Mirror Force Trap! Well, I certainly can’t attack until I get rid of it, now can I? I end my turn.”

“Nuts,” muttered Andy, “she almost had him…”

Fran drew.

All right! she thought.

She threw a card down.

“I summon my Beautiful Headhuntress to the field!” she exclaimed.

The fancy-dressed woman with her huge cleaver appeared. (1,600/800)

“And now I play this Magic Card!” she exclaimed. “Earth Tremor!”

She fit a card into a slot, and the card appeared.

“You’re in trouble now!” warned Andy.

“To activate this card, I have to sacrifice an Earth Monster, so Beautiful Headhuntress, bye-bye!”

Beautiful Headhuntress gave a wicked grin at Kyle before she shattered.

“And now,” said Francesca with a smile, “you lose Life Points equal to 500 times the number of stars that your most powerful Monster on the field has!”

“What?” gasped Kyle. “Oh, nuts! Hieracosphinx has six stars!”



Continued...

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



A veritable earthquake struck Kyle’s side of the field, and he was tossed off his feet! Hieracosphinx roared!

Kyle got up, covered with dust. His Life Points plummeted to 3,900.

“Good trick…” he muttered. “My move now?”

“Go ahead…” goaded Francesca.

Kyle drew.

“I play my Pot of Greed…” he said, placing the card in a slot.

The Pot handed him two more cards.

Perfect, he thought. I’ll take Francesca down slowly and painfully…

“I’ll place a Monster facedown in Defense Mode, and that will be my turn,” he said.

“Fine,” said Francesca.

She drew.

“I’ll summon my second Amazoness Paladin to the field!” she exclaimed.

Another Paladin appeared, holding aloft her sword. (1,700/300) –> (1,900/300)

“Now I’ll…” she started. “Oh right, I can’t attack facedown Monsters. Then I guess I’ll end my turn…”

Kyle drew.

“Then I’m going to chip away at your Life Points piece by piece,” he warned. “With my three-card combo!”

He placed a card down.

“I summon a Monster known as Grave Ohja in Attack Mode!” he shouted.

A tall, bulky statue appeared. It was made of purple rock, had huge claws, and wore a black kilt and a golden headdress. (1,600/1,500)



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


“So long as this Monster is on my side of the field, you’ll take 300 points of damage every time I Flip-Summon a Monster!” he exclaimed. “And now, I’ll Flip-Summon my Moai Interceptor Cannons!”

His facedown card flipped, and three Easter Island Statues appeared. (1,100/2,000).



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/TLM-EN014.jpg


They shot a blast of flame at Francesca, and she grunted, her Life Points falling to 4,600.

“Now I can activate their special ability!” chuckled Kyle.

The Cannons vanished, and went back to facedown Defense Mode.

“And that’s my turn,” he said.

Fran drew.

She paused.

What is he up to? she thought. Can’t he see that my Paladin is clearly stronger than his Grave Ohja?

And he doesn’t have a single Trap Card on the field… something has to be up…

Well, even if something is, I have to do something…

“Paladin, attack his Grave Ohja!” she shouted.

Paladin raised her sword…

She looked at Grave Ohja…

And then she turned to Francesca, and shrugged.

“Huh?” said Fran, startled. “She can’t attack it?”

“Oh, forgot to mention that!” chuckled Kyle. “So long as I have at least one facedown Monster on the field, Grave Ohja can’t be attacked!

“It’s my ultimate three-card-combo! First, Hieracosphinx protects the Moai Interceptor Cannons; Second, Grave Ohja lets the Cannons blast away 300 of your Life Points every time they’re Flip-Summoned, which can happen every round; third, the cannons protect Grave Ohja! It all comes full circle!”

Francesca took a minute to take this in…

“Okay…” she mumbled. “I end my turn…”

“Then lets do this again!” laughed Kyle drawing. “Flip…”

The Moai Interceptor Cannons flipped into Attack Mode again.

“Blast…”

They shot their guns at Fran, blowing her Life Points down to 4,300.

“And… un-flip!”

They Cannons went back to facedown Defense Mode.

“Good grief!” muttered Andy. “He has Fran in a lock!”

“She’ll think of something…” assured Stan.

Fran drew.

“Well, this worked for you,” she said, “so I play Graceful Charity!”

She played the cards, and the angel flew out of her deck, handing her three cards.

Fran handed her Amazoness Blowpiper and Gaia Power, which had been there unused for most of the duel. It would have helped Kyle as much as it helped her. She was seriously considering taking that Field Card out of her deck permanently.

The angel flew into her discard slot, and she looked at the new cards.

Finally, she thought.

“I’m using Nobleman of Crossout!” she shouted, placing a card in a slot, “to take out your Cannons!”

The Knight appeared, and stabbed his sword into the facedown card! The Moai Interceptor Cannons appeared and shattered.

“Now, let’s try this again!” shouted Fran. “Paladin, attack Grave Ohja!”

Paladin sneered, and leapt forward; with one swing of her sword, she blew Grave Ohja into shards of rock!

Kyle’s Life Points fell to 3,600.

“And finally, I place a Monster facedown in Defense,” she said.

She put a card down, and a hidden Monster appeared.

“And with that,” said Fran, “I end my turn. But I just ruined your whole strategy!”

“We’ll see…” said Kyle.

He drew.

“HA!” he said. “I play Heavy Storm!”

He threw the card into a slot, and Francesca’s Mirror Force was blown away!

“Hieracosphinx, attack her Paladin with monolith swoop!”

The hawk-headed sphinx took to the air and pounced on Amazoness Paladin, crushing her!

Francesca’s Life Points fell to 3,900.

“Your Archer is next,” warned Kyle. “In the meantime, I’ll place a card facedown, and end my turn…”

He set a card, and it appeared in front of him.

“Heh, heh,” chuckled Francesca, making a draw. “You did just what I wanted you to do, Kyle. You were so anxious to destroy my Paladin, that you forgot I had this.”

She hit a command on her Disk, and her facedown Monster flipped into Attack Mode. It was a short, squat statue made of clay. (800/800)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/TLM-EN016.jpg


“ARGH!” shouted Kyle. “MY DUMMY GOLEM!”

“Yep!” said Fran. “And I’m sure what happens now that I’ve flipped it…”

Kyle started to sweat…

“You have to choose a Monster on your side of the field, and trade it for the Dummy Golem! But there’s only one Monster for you to choose!”

Dummy Golem and Hieracosphinx vanished, and both reappeared on the opposite sides!

“Now, Amazon Archer, attack the Dummy Golem!”

Amazon Archer fitted an arrow into her bow and fired! Dummy Golem was smashed into a broken pile of clay!

Kyle’s Life Points fell to 3,000.

“Hieracosphinx, attack directly!”

The huge Sphinx charged forward and smashed into Kyle! He screamed and fell over.

His Life Points plummeted to a mere 600.

“WHOO-HOO!” yelled Stan.

“Go Fran!” yelled Andy.

My baby is winning! he thought.

He paused.

Did I just think that?

“It’s your move, Kyle,” said Fran, as her opponent got up, “but things are looking bleak…”

Kyle drew.

“Maybe not…” he said. “I just drew the most powerful Monster in my deck!”

“Well how are you supposed to summon it without a sacrifice?” asked Francesca.

“I’ll show you,” said Kyle. “Activate Trap Card… Level Conversion Lab!”

The Trap lifted.

Andy gasped!

“I know what he’s up to!” he exclaimed. “Tyson used this Trap against me to summon his Fire Queen!”

Kyle heard him.

“Then you folks likely know how this works,” he said. “First I have to show you the Monster…”

He showed Francesca the card. She gulped. It was an eight-star Monster called Ancient Gear Golem.

“Now then…” said Kyle.

A slivery die flew out of the Trap Card.

“…if this die lands on a one, that means I have to discard this card, and that means it’s gone for good, because this Monster can’t be Special Summoned. Any other number, and that’s the star level of the Monster for the remainder of the round.”

The die rolled… Francesca bit her lip…

She was relieved to see it land on a five.

“Aw!” she said, feigning sympathy. “That means you still need one Monster to summon it, and you’re fresh out!”

“Easily fixed,” said Kyle, taking another card from his hand. “I play Monster Reborn, to bring back Dummy Golem!”

He played the card, and Dummy Golem reappeared.

“And now,” he continued, “I’ll sacrifice it to summon my ultimate creature… the Eighth Wonder of the Ancient World…”

Dummy Golem shattered, and a huge form arose.

“The invincible Ancient Gear Golem!”

The huge creature stood at least twenty feet tall. It was made of stone and metal, with huge gears for joints. The whole thing looked haphazard and jury-rigged, as if it was built without aesthetic in mind. Nonetheless, it exuded an aura of strength. (3,000/3,000)



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


“Good lord…” muttered Andy.

“Ancient Gear Golem, attack that treacherous Hieracosphinx with your mighty fist!” shouted Kyle.

Moving with incredible speed for its size, the Golem rushed forward and punched Hieracosphinx, blasting it into dust!

Francesca’s Life Points fell to 3,300.

Fran assessed the situation.

If I draw Madame Flurrie, she can erode that thing to dust, she thought. Have to make this draw count…

She drew.

My other Amazoness Fighter? Aw, she’d just get smashed…

“I’ll shift my Archer into Defense Mode…” she said, turning her card.

Amazon Archer knelt, and held her bow in her lap.

“That’s my turn,” she said.

“Really?” chuckled Kyle, making a draw.

“Ancient Gear Golem, attack her Archer!” he shouted.

The Golem rushed forward and slammed its fist into the Archer, flattening her.

Francesca gasped, as her Life Points fell to 1,300!

“What?” gasped Andy. “She was in Defense Mode!”

“That thing has a trampling effect!” gulped Stan.

“Well,” said Kyle, “It’s been fun, but I’m afraid your next move is your last…”

Francesca drew.

She looked at the Pot of Greed.

This better give me something good, she thought.

She played the card, and the jar handed her two more cards.

She looked at the two Magic Cards. Then she looked at the field.

Well, it’s not like I have anything to lose… she thought.

“I summon my second Amazoness Fighter, in Attack Mode!” she proclaimed.

Amazoness Fighter appeared on the field. (1,500/1,300)

“And now,” said Fran, placing a card into a slot, “I play this…”

The card revealed itself, showing a cute cherub flying between two scenes – one a dark, impoverished city, one a beautiful meadow full of maidens laughing.

“Arduous Decision!” she announced.

“Arduous Decision?” asked Andy. “What’s that?”

“It’s a very risky card, Andy,” answered Stan. “It lets Fran draw two cards, and then Kyle has to choose one. If it’s a Monster, Fran gets to Special Summon it… If it isn’t, she has to discard both of them and end her turn.”

“What?” said Andy, startled. “Even if he chooses a Monster, what good will it do her? Not even her Guardian Angel Joan can beat that thing!”

Fran drew two cards.

She looked at the two cards.

Penumbral Soldier Lady and Dramatic Rescue.

The images of two cards appeared above her head.

“Okay, Kyle, my friend over there just pointed out the rules,” she said. “So make a choice.”

She’s up to something… thought Kyle. Two Monsters aren’t much better against Ancient Gear Golem than one…

Wait… I know what she’s up to! If she gets two Monsters on the field with a combined Attack of over 3,000, she’ll set the Trap called Covering Fire! She thinks it would destroy my Gear Golem if I attacked with it!

He closed his eyes and chuckled softly.

Nice try, Fran, but just like Ancient Gear Soldier and Ancient Gear Beast, you can’t spring Traps during the Battle Phase when this Monster attacks.

“I choose the one on the left,” he said smugly.

“Really?” said Francesca, with a smirk.

The card spun around, revealing Penumbral Soldier Lady.

“Seems you weren’t so lucky…” she chuckled.

Penumbral Soldier Lady appeared on the field. (2,100/1,400)

“I don’t know how that is going to help you,” chuckled Kyle. “If my Golem was a Light Monster, I might be worried, but it isn’t…”

“You don’t know what else is in my hand…” said Francesca.

She took a card from her hand, one that had gone unused for quite some time.

“You see,” she said, “when my Warriors are on the field together, they have numerous ways to support each other.

“See this card?”

She showed him a very fancy looking card, showing the image of a man on his knees below an angelic entity.

“It’s a Magic Card called Gift of the Martyr!” exclaimed Fran. “With this card, I can sacrifice one Monster on the field, and exchange for that, increase the Attack score of another one by the sacrificed Monster’s Attack Score for one round!”

Kyle gasped as she played it.

“Penumbral Soldier Lady, give Amazoness Fighter all your power!” shouted Francesca.

Penumbral Soldier Lady bowed her head and vanished, and Amazoness Fighter’s Attack went up to 3,600!

“Amazoness Fighter…” yelled Francesca, “attack his Ancient Gear Golem!”

Amazoness Fighter screamed and made a great leap! She drop-kicked mighty Golem, and the infernal contraption exploded in a blast of metal and flames!

Amid the fire Amazoness Fighter turned to face Francesca, with soot and a look of victory on her face…

Kyle fell to his knees.

“My greatest Monster…” he sobbed. “Beaten…”

His Life Points fell to zero.



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


Nonetheless, Kyle came to his senses soon.

“I have to ask,” asked Francesca, curiously, “where did you get Ancient Gear Golem?”

Kyle chuckled.

“You know, I often wonder that myself,” he answered.

He looked at the card.

“Like I said,” he mused, “archaeology and ancient civilizations always held great interest for me. So I decided to put together a deck with an ‘ancient’ theme.

“When I first saw Ancient Gear Golem on a website, my eyes bled. I thought, this could be the master of my deck!

“But getting the card would have been difficult. eBay auctions charged fifty dollars or more for it – mail order websites charged almost a hundred. And the other cards in my deck had been expensive enough.

“But one day, I received a mysterious package with no return address. Inside was the card of my dreams – Ancient Gear Golem. And also, there was an anonymous note.

“It read: ‘Look towards the future, live for the present, but most of all, learn from the past, and you will succeed.’

“And I have to admit Fran, there have been duels I’ve lost when I didn’t get a chance to summon it – but you’re the first duelist who’s ever beaten it.”

He handed over a Crystal Card.

“Oh, and this is yours too,” he said, giving back Amazoness Swords Woman.

“Oh, right…” answered Fran.

She handed back Dummy Golem.

“I hope to see you again,” he said.

“Yeah,” muttered Fran. “Who knows, maybe you’ll get to the Thousand Year Door.”

“I’m counting on it,” answered Kyle. “After all, if it’s been there for a thousand years, who knows what ancient mysteries lie within? It would be an archaeologist’s dream come true!”



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


As Kyle left, Andy came up to Fran.

“Fran,” he said. “Maybe we shouldn’t be encouraging people to get to the Thousand Year Door. After all, we know what’s probably in there…”

“Come on Andy,” muttered Francesca, “the Queen wants us. She wouldn’t hurt anyone else…

“And once I get one more, I’m going to show her how it’s done…”

The eyes of one of the nearby statues glowed red…



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


“True, Fran,” muttered the Queen, “it’s you three I want, but should any of you make it into this place, the total number allowed will still be eight, and that’s when Stage Two will begin in earnest – if necessary…”

She waved her hand, and scenes switched on the crystal ball.

She watched a scene unfold in Glitzville, as an Insect Queen mercilessly attacked a duelist directly, and the duelist controlling her cheered.

“Well, Wanda, I guess you’ve proven by now that you’re already better than your brother,” chuckled the Shadow Queen. “You’re much farther now than he got in Duelist Kingdom or Battle City. You have five now, and it seems there’s no stopping you…”

The screen changed again to a scene in Twilight Town. An image of Don Zaloog driving his dagger into a girl’s stomach as she cried in pain was showed.

The Queen laughed.

“Raven, you are my kind of gal,” she commented. “Hard… remorseless… cruel… And you look like a shoe-in by now…”

The scene switched to a scene in Keelhaul Key. A duelist revealed three Trap Cards, and three fierce Embodiment of Apophis Monsters leapt out. The first cut down a terrified Nekogal, and the other two finished off her master.

“Well, Chico, it seems you just got back that card Andy took from you,” said the Queen with a smile. “Good. You may think you’ll be trying to oppose me, but in the long run, you have the same potential as the rest…”

More scenes flashed on the globe, as duels from all over the island were fed back.

The Queen sighed. So many excellent duels, and she was forced to watch from long distance…

“Curse these magical bonds that keep me a prisoner here,” growled the Queen. “For one thousand years, I haven’t been able to breathe the fresh air, sun myself on the beach, feel a calm breeze or the light drizzle of a summer shower…”

She sighed.

“If not for my determination to escape, I’d have gone mad…

“My jailers are dead – true revenge cannot be obtained… But I am above such concerns.”

Images of Stan, Andy, and Francesca appeared in the globe.

“Children, it is truly nothing personal, but you must die… It is the only way my torment can end…”



EARTHENWARE JUG (Magic Card)

Card Specs

Type: Magic
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Card Description: Image of an antique, clay version of Pot of Greed. To activate this card, remove one ROCK-Type Monster from play. Draw three cards from your deck.



ARDUOUS DECISION (Magic Card)

Card Specs

Type: Magic
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Card Description: Image of a split scene: an impoverished city on the right, a beautiful meadow with beautiful maidens on the left. A cute cherub flies over the two scenes. This card can only be played during your first Main Phase. Draw two cards from your deck. Your opponent chooses one of the drawn without seeing them. If the card he chooses is a Monster Card that has no special requirements to summon, special summon it in Attack or Defense Mode. Otherwise, discard both cards to the Graveyard and end your turn.

Note: “Arduous Decision” was first used by Joey in “Courtroom Chaos (Part 2)”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



[B][I]Coming up next:

Andy and Francesca now have six, and Stan wants a sixth as well. But getting one is going to be hard.

Still on the road to Poshley Heights, yet another user character is encountered, a youth who names himself after a famous teller of tales and parables! And his deck is as deadly as they come! Can Stan defeat this powerful force? Don’t miss “The Fabled Duelist”, coming up next!

[starjake]

What, I can't know anything about Duel Monsters if the cards aren't related to Fire? Just because they're my favorites...

I figured that the three Ancient Gear monsters would show up, and I believe I suggested Stone Statue of the Aztecs as well, but the others were pleasant surprises; I never expected to see Hieracosphinx or Grave Ohja in there! Kudos on a job well done, Kyle!

Of course, Fran didn't do too badly herself. That Arduous Decision certainly worked out well for her, as did Gift of the Martyr.

I see you took a page out of Shuppet Master's book in creating Earthenware Jug. It certainly fits perfectly in this kind of deck!

One thing; I'm noticing that you like to put quotation marks in places where no quotation mark should be. For example:


“You didn’t say I couldn’t activate Traps at any time other than the Battle Phase,” he said with a smirk.”

Also, you occasionally leave them out:


“And by the way,” said Kyle, “this Monster also prevents you from triggering Traps during the Battle Phase. There should be one here.

Just a bit of nitpicking, since mr. pikachu isn't around to do it for me.

Anyways, can't wait to see what this next duelist is like, or what his deck might contain! This one's too cryptic for me to figure out, but it'll probably be one tall tale!

I await the next chapter!

[jkBAKURA]

You know, I want you to know I read it... but I have absolutely nothing to say.

Maybe my brain is just fried from reformatting my chapter all morning.

I don't even know what to call Kyle's deck theme, Old? I liked the little ga about Gaia Power though.

I'l review again when I'm not so exausted. Later DS. Hey! Your innitials sound like a Game Boy! Where did that come from?

Oh boy, I need to get some more sleep.

[Shuppet Master]

I really enjoyed this story, Brian. Starjake's comment is my own, I never thought about making "Pot of Greed" like cards for all the elements, I created Pot of Charity because I needed my characters to have more drawing options, and Light monsters tend to be common(especially Diane's Mystical Elf), but Earthenware Jug sounds like a good card. If it had been removing an Earth monster, it could work in other decks too, but that's just me.

The Ancient Gear monsters are pretty deadly, and I've never seen Grave Ohja before.

Althought I think that Amazoness Fighter protects the duelist from battle damage even if she's in defense and gets trampled, I think this was a great chapter.

And Starjake, nobody accusing you of being off-topic when you make a duelist who has a non-fire theme. Heck, My favorite decktype is dragon, but you don't see all my characters being carbon copies of Andy, do you? (Okay, Giselle, maybe, but she also uses the Level Monsters, and I thought that with two Level dragons and Mythic Dragon, I just gave her more support for those cards).

Keep up the good work, Brian!

[starjake]

Just a note, Shuppet Master: Ancient Gear Golem Trampled her Archer, not her Fighter. Her Fighter is what she eventually destroyed Gear Golem with.

[Shuppet Master]

Sorry forgot about that. I wasn't looking at the words very closely. My bad. :)

[Perfect Chaos]

That was one of the more better chapters DS. Again, good work on creating a seperate and unique profile for starjake's character. I thought that Kyle would be one of those super-smart, geeky type of guys, but I was pleasantly surprised when he did not end up being that way (at least in my eyes he wasn't)

Other than the mistakes mentioned above (which I noticed as well), I will stay tuned for you next chapter.

-$3@n

[Mystic_clown]

This has got to be the chapter I'm waiting for! *is bouncing with excitement* but take your time Brian. I wouldn't want this chapter to be rushed.

[Master of Paradox]

Due to the services of a local college computer (Ridgewater for life!), I have returned! But since the time has passed for comment on the Exodia and flame duels, I'll stick to the most recent.

I've seen bits and pieces of the Ancient Gear strategy before, but I haven't seen it in action until now. It looks like an interesting set-up, but I'm fairly suspicious of any combo or set of combos that requires multiple cards to stay on the field.

Kyle was a decent enough character, but I tire slightly of one-character-trait characters. Yeah, we all do them all the time, I know.

Has anyone else reached the point where they're waiting for the plot to kick in again? Its appearance at the end of this chapter was appreciated, but I'm starting to count off chapters before the next Shadow Spawn.

Hmmm... tellers of tales and parables... I can think of two, but between blasphemy and the chapter title, I'm fairly sure the name will start with an A.

Keep it up.

[starjake]

Paradox, don't forget that our three heroes must each earn seven Crystal Cards in order to get through the Thousand-Year Door. So, in a sense, this WAS part of the plot, because if it didn't happen, the plot could not continue. Plus, reading duels is fun!

[Shuppet Master]

Still, the group is still a long ways off from the TYD, and they all need only one more card before they qualify for the chance to get the Crystal Stars(which I am sure all three of our heroes will).

Yeah, Paradox, I was thinking about that old Greek guy myself, if you know what I mean. ;) Remember, Brian said there were no religious references, and The Divine One(as I like to call him) is as religious as you can get! :D

Not to mention that MY user character won't show up for several more chapters, which means that unless he's the last, Brian's not going to be sending our gang to the TYD anytime soon, so be patient. I think old S.Q. will lie low after Vladmir bites the big one(come on, it's not a spoiler! You KNOW it's gonna happen, Brian wouldn't get his characters defeated until the end, that wouldn't make any tension!)(Sorry Brian, I hope I didn't give too much away.) until the three are all that are left.

I'm not going to talk about what S.Q. plans to do once the three have run the gauntlet, because I'm sure I might be wrong or that would be a spoiler. Anyway, peace out. :cool2:

[Dark Sage]

It's time for a new chapter...

AND a new user character!

I'd like to thank Mystic Clown for this very unique contribution. I hope you all like him.

- DS

[Dark Sage]

[B][I]When you mention the name “Aesop”, you immediately know who he was: He was a guy who wrote fables.

But do you really know who he was? Not much is known about him, come to think about it.

We know he lived in Greece in the 6th Century BC. He presumably was an aristocrat – if he was a member of the lower class back then, his writing wouldn’t have been very well known.

According to one rumor, he wasn’t very good-looking. Some say he was deformed twice over – both a dwarf AND a hunchback. Despite this, he was never known to have complained about his condition.

But the one thing we know for sure about him is that he wrote fables. And BOY, did he write fables! He wrote over six-hundred and fifty of them, most of them short, and most of them with a moral. Morals are brief words or wisdom that tell you something important about life. Clearly, Aesop was quite wise.

Why did he write them? No one knows. He was quite a mystery.

And now I’m about to duel a fellow with the same name, who is seemingly just as mysterious as his namesake…

I can’t see what I’m facing… and the unknown is making me scared… I could use some of Aesop’s wisdom now for support…




[B][size=3]CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX



The Fabled Duelist



Clouds started to form overhead, as the three teens walked on.

“Man I hope it doesn’t rain…” muttered Andy.

A rumble of thunder clapped overhead…

“Wishful thinking Andy,” muttered Francesca. “We’re in for a cloudburst!”

They were really caught now. They had no protective clothing with them. As they walked on with the threat of rain overhead, they could picture themselves soaked to the bone and catching cold… No way they could duel well if they had pneumonia…

As the first drops of rain started to fall, Francesca stopped short.

“Look!” she shouted.

She pointed to the side of the hill. A cave opening was in plain sight.

“A dry cave!” she shrieked. “We’re saved!”

They all ran for it as the rain started to fall down in earnest.



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


The inside of the cave was large and roomy – and lit. Strange florescent moss made a soft glow that illuminated the cave,

“We can wait in here until the storm passes,” said Stan.

“So what do we do in the meantime?” asked Andy.

“I dunno, Andy…” muttered Fran.

She smirked at him.

“You in the mood for an unofficial duel?” she asked. “No strings attached?”

“You’re serious?” asked Andy.

“Why not?” asked Francesca. “I’ll see if you’re tough enough for me!”

“Well…” mused Andy.

He thought for a minute…



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


“YES!” shouted the Shadow Queen at her viewing globe. “Do it Andy, DO IT! This will be the best entertainment I’ve had since Return of the King swept the Oscars!”



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


Andy and Francesca slowly shuffled their decks…

And then a voice came from the entrance of the cave.

“Hello?” said a voice. “Did I hear voices in here?”

A form came in from the entrance.

He was the kind of teenager who would stick out in any crowd. He was about Andy’s height, but thinner. He had light blonde hair that stuck out in all directions. His eyes didn’t match – one was green and the other was blue.

His clothes were just as strange. He wore a long sleeve t-shirt that was green with yellow patches on the elbows and a red, sleeveless jacket. He also wore grey pants (with three belts around each leg) and brown sneakers. The outfit was topped off with white cotton gloves and a grey, floppy, wide-brimmed hat.

He also wore a Duel Disk, but there were no cards in the deck tray.

The three teens raised an eyebrow.

“Greetings folks,” he said. “Nasty day out, isn’t it?”

His accent was European, but just which nationality, they couldn’t place.

“Yeah…” said Stan. “We came in here for shelter, and I guess you had the same idea.”

“Indeed,” said the youth. “Oh, where are my manners… you may call me Aesop…”

Francesca drew back in surprise!

“Well,” said Aesop, “we have nothing to do until the storm passes…”

Stan raised an eyebrow…

“I dunno…” said Stan. “The rain won’t stop the tournament, and a duel can take place anywhere…”

“Is that a challenge?” asked Aesop.

“Stan!” whispered Francesca, pulling him aside.

“What?” whispered Stan.

“I’ve heard of this guy!” she warned. “Aesop is some mysterious duelist who appeared on the dueling circuit in Europe about three years ago. No one knows anything about him, but people say he’s unbeatable!”

“Well then…” said Stan to Aesop, “let’s get it on!”

“WHAT?” shouted Francesca.

“Rule number one of dueling, never chicken out!” said Stan.

“Rule number two, the harder the challenge, the sweeter the victory!

“Rule number three, never take the easy way out!”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you…” muttered Francesca.

“I warn you, Stan,” said Aesop. “As Aesop said in The Frogs Asking For A King, ‘Let well enough alone’.”

He took a set of Crystal Cards out of his Disk.

“SIX?” gasped a startled Andy.

“If Aesop beats you, he goes to the Thousand Year Door…” whispered Francesca.

“I’m not backing down, Aesop…” said Stan.

“Very well…” said the youth.



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


As the rain poured outside, Stan started to shuffle. Aesop simply looked at his jacket.

“Aren’t you going to shuffle, Aesop?” asked Stan.

“I have to choose my deck first,” answered Aesop.

“You have more than one deck?” asked Stan in surprise.

“See for yourself,” said Aesop, opening his jacket.

In three holders were three separate decks.

“I built three separate decks, each with a different strategy,” he explained. “Three is a special number in the cosmic balance. The Rule of Threes – in life, when you see two things, look for a third…”

“Uh, yeah…” muttered Stan.

“Anyway, to keep everyone guessing, I make it a point never to use the same one twice in a row, so this one…”

He pointed to the one in the middle.

“…is out.”

He looked at the other two.

“I think this one should do…” he said, taking the one on the left.

He shuffled quickly, and then loaded the deck into his Disk.

“Well Stan,” he proclaimed, “let the battle begin!”

The holo-imagers shot out of their Disks, and set themselves up to their sides. The Disks flipped into position, and the Life Point counters rose to 8,000.

“The first move is yours,” said Aesop, ominously. “I always give my opponents the first move…”

“Good luck Stan,” whispered Francesca.

“You think he stands a chance?” whispered Andy.

Fran didn’t answer.

Stan looked at his first draw.

“I summon Neo the Magic Swordsman in Attack Mode!” he exclaimed.

He put the card down, and Neo leapt into view, holding his glowing sword aloft. (1,700/1,000)

“And that’s my turn,” he said.

“Interesting…” said Aesop.

He made a draw. He added the card to his hand.

“I’ll play a Monster facedown in Defense, and one card facedown,” he said.

He set the cards, and the facedown card appeared, followed by the set Monster.

Stan drew.

Breaker, he thought. This should screw up his strategy…

“I summon Breaker the Magical Warrior!” he exclaimed.

He put the card down, and the orange-robed sorcerer with his sword and shield appeared. (1,600/1,000)

“Breaker, break his facedown card!” shouted Stan.

Breaker shot a blast of energy from his sword, and the Trap Card shattered.

“So much for your Sakuretsu Armor,” chuckled Stan.

Now he’s got a facedown Monster, he thought. It could have a powerful Defense, but it could just be a bluff…

“Neo, attack his facedown Monster!” shouted Stan.

Neo’s sword glowed with energy.

Aesop chuckled.

“As Aesop said in The Fox and the Goat,” he said, “’Look before you leap’, Stan!”

The Monster appeared on the facedown card. It was an old oil lamp with four spidery, metal legs. (900/1,400)

“You just attacked my Ancient Lamp!” laughed Aesop. “And because it was in facedown Defense Mode, it can reflect Neo’s attack back at one of your Monsters!”

The energy from Neo’s sword bounced off the Ancient Lamp, and plowed into Breaker! He was blown to bits.

Stan’s Life Points fell to 7,800.

“First blood to me,” said Aesop, with a smile.

“Your move,” growled Stan.

“Okay…” said Aesop.

He drew.

He opened his Field Slot.

“I’ll first play this Field Magic card… Chorus of Sanctuary!” he exclaimed.

The floor of the cavern became a flower-filled meadow, and a host of cute cherubs filled the air, humming softly.

“That increases the Defense of all Monsters in Defense Mode by 500…” stated Stan.

“Exactly!” said Aesop, as Ancient Lamp’s Defense went up to 1,900. “Now I’ll play this Magic Card…”

He slid a card into a slot.

“It’s called Precious Cards From Beyond!”

“Precious Cards From Beyond?” muttered Francesca.

“It’s a very situational Continuous Magic Card,” replied Andy. “Whenever Aesop sacrifices two Monsters to summon another Monster, he gets to draw two cards.”

“Exactly,” said Aesop, who apparently had heard. “Someone did his homework. Now where were we? Oh yes. Now I activate Ancient Lamp’s other special effect, which lets me Special Summon this Monster from my hand…”

He put a card down, and green smoke issued from the Lamp. La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp floated out and gave a deep chuckle. (1,800/1,000)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/SKE-009.jpg


“And now,” continued Aesop, “I’ll sacrifice both La Jinn and Ancient Lamp to summon a new Monster…”

The two creatures vanished.

“…which I’ll place facedown in Defense Mode.”

A facedown card appeared.

“WHAT?” exclaimed Stan. “You summoned a seven-star Monster, and you’re defending with it?”

“It could be an eight star Monster,” corrected Aesop. “Anyway, due to my Magic Card, I now get to draw two cards…”

Two cards flew off of his deck, and he caught them.

“…and I’ll end my turn by placing one card facedown.”

He fit a card into a slot, and a facedown card appeared.

This is crazy! thought Stan. Defending with a double-sacrifice Monster?

But since he is, attacking would only hurt myself. Seven star Monsters – let alone eight star ones – tend to have high Defense Scores, and his Field Card has only made it even stronger…

He drew.

Well, this might help, he thought.

“I summon Ebon Magician Curran in Attack Mode!” he said.

He put his card down, and the little girl in a black dress and bunny-eared hood carrying two rings connected by a cord appeared. (1,200/0)

“Hmm,” commented Aesop. “I admit that I’m not familiar with Curran, Stan, but I’m pretty sure she isn’t as harmless as she appears. As Aesop said in Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing, ‘Appearances are deceptive’.”

“Possibly,” said Stan. “It’s your move.”

Aesop drew.

“I summon my Royal Magical Library in Defense Mode,” he stated, placing a card down.

A tall bookshelf with three lamps hanging from the shelves rose up behind him. (0/2,000) –> (0/2,500)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/MFC-074.jpg


“And now I’ll play… Graceful Charity,” he continued.

He played the card, and the graceful angel flew out of his Disk, handing him three cards.

He studied the four cards he now had.

“What to discard…” he pondered.

The angel started to grow impatient.

“Calm yourself lass,” he said. “As Aesop said in The Hart in the Ox-Stall, ‘Nothing escapes the master’s eye’.”

Sheesh, he’s even giving advice to the card creatures! thought Stan.

Finally, Aesop handed her two cards, and she flew into the discard slot.

Then one of the lights in the Royal Magical Library lit up.

“And that’s my turn,” he said.

“Lovely,” said Stan, with a grin.

He drew.

“Curran, do your stuff!”

Curran let out a squeal, and leapt into the air! She spun around, and fired a blast from her rings, striking Aesop!

“Every round, Curran will blast you for 300 Life Points for every Monster on the field, and there are four right now!” commented Stan.

Aesop gasped, as his Life Points fell to 6,800.

Stan looked at the card he had just drawn.

“Oh well,” he said with a chuckle. “I don’t know what that facedown Monster is, but I’m about to wipe it out…”

He fit a card into a slot.

“I play Nobleman of Crossout!”

The knight with his sword appeared over the card.

“YES!” shouted Andy. “Go Stan!”

“Oh really?” said Aesop offhand.

He tapped a button on his Disk. His Trap Card lifted.

“I activate Spell Shield Type-8!”

The knight shattered.

“It negates any Magic Card that targets a Monster,” he explained.

“Err…” groaned Stan.

“Boy, this guy is good,” muttered Fran. “He was practically counting on Stan to use Nobleman of Crossout!”

“And, since you used a Magic Card…” said Aesop.

Another lamp in Royal Magical Library lit up.

Stan put a card down.

“I’ll summon The Illusory Gentleman in Attack Mode,” he said.

The tall, gentleman Spellcaster appeared, brandishing his cane. (1,500/1,600)

“It’s your move,” he said.

Aesop drew.



Continued...

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“I play Pot of Greed…” he said, placing a card into a slot.

The Pot handed him two cards, and the third lamp of Royal Magical Library lit up.

“And now, since three Magic Cards have been played,” he continued, “Royal Magical Library lets me draw one more card.”

A card flew off of his deck, and he caught it.

“Now then,” he said, looking at it, “I summon Watapon!”

He put a Monster Card down, and a furry, pink ball with a smiley face and antennae appeared. (200/300)



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


“And,” he continued, “because I drew Watapon thanks to Royal Magical Library’s effect, summoning it is a Special Summon…”

He chose another card from his hand.

“…allowing me to sacrifice it and Royal Magical Library…”

Royal Magical Library and Watapon shattered.

“… to summon this… Which I’ll again place in Defense Mode.”

Another facedown Monster appeared next to the other one.

“And let’s not forget the effect of my Precious Cards From Beyond…” he stated.

Two cards flew off of his deck, and he caught them.

“My move is complete…” he stated.

Stan looked at the situation.

There’s an odd sense of foreboding in the air, he thought, and I don’t mean the dimness of the cave, or the storm outside. It’s like something ancient and powerful is present in this arena… and it’s coming from Aesop’s side… I have a feeling that those Monsters aren’t just high-level Monsters… they’re special high-level Monsters.

Why isn’t he attacking with them?

If only I could draw Swords of Revealing Light, I could at least see what they were…

He drew.

This wasn’t it.

Curran let out a joyful yelp and spun around in the air again, blasting Aesop! He cringed as his Life Points fell to 5,300.

“I’m far ahead of you!” warned Stan.

“As Aesop said in The Heifer and the Ox,” groaned Aesop, “’He laughs best that laughs last’.”

“Whatever,” said Stan, looking at his hand.

No low level Monsters to summon, he thought. This guy will have to do…

“I’ll sacrifice The Illusory Gentleman for Chaos Command Magician!” he exclaimed.

The Illusory Gentleman crossed his arms, and then faded into the shadows. The bright Magician in his glossy-black raiment appeared. (2,400/1,900)

“Now…” said Stan, considering.

I’m tempted to attack one of them just to see what the heck it is! thought Stan.

He was about to order an attack.

No! Too risky. Those Monsters could have a Defense of 3,000 or more with that Field Card in place. And when he decides to actually attack, I’ll need all the Life Points I can get!

“It’s your move,” muttered Stan.

Aesop drew.

“Excellent,” he said. “I’ll summon Big Shield Gardna in Defense Mode.”

He put a card down, and the hulking barbarian appeared, crouching behind his huge shield. (100/2,600) –> (100/3,100)



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


“That will be my turn,” he said.

“Don’t you know that the more Monsters we have on the field, the stronger Curran’s effect gets?” asked Stan, making a draw.

Curran laughed, and cast her dark spell again, and Aesop was thrown back. His Life Points fell to 3,500.

“Stan is winning!” shouted Andy.

“I don’t know,” muttered Francesca. “This is all… strange…”

She thought for a minute.

Aesop has two powerful Monsters on the field, but he hasn’t even used them yet! He’s got to be up to something…

Stan looked at the card he drew.

Still no low-level Monsters to summon, he thought.

He took a card from his hand and switched cards.

“I sacrifice Neo to summon Dark Magician Girl!” he exclaimed.

Neo shattered, and Dark Magician Girl arose, spinning out of a circle on the floor. (2,000/1,700)

“That will end my turn,” he said.

Aesop drew.

He smiled.

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

Yet another hidden Monster appeared.

“Your move,” he said.

Stan drew.

“There are seven Monsters on the field now, Aesop,” he said, “which means Curran’s power is going to really hurt this time!”

Curran blasted forth her spell, and Aesop cringed. His Life Points fell to 1,400.

Stan looked at the Magic Card he had just drawn.

“I play the Sage’s Stone!” he shouted, plugging it into a slot.

The jewel appeared, and Dark Magician Girl caught it.

Stan threw a card down on his Disk, and Dark Magician arose! (2,500/2,100)

“Now there are eight Monsters on the field!” warned Stan. “Next turn, Curran will blast you for 2,400 points of damage, and you’ll lose this duel!”

“I end my turn.”

“That’s what you think Stan,” said Aesop, making a draw. “As Aesop said in The Milkmaid and her Pail, ‘Do not count your chickens before they are hatched’.”

He hit a command on his Disk.

“First I flip the Monster I set last turn into Attack Mode…” he said. “Reveal… Arsenal Summoner!”

A tall sorcerer dressed in a blue robe holding a dagger aloft surrounded by a windy gust appeared. (1,600/1,600)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/DCR-004.jpg


A card slipped out of his deck.

“By Flip-Summoning him, I get to add a Guardian Monster from my deck to my hand,” explained Aesop.

A Guardian Monster? thought Stan, in fear.

“And now,” continued Aesop, “I sacrifice both Big Shield Gardna and Arsenal Summoner for my third Monster… but I won’t bother to conceal it this time…”

His two Monsters vanished, and an imposing form arose. It was a huge torso colored solid gold, with two huge claws, and a Japanese symbol on its front! Electricity coursed over it! (2,600/2,200)

“Sanga of the Thunder!” shouted Stan in fear.

“Thanks to my Precious Cards From Beyond, I get to draw two more cards, of course,” said Aesop, as two more cards flew out of his deck. “And now to introduce my other two co-stars… Meet Kazejin…”

Another of his facedown Monsters revealed itself. It was a bulky green torso with large claws, and another Japanese symbol on its face. (2,400/2,200)

“…and finally, Suijin!” he exclaimed.

The third card flipped over, and another huge torso with claws appeared. This one was blue and watery, with an evil-looking face on the front, and another Japanese symbol above it. (2,500/2,400)

No… thought Stan, sweating. He summoned The Elemental Trinity!



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/DB1-EN157.jpghttp://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/MRD-EN026.jpghttp://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/MRD-EN027.jpg


“Didn’t I tell you that three is a special number?” asked Aesop. “Special things come in threes…”

“Now before my BIG star shows up, there’s one thing to take care of…”

He chose a card from his hand and placed it into a slot.

“Since I don’t need Chorus of Sanctuary or Precious Cards From Beyond anymore,” he said. “I’ll get rid of them with Emergency Provisions.”

A huge mouth appeared and swallowed the two cards. Aesop’s Life Points went up to 3,400, and the meadow with the cherubs vanished.

“And now,” said Aesop, placing a card down, “my three elementals will combine to form a beast of unparalleled strength!”

The three Monsters vanished, except for the symbols on their fronts. These symbols connected with lines of energy and formed a triangle…

“As Aesop said in The Four Oxen and the Lion,” he exclaimed, “’United we stand, divided we fall’! Arise my great Gate Guardian!”

A huge form started to appear…



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


One would think that the Shadow Queen would be pleased that Stan was now in a lot of trouble, but she was actually quite upset.

She got off her throne and tore her hair.

“NO!” she shouted. “Not Gate Guardian! That disgusting, vile, smelly, oversized totem pole sickens me!”

She leaned against the wall. She couldn’t help it. Gate Guardian brought back a very unpleasant memory…

It had to do with one of the worst parts of her battle with the Three Heroes, one thousand years ago...

At one point in the fight, the Queen thought she had them. Their summoned beasts had been blown to oblivion, leaving them defenseless.

Then to her surprise, the Heroes opened a portal and fled through it, seemingly abandoning the Companions.

The Queen was disappointed, but not surprised. Who wouldn’t run in fear from her? She prepared to take the Companions captive and enslave them, thinking she’d hunt down the Heroes later…

But the Heroes hadn’t run in fear. Not by a long shot. One minute later, they returned, each bearing an ancient stone tablet.

The Dark Sorcerer cast a spell, and called forth Sanga of the Thunder from his tablet. The creature wasn’t called Sanga of the Thunder back then, of course – Pegasus renamed most of the Shadow Creatures when he created Duel Monsters. But this was its ancient equivalent.

Then the Warrior Queen cast a similar spell, and called forth Kazejin from her tablet. Then the Dragon Master cast another incantation and called forth Suijin from his. The Three Heroes combined the magical powers of all three tablets, and merged the three Shadow Beasts into the powerful Gate Guardian.

See, while most people who play Duel Monsters think that Gate Guardian is evil, it really isn’t. It’s a Warrior, not a Fiend. As its name implies, it is a guardian, who guards things. It can’t distinguish between Good and Evil – it only guards. And it was quite willing to be a bodyguard for the forces of Good on this occasion.

Things went badly for the Shadow Queen for quite a while. Nothing she could summon could defeat the creature, and it could withstand most of her spells. But eventually, after the beast had inflicted a great deal of damage on her, it began to tire, and it couldn’t withstand one powerful blast that banished it back to the Shadow Realm.

When the Queen started teaching her servants how to play Duel Monsters, one of the many rules she enforced was that no-one was to put Sanga of the Thunder, Suijin, or Kazejin – let alone Gate Guardian – in their decks. It was a powerful Monster, but just seeing it gave her bruises.

But now, as the Queen watched, an evil smile formed on her lips… This was ironic…

The descendent of the Dark Sorcerer was about to be smashed by the same Monster he and his partners had smashed her with…

Maybe this wasn’t so bad after all…



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


Standing twenty feet tall and resembling all three deities stacked one on top of each other, the mighty Gate Guardian loomed over Stan and his four Spellcasters, who shivered in fright. (3,750/3,400)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/MRD-EN000.jpg


“Your whole strategy was centered around summoning seven-star Monsters easier and summoning Gate Guardian…” gasped Stan. “And hiding the component Monsters, making sure I didn’t dare attack so I wouldn’t see it coming!”

“As Aesop said in The Boy and the Nettles,” said Aesop. “’Whatever you do, do with all your might’.”

“No…” moaned Francesca. “He’s gonna lose…”

“Gate Guardian!” shouted Aesop, “attack Ebon Magician Curran with dark storm of fury!”

Lightning and thunder flashed, and a bolt of elemental energy shot forth! Curran screamed and was eradicated!

Stan’s Life Points fell all the way down to 5,250.

“It’s your move Stan…” he said.

Stan drew a card.

Sibling Rivalry? he thought, looking at it. A little too late for that!

“I’ll move my three Spellcasters into Defense Mode…” he said, turning his cards.

Dark Magician, Dark Magician Girl, and Chaos Command Magician knelt in Defense.

“Your move,” he said.

Aesop drew.

His eyes narrowed as he looked at the card.

“Stan,” he said, “I doubt you’ll be able to destroy my Gate Guardian…”

He fit a card into a slot.

“But…” he continued, “just to be on the safe side, I’m placing this facedown.”

A facedown card appeared.

“Now, who to attack?” he mused. “Well, since I know you can make a lot of combos with Dark Magician, I’d better take him out first. Gate Guardian, attack his Dark Magician!”

Gate Guardian cast forth its dark storm. Dark Magician Girl screamed in fright as he was blown away.

Her Attack went up to 2,300, but that wasn’t near enough.

“He’s gonna lose…” muttered Fran. “He’s gonna lose…”

“I can hear you over there!” shouted Stan.

“Feel free to make your move…” sighed Aesop.

Stan drew.

He looked at the card.

“I’m placing a card facedown and ending my turn,” he said.

The facedown card appeared.

“Haven’t given up yet?” chuckled Aesop. “Gate Guardian is invincible! Gate Guardian, attack Dark Magician Girl!”

Gate Guardian powered up… Dark Magician Girl shuddered in fear.

“That’s the problem with thinking you’re invincible, Aesop,” said Stan with a grin. “You get… careless.

“Activate Spellbinding Circle!”

The Trap lifted, and Gate Guardian froze in place, trapped in the glowing pentagram!

Its Attack Score fell to 3,050.

Aesop gasped.

But then his smile returned.

“Clever,” he said. “You’ve bought yourself a little time Stan, but only a little.

“You may have paralyzed and weakened my Guardian, but even in its weakened state, it still has 3,050 Attack Points! That’s still even more than Kaiba’s Blue-Eyes White Dragon! Can you take down something that powerful?”

“I can sure try…” growled Stan. “It’s my move!”

He drew.

Yes! he thought with joy.

He put a card down.

“I sacrifice Chaos Command Magician…” he started.

Chaos Command Magician vanished.

“AND Dark Magician Girl…” he continued.

Dark Magician Girl vanished.

“To summon my strongest Spellcaster! I summon Sorcerer of Dark Magic!”

The mighty Sorcerer in splendid black robes carrying his enchanted scepter appeared! (3,200/2,800)

“Whoa!” shouted Fran. “Maybe he’s not going to lose after all!”

Stan looked at his opponent. Aesop didn’t seem the least bit worried. In fact, he seemed a little… happy.

Heh… thought Stan. He thinks that the Trap Card he set is going to save his Guardian. Won’t he be surprised when my Sorcerer blows it away…

“Sorcerer of Dark Magic,” he shouted, “attack Gate Guardian with celestial blast!”

Sorcerer of Dark Magic thrust his staff forward and shot forth a beam of burning black magic! Gate Guardian groaned, and burst into an explosion of elemental energy!

Aesop shielded himself, as his Life Points fell to 3,250.

Huh? thought Stan. He didn’t even try to use his Trap?

“Thank you Stan!” laughed Aesop. “You’re quite a duelist! And now you’ve given me the chance to perform a move that I’ve only been able to do twice in my entire dueling career!”

“Hello?” exclaimed Stan. “Am I missing something here? Didn’t I just blow your best Monster to Kingdom Come?”

“As Aesop said in The Ant and the Dove,” said Aesop, “’One good turn deserves another’. And case in point, that wasn’t my best Monster!”

“He has a Monster that’s stronger than Gate Guardian?” gasped Andy.



Continued...

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“Did you recall the facedown card I placed a couple of turns ago?” asked Aesop.

His facedown card lifted. It was a frightening picture, showing a demonic-looking tree-like temple on a barren plain.

“It’s a Quickplay Magic Card called Dark Element!” exclaimed Aesop.

Aw no… thought Stan. My Sorcerer’s effect doesn’t work on Quickplay Magic Cards!

“This card can only be activated when Gate Guardian is destroyed,” explained Aesop. “Then I have to pay half my Life Points…”

His Life Points fell to 1,625.

“And in exchange for that…” he said with a grin.

He placed a card on his Disk, and a dark shadow started to form in front of him…

A huge, muscular figure arose. It was a Warrior, as big as Gate Guardian, with black armor and a shogun-like helmet. Instead of normal legs, it had six metal, spider-like legs jutting out from the sides of its lower torso, and it carried a huge axe.

“Allow me to introduce…” exclaimed Aesop. [B]”DARK GUARDIAN”

(3,800/3,400)

“Omigod, omigod…” gasped Andy. “I’m terrified, and I’m not even the one who’s dueling!”

“Get ahold of yourself!” scolded Francesca. “If you’re scared, think of how Stan must feel!”

Stan gulped.

“I have to end my turn…” he said.

“Good,” said Aesop, drawing.

“Dark Guardian, attack his Sorcerer with dark slam!”

Dark Guardian slammed its axe to the ground, sending a shockwave through the cavern! Sorcerer of Dark Magic was blown to bits!

Stan’s Life Points fell to 4,650.

“No…” gasped Stan. “How do I stop it?”

“You can’t,” answered Aesop. “Even if you managed to summon something stronger, Dark Guardian can’t be destroyed in battle!”

“Can’t be destroyed in battle?” gulped Andy. “That’s crazy!”

“All right, my move…” said Stan.

He drew.

The card was Monster Reborn.

Stan looked at Dark Guardian.

Can’t be destroyed in battle huh? he thought. Well, tell me big guy, does that ability truly make you all-powerful?

He fit the card into a slot.

“I play Monster Reborn!” he declared.

“Heh,” chuckled Aesop. “There are no Monsters in your Graveyard that can help you!”

“I agree,” answered Stan. “So I’ll recruit one from your Graveyard!

“See, I have a theory about your Dark Guardian, and I’m going to test it!”

Aesop gasped as his discard slot glowed… An orb flew out of it and flew towards Stan’s side…

“Sanga of the Thunder, arise!” shouted Stan.

The huge deity of thunder appeared on Stan’s side, electricity flowing over its surface! (2,600/2,200)

“Your Monster is mine now,” said Stan, “and it’s in Attack Mode…

“So I end my turn…”

Aesop frowned. He drew.

“I pass this turn…” he growled.

“I don’t get it…” muttered Andy. “Why didn’t Aesop attack? Dark Guardian is clearly stronger than Sanga…”

Francesca thought for a minute.

“Wait…” she said. “I’ve got it! Stan’s theory!

“It may be true that Dark Guardian can’t be destroyed in battle, like Aesop said, but if Stan managed to attack it with a stronger Monster, Aesop would still take battle damage!”

“Oh, I get it!” said Andy, with a burst of realization. “Sanga of the Thunder’s special effect. If Dark Guardian attacked it, its Attack Score would be reduced to zero, and Aesop would lose 2,600 Life Points – and the duel!”

“Good thinking Stan!” he shouted.

“So Aesop,” said Stan, “run out of fables and parables to quote?”

“You’re still no closer to defeating my Dark Guardian than you were before,” answered Aesop, “so make your move!”

He has a point, thought Stan. None of the cards in my hand right now can help…

He drew.

Hello? he thought. Card Destruction? I forgot to take that out of my deck after I dueled The End of Anubis!

Well, might as well give it a shot…

“I play Card Destruction!” he exclaimed, throwing it into a slot.

Aesop gave him a look.

He shrugged and discarded his hand. Stan did the same, and they drew new hands.

Okay, let’s see what we have here, thought Stan, looking at the four new cards. White Magician Pikeru… she’d just get smashed. Mystical Elf… no help there. Thousand Knives… oh, that’s a BIG help! Dark Magician is in my Graveyard!

But then he saw the last card.

He looked at the huge Monster in front of him.

Indestructible, huh? he thought. We’ll soon see…

“I place a Monster facedown in Defense Mode!” he said

He placed a card down, and a facedown Monster appeared.

“Your move…” he said.

Aesop looked at the facedown Monster as he drew.

I have a sneaking suspicion as to what that is, he thought. Stan plays Spellcasters after all…

He took a card from his hand.

Well, he’s going to get a surprise…

“I place one card facedown, and end my turn,” he said.

He fit a card into a slot, and it appeared behind Dark Guardian.

“Well then,” said Stan, drawing, “this duel is over!”

He hit a button on his Disk.

“I Flip-Summon my Old Vindictive Magician!”

“ALL RIGHT!” shouted Andy.

The card flipped, and the elderly Spellcaster appeared.

He started to chant his spell…

“Not so fast!” shouted Aesop. “I activate… Divine Wrath!”

He discarded a card…

His facedown card lifted. It was a Trap showing the image of a Cannon Soldier being blasted with heavenly fire!

Burning lightning blasted down from the ceiling, striking Old Vindictive Magician! He screamed and was obliterated!

And Dark Guardian was still standing.

“You almost had me there, Stan,” said Aesop, with a grin. “But Divine Wrath is triggered whenever an Effect Monster tries to use its effect. It negates the effect and destroys the Monster.

“So thank you so much for helping me draw it with Card Destruction!

“As Aesop said in The Eagle and the Arrow, ‘We often give our enemies the means for our own destruction’.”

Stan looked at the card he had just drawn.

This might be my last chance… he thought.

“I’ll play another Monster facedown in Defense, and end my turn,” he said.

Another facedown Monster appeared.

Aesop drew.

“Time to get rid of Sanga!” he exclaimed. “I play Offerings to the Doomed!”

He fit a card into a slot, and a swarm of linens erupted around Sanga of the Thunder, mummifying it. It shattered.

“One problem solved,” said Aesop. “Now, because I truly doubt that you were lucky enough to draw another Old Vindictive Magician, Dark Guardian, attack his facedown Monster!”

Dark Guardian slammed its axe into the ground again, and the shockwave headed for the card…

Magician of Faith appeared, and was blown apart.

“Huh?” said Aesop.

“You just flipped my Magician of Faith,” chuckled Stan. “And you know what that means…”

A card flew out of his Disk.

“All right…” muttered Aesop. “It’s your move.”

“Then I play this card again…” said Stan. “Monster Reborn!”

He’s going to bring Sanga back again! thought Aesop in horror.

A form appeared on the ankh…

It wasn’t Sanga of the Thunder.

It was Dark Magician. (2,500/2,100)

“Ha, ha!” laughed Aesop. “You should have brought back Sanga again! You could have stalled until I was decked out! But that guy can’t hurt Dark Guardian!”

“I hate when I win by decking someone out,” answered Stan. “I feel sorry for such people. It’s a dishonorable way to lose.

“And this duel is over. You were so anxious to destroy Old Vindictive Magician with your Divine Wrath card, that I now know that Dark Guardian isn’t indestructible! He can be destroyed by card effects. And you yourself was worried about all the combos that I could have done with Dark Magician…”

He took a card from his hand and fit it into a slot.

“Here’s one. The Magic Card, Thousand Knives!”

Dark Magician clutched two gleaming daggers…

“This Magic Card allows Dark Magician to destroy any Monster, regardless of power!”

Aesop gasped!

Dark Magician flicked his hands forward, and a swarm of knives flew at Dark Guardian! The behemoth moaned, and shattered into pixels!

Fran and Andy cheered.

“It’s over Aesop,” said Stan. “I don’t know if Aesop said this one, but the morale of this story is, ‘The bigger they are, the harder they fall’! Dark Magician, attack his Life Points directly!”

Dark Magician blasted his dark magic into Aesop’s gut and he howled as his Life Points fell to zero…



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


The Shadow Queen smiled.

“Well Stan,” she said, “this goes against my better judgment, but I must say, I enjoyed seeing that… I always love seeing a duelist who uses Gate Guardian defeated, and the fact that you of all people defeated him… Well, that’s just ironic…

“I wish I could tell you the whole story – you might get a kick out of it. But I’m in no mood to come down there and chitchat…

“Hmm, as soon as Aesop forks over the Card, all three of you will have six apiece. Things are getting serious…

“Best tell Vladimir to get ready. If one of my children can keep from making a complete and utter fool of himself, he can.

“After all, he was always my favorite…”



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


“I have to admit, Stan, you’re one heck of a duelist,” said Aesop. “Like I said, I only used Dark Guardian twice before, and the two guys I used him on surrendered once they found out what his powers were!”

“You’re pretty good yourself,” replied Stan. “A Gate Guardian deck is not for novices!”

“Well, here,” said Aesop, handing over a Crystal Card.

Then he took a card out of his discard slot.

“And take this too…” he said.

“Huh?” asked Stan. “This is yours…”

“I make it a point to give everyone who defeats me a little gift to remember me by,” answered Aesop.

“Everyone who defeats you?” asked Stan. “I thought you were unbeatable.”

Aesop laughed.

“A slight exaggeration, Stan,” he said. “I’ve lost a few times, even when using the Gate Guardian deck. A few folks have managed to wipe me out before I could summon the main man. Anyway, keep it, I have five other copies.”

“Well, thanks…” muttered Stan.

He looked at the card.

This IS useful, he thought. But I don’t think I’ll put it in my deck just yet…

“Well what do you know,” said Aesop, “the rain stopped. Best of luck to all of you!”

He paused.

“But one last word of advice,” he said. “As Aesop said in The Hunter and the Woodsman, ‘The hero is brave in deeds as well as words’. Bye now.”

He exited the cave and was gone.

“Uh, what did he mean by that last one?” asked Andy.

“Dunno…” answered Francesca.

The rainwater glinted off the leaves and grass as they continued their trek to Poshley Heights.



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


The Queen waved her hand over her globe.

“Vladimir?” she said. “Where are you.”

“In Poshley Heights, mother,” said a voice. “I’m waiting for those kids to get here.”

“Listen Vladimir,” said the Queen, “all of your siblings have blown it… You’re the last one I can count on in Stage One.”

“Please, mother,” he replied, “I’m not like those fools. I’m the best duelist on this island…”

She gave an icy stare.

“Uhm, except you, of course,” he quickly added.

“Vladimir, listen…” she said. “I don’t want to punish you like I did the others – you’ve always been my favorite. But if you fail to dispose of even one of them, I’m going to have to. What message would I be sending to your siblings if I let you off?”

“I understand,” replied Vladimir. “But I assure you, I will defeat them.”

“See, there,” said the Queen. “You’re already making the mistake they all made – overconfidence. I’ll have you know that Stan just took down a Gate Guardian.”

“I see…” muttered Vladimir. “Well, my strategies could easily do the same. I’m…”

He paused.

“…reasonably sure I can do it.”

“Fine,” said the Queen. “I’ll see you for dinner tonight if you do.”

The crystal went dark.



ANCIENT LAMP (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spellcaster/Effect
Attribute: Wind
Level: 3
ATK: 900
DEF: 1,400

Card Description: This mystical artifact holds magical energy inside. If this Monster is attacked while in facedown Defense Position, you can redirect that attack towards one of your opponent’s Monsters. When this Monster is face up on the field, you can Special Summon one “La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp” from your hand.

Note: “Ancient Lamp” is a Japanese card that has not yet been released in the United States. It has been used by Kaiba several times in the anime (with different variations on the rules every time), originally in “Face Off”.



DARK ELEMENT (Magic Card)

Card Specs

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

Card Description: Image of a sinister temple shaped like a monstrous tree. You can only play this card when one “Gate Guardian” on your side of the field is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard. Pay half your current Life Points. Special Summon one “Dark Guardian” from your hand or deck.



DARK GUARDIAN (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 12
ATK: 3,800
DEF: 3,400

Card Description: This immortal fighter’s soul was linked to that of the mighty Gate Guardian. This Monster cannot be Normal Summoned. This Monster can only be Special Summoned via the effect of “Dark Element”. This Monster cannot be destroyed in battle (damage calculation still applies).

Note: “Dark Element” and “Dark Guardian” were used by the Paradox Brothers in a multipart episode of Yu-Gi-Oh GX. (The English names for these cards, if they are changed in the translation, are not yet known.) All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



[B][I]Melissa: Born from the twisted union of an angel and a demon.

Kurtis: A spirit of wind who stalks prey like a vulture.

Tyson: A creature born of fire who lives to burn.

Leopold: Stoic as the earth itself, and as rigid as stone.

Maria: A creature of the sea, as ruthless and unforgiving as the ocean itself.

And coming up next, the last and oldest member of this evil group of siblings will appear…

Vladimir, the Shadow Spawn of Darkness.

The apple of his mother’s eye.

In the town of Poshley Heights, Andy must face the eldest Shadow Spawn, and take on a duelist who grows stronger the more he’s attacked. How will the descendent of the Dragon Master defeat this undefeated duelist? Find out in a chapter called “Dark Destiny”, coming soon.

[ssj4supernerd]

Yowza, the chap i'll like tha most is coming up!!!

You're 2 previous chapters were great,DS.Ancient Beasts look strong,and I like the quotations that Aeosop gave.It was nice hearing it again :biggrin:

Waitin' for the next one!!

[Pokemasterkatie]

Wow--A Gate Guardian deck. Stan's right; that is not the type of deck for beginners to start off with! I almost expected Dark Guardian the moment GG came out(being a regular GX watcher)...the Paradox Bros. tag team episodes(both of the two parters) are some of my favorite Yu-Gi-Oh episodes so far.:) And Uso...er, Aesop was really a dead giveaway; though I was surprised of the deck he had.;)

And we finally get to the Shadow Spawn of Darkness. The theme will most likely be...nah, can't have spoilers running amuck, now can we?:p

[Shuppet Master]

What an awesome chapter! And Dark Guardian is on the anime? Wow! I had expected Gate Guardian when I heard those two goofballs from the Duelist Kingdom were going to be in the show, but they have a more powerful form of Gate Guardian?! *gasp*

I just saw the first two episodes of the KC Grand Prix, and it's pretty nifty. Andy Markova would be quite proud of that kid, Luke. ;) I sure hope Andy can hold his own here, dark monsters are common and tough!

And maybe I'll take Aesop's advice and build thre real-life decks myself, keeping people guessing.

[Mookie]

Wow. I have to say, I liked this chapter. Gate Guardian decks are my favorites, just because they are ultimately difficult to play.
Also, Aesop is a character that I will remember after a while. I think. Not so sure about that.
But still, I liked this chapter. I wonder, what were the other decks of Aesop? Do we see them in action or were they there just to create an impression?

P.s. Although I replied to a chapter first time, I've been a reader for a long time. :) (I just felt too lazy to reply. Sorry.)

[Dark Sage]

No apology necessary, Mookie! Welcome aboard! I hope to see more of you!

[Mystic_clown]

I loved this chapter! Aesop couldn't have turned out better. Also, I'm more determined then ever to win that quiz coming up. Maybe I'll see what Aesop's other two decks are.

Hmm, I wonder what card Aesop gave Stan? Maybe he'll appear again later.

[Zcade0]

Cool chapter. I do have 1 complaint tough, Aesop's constant quoting got on my nerves. Your chose with what you right though. And what channel are you people watching GX on? Its not on WB or cartoonetwork yet... do u people live in Japan or something?

[Dark Sage]

Zcade -

"Yu-Gi-Oh GX" can be watched with subtitles on the internet. However, I didn't watch the episode myself, I got the info from an online episode guide.

[FusionSonicX_2000]

What's up peoples? FusionSonicX is back and he's bad. (How sucky was it to put a 2000 after my name?) How's it been going Dark Sage? Just to let you know, I haven't been neglecting this fanfic, I just haven't been able to register. So, I've been a very silent reader.

Anyway, now I get to review but I don't have anything to say! I guess that's not a first though. Actually, there is one thing to say... I can't wait for the next chapter to come out because the others were just amazing.

I guess that's all for right now...
Until next time...
Momentia

[jkBAKURA]

OK, All were correct about Asop being the name.

In truth, I was so thingking about a fairy tale theme. Then when La Jinn showed up, (Alladin) I was thinking you were referencing fairy tales indirectly. With the two set monsters you had me believing in the Great Sphinxes, but all were ploys to create a beautifuly unexpected Gate Guardian.

Nice use of Dark Guardian too, (although why you would gibe up a nearly impossible to summon monster for a small upgrade with half your score as a cost is beyond me)

Well, Final Shadow Spawn is within sight, and we still have the finals to get through. I'm in almost more anticipation then I was for the chapters in your last story! Why Can't I get enough of this stuff! Anyway, stay cool, and good luck.

[Dark Sage]

jkBAKURA,

True, Dark Guardian would be a little too costly. In truth, Gate Guardian itself is a waste of time. Truthfully, what is better, having Gate Guardian on the field, or having the three elementals on the field? The Paradox Brothers clearly weren't the sharpest tools in the shed.

However, my goal was not to create a duel that made sense, but to create one that was entertaining. And having Gate Guardian and Dark Guardian was more entertaining, to say the least.

- DS

[Master of Paradox]

You know, I've seen many, many Gate Guardian decks in fanfiction (several of which were written by you, and one of which was in this story's prologue...), but that's the first time I'd ever seen Dark Guardian. Anyone who's seen it in GX knows it's not the sort of thing you want to stare down.

But having said that, I can't think of a lot to say on this chapter. Aesop was pretty bland, all told (and did anyone else tire of his "character trait" Aesop quotes?), although I do like the idea of someone carrying multiple decks and switching between them as they see fit. The duel was fairly unexciting until the Gate Guardian hit - decks with a stall element are hard to keep exciting in fanfics, though, so I shouldn't hold that against you.

So, we finally get the next Shadow Spawn next chapter, hmmm? I'm interested as to what a pure Dark deck will have in it...

[starjake]

Dagnabit, you beat me to it!

I was going to have Bryan use Dark Guardian in my fic...oh well, I guess you win that race.

Anyways, awesome strategies there! Though I think Bryan's way of getting Gate Guardian out is a little faster, this was still interesting and kept me on my toes. Though I was pretty sure I knew what was going on when Aesop Set his second two-tribute monster.

So, it's the last Shadow Spawn, huh? And he gets stronger every time he's hit...well, I'll admit it: you have me stumped. But, whatever it is, it's sure to be one heck of a duel!

I await the next chapter!

[Silencer]

One thing that bothered me in this duel is the fact that Aesop says that Stan should have brought back Sanga. Somewhere in his deck has to be a monster destroying magic, trap or flip effect. Also Who says Aesop decks out b4 Stan? He might have been running a 45 card deck and Stan a 40 card deck.

Just a little thought of mine. (Yes I am aware most competitive decks are a 40 card deck)

[Dark Sage]

Some replies to make...

Don't worry, Starjake! Just because I used Dark Guardian first doesn't mean you can't! I don't own the copyright on it! Feel free to use it. In fact, I WANT you to use it in "Virtual Disaster"

Second, Silencer, don't forget that Aesop was using a special card in the beginning that let him make extra draws he also used Royal Magical Library, Pot of Greed, and Arsenal Summoner. Even if his deck exceeded the forty-card limit by, say, five cards, I count that he had drawn ten more cards than Stan had before had summoned Gate Guardian. Not to mention that he summoned Dark Guardian from his deck, so he had drawn eleven cards outside his draw phases.

As for Monster destroying cards, well, he had at least one - Offerngs to the Doomed.

And all of you, as for when you'll see Vladamir and his strange new deck, tune in tomorrrow...

I'm throwing a little party for my birthday, and you're invited. Vladimir will debut then.

- DS

[Shuppet Master]

Wow! Happy birthday, D.S.! :biggrin: :cool2: How old will you be?

My birthday's on December 6th, so it's quite a ways off, but I'll be 33 then. Yes, shock and awe, I'm over thirty. I wish I had discovered all this before I had gotten into high school. :rolleyes:

Anyways, can't wait for the final Shadow Spawn. Even though the heroes are predicted to win, it'll be a hard and dangerous duel. :)

[ssj4supernerd]

Isn't DS going to be 14 or 15.Well, anyways,happy birthday DS!!!

[Dark Sage]

Heh, heh. Supernerd, I'm a lot older than that.

But it's my birthday, but the present is for all you! A new chapter, featuring the last of the dreaded Shadow Spawn. And once you get done with this chapter, you'll learn the meaning behind his unique theme in a post-script that I'll leave.

I hope you like reading this chapter as much as I liked writing it.

- DS

[Dark Sage]

[I][B] We’ve defeated the Spawn of Light… Wind… Fire… Earth… and Water.

But we knew that there were six Shadow Spawn, and the Spawn of Darkness was the oldest and the best.

Little has to be said now. He’s made it short and sweet, and I have to defeat him – if I can’t, Stan or Francesca will be next.

I don’t know what to expect from this guy – Dark Attribute themes leave room for many different possibilities.

But since this guy is the best of his siblings…

I doubt it will be easy…




[size=3][B]CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN



Dark Destiny



It was a little after eleven when the three teens arrived in Poshley Heights.

Their tummies were growling. Their early breakfast was starting to wear off, and they were in need of lunch.

Their first view of Poshley Heights was one of glamour and splendor. All of the houses looked like mansions! The stores and shops all looked high class, and all the folk they saw were splendidly dressed.

Clearly, one type of folk lived here – the rich type.

And they certainly hoped that the rule giving complimentary food to tournament guests still applied here – looking at the nearest restaurant, they didn’t think for a second that they could actually afford to eat there.

As they walked towards the restaurant, they heard a stuffy voice calling their names.

They turned, and saw a short, chubby man in a suit and bow tie. He held a fancy pipe in his hand.

“Well,” he said cheerily. “Fancy meeting you three here…”

“Do we know you?” asked Andy.

“No, Andrew,” he said, “but I know of you. I make it a point to keep track of all things that happen on Monster Island…”

He lit his pipe.

“And word is you three have been making fools of the Shadow Queen’s children!” he chuckled. “Not just anyone can do that! We have no love of the Spawn, here…”

“You shouldn’t smoke, mister,” said Francesca. “It’s bad for your heath.”

“Oh, I don’t actually smoke it,” chuckled the man. “I’m far too intelligent for that…”

He raised his hand.

“Pennington’s the name,” he said. “If you’ll just take my card…”

They shook hands, and Stan took the card.

It read:

P.T. Pennington, PhD

“So you’re a psychiatrist?” asked Francesca.

“No, a psychiatrist is an MD who also has a PsyD,” answered Pennington. “PhD means Doctor of Philosophy.”

“That’s an odd doctorate,” commented Stan.

“It’s more useful than you think, Stanley,” he answered. “Now how about some lunch on me? You’ll find the restaurants here exquisite…”

“You don’t have to pay for us!” protested Andy. “We can eat here for free.”

“I know, but I insist,” answered Pennington. “Anyone who can outduel the Shadow Spawn is my treat. So, French or Italian?”

“Uh, how about French, guys?” suggested Stan.

That sounded good, so they all agreed to it.

As Pennington led them to the restaurant, he sighed.

I hate having to hide my intentions, he thought, but that accursed Vladimir has been haunting this town for days, hiding in the shadows. He thinks that nobody sees him, but I sure do. These kids are likely the only ones who can get rid of him. That spook makes my skin crawl…



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


“Okay,” said the maitre de, “one gin on the rocks for Monsieur Pennington, and three diet colas for his guests.”

“This place looks expensive…” muttered Francesca.

“It should,” chuckled Pennington. “Only people who can afford it live in Poshley Heights. This is the best place on the island – no pollution, no crime, fresh air. Just between the four of us, I think some of the folk get a little lazy after living here for a while!”

They all chuckled.

The maitre de went up to front of the restaurant, and someone walked in.

“Yes?” asked the maitre de.

“Excuse me,” said the visitor, “can you please direct me to Stan, Andy, and Francesca’s table?”

The maitre de didn’t look up.

“Excusez-moi, monsieur,” he sneered, “but they are in a private section of the restaurant with Monsieur Pennington, and I doubt they desire their meal to be interrupted. Furthermore…”

He looked up.

He shuddered.

The visitor was about nineteen years old. His clothing was simple, but all black. He also wore a dark overcoat, worn unbuttoned. He had straight black hair, and also wore dark sunglasses. He gave the impression of a vampire from a modern horror movie… or a certain science fiction trilogy.

“Monsieur Vladimir…” gulped the maitre de.

“If it’s too much trouble,” said the youth. “Can I just leave them a message and come back later?”

“NO!” gasped the maitre de in panic. “This way… anything you say…”

Vladimir shrugged and followed him.



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


“You look like smart folks,” said Pennington, “so I have a riddle for you…”

“A riddle?” asked Stan.

“Well, more of a logic problem,” replied Pennington. “See, a man is dining in a restaurant, not unlike this one, where the food is pricey and the waiters are rude…”

The kids giggled.

“…and he’s about to drink coffee. And then he sees that there’s a fly in the coffee.

“He gets upset and yells at the waiter, who apologizes, and says he’ll get him a fresh cup.

“A minute later, the waiter comes back with what appears to be a fresh cup of coffee. But when the man takes a sip, he gets angry again, and yells that this was the same cup of coffee that had the fly in it!

“The question is… How did he know?”

His three guests thought for a minute.

“I know!” exclaimed Francesca. “It was because he put sugar in the coffee before he discovered the fly!”

Pennington chuckled.

“Exactly, Francesca!” he chuckled. “You’ve got a good brain in your head!”

The maitre de came up.

“Um, monsieurs… mademoiselle…” he gulped. “This gentleman wishes to speak with you…”

Vladimir sat at the spare seat.

“Vladimir…” gasped Pennington.

“Anything I can get you?” shuddered the maitre de.

“Bottled water, please,” answered Vladimir.

Stan’s eyes narrowed.

“Vladimir…” he said. “As in the Shadow Spawn of Darkness, right?”

“Yes,” affirmed Vladimir. “Enjoying the tournament so far?”

“Frankly, no,” answered Francesca. “Your brothers and sisters have been making our lives hell.”

“Well, they were idiots,” he sighed. “And you’ll be pleased to know that right now they’re suffering very painful punishments as a result of their failure.”

“Maybe I should leave,” muttered Pennington.

“No, you can stay, Pennington,” said Vladimir. “The more the merrier, I always say.”

“What do you want, Vladimir?” asked Andy.

“Exactly what the others wanted,” he answered. “To defeat you, so that my mother can be freed. So I’m issuing a challenge – to all three of you.”

They were a little surprised by this.

“That’s it?” asked Francesca. “No threats? No blackmailing? No taking hostages?”

“I don’t walk that route,” answered Vladimir.

The waiter shakily handed him a bottled water.

“My foolish siblings fancy themselves supervillains and use the tactics of terrorists,” he added, “but they’ll never learn the true meaning of dueling.”

“So what if we refuse?” asked Andy.

Vladimir sighed.

“I won’t force you,” he said. “But if you accept and succeed, the three of you can claim something that’s never been claimed – the defeat of all six members of the Shadow Queen’s offspring.”

They paused.

“So who do you want to duel?” asked Stan.

“All three of you,” he responded. “One after the other. But if even one of you wins, I’ll leave, and leave whoever’s left unharmed.”

“And if any of us lose?” asked Stan.

“That, unfortunately, is up to my mother,” sighed Vladimir.

They thought about this for a minute.

This might be dangerous. Vladimir was pretty certain he could defeat them all. He was likely skilled…

But possibly, if they beat him, they’d be done with the Spawn for good. It was tempting…

“Okay, Vlad…” said Andy, “…do you mind if I call you Vlad?”

“Go right ahead,” he answered.

“We’ll except your challenge, so long as you play fair,” continued Andy.

“I wouldn’t dream of cheating,” said Vladimir, picking up a menu. “Now we’re all hungry, so let’s order, huh?”

He studied the menu.

“Think I’ll start with the escargots… By the way, I’m paying…”

Pennington nervously gulped.



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


One slice of chocolate soufflé remained.

“You’re paying,” said Francesca to Vladimir, “you take it.”

“Nah, it’s yours…” answered Vladimir. “Anyway, who wants to duel first?”

“I’ll take you on…” said Andy.

Vladimir looked at him.

“In that case,” he muttered. “Let’s get down to business…”

He took a deck of cards out of his belt…

…and then he took out two more decks and placed them on the table.

“Choose,” he said.

“Huh?” asked Andy.

“Do you think I’m dumb enough to use the same strategy against all three of you?” asked Vladimir. “That would be foolish. So chose one of these three decks.”

Andy considered…

“Go ahead… There are no wrong choices. Each is equally deadly.”

“Okay, that one…” said Andy, pointing to the one in the middle.

“Very well,” said Vladimir, putting the other two away. “As soon as your girlfriend finishes her cake, the town green will make a suitable arena…”

“Girlfriend?” exclaimed Andy.

“Check please!” called Vladimir.



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


Fifteen minutes later, Vladimir stood facing Andy on the village green, while Stan, Francesca, and a very nervous Pennington watched.

The three teens didn’t quite know what to make of Vladimir. He didn’t seem like the other folk who worked for the Shadow Queen. They had expected him to pay for lunch with a bad check – but he had paid cash…

…he had even left a tip.

Vladimir raised his left arm, and a blob of dark energy surrounded it. A Disk made of shiny black metal formed on it.

“Just to prove to you I play fair,” said Vladimir, “we’ll shuffle each other’s decks.”

“Whatever you say, Vlad,” said Andy, as they handed each other their decks. “Those hands are clean, aren’t they?”

“Pennington,” whispered Fran. “Do you know anything about Vladimir’s strategy?”

“Not a thing, lass,” he answered. “And the Dark Attribute leaves many possible themes open…”

“Yeah,” muttered Stan. “Zombies, Fiends, Spellcasters like mine… Andy could be in for anything…”

Andy was nervous as he handed the deck back to Vladimir. He had been tempted to peak at the cards, but he wasn’t a cheater either.

I like this guy better than the rest of them, I’ll admit that, he thought, but if I lose, I’m still doomed. And he’ll go after Stan and Francesca after me!

Even worse, if I’m beaten, Vladimir will be even more intimidating to them – he’ll beat them easily after they see me go down.

I have to win…

They plugged their decks into the Disks.

The holo-imagers shot out, and the Disks flipped into position. The life counters rose to 8,000.

“Before we start, I have a question,” said Andy.

“Yes?” asked Vladimir.

“Since you’re likely the only Spawn we can reason with,” continued Andy, “we have to know, why are you and the others doing this?”

“I can’t speak for the others, Andy,” he replied, “but mother has been driven stir-crazy for the past thousand years. Only your utter defeat will set her free.

“And I’ll tell you this – she and I feel sorry for you three. She didn’t set out to kill you…”

Andy was surprised at this.

“…but that is what needs to be done so she may escape. I will tell you this – it is nothing personal.”

“How nice,” muttered Andy.

“DUEL!” they both shouted.

They each drew five cards.

The change started to come over Andy. No matter what the intentions, he still had to win…

“I’ll even let you make the first move, Andy,” said Vladimir.

“Fine,” said Andy, drawing a card.

Well, if it isn’t my old friend Cave Dragon, he thought.

“I’ll summon Cave Dragon in Attack Mode," he announced, putting a card down.

The elderly, wingless Dragon appeared, and growled. (2,000/100)

“Interesting…” said Vladimir, drawing.

Hmm, he thought. I already have most of what I need in my hand to bring out one of my trump cards. A few good draws and I’ll be set…

“I’ll place two cards facedown on the field,” he said.

With one sweeping motion, he threw two cards into slots, and they appeared in front of him.

“And now I’ll play this in Defense Mode… Mystic Tomato!”

He placed a card down, and a huge tomato with eyes, a toothy mouth, and a lolling tongue appeared. (1,400/1,100)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/SRL-EN094.jpg


“And that will conclude my turn,” he said.

Andy looked at the silly Plant Monster.

Ergh, he thought. When Mystic Tomato is destroyed, he gets to summon any Dark Monster with 1,500 Attack Points or less from his deck. That could be dangerous…

He made his draw.

Spear Dragon? This is too good to pass up! My Cave Dragon can deal with whatever he summons…

“I summon Spear Dragon in Attack Mode!” he shouted, throwing a card down.

The pterodactyl-like Dragon appeared, hovering in mid-air.

“Spear Dragon, squash his tomater with cyclone blast!”

Spear Dragon blasted forth a tornado of wind, which blasted Mystic Tomato into pulp!

Vladimir’s Life Points fell to 7,200.

“Good show,” said Vladimir, as a card slipped out of his deck. “Well now, due to Mystic Tomato’s destruction I’ll summon… this.”

He put the card down, and a small creature appeared. It was a skeleton clad in tattered violet robes. (300/200)



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


“Huh?” said Stan, in disbelief. “A Skull Servant?”

“A Skull Servant?” laughed Andy. “Why would you put such a worthless card in your deck? When I was a kid, I clipped cards like that to my bicycle spokes!”

“Andy, Andy!” chuckled Vladimir. “A true duelist knows that every card in Duel Monsters has a use! No Monster is truly worthless!”

He paused.

“Well, except maybe Bolt Escargot,” he mused. “The thing is a giant, ugly snail, has no better Attack Score than a Celtic Guardian, AND you need to make a sacrifice to summon it! Sheesh! I guess Pegasus had one too many red wine spritzers before he thought up that card!”

“Okay, fine!” interrupted Andy. “Whatever you were planning to do with it, I’m going to nip in the bud – because I’m about to blast it away, along with 1,700 of your Life Points! Cave Dragon, attack the Skull Servant!”

Cave Dragon belched forth a cloud of noxious gas…

“I activate my Trap!” shouted Vladimir.

One of his facedown cards activated.

“Draining Shield!” he shouted.

“Huh?” said Andy, as a protective dome appeared around the Skull Servant.

“Draining Shield not only stops your attack,” explained Vladimir, “but it increases my Life Points by that Monster’s Attack Points!”

Stan, Francesca, and especially Andy gasped as Vladimir’s Life Points shot up to 9,200.

“My word…” muttered Pennington.

“I’ll also activate my other Trap,” he said. “Family Lineage!”

His other Trap lifted, and two cards flew out of his deck.

He placed them down, and two more Skull Servants appeared.

“The End of Anubis used that trick on me to summon three Bokoichis,” commented Stan. “But what will he do with three Skull Servants?”

“All right,” said Andy. “I end my turn…”

Spear Dragon backed up into Defense Mode.

Vladimir drew.

Ah, perfect, he thought.

He fit a card into a slot.

“I play a powerful Magic Card known as Triangle Power!” announced Vladimir.

“Triangle Power?” said Francesca in fear. “What does that do?”

An energy triangle started to form around the three Skull Servants.

Pennington gasped.

“I saw a duelist use it once,” he answered. “When a duelist uses Triangle Power, all one-star Normal Monsters he has on the field gain 2,000 Attack Points! And Skull Servants fit the profile…”

The Attack of the three Skull Servants rose to 2,300 each!

“Skull Servant number one” shouted Vladimir, “attack his Cave Dragon!”

The Servant shot forth a beam of blackness, and Cave Dragon burst!

Andy’s Life Points slipped to 7,700.

“Number two, attack Spear Dragon!”

The second one blasted the Spear Dragon away. Fortunately, it was in Defense Mode.

Andy was sweating heavily.

“Number three, attack directly!” he yelled.

The third Skull Servant blasted forth its beam of blackness, and was thrown back violently! His Life Points plummeted to 5,400.

He got up and held his chest, where smoke was coming out of his side…

“Okay, I’ll admit it,” he groaned. “You are good…”

“I’m the best…” answered Vladimir with a grin.

He put a card down.


Continued...

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:


He put a card down.

“Next I’ll summon Pyramid Turtle in Attack Mode,” he said, placing a card down.

A huge turtle with a stone pyramid on its back appeared. (1,200/1,400)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/PGD-026.jpg


“And now my turn is over,” he said. “Unfortunately, since I used Triangle Power, that means all three of my Skull Servants die.”

The Skull Servants shattered.

“Vladimir’s strategy is obvious!” whispered Francesca. “He wants Andy to attack that Turtle so he can summon a powerful Zombie! One of the big three…”

“Yeah…” answered Stan. “Vampire Lord, Patrician of Darkness, or Ryu Kokki…”

Andy drew.

He looked at the card in surprise…

“I’ll first summon The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave in Defense Mode,” he said.

He put the card down, and the large, rocky dragon appeared. (1,300/2,000)

“And now,” he said, “I’ll place four cards facedown, and end my turn.”

He fit four cards into slots, and they materialized behind the Dragon.

Vladimir looked surprised.

He drew.

“I choose to pass this turn…” he muttered.

“Fine then,” said Andy.

He fit a card into the fifth slot.

“I play Sweet Feast!” he shouted.

The cornucopia appeared, spilling its bounty.

“Now I gain 1,000 Life Points for every Level Star of your Pyramid Turtle!” he exclaimed. “4,000 in all!”

His Life Points went up to 9,400.

“I also get to draw four cards!” he continued.

Four cards flew off his deck, and he caught them.

“And since I can’t do anything else, it’s your move.”

Vladimir’s eyes narrowed as he drew.

He has four cards facedown, he thought, but he likely only put them there so he wouldn’t have to discard any when he played Sweet Feast… I think it’s worth the chance…

“I play Stop Defense!” he exclaimed, throwing a card into a slot.

The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave rose into Attack Mode!

“Pyramid Turtle, attack!” he shouted.

Pyramid Turtle lumbered forward. Andy gasped as his Dragon exhaled a blast of wind and blew it into sand.

Vladimir’s Life Points slipped to 9,100.

“Fine,” sighed Andy. “You managed to destroy your Pyramid Turtle. So summon your Vampire Lord already…”

A card slipped out of Vladimir’s deck.

“Vampire Lord?” asked Vladimir. “I’m not summoning Vampire Lord. Too clichéd.”

“Then summon Patrician of Darkness,” sighed Andy.

“Guess again,” said Vladimir, with a sinister smile.

“Ryu Kokki?” asked Andy.

Vladimir shook his head.

“Okay, I’m really confused here,” said Andy. “What other Zombie do you search for with Pyramid Turtle?”

“One that’s better than any of those guys, if used the right way,” said Vladimir, holding up a card. “But think back to when you called Skull Servants worthless…

“They’re called Skull Servants, Andy. Servants. Did you ever stop to think just who Skull Servants were serving?”

“Uhm, no…” said Andy, nervously.

“Well, I’ll show you!” chuckled Vladimir, putting a card down. “I summon… [I]King of the Skull Servants!”

He put a card down, and a ghostly form arose. It looked like a Skull Servant, but taller and more sinister, with an aura of unholy energy around it.



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


“What the…” muttered Francesca.

“So…” gulped Stan. “The rumors I heard were true… They made a stronger version of the Skull Servant…”

“Let me explain how this creature works,” said Vladimir. “Its Attack Score is 1,000 for every Skull Servant and additional King in my Graveyard. Since I have three Servants in my Graveyard…”

(3,000/0)

Andy gulped.

“I’ll end my turn,” said Vladimir.

Andy reached for his deck and drew a card.

“I’ll switch my Dragon back to Defense Mode,” he said.

The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave moved back into Defense.

“And then I’ll summon Koumori Dragon in Defense Mode,” he stated.

The small Dragon of Darkness appeared, and folded its wings. (1,500/1,200)

“That’s my turn…” he muttered.

Vladimir drew.

“I’ll play my Pot of Greed,” he said.

He played the Magic Card, and the Pot handed him two cards.

Another Mystic Tomato, he thought, looking at one of them. This will do nicely.

He added it to his hand, and took the other card.

“Now I play the Magic Card… Double Attack!” he exclaimed.

He placed the card into a slot.

“What does that do?” asked Andy in fear.

“Simple,” answered Vladimir. “I simply have to discard a Monster with more stars than my King, and it can attack twice. And since, for all its power, it’s actually a one-star Monster, almost any Monster will do.

“So I’ll discard my four-star Mystic Tomato…”

He discarded the card.

“And, King of the Skull Servants, attack both of his Dragons with skulls of doom!”

The King raised his bony hands, and two skulls burning with black fire appeared in them! It hurled them forward, and they exploded on impact, destroying the two Dragons!

“It’s your move,” said Vladimir.

“Boy, Andy is in a tough spot…” muttered Francesca.

“Don’t give up hope lass,” said Pennington. “True, Vladimir is in control, but in Duel Monsters, the situation can switch at a moment’s notice.”

“Do you duel?” asked Francesca.

“A little,” he answered.

Andy made his draw.

Hey, Masked Dragon! he thought.

He looked at a card in his hand.

An idea was forming…

“I’ll summon Masked Dragon in Defense Mode,” he said.

He put the card down, and the metallic Dragon wearing a mask appeared.

“Your move, Vlad,” he said with a grin.

He’s up to something, thought Vladimir. But I doubt anything he could summon even with a sacrifice could defeat my King.

He drew.

His eyes opened wide.

“I’m Equipping my King with this,” he said, placing the card into a slot. “It’s a little thing called Opti-Camouflage Armor.”

A bright glow surrounded the King. Its robe was replaced by silver, knight-like armor, and a long trident appeared in its right hand.

“And what does your King’s fancy new suit let him do?” asked Andy.

“Opti-Camouflage Armor can only be equipped to one-star Monsters,” exclaimed Vladimir, “and it lets them bypass your Monsters and attack you directly!”

Francesca gasped in horror!

“No!” she gasped. “Andy…”

“King of the Skull Servants,” ordered Vladimir, “attack directly with skull of doom!”

The blazing skull appeared in the armored King’s left hand, and he hurled it, throwing it right over Masked Dragon! Andy screamed as it hit him and exploded!

He fell to his knees with smoke rising from him. His Life Points plummeted to 6,400.

“I’ll end my turn there,” said Vladimir. “And I’ll give you a chance to surrender. You really don’t want me to do that again…”

“Ain’t gonna happen again, Zombie-boy,” said Andy as he slowly drew.

Francesca shuddered.

“Pennington!” she whispered. “Can Vladimir use Triangle Power on that guy?”

“Fortunately, no,” Pennington whispered back. “Triangle Power only works on Normal Monsters, and that King is clearly an Effect Monster.”

Andy looked at the card and added it to his hand. He stood up.

“I’ve already figured out a way to take out your King Vladimir…” he said.

He switched cards on his Disk.

“I sacrifice my Masked Dragon to summon Des Volstgalph!” he shouted.

Masked Dragon shattered, and the giant earthen Dragon arose. (2,200/1,700)



http://a248.e.akamai.net/f/248/5462/2h/everythingpokemon.safeshopper.com/images/bb0rkx16.jpg


“Now I’ll activate one of my facedown cards…” he continued. “Scorching Ruin!”

The Magic Card lifted.

“Not only does this card add 1,000 to Des Volstgalph’s Attack for the round, but due to its effect, it gains 200 more Attack points because I just played a Magic Card, for a grand total of 3,400!”

Des Volstgalph roared.

“Des Volstgalph, destroy his King of the Skull Servants!”

The mighty Dragon shot forth his scorching breath, and King of the Skull Servants was blasted to pieces.

“And you not only lose 400 Life Points,” said Andy with a smile, “when Des Volstgalph destroys a Monster, you lose 500 extra Life Points!”

Vladimir’s Life Points fell to 8,200.

“Well,” said Vladimir, “it seems you are not a force to be taken lightly either. But I’m still far ahead of you, and I’m hardly finished.

He drew a card.

“I’ll place a Monster facedown in Defense Mode,” he said, “and two cards facedown.”

He set all three of the cards in his hand, and two facedown cards appeared, followed by a facedown Monster.

“And with that, I give you the honors,” he said.

Huh? thought Andy. He used up all the cards in his hand! Not smart, Vlad old boy…

He drew.

“I’ll first play another of my facedown cards,” he said, as one of them lifted. “Stamping Destruction! Say bye-bye to that card!”

Des Volstgalph stamped his foot, and Vladimir was thrown off his feet. One of his cards, revealed to be another Draining Shield, shattered, and his Life Points fell to 7,700.

“And since I just played a Magic Card again, my Dragon gains 200 Attack Points again!” laughed Andy.

He put a card down.

“Now I’ll summon… Twin Headed Behemoth in Attack Mode!”

The huge, winged, two-headed Dragon appeared. (1,500/1,200)

“Behemoth, attack his facedown Monster!”

Andy, no! screamed Francesca mentally.

The Dragon belched forth his flame… A tall woman in a dark robe appeared on the card…



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/SKE-020.jpg


“Witch of the Black Forest?” exclaimed Andy.

“Yes,” said Vladimir, with a smile, “and I’m sure you know what her effect is. But before that comes into play, we have to deal with the Trap you just triggered…”

Andy looked. Vladimir had indeed triggered a Trap. It depicted a hand holding cards reaching out of the ground in front of a cross-shaped tombstone.

“It’s called Card of Last Will, Andy,” he explained. “A hard Trap to use, but worth it. I can only use it when I’m attacked when I have no hand. When those conditions are met, I get to draw five cards.”

Five cards flew off of his deck.

“Crud,” sighed Andy.

“Now I’ll get what I wanted from the Witch’s effect,” continued Vladimir, taking a card from his deck.

“In case you forgot,” sneered Andy, “I haven’t finished my Battle Phase. Des Volstgalph, attack him directly!”

Des Volstgalph breathed forth his mighty weapon, hitting Vladimir in the chest! He cringed as his Life Points fell to 5,300.

“I’ll end by placing this card facedown,” said Andy, placing a card into a slot.

A third facedown card appeared next to the other two.

“Very well,” said Vladimir, making a draw.

He placed a card down.

“Now I’ll summon a second King of the Skull Servants!”

Another King arose, this one looking more evil than the last.

“And because I now have three Servants and one King in my Graveyard,” continued Vladimir, “this one is stronger than the last!”

(4,000/0)

“Next I’ll place two cards facedown,” he said.

He fit two cards into slots, and they appeared.

“And I’ll Equip my new King with another Opti-Camouflage Armor!”

He fit another card into a slot, and the fancy armor formed around the new King.

“NO!” screamed Francesca.

“Now…” said Vladimir.

“Activate… Threatening Roar!” shouted Andy.

The facedown card he had just played lifted, and the great beast appeared, letting out a bellowing roar. The King staggered back.

“Okay fine,” muttered Vladimir, “I end my turn…”

Summon whatever you like, Andy, he thought. It will just be sucked into my Bottomless Trap Hole!

“Man, this looks bad…” muttered Stan.

“Don’t say that!” screamed Francesca. “Andy will think of something!”

Andy made his draw.

“I summon Gray Wing in Defense Mode,” he said.

A large lizard with insect-like wings appeared, and curled up in Defense. (1,300/700)

Well, almost anything, thought Vladimir. Bottomless Trap Hole doesn’t work on Monsters with under 1,500 Attack Points…

“Now I’ll move Twin-Headed Behemoth into Defense Mode,” he stated.

What’s he up to? thought Vladimir. My King can attack directly now – it doesn’t matter what Mode his Monsters are in!

“And now,” continued Andy, “I’ll play this facedown card!”

The Magic Card lifted.

“A little number called A Wingbeat Of Giant Dragon!”

“Huh?” muttered Vladimir. “That… sounds familiar…”

“Let me job your memory!” said Andy with a smile. “When I play this card, I have to return one Dragon with five stars or more to my hand. So, Des Volstgalph, return to my hand!”

Des Volstgalph vanished, and Andy removed its card.

“And in return,” continued Andy, “all Magic and Trap Cards on the field are destroyed!”

A dragon with enormous wings appeared behind Andy, and started to beat its wings! A veritable windstorm started! First, Andy’s last facedown card, revealed to be The Dragon’s Bead, was shattered. Then Vladimir’s two facedown cards lifted, showing Bottomless Trap Hole and Meteorain. They shattered as well. Finally, the Opti-Camouflage Armor on King of the Skull Servants fell apart into a pile of broken metal!

“Well, that’s enough for one turn,” chuckled Andy. “It’s your move.”

“I must say, I underestimated you, Andy,” muttered Vladimir. “I won’t make that mistake again…”

He drew.

“Go my King!” he shouted. “Attack his Twin-Headed Behemoth!”

The King threw his skull, and the Behemoth was blown up.

“Return!” shouted Andy.

Behemoth rematerialized on the spot where it fell. (1,000/1,200)

“Your move,” said Vladimir.

Andy drew.

Oh yeah, he thought.

“I’ll place one card facedown,” he said, “and summon Troop Dragon in Defense Mode!”

He quickly placed the cards; a facedown card appeared, and three draconic soldiers appeared, kneeling in Defense. (700/800)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LOD-EN042.jpg


“Over to you, Matrix-boy,” he said.

“Fine,” said Vladimir, reaching for his deck, “I’ll…”

He paused.

“Wait…” he said. “Do I really look like that guy from The Matrix?”

He looked over at Francesca and Stan.

“Um, yeah!” replied Fran.

“Pretty much,” agreed Stan.

Vladimir looked at his clothes.

“I never liked that movie,” he muttered. “Maybe a change in wardrobe is in order… Ah, well…”

He drew a card.

“King of the Skull Servants, attack his Behemoth again!”

The King threw his skull, and blew the Dragon to bits.

“Your move,” he said smugly, crossing his arms.

“I’m gonna wipe that smile off your face…” snarled Andy.

He switched cards on his Disk.

“Time to take down your second King!” he warned. “I’ll first sacrifice Gray Wing to summon Des Volstgalph again, in ATTACK Mode!”

Gray Wing vanished, and Des Volstgalph returned. (2,200/1,700)

Now what? thought Vladimir.

“I just realized a weakness of your King,” stated Andy. “No matter how strong it gets, it has zero Defense Points…

“And so, my Troop Dragon is all I need to sacrifice in order to use this…”

His Trap Card lifted…

“Burst Breath?” gasped Vladimir.

“Yes!” stated Andy. “It won’t hurt Des Volstgalph, because his Defense is much higher than Troop Dragon’s Attack. But since your King’s Defense is zero…”

The three Dragon-men exhaled blasts of flame, and the second King of the Skull Servants was vaporized. Troop Dragon vanished.

“And now, Des Volstgalph would like a word with you…” said Andy.

“NOT AGAIN!” shouted Vladimir, as Des Volstgalph’s breath plowed into him.

He fell to his knees, and his Life Points tumbled to 3,100.

“Andy just might do this!” exclaimed Francesca.

“Indeed,” muttered Pennington. “But don’t forget, a duelist is allowed to have three copies of a card in his deck, and Vladimir likely has three Kings. If he manages to summon it, its Attack Score would be an overwhelming 5,000!”

You’re so right, Pennington, thought Vladimir with a smile.

“Your move, Vlad,” said Andy.

He’s strong, thought Vladimir, drawing, but I can be stronger.

“Look at this, Andy,” he said, showing him a card. “It’s my old friend Pyramid Turtle!”

He placed the card down, summoning it in Attack Mode.

“Attack his Des Volstgalph!” he shouted.

The Turtle lumbered forward. Andy gasped, but he couldn’t stop his Monster from attacking it back. The Turtle was blown away.

Vladimir’s Life Points fell to 1,600.

“And you know what that means…” chuckled Vladimir.

He placed a card down, and a third King appeared. (5,000/0)

“Make your move,” he said.

Andy sighed as he drew.

“I’ll move Des Volstgalph into Defense Mode,” he sighed, “and end my turn.”

He turned the card, and Des Volstgalph bowed and folded its wings.

Vladimir drew.

“Hmm…” he said.


Continued...

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:


“I’m playing this Magic Card,” he stated. “It’s called Final Death!”

He played the card, and Andy didn’t like the look of it at all. It showed Vampire Lord suffering from some sort of vile curse.

“Final Death?” he gasped in fear.

“Don’t get more afraid than you should, Andy,” chuckled Vladimir, “this card doesn’t hurt you, it helps me. Zombies are already dead, but this card destroys them for good, hence the term ‘Final Death’.

“I simply remove one Zombie in my Graveyard from play, and I gain Life Points equal to its original Attack Score.”

One of his Pyramid Turtles slid out of his discard slot, and he moved it to the removal slot.

His Life Points went up to 2,800.

“Now where were we?” he asked. “Oh yes… King of the Skull Servants, destroy Des Volstgalph!”

The super-powered King threw his Skull, and the Dragon was incinerated.

“Now, to end, I’ll place a card facedown,” he said.

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

“Make your move…” said Vladimir, with a sinister voice.

Andy drew.

All right! he thought. I have all three of the Red Eyes cards now!

He did a quick calculation.

When I summon Red Eyes Darkness Dragon, it will have 5,700 Attack Points, more than enough to take down Skeletor there! I’ll have him cold!

He took a card from his hand.

“I’ll start by placing this card facedown,” he said.

A facedown card appeared.

“Then I’ll summon Red Eyes Black Chick!” he shouted, placing a card down.

The small red egg appeared, and the tiny Dragon popped his head out of it. (800/500)

Yes… thought Francesca.

“Now I sacrifice it for Red Eyes Black Dragon!” he shouted, placing a card down.

The Chick grew at amazing speed, growing into the huge Red Eyes Black Dragon! (2,400/2,000)

YES! thought Francesca. Yes, yes, yes!

“And finally,” yelled Andy, “I’ll sacrifice my Dragon to summon Red Eyes Darkness Dragon!”

He switched cards, and the Dragon slowly started to mutate…

“Not so fast, Andy!” shouted Vladimir. “I’m going to stop you by doing what my idiotic brother should have done when you summoned that thing! Reveal Trap Card!”

His Trap lifted.

“Horn of Heaven!”

“WHAT?” shouted Andy. “You have to sacrifice a Monster to activate that Trap!”

“I’m well aware of that, Andy!” shouted Vladimir, as the Horn started to form.

“But the only Monster you have is…” answered Andy.

“That’s right!” yelled Vladimir. “I’m blowing my horn to blow away your Dragon AND my King!”

A loud bellow sounded from the Horn of Heaven, and both Red Eyes Darkness Dragon and King of the Skull Servants shattered.

“What in blazes…” muttered Stan.

“Hmm…” pondered Pennington. “Quite a strange strategy. And I fear it can’t be good for Andrew. Vladimir isn’t dumb enough to just throw a Monster that powerful away…”

“Well,” said Andy, with a grin. “What are you gonna do now? That was your last King!”

His eyes opened wide in realization.

“Unless the one card in your hand is Monster Reborn!” he said in panic.

Vladimir chuckled.

He drew a card.

Hmm, he thought, looking at his two cards. I could use both these cards, but with Andy’s facedown card, and my Life Points the way they are, tempting fate isn’t a good idea. I’ll use one, and save the other…

“Close, but not quite,” he said aloud. “The card I was holding is better than Monster Reborn for my deck, and unlike that card, I’m allowed to have three in my deck.”

He showed it to Andy.

“It’s called Book of Life!” he laughed.

“Book of Life?” gasped Francesca, now scared.

“When Book of Life is played,” gasped Pennington, “the duelist can remove a Monster in his opponent’s Graveyard from play, AND Special Summon any Zombie from his own Graveyard!”

“That’s right,” laughed Vladimir, playing the card. “Two great effects for the price of one! So I’ll remove your Des Volstgalph…”

Des Volstgalph slid out of Andy’s discard slot.

“And King of the Skull Servants, welcome back....”

The mighty King arose again… (5,000/0)

Andy gulped.

“King of the Skull Servants,” yelled Vladimir, “attack directly!”

The King’s hands blazed with black fire! It produced a very large blazing skull and hurled it with both hands! Andy screamed as he was sent falling face-first to the ground.

His Life Points plummeted to 1,400.

“NO!” screamed Francesca. “Andy, please be all right. Baby, please be all right!”

Baby? thought Andy.

He struggled to his feet, slowly but surely…

What? thought Vladimir. He shouldn’t be able to stand after an attack like that! Oh well, since I proved that facedown card was a bluff, he’s finished next turn…

“It’s my move, pal…” muttered Andy. “I just realized I have something more to fight for…”

Although honestly, he thought, I don’t know what I’m gonna do… I’m fresh out of ideas…

He slowly reached for his deck. He paused.

”Don’t give up matey!” shouted a voice in his head. ”We can still scuttle this guy!”

Andy looked surprised.

”Bobbery?” he replied. ”Where are you?”

”I’m two cards away from you, lad!” encouraged Bobbery. ”And I can help you take down that old pile of bones!”

“What?” answered Andy. ”But by the time I draw you, it might be too late!”

Bobbery chuckled.

”I also know what the two cards in front of me are!” he laughed. ”And they’ll help out immensely! Now draw your next card, and I’ll help you blast that sorry excuse for a duelist back to the boneyard!”

Andy smiled. He drew the card.

“I play Pot of Greed!” he shouted, throwing the card into a slot.

The Pot appeared, and the spectral arm handed him two cards.

Bingo, he thought.

“Now I play… Snatch Steal!” he shouted.

He played the Magic Card, and the shifty bandit appeared. He dove into King of the Skull Servant’s body, and the Zombie floated over to his side.

“Well, I suppose you’re going to attack me with my own King, eh?” chuckled Vladimir. “Well, attack me! I can’t do anything to stop you!”

“Save the bluff, Vlad,” sneered Andy. “I figured out how your King works…

“Its Attack Score is 1,000 for every Skull Servant and other King in its user’s Graveyard, right? Since my Graveyard doesn’t have any, I know that while it’s on my side of the field, it’s powerless.”

“Then if you knew, why use Snatch Steal at all?” asked Vladimir.

“Powerless doesn’t mean worthless,” replied Andy. “I’m sacrificing your King to summon Admiral Bobbery the Bomber!”

King of the Skull Servants vanished, and the small Bomb-omb sailor with his cap, steering wheel on his back, and huge moustache appeared. (2,200/1,000)

“Well!” said a shocked Vladimir. “I’ve never seen that Monster before, and coming from me, that’s saying a lot!”

He sighed.

“But I’m afraid it’s over, Andy…” he said. “You’ve lost…”

“How do you figure?” asked Andy.

“Take a look at the last card in my hand,” said Vladimir, showing it to him.

It was another Book of Life.

“Oh, he’s doomed…” muttered Pennington.

“Don’t be so sure…” said Francesca, with a grin.

“On my next turn,” explained Vladimir, “I’ll use this to bring the King back. Then I’ll attack your Bobbery, and you’ll lose 2,800 Life Points, and the duel!”

Andy chuckled.

“There is no next turn for you, Vlad,” he said. “I can defeat you with this move.”

“What?” said Vlad. “I have 2,800 Life Points left! I’ll still have 600 after you attack me with that thing!”

“Think so?” said Andy, crossing his arms.

The two of them stared at each other for a second.

“Like you said, you’ve never even seen this guy before, so you have no idea of his special, explosive effect!” exclaimed Andy. “Let me fill you in…”

Effect? thought Vladimir, now getting nervous.

“When Admiral Bobbery here attacks,” explained Andy, “he does twice the damage that a Monster with 2,200 Attack Points would normally do!”

Vladimir’s eyes opened in fear…

“So if he were to attack one of your Monsters who had, say, 2,000 Attack Points, he’d do 400 points of damage instead of 200…” continued Andy.

“But if he makes a direct attack, like he’s about to do now, he’ll do a whopping 4,400 points of damage, which is far more than you have!”

“GAH!” shouted Vladimir. “Where on earth did you get a Monster that powerful!”

“He’s not just a Monster, Vladimir…” answered Andy.

He pointed.

“…he’s a Companion! Admiral Bobbery, finish him off with your Bomb-omb blast!”

Bobbery’s steering wheel spun. He hopped towards Vladimir…

The Shadow Spawn of Darkness lowered his head as the Companion ran towards him…

I’m sorry mother… he thought. I tried my best… but it seems that the spirits of the Three Heroes themselves are guiding them…

Bobbery exploded with a great burst, and Vladimir screamed! His Life Points fell to nothing, and he fell flat on his back…



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


Vladimir opened his eyes to see Andy, Francesca, and Stan looking over him.

“Well, that was unpleasant,” he sighed, picking up his sunglasses. “I must say I’m impressed Andy… Only my mother has ever beaten me before…”

He got up and turned away from them.

“That’s it?” asked Andy. “No threats? No oaths of vengeance?”

“Such things are beneath me…” muttered Vladimir. “Now if you don’t mind, I have to go face the music…”

He turned and started to walk away.

“Vladimir,” called Fran. “Wait… What will she do to you?”

Vladimir paused, but he didn’t turn around.

“Let’s just say it isn’t exactly as lenient as a week of no TV,” he replied.

A dark shadow surrounded him, and he faded away.

Francesca went up to Andy and sighed.

“I shudder to think what would have happened if he had used both Book of Life cards at once…” she said, shaking.

“Actually…” muttered Andy.

He removed a card from his Disk.

“He couldn’t have…” he said, showing her the Trap Card.

Stan, Francesca, and Pennington looked at it.

It was a Trap called “One of a Kind”.

“What does that do?” asked Stan.

“When this Continuous Trap is active,” answered Andy, “each player is forbidden from having more than one of the same Monster face-up on the field. As soon as he tried to Special Summon a second King, I would have stopped him.

“I know it seems a strange card to put into my deck, being very situational, but there was this guy who I was never able to beat when I started dueling – the poorest winner ever.

“He used three lousy Don Zaloog Warriors to wipe out my hand. And he always laughed in my face afterwards and called me an idiot. After I got this card, I made him a bet – my three Red Eyes cards for his three Don Zaloog cards.

“I was lucky enough to draw this before he got his two Reinforcement of the Army cards like he always did, and after he wiped out my side using Raigeki like he always did, this card ruined his entire strategy.

“I also added Threatening Roar to my deck that day, incidentally.

“He actually tried to renege on the bet, believe it or not, but some of the older kids in my school made him give me the cards. And to make sure he never laughed at me again, I tore them in half.

“He never laughed at me again. And for good luck, I still keep this in my deck.”

Francesca sighed. She and Stan looked towards the spot where Vladimir had disappeared.

“I almost feel sorry for that guy…” muttered Stan.

“Don’t be,” said Pennington. “If you think the Shadow Spawn work for their mother because she forces them to, you are mistaken. Deep down, they want to serve her – they have much to gain from her power.”

Pennington didn’t know it, but Vladimir hadn’t left yet – he was twenty feet away, invisible to their eyes. He was anxious to learn what the Trap Card had been.

He sighed.

Pennington, he thought. You’re more often right than you are wrong, and regarding the rest of my siblings, you have a point. But as far as I’m concerned, that isn’t true at all…

And then he truly vanished.



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


Vladimir appeared in the dark chamber.

He turned as saw the rest of his siblings. He sighed again.

He turned his eyes and saw his mother come out of the shadows.

“Well?” she asked, clearly disappointed.

He didn’t answer. He crossed his arms.

“You have anything at all to say Vladimir?” she asked. “The others were disappointments enough, but I expected better from you.”

He was silent.

“Oh, the silent treatment, huh?” she asked.

His eyes narrowed.

“Don’t look at me like that, Vladimir!” she warned. “Are you going to say anything in your defense?”

He was mute.

“Fine, be that way,” she said, flicking her Disk into position.

She took a single card from her dress.

“You can see what devices are holding them, so you no doubt know the only one that’s left…”

She looked at the card – Crystal Seal. She placed it into a slot.

Vladimir didn’t even flinch as he was encased in a shell of crystalline rock.

The Shadow Queen sighed as she left.

So much for that, she thought. The three of them will obviously get seven Cards soon, and once that is done, only one obstacle stands in the way for each of them on the way to this place.

I don’t expect them to be enough to defeat them, but at least they should give them something to think about…



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


It was one o’clock, and Pennington had brought the three teens to a fancy club in the center of town.

“So, how do you like our Millionaires’ Club?” asked Pennington.

“It’s nice,” said Andy, “but we take it you didn’t take us here to eat cocktail weenies.”

“Yes,” muttered Pennington. “Poshley Heights can’t thank you enough for getting rid of Vladimir… but I have a way to thank you. After all, I’m a… ahem… very rich man…”

He put a briefcase on a table and opened it.

Inside was a single Duel Monsters card.

He handed it to Andy.

“In the hands of someone like you,” he said. “It would increase your power, possibly as much as three hundred percent!”

Andy looked at it.

“It’s a Trap Card called ‘Supernova’,” he said, somewhat surprised.

This had to be it… The final Enchanted Card.

And as he read the description written on it, he could only say one thing…

“I must be very careful with this…”



CARD OF LAST WILL (Trap Card)

Card Specs

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

Card Description: Image of a hand holding a hand of Duel Monsters cards reaching out of an earthen ground in front of a cross-shaped tombstone. You can activate this Trap when your opponent declares an attack, and you have no hand. Draw five cards from your deck.

Note: “Card of Last Will” was used by Marik in “The Darkness Returns (Part Two)”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



FINAL DEATH (Magic Card)

Card Specs

Type: Magic
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Card Description: Image of Vampire Lord being consumed by a vile curse. Remove one ZOMBIE-Type Monster in your Graveyard from play. Increase your Life Points by the base ATK of the removed Monster.



ONE OF A KIND (Trap Card)

Card Specs

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

Card Description: Image of a Duel Monsters card in a display case in a museum. When this card is activated when multiple copies of the same Monster are face-up on the field, all such Monsters are destroyed. Also, when this card is active, neither player can summon a Monster if a Monster of the same name is face up on the field.



[B][I]Coming up next:

Now that the Shadow Spawn are done away with, the team can move on to other things, like getting all the Crystal Cards they need.

The team comes full circle, and finds themselves on the last town on the map, the frigid Fahr Outpost, where they meet a duelist with a unique deck theme – named after one of the earliest villains from the Manga. Fans of a certain character from my old trilogy won’t want to miss this one. “Way of the Warrior” is coming up next.

Oh yeah… And Merlee might show up too.

[Dark Sage]

Now, in case you're wondering why Vladimir used a deck focusing on King of the Skull Servants, I used that theme because MY deck that I use most often uses the same theme.

I guess that's why I made Vlad less evil than the other Shadow Spawn - basically because that was me dueling Andy there.

And don't think the Spawn are gone for good. They will be back - but they'll be taking a little break for now. Until then, a few more colorful folk will show up.

Stay tuned for the next chapter, coming soon.

[Mookie]

Well darn. I liked Vladimir. I like villians, who are actually polite and nice. Yes, I know that this is not how a villian should actually act. But still.
The deck was interesting. I cant say that I liked it all that much, but it was interesting, to say the least.
Of course, I cant think of another deck, that would've done the job. It was an exciting duel.

And happy birthday. :smilie:

[Dark Sage]

Well, I said that Vlad would be different than the rest of the Spawn, and now you know exactly how.

Thanks for your wishes.

[Master of Paradox]

As the last person said, happy birthday. Now that that's out of the way...

This might be my favorite duel so far, mainly because King of the Skull Servants is one of the most interesting cards I can think of. (The instant you said Vlad "grows stronger the more he's hit", that occured to me.) That, and Vlad was another subtle character, a nice change from the overenthusiasm of most duelist characters (he reminded me a bit of Kurtis). You even managed to adapt Pennington well, which, given that he's a detective/priest-curator penguin in the original game, is no easy task.

It's not in my nature to just praise, but I honestly can't think of any mistakes worth pointing out. I genuinely feel this is the best chapter yet.

Now, as for the next chapter... I own and have read the first three volumes of the manga, and frankly, I'm stumped. (You covered Jackpot - the American name for the triple-7 guy, as seen in the Dungeon Dice Monsters GBA game - back in "City of Souls", so I doubt it'll be based on him...) I suppose I'll just wait and see.

[Shuppet Master]

Ok, I'm replying from a school computer, but I just had to reply!

Brian, this is probably one of my favorite chapters. I didn't know your favorite deck was a Skull Servant deck! :eek:

I liked Vladimir. Unlike his real-life namesake, he was the "polite gentleman" type. And I liked how S.Q. used an anime-only card on him after he fell. Vlad is really an amazing guy - it's sort of sad that he'll come back and help his siblings later. (Can't tell you what happens, that's a spoiler)

So, we are finally at Fahr Outpost. I have a feeling that Crump and Grodus will be dueling soon, since that was where you stormed the X-Naut Fortress in the Paper Mario 2 game. Keep up the good work! :wink:

[Pokemasterkatie]

Cool; happy b-day DS!:)

King of the Skull Servants...amazing potential for a one-star monster. And it finally makes Skull Servant useful!:p My guess was the Archfiends...I was way off on that one!XD Really cool that it was basically you dueling Andy--no wonder I liked him!:D Speaking of Andy...Oh. My. GOD! Fran's dad's might not be pleased about this...;)

[Dark Sage]

Katie -

Vladimir is the Shadow Spawn of Darkness, so Archfiends do not fit his style. The Archfiends all incorporate every Attribute between them. Of the priciple Archfiends, only Terrorking Archfiend and Skull Archfiend of Lightning are Dark.

True, Vlad used one Earth Monster (Pyramid Turtle), but that was only to bring out a stronger Dark Monster.

- DS

[starjake]

Well, having dueled against your Skull Servant deck, I know how powerful it can be. Also, if you think about it, King of the Skull Servants really represents who Vladimir is: the leader of the queen's servants.

However, I must be honest: I didn't like this chapter as much as I have the others. I don't know why that's the case (maybe I'm just too tired; classes started today), but...oh well. It was still a good chapter, and clever thinking on your part: you're the only person I've ever dueled against who runs that kind of deck.

As a small boost to my story, I've begun work on it, and it should be up in a week or so *crosses fingers*. Anyone who likes the movies will LOVE this duel.

But as for your story...

I await the next chapter!

[Perfect Chaos]

As soon as I saw Skull Servent DS, I knew what deck-style that Vlad would have.

I did enjoy this chapter very much. I liked how Vlad was very much different from the other characters and did not have any cruel intentions on our three heroes. Instead of taunting or what not, he was strict buisness and none of the other nonsense his other brothers and sisters were. Well done, DS

The only peeve I had with this chapter, was when Andy was calling Vlad those whatever-boy insults. I'm glad you stopped after the Matrix one, because if I think if I heard it again, it would had me REALLY irritated.

I look forward to the next chapter.

-$3@n

[Zcade0]

AWSOME CHAPTER!!!
yay! w00t! ect!
anyway, I liked the nice guy thing vlad did and, I too knew the deck once vlad pulled skull servent.
and if anyone checked, dark dosn't mean evil. look at dark magician. Does he look evil? What about karibu? Maybe he will turn fully good l8ter. Again, good chapter.

[Mystic_clown]

Nice chapter dude. Man, I didn't see that coming (I didn't know there was such a card as King of the Skull Servants). I just knew though that Vlad was going to be the honourable one, I just knew it.

Speaking of the What-ever-boy insults, those kinda annoyed me too. I mean, Vlad wasn't flinging insults at him. Although, that Matrix gag was pertty funny (I kinda thought of Vlad sorta like Vincent Valintine in a trench coat, seriously)

[Pokemasterkatie]

King of the Skull Servants is a pretty recent card. It was in the Lost Millennium set as a Common, so it's no surprise DS has the maximum of 3.:)

[Dark Sage]

Well people, it's time for a new chapter...

I like the "Lost Millennium" cards, and I wanted to have someone who used a combo introduced therein.

Then it hit me - one of the main supporting characters in my old trilogy would have used this combo, if "Lost Millennium" had been known to me at the time. So I made a deck similar to hers and created a new character - although he isn't as nice. I named him after one of the earliest villains of the manga, so fans of that medium might recognize this name.

As always, enjoy!

- DS

[Dark Sage]

[B][I]We’ve almost come full-circle on Monster Island…

And I’ve almost come full circle myself.

After five wins and one loss, I have six Crystal Cards, and only need one more to be eligible to find one of the Crystal Stars needed to enter the Thousand Year Door.

Now I’m in a very large dining hall, with snow falling outside, and a roaring fire at one end, ready to duel… My opponent is right in front of me…

I have to win…

It’s my destiny to enter the Thousand Year Door, and he’s not going to stop me…




[B][size=3]CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT



Way of the Warrior



Poshley Heights may have been a good place to live, but you wouldn’t want to visit there. Aside from Pennington, most of the people there were pretty snobbish.

So, after obtaining directions to the next town (the only town they had not yet visited, a place called Fahr Outpost), they waved goodbye to Pennington and were on their way.



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


The Shadow Queen watched them with a grim look on her face.

She walked over to her fireplace, and took a card from her dress.

Monsters weren’t the only thing she could bring to life from cards. She could also use cards to control the very environment of Monster Island.

She looked at the card. It was the Trap called Driving Snow.

She tossed it into the fireplace, and it glowed green…



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


The road going from Poshley Heights was well maintained, but soon it started to get cold. They saw a sign pretty soon:



[B]Fahr Outpost: One Mile


Knowing they’d be there soon was comforting – until it started to snow! It got colder, and they shivered…

“We’re gonna freeze…” muttered Andy. “Since when does it snow in the South Atlantic?”

Then a glow surrounded them, and they were covered by winter coats.

“Who?” said Andy, looking around.

“Feelin b-b-better?” asked a familiar voice.

“MERLEE!” they exclaimed, glad to see him for once.

“Thought I’d k-k-keep you company during your walk for a while,” he said, coming up. “So Andy, you d-d-defeated Vladimir – not an easy f-f-feat.”

“I almost feel sorry for him,” muttered Andy. “He doesn’t seem like that bad a guy…”

Merlee shook his head, sadly.

“Tell that to all the poor souls he’s banished to the Shadow Realm,” muttered Merlee.

“Shadow Realm?” asked Francesca, nervously.

Merlee sighed.

“All of the Shadow Queen’s children have the power to turn a duel into a dangerous contest called a Shadow Game,” he explained. “Anyone who loses such a competition… Well, he’s never heard from again. In a Shadow Game, their power is greater. I’m not certain why they didn’t call forth the shadows when they dueled you – but if they did, the results might have been different…”

He paused.

I fear the worst may yet be to come, he thought. If the Queen is forgiving enough to give her kids a second chance, Stan, Francesca, and Andy might indeed be forced to endure the torture of Shadow Games…

They walked on silently for a while.



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


As buildings came into view, Stan spoke up.

“So what does a Shadow Game entail?” he asked.

“All Shadow Games are different,” replied Merlee, somberly. “They have rules, depending on the nature of whoever initiates it… But one thing remains the same…”

He sighed.

“Whoever loses is banished to the Shadow Realm, sometimes just in mind, sometimes in body as well. In a duelist’s whole career, he’s usually only allowed to lose one Shadow Game. And that’s because the one he loses is the one where he’s banished. Unless he can be rescued by very powerful magic.

“All six of the Spawn have lured many victims into Shadow Games, and once they were done, there was nothing left of their opponents…”

He sighed again.

“W-w-we’re here,” he said. “And now I m-m-must leave you. “W-w-we’ll meet again. When you d-d-don’t need those coats anymore, just leave them on the ground in a n-n-neat pile.”

And then he vanished again.

“Strange guy,” muttered Francesca.

“Yeah, very strange…” answered Andy.

The snow was coming down harder as they walked into the small town. The buildings of Fahr Outpost suggested longhouses made of huge logs. A few people were around, dressed in heavy coats and wearing fur hats.

Stan went up to one of them.

“Excuse me sir…” he said.

“Oh, hello!” said the man.

He was a very big guy, with a large moustache and larger muscles. His accent was definitely Russian.

“A contestant, I see,” he said, noticing the Disk. “You a big, tough, duelist, no?”

He slapped Stan on the back, almost causing him to fall over!

“Uh, yeah,” muttered Stan, getting up. “Look, pal, is there a place where my friends and I can warm up, get something hot to drink?”

“Da! It cold!” he responded.

The man pointed to the largest building.

“Go to Great Hall,” he said. “You get warm in there!”

“Uh, thanks, Mr…” started Stan.

“Smerdyakov!” stated the man. “Alyosha Smerdyakov, at your service!”

He slapped Stan on the back again.

“Well, at least these guys are friendly,” said Andy, coming up.

“Yeah, a little too friendly…” muttered Stan.



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


The Great Hall was certainly “great”. At one end of the building, which seemed to be made of almost all wood, was a huge fireplace, holding a practical bonfire. Tables were lined up on either sides of the hall, and both guests and townsfolk alike were seated at them. Pretty serving maids carried pots of coffee and hot chocolate around for anyone who wanted it (it was a little too early for dinner). A bartender surrounded by kegs of more potent stuff stood to the side.

“AH!” exclaimed Stan, sipping his chocolate, “this is rather good!”

“So,” said Andy, “each of us only needs one more card… And there are plenty of duelists around…”

“Yeah,” said Francesca. “What say we…”

“So,” said a voice behind Stan. “I’ve finally found you…”

Stan turned, to see a large teenager. His features suggested Japanese, and he was muscular. He had brown eyes, and his hair was pulled back in a short ponytail.

“Found me?” asked Stan. “You’ve been looking for me?”

“Yes, Stan,” answered the youth. “You’re that kid with the Dark Magician who beat that kid with the Phoenix, right?”

“Uh huh,” answered Stan. “What’s it to you?”

“Let’s just say I’ve wanted to duel your kind for some time,” he answered.

Stan sipped his chocolate.

“My kind?” he asked. “Who exactly is ‘my kind’, and who are you?”

“Call me Ushio,” he answered. “And I’ll explain. I entered the Battle City tournament some time ago…”

That certainly made Stan take notice.

“…and when I entered, I had one goal in mind,” continued Ushio, “to challenge Yugi Mouto – publicly. I wanted to prove that my cards were better than the legendary Dark Magician…”

“Do tell…” muttered Stan. He chuckled inwardly. His mentor could have destroyed this guy in his sleep…

“Unfortunately, I lost my only Locator Card before I could even find him,” growled Ushio. “The good news was, losing my rarest card wasn’t much of a loss – I was able to get another copy in no time…”

Stan was getting the picture. This guy was likely a spoiled rich kid who could buy anything.

“I hate to tell you this, buddy,” he muttered, “but Yugi would have kicked your butt to Hoboken. And are you sure that showing him up wasn’t your only goal? Maybe the ante rule interested you – that Dark Magician was worth a lot…”

“Perhaps,” said Ushio, with a grin, “And as for whether I can beat him we’ll see, because I’ll find him eventually. In the meantime, I’m going to warm up on you! That Dark Magician isn’t so tough…”

Stan chuckled.

“If you couldn’t win even one round in Battle City,” he laughed, “you aren’t much of a duelist.”

“Am I?” asked Ushio.

He pulled out five Crystal Cards.

Stan sipped his drink again, and pulled out his own set.

“SIX?” gasped Ushio.

“Uh huh,” said Stan, looking away. “Still think Dark Magician isn’t so tough? Maybe you’d do better challenging someone with a little less…”

At that point, a large knife stabbed into the table next to Stan.

Ushio’s eyes narrowed. Stan stared at him.

“I’m not backing down!” exclaimed Ushio. “My martial arts deck will devastate your Spellcasters! We’re dueling whether you like it or not!”

Martial arts deck? thought Stan. Now that’s a new one.

“Fine,” said Stan, putting his mug down. “Since you asked so politely… This hall is the perfect spot for a battlefield!”

“Hey everyone!” shouted Alyosha, “there’s a duel starting!”



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


“Grodus, take note,” said the Queen to top lieutenant as they watched. “If Stan wins this next duel, I’ll be sending him to duel for one of the Crystal Stars.”

“I think it’s almost a certainty,” muttered Grodus. “It that arrogant musclehead could defeat him, Leopold would have handed him his lungs.”

“True,” chuckled the Queen.

She looked at a Trap Card in her hand.

“And I know just where I’m going to send him once he wins…”



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


Stan and Ushio stood in the center of the Great Hall, and they were surrounded by a larger crowd than usual.

“Here we go,” muttered Francesca. “After all this time, if Stan wins, he’ll get his seven cards!”

“I can barely contain the excitement…” muttered Andy.

The Disks flipped into position, and the holo-imagers started to flare.

“Try not to let me defeat you too fast,” stated Ushio. “I don’t want to win before I destroy your Dark Magician!”

“You have twisted motives, Ushio,” answered Stan. “Just because you’re able to defeat a famous Monster doesn’t make you a better duelist. Yugi Mouto himself saw his Dark Magician defeated several times, but he always managed to triumph anyway, and his opponents couldn’t claim they were better than him then.”

“We’ll see,” said Ushio, with a grin. “Now draw your first card!”

Stan made a draw.

Man this hand bites, he thought. And I’ve got to be careful in this duel…

He placed a card down.

“I’ll summon this guy in Defense Mode,” he said. “The Illusory Gentleman!”

As he often did for an opening move, the colorful, caped Spellcaster appeared, this time kneeling and holding his cane across his knee. (1,500/1,600)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LOD-EN053.jpg


“Well, I must say I give you points for originality, Stan,” muttered Ushio.

He drew.

He made a face, as he placed a card down.

“I summon Usagi Warrior in Attack Mode!” he exclaimed.

A bright light shone on his side, and an odd Monster appeared. It was a man-shaped creature wearing a martial arts gi, with the head of a rabbit-like creature, its ears tied back.

It drew a long katana blade and stood in attack stance. (1,500/1,000)

“A rabbit?” asked Stan, raising an eyebrow.

“No, a hare,” answered Ushio. “And I always like opening a duel with Usagi here – the hare is a symbol of good luck in Japan.

“Actually, don’t Americans have something about a rabbit’s foot being good luck?”

“I don’t believe in that superstition,” replied Stan. “If you get a rabbit’s foot, always remember that the rabbit it came from wasn’t very lucky!”

Everyone chuckled.

“Touché,” answered Ushio. “Your move…”

His hand must be just as bad as mine to summon a Monster like that, thought Stan, drawing.

He looked at the card.

Time to get an early lead…

“I’ll switch my Gentleman into Attack Mode,” he started.

He turned the card, and the Gentleman stood up.

“And now, I’ll summon Skilled White Magician in Attack Mode!”

He put the card down, and the robed sorcerer of Light appeared! (1,700/1,900)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/MFC-064.jpg


“Skilled White Magician, attack his Usagi!” shouted Stan.

The Spellcaster aimed his staff, and fired at Usagi Warrior! The Beast-Warrior dropped his sword and collapsed before bursting into bright pixels!

“Illusory Gentleman, attack directly!” ordered Stan.

The Spellcaster thrust forth his cane and fired his colorful burst, striking Ushio in the chest! Ushio strained under the blast…

As he caught his breath, his Life Points fell to 6,300.

“Not bad,” he painted. “But I’m just getting started…”

He drew.

He smiled as he looked at the Magic Card.

“I play… Swords of Revealing Light!” he said with a chuckle.

Stan gasped, as a cage of Swords rained down upon him.

“Man, that card is popular,” muttered Francesca.

“And now,” said Ushio, taking another card from his hand, “I’ll summon this creature in Attack Mode… Monk Fighter!”

He put the card down, and a muscular man dressed in a mustard-yellow toga with stark-white hair appeared. (1,300/1,000)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/TLM-EN019.jpg


“Monk Fighter?” said a startled Stan. “What does he do?”

“By himself?” replied Ushio. “I take no damage from any battle involving him. But he’s useful for another purpose – don’t think I’ll tell you what it is!

“It’s your move…”

“Fine,” said Stan, making a draw.

“I’ll summon White Magician Pikeru in Defense Mode,” he continued.

He put another card down, and the adorable child Spellcaster appeared. (1,200/0)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/AST-033.jpg


“That’s my turn,” he stated.

Ushio chuckled as he drew.

“I’ll pass this turn,” he said. “Your move.”

Huh? thought Stan. Now why didn’t he attack Pikeru? Doesn’t he see that she has zero Defense Points? Doesn’t he know what she can do?

He made a draw.

“Pikeru, go!” he shouted.

Pikeru waved her glowing staff, and white energy flowed from her, The Illusory Gentleman, Skilled White Magician, and Monk Fighter, flowing into Stan. His Life Points rose to 9,600.

“Now I’ll summon Neo the Magic Swordsman in Attack Mode!” he shouted.

He put his card down, and the handsome Spellcaster carrying his magical blade appeared. (1,700/1,000)



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


“You Swords are going to wear off soon,” warned Stan, “and unless you summon something stronger, my Spellcasters will plow into you!”

“I end my turn…”



Continued...

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:


Ushio drew.

He chuckled.

“You were saying?” he said with a smile. “Like I said, Monk Fighter has another use – the only way I can summon one of the strongest Monsters I have is to sacrifice him!”

He threw a card down. Monk Fighter burst into fragments.

“So now I summon… Master Monk!”

A large form arose. It was an elderly man with drab skin, and enormous muscles. He had long white hair and a beard, and wore only a ragged pair of trousers. (1,900/1,000)



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


“That doesn’t look so impressive…” muttered Stan.

“Really?” said Ushio, with a smile. “Master Monk can attack twice in one round! Master Monk, wipe out Pikeru and Skilled White Magician with Shaolin fury!”

The huge monk leapt and did a flip. He made two savage kicks, blasting White Magician Pikeru and Skilled White Magician out of existence before they saw it coming.

Stan’s Life Points fell to 9,400.

“I’m not scared of your Warrior!” he shouted. “Even if he can attack twice!”

“First of all,” said Ushio, “Master Monk is a Rock Monster, not a Warrior.

“Second, attacking twice is only what he can do on his own. With help, he becomes even more powerful.

“With that in mind, I’ll set one card facedown, and end my turn.”

He fit a card into a slot, and it materialized in front of Master Monk.

“That guy isn’t so tough,” said Andy. “Most of Stan’s high-level Monsters could take him down…”

“Let’s hope he draws one,” muttered Francesca.

Stan drew.

“I’ll summon Mystical Elf in Defense Mode!” he exclaimed.

He put a card down, and the holy elf appeared, kneeling in Defense. (800/2,000)

“And I’ll also move Neo and my Gentleman to Defense Mode,” he said.

He turned the cards, and his two other Spellcasters knelt.

“And now I’ll end my turn,” he said, “which means your Swords are gone.”

The Swords of Revealing Light flickered and vanished.

Ushio drew his card.

He smirked slightly.

“Sorry, Stan,” he said, “but putting Monsters in Defense Mode doesn’t always work against Master Monk…”

“Don’t tell me he has a trampling effect too!” yelled Stan.

“Even better,” answered Ushio, throwing a card into a slot, “but he needs a little accessory first. I Equip him with my Legendary Black Belt!”

A long, cloth, black belt appeared, and tied itself around Master Monk’s waist.

“With this Magic Card in place,” explained Ushio, “whenever Master Monk destroys a Monster, the owner of that Monster loses Life Points equal to the Monster’s Defense Score!”

Oh, great… thought Stan.

“Master Monk!” shouted Ushio. “Attack his Illusory Gentleman!”

Master Monk gave a kick, smashing the Gentleman to bits.

“AND Neo!” he shouted.

Master Monk gave another kick, blowing Neo to shards.

Stan’s Life Points plummeted to 6,800.

“Stan’s in bad shape…” muttered Andy.

“Don’t worry,” assured Francesca. “That Monk still can’t get past Mystical Elf…”

“It’s your move, Stan,” said Ushio with a grin.

And once I draw another Monk accessory, he’s really in trouble! he thought.

Stan made a draw.

All right! he thought.

He switched cards on his Disk.

“I sacrifice Mystical Elf for Dark Magician Girl!” he shouted.

Mystical Elf vanished, and Dark Magician Girl flew forward in a flurry of hearts! (2,000/1,700)

A bevy of catcalls and cheers came from the onlookers. However, Ushio was not impressed.

“Excuse me, Stan?” he growled. “I wanted to face your Dark Magician, not his second-rate apprentice!”

Stan gave him a dirty look.

“In case you didn’t notice, buddy,” he sneered, “her Attack Score is 2,000, which is 100 more than your Master Monk!”

“So then by all means, attack,” dared Ushio.

Stan was about to order an attack…

Wait! he thought. His facedown card!

He paused. Ushio smirked at him.

If that card is something that will destroy Dark Magician Girl, I’ll be subject to TWO direct attacks from Master Monk when it’s his turn!

Stan started to sweat.

Maybe I should play it safe and just end my turn… he thought.

He paused.

NO! I’ve got to chance it! I can’t risk him drawing something to make his Monk even stronger!

“Dark Magician Girl, attack!” he shouted.

Dark Magician Girl aimed her scepter…

“Activate… Lone Wolf!” shouted Ushio.

His facedown card lifted, showing a Trap with the picture of a mysterious looking monk in front of a starry sky.

The blast of dark magic hit Master Monk, but it merely glanced off his muscular chest.

Ushio’s Life Points fell to 6,200.

“Lone Wolf?” said Stan, startled. “What’s that?”

“Ever see the movie Lone Wolf and Cub?” asked Ushio. “It’s an old film about a disgraced Samurai who protects a child. This Continuous Trap protects Master Monk. So long as its on the field, he can’t be destroyed in battle! Your sorceress’s attack may have cost me 100 Life Points, but it couldn’t crack him!”

“Fine,” muttered Stan. “It’s your turn.”

Ushio drew.

This gal will be good for later, he thought.

“I’ll move Master Monk into Defense Mode for now,” he said, turning the card.

Master Monk knelt.

“And that’s my turn.”

“Geesh,” exclaimed Andy. “With that Trap in place, Master Monk is a virtual wall!”

Stan drew his card.

“I summon Goombella the Scholar in Defense Mode!” he exclaimed.

He put the card down, and the cute little Goomba with the ponytail appeared. (500/2,000)

She hopped on Stan’s shoulders, and the top four cards floated off of his deck.

Hmm, thought Stan, I’ve got an idea…

He made some rearrangements, and they floated back to his deck. Goombella hopped down.

“Your move, Ushio,” he said.

Ushio drew.

He burst out laughing!

“I just drew a very powerful card!” he shouted.

He turned the card on his Disk.

“I’ll move Master Monk, back to Attack Mode!” he exclaimed.

Master Monk moved back up into attack formation.

“And not I play this!” he yelled, throwing a Magic Card into a slot. “Kaminote Blow!”

“What does that do?” asked a shocked Stan.

“Simple,” chuckled Stan. “It allows Master Monk to destroy any Monsters he battles during this turn, regardless of how strong they are!”

Stan gulped.

“Master Monk, attack Dark Magician Girl!” he shouted.

Master Monk kicked Dark Magician Girl in the gut! She shrieked and then shattered to pieces.

“Now attack his Goomba!” he shouted.

Master Monk gave Goombella a kick, and she went flying. She vanished into pixels.

“Of course, due to my Lone Wolf card, he’s unharmed from attacking a Monster stronger than he is,” chuckled Ushio. “And due to his Legendary Black Belt…”

Stan gasped.

“I lose 3,700 Life Points!” he exclaimed.

His Life Points fell to 3,100.

“And all it cost me was 200 lousy Life Points…” giggled Ushio, as his Life Points fell to 6,000. “Make your move.”

“Oh, I’ll move, all right,” sneered Stan.

He drew.

“I play my Pot of Greed!” he exclaimed.

He played the card, and the laughing jar handed him two more cards.

“Now I’ll play a card that might be familiar to you…” he said. “Swords of Revealing Light!”

He played the card, and the wall of Swords crashed down, this time around Ushio.

“Well that stinks…” muttered Ushio.

“Now, I’ll play this card facedown,” he continued.

He fit a card into a slot.

“And I’ll also summon Gemini Elf in Attack Mode!”

He set the card down, and the two twin elves appeared in the air, and made a perfect four-point landing. (1,900/900)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LON-EN000.jpg


“And that ends my turn,” said Stan.

Ushio drew.

Perfect, he thought, now I can destroy his Swords… And thanks to my Lone Wolf card, Master Monk can destroy Gemini Elf with no problem…

“I’ll place a card facedown,” he said, “and that will be all.”

He slid a card into a slot, and it appeared behind Master Monk.

Stan drew.

“I’ll pass this turn,” he said with a slight grin.

“Then it’s time to wipe out your elves and a chunk of your Life Points!” laughed Ushio. “I activate Dust Tornado!”

His Trap Card lifted, and a whirlwind whipped across the field, shattering the Swords.

“Now I can…” he started.

“Hold it right there, Ushio!” shouted Stan. “You fell right into my Trap! I was hoping you’d do that, so I could activate my Counter Trap!”

“Counter Trap?” gasped Ushio.

“Yes!” laughed Stan, as his own Trap lifted. “A useful thing called An Eye For An Eye! This Trap does exactly what one of your Normal Magic or Trap Cards does, so now I can destroy one of your cards! And I’m aiming right for your Lone Wolf!”

Ushio gasped as his Lone Wolf card shattered.

“Well, well,” said Stan with a smirk. “Now your Monk can’t attack my elves without being destroyed himself. What a shame…”

Ushio growled.

“Fine!” he shouted. “I end my turn!”

“Right!” shouted Stan, drawing.

“I sacrifice Gemini Elf for Chaos Command Magician!” he shouted.

Gemini Elf shattered, and the shining Spellcaster of Light appeared. (2,400/1,900)

“Chaos Command Magician, attack his Master Monk with chaos blast!”

Chaos Command Magician shot forth a blast of colored lights, blowing Master Monk into pebbles!

Ushio shielded himself as his Life Points fell to 5,500.

“This duel is far from over, Stan!” he shouted.

“Then make your move,” goaded Stan.

“Yes!” laughed Andy. “Stan got rid of that crummy Master Monk!”

“I dunno,” muttered Francesca. “I have a feeling that worst is yet to come…”

Ushio placed a card down.

“I’ll summon Big Shield Gardna in Defense Mode!” he exclaimed.

The hulking barbarian crouching behind a huge shield appeared. (100/2,600)

“Seems like you’re running out of moves, Ushio,” stated Stan.

He made his draw.

“I’ll summon Skilled Dark Magician in Attack Mode!” he proclaimed, placing a card down.

The dark twin of Skilled White Magician appeared, brandishing his staff. (1,900/1,700)

“I’m still not impressed,” muttered Ushio, making a draw.

He looked at the card.

Yes! he thought. The main man himself… and I know just how to bring him out…

“I’ll place these two cards facedown on the field,” he said, fitting two cards into slots.

Two cards materialized behind Big Shield Gardna.

“Now I’m about to summon a demon straight from Japanese folklore!” he exclaimed. “I sacrifice my Big Shield to summon Ushi Oni, in Attack Mode!”

He switched cards, and Big Shield Gardna vanished.

A large clay jar appeared on the ground in front of him…

Then smoke started to appear from the jar. The smoke formed into a huge, hulking, muscular Fiend with a bull-like head wearing a tattered blue breastplate. (2,150/1,950)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/MP1-013.jpg


“Man!” shouted Andy, “that is one humungous hamburger!”

“Yeah,” said Francesca, strangely, “but it’s clearly weaker than Chaos Command Magician…”

She paused.

“Oh no…” she muttered. “Ushio wants Stan to destroy it!”

“Ushi Oni!” shouted Ushio. “Attack his Skilled Dark Magician with darkfire breath!”

Steam blasted from Ushi Oni’s nostrils. He blew a stream of black fire at Skilled Dark Magician, burning him up!

Stan’s Life Points fell to 2,850.

“Your move,” said Ushio.

Stan drew a card.

“Okay, buddy,” he said, “I’m playing Sweet Treat!”

He fit the card into a slot, and the gingerbread man holding his pink die appeared.

“Huh?” quizzed Ushio. “Your cards are weird…”

“Weird, but powerful!” exclaimed Stan. “This die will roll, and the result will be multiplied by 1,000 and added to my score!”

The cookie tossed the die…

“Come on…” urged Francesca.

“Roll high…” pleaded Andy.

And it landed on…

“A one?” shouted Stan.

“HA, HA, HA!” laughed Ushio. “Here’s a tip, Stan! Don’t honeymoon in Vegas!”

“I still get one thousand Life Points!” sneered Stan, as his Life Points went up to 3,850.

“Well, are you going to attack or aren’t you?” chuckled Ushio.

“I can’t!” answered Stan. “After I play Sweet Treat, I have to end my turn.”

“Okay…” muttered Ushio, drawing.

Eh, this is no good, he thought.

“I’ll pass this turn,” he said.

“Okay,” muttered Stan, drawing.

Well, that’s useful, he thought.

“I’ll summon Pixie Knight in Defense Mode!” he stated, placing a card down.

The female pixie in her blue witch’s outfit appeared, hiding behind her wings. (1,300/200)

“And now I play… Mystical Space Typhoon!” he shouted, throwing a card into a slot. “Say goodbye to that card!”

The whirlwind blasted forward, and shattered the facedown card on the left, which was Magic Cylinder.

“I thought so,” muttered Stan. “Now, Chaos Command Magician, attack his Ushi Oni!”

Chaos Command Magician blasted forth his spell, blowing the Fiend and his jar into pieces!

Ushio’s Life Points fell to 5,250.

“HA!” laughed Ushio. “You fell for it!”

His other facedown card lifted. It was a Quickplay Magic Card showing a woman fleeing from two ghostly hands.

“Activate… Revenge Sacrifice!” he shouted.

Chaos Command Magician vanished into pixels.

“This Magic Card lets me sacrifice one of your Monsters when it destroys one of mine!” laughed Ushio. “And here comes that rare Monster I was talking about! I summon Yamoto the Noble Samurai!”

A beam of light fell upon the room. An imposing figure arose. He was tall, broad, and clad in golden armor, the traditional raiment of the Samurai. Slowly, he drew a long katana from its sheath on his back, and held it in preparation to attack. (2,200/2,000)

“Uh… Impressive,” said Stan, nervously.

“Anything else?” asked Ushio.

“No, just move,” muttered Stan.

Ushio drew.

“In that case,” he stated, “I think Yamoto looks lonely on the field by himself… So I’ll summon his partner…”

He placed a card down.

“His eager student, Sashia the Samurai Squire!”

Another beam of light hit the field, and another Warrior appeared. This one was a young girl, dressed in leather armor. She had a bow and a quiver of arrows on her back, and carried a shortsword. (1,700/1,500)

“And by the way,” added Ushio, “when Sashia is on the field with her mentor, she gains 300 Attack Points.”

(2,000/1,500)

“Good lord…” muttered Francesca. “Stan’s in big trouble…”

“Sashia!” shouted Ushio, “attack his Pixie Knight!”

Sashia leapt forward with her sword, and Pixie Knight was eradicated!



Continued...

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:


“Good show,” muttered Stan. “But since you destroyed her, you now have to choose one Magic Card from my Graveyard and add it to the top of my deck!”

Ushio was taken aback by this.

“Um…” he said. “Can I see what I have available?”

Stan was about to reach for his discard slot, but then, suddenly, images of Pot of Greed, Swords of Revealing Light, Sweet Treat, and Mystical Space Typhoon appeared over him.

“All right…” mumbled Ushio. “I’ll let you have back Pot of Greed…”

The card flew out of his discard slot and placed itself on the top of his deck.

“And it’s still my move!” he continued. “Yamoto, attack him directly with blade of honor!”

Yamoto held his sword up and it glowed with light!

This is gonna sting… though Stan.

Yamoto slashed at Stan with his katana, and he fell over, wincing in pain!

His Life Points dove to 1,650.

“Ow… ow… ow…” groaned Stan.

“Stan! Get up!” shouted Francesca.

“I’ll live…” muttered Stan.

“I’ll place a card facedown, and that will end my turn,” said Ushio, placing a card down.

A card materialized behind his two Warriors.

He drew the Pot of Greed.

Think I’ll save this for now… he thought.

He chose another card.

“I play Premature Burial!” he exclaimed, putting a card into a slot.

His Life Points went down to 850.

“And I’ll bring back Chaos Command Magician!”

Chaos Command Magician arose again. (2,400/1,900)

“Go!” shouted Stan. “Attack Yamoto!”

Chaos Command Magician fired his colored beam.

“Activate Waboku!” shouted Ushio.

The Trap lifted, and the three emissaries rose up to halt the attack.

“Fine,” said Stan. “I end my turn. But now what are you gonna do? Neither of them can defeat my Magician.”

“Neither of them can defeat them by themselves, that’s true,” answered Ushio. “But you’re thinking too small. When Sashia and Yamoto are on the field together, I can forfeit their normal attacks to create one cooperative attack as if I were attacking with a Monster who had 2,600 Attack Points!”

Stan’s eyes opened wide!

“Yamoto… Sashia…” said Ushio. “Combine your attacks! Ki energy blast!”

The two Samurai crossed their swords, and blasted a ray of pure light, blowing Chaos Command Magician away.

Stan’s Life Points fell to 650.

“Do you really think you can win, Stan?” chuckled Ushio. “I have 5,250 Life Points left, and yours are in triple digits!”

“I’m not finished yet, Ushio!” shouted Stan.

He drew.

His eyes opened wide again! But this time, it wasn’t in fear…

“Not I’ll summon this gal in Attack Mode! Meet Vivian the Shadow Siren!”

A form emerged from the shadows. The ghostly-yet-cute form of Vivian emerged, bearing a big grin. (1,800/1,000)

And that’s my turn, Ushio,” he said.

What is he up to? thought Ushio. I could wipe him out in this turn alone! Does that… Vivian have some sort of special effect that can stop me? Or maybe destroy a Monster when it’s destroyed.

He drew.

Yeah, I’ll bet that’s it! Well, I might as well put one more Monster on the field to be safe…

“I’ll summon another Usagi Warrior in Attack Mode!” he shouted.

He put a card down, and the hare-headed Beast-Warrior appeared. (1,500/1,000)

“Sashia!” shouted Ushio. “Take down his Fiend!”

Sashia charged.

Stan discarded a card, and Vivian melted into the shadows! Sashia looked around, confused.

“Don’t call Vivian a Fiend, Ushio, you’ll hurt her feelings,” scolded Stan. “She’s a Spellcaster.”

“Where’d she go?” asked Ushio.

“Here she comes,” answered Stan.

Vivian reappeared.

“If I discard one card, Vivian can use her Veil to protect one Monster from an attack, including herself!” exclaimed Stan.

Ushio frowned.

“Yamoto, you attack her!” he shouted.

Yamoto raised his katana and charged.

“She can do it more than once per turn, Ushio!” Stan said, discarding another card.

Vivian vanished into the shadows again, and Yamoto’s sword cut air.

“Fine,” growled Ushio. “I end my turn. But that ability is eating up your hand! You only have three cards left!”

“Here comes four!” said Stan, drawing.

He looked at the card.

“And now I’ll play Pot of Greed,” he continued, “subtracting one, and adding two, for a total of five.”

The Pot handed him two more cards.

“And now I’ll subtract one more, to summon Ebon Magician Curran in Attack Mode!” he shouted.

He placed the card down, and the young Spellcaster with the black dress and bunny-eared hood appeared, holding her switch. (1,200/0)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/crv-jp031.jpg


“Now, Vivian,” he commanded, “attack his Usagi Warrior with your Fiery Jinx!”

Vivian shot forth waves of flame from her hands, and Usagi was incinerated.

Ushio’s Life Points fell to 4,950.

“Your move,” said Stan with a smile.

Ushio angrily drew.

Nothing I can summon without a sacrifice, he muttered. Oh well, I can get him to use up his cards…

“Sashia, attack bunny-girl!” he shouted.

Sashia lunged. Stan discarded one of his cards, and Vivian grabbed Curran, pulling her into the shadows.

They reappeared.

“Yamoto, you attack her!” he shouted.

Yamoto attacked, and Stand repeated the move.

“Make your move…” growled Ushio.

Stan drew.

Curran laughed and shot her dark spell forth, blasting Ushio! He groaned, and his Life Points fell to 3,750.

Stan now had three cards in his hand, but he doubted he needed them any more.

“I’ll place one card facedown,” he said, placing a card into a slot.

The card appeared.

“Now,” he said, with a smile. “I’ll do what you were waiting for this whole time – I’ll sacrifice Vivian and Curran to summon Dark Magician!”

Vivian and Curran shattered into pixels, and the mighty Dark Magician appeared! (2,500/2,100)

Well, thought Ushio, it’s about time…

“And,” continued Stan, “since I don’t like keeping my Companions in the Graveyard if I can help it, I’ll use Monster Reborn to bring Vivian back!”

He placed his last card in a slot, and Vivian reappeared.

“Huh? Wait a minute…” stammered Ushio.

“Dark Magician attack Yamoto!” shouted Stan. “Dark magic attack!”

Dark Magician spun his staff dramatically, and cast his dark spell; Yamoto the Noble Samurai groaned, and was blasted into shards!

“And without him,” said Stan with a grin, “Sashia loses her 300 extra Attack Points, making her easy prey for Vivian! Vivian, attack Sashia with Fiery Jinx!”

Vivian giggled and shot forth her blasts of fire! The Samurai Squire cringed and was blown away.

Ushio’s Life Points fell to 3,350.

Cheers went up in the Great Hall.

“You have no Monsters left, Ushio…” mocked Stan.

Ushio drew.

And he grinned.

“And you have no cards left in your hand!” he gloated. “So Vivian is history!”

He put another card down.

“I’ll place this facedown…” he started.

A facedown card appeared.

“Now I’ll summon another Monk Fighter…” he continued.

A second Monk Fighter appeared. (1,300/1,000)

“And I’ll sacrifice him to summon my second Master Monk!” he concluded.

He switched cards, and another of the powerful Rock-fighters appeared. (1,900/1,000)

“Master Monk, attack Vivian with Shaolin fury!” shouted Ushio.

Master Monk closed in for a kick…

“Activate… Negate Attack!” shouted Stan.

His Trap Card lifted, and Master Monk was stopped dead in his tracks.

“Pitiful,” muttered Ushio. “You can only stop his attack once next turn, and remember, he can attack twice!”

His plan is obvious, thought Stan. That facedown card is obviously another Lone Wolf, and he’s going to stall until he gets another Legendary Black Belt! Then he’ll attack Vivian, and I’ll lose!

Unless I draw something good…

He drew.

“I summon…” he shouted. “…Breaker, the Magical Warrior!”

He threw his card down, and the orange robed, cowled Spellcaster with his magical sword and shield appeared in a flash. (1,600/1,000)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/MFC-071.jpg


“Breaker, break his facedown card!” shouted Stan.

Energy coursed from Breaker’s sword! The facedown card lifted up – revealed to be, naturally, another Lone Wolf – and shattered!

“NO!” screamed Ushio. “It wasn’t meant to go this way!”

“Oh yes!” said Stan with a smile. “I think you now know that you wouldn’t have stood a chance against Yugi Mouto!

“Dark Magician, attack his Master Monk!”

Dark Magician fired, blasting Master Monk into shards of rock!

Ushio shielded himself with his hand, as his Life Points fell to 2,750.

“And now, Breaker… Vivian…” commanded Stan. “Attack him directly and finish this!”

To the cheers in the hall, Breaker savagely struck Ushio with his sword, and Vivian roasted him with her fire! As his Life Points plummeted to nothing, Ushio fell to the ground, groaning in pain.

“And that,” sighed Stan in relief, “is all she wrote.”

Cheers came up from the crowd.



* * * * * * * * * *


Ushio wasn’t much for small talk. He had simply thrown one of his Crystal Cards in Stan’s face and left the Great Hall in disgrace.

As Stan sat drinking another cup of chocolate, Alyosha came up to him.

“That was great duel, comrade!” laughed Alyosha, slapping him on the back again. “I like men like you!”

Stan struggled to remain on his chair after the slap had almost knocked him off.

I shudder to think of what he does to people he [B]doesn’t like… he thought.

He slowly put his seven Crystal Cards on the table.

“So,” asked Francesca, “what are you waiting for? Sydney said that all you needed to do was place those into your Disk, and it would lead you to the location of a Crystal Star.”

Stan got up.

“Well, there’s no time like the present…” he muttered.

He flicked his Disk into position.

Then he placed five of the cards on his Monster Zone, and two into his Magic/Trap Zone.

A flash of light emitted from the Disk, and an image of Monster Island came into view.

A female voice spoke up.

“Congratulations, contestant!” she said. “You have won seven Crystal Cards!”

A pointer on the map honed in on Keelhaul Key, and the map changed to that area.

“You have been selected to compete for the Sapphire Star,” continued the voice. “Win this Star, and you can enter the Thousand Year Door at any time.”

“Compete for it?” asked Stan. “Then there’s more to this?”

“You will find the Sapphire Star in Cortez’s Lair,” said the voice.

“Cortez?” asked Andy. “The pirate king?”

A card appeared in front of Stan, as if an opponent had placed it on the field facedown. Then it slowly lifted up…



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/DCR-052.jpg


“I know that Trap,” said Francesca. “It’s called Interdimensional Matter Transporter.”

The machine came off the card, and a portal opened in front of it.

“Enter the portal of the Interdimensional Matter Transporter,” said the voice, “and you will be transported to the area you seek.”

The three teens paused.

But they guessed it was now or never.

They entered the portal...



USAGI WARRIOR

Card Specs

Type: Beast-Warrior
Attribute: Light
Level: 4
ATK: 1,500
DEF: 1,000

Card Description: Part hare and part soldier, this dedicated martial artist brings luck to his allies and misfortune to his enemies.



YAMOTO THE NOBLE SAMURAI

Card Specs

Type: Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 6
ATK: 2,200
DEF: 2,000

Card Description: This noble warrior bravely wields his sword to vanquish the forces of evil. This Monster gains a bonus 500 points when fighting FIEND-Type Monsters. Also, if you posses a “Yamoto the Celestial Avatar” in your deck when an opponent uses the effect of “Time Wizard” successfully, this Monster is not destroyed.



SASHIA THE SAMURAI SQUIRE

Card Specs

Type: Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 4
ATK: 1,700
DEF: 1,500

Card Description: The young pupil of Yamoto, she is completely dedicated to her teacher. This Monster gains 300 points to its ATK score for each “Yamoto the Noble Samurai” on its controller’s side of the field. In addition, when this Monster is on the field with at least one “Yamoto the Noble Samurai,” both Monsters can forgo their normal attacks to make one cooperative attack at a 2,600 point intensity.

Note: The preceding three cards first appeared in “Legacy of the Duelist”.



REVENGE SACRIFICE

Card Specs

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

Card Description: Image of a woman fleeing from two ghostly hands. You can activate this card when one of your Monsters is destroyed in battle. Tribute the Monster that destroyed your Monster, and Special Summon one Monster from your hand. The Monster you Special Summon cannot exceed the Tribute requirements.

Note: “Revenge Sacrifice” ws first used by Krump in “Freeze Play”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



[I][B]Coming up next:

A king’s ransom in pirate’s gold… It would be a dream come true, if not for the monstrous phantasm guarding it!

Stan goes up against one of the most memorable villains from the video game, the ghost pirate (or was he a pirate ghost?) Cortez! And wait until you hear what his story is! It’s coming up in a chapter called “Skull and Crossbones”, very soon…

[Pokemasterkatie]

Ushio--I remember him! The hall monitor of Yugi-tachi's high school, and a mega bully.:mad: Then again, if it weren't for his bullying ways, Joey and Yugi wouldn't have gotten to be friends.;)

Yeah; Jade might've used that combination...Master Monk is an interesting monster, since he can attack twice naturally(BLS-EotB has to destroy a monster to do that, if I read right). An animé character that might've used this as well would be Vivian Wong(she looks like Mei-Lin from Cardcaptors!); though she has a Kung-Fu deck, and I dunno how similar that is to what I take(karate). Well, we'll find out soon, because I think her match is next week...

[Perfect Chaos]

That was alright chapter DS. I guess you used it as a filler chapter since I know that that character would probably not make a reappearance later on in the story (or will he?) and the duel was OK at best (though I liked how you managed to incorporate the Monk monsters). I never watched the original Yu-Gi-Oh or read any of the manga so I didn't know how this character was at all.

Look forward to seeing Stan duel Cortez.

And four more (or three?) chapters till the contest!

-$3@n

[starjake]

It's nice to see Jade's Deck again, though I'm not to sure it belonged in the hands of such a rude person. Jake would be highly upset, I'm sure.

Then again, I don't think Jade's been born yet. Or, at least, she's not a duelist yet.

Anyways, I too liked the Monks; they're powerful if used correctly, as Stan found out. And now Stan has seven cards, and is going up against Cortez himself! Since I know nothing ahout the game, I don't know anything about the nature of this ghost, but I'm sure it'll be a spooky duel.

I await the next chapter!

[Pokemasterkatie]

Nope; remember that this took place right after the Doma saga...I don't think Mai and Valon would be even speaking to each other at the time. Or at least Mai wouldn't be talking to Valon...Valon did have a bit of a crush on Mai.:)

[Dark Sage]

I have an announcement for all submitters of user characters.

First, I have decided on the date in which I will post the contest: Saturday, September 24, which should be the date I post Chapter 32.

Second, I'll explain the rules of this contest:

It's a test of twenty not-very-easy questions relating to the card game. I will post them, and all submitters will have a week to PM me with their answers. The two submitters who get the most right will be the winners.

More about the prizes involved when I actually post the contest.

So mark it on your map, and strive for the Thousand Year Door...

- DS

[FusionSonicX_2000]

Coolie, a contest. That's cool. Another great chapter Dark Sage.

[Shuppet Master]

Great chapter, Brian. And the contest si the 24th? Sounds interesting. :)

So, the character you used was the very first bad guy, that bully Ushio. From what I know, Yami awakened at that point and made him play a deadly game of keep-away. Ushio tried to kill him and Yami sent his mind into a delusion where he thought everything was yen bills.

Starjake, this story is not set in the Yu-Gi-Oh Jr. universe, it's in its own universe, okay? Jade doesn't exist there. But those cards were pretty interesting. I didn't like Yamoto and Sashia in the hands of a dishonorable freak like that, but what can ya do? Not many martial arts cards. (Brian, what about Chu-Suke the Mouse Fighter? I know he's a wimp, but he'd fit a martial arts deck because he can use Lone Wolf and the Black Belt too!)

Anyways, great job and I can't wait to see if Stan wins the Sapphire Star. Peace out!

[Dark Sage]

SM,

I honestly thought about having Ushio use Chu-Suke the Mouse Fighter, but I really didn't have any place for him. Almost any of Stan's Monsters except Pikeru and Curran can beat him, and I needed Ushio to save Legendary Black Belt, Lone Wolf, and Kaminote Blow for his two Master Monks.

And the Shadow Game that Yami played with Ushio wasn't "keep away". Yami put a stack of money totaling 200,000 yen on a table, and they each took turns putting the stack on their left hand and picking up bills with a knife. Neither was allowed to touch the money any other way. The idea was to end up with the most money, but if you went for too much, you'd stab your hand. In the end, the Shadows were too much for Ushio, and he felt he couldn't avoid stabbing his hand, so he tried to use teh knife to stab Yami - which caused him to lose. And when you lose a Shadow Game, well, you already told us what happened to him.

[Master of Paradox]

So the contest is on a Saturday, hmmm? I'm just glad it runs for a week, because otherwise I'd be in deep trouble.

On to the chapter: I've established that I hated Jade. Actually, "hate" is too weak a word - "despised" or "loathed" would work better. Thankfully, Ushio was nothing like Jade, and since I rather liked Jade's cards (to the point of having Yamato cameo in SR:15), I rather liked this chapter's duel.

(On a side note, Lone Wolf and Cub was also a very interesting manga series.)

Another bit I liked was having the people at Fahr Outpost speak with Russian accents - it makes more sense for humans to do it than Bom-ombs (how do you spell that?).

I have to agree with Perfect Chaos, though, this chapter was filler (although it was important filler).

So, it's Stan vs. Cortez next chapter. I can only wonder what sort of deck he'd use (something tells me it's a "greed" deck), and I hope his story is better than the Elemental Heroes backstory you came up with.

[Pokemasterkatie]

I believe the correct spelling is 'Bob-omb'. That has to be one of the most confusing Mario enemy names to spell!:p(off topic, I rented Mario Superstar Baseball yesterday--SO FUN~!~!)

[Shuppet Master]

To D.S.: I apologize. I know that was the Shadow Game Yami forced Ushio to play, but I didn't have a name for it. And you're right, Chu-Suke is pretty pathetic. He doesn't even have an effect! If you want to use those "karate" cards, use them for Master Monk. Shame, Chu-Suke looked neat. :)

To Paradox: I like Jade. Why do you hate her? I don't see why anyone could hate a samurai. :(

[Master of Paradox]

To Paradox: I like Jade. Why do you hate her? I don't see why anyone could hate a samurai. :(


Don't get me wrong, I like the idea of the samurai. But I hate it when people just go with stereotypes and don't try anything new. Jade was such a stereotypical samurai that I rapidly grew bored of her - and it only got worse as she became a major character. There was no "character" there, just an archetype stolen from any Kurosawa movie ever made. On top of that, she was a "mystic" samurai, one whose training gave her certain supernatural powers (enhanced senses and the like) - as the real samurai was just a social class, I HATE "mystic" samurai.

And yes, Dark Sage already knows how I feel.

[Perfect Chaos]

I know how you feel Master of Paradox

I can deal with with the "good guys" for so long. For instance, like in Sister of Anansi, I got a bit annoyed with SM's characters after a while due to the fact that I thought they were too "goody-goody" for their OWN good. I got the feeling that SM made them too pure to make his story good

Also, it peeved that they would always pick on Norus and whenever they talked about him, it ways always in a nasty way, etc. But that's just my point of view, and still doesn't limit the fact that Sister of Anansi is still worth reading.

There's my two cents for the day

-$3@n

[Dark Sage]

Well folks, I have news...

After months of unsuccessful job hunts, I am now Ebbington Associate's newest security guard.

I promise everyone, although my new job, when I start it, comes first, I will still have plenty of time to write my fanfiction.

And to celebrate, I'm presenting my new chapter one day early.

Enjoy...

[Dark Sage]

[I][B]Well, I finally got seven locator cards, what I need to get to the Thousand Year Door.

Unfortunately, having those seven cards, as I’m just learning, doesn’t guarantee me access to the Thousand Year Door – it simply makes me eligible.

Sydney Meyers didn’t tell me, but in order to get the Crystal Star, which is what I truly need, I have to defeat one more duelist.

So, now I’m here, inside a vast grotto, inside a huge, rotting ship, facing the most intimidating opponent I have ever faced.

How on earth am I’m supposed to duel when my opponent is a ten-foot-six undead monstrosity?

All I know is, I have to find a way…




[size=3][B]CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE



Skull and Crossbones



It was four PM.

An Interdimensional Matter Transporter appeared in the forest outside of Keelhaul Key, and its portal opened, releasing its three passengers.

Stan, Andy and Francesca looked around. Noting that they were still carrying the winter coats that Merlee had given them, they did what he had told them to do, and set them down in a neat pile.

“Look,” said Stan, pointing. “Look familiar?”

They all saw the plateau where he had dueled The End of Anubis.

“Yeah,” muttered Andy. “But I doubt we have to look there…”

“Come on,” urged Stan, “my Disk should lead us to Cortez’s Lair.”

But half an hour of searching the forest later, they were having no luck.

“Darn it!” cursed Stan. “How are we ever going to find it?”



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


In her chamber, the Shadow Queen chuckled as she watched them.

“Foolish children,” she laughed. “You’ll never find it on your own! Folks have searched for a thousand years for Cortez’s Lair and the legendary treasure hidden within, but without success!”

She took a card from her deck.

Trap Hole.

“However,” continued, “you won your seven Cards fairly, Stan, and as director of this tournament, it is my responsibility to help you find it…”

She tossed the Trap Card into her fireplace, and the fire blazed.

And then she laughed out loud, as the ground opened up beneath the three teenagers and they plummeted into the earth below…



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


Fortunately, Andy and Francesca fell on something soft…

Unfortunately, Stan fell on them.

“I can’t feel my legs!” shouted Andy. “Oh, wait, there they are…”

“Andy, those are my legs!” yelled Francesca.

“Sorry guys,” muttered Stan, getting up. “Whoever did that is going to be sorrier…”

They got up, and looked around. They were in a vast cavern, on the shore of a large, underwater lake. The water was still and quiet, and mist covered the whole surface.

Only a few feet away from them, they saw a rather large rowboat. They shrugged, and walked towards it.

They sat in the rowboat, and Stan was about to take the oars, when to his surprise, the oars started moving by themselves! The boat started paddling into the lake.

“Swell,” he mused, “we’re on a haunted rowboat…”

Nevertheless, they looked ahead as the boat rowed them through the cavern. They looked around, and saw strange things – corpses of very old boats and ships were floating throughout the lake, and ominous wisps were rising from the surface.

Then a low moan came from ahead of them, and three hulking shapes came out of the mist!

They looked like three ships, made of maroon wood, with huge skulls and ribcages carved on their fronts! Their sails were propelling them towards them, despite their being no wind. (1,600/900)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/PSV-EN092.jpg


“Those are Skull Mariners!” gasped Andy.

“Don’t worry,” assured Stan, flicking his Disk into position, “they’re hardly serious threats…”

He drew a card and fit it into a slot.

“Gemini Elf, go!” he shouted.

The twin elves appeared in mid air, with their arms around each other. (1,900/900)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LON-EN000.jpg


“Scuttle those ships!” shouted Stan, as they flew forward.

The two elves flew at the Skull Mariners, holding hands. They shot forth bolts of lightning! The three pirate ships were blasted into pixels.

“Not bad…” commented Francesca.

Stan removed the card, and Gemini Elf vanished. As he shuffled his deck, the mist parted.

A large island appeared out of the fog. On it was a huge ship, easily three times the size of Maria’s ship. The skulls and crossbones symbols on the sails identified it as a pirate ship, and it was clearly very old. The wood was decayed, the metal parts were rusted, and the sails were tattered. Whatever held it together, they had no idea.

As the rowboat landed on the island, they saw that a ladder had been provided to reach the deck of the ship.

“This is spooky…” said Andy, with a shiver.

“I know,” said Stan, “but there’s no turning back…”

They started to climb the ladder onto the deck of the huge pirate ship. The three of them were ready to draw a card in case any more Monsters appeared.

They saw a door that said “Hold” in front of them. Curious, Stan opened it, and saw stairs leading down.

They were surprised to see old fashioned oil lamps lighting their way. They went down the stairs, took a turn at a landing, and continued down, into the belly of the huge ship…

When they got to the bottom, they couldn’t believe their eyes!

Piled in a large room in front of them, was the biggest treasure they had ever dreamed of! A veritable horde of golden coins, jewels, and valuables were piled loosely in the hold! It was enough wealth to satisfy the dreams of anyone…

As for the rest of the room, it was well lit. Various pirate paraphernalia, such as swords, anchors, and ship steering wheels were hanging from the walls.

As they went to approach the great treasure, the heard a loud moan come from the far side of the room…

“Crap,” gulped Andy, sweating. “I should have known that a treasure this big would have a guardian…”

A huge form loomed above them, and they screamed!

The first thing they saw was a huge skull. It wore a pirate’s hat with the Jolly Roger on the front, and an eyepatch over one of its eye sockets. Then a skeletal torso came into view. Finally, four bony arms arose. They each held a different weapon: a hook, a longsword, a cutlass, and a rapier.

The three teenagers gasped in fear as the ghost pirate let out a chilling moan…

And then he let out an annoyed grunt and a cough.

“Ay, Caramba!” he cursed, in a clearly Spanish accent. “Blast it all! I’m a pirate, and pirates don’t moan!”

“W-w-who are you?” gasped Stan, frightened.

“I am the great Cortez, muchacho!” answered the ghost. “King of the pirates, and the greatest scourge to sail the Seven Seas one thousand years ago!”

He eyed Stan.

“And I take it you want my treasure…” he muttered.

“NO!” answered Stan, stepping back. “You can have your treasure! Most of it, anyway… I just want the Sapphire Star.”

“I see…” replied Cortez.

He gestured, and a small, blue gemstone shaped like a star lifted off the mound of treasure.

“That I have, amigo,” he continued, “but it be a part of my treasure. And like I said before the hangman strung me up so long ago, if anyone wants to claim even one coin of my treasure, they’re going to have to defeat me in a duel first…”

“But why?” asked, Stan, now a little disgusted. “Are you that greedy?”

“Nada,” answered Cortez, with a hint of sadness in his voice.

Stan knew there must be more, so he waited for the phantom to continue.

“It’s funny that you came seeking the Crystal Star, amigo,” explained Cortez. “It sealed my accursed fate… One thousand years ago, I stole this bauble, not knowing that it belonged to a wicked witch. She came to get it, and put a curse on me! She said that after I was dead – which would be soon – my spirit would be cursed to guard my treasure until someone defeated me in a duel! So I’ve been waiting one thousand years for someone to come and challenge me…”

“Let me see if I’ve got this straight, Cortez,” interrupted Andy. “You’re cursed to guard this pile of coins, and you can’t ‘pass to the other side’ until you’re defeated in a duel?”

“Um, amigo?” answered Cortez. “Ye have something on your lip…”

Andy wiped his face.

“But si, that’s basically the situation,” replied Cortez.

“Very well,” said Stan.

He shuffled his deck.

Cortez gestured, and his weapons vanished. A ghostly Duel Disk appeared on his upper left arm, and a deck of cards appeared in his upper right arm. Francesca noticed as he shuffled that the backs of the cards were imprinted with the image of a Jolly Roger.

Stan stared the huge pirate ghost in the face as the two loaded their decks.

“This is crazy,” muttered Andy to Francesca. “Stan’s dueled a lot of strange duelists, but this is the first time he’s dueled a ten-foot-tall living nightmare!”

“He can handle it,” assured Francesca. “He’s just got to stay calm…”



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


The Shadow Queen chuckled as she watched.

“Be careful, Stan,” she said, “Cortez may look scary, but you’re actually in more danger than even Cortez may know…

“Although I tend to doubt whether or not he can actually defeat you, ever since I put that curse on that old pile of bones, he’s technically been in my employ…

“So if I’m lucky and he manages to win… Well, it’s all over for you.

“IF I’m lucky. Still, I fear this duel may offer no more than mere entertainment. Cortez thinks he was the greatest pirate that ever lived. But he couldn’t have been all that great…

“…after all, he got caught…”



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


“All right, amigo!” exclaimed Cortez, as the Disks activated.

They drew their first hands. The Life Point counters rose to 8,000 apiece.

“Es hora de combatir en duelo! he shouted.

The phantasm took two cards from his hand, and placed them in his Disk.

“I’ll place one card facedown, and place a Monster facedown in Defense Mode,” he said.

The two facedown cards appeared in a ghostly mist in front of Cortez.

“And I’ll turn it over to you, muchacho,” he finished.

“Fine,” said Stan, making his first draw.

Not bad, he thought, looking at the card.

“I summon… Breaker the Magical Warrior, in Attack Mode!” he exclaimed, throwing it down.

Breaker arose, holding aloft his sword and shield. (1,600/1,000)

“Breaker!” commanded Stan, “destroy his facedown card!”

Energy shot forth from Breaker’s sword! The card, revealed to be Royal Decree, lifted, and shattered.

“Clever,” said Stan with a smile. “With that you could have kept me from playing any Traps. Oh well…”

Cortez’s face was devoid of flesh, so it was hard to see if he was disappointed or not.

Okay, thought Stan, his facedown Monster might be stronger than Breaker, but I’ll have to deal with it eventually… So...

“Breaker attack his facedown Monster!” shouted Stan.

Breaker charged. A sinister looking grim reaper in a purple cloak carrying a scythe appeared. (300/200)

It fended off Breaker with its scythe, and pushed him back.

“Good effort, amigo,” commented Cortez. “But that’s a Spirit Reaper…”

“Meaning I can’t destroy it by attacking it…” muttered Stan. “Fine, it’s your move…”

Cortez drew.

“I’ll play my Pot of Greed!” he exclaimed, placing a card into a slot.

The jar handed him two more cards.

He looked at them, and then took three cards from his hand.

“Now then,” he proclaimed, “I summon Nightmare Horse to the field!”

He put a card down, and a mummified, Zombie horse appeared next to Spirit Reaper. (500/400)

“And that’s not all,” he continued, placing the second card into a slot. “I’ll play Polymerization, to fuse my two creatures together!”

A dark portal opened, and the two Zombies were drawn though…



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/PGD-076.jpghttp://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LOB-EN059.jpghttp://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/PGD-077.jpg


“Together,” laughed Cortez, “they form a two-in-one creature known as Reaper on the Nightmare!”

A tall shape galloped out of the portal. It looked more or less like Spirit Reaper riding Nightmare Horse, only both were much fiercer. (800/600)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/PGD-078.jpg


“What?” said Francesca in wonder. “That’s weak!”

“And now,” said Cortez, ignoring the comment, “I’ll play my Quick Attack Magic Card, so my Fusion Monster can attack right away!”

He played the Magic Card.

“Reaper on the Nightmare, attack!” he shouted.

The Zombie galloped towards Stan, completely ignoring Breaker, and slashed at him with his scythe! Stan grunted as his Life Points fell to 7,200.

“And now,” continued Cortez, “you also lose a card from your hand…”

Reaper on the Nightmare pointed to a card in Stan’s hand, and it flew into his discard slot.

Aw, not that one… thought Stan.

“It’s your move, matey,” said Cortez.

Stan drew.

Okay, he thought.

“I summon Neo the Magic Swordsman!” he shouted, placing a card down.

Neo appeared next to Breaker, holding his glowing sword aloft. (1,700/1,000)

“And I know your Reaper’s limitation, Cortez,” said Stan with a smile. “I may not be able to destroy it by attacking it, but I can still attack it, and you’ll still lose Life Points when I do!

“Neo, attack his Reaper on the Nightmare!”

Neo blasted a wave of energy from his sword, striking the Reaper and pushing it backwards.

“Breaker, your turn!” he shouted.

Breaker the Magical Warrior shot forth a spell from his blade, striking Reaper on the Nightmare again.

Cortez’s Life Points fell down to 6,300.

Cortez’s eye socket that wasn’t covered by an eyepatch seemed to widen…

Then, in Cortez’s ghostly mind, he heard a voice…

”Cortez!” shouted the Shadow Queen’s voice. ”It seems you just made a sloppy move there! You aren’t thinking of throwing this duel, are you?”

”N-no!” answered Cortez. ”It’s the farthest thought from my mind!”

”Good!” scolded the Queen. ”Because you remember the deal. If I had the slightest idea that you were not trying, it would be very bad for you…”

“It’s your move, Cortez…” said Stan.

Cortez paused for a minute… Then he drew his next card.

Oy, not this card! he thought.

He placed the card down.

“I sacrifice my Reaper on the Nightmare to summon a powerful undead creature known as Pumpking the King of Ghosts!” he shouted.

Reaper on the Nightmare shattered, and an enormous form appeared. It was a huge, rotting pumpkin, with a huge maw, one glaring eye, and a set of disgusting tendrils. A golden crown rested atop its head. (1,800/2,000)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/MRD-EN079.jpg


“AIEEE!” shouted Fran. “That thing is ugly!”

“Pumpking!” shouted Cortez, “attack his Breaker with ectoplasmic tendrils!”

The King of Ghosts reached forward with its vines, and grabbed hold of Breaker. They squeezed, and the Spellcaster shattered into pixels.

Stan’s Life Points fell to 7,000.

“You know,” said Stan, “for someone who wants to lose, you’re dueling pretty intensely!”

“If I could lose on purpose I would, amigo,” said Cortez, sadly. “But the witch who cursed me said that if I forfeited or didn’t duel my hardest, it wouldn’t count as a loss, and I would still be cursed. So I must try my best to win, and pray to the Goddess of the Sea that you are better!

“I’ll place a card facedown, and that will end my turn.”

He played the card, and it appeared in a smoky haze.

“Very well,” said Stan. “I hope you realize, I must try my best to win as well!”

He drew.

“I’m activating my Trap!” exclaimed Cortez.

His facedown card lifted.

“Solemn Wishes!” he exclaimed. “This Trap…”

“I know what it does!” interrupted Stan. “You get 500 Life Points every time you draw…”

“Arrr,” replied Cortez.

“I’ll move Neo to Defense Mode,” said Stan, turning the card.

Neo knelt in Defense.

“And I’ll also summon Pixie Knight in Defense Mode,” he continued.

He placed a card down, and the pixie Spellcaster appeared, cowering behind her wings. (1,300/200)

“That ends my turn,” he stated.

“Then I’ll draw…” stated Cortez, drawing.

A shower of gold fell upon him, and his Life Points went up to 6,800.

He seemed to sigh as he looked at the card.

“I’ll place a Monster facedown in Defense Mode, and end my turn,” he announced.

Another hidden Monster appeared.

Huh, thought Stan. He didn’t attack? What’s he planning?

He drew.

None of the cards I have are that good right now…

“I’ll pass for this turn,” he said.

Cortez drew. Solemn wishes kicked in again, and his Life Points went up to 7,300.

“I play Card of Sanctity!” he exclaimed, playing a Magic Card.

Stan groaned. He only got to draw one card, but Cortez got to draw four. Even worse, that meant that Cortez got to draw again, so he gained another boost from Solemn Wishes, bringing his Life Points up to 7,800.

“Now then,” continued Cortez, “I’ll summon this damsel in Attack Mode… meet my Vampire Lady!”

He put a card down, and an eerie mist rose from his side of the field. A tall, sinister woman with green skin and black hair tied in an exotic hairstyle appeared, dressed in a sexy violet dress with a long train. (1,550/1,550)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/AST-013.jpg


Andy gulped. He remembered her from his duel with Rhoda in the tournament he had before coming here…

“Now,” stated Cortez, “I’ll also flip my third Monster into Attack Mode…”

His facedown card flipped, and a dark shadow emerged from the card. It formed into a frightening, floating castle, hovering over Cortez’s side of the playing field. Its fiendish design radiated an aura of shadows.

“Meet my Castle of Dark Illusions!” laughed Cortez.

(920/1,930)



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



Continued...

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:


“When Castle of Dark Illusions is flipped,” explained Cortez, “most of my Zombies gain 200 Attack and Defense Points right away…”

Vampire Lady’s stats rose to (1,750/1,750).

“…but Pumpking the King of Ghost is a special case! It gains an extra 100 points to both scores from the Castle!”

Pumpking’s scores rose to (2,100/2,300).

“What’s more,” said Cortez, “over the next four turns, any Zombie I have on the field will gain 200 more Attack and Defense Points from the Castle each turn, and Pumpking will gain 300!

“Now, my Castle of Dark Illusions, wipe out his Pixie Knight!”

Lighting flashed from the Castle, blowing Pixie Knight away.

“Pumpking, destroy his Swordsman!”

Pumpking reached forward, and squeezed Neo with his tendrils! The Magic Swordsman shattered.

“Vampire Lady, attack directly!”

Andy and Francesca forced themselves to look away as Vampire Lady pounced on Stan! He screamed as she sank her fangs into his neck and drank her fill.

His Life Points fell to 5,250.

“And since she damaged your Life Points,” said Cortez, as she backed up. “I get to make you discard one card from your deck – I think a Trap Card.”

Stan grunted. He took out his deck and sifted through it.

I think I can do without this, he thought, discarding his An Eye For An Eye card.

“Clever,” he said, shuffling his deck and putting it back. “But since you destroyed Pixie Knight, I get to retrieve one Magic Card from my Graveyard and place it on the top of my deck.”

“But you haven’t played any Magic Cards yet!” answered Cortez.

“True,” agreed Stan, “but your Reaper on the Nightmare made me discard one!”

A light flew out of Stan’s discard slot and transformed into a card on the top of Stan’s deck.

“And now it’s my draw!” shouted Stan.

He whipped the card off the top of his deck, and fit it into a slot.

“Swords of Revealing Light!” he shouted.

A cage of swords rained down from the ceiling, enclosing Cortez and his Monsters.

“Now,” stated Stan, “I’ll summon White Magician Pikeru in Attack Mode, and that will end my turn.”

He placed the card down, and Pikeru spun out of the ground, smiling broadly. (1,200/0)

“What?” whispered Francesca. “Why didn’t he attack the Castle?”

Cortez was considering this…

Why didn’t he attack my Castle with that Spellcaster? he thought. He can clearly see that her Attack Score is greater than its! He must have a more long-term plan in mind…

“It’s my move, amigo!” he exclaimed.

He drew, and Solemn Wishes kicked in, bringing his Life Points up to 8,300.

Vampire Lady’s score rose to (1,950/1,950), and Pumpking’s rose to (2,400/2,600).

“I’ll move Castle of Dark Illusions into Defense Mode,” he said, turning his card.

The Castle backed up.

“And that will be all for me…” he said.

“Good,” said Stan, drawing, “now stand back!”

He looked at the card.

“First of all,” he said, “Pikeru’s special effect grants me 400 Life Points for each Monster on the field, and there are four!”

Pikeru waved her magic wand. Stan’s Life Points went up to 6,850.

“Now,” continued Stan, fitting a Magic Card into a slot, “I play Sibling Rivalry, which lets me Special Summon Pikeru’s sister from my deck. Say hello to Ebon Magician Curran!”

He placed a card down, and Curran appeared, and gave her switch a tug. (1,200/0)

“And finally,” said Stan, “I sacrifice both Pikeru and Curran to summon the mighty Buster Blader!”

Stan threw a card down on his Disk. Pikeru and Curran waved goodbye, and then vanished. The mighty dragon slaying Warrior appeared, holding his huge sword aloft! (2,600/2,300)

“All right, Stan!” shouted Francesca. “Way to combo!”

“Buster Blader!” shouted Stan, “attack Pumpking the King of Ghosts!”

The King of Ghosts looked like it had seen a ghost itself as Buster Blader flew forward! The Warrior smote the huge Zombie with his blade, and Pumpking burst into an explosion of pixels!

Cortez looked dumbfounded as his Life Points slipped to 8,100.

“Not bad, amigo…” he muttered.

“Now it’s your move…” said Stan.

“Then I’ll draw,” said the ghost, “and I’ll take a boost from Solemn Wishes…”

His Life Points rose to 8,600. Vampire Lady’s score rose to (2,150/2,150)

“…and I’ll move Vampire Lady into Defense Mode.”

He turned his card, and Vampire Lady knelt.

“My move again?” asked Stan.

He drew.

“I play Mystical Space Typhoon!” he announced, playing the card.

A whirlwind swept across the field, shattering the Solemn Wishes card.

“Now then,” he continued, “Buster Blader, take out his Castle!”

Buster Blader leapt up into the air and smote the fiendish fortress! It cracked, and burst into fragments!

“I believe it’s your move,” said Stan. “And once you run out of Monsters, I’m going straight for your Life Points! Although since you’re already dead, perhaps ‘Life’ Points isn’t the right word, huh?”

“Maybe not, amigo, but we will see…” said Cortez.

He drew a card and looked at it strangely.

Hmm, he thought. Here’s that strange card that the witch told me to put in my deck… How does it work again? Darn, I’m not used to these modern contraptions…

He started to read the text on the card…

“Well?” asked Stan.

“Un momento, por favor,” answered Cortez.

He put the card down on his Disk.

“Okay,” he said, “I’ll place this Monster facedown in Defense Mode, and also a card facedown…”

Again, the ghostly mist arose, and the two facedown cards appeared.

“Now it’s your move,” he stated.

The Swords of Revealing Light flickered and vanished.

I wonder what those two cards are for? thought Stan as he drew.

He looked at the card.

Can’t use this guy yet…

“Buster Blader, attack Vampire Lady!” he commanded.

Buster Blader charged. Vampire Lady screamed as she was cut down.

“And that’s my move,” said Stan. “It’s your turn.”

“Very well,” muttered Cortez, “let’s see if this works… I’ll flip this Monster into Attack Mode…”

The card flipped up, and an odd device appeared where it was…



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/SRL-EN077.jpg


“A Cyber Jar!” exclaimed Stan.

Stan watched in horror as the pod exuded it fierce suction, and Buster Blader was drawn inside! The device exploded.

“Que, it worked…” muttered Cortez. “Now I believe that we each have to draw five cards and Special Summon all Monsters of four stars or less that we get…”

They each took the top five cards off their decks.

“Heh, heh,” chuckled Cortez. “Looks like I got mucho benefit! All five of mine are Monsters! And I’ll put them all in Attack Mode!”

He placed all the cards on his Disk, and his side blossomed with Zombies. First came a woman in a dark cloak with a mass of swarming snakes for hair (1,500/1,200). Then came a small dragon whose flesh was rotting and decayed (1,600/0). The next was a corpse in broken and battered Samurai armor, holding a rusted sword (1,500/0). Then there was a hideous clown with rotting flesh in a tattered circus costume. (1,350/0). Finally, there was a skeleton in a worm-eaten shirt and pair of trousers, holding a very large sword (1,200/900).

“Wow, it’s a Zombie jamboree!” exclaimed Francesca.

Okay, thought Stan, so now I have The Snake Hair, Dragon Zombie, Armored Zombie, Clown Zombie, and The 13th Grave to deal with.

He looked at the cards he had drawn.

“Well Cortez old boy, I only have one Monster I can use, but it’s stronger than any of yours! Meet Gemini Elf!”

He put a card down, and the two elf sisters spun out of the ground, striking a pose. (1,900/900)

“I’m afraid it’s still my move, amigo,” said Cortez, “and I’ll finish it by playing another Polymerization!”

He fit a card into a slot, and another dark portal opened. It sucked The Snake Hair and Dragon Zombie inside!

“This combination brings forth a creature even stronger than your elves,” he continued. “It’s a giant beast of bones and precious metal known as Great Mammoth of Goldfine!”

A huge form trudged out of the portal. It was an enormous undead elephant that was all bones, its skeleton seemingly polished the color of gold! (2,200/1,800)

“Since I can’t attack with it this turn, I’ll end my turn with that…” he said with a bony grin.

Stan drew.

Man, I’ve got like ten cards here due to that Cyber Jar! he thought. And only one of them can really help now…

“I sacrifice my Gemini Elf to summon Chaos Command Magician!” he shouted.

Gemini Elf vanished, and Chaos Command Magician appeared, the light emitting from his robes causing the coins in the room to sparkle. (2,400/1,900)

“Buena,” said Cortez. “That’s quite a Spellcaster… He has 2,400 Attack Points…”

“Yes, and that’s 200 more than your Mammoth!” stated Stan.

“Then by all means, attack,” dared Cortez. “I can’t stop you…”

Stan noticed the facedown card…

Oh, geeze… he thought. What if that facedown card is a Mirror Force? If he can destroy Chaos Command Magician, he’ll have enough firepower on his next turn to wipe me out!

Maybe I should just play it safe and end my turn…

NO! I didn’t come all this way to chicken out!

“Chaos Command Magician!” shouted Stan, “Attack his…”

“Activate… Threatening Roar!” shouted Cortez.

His Trap Card lifted, and a roar echoed throughout the whole grotto, causing the boat copses in the huge lake to tremble.

Stan lifted himself off the floor.

“Tricky…” he said. “But you still can’t destroy my mage…”

“We’ll see,” said Cortez. “And you have nine cards in your hand right now, meaning that when you end your turn, you must discard three of them.”

Stan studied the cards in his hand.

“Very well,” he said, discarding three. “It’s your move.”

“Right!” said Cortez, drawing a card.

“First I’ll summon Regenerating Mummy in Attack Mode!” he stated.

He played the card, and a badly rotting corpse arose, occupying the last vacant spot on his side of the field. (1,800/1,500)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/AST-079.jpg


“And now I play this card!” shouted Cortez.

He fit a Magic Card into a slot.

“Necromancy!” he shouted.

As the spooky card revealed itself, Stan felt his Duel Disk shake…

“What’s going on?” he shouted.

Four wisps shot out of his Disk…

One of them transformed into White Magician Pikeru, crouching in Defense Mode. (1,200/0)

Another turned into Ebon Magician Curran, also in Defense Mode. (1,200/0)

The other two wisps transformed into Breaker (1,600/1,000), and Neo (1,700/1,000), both of them in Defense Mode.

“What did you do?” demanded Stan.

“Necromancy allows me to take up to four Monsters from your Graveyard and summon them to your side of the field in Defense Mode!” laughed Cortez.

“And you’re being so helpful, because…?” asked Stan.

“Because any Monster revived by this card carries a potent curse!” explained Cortez. “If they’re destroyed, one of your other Monsters loses 600 Attack Points for each one!”

Stan gasped…

“Go, my loyal crew!” shouted Cortez.

The 13th Grave lifted its sword and cut down Pikeru! Clown Zombie raised its staff and clubbed Curran, blowing her into pixels! Armored Zombie lifted his blade and ran Breaker through, blowing him away! And Regenerating Mummy shot forth a wave of pestilence, disintegrating Neo!

“And since those four Monsters were destroyed,” said Cortez, “your Chaos Command Magician loses 600 Attack Points times four, leaving him with…”

“…zero…” muttered Stan.

Francesca gasped.

“Great Mammoth of Goldfine!” shouted Cortez. “Trample his Magician!”

The huge Mammoth charged forward, ramming into Chaos Command Magician and blowing him away!

Stan’s Life Points fell all the way to 4,650.

“Make your move…” dared the ghost pirate.

I’ve got to draw something good… thought Stan. If I don’t summon something that can stand up to his Mammoth on this turn, his walking cemetery there will finish me off on his next turn!

He drew.

Yes!

“I’m going to wipe out you’re whole side right now, Cortez!” shouted Stan. “I’m playing Premature Burial!”

He placed the card in the slot, and his Life Points fell to 3,850.

“I’ll use it to revive someone I discarded when I had too many cards in my hand, thanks to your Cyber Jar!”

An imposing figure arose…

It was Dark Magician! (2,500/2,100)

“And now I’ll play a powerful Magic Card,” he said, placing a card into a slot. “Diffusion Wave-Motion!”

“Diffusion Wave-Motion?” gasped Cortez. “What does that do?”

“Yeah, what does it do?” asked Francesca, amazed.

“For a price of 1,000 of my Life Points…” explained Stan.

His Life Points fell to 2,850.

“…it enables a Spellcaster of seven stars or higher, such as Dark Magician, to attack every opposing Monster at once!”

Cortez gasped, as did Francesca and Andy.

“Dark Magician,” shouted Stan, “ultimate dark magic attack!”

Dark Magician cast a mighty spell, and in a powerful blast of mystical energy, all five of Cortez’s Zombies were blown to pieces!

“Que lastima!” shouted Cortez, as his Life Points tumbled to 4,150.

Francesca and Andy started to cheer.

“And with that, Cortez, I end my turn,” said Stan. “Time to make your move…”

Cortez was clearly impressed. He drew a card from his deck.

His hand shook as he looked at the card. Clearly he didn’t want to draw this card…

He played a Magic Card.

“I activate Monster Reborn!” he shouted. “To bring back a lass I think you’ll remember…”

The Snake Hair reappeared. (1,500/1,200)

“And now I’ll sacrifice her…” whispered Cortez, “to summon… Dark Dust Spirit!”

The Snake Hair shattered, and a frightening form arose. It was a hideous Zombie with long white hair, glowing eyes, and blood-red skin covered with bony spikes. (2,200/1,800)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/PGD-017.jpg


“Oh, my God!” gasped Andy. “When that thing is summoned, it destroys all Monsters on the field other than itself!”

“No…” gulped Francesca.

It was only too true. The Dark Dust Spirit emitted a wave of unholy energy, which blasted Dark Magician into pixels!

“Go!” shouted Cortez. “Attack him directly with dust of death!”

Dark Dust Spirit breathed forth a gout of vile dust! Stan screamed as it hit him…

And his Life Points fell to a mere 650.

No, thought Cortez, sadly. I was so close…



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


The Shadow Queen perked up.

“Hold the phone,” she said, with a burst of delight. “Stan is losing! One more successful attack, and he’s out!”

She chuckled with glee.

“Maybe this will work out well after all! And I’ll have one less problem to deal with!

“As for Cortez… Well, it’s sad really, but he should have known better than to steal from me in the first place…”



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


Stan held his chest as the pain from the direct attack subsided…

“If it’s any consolation,” muttered Andy, “that thing is a Spirit, meaning it will return to Cortez’s hand once he ends his turn…”

“Si,” replied Cortez, “and I’m ending my turn now…”

Dark Dust Spirit vanished, and Cortez retrieved the card.

Stan made a draw.

“I summon Goombella the Scholar in Defense Mode!” he exclaimed.

He placed the card down, and Goombella appeared. (500/2,000)

“Goombella, use your Tattle!” shouted Stan.

The Goomba hopped on Stan’s shoulders and the four cards on the top of his deck floated out.

Nice, thought Stan. Now he’s likely going to try to summon that Spirit again as soon as he can, so I have to prepare myself…

He made the necessary adjustments, and the cards floated back. Goombella hopped back down into position.

“Your move, Cortez,” he said.

“Very well,” said the ghost, drawing.

He looked at the card.

“I’ll place a Monster facedown in Defense Mode, and that will be all,” he said.

The ghostly mist arose, and another facedown Monster appeared.

Bingo, thought Stan. That facedown Monster likely has high Defense, and he intends to sacrifice it to summon his Dark Dust Spirit again. I have to be prepared.

He drew.

“I’ll play my Pot of Greed!” he exclaimed, placing the card into the slot.

The Pot appeared, and handed him two more cards.

“First, I’ll place one card facedown,” he said, fitting a card into a slot.

A facedown card materialized.

“Now I’ll play a Magic Card… Sweet Treat!”

He threw the Enchanted Card into a slot, and the gingerbread man carrying his pink die appeared.

“You expect to win with cookies and dice?” exclaimed a shocked Cortez.

“It may not look intimidating, but it’s powerful,” said Stan with a grin. “The die will roll, multiply the result by a thousand, and add the number to my Life Points!”

The cookie threw the die, and it skipped and rolled.

“Come on…” muttered Andy.

“Roll high…” urged Francesca.

It landed on the four!

“All right!” shouted Stan.

His Life Points went up to 4,650.

“That about evens the score, Cortez,” he said with a smirk. “Now I have to end my turn. Take your best shot!”

Cortez drew, and he seemed a little more relieved.

“I’ll flip my facedown Monster into Attack Mode,” he announced. “Reveal… Poison Mummy!”

The card flipped, and a tall, gaunt mummy dressed in rotting red bandages appeared on it (1,000/1,800)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/PGD-016.jpg


A cloud of red smoke drifted towards Stan and he started to choke!

“When Poison Mummy is flipped, you lose 500 Life Points, amigo!” laughed Cortez.

Stan’s Life Points fell to 4,150.



Continued...

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:


“Now the score is really even!” gasped Francesca.

“And now I’ll sacrifice Poison Mummy…” he continued, raising a card.

Here it comes… thought Stan. Sorry Goombella, I couldn’t stop him…

“to summon… Vampire Lord!” proclaimed Cortez.

“What? Vampire Lord?” gasped Stan.

Poison Mummy shattered, and a dark coffin appeared on the field. It opened, and a tall, creepy-looking vampire dressed in a black suit and a cape, with pale hair appeared from out of it. (2,000/1,500)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/DCR-000.jpg


“Hang on…” questioned Francesca. “I’m a little confused. He summoned Vampire Lord instead of Dark Dust Spirit? Sure, Vampire Lord is powerful, but surely he can see that it’s Attack is equal to Goombella’s Defense – it can’t hurt Stan…”

“Unless…” muttered Andy.

He tried to remember something about his duel with Rhoda…

“I’m ending my turn, amigo,” said Cortez.

Stan was confused. He drew a card.

“I summon Vivian the Shadow Siren in Attack Mode!” he exclaimed.

He put the card down, and Vivian emerged from the shadows. (1,800/1,000)

Her effect should be useful for whatever he’s planning, he thought.

And then, Stan, Francesca, and Andy felt a new sensation throughout the hold. It was greater than the previous sensations they had felt whenever a Companion had been summoned. This was the first time more than one Companion had ever been on the field at the same time…

And it was clear that both Vivian and Goombella were aware of that. They turned to each other and nodded. Then they turned to face Cortez and his vampire.

“My move muchacho…” stated Cortez.

He drew.

His hand shook again as he looked at the card…

He let out a sigh from lungs that weren’t there.

“I have in my hand my most powerful Zombie…” he muttered. “A creature so terrible, that in order to summon it, I must remove my Vampire Lord from the game! Begone!”

Vampire Lord shattered.

“And now I summon the almighty… Vampire Genesis!”

He threw a card down, and a huge form arose. Combining the worst aspects of Zombie and Fiend, the muscular creature had mauve skin, a spiked harness, and a thick cape with barbs on the edges! It roared in bloodlust! (3,000/2,100)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/SD2-EN001.jpg


“This creature is to Vampire Lord what Vampire Lord is to normal vampires!” laughed Cortez. “And he has a powerful effect… by discarding one Zombie from my hand…”

He discarded his Dark Dust Spirit.

“It can revive a Zombie with fewer stars than the one I discarded from my Graveyard!”

Vampire Genesis cast a mighty spell, and a form broke free from the ground…

Vampire Lady crawled out. (1,550/1,550)

“Now, my true Lord of the Undead, attack his Shadow Siren with unholy blight!”

Vampire Genesis prepared to fire a blast of dark energy…

“Hold on, Cortez!” shouted Stan. “I activate Spellbinding Circle!”

His Trap Card lifted, and the vampire god howled as it was caught in the shimmering pentagram. Its Attack went down to 2,300.

Cortez gasped.

“I… I end my turn…” he said.

Stan drew.

Perfect, he thought.

“I’ll sacrifice Vivian and Goombella…” he exclaimed.

His two Companions vanished, and he placed a card down.

“…and for their contribution, I’ll summon Dark Magician of Chaos!”

In a flash of shadow, the powerful dark sorcerer appeared! (2,800/2,600)

“And since I summoned him,” added Stan, “I now get to retrieve a Magic Card from my Graveyard!”

A card flew out of his discard slot, zipped in a circle around him, and then added itself to his hand.

This will do nicely… he thought.

“Now, Magician,” shouted Stan, “attack his vampire with chaos scepter blast!”

Dark Magician of Chaos spun his scepter and struck the ground, sending a shockwave that blew Vampire Genesis apart!

Cortez’s Life Points fell to 3,650.

“That’s my turn, Cortez…” said Stan with a smile.

Cortez drew.

“I’ll shift Vampire Lady into Defense Mode,” he said, “and place one card facedown.”

Vampire Lady knelt, and a facedown card appeared.

“It’s your move,” he said, nervously.

Stan made a draw.

His eyes opened.

“I’ll use the card I got from my Magician’s effect!” he stated. “Mystical Space Typhoon!”

He played the card, and the cyclone whipped across the field again! Cortez’s Trap – revealed to be a Nightmare Wheel – was blown apart.

“Now I’ll summon… Ms. Mowz the Tease Thief in Attack Mode!” he stated, placing a card down.

The wily Ms. Mowz appeared with a squeak. (1,200/1,000)

“WOW!” shouted Andy. “This is the first time Stan has summoned all three of his Companions in one duel!”

“Magician!” shouted Stan, “obliterate his Vampire Lady!”

Dark Magician of Chaos cast forth his mighty spell; Vampire Lady screamed as she was sent hurtling into the void.

“Now, Ms. Mowz, attack directly!” commanded Stan.

The Tease Thief leapt forward and gave Cortez a slap on his bony face! His Life Points fell to 2,450.

And then she snatched a card from his hand!

“Que?” gasped Cortez.

Ms. Mowz trotted over to Stan and handed him the card. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

“Thank you, Ms. Mowz,” chuckled Stan.

He looked at the card he had gotten.

Call of the Haunted, he thought. Well that’s useful…

He slid it into his Disk.

“I’ll end my turn by placing this facedown,” he said.

Cortez was really in a quandary. He didn’t want to win, and it was looking more and more like he would get his wish…

Could this be it? he thought. Could this millennia-long nightmare finally be over? Could I finally be able to rest in peace once this duel is over?

He drew a card.

Caramba…

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

The mists congealed again, and the facedown Monster appeared.

“Good!” said Stan drawing. “Now I’ll activate the Trap you unwittingly let me have – Call of the Haunted!”

The Trap lifted.

“I’ll use it to bring back an old friend,” he said. “Come forth Dark Magician!”

Mists rose from the floor, and Dark Magician slowly rose out of the ground. (2,500/2,100)

This is it, thought Stan. All I have to do is destroy his defensive Monster with Dark Magician, and then one mighty blow from my Dark Magician of Chaos will finish him off!

“Dark Magician!” he commanded, “attack his facedown Monster!”

Dark Magician blasted forth his dark spell…

And a Pyramid Turtle appeared on the card.

“Awk!” exclaimed Stan, as it was blasted to dust.

Cortez paused.

A card slipped out of his deck, and he placed it on his Disk…

And a hulking form arose. It was a hunched over ogre, seemingly made entirely of skulls and bones, with a fiendish face. (2,400/2,000)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/IOC-090.jpg


“Aw, no…” muttered Andy.

“Ryu Kokki…” gulped Francesca.

They both knew that this was trouble for Stan. Ryu Kokki was the mortal enemy of all Warriors and Spellcasters. Although both of Stan’s Spellcasters could easily destroy it, the thing was, it would take its killer with it if it was one of those two types.

Stan turned one of his cards.

“I’ll switch Ms. Mowz into Defense Mode, and end my turn…” he muttered.

It all depends on what Cortez does next, he thought.

Cortez drew.

It was hard to read the expression on his bony face.

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

Another hidden Monster appeared.

“Ryu Kokki,” he commanded, “attack that mouse with skull smash!”

The bone ogre flicked its arm forward and threw forth a volley of skulls. Ms. Mowz was crushed flat.

“And I’ll end my turn…” said the ghost pirate.

Stan made a draw.

Monster Reborn.

What could that facedown Monster be? he thought. Another Pyramid Turtle? Or is he bluffing? If only I had my Nobleman of Crossout – it must have hit the bottom of the deck… I’ve got to take a chance…

“I play Monster Reborn!” he exclaimed, playing the card. “To bring back Vivian the Shadow Siren!”

The holy ankh appeared, and Vivian appeared on it. (1,800/1,000)

“Vivian!” shouted Stan, “take out his facedown Monster with your Fiery Jinx!”

Vivian shot forth waves of flame…

A treasure chest with a decomposed Zombie emerging from it appeared on the card.



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/MP1-005.jpg


It was blown into pixels.

“Yaranzo?” said Stan with a raised eyebrow. “You couldn’t do better than that?”

“Truthfully, no,” confessed Cortez. “So finish it…”

Stan turned to his Dark Magician.

“I’m sorry…” he said.

Dark Magician gave him a nod.

“Dark Magician, attack Ryu Kokki!” he shouted.

Dark Magician aimed his staff and fired! Both Monsters were blown into shards!

“Now, Dark Magician of Chaos, attack directly and wipe out the rest of his Life Points!”

Dark Magician of Chaos swung his scepter and blasted Cortez right in the ribcage! The undead pirate howled as the last of his Life Points fell away…



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


Stan was in a void of light…

And before him were Goombella, Vivian, and Ms. Mowz.

“You did it, Stan!” laughed Goombella, hopping for joy. “I always knew that logic was on your side!”

“Gee, I hope you didn’t hurt him too badly…” muttered Vivian. “None of this was really his fault. But you made it! You earned the Crystal Star!”

“Just like old times, eh guys?” squeaked Ms. Mowz. “The Shadow Queen better watch out for you, you big chunk of muenster!”

“Thanks guys,” sighed Stan. “I couldn’t have done it without you…”

“And we’ll be with you the whole way!” promised Goombella. “Sometimes even closer than we’ve been with you before!”

“If you ever need us,” urged Vivian, “we’ll be as close to you as your deck.”

“It will be up to you to bring us out,” added Ms. Mowz.



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


Stan opened his eyes to see Cortez, and the undead pirate seemed happier than ever before.

“Gracias, muchacho,” he said with a smile. “You’ve won… And you’ve earned this…”

The Sapphire Star floated into Stan’s hand. It shone with an eerie light.

“And since I’m now going where all my gold and jewels are of little value,” continued Cortez, “I’m leaving it all to the three of you as well… take whatever you like…”

The three teens looked excited at this, but he continued.

“The small dingy that took you to this island will take you to the exit to this grotto,” he said.

Francesca spoke up.

“What will happen to you now, Cortez?” she asked.

Cortez laughed.

“The curse is lifted!” he cackled. “After one thousand years, I’m finally free! I can finally rest, go where all departed sailors go!”

He laughed out loud.

“So long, accursed witch!” he shouted. “I got the last laugh on you after all!”

And then he faded and vanished.

The three teenagers looked at the vast fortune in front of them.

Francesca and Andy squealed with delight and fell on their knees on the mound of treasure!

“Look at it Stan!” shouted Francesca. “There’s a fortune here! Enough for all three of us to go to the best colleges in the country and then some!”

“Guys, guys!” called Stan. “Don’t lose your heads! We can’t exactly walk out of here with all of this in our pockets…”

He paused.

“Once we deal with the Shadow Queen, maybe Merlee can help us transport it or something… Until then, we’ll just leave it here… This place is very well-hidden.”

They had to agree that that was for the best.



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


The Shadow Queen turned off her viewing globe, when Grodus walked in.

“Your excellence,” he said, “should I prepare for Stan’s arrival?”

“Not yet, Grodus,” she cautioned, “not yet…”

She got up.

“Stan could enter the Thousand Year Door now at any time,” she mused, “but I sincerely doubt he will until Andy and Francesca are also able to.

“So, assuming they aren’t disposed of when they try to get Crystal Stars, we’ll just wait, and have a big party for the three of them when they arrive…

She chuckled…



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


One hour after Stan, Andy, and Francesca left Cortez’s ship…

Merlee appeared on the island, and activated his Duel Disk.

“Cortez left the tr-tr-treasure to them and it is r-r-rightfully theirs,” he mumbled. “But knowing h-h-how greedy the Queen is, she’ll l-l-likely send her henchmen to steal it.

“So I m-m-must discourage her attempts.”

He placed three Monster Cards on his Disk and started to chant, channeling ancient magic.

“Ah quan lahts reh tap soo!” he chanted. “Ah quan lahts reh tap soo!”

Three orbs of light appeared in the air…

A huge form emerged from the shadows. It was a Gate Guardian, even bigger than the one that Aesop had summoned, and much more realistic.

“Listen h-h-here,” said Merlee to the behemoth, pointing up to its “face”. “You s-s-served the three heroes one thousand y-y-years ago, correct?”

The Monster nodded.

“Well,” ordered Merlee, “n-n-now you’re going to help their d-d-descendents, and the t-t-task I’m giving you is simple. Guard this treasure. Do not let anyone b-b-but Stan, Andy, Francesca, or me onto this sh-sh-ship until I personally t-t-tell you otherwise. Is that cl-cl-clear?”

The Gate Guardian nodded.

“Good,” said Merlee. “I’ll be back to check every few days.”

He vanished.

The Gate Guardian crossed its arms and stood stoically at its post.

As was said, the Gate Guardian lived to guard things…

And now that it had been given something to guard, that was what it was going to do.



QUICK ATTACK (Magic Card)

Card Specs

Type: Magic
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Card Description: Image of a goblin slashing through a foe with an axe. You must play this card immediately after summoning a Fusion Monster. The Monster can attack on the round it is summoned.

Note: “Quick Attack” was used many times in the anime by many characters, originally by Strings in “Mime Control”. Also note that this card is only of use in situations where Battle City rules regarding fusions are in effect.



THE SNAKE HAIR (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Zombie
Attribute: Dark
Level: 4
ATK: 1,500
DEF: 1,200

Card Description: A dangerous female monster with venomous snakes for hair. Anyone that sees her eyes is instantly turned to stone.



GREAT MAMMOTH OF GOLDFINE (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Zombie/Fusion
Attribute: Dark
Level: 6
ATK: 2,200
DEF: 1,800

Card Description: The Snake Hair + Dragon Zombie

A zombie mammoth whose bones gleam in a dazzling gold. It is a very rare sight to behold.

Note: “The Snake Hair” and “Great Mammoth of Goldfine” were used by Bonz in “Shadow of a Duel”. Contrary to belief, these cards are not real, even in Japan, although they have appeared in several video games.



NECROMANCY (Magic Card)

Card Specs

Type: Magic
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Card Description: Image of a shadowy figure behind a dark graveyard crawling with rotting zombies. Special Summon up to four Monsters from your opponent's Graveyard to his or her side of the field in face-up Defense Mode. If a Monster summoned by this card is destroyed, reduce the ATK of one of your opponent's Monsters on the field by 600 for one turn.

Note: “Necromancy” was first used by Yugi in “Clash in the Coliseum (Part 3)” All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



[B][I]Coming up next:

Some say that a warrior is defined by the weapon he or she chooses to use. Even if her choice of weapon is her bare fists – like Amazoness Fighter – it says a lot about the warrior.

Back on the road, Francesca seeks to get her seventh card, and she meets a duelist with that same philosophy. In his deck, weapons and Monsters are one.

See what I mean as another user character is revealed, in a chapter that I call “Soul of the Forge”, coming soon.

[Perfect Chaos]

That was a great chapter DS

I liked how despite Cortez's reluctance to beat Stan, he still put up a good fight to the end. When I saw how you incorporated some Spanish with Cortez's dialogue, I got the feeling that his accent may have been Mexican (although I know he is of Spanish origin)

I believe I have a clue on what Francesca's next opponent's deck-type is but I won't say anything now

See you then

-$3@n

[Shuppet Master]

Actually, the Cortez in the game had a Spanish accent. I know, I played it.

Stan got his star, which is cool. And it's nice for him to leave his treasure. I knew that was going to happen. And I think I know which user character's up next. I won't tell though! ;)

[Mystic_clown]

Great chapter Brian. Hmm, come to think of it, this is the ONLY zombie deck I've seen in this fic so far (apart from the very beginning, but I'm not counting that).

Gate Guardian's back people! I'd like to see the Shadow Queen get that treasure back now.

[Dark Sage]

Yes MC, and if you listened closely to Merlee, you'd realize that this is a real Gate Guardian, and is in fact the very same one that the Three Heroes summoned to oppose the Shadow Queen one thousand years ago. As soon as she learns that this creature is guarding Cortez's horde, she'll likely leave well enough alone.

[Mystic_clown]

damm straight!

A little off the topic, I'm thinking of writing a Yu-Gi-Oh fic of my own, but I'm having trouble thinkign of a deck for the main character. All I've established now is that it'll be a fiend deck. Could you give me a hand Brian?

[Master of Paradox]

I was afraid of this. I was hoping Cortez wouldn't use a Zombie deck, but it just wasn't to be. After I saw that, I was hoping he wouldn't use Vampire Lord, but again my luck wasn't with me. (It seems Ashford's deck in LoD will remain the only Vampire Lord-free Zombie deck.)

At the very least, you could have had the Vampire Lord yell "WRYYYYYY!" at least once. If you don't know what that means, don't ask.

Despite my disappointment, this was a decent chapter in the end. Cortez's story was actually fairly good (if a tad cliched), and the duel itself was fairly entertaining, especially with Stan coming close to losing (sort of a rarity in this story - of course, Stan's the only one of the group to lose...).

I already know what's coming up in the next chapter, and all I'm going to say is that a certain card from the show had better not show up...

[jkBAKURA]

*pant-pant* OK, I need to be quick, but I'll be as thorough as I can. I need to review at least two chapters I know, so I'll start with the Monk duel.

As much as I personally didn't mind Jade's dueling style, Yamato seems like a special card that should be only hers. The fact someone else was using them left a bad taste in my mouth personally. The monks aren't used much, but the entire theme just doesn't appeal to me. Nothing that screams *BAD*, but it just wasn't to my taste.

The moment I heard the name Cortez, I knew there might be trouble, but the duel itself wasn't overly cliche, (although when Pumpking made an appearance, what would you think the next set monster would be?) The Pirates of the Carrabian gag was unexpected, but it might have been better as a quick gag instead of a whole chapter bases on it.

In short, like the others, the duels themselves are becoming more exciting then the opponets, and I an becoming frightfully near skipping the story portion entirely and reading the dueling, which would be a shame. Basicly, I'm ready for the finals instead of the basic tournament matches. If they're as good as the Mandate ones though, it will be worth the wait.

[Dark Sage]

Gee jk, don't do THAT! The story parts are going to get more interesting! Besides, Act Two has a ways to go before the finals start.

Pirates of the Carribean? If I made a joke about that, it was unintentional. I don't know what you mean.

Anyway, keep reading. And don't forget the story parts!

You might miss something important.

[Shuppet Master]

I was afraid of this. I was hoping Cortez wouldn't use a Zombie deck, but it just wasn't to be. After I saw that, I was hoping he wouldn't use Vampire Lord, but again my luck wasn't with me. (It seems Ashford's deck in LoD will remain the only Vampire Lord-free Zombie deck.)

Actually, Paradox, Vladimir used a King of the Skull Servants deck against Andy, and those Skull guys are zombies(even if they are only one-stars). I must admit that Vladimir's use of Pyramid Turtle is sort of breaking his element because those are Earth creatures, but I'm sure Sage didn't have any other way to bring out his Kings. (Actually, Mystic Tomato, a dark monster, could have summoned his Kings from the deck, but it's all too late now.)

As for the Vampire Lord, I admit that there are not many zombie decks in real-life that don't use that monster(I think I have one, from a structure deck), but they're pretty useful. I myself like vampires in general more than the efffect, which is pretty good and would be a sin not to use.

Of course, Vampire Lord's unrestriction has made it a staple in zombie decks, which were never used before it appeared. The only good zombies before Vampire Lord were Patrician of Darkness and...well, that was it. Maybe I'll make you happier when I do a little rematch with a certain character from one of Brian's older stories in my story. (I can't tell you yet, it would be a spoiler.)


At the very least, you could have had the Vampire Lord yell "WRYYYYYY!" at least once. If you don't know what that means, don't ask.

Was that from One Piece, or from Pirates of the Caribbean?


I already know what's coming up in the next chapter, and all I'm going to say is that a certain card from the show had better not show up...

Well, I'm glad you know what coming up. And if you are talking about a certain winged woman with special powers, I told Sage not to put her in the chapter. Of course, if I win the contest, he told me he would get that monster...


In short, like the others, the duels themselves are becoming more exciting then the opponets, and I an becoming frightfully near skipping the story portion entirely and reading the dueling, which would be a shame.

I'm with you, JBakura. I read Brian's stories mainly for the duels the first time, then go back and re-read the story bits. I'm sort of guilty of making the duels more interesting in my story too, because I suck at writing good scenarios and characters. As you can tell, Brigit and Giselle closely mimic two characters from a certain anime...

But hopefully, over time, and at the worst after my Anansi story, I'll be able to fix the errors and try to write great characters as well as great stories. Stay tuned.

[Dark Sage]

SM,

Mystic Tomato (and Sangan, for that matter) cannot search for King of the Skull Servants, because a Tomato has to search for something with low base ATK. If a Monster has a "?" for its ATK, it cannot be searched for by cards like Mystic Tomato. (For example, you could not search for Gren Maju Da Eiza with UFO Turtle.) A King's ATK is indeterminate, so a Tomato can't search for it. However, its DEF is a definate zero, so Pyramid Turtle can search for it. (Mystic Tomato could be used to summon Great Maju Garzett because its ATK is stated as zero, but that would be pointless because summoning it without a sacrifice would leave it with zero ATK.) I realize that Pyramid Turtle isn't a Dark monster, but Vladimir needed them to make his deck work.

[Master of Paradox]

To Shuppet Master:

"WRYYYYYY!" (traditionally written with six Y's) is a noise closely associated with vampires from the infamously weird manga JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. It's also written "URIIIIII!" or "URYYYYYY!", but "WRYYYYYY!" is the most common spelling - and if I ever have a vampire duel, that noise will make an appearance.

As for the certain winged woman, Brian already told me she was staying out of this for now, so I'm hip.

And my vow not to read your story is still in effect, so I won't see that duel you mentioned. Sorry.

[Dark Sage]

Well, it's time for a new chapter, and with it, a new user character!

I might have altered the official rulings for one of the card rules, but you do what you have to do.

Anyway, I'd like to thank Shuppet Master for his contribution.

And while I'm at it, I'd like to encourage anyone reading this to read his fanfic. It's just getting good.

- DS

[Dark Sage]

[B][I]If you want to be a successful duelist, you have to build a deck that works. That means you have to have a successful theme.

It could mean simply powerful Monsters that you pound your foe away with (a “Beatdown Deck”) or the opposite, weak Monsters that you combine with Traps and Magic Cards to be the David to the Goliaths (also known as “Weenie Rush Decks”).

But more often than not, a good theme means concentrating on a specific Type or Attribute of Monster. Stan uses Spellcasters, and Andy uses Dragons. I’ve seen Fiend, Fairy, Warrior, Insect, Water, Fire, and a host of others.

Harder still is to do what I did and concentrate on a Type within a Type. Most of my Amazons are Warriors, but they’re special Warriors, who work together in ways that other Warriors can’t. I’ve seen some people use Swords Woman in standard Warrior decks due to her effect – she can be summoned by a Marauding Captain and searched for by Reinforcement of the Army, after all – but she still works best among her own kind.

There are other examples. Diana played a deck with Elemental Heroes, and they’re Warriors who do NOT belong in any other deck. Some people choose Archfiends over standard Fiends, even though using them can be hazardous.

And this guy I’m facing?

His principle Monsters aren’t the same Type, they aren’t the same Attribute, and they don’t even look similar…

But there’s definitely a connection…




[B][size=3]CHAPTER THIRTY



Soul of the Forge



The townsfolk of Keelhaul Key were very surprised to see Stan, Francesca, and Andy again. The memory or Maria’s defeat was still fresh in their minds. The three of them unanimously decided to keep quiet about Cortez and what they had found – it was best not to have everyone looking for the spoils on that ship.

After Stan concealed the Sapphire Star in a hidden pouch in his backpack, they slept soundly in the inn.

Andy promised Francesca the next duel, as soon as they found someone. They were getting a little concerned – certainly, not many duelists could be left on the island…



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


After a breakfast of Belgian waffles again, they were back on the road, once again heading in the direction of Poshley Heights. They didn’t exactly want to go back to that stuffy place, but they weren’t so eager to go in the other direction towards Twilight Town.

“There’s gotta be someone around,” said Andy to Francesca. “If we look hard enough, we’ll find someone…”

“Boy…” muttered Francesca, “I do hope that the Shadow Spawn weren’t preying on the other contestants before they got to us! If they did… who knows what happened to them…”

Stan paused.

“Merlee mentioned that the Queen has some sort of prison called The Graveyard…” he mused. “What do you suppose it is?”

“I’m guessing it’s one of those in-between places that sorcerers banish people to, and they never come back from,” muttered Andy. “We really have no idea what the Queen can do… heck, we’ve only seen her twice so far…”

“If she’s so damn powerful, why doesn’t she try to duel us herself instead of sending flunkies after us?” asked Francesca. “Maybe under this frightening façade, there’s nothing more than a big coward…”



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


The Queen’s brow furrowed when she heard that. That she did not like.

“Oh, so you think I’m a coward, Francesca, do you?” she snarled. “Well, as for why I’m not handling you myself, it’s not due to a lack of ability or courage…

“If my personal involvement is ever to happen, I have to know you better than you know yourself! Thus, observation has to be done. I can’t miss the slightest detail – not one iota of fact must be overlooked.

“And once all other options are exhausted, then and only then will I feel that victory will be certain…

“…and we’ll see who’s scared at that point.

“In the meantime, Francesca, you need another duel, so why not take a little visit to my museum? Free admission…”

She tossed a card into her fireplace…



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


As they were walking, they saw a group of black birds fly overhead…

Suddenly, one of them swooped down and landed on Fran’s head!

“AAA!” she shouted. “Get it off!”

Andy and Stan drew back in fear…



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LOD-EN000.jpg


(200/300)

“Yata-Garasu…” whispered Stan.

“That thing gives me the creeps…” muttered Andy.

“GET IT OFF!” shouted Francesca.

“Stand still, Fran…” muttered Andy, flicking his Disk into position.

“NO!” screamed Francesca. “NOT THAT WAY!”

Then the Spirit snatched one of Francesca’s earrings and flew away!

“HEY!” shouted Francesca. “Come back here you stupid Spirit-Fiend-bird-whatever-you-are!”

She ran across the meadow after it. It seemed to be heading towards a large building.

She flicked her own Disk into position and drew a card.

Amazon Archer, she thought. Hope this works…

She placed the card on her Disk while running, and Amazon Archer appeared in front of her. (1,400/1,000)

The archer notched an arrow into her bow and fired! It struck the Spirit, and it burst into black pixels.

“I always wanted to do that to a Yata-Garasu…” muttered Fran. “I hate Spirit Monsters…”

She ran up, and saw that her earring had landed on the front steps of a large building with marble pillars.

She looked at the brass nameplate on the door.



[size=3][B]Monster Island Museum of Armaments


“Hey guys,” she called over, “look at this…”

“What’s a museum doing so far off the road?” asked Andy.

“Dunno…” muttered Fran. “But I have the feeling something interesting is inside… I just hope we don’t have to pay admission…”

They opened the doors, and were met by classical music playing softly. The well- lit museum was seemingly empty of people, but it clearly seemed to have a theme in its exhibits – armor and weapons. In racks and display cases were very old swords, axes, maces, and suits of armor, seemingly from every global culture available.

“Whoa,” muttered Stan. “How long did it take to put this collection together?”



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


The Shadow Queen chuckled.

“Oh, about ten years, Stan,” she laughed. “I made it a point to take a souvenir from every defeated enemy…

“And as you can see, I had lots of those…”

She sighed.

“It used to be that the museum reminded people here just who was in charge of this island and that I could crush anyone who tried to oppose me. Sadly, thanks to your accursed ancestors, it’s become the opposite, and due to the spell they put on that building, I can’t even reclaim my trophies…

“Curse them…

“But anyway Fran, there should be someone in the main hall that you’ll want to meet…”



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


As the three teens wandered through the museum, they heard someone speaking as they approached a large room.

They walked into a large hall. A huge skylight was above them, and the walls were decorated with weapons of all varieties.

They saw the “someone” who was talking. It was an older boy, looking at an ornate sword on the wall.

“Not exactly Godric Gryffindor, but still pretty,” he murmured.

“Hello?” said Stan.

The boy turned to look at them.

He looked about nineteen years old, with deep green eyes, and short black hair that was slightly mussed up. He wore a denim jacket over a white tee-shirt, beige trousers, blue striped sneakers, and short white socks. Most impressive, he wore a silver Celtic cross around his neck, with green gems set into it. He also wore a Duel Disk on his arm.

“Quite an exhibit, wouldn’t you say?” he asked.

“You seem at home in this place…” said Francesca.

“I should,” he said, holding out his arm. “I’m Cyrus… Cyrus Gamule…”

“Francesca,” said Fran, shaking. “And what do you mean you should?”

“Well, the Monsters in my deck should…” he said, looking at his Disk. “Look all around us… We’re in a place full of weapons… Products of the forge…

“And the creatures in my deck have the Soul of the Forge…”

“Warriors?” asked Francesca.

“Well… not exactly…” muttered Cyrus. “They’re warriors… but not Warriors, per se…”

“Well,” said Fran with a smile, “are your ‘warriors’ up to sparring with mine?”

She pulled out her six Crystal Cards.

“I only need one more…”

“Well, this will be interesting…” said Cyrus with a grin.

He took six of his own out of his Disk.

“Whoever wins goes to the Thousand Year Door!”

Francesca was dumbfounded.

But she soon recovered.

“Oo-kay, I’m jack with that…” she muttered.



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


As Francesca shuffled her deck, her two friends gathered around her.

“Okay, Fran, be careful now…” warned Andy. “This guy didn’t get six of his own because he’s a lightweight…”

“And I don’t know what he means by Soul of the Forge,” questioned Stan. “And ‘warriors but not Warriors’? It’s rather odd…”

“I can take him…” muttered Francesca.

She walked forward to face Cyrus.

“Ready whenever you are, Francesca,” he said, “prepare to taste the fury of my Guardians!”

He lifted his arm, and the holo-imagers shot out of his Disk.

Guardians? thought Fran, as her own Disk activated.

They each drew their first hands, and the Life Point counters each set to 8,000.

Perfect! thought Cyrus. My favorite Monster in my first hand, and already a way to make a killer combo! She won’t know what hit her.

“Ladies first…” he urged.

“Fine,” said Francesca, drawing.

She placed a card down.

“I’ll summon this gal in Attack Mode… Beautiful Headhuntress!”

In a flash of light, the young girl dressed in a kimono carrying a cleaver appeared. (1,600/800)

“That’s impressive…” stated Cyrus.

“Quite,” said Francesca with a grin. “And once I clear the field of whatever you summon, she’s adding your head to her collection!”

“Really?” dared Cyrus, making a draw.

He took a card from his hand.

“You’ll have to get by this guy first!” he exclaimed. “I summon a Monster in Defense Mode! The mighty [B]Backup Gardna!”

He threw a card down, and a rumbling was heard as a form started to rise…

A hulking Monster appeared. It was a muscular brute, with claws, purple skin, pointed ears, yellowing teeth, and a feral expression. It had a mane of wine-red, unkempt hair, and was dressed only in a loincloth.

It squatted in Defense Position. (500/2,200)

“EEEWW!” exclaimed Stan. “That guy is ugly!”

“You ever hear the expression ‘beauty is only skin deep’?” asked Cyrus. “Well so is ugliness. Backup Gardna may not be the most good-looking Monster around, but it has a powerful ability that helps the creatures in my deck a great deal.

“And it’s your move, Fran.”

Francesca looked at her cards.

I don’t have anything right now that can crack that thing’s defense… she thought.

She made a draw.

…but this is even better!

She put a card down.

“I summon Amazoness Swords Woman in Attack Mode!” she shouted.

The bikini-clad Warrior appeared, holding her great sword. (1,500/1,600)

“Swords Woman!” shouted Francesca, “attack Backup Gardna!”

Swords Woman lifted her sword and leapt at the Beast-Warrior. It grunted in surprise and swatted her away.

“Nice work!” said Francesca with a grin. “And thanks to Sword Woman’s effect, you take all the damage I would have taken!”

Cyrus’s Life Points fell to 7,300.

“All right,” he muttered, drawing, “you win round one, but now I can complete my combo…”

He fit a card into a slot.

“I’m Equipping Backup Gardna with this…” he said. “Butterfly Dagger – Elma!”

A flash appeared on the ceiling, and a large, jade dagger with a hilt shaped like a butterfly fell, hilt first. Backup Gardna caught it and held it aloft.

“What does that do?” asked Francesca.

“It raises the Attack of any Monster by 300 points,” answered Cyrus.

Backup Gardna’s Attack rose to 800.

“Why did you do that?” asked Francesca, puzzled. “You’re defending with that Monster!”

“Because,” said Cyrus, with a smile, “I have to have this particular Equip Card on my side of the field to summon its owner!”

He placed a card down.

“I summon Guardian Elma!”

A whirlwind appeared on Cyrus’s side of the field, and a beautiful Fairy woman materialized inside it. She was scantily clad, wearing a red loincloth and a green halter top, and a gossamer train tied to her wrists, as well as a collection of armbands. Her red hair was held back with a tiara. (1,300/1,200)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/DCR-005.jpg


“I hate to break this to you,” said Francesca with a smirk, “but both my Warriors can slice and dice your Fairy!”

“Not for long,” answered Cyrus. “Didn’t I tell you that Backup Gardna had a powerful ability? Once per turn, I can move one Equip Card that it has to another of my Monsters!”

The Butterfly Dagger vanished from Backup Gardna’s hand, and reappeared in Elma’s bringing her Attack up to 1,600.

“Elma!” commanded Cyrus, “attack her Swords Woman with butterfly stab!”

Elma started spinning on her toes like a ballerina… She did a perfect split, and on the way down, stabbed Amazoness Swords Woman in the belly! The Amazon groaned and shattered.

Cyrus’s Life Points slipped to 7,200.

“It may have cost me 100 Life Points, but you can’t slam her into my Gardna anymore,” he continued.

“Well I hate to say this, Cyrus,” Francesca pointed out, “but your ballerina’s and my Headhuntress’s Attack Scores are now equal! We have a standoff!”

“Not for long…” warned Cyrus.

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

Fran looked at her hand.

Need to draw something that can beat that woman… she thought. No way my Amazons are going to be humiliated by Miss Swan Lake!

She drew.

Aw, Amazoness Blowpiper? she thought. This isn’t my day!

“I’ll summon Amazoness Blowpiper in Defense Mode,” she said, “and I’ll end my turn…”

She put the card down, and the teenage Amazon holding her blowgun appeared, kneeling. (800/1,500)

“Very good,” said Cyrus, drawing.

He looked at the card.

“I’ll place a Monster facedown in Defense Mode,” he stated, placing a card down.

A concealed Monster appeared.

“Elma!” he commanded. “Attack her Blowpiper!”

Elma danced towards Blowpiper… The Amazon gasped as she was stabbed through the heart, and then shattered.

Ooh, you’re gonna pay for this… thought Francesca, making a draw.

Her eyes opened at the sight of the card.

YES!

“I play the Magic Card… Art Attack!” she exclaimed, placing it into a slot.

“What does that do?” asked Kyle, startled.

“You’ll see after three turns,” said Francesca with a grin. “In the meantime, Beautiful Headhuntress, attack his facedown Monster!”

Beautiful Headhuntress raised her cleaver and charged…

And her blow was parried, as a Spellcaster in a blue robe holding a dagger appeared. (1,600/1,600)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/DCR-004.jpg


“Sorry Fran,” chuckled Cyrus, “but it appears that battle was a draw…”

“I know that guy!” said Stan, shocked. “That’s Arsenal Summoner! Aesop used him to move his Gate Guardian to his hand!”

“And since you just flipped him, I can use his effect to move any of my Guardians to my hand!” exclaimed Cyrus.

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

“This one will do…” he said.

“Fine, it’s your move…” muttered Francesca.

Cyrus drew.

“Now I’ll discard one card from my hand to Equip Backup Gardna with a new weapon!” he exclaimed.

And I know just what to discard. he thought, discarding another Equip Card.

He placed a card into a slot.

“Go, Twin Swords of Flashing Light – Tryce!”

A light shone in the ceiling again, and two long swords with fancy hilts fell down, hilt first again. Backup Gardna caught them in its claws, spun them around dramatically, and then pointed them downward.

Francesca noticed that Gardna’s Attack Score went down to zero.

“Huh?” asked Francesca. “It decreases a Monster’s Attack?”

“Yes,” affirmed Cyrus, “but now I can summon their owner!”

He switched cards on his Disk.



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“I sacrifice Arsenal Summoner to summon another Guardian! Guardian Tryce!”

Arsenal Summoner vanished, and lightning struck where he stood. A tall man arose – a young man, dressed in a golden toga, carrying two swords that sparked with electricity. (1,900/1,700)

“Since Equipping Tryce with his weapon would only hinder him in this case,” explained Cyrus, “I’ll hold off on that for now.”

He pointed.

“Tryce!” he shouted, “attack Beautiful Headhuntress with flashing blades!”

Tryce clashed his swords together and made a swift stroke, cutting Beautiful Headhuntress down!

Francesca’s Life Points fell to 7,700…

“Oh, no…” muttered Andy.

“Go, Elma!” shouted Cyrus. “Attack Francesca directly!”

Elma spun her pirouette… Francesca cringed as she was stabbed in the gut by the Guardian’s split.

She gasped for breath as her Life Points tumbled to 6,100.

“Any questions?” laughed Cyrus.

“Yeah, one…” gasped Francesca. “What’s with these ‘Guardians’ anyway? They don’t seem to be your garden variety Monsters…”

Cyrus chuckled.

“Fate brought the Guardians to me, Francesca…” he said.

He paused.

“It was several summers ago, when I was spending vacation with my mother. We usually spent our vacations on family trips with my father, but seeing as he was a… tragic casualty of the last war, that changed all our plans.”

“Well… uh…” muttered Francesca.

“I don’t mind…” muttered Cyrus. “But you’ll never catch me joining the military. The only thing worse than dying is dying needlessly…

“Anyway, I went to a mall where Industrial Illusions was holding a tournament, and I was intrigued to say the least. On a whim, I decided to buy one booster pack of cards, and see what I came up with. As fate would have it, two of the cards in that pack were Guardian Elma and Butterfly Dagger!

“I felt that Elma was calling out to me, and that I had to become a duelist with her and the other Guardians as staples in my deck. So I took jobs over the summer to afford cards – and a little begging to my mom didn’t hurt either. Eventually, I built my deck, and entered another mall tournament, and thanks to a ton of research on the net, I won.

“And getting to Monster Island was relatively easy – I have a pen pal here who was able to get me invited. It’s been a long road, but I have faith that I can reach the Thousand Year Door!”

He paused.

“Now where were we?” he asked. “Oh yes, it was your move…”

Francesca drew.

Finally, she thought.

“I’ll place one card facedown on the field,” she said, fitting a card into a slot.

A card appeared in front of her.

“Then I’ll summon… Amazoness Paladin!”

She put a new card down, and the Amazon general appeared, holding her sword aloft! (1,700/300) –> (1,800/300)

“Paladin!” shouted Francesca, “attack Guardian Elma!”

Amazoness Paladin charged forward and stabbed Elma in the chest! She let out a cry and vanished into mist.

Cyrus’s Life Points fell to 7,000.

I have it all planned out, for now… thought Francesca. He’ll try to attack Paladin with Tryce on his turn, but my Waboku will block his attack… On my next turn, I’ll summon my Chain Master, and then Paladin’s Attack Score will be equal to Tryce’s. I’ll be safe until my Art Attack card kicks in…

“Perhaps I should let you know something about Elma’s Dagger, Fran,” said Cyrus, interrupting her train of thought. “When it’s destroyed while Equipped to a Monster, it returns to my hand, making it very hard for you to get rid of it!”

The Magic Card flew out of his discard slot, and into his hand.

“Oo-kay…” muttered Fran. “Your turn then, I guess…”

Cyrus made a draw.

“First I’ll place a Monster facedown in Defense Mode,” said Cyrus.

He placed the card down, and a facedown Monster appeared.

“And now that I have Elma’s Dagger again,” he continued, “I’ll Equip it – to Tryce!”

He fit the card into a slot, and the Butterfly Dagger appeared strapped to Tryce’s belt. His Attack Score went up to 2,200.

Oh crud! thought Francesca. That ruins my whole plan!

“Tryce, attack her Paladin!” shouted Cyrus.

Tryce lifted his swords…

“Activate Waboku!” shouted Francesca, as her Trap Card lifted.

The three priestesses sprang up to deflect the attack.

“Not bad…” muttered Cyrus. He waved his arm to signal the end of his turn.

Francesca sighed and made a draw.

“I’ll move Paladin into Defense Mode…” she said, turning the card.

Paladin knelt.

“And I’ll also summon Amazoness Chain Master in Defense Mode.”

She placed the card down, and Chain Master appeared, kneeling and holding her chain taunt. (1,500/1,300)

Normally her effect is pretty useful, thought Fran, but I have a feeling that taking one of his Monsters would be useless. I’m guessing that these… Guardians can’t be summoned at all unless you first have their weapons on the field – and who knows how his other Monsters work?

“It’s your move,” she said.

“Good,” said Cyrus drawing.

Not bad, he thought, looking at the Trap Card.

“I’ll start by switching my facedown Monster into Attack Mode…” he said.

The facedown card flipped, and an imposing Monster appeared. It was a hulking, muscular creature dressed only in ragged trousers and an iron mask. He carried a flaming, iron hammer. (500/500)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/DCR-064.jpg


“Huh?” questioned Francesca. “Who’s that?”

“Iron Blacksmith Kotetsu,” answered Cyrus. “When he’s Flip-Summoned, I can add any Equip Card I want from my deck to my hand…”

A card slipped out of his deck and he took it.

“And I want to add a card called Shooting Star Bow – Ceal, which I’m Equipping to Backup Gardna right now!”

Another flash of light appeared on the ceiling, and a slivery, ornate bow with a fine string fell from above. Backup Gardna caught it, and placed it on the ground in front of him.

“Another Guardian weapon!” exclaimed Andy. “That’s not good…”

“Normally, this weapon would decrease a Monster’s Attack by a full 1,000 points,” explained Cyrus, “but since Gardna has no more to lose, it doesn’t matter.”

He placed another card down.

“And now I summon the owner of the Bow…” he exclaimed. “Guardian Ceal, come forth!”

A bonfire erupted on Cyrus’s side of the field, and a bulky, lizard-like humanoid dressed in armor stepped out. He carried a bow and had a quiver of arrows strapped to his back. (1,700/1,400)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/DCR-006.jpg


“And now,” chuckled Kyle, “since your Paladin has a strong offense but a very low defense… Kotetsu, attack her Paladin with your flaming hammer!”

The blacksmith’s hammer started to blaze with fire! He hurled it and it hit Paladin, burning her to a cinder!

“Ceal!” he shouted, “attack Chain Master with shooting star shot!”

Guardian Ceal drew back his bow, and fired a blast of fiery sparks! Amazoness Chain Master was blown to bits!

“And then there’s Tryce!” laughed Cyrus.

Francesca gasped as Tryce leapt at her…

His swords crossed her neck… she was forced to her knees…

And then electricity shot through her! She screamed!

She groaned, as her Life Points fell to 3,900.

“Francesca, come on!” shouted Andy. “Come on baby, you’re tougher than this!”

He clamped his hand over his mouth.

He looked over at Fran. She didn’t seem to take offense at that, but she slowly got up.

Then she realized something…

“Anything else?” she asked.

“Yes,” he said. “One card facedown.”

“In that case,” she said, “since three rounds have passed, my Art Attack card kicks in!”

Four cards flew out of her deck, and placed themselves on her Disk. First came another Amazoness Paladin (1,700/300), then came Amazoness Fighter (1,500/1,300), then her second Swords Woman (1,500/1,600), and finally, Amazoness Tiger! (1,100/1,500)

“And there’s more!” stated Francesca. “I’m also playing Premature Burial…”

She fit the card into a slot, and her Life Points went down to 3,100.

“…to bring back my first Paladin as well!”

The other Paladin returned. (1,700/300)

“And with five Amazons on the field,” continued Francesca, “my Paladins are both have an Attack of 2,200, and my Tiger has an Attack of 3,100!”

The scores of the three Amazons increased.

“Yes!” shouted Andy. “Show him how it’s done Fran!”

Cyrus drew back.

“Amazoness Tiger!” she shouted. “Attack Guardian Tryce!”

The Tiger roared! she leapt up towards Tryce…

“I activate Trap Duplication!” shouted Cyrus.

His facedown card lifted…

“Trap Duplication?” gasped Francesca.

“Yes!” said Cyrus with a smile. “This special Trap becomes whatever Trap my opponent last activated, and believe that was Waboku!”

The three emissaries sprang up, blocking the Tiger’s assault.

“Fine, I end my turn…” muttered Francesca. “But you can’t attack any Amazon except my Tiger, and I doubt that you have a Monster stronger than she is…”

“Getting rid of her isn’t a problem thanks to Ceal’s special effect!” answered Cyrus, drawing.

“First I’ll use good old Backup Gardna’s effect, to transfer Ceal’s Bow to him…”

Shooting Star Bow vanished, and reappeared in Ceal’s hand. His Attack Points fell to 700.

“Why did you do that?” asked Francesca, puzzled.

“He won’t be keeping it,” answered Cyrus. “I can destroy any Equip Card Equipped to Ceal, and in exchange for that, destroy any opposing Monster!

“Ceal, destroy her Tiger!”

The Bow crumbled into dust, and Ceal fired a flaming arrow. It struck Amazoness Tiger, and she was vaporized.

Ceal’s Attack Score went back to its normal levels, and, unfortunately for Francesca, her Paladins’ dropped to 2,100.

“Of course, destroying the Bow doesn’t make Ceal disappear, in case you were wondering,” explained Cyrus. “I only need a Guardian’s weapon to summon a Guardian, but once that’s done, he or she can stay on the field without the weapon present.”

“Now guys, let’s take them out!” he shouted, “Ceal, attack her Swords Woman!”

Ceal fired his bow, and Sword Woman shattered into pixels.

Cyrus’s Life Points fell to 6,800, and the Attack of the two Paladins’ dropped to 2,000.

“Tryce!” shouted Cyrus, “attack one of the Paladins!”

Tryce made two swipes with his Swords, and one of the Paladins shattered.

Fran’s Life Points slipped to 2,900, and the Attack of the other Paladin fell to 1,900.

“Now I’ll move Kotetsu into Defense Mode…” stated Cyrus.

He turned the card, and Iron Blacksmith Kotetsu knelt.

“…and it’s your move…”

Francesca started to sweat she drew.

Hey, D.D. Warrior Lady, she thought. Let’s see him attack her!

“I summon D.D. Warrior Lady in Defense Mode!” she exclaimed, placing a card down.

The beautiful dimensional Warrior in armor appeared, kneeling on her sword. (1,500/1,600)

“And I’ll move my Paladin to Defense as well,” she added.

She turned the card, and Paladin knelt.

“That’s my turn,” she said.

“Clever,” said Cyrus, shaking his head. “If I had one of my Guardians attack her, he’d have been removed from play… but you forgot one little thing…”

He gestured.

“Backup Gardna, transfer the Twin Swords to Ceal!”

Francesca gasped. She had forgotten about those!

The Twin Swords of Flashing Light vanished from Backup Gardna’s hands, and his original Attack of 500 returned. Ceal grabbed them, and his Attack went down to 1,200 – for the moment. The Swords crumbled to dust, and he aimed his bow…

D.D. Warrior Lady screamed as she was blown into pixels.

“Time to clean up!” shouted Cyrus. “Ceal, attack her Fighter!”

Ceal shot another arrow, and Amazoness Fighter was blown away.

“Tryce, attack Paladin!” yelled Cyrus.

Tryce made two slashes with his swords, and Amazoness Paladin was eradicated.

“So much for your army of Amazons,” chuckled Kyle. “So what next?”

Yeah, what next? Francesca asked herself. I’m running out of options here…

She drew…

“I play Graceful Charity!” she exclaimed.

She plugged the card into the slot, and the angel flew out of her deck, handing her three cards.

Francesca’s eyes opened wide!

I’ll just discard these… she thought, handing the angel her Recruitment Drive and Gift of the Martyr cards.

The angel flew into her discard slot.

“Okay Cyrus!” she shouted, “time to take control of this duel with a move that’s going to blow you over!”

“Give me all you’ve got!” laughed Cyrus.

“First,” said Francesca, “I play Monster Reborn! And I’ll bring back my old friend Amazoness Fighter!”

She played the card, and Amazoness Fighter appeared.

“Next,” she continued, “I’ll sacrifice her to summon an old friend of the family…”

Amazoness Fighter shattered.

“…meet Madame Flurrie of the Fog!” she shouted, placing the card down.

A purple cloud appeared, and then took shape into the well-endowed Wind Fairy. (1,800/1,000)

“Huh?” asked Cyrus. “She’s a five-star Monster? No offense, but five-star Monsters with stats like that just don’t cut it anymore!”

“Don’t judge a Monster by her cover!” exclaimed Francesca. “Madame Flurrie is more dangerous than she appears! She has a very lethal effect!”

She took the last two cards in her hand.

“I can only enact this effect once per duel, and I have to discard two cards…” she explained.

She discarded them.

“…and then… Well, watch. Flurrie, use your merciless Gale Force!”

Madame Flurrie took a deep breath, and then exhaled a blast of wind of hurricane-like intensity! Iron Blacksmith Kotetsu was swept off his feet first, and shattered into shards! Then Guardian Ceal was swept up and shattered as well. Guardian Tryce tried to resist, but the wind was too strong for him… He was thrown back and blown to pieces. Finally, Backup Gardna resisted the longest, but it was too much for even the hulking Beast-Warrior. It toppled over and was blasted into pixels.

“Not bad, huh?” laughed Francesca. “With one move, she’s blown all your Monsters away!”

“True!” sneered Cyrus angrily, “but thanks to Tryce, you won’t be getting a free shot!”

A windy form arose on Cyrus’s side of the field.

“When Tryce is destroyed, I can Special Summon the Monster I sacrificed to summon him!” exclaimed Cyrus. “So say hello to Arsenal Summoner again!”

(1,600/1,600)

“And don’t forget,” he continued, “When the Butterfly Dagger is destroyed, it returns to my hand…”

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

“Fine,” said Francesca. “I can’t attack on the same round I use Flurrie’s ability, so I’ll end my turn.”

“Fran just made a great move!” exclaimed Andy.

“Yeah,” cautioned Stan, “the only problem is, she had to deplete all the cards in her hand in order to do it. I hope that doesn’t come back to haunt her…”

Cyrus drew…

Crud, he thought. Two Guardians and I don’t have their weapons…

“I’ll shift Arsenal Summoner to Defense Mode, and end my turn…” he stated.

Arsenal summoner knelt.

“I draw one card…” said Francesca.

She grinned…

She placed the card down.

“I summon Amazoness Priestess!” she yelled.

The young Amazon with her long skirt and leather bikini top, carrying her crystal-topped staff appeared. (1,500/1,500)

“This Spellcaster gains 100 Attack Points for every Amazon in my Graveyard,” said Fran with a smirk, “and thanks to you, there are eight so far!”

(2,300/1,500)

“Flurrie!” ordered Fran, “attack his Arsenal Summoner!”

Flurrie blew forth her lethal breath. Arsenal Summoner tried to withstand it, but he was blown away.

“Amazoness Priestess, attack his Life Points directly!” yelled Fran.

Cyrus screamed as the Priestess aimed her staff and fired a beam of green energy, hitting him in the chest!

His Life Points fell to 4,500.

“Make your move…” dared Fran.

Cyrus drew.

“Well, this worked for you,” he said, “so I’ll play Graceful Charity!”

He played the card, and the angel flew out and handed him three cards.

He gave a smirk. He added the three cards to his hand, and then handed her two.

As she vanished, he put a card down.

“I’ll summon this Monster in Defense Mode,” he announced. “Battle Footballer!”

In a burst of flame, a hulking android in a football jersey and helmet appeared. It crouched as if ready to defend against a blitz. (1,000/2,100)



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


“And now I’ll Equip it with this,” he continued, placing a card into a slot. “Rod of Silence – Kay’est!”

Another light shone on the ceiling, and a sparkling rod made of sapphire fell. Battle Footballer caught it.



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“Another Guardian weapon!” gasped Francesca.

“Yes, and this one is actually beneficial to Battle Footballer,” explained Cyrus, “because it boosts its already-powerful Defense by 500 points!”

Battle Footballer’s Defense rose to 2,600.

“And I end my turn,” he said.

Francesca considered her options.

He obviously plans to summon a new Guardian next round, and there’s no telling what it can do, she thought. The only way I can stop him by either destroying Battle Footballer or the Rod he’s Equipped with… But neither of my two Monsters are strong enough to break his defensive line, and I’ve got no cards in my hand right now…

She drew.

Pot of Greed.

Well, this might help…

“I play Pot of Greed!” she exclaimed, playing the card.

She placed the card in the slot, and the Pot appeared. The spectral hand handed her two more cards.

“Boy, I wonder if I’ll ever get used to seeing that?” muttered Stan..

Nuts, these are no good… she thought.

“I’ll pass this turn…” she sighed.

“Good,” said Cyrus with a grin.

He drew.

“And now I’ll summon… Guardian Kay’est, in Defense Mode!”

Beautiful music played over the arena, and a lovely mermaid appeared. She was unclothed, her chest concealed by her flowing green hair, and she gripped a rod similar to the one Battle Footballer was holding. (1,000/1,800)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/DCR-009.jpg


“That’s the best you’ve got?” asked Francesca.

“You said it yourself,” answered Cyrus, “don’t judge a Monster by its cover!”

“Fine!” said Francesca, drawing.

Lovely, she thought. NOW I draw Mystical Space Typhoon!

She fit it into a slot.

“I play Mystical Space Typhoon!” she shouted, “to destroy your Rod of Silence!”

The whirlwind blasted forward, vaporizing the Rod in Battle Footballer’s hands.

“I thought I told you,” chuckled Cyrus. “Destroying a weapon won’t make its owner disappear!”

“Then I’ll make her disappear the old fashioned way!” shouted Francesca. “Amazoness Priestess, attack Kay’est!”

Amazoness Priestess raised her staff…

And then she slowly lowered it. She shook her head.

“What?” sputtered Stan.

“Kay’est can’t be attacked, Fran,” chuckled Cyrus. “She radiates an aura of peace so powerful, that no Monster can bring itself to attack her. And she’s immune to Magic Cards as well, making her one of the greatest wall Monsters in the game!”

“Fine…” sighed Francesca, “it’s your move…”

Cyrus drew.

“Now watch…” he said.

“I’ll Equip Battle Footballer with my Butterfly Dagger!” he exclaimed.

He fit the card into the slot, and the Dagger fell from the ceiling. Battle Footballer caught it, and its Attack rose to 1,300.

“Having done that,” he continued, “I can now play Monster Reborn, to bring back Guardian Elma!”

He fit a card in the slot, and the holy ankh appeared. Elma stepped out from it. (1,300/1,200)

“Not her again…” muttered Francesca, under her breath.

“And now,” stated Cyrus, “I can activate her effect, which I wasn’t able to do last time! When Elma is summoned, I can Equip her with any Equip Card from my Graveyard! And I’ll use the card that I discarded in order to Equip Backup Gardna with the Twin Swords! It’s another Guardian Weapon called Gravity Axe – Grarl!”

Yet again, a light flashed from the ceiling, and a large, heavy, silver axe fell from the ceiling, embedding its blade in the floor. Elma took its shaft and hefted it up.

Her Attack score rose to 1,800.

“And having done that,” said Cyrus with a smile, “I can now sacrifice Kay’est for my strongest Guardian! Kay’est, begone!”

Kay’est vanished…

In her place rose a huge, hulking humanoid creature that looked like a cross between a very large man and a dinosaur. He had scaly, grey skin, knotted muscles, and was dressed only in a pair of trousers. He carried an axe similar to the one Elma was now holding.

“Presenting… Guardian Grarl!” shouted Cyrus.

(2,500/1,000)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/DCR-007.jpg


“Grarl,” he commanded, “attack her Priestess!”

Grarl slammed his axe into the ground, and a shockwave shot forth! Amazoness Priestess screamed as she was blown apart!

Fran’s Life Points slipped to 2,700.

Okay… thought Fran. Really running out of ideas… All I’ve got left is Flurrie, and her Attack is equal to Elma’s now…

“In case you’re thinking of shifting your diva to Defense Mode, forget it,” stated Cyrus. “So long as Grarl’s axe is on the field, no Monster can change its position, not even mine.

“And it’s your move…”

Fran drew.

She looked at the Trap Card.

Then she looked at the two cards in her hand.

You know, she thought. All this use of Equip Magic Cards has given me an idea…

She added the card to her hand, and chose another one.

“I play Fairy of the Spring,” she announced. “And since you like Equips so much, I’m sure you know what it does.”

A card flew out of her discard slot, and she caught it.

“Now,” she said, “I’ll place a card facedown, and that will be all for me…”

She fit a card into a slot, and it appeared behind Flurrie.

“Well,” said Cyrus drawing, “that was the best you could do, huh?

“Grarl, attack her Flurrie!”

Grarl raised his axe…

“Heh, heh…” chuckled Fran. “You called an attack, Cyrus! You can’t take it back now!”

Her Trap Card lifted…

“ARRGH!” shouted Cyrus. “A Mirror Force!”

Grarl’s Axe slammed into his reflection, and both he and Elma were blown away!

“Wow…” muttered Andy in shock. “I think that was the first time Fran’s Mirror Force actually worked…”

“How could I have been so careless…” muttered Cyrus.

He growled.

“Okay, Fran, this just got personal!”

He fit a card into a slot.

“I’ll play my own Fairy of the Spring!”

A card flew out of his discard slot.

“Do your worst!” he dared.

Okay… thought Francesca. I’ve got the right Equip Card, now all I need is the right Monster… Deck, don’t fail me…

She drew…

She looked at the card.

“First I’ll play the card I got back from Fairy of the Spring – Premature Burial!”

She played the card, and her Life Points fell to 1,900.

“I’ll use it to bring back Amazoness Fighter,” she said, as the bulky Warrior arose. (1,500/1,300)

“And now,” she said, placing a card down, “I’ll sacrifice both her and Flurrie…”

Flurrie blew Cyrus a kiss before she and the Fighter vanished.

“…to summon my mightiest Monster… Meet my own Guardian – Guardian Angel Joan!”

Light fell from the huge skylight above, and the huge form of Guardian Angel Joan descended, bathed in radiant glory! (2,800/2,000)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/IOC-087.jpg


“Joan,” ordered Francesca, “attack his Battle Footballer with searing light of Heaven attack!”

Guardian Angel Joan shot forth a beam of pure light, vaporizing Battle Footballer!

“And I did more than just destroy your Monster, Cyrus,” continued Francesca. “When Joan destroys a Monster, I gain Life Points equal to the destroyed Monster’s Attack Score, which was currently 1,300!”

Fran’s Life Points went up to 3,200.

Okay, now I’m in trouble… thought Cyrus.

A card flew out of his discard slot. As always, Butterfly Dagger had returned to his hand.

He drew.

“A Monster in Defense Mode…” he said, placing a card facedown.

The facedown card appeared.

“Anything else?” asked Fran.

“NO!” shouted Cyrus. “Just move!”

Fran drew.

Hey… she thought.

“I summon Yoshi the Loyal Steed in Attack Mode!” she proclaimed.

She placed the card down, and the young Dinosaur appeared, doing a skip. (1,600/1,000)

“And since that ws the worst bluff I’ve ever seen,” chuckled Francesca, “Yoshi, attack his facedown Monster with your Ground Pound!”

Yoshi leapt up into the air and hovered there for a minute…

A humanoid creature appeared on the card – it was an android dressed in blue, fancy spandex.



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/DCR-011.jpg


Yoshi came down on it head-first and pounded it until it shattered.

She destroyed my Cyber Raider… thought Cyrus, nervously.

“Joan, attack him directly!” laughed Francesca.

Joan shot forth her beams, and Cyrus screamed as he was engulfed in the burning radiance! His Life Points plummeted to 1,700.

Cyrus slowly got up.

I’ve got to do something, or I’m finished… he thought.

He drew a card.

“I play my own Pot of Greed,” he said.

The Pot handed him two cards.

Hey, I just drew my own Mirror Force… he thought. Maybe at the very least, I can stall…

“I’ll place a card facedown,” he stated, “and also a Monster facedown in Defense.”

He set the cards, and the two facedown cards appeared.

“Your move…” he muttered.

Fran looked at him strangely.

She drew one card.

She looked at the field. She looked at Yoshi and Joan.

“I’ll pass this turn…” she said, softly.

Nuts, she didn’t fall for it… thought Cyrus.

He drew a card.

Then it’s time to go for broke…

He hit a command on his Disk.

“I Flip-Summon my Obnoxious Celtic Guardian!” he shouted.

The card flipped over, and the elven Warrior wearing armor and a cape, holding his longsword sprang into view. (1,400/1,200)



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


He placed two cards into slots.

“And now I’ll Equip him with both my Gravity Axe and my Butterfly Dagger, making his Attack Score a powerful 2,100!”

Obnoxious Celtic Guardian’s sword vanished, and was replaced by the axe; the dagger appeared strapped to his belt.

“And now I’ll play my own Premature Burial, to bring back Guardian Grarl!”

He played the card, his Life Points fell to 900, and Grarl emerged from the ground. (2,500/1,000)

“Grarl!” he ordered, “attack her Dinosaur!”

Grarl slammed his axe into the ground, and Yoshi was blown to pieces.

Francesca’s Life Points fell to 2,300.

“Your move…” he said, nervously.

Francesca drew.

“I must say, Cyrus, that was a gutsy move,” sighed Fran, “but now it’s time to bring this to a close…”

She placed a card into a slot.

“I play a card that’s likely your worst enemy… Heavy Storm!”

A fierce wind whipped across the whole room! The Gravity Axe and Butterfly Dagger shattered first. Then Premature Burial burst, taking Grarl with it. Finally, the facedown Mirror Force was destroyed.

Francesca sighed in relief.

“I know I can’t destroy your Obnoxious Celtic Guardian by attacking him with Joan,” she said, “but if I do, you’ll still lose 1,400 Life Points, which is more than you have.

“Joan, attack!”

Joan cast forth her searing beams, and Obnoxious Celtic Guardian cringed! Cyrus’s Life Points were depleted.

“YES!” shouted Andy, running up to Francesca. “Go Fran!”

He hugged her. She hugged him back.

“Oh, you did it…” sighed Andy.

Cyrus sighed as well.



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


“Well, I guess you’ll be going to the Thousand Year Door first…” sighed Cyrus, handing over a Crystal Card.

“But don’t get too comfortable,” he continued. “The Guardians and I still have time. We’re going to try our hardest to get two more and get there too.”

“There’s always the dream,” said Francesca. “But be careful now!”

The three teens were excited as they rushed out of the building. Francesca quickly flicked her Disk open and placed her seven cards into slots.

The female voice sounded again, and a map of Monster Island appeared again.

“Congratulations, contestant!” she said again. “You have won seven Crystal Cards!”

A pointer on the map honed in on Twilight Town, and the map changed to that area.

“You have been selected to compete for the Citrine Star,” continued the voice. “Win this Star, and you can enter the Thousand Year Door at any time.”

The map closed in further, and a vision of a building came into view.

“I know that place…” muttered Andy. “That’s the Creepy Steeple…”

“We’ve gotta go back there?” gasped Francesca.

An image of the Interdimensional Matter Transporter appeared again, and the strange machine appeared. The portal opened.

The three teens sighed, and walked through it.

Behind them, Cyrus was watching.

Good luck, he thought. I didn’t want to worry you, but I know this is all more than a tournament…

My pen pal knows all about the Shadow Queen, and someone who gets into that Door has to stop her – if not me, then someone else…

And if God forbid she manages to escape, someone has to stop her even then. There IS one thing worse than dying needlessly… and that’s dying at the hands of tyrants…

If the Queen escapes, and the Shadow Games start again, every great duelist in the world will have to stand united against her…

Even me…



BACKUP GARDNA (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Beast-Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 4
ATK: 500
DEF: 2,200

Card Description: Once per turn, you can move an Equip Magic Card equipped to this Monster to another legitimate target on your side of the field.

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



TRAP DUPLICATION (Trap Card)

Card Specs

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

Card Description: Image of a hand of four cards, all four of them “Mirror Force”. When you activate this Trap, duplicate the effect of the last Trap your opponent activated. If that Trap was a Continuous Trap or Counter Trap, this card becomes a Trap of the same Type.



[B]Coming up next:

Andy has been to the Creepy Steeple, but last time, its most infamous resident wasn’t there.

In her quest to qualify, Francesca faces another dreaded villain from the video game, a guy that players of the game loved to hate – Doopliss! And wait until you see the spin on this freak-in-a-sheet’s dueling strategy!

And find out what Fran’s “Showstopper” card does!

Fans of the original [I]Star Trek will recognize the title of this chapter…

“Mirror, Mirror” is coming up next!

[Master of Paradox]

Have I made it clear elsewhere how I dislike Guardians? Well, I'll make it clearer - the Guardians make me sick. Which is odd, as I liked Raphael.

In addition, Cyrus as a character was both bland and unnecessarily political ([Basil Fawlty, clenched teeth]Don't... mention... the war![/Basil Fawlty]). And what's with the ominous ending monologue? If SM wins the contest, my suspicions will be raised.

Still, the chapter wasn't a total problem. The duel was rather fun, and I admire your restraint on the made-up cards.

Ah, "Mirror, Mirror" - featuring Evil Goateed Spock. You may have tipped your hand on Doopliss's strategy.

[Dark Sage]

MoP, perish the thought! The contest will be completely non-biased! Just because SM is doing a fanfic which is a spinoff of one of mine doesn't mean I'll show him favoritism!

Honest!

And the Guardians aren't exactly my favorite tribe of Monsters either (although I don't hate them, and Raphael was a great villain). SM likes them, and he made the decision.

- DS

[Perfect Chaos]

That chapter was alright. I suppose it was another "filler" chapter as each of our heroes need to get a Star in order to be able to get to the Thousand-Year Door.

Cyrus was not a very special character. I like the Guardian monsters (the theme of them is very nice in my opinion), but its so hard and annoying to try and summon them. I personally was hoping to see Guardian Baou and possibly also Guardian Eatos/Aitos.

Well, hopefully the next chapter will be good, as Fran duels Doopliss. However, I don't expect that chapter after that to be that great as Andy needs to duel his final opponent to get a chance to earn his Star as well.

Until then

-$3@n

[Shuppet Master]

To Paradox: I'm assuming that you aren't being biased against the Guardians for the fact that you hate me and my story. (Honestly, maybe I shouldn't have gotten involved.)

And just because we are friends doesn't mean that I will get a free slot. I have to go through the motions like everyone else and I might not win. If that is the case, I wish the character authors who won the best of luck for my characters. Not like I would care for any more publicity, considering how badly I'm slacking off on my own story. :(

To Chaos: My user character get anothers critical 1 out of 5. Well, I don't really blame you, I sent Brian a reviison of the guy(who was completely different). I wasn't really being creative. Maybe I should stop writing Yu-Gi-Oh stuff and go into Legend of Zelda stuff, or stop writing period for a while, until I can get my muse back. Anyways, I'm sorry about how it worked out.

To Brian: You slipped. You put Kyle on one of Cyrus' dialogue. Other than that, you did the chapter pretty well. Nice how the S.Q. lured them into the museum, with Yata-Garasu. Who wouldn't hate the crow? :lol:

[Perfect Chaos]

To SM: Now I was trying to be over-critical about your characters. I thoroughly enjoy reading every chapter you have put up for Sister of Anansi. I'm don't believe I was being so critical to the point in which I was telling you "You suck at writing Yu-Gi-Oh fanfics so just stop" No, critics simply show what we lack and how we can improve in those areas. Your story is very admirable and is up there with all of DS's Yu-Gi-Oh Jr. stories. If I have offended you in any way with the critiques I made in my previous post, I apologize

-$3@n

[Shuppet Master]

There's no need to apologize, Chaos. To be honest, Cyrus was pretty bland to me, too, and I CREATED him! :biggrin: I wanted to create a Guardian duelist who wasn't like Diane, and I wanted to make a character who liked Harry Potter in memory of Terone, one of Brian's most memorable characters(because he looks like the Boy Who Lived), but the character bio fell apart. In the old bio, his name was Kyle and he was a Star Wars fan. :cool2:

Anyways, to Brian and a public apology to everyone, I have no intention of killing Anansi! What I said in my last message(my regret for starting Anansi) wasn't mean to be a threat at all. It was sort of a slap in the face for promising mountains and not even making anthills - a good writer has to make sure to keep up with his work at least every week! I promise that I'll try to be more diligent in the future, despite my college courses. (Maybe not on Monday and Weds. because I'll be too tired - I walk every midday for 30-45 minutes and I get all sweaty and miserable, not in any condition to write!) Chapter 32 will be up soon.

Okay, enough of that. I regret losing Paradox, but I'm sure he has his reasons. I think, despite the horrible characterization and slapping together of bland background, Brian did a pretty good job of Cyrus, even if it wasn't special. If anyone hates Cyrus' character, then they should pray to God that I completely screw up the quiz contest coming up, or that the others get higher scores, so that Cyrus is cut.

Brian did a good job of writing the chapter and setting - I didn't expect him to set it in a museum! :)

[opaltiger]

In the old bio, his name was Kyle and he was a Star Wars fan.

Well, THERE'S your problem! Seriously, all good fanfics need a Star Wars fan. =D What, me, biased? Never!

[Zcade0]

Awsome chapter! Sorry I haven't replied in a while. Yay time for another shard!

[Dark Sage]

Well, it's time for a new chapter.

If you played "Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door", you know that one of the hardest chapters was the Twilight Town chapter. You have to make the trek between the town and the dungeon several times, the store is closed for half of the chapter, and worst of all, you have to manage most of the chapter without your partners, relying only on Vivian.

If you were frustrated by this part of the game, then this chapter of my fanfic brings back the villain you likely hate the most...

- Dark Sage

[Dark Sage]

[B]In my tournament career, I’ve beaten a lot of tough opponents…

In one tournament, I defeated Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning using a combination of Heavy Storm (destroying his Traps), Amazoness Fighter, and Amazoness Spellcaster.

Once I really earned a victory. I defeated a duelist who tried the infamous Last Turn/Jowgen the Spiritualist combo. I knew he was up to something when he did almost nothing except put up a 3,000-point Wall of Revealing Light. So when I got Heavy Storm in my hand, I waited. As I expected, he summoned Sangan and suicided it against my Fighter. Once he searched for what he wanted, he set two cards facedown. [I]Then I played Heavy Storm, wiping out the first Wall, the second, and his Last Turn, making the Jowgen he had searched for worthless. After that I went in for the kill and won.

I defeated a lot of tough opponents…

But I have never faced an opponent with a strategy like this…

Mainly, because this strategy isn’t supposed to exist…




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



Mirror, Mirror



It was five minutes to one.

The Interdimensional Matter Transporter appeared outside of the well-named Creepy Steeple, and its portal opened, discharging its three passengers.

They walked out, and faced the doors of the large building.

They paused for a few minute.

“Well, here it is…” muttered Andy. “The Creepy Steeple.”

“Creepy, isn’t it?” asked Stan.

At that point, the Steeple’s terrible bell tolled, striking one!

“Ooh!” gasped Andy, covering his ears. “I thought I blasted that blasted thing!”

“Apparently, someone fixed it…” scowled Francesca.

The front doors swung open…

Slowly, they walked inside.

The main entrance hall of the Steeple was just as spooky as before. Ghostly wisps floated through the hall.

“Come on,” said Andy. “Francesca likely has to get to the belfry, and I remember the way…”

As he said those words, a chilling laugh echoed in the hall…

Suddenly, the ghostly wisps combined into a dark shape. It resembled a phantom, hooded man in a dark cloak with glowing, evil eyes! (1,500/1800)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/PSV-EN082.jpg


“That’s Invitation to a Dark Sleep!” gasped Andy.

“Don’t worry,” mumbled Francesca, flicking her Disk into place. “I’ll handle it…”

She drew a card.

“Beautiful Headhuntress, go!” she shouted, throwing the card down.

The lovely young woman in her kimono carrying her cleaver appeared in midair. (1,600/800)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/TP2-011.jpg


She flew towards Invitation to a Dark Sleep, and slashed with her cleaver, blasting him into pixels!

“If this guy thinks he can scare us with spooky Monsters,” growled Francesca, as Headhuntress vanished, “he doesn’t know how experienced we are!”

She reshuffled her deck, and they headed for the room where they had found the first set of stairs.



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


No other Monsters threatened them on their way up to the summit of the Creepy Steeple. However, they were ready for anything as they opened the trap door that led to the belfry.

The strange mirrors were still there. And a new edition was added: an ornate chair at the far end.

“Well, at least Peten isn’t here,” muttered Andy.

“Peten was an idiot!” said a low voice. “I go away for two days and leave him in charge, and when I come back, the place is a mess!”

“Who’s there?” shouted Francesca.

“I am the true master of the Creepy Steeple…” said the voice.

A throaty laugh echoed through the belfry.

And then, a small form appeared, seated on the chair…

It was a weird creature. It looked like a kid with a sheet draped over him, like some sort of makeshift ghost Halloween costume. His eyes and mouth looked like black cutouts with red orbs in the eyes. He had no hands, his “arms” merely being part of the sheet. To complete the hilarious picture, he wore a blue bow tie, wore red shoes, and his “head” was topped by a pointy blue hat with red stars on it.

“YOU?” said Andy, almost laughing. “You’re the dreaded, ‘evil creature’ who’s been tormenting Twilight Town for so long?”

“That’s right,” answered the creature.

The three teens burst out laughing!

“Oh geeze!” laughed Stan. “I’m so afraid of sheets! Especially ones that wear funny birthday hats!”

The creature’s eyes narrowed.

“My name is Doopliss, for your information…” he growled.

“Hear that guys?” laughed Francesca. “He even has a dumb name!”

“I take it you’re here for the Citrine Star, Francesca,” said Doopliss, ignoring the wisecrack.

Francesca turned serious.

“That’s right,” she said, “so get your Disk ready, assuming you can even put one on what passes for your arm!”

“Oh, I will,” snickered Doopliss, standing up, “just as soon as I make a small adjustment…”

At that point, the lights dimmed in the room, and the mirrors started to glow! Doopliss’s image appeared in half of them, and Francesca’s appeared in the other half.

Doopliss started to emit shadowy energy, and he started to glow and change shape…

And after about a minute, the light came back, and the three teens were facing a shadowy figure…

They all gasped. The figure was a shadow, but the shape…

It took a minute or two to figure it out, but eventually they got it. The shadow in front of them was a shadowy silhouette of Francesca!

“Ready Fran?” asked Doopliss, now in a voice that sounded like hers, only somewhat fiendish.

A Disk appeared on its shadowy arm.

“How dare you!” shouted Andy.

“Take it easy, Andy,” assured Francesca. “I can handle him… her… it… whatever it is…”

“Now,” said Doopliss, as a deck appeared in his hand, “let’s shuffle and get this thing started…”

As the two duelists shuffled, a voice sounded in Doopliss’s cobweb-filled mind.

”Doopliss!” ordered the Shadow Queen. ”Let me remind you that I’m still upset at you for your last screw up!”

”That was a thousand years ago!” answered Doopliss. ”Cut me some slack! And don’t forget our agreement… I get Francesca’s real body once I defeat her.”

”I keep my promises, Doopliss,” answered the Queen. ”But defeat her first, or you’ll never be more than just a freak-in-a-sheet!”

”Stop calling me that…” sighed Doopliss.

The shadowy silhouette plugged his deck into his Disk, and lifted it up… The holo-imagers shot out, and the Disk flipped into position.

Francesca repeated the move, and the scores set to 8,000 apiece.

“The first move is yours,” said the shadow, drawing five cards.

“All right pal,” answered Francesca, drawing six. “Normally I’d say I’d wipe the smile off your face, but frankly, you don’t have one!”

She looked at her hand.

Not bad… she thought.

She placed a card down.

“I’ll start by summoning Amazoness Fighter in Attack Mode!” she announced.

The powerful form of Amazoness Fighter appeared in front of her, ready to fight. (1,500/1,300)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/DR1-EN115.jpg


“Very interesting…” said Doopliss with a chuckle.

He made his draw.

“Now I’ll summon a Monster in Attack Mode, and I believe you’ll recognize her…” he said.

He placed a card down, and a figure appeared…

Fran gasped, and so did her Warrior. The Monster that Doopliss had summoned was also Amazoness Fighter – but she was very different. Her clothing was black, she had bat-like wings growing from her back, horns on her forehead, and a barbed tail growing from her spine. (1,500/1,300)

“What is that?” demanded Francesca.

The sinister Fighter gave an evil grin to the normal one…

“My own version of Amazoness Fighter,” chuckled Doopliss. “Quite a looker isn’t she?”

“That is questionable…” growled Francesca.

“Let me explain…” laughed Doopliss. “When I cast the spell that made me alter my form, I also altered the forms of my deck’s Monster Cards. Now, the Monster Cards in my deck are the same as yours – with a few differences…”

“Differences?” asked Francesca, starting to sweat.

“Yes,” snickered Doopliss. “Take the main occupants of your deck, the Amazons. Most of them are Warrior Monsters, and all of them are Earth Monsters. However, MY versions are all Dark Fiends, although they have the same effects as yours.

“And as for the other cards in my deck, the Magic and Trap Cards, they’re mostly not the same as yours, being able to work with my unique brand.”

“You beast!” shouted Andy. “You’re practically mocking Francesca’s Monsters by corrupting them!”

“If I wanted your opinion, I’d ask for it, Andy!” answered Doopliss. “Now where were we? Oh yes… I end my turn…”

Francesca angrily drew…

“I’ll summon Amazoness Chain Master in Attack Mode!” she exclaimed.

She placed a card down, and the Amazon in the fur bikini appeared, swinging her spiked grapple. (1,500/1,300)



http://a248.e.akamai.net/f/248/5462/2h/everythingpokemon.safeshopper.com/images/bm0rwkrc.jpg


Chain Master looked confused. She looked at her ally, and then at her enemy…

She stopped looking confused, and started looking a bit pissed…

“I think Fran’s Amazons are as mad at you as she is,” growled Andy.

“I don’t care!” exclaimed Doopliss. “My turn?”

“Go on…” dared Fran.

Doopliss drew.

“To keep you guessing, I place this card facedown,” he said, “and that’s all for me…”

He fit a card into his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

Francesca drew.

Bingo, she thought. Now’s my chance to really damage his Life Points!

She switched cards on her Disk.

“I sacrifice my Fighter to summon my Penumbral Soldier Lady!” she exclaimed.

Amazoness Fighter vanished, and the mighty Warrior of Shadows arose! (2,100/1,400)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/SOD-EN033.jpg


“Go!” shouted Francesca. “Take out that sorry excuse for an Amazon!”

Penumbral Soldier Lady raised her sword and charged at the fiendish Amazoness Fighter…

“Not so fast, Francesca!” laughed Doopliss. “I’m activating my Trap…”

His Trap Card lifted.

“A little thing called Bark of Dark Ruler!”

“Bark of Dark Ruler?” questioned Andy.

“It isn’t very commonly used…” muttered Stan.

The frightening image of Dark Ruler Ha Des appeared behind the Fiend Amazon!

“I can activate this Trap Card when you declare an attack on one of my Fiends,” sniggered Doopliss, “and I can spend Life Points to decrease the attacking Monster’s Attack Score by the same amount! So… let’s see… 700 should be enough…”

His Life Points fell to 7,300, and Penumbral Soldier Lady’s Attack Score fell 1,400. The evil Fighter gave her a kick, and she shattered into pixels.

Francesca’s Life Points slipped to 7,900.

“That move cost you more Life Points than it did me!” she laughed, as the Dark Ruler vanished.

“Maybe my ultimate strategy is too complex for your feeble mind to comprehend!” laughed Doopliss.

“Just move…” she growled.

“Gladly…” chuckled Doopliss.

He drew, and grinned.

He put a card down.

“I’ll summon my Amazon Archer in Attack Mode!” he exclaimed.

Another fiendish twin of one of Francesca’s Warriors appeared. She looked like Amazon Archer, but again, her clothing was black, she had wings, horns, and a tail, and her bow and arrows were seemingly made of iron. (1,400/1,000)

Francesca scowled…

“And now…” grinned Doopliss.

He flicked his Field slot open.

“I’ll play this… Mystic Plasma Zone!”

Lightning crackled above the room, and an uncanny darkness spread over the whole playing field.

“Oh no…” muttered Andy. “If all of his Monsters are Dark…”

“They’ll gain 500 Attack Points in exchange for losing 400 Defense Points!” affirmed Stan.

It was only too true. Amazoness Archer’s stats changed to (1,900/600), while his Fighter changed to (2,000/900).

“Now my Archer,” commanded Doopliss. “attack her Chain Master with your black arrow!”

The Fiend Archer laughed and fired her bow, skewering Chain Master in the heart! She gasped and fell over before shattering.

“Amazoness Fighter!” shouted Doopliss, “attack Francesca directly!”

Francesca gasped as the evil Fighter ran up and kicked her in the gut.

Fran pulled herself off the floor with a look of hate in her eyes. This was the first time she had been attacked by an Amazon…

And she didn’t like it.

She looked at her Disk. Her Life Points were at 5,500…

…soon to be lower.

Doopliss laughed out loud.

“How does it feel Francesca?” he laughed. “How does it feel to be on the receiving end of Amazoness Fighter’s kick?”

“Laugh while you can, jerk,” answered Francesca. “Because I’m activating Chain Master’s special ability!”

“WHAT?” gasped Doopliss. “But your Life Points are too low…”

“I don’t care,” answered Francesca. “Since you destroyed her, I’m spending 1,500 of them…”

Her Life Points fell to 4,000.

“…to take one Monster Card from your hand!”

She walked over to Doopliss’s side of the field.

“Out of my way, imposters!” she snarled to the two Fiends.

They glared at her, but they let her pass by.

Doopliss hesitated, and showed her his hand.

“WHAT?” shouted Francesca in surprise. “You had a Paladin in your hand and you didn’t summon her?”

“I was waiting until I summoned more Amazons…” sulked Doopliss.

Francesca snatched it.

“Doopliss, you may have evil versions of my Monsters,” she said as she walked back to her spot, “but you are clearly not an Amazon Duelist.”

Francesca gave a look at the card.

The symbol for Dark was there in place of the one for Earth, and word “Fiend” was in place of “Warrior”, but other than that, this was the same as her own two Amazoness Paladin cards.

“Anything else you’d like to do before I move?” asked Fran.

“No…” growled Doopliss.

“Then I’ll summon the Monster you gave me!” she said, putting the card down.

A Fiend version of Amazoness Paladin appeared. Her clothes were the same, but she had black skin and hair. She had claws, and her wings were like those of a raven. Her sword was made of iron. (1,700/300)

“I don’t like using an evil version of one of my Amazons,” said Francesca, “but I’ll do anything to win this duel and get into the Thousand Year Door! Understand?

“Since I now have one Amazon on the field, her Attack rises by 100 points. And due to your own Field Card and her Dark nature, her Attack rises another 500 points!”

(2,300/0)

“Fiend Paladin,” shouted Francesca, “attack his Archer!”

The Paladin spread her wings and flew forward, striking down the Archer with her sword! The evil Archer was blasted into pixels.

Doopliss’s Life Points fell to 6,900.

“And I’m not done yet, you copycat!” exclaimed Francesca. “I’ll place these three cards facedown on the field…”

She threw cards into slots, and they appeared before her.

“Next,” she continued, “I’ll get rid of all three, with Emergency Provisions!”

She placed a card in a slot, and a huge mouth appeared, devouring the three cards. Her Life Points went up to 7,000.

Doopliss gasped.

“Finally, I’ll play Card of Sanctity!” she shouted, throwing a card into a slot.

A bright flash lit up the darkness above, and Francesca drew five cards. Doopliss grunted and drew three.

“Now do you see why I was so eager to use Chain Master’s effect?” asked Francesca with a smile. “Make your move…”

Doopliss growled… He made his draw…

“I’ll summon Amazoness Blowpiper in Defense Mode…” he growled.

He put a card down, and a Blowpiper appeared. She was a wicked version of Fran’s, who looked part Amazon and part lizard, with scaly skin and snake-like eyes. Again, her clothing was black. (800/1,500) –> (1,300/1,100)

“My move now…” said Fran, drawing a card.

She placed the card facedown, and it appeared behind the Paladin.

“Now I’ll summon my second Fighter!” she announced.

She put another card down, and another Amazoness Fighter appeared. (1,500/1,300)

Francesca’s Paladin rose to 2,400 Attack.

“Ladies,” she said, pointing, “take down his freaks!”

The Fiend Amazon and the normal one charged forward. The Paladin obliterated the imposter Fighter, and the Fighter smashed the evil Blowpiper.

“All right!” shouted Andy. “That freak-in-a-sheet has no Monsters left!”

Doopliss was very angry. He drew.

Hey, I have an idea, he thought.

He put a card down.

“I summon Amazoness Swords Woman in Attack Mode!” he shouted.

He put a card down, and a Fiend version of Swords Woman appeared. Her bikini was made of black leather, and she was barefoot. Again, she had batlike wings and horns, and her huge sword was made of blackened metal. (1,500/1,600) –> (2,000/1,200)

“Go!” shouted Doopliss. “Attack her Fighter!”

The evil Swords Woman lifted her sword.

“I activate Waboku!” shouted Francesca.

Her Trap Card lifted, and Doopliss’s Swords Woman was stopped dead in her tracks. The duplighost hissed.

“My move now…” said Fran, making a draw.

She put a card down.

“I summon Amazoness Tiger, in Attack Mode!”

A roar echoed over the room, and the fierce tigress appeared. (1,100/1,500)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/MFC-063.jpg


“Having three Amazons on the field brings my Paladin up to 2,500 Attack Points, and the Tiger up to 2,300!” laughed Francesca. “Now my Tiger, attack that harlot!”

Doopliss gasped as the Tiger pounced on the evil Swords Woman, tearing her apart.

Francesca closed her eyes and chuckled as her Life Points fell to 6,700.

“You thought I wouldn’t attack because of her effect, didja?” she giggled. “Having to pay 300 Life Points is in order to inflict 4,000 on you is quite a bargain!”

Doopliss gasped!

“Paladin, Fighter, attack that creep directly!”

The Paladin flew forward and slashed at Doopliss with her sword! Fighter charged forward and kicked at him!

Doopliss staggered back a little as his Life Points fell to 2,900, but strangely, he didn’t appear to have suffered as much pain as taking those two hits should have done.

“Make your move,” chuckled Francesca, “unless your tired of getting hurt and want to give up!”

Fool, he thought. I can’t feel pain because I have nothing to feel! But once I win this duel and steal your form, it will be a pleasure!

He drew.

And this will help out immensely…

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

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

“That’s it?” asked Francesca.

Doopliss was silent.

“Fine…” she said, drawing.

She looked at the card.

“Fighter,” she ordered, “attack that facedown Monster!”

Amazoness Fighter charged…

And then a Cyber Jar appeared!

Fran watched in horror as her three Monsters were sucked into the pod and it exploded!

“I don’t have that in my deck!” she shouted.

“Did I say I couldn’t have a Monster you don’t have?” chuckled Doopliss.

Francesca scowled. They each picked up five cards.

Francesca smiled.

Doopliss threw down three cards.

“I summon Amazoness Chain Master, Beautiful Headhuntress, and another Amazoness Paladin!” he shouted.

First a Fiend Paladin appeared, looking much like the first one. (1,700/300) –> (2,300/0). Then an evil version of Beautiful Headhuntress appeared. Her kimono was tattered, she also had sinister wings and horns, and her cleaver was stained with blood. (1,600/800) –> (2,100/400) Finally, a demonic Chain Master appeared. She had raven-wings and horns, and her chain was rusty and even nastier than that of her normal counterpart. (1,500/1,300) –> (2,000/900)

Francesca put her cards down.

“I summon my own Amazoness Paladin, Warrior Dai Grepher, and Yoshi the Loyal Steed!” she shouted.

First Amazoness Paladin appeared, this one her true self. (1,700/300) –> (1,800/300) Then the mighty Grepher appeared, holding his longsword. (1,700/1,600). Finally, the short, scrappy Dinosaur appeared, and did a fist-in-the-air leap! (1,600/1,000)

Even without a face, Doopliss looked dumbfounded.


Continued...

[Dark Sage]

“Yoshi the Loyal…” he gasped. “How on earth? That isn’t in my deck? How could you have a Monster that I couldn’t copy? My powers can’t fail!”

“Fool,” sneered Francesca. “This isn’t just a Monster. The soul of a great warrior who aided my ancestor lives inside this Monster’s card! Did you actually think a soul of goodness could be duplicated by evil magic?”

Doopliss paused for a minute.

And then he laughed.

“Big deal!” he laughed. “So I wasn’t able to duplicate it. Your pathetic dino only has 1,600 Attack Points! Neither it nor your other two Monsters can defeat mine…”

He paused again.

“Unless…” he gulped.

“It’s still my turn, pal!” shouted Francesca, throwing a card into a slot. “I’m fusing Amazoness Paladin and Warrior Dai Grepher together with Polymerization!”

The card showed itself, and a vortex opened, drawing in the two Warriors!



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/MFC-059.jpghttp://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LOB-EN059.jpghttp://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LOD-EN020.jpg


“Amazoness Queen, come forth!” she shouted!

The Queen of the Amazons, dressed in her splendid armor and cape, holding her two swords, emerged with a fierce look! (2,500/1,700)

Doopliss growled.

So, my old enemy… he thought. Your avatar returns…

“And if that weren’t enough,” said Francesca with a grin, “my ‘pathetic dino’ is a Union Monster that I can Equip to any Warrior! Amazoness Queen, your steed awaits!”

Yoshi bent down, and the Queen got on his back.

“And now your mockeries pale in comparison to my ultimate Amazon!” laughed Francesca. “I’ll place two cards facedown, and end my turn.”

She fit two cards into slots, and they appeared in front of her.

Doopliss drew shakily…

“I’ll shift my three Monsters into Defense Mode...” stated, turning his cards, “and I’ll end my turn.”

He discarded three of his nine cards.

“Good,” said Francesca, with a smile.

She drew. She placed a card down.

“I summon Command Knight!” she exclaimed.

In a blaze of fire, the splendidly dressed female Warrior appeared. (1,200/1,900) –> (1,600/1,900)



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


“And now my Amazoness Queen grows even stronger!” shouted Francesca.

Amazoness Queen’s Attack rose to 2,900.

“Amazoness Queen, wipe out her Headhuntress!”

The Queen galloped forth on Yoshi, and cut the evil Headhuntress down!

“And thanks to Yoshi’s effect, she gains 400 Attack Points whenever she destroys a Monster!”

(3,300/1,700)

“Now, Command Knight, wipe out his Chain Master with blazing sword!”

Command Knight’s sword burned with fire, and she struck the demon Chain Master, blowing her to pixels.

“You’re free to use her effect if you want…” chuckled Francesca, “but even I wouldn’t spend 1,500 Life Points if mine were at 2,900…”

“And neither would I…” muttered Doopliss. “Is it my move?”

“Yes…”

“Fran can’t lose!” laughed Andy. “Her Queen is stronger than a Blue Eyes, and she’s just going to get stronger!”

“Man, what was the Shadow Queen thinking using this loser to guard a Crystal Star?” laughed Stan.

“Loser…” mumbled Doopliss under his breath. “I’ll show them losers…”

He fit a card into a slot.

“I play Graceful Charity!” he shouted.

The angel flew out of the Disk, and handed him three cards.

He handed her two of them.

“Now I’m going to take control of this duel, Francesca!” he threatened. “First I’m going to get rid of your Command Knight!”

“You can’t!” answered Francesca. “She can’t be attacked so long as I have at least one other Monster on the field!”

“I’m not attacking her!” replied Doopliss. “I’m casting her out of play by playing Dark Core!”

He fit a card into a slot.

“I’ll just discard one card…” he continued.

He discarded a card, and a black hole opened above the field! Command Knight screamed as she was sucked into it!

“You idiot!” shouted Francesca. “You could have gotten rid of Amazoness Queen!”

“I’m not done with her!” cursed Doopliss. “Let’s just say I want to prolong her suffering for as long as possible! This is personal!”

He has a grudge against my Queen? thought Francesca, confused. But why?

“Now I’ll play… Heavy Storm!” shouted Doopliss.

He threw another card into a slot, and fierce winds blew across the field.

“NO!” yelled Fran as her Mirror Force and Dramatic Rescue blew away. “My Trap Cards are gone!”

“And so is your Queen’s mount!” laughed Doopliss.

It was only too true. Yoshi screamed and shattered into pixels.

“How can Heavy Storm destroy a Monster?” gasped Andy.

“Yoshi is a Union Monster,” answered Stan. “When he’s Equipped to another Monster, he’s considered a Magic Card. But on the plus side, Doopliss also had to destroy his Field Card.”

The darkness went away. Unfortunately, with Command Knight and Yoshi gone, Amazoness Queen was now at her original Attack Score of 2,500.

“Now I’ll play my own Card of Sanctity!” shouted Doopliss.

He played the card, and a bright light flashed above the belfry. Francesca grimaced. This time, she only got to draw one, card, but Doopliss got to draw three.

“And now I’ll place these two cards facedown, and end my turn,” laughed Doopliss.

Francesca drew.

“Amazoness Queen, attack his Paladin!” she shouted.

Amazoness Queen charged forward.

“I activate Magic Cylinder!” laughed Doopliss as his Trap Card lifted.

Energy flowed into one of the cylinders, and blasted out the other, plowing into Fran. She toppled over, her Life Points falling to 4,200.

“Ooh…” she groaned.

“That hurt?” asked Doopliss. “Good… My turn now…”

He drew.

“Heh, heh…” he chuckled. “I might not be an Amazon Duelist, Fran, but I’ll tell you one thing… I’m a fast learner!”

He placed a card into a slot.

“I’m doing just what you did, playing Polymerization to fuse my Paladin with my own Warrior Dai Grepher, and I think you know what that does!”

“Good lord…” gasped Andy, as the two Fiends in the shape of Warriors were drawn into the portal. “He’s going to create Amazoness Queen’s evil twin!”

The creature that came out of the portal was, by far, the worst corruption yet. She wore black, one-piece armor with a great deal of cleavage, and a dark crown shaped like a flame. She wore armbands and anklets in the shape of demonic faces. Her skin was pale white, her eyes had no pupils, her hair was jet black instead of blonde, and her wings were larger than any of the previous Fiend Amazons. The two swords she carried blazed with black flame. (2,500/1,700)

“You’re despicable…” growled Francesca.

“Thank you, Francesca!” laughed Doopliss.

“You do know that we have a standoff, right?” replied Fran. “Your Queen may look scary, but she’s no stronger than mine.”

“For now,” replied Doopliss. “I end my turn.”

Fran drew.

“Eh, I pass…” she muttered.

“Fine,” said Doopliss, drawing.

He fit a card into a slot.

“And now I’ll Equip my Queen with Sword of Dark Destruction!” he exclaimed.

The evil Queen’s swords vanished, and a nasty rapier with a demonic face on its hilt appeared in her right hand.

“This weapon increases the Attack Score of any Dark Monster by 400 in exchange for 200 Defense Points!” laughed Doopliss. “But I really don’t intend on defending with her now!”

(2,900/1,500)

“Now my Demon Queen,” laughed Doopliss, “attack your better half with dark blade strike!”

The evil Queen lunged forward and struck, slicing Amazoness Queen in half!

Francesca’s Life Points fell to 3,800.

“And now,” chuckled Doopliss, “I’ll activate my Trap Card…”

His second facedown card lifted.

“Soul Demolition!”

“What?” muttered Francesca.

“If I have a Fiend on the field, for the bargain price of 500 of my Life Points,” sniggered Doopliss, as his Life Points fell to 2,400, “we each get to choose a Monster from each other’s Graveyard to remove from play!

“And I chose to send your Amazoness Queen to oblivion!”

Francesca growled.

“Fine!” she cursed. “I’m doing the same to your first Amazoness Paladin!”

An Amazoness Paladin slipped out of Doopliss’s discard slot.

“Ironic, isn’t it, Francesca?” he chuckled. “Your Queen was destroyed utterly by her doppelganger…

“Just like you will be… My revenge will be all the sweeter.”

“What do you mean?” asked Francesca. “Revenge? I’ve never even met you before today!”

Doopliss chuckled.

“It isn’t against you personally, Francesca,” he explained. “It all started when your accursed ancestor came to this island with her two friends…”

He clenched his shadowy fist…

“Back then, I had a body, and I was a powerful sorcerer serving the Shadow Queen. My favorite spell was the ability to disguise myself as others – I could spread mischief in someone else’s form, and the real person would be punished for what I did…”

“That’s horrible…” muttered Francesca.

“Maybe…” answered Doopliss. “Unsporting, perhaps, but a guy has to do what he has to in order to get ahead in life. And furthermore, it was fun! Anyhoo, I invented a device that I thought could do something special – steal a person’s shadow! My theories almost proved that if I could steal the shadow of a sentient being, that being would become the slave of whoever owned the shadow… and could cause the person to die by destroying it!

“Then the Three Heroes started causing trouble. I volunteered to use my shadow stealer on them – anything to please the Shadow Queen. She didn’t approve of the idea, because I hadn’t tested the device yet, but said if I wanted to take a risk, it was up to me.

“So I lured the Warrior Queen into a battle of spells… My magic was no match for hers… So I tried to lull her into a false sense of security, preparing to use my shadow stealer…

“But when I actually used it, I discovered that some tattletale had warned her in advance! She was on to me all along. And when I used it, the magical protection she had on herself caused it to backfire!

“And boy did it backfire… My body was destroyed… I was forced to fuse with the closest flexible object I could find before my soul was lost, which unfortunately was that ridiculous ‘freak-in-a-sheet’ costume you saw.

“Most of my powers were now gone, but I still had the power to change forms, albeit only to shadowy silhouettes, like this one… A mockery of my favorite pastime.

“Francesca! I’ve waited a thousand years for my chance! And the Shadow Queen has promised me that once I defeat you, I’ll finally have a new body… That of my enemy’s descendent…

“Yours…”

He chuckled.

“I’ll end my turn by playing this card facedown,” he calmly said.

He fit a card into his Disk, and it appeared.

Francesca looked shocked.

Then her eyes narrowed.

“If you’re trying to blame her for what happened to you, you’re deluded,” she answered. “You dug your own grave a long time ago.

“And if you want me, you’ll have to defeat me first… And it’s my turn!”

She drew.

“Perfect!” she said. “I’ll play Premature Burial, to bring back Warrior Dai Grepher!”

Her Life Points fell to 3,000, and Warrior Dai Grepher rose out of the floor. (1,700/1,600)

“And that’s not all…” continued Francesca. “Now I’ll sacrifice Grepher for a Monster that I also doubt you have in your deck…”

Grepher shattered.

“Meet Madame Flurrie of the Fog!” she exclaimed.

A foggy cloud congealed, and Madame Flurry appeared in all her splendor! (1,800/1,000)

“Now watch as she blows away your Queen!” shouted Fran.

She discarded two cards.

Madame Flurrie took a deep breath, and blasted her fierce Gale Force. The evil Amazoness Queen staggered against the wind, but was blown over, and shattered!

Doopliss was speechless.

“Now I end my turn,” said Francesca. “So just try to take me down now!”

Doopliss drew.

“I’ll play Pot of Greed…” he said, playing the card.

He fit the card into a slot, and the wicked jar handed him two more cards.

He snickered and added them to his hand. He took another card from it.

“I play Nightmare Steel Cage!” he shouted, throwing another card into a slot.

Flames erupted around Francesca, and an iron, domed cage studded with spikes formed around her and Flurrie!

“Now you can’t attack me for two of your turns!” laughed Doopliss.

“By the same token, you can’t attack me,” answered Francesca.

“I have no problem with that,” chuckled Doopliss. “First I’ll play my facedown card, Call of the Haunted!”

His Trap Card lifted.

“I’ll use it to bring back my other Paladin from the grave!” he chuckled.

The demonic Paladin appeared again. (1,700/300) –> (1,800/300)

“Now,” continued Doopliss, “I’ll play Premature Burial, to bring back my Amazoness Fighter…”

He played the card, and his Life Points fell to 1,600. The Fiend Fighter returned. (1,500/1,300)

“Next,” he said, “I’ll play Monster Reborn, to bring back my Swords Woman!”

He played another Magic Card, and the demon Swords Woman appeared, holding her blade. (1,500/1,600)

Strange, thought Francesca. He had three recovery cards, and he didn’t use any of them to bring back his Queen! Something’s up…

“Finally,” laughed Doopliss, “I’ll sacrifice my Amazoness Fighter to summon my own Penumbral Soldier Lady!”

The Fighter and the Premature Burial card vanished, and a frightening form arose. This version of Penumbral Soldier Lady looked even darker, with black hair down to her waist, and glowing red eyes. (2,100/1,400)

“Well, that’s enough for one turn,” chuckled Doopliss. “Over to you…”

Francesca drew…

She looked at the card strangely…

She stared at it for a minute.

“Stan…” whispered Andy. “What do you think Fran just drew? I’ve never seen that look on her face before…”

“Must be something special…” answered Stan with a shrug.

Francesca fit the card into a slot.

“I’ll place a card facedown, she said, softly.

The card appeared in front of her.

She chose another card.

“And now I’ll summon Amazoness Swords Woman in Attack Mode,” she continued.

She placed the card down, and the wild Amazon warrior appeared, holding her huge sword aloft. She glared angrily at her imposter through the bars of the cage. (1,500/1,600)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/MFC-061.jpg


Doopliss chuckled.

“She won’t help you,” he laughed.

“Say what you will,” muttered Francesca. “I’m ending my turn…”

“Fine,” answered Doopliss.

He drew.

And then he laughed out loud!

He switched two cards on his Disk for another…

“I sacrifice my Swords Woman and Paladin…” he snickered.

The two Amazon imposters vanished…

He couldn’t… thought Francesca.

“…and I’ll summon my Guardian Angel Joan!” exclaimed Doopliss.

The creature that appeared could not be believed. It looked like Joan would appear as if she were a fallen angel. Her feathered wings were blackened, her sin was grey, her hair was black, and she had small horns. In place of her splendid silver gown was a ragged black one. (2,800/2,000)

Francesca looked at him in disgust.

“How dare you!” she cursed. “How dare you create a Fiend version of Joan? That is the lowest you could ever sink to!”

“Save it!” answered Doopliss. “I have and I’ll use her to crush you! Now make your last move!”

“All right…” snarled Francesca.

She drew.

I’ll save this one, she thought.

She put a card down.

“I’ll summon Amazoness Blowpiper in Attack Mode!” she shouted.

The teenage Amazon appeared, holding her blowgun by her side. (800/1,500)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/MFC-062.jpg


“WHAT?” shouted Doopliss. “Blowpiper is WEAK! Why the heck would you play her in Attack Mode?”

“My decision…” replied Francesca. “I end my turn…”

“Has Fran gone nuts?” asked Andy. “What the heck…”

“Wait…” whispered Stan. “Her facedown card…”

“But what could it be?” whispered Andy back. “Her Mirror Force is already gone!”

The Nightmare Steel Cage crumbled, and faded into mist…

“Now to finish you off!” laughed Doopliss. “I draw one card…”

He made his draw…

“Hold it right there, Doopliss!” shouted Francesca. “I’m activating a Trap! Behold the power of… Showstopper!”

Her facedown card lifted up, revealing a frightening picture of three shadowy figures blasting Gate Guardian with a burning beam of energy.

“To activate this Trap, I first have to sacrifice three Monsters!” exclaimed Fran. “So I sacrifice Flurrie, Swords Woman, and Blowpiper!”

Flurrie blew a kiss to Doopliss before she and the two Amazons vanished into pixels.

“Then I have to pay half my Life Points!” continued Francesca.

Her Life Points fell to 1,500.

“And in exchange for that, all of the cards on your side of the field and in your hand go straight to the Graveyard!” she shouted.

A series of spotlights shot down from the ceiling, creating a multicolored lightshow! Doopliss’s Penumbral Soldier Lady and Guardian Angel Joan screamed, and were blasted into nothing! Then the cards in his hand were pulled away and yanked into his discard slot!

“ARRGHH!” shouted Doopliss. “Where on earth did you get THAT?”

“You can thank my ancestor for that too,” said Francesca with a smile. “Now since you have no cards to play, it’s my move!”

She whipped a card from the top of her deck.

“And now I summon Amazoness Priestess!” she shouted, placing a card down.

In a flash of light, the young Amazon with her bikini top and long gown carrying her gem-topped staff appeared. (1,500/1,500)

“With seven of her comrades laid to rest in my Graveyard,” announced Francesca, “her Attack Score is a mighty 2,200, which is more than enough to take you down once and for all!”

Even with no face, it was clear that Doopliss’s expression was one of fear.

“Amazoness Priestess, attack with spiritual magic attack!” shouted Francesca.

The Priestess fired her beam of pure energy, striking the duplighost in the chest, and wiping out his Life Points! Doopliss screamed and fell over…

Shadows fled from his form, and he reverted to his sheet-like form, only now he was unconscious.



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


Francesca opened her eyes, unaware that she had closed them.

She was in a void of light, and facing her was Madame Flurrie and Yoshi.

“Good work, darlin’,” chuckled Flurrie. “to bad we couldn’t see the look on Doopliss’s face – it would have been priceless!”

“That was a dynamite duel!” laughed Yoshi. “I’ve heard people say that a person can be her own worst enemy, but I’ve never seen it put into practice before.”

“Well, you guys helped…” muttered Francesca.

“And we’ll keep helping you!” exclaimed Yoshi. “We’ll help you storm the Thousand Year Door!”

“Believe in yourself, honey,” added Flurrie, “and we’ll never be more that a draw away…”



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


A light shone from the top of the room…

A small crystal in the shape of a star, but this one yellow in color, lowered from the ceiling, and fell into Francesca’s hands.

“Wow, the Citrine Stone!” exclaimed Andy, coming up to her. “Congratulations, Fran, I knew you could do it…”

He looked at her nervously.

“I never had any doubts…” he stammered. “The way you handled that creep was so… uhm… so… great. You can duel so well, I mean you…”

He paused…

She sighed.

“Will you just come here?” she purred, grabbing him by the collar.

And then, she kissed him deeply on the lips…

Andy was shocked. At first he wanted to pull away…

But then he closed his eyes.

Hey, this isn’t so bad… he thought, putting his arms around her.

Stan nervously waited. After about a minute, Francesca let go.

“Well,” sighed Francesca, looking at the star, “two of us have them, and now only Andy needs one.“

“Then let’s go find you a duelist,” said Stan, “unless you’d rather stay here and fool around with your girlfriend…”

Andy and Fran blushed…

They left the bell tower, leaving Doopliss groaning on the floor…



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


“Well, that was very sweet,” muttered the Shadow Queen, sarcastically.

She got off her throne and started to pace.

“Things are getting serious. By the end of the day, Andy should have one too…

“Well, enjoy Francesca’s sweet kisses while you can, Andy, because pretty soon, love is going to be replaced by darkness and despair…

“For behind the Thousand Year Door, love can’t protect you from the nightmares that lurk in every corner…”



SHOWSTOPPER (Trap Card)

Card Specs

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

Card Description: Image of three shadowy figures blasting Gate Guardian with a burning beam of energy. Offer three face-up Monsters on your side of the field (other than Tokens) as Tribute, and spend half your current Life Points. Every card on your opponent’s side of the field is destroyed, and he must discard his current hand.



[I][B]Coming up next:

At long last, the last user character appears! And let me tell you folks, this is one of the strangest ones yet! As Andy fights for his seventh Crystal Card, he must face a strategy that most duelists hate…

A chapter called “Tick Tock” is coming up next!

[Zcade0]

O_o
long chapter! But it was sweet! I hate the freak-in-the-sheet even though I've never played the game. Nice ending. :biggrin:

[Shuppet Master]

Excellent chapter! I think Doopliss is one of the most intriguing villians in the video game, and the way he duels is nifty. I'm glad you didn't just copy what you did with Doppler, Brian.

And finally Fran and Andy kiss. That's so sweet. (Shoots myself for being so unlucky. :lol: )

Well, looks like things are heating up and this part of the story is coming to a close. I can't wait for the trivia quiz coming up. (Of course, not that I'm saying I am going to win, of course...everyone has a chance.)

See you later! ;)

[Dark Sage]

I'm glad you didn't just copy what you did with Doppler, Brian.


Yes, I wanted to make Doopliss different than Doppler. Doppler was merely a minic who duplicated an opponent's deck card-for-card. But Doopliss is an evil creature, who actually corrupts the creatures in an opponent's deck, making Fiend versions. In effect, he played a Fiend Deck with Fiend versions of the Amazons. And he likely did it because he wanted revenge on the Warrior Queen through Fran - this was his way of mocking her.

Keep reading.

- Brian

[Mystic_clown]

Nice chapter dude. I liked the "Freak-in-a-Sheet" jokes. I can't wait for the quiz, then I'll have a chance to see Aesop's other decks (if I win that is).

[Master of Paradox]

Oh, how I loathed the Twilight Town chapter... although I do like Vivian. (Part of it is that I'm very good at repeat-the-order minigames; this makes me good with Showstopper, too.) Doopliss, though, could be funny as all heck - and I note you repeat Beldam's reference to him as a "freak-in-a-sheet". Nice.

Thing is, though, somehow I found this duel a little tedious. I suppose it's just a side effect of Amazoness overload. Nice backstory for this version of Doopliss, though - reminds me a bit of an evil version of Alphonse Elric. (If anyone's interested, the real Doopliss was always that way - "duplighost" is apparently a species.)

I'd comment on the next chapter, but... well, I can't. You see, the next user character is my guy, so I'd just be giving it away. Let's just say I haven't met too many real duelists like him...

[Dark Sage]

THAT they likely haven't MoP. Your character was the one I had the most fun writing about. I really hope you enjoy the chapter...

Vivian is also my favorite character in the game - arguably, she's the cutest female character ever to appear in a Mario game (sorry, Peach...).

I'm not sure who Alphonse Elric is - maybe I'll look it up.

But the next chapter will be up soon.

- SM

[Master of Paradox]

No need to look it up - Alphonse Elric is a character from Fullmetal Alchemist. He and his brother, Edward, tried to raise their mother from the dead through alchemy. Bad move - human transmutation is forbidden for a reason: Edward lost his leg, and Alphonse's body was consumed utterly. To save Alphonse, Edward used up his right arm in a transmutation, binding Alphonse's soul to a suit of armor in the corner. The suit is Alphonse's body now, and it's completely empty inside - which causes problems if someone knocks the helmet off.

A running gag in the series is that everyone assumes Alphonse, being the large suit of armor, is the older of the two brothers - in fact, he's the younger one, and Edward (who's very short, incidentally) has to correct people on a regular basis.

[Pokemasterkatie]

Yep; I highly suggest you watch the series, as it's a pretty damn good dub.^_^ The bad part is staying up to 1 a.m. on the weekdays without getting caught.:p MoP made a good comparison, although Doopliss is much less intimidating than Al at a first glance...Though you can actually tell the freak-in-a-sheet is kinda evil, Al's a sweet young boy who'd do anything for his brother(he's actually my favorite character in FMA).:)

You know what would've been a monster to try and put in Doopliss' deck? It may not be a real card as of yet, but Copycat would've been a nice trump card...The video game version of it copies a monster on the opponent's side of the field. A powerful effect, though much less broken than the animé version, which can copy any card the opponent's used...;)

[The Blue Avenger]

Hehe, I liked this chapter, but Doopliss was always my favorite PM2 character anyway, so that was kiinda a forgone conclusion. His backstory was interesting to say the least - although MoP is right, they are a species on Paper Mario. Maybe they were a cult.



Vivian is also my favorite character in the game - arguably, she's the cutest female character ever to appear in a Mario game (sorry, Peach...).


Just curious, but did you know that Vivian was a guy in the Japanese version?

[Perfect Chaos]

I agree with Pokemasterkatie, Copycat would've been perfect in Doopliss' deck.

Although I never played any of the Paper Mario games, I liked Doopliss best of all the Paper Mario characters so far. His backstory was very interesting (reminded me of Saurius from Mandate) and intrigued me the most of them all.

However, his deck had me bored as again, I feel that the Amazons are a bit overused in this story, and the new Fiend aspect of them did not make them any more intresting. It was a bit amusing to see Fran so angry when seeing the dark versions of her monsters.

So Andy and Fran finally get together huh? I was wondering when you would finally incorporate that into the story. Well, better sooner than later I suppose

See you next chapter

-$3@n

[Shuppet Master]

I know a lot of Full Metal Alchemist - there were two RPGs of it on the Playstation-2, and a video game review show called X-Play that I watch gave both sub-par scores and then made tons of jokes on the fans of that show. I heard about it ever since someone bashed the dub because(like all dub-bashers) they pointed out that there was a lot of dubbing errors.

I would have played the games myself if I wasn't worried about the flaming frutball nature of some of the characters. Oh, and yeah, Al's the little brother, but he probably was the older brother before the horrible accident left him as an unaging soul and Ed ended up growing up but Al's still a seven-year old kid. :)

EDIT: Sorry about the OT discussion, but I just remembered how licensed games always sucks. It's the curse that started with that horrendous E.T. for the Atari 2600(X-Play dedicated a whole episode to its craptacular badness). Sorry again. I'm sure Brigit Anderlee would be upset about the bad games because she's seen almost every anime in existence, including Full Metal Alchemist.

[Master of Paradox]

I would have played the games myself if I wasn't worried about the flaming frutball nature of some of the characters. Oh, and yeah, Al's the little brother, but he probably was the older brother before the horrible accident left him as an unaging soul and Ed ended up growing up but Al's still a seven-year old kid. :)


Nope. Al was always the younger brother (a year or two behind Edward, I forget the exact ages).

As for the X-Play comments: I don't waste my time with their reviews of anything anime-based, because Americans can't make fun of anime without being lame. The games are pretty bad, though, but then licensed games still haven't gotten good, anime being no exception. As for the dub... dubbing is never an exact science.

But we're dragging the topic off-subject again, so let's stop with the FMA discussion.

[Mystic_clown]

Yeah, back to the fanfiction.

BTW, DS, do you mind if I make my fanfic take place in the same word as this one?

[Dark Sage]

Mystic Clown...

The world of my fanfic is the same world as the anime, set shortly after the Doma Saga. No anime characters have appeared yet, but that will change.

If you want to include references to Monster Island and the Shadow Queen, well, I'm not sure that would be a good idea. But let me know what you have in mind.

- Brian

[Mystic_clown]

Nevermind then. I'll just stick with the anime world.

[Dark Sage]

The time has arrived...

With this chapter you are about to read, I present the last, yes the last user character!

And he's like no duelist you ever saw!

Anyway, I'd like to thank Master of Paradox for his truly unique contribution.

Enjoy.

- DS

[Dark Sage]

[B][I]You know, the name of this game is “Duel Monsters”. The name is quite easy to understand – two players are supposed to duel each other using Monsters.

Thing is, a lot of people don’t get the spirit of the game. They make very annoying decks that regulate their Monsters to the sidelines, and let their Magic and Trap Cards do you in. These sort of decks can be among the hardest to defeat. It can be difficult to attack when all your Monsters are disabled, or your deck has been sabotaged.

The table is split as to whether these duelists are cunning… Or simply cowardly folks who can’t bear to be hurt.

This guy I’m facing doesn’t exactly strike me as a coward… And if he’s cunning, he has a funny was of hiding it…

But just by looking at him, I think I see why he made his deck the way he did…

His strategy is quite the same as his personality.

And that doesn’t make him any less dangerous…




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



Tick Tock



The time on their watches read two PM, and the darkness of Twilight Town was behind them.

They were walking along the shore on the road to Keelhaul Key again, and Andy was more energetic than ever.

“All right!” he shouted. “Who wants a piece of Andy Markova!”

Wow… thought Francesca, who’d have thought one kiss would get him THIS riled up?

She giggled.

Maybe I should do it more often!

She sighed…

What’s going to happen when I go back to Boston and he goes back to Florida? she thought. I’m almost sure now one of us can win this tournament and we can defeat the Queen, but what then?

“Come on!” shouted Andy. “I’ll take you all on!”

“Andy?” sighed Stan. “You just challenged a group of trees.”

“Oh, right…” muttered Andy.

He paused.

“Well, I’ve got to find someone,” he mumbled. “And we’ve got to keep looking… I mean, it isn’t like I’m just going to trip over a duelist or…”

The moment he said that he stopped short, just in time to stop himself from tripping over someone.

Sprawled beneath a tree was a young man, fast asleep.

They looked at him. They figured he’d be a little over six feet tall if he were standing up. His clothes were all thrown together – loose trousers, loose shirt, and a loose jacket, all of them grey. He was barefoot. He had mussed up brown hair.

He had a Duel Disk tucked under his shoulder.

“Wow…” muttered Stan. “Most duelists get nervous during big tournaments… this one takes naps…”

Andy tapped him on the shoulder.

“Hey, Rip Van Winkle!” he urged.

The young man slowly roused, but he didn’t get up. He yawned.

“Ergh,” he groaned. “Right in the middle of a good dream…”

He yawned and looked at them.

“What?” he asked, looking up.

“Aren’t you worried that someone might come along and swipe your cards?” asked Andy.

The youth chuckled.

He pointed to a case on his belt, a leather deck protector. It was locked shut, and chained to his belt.

“I’m not stupid,” he said, slowly.

There was a tired drawl to his voice.

“Well, uh, buddy…” said Andy, suspiciously, “that’s… clever… Are you interested in a duel?”

“Well…” said the youth.

He let out a large yawn, still not bothering to get up.

He paused for a minute.

“I suppose…” he said. “It isn’t like I have anything better to do…”

“Oh forget it…” muttered Andy. “It wouldn’t be any fun dueling someone who isn’t a challenge…”

He turned to leave…

“You saying I’m not a challenge?” asked the youth, reaching into his pocket.

“Uh, Andy…” said Stan, tapping him on the shoulder.

Andy looked back, and saw that the prone youth was holding six Crystal Cards.

Well, thought Andy, appearances are deceptive…

“You have a name?” he asked.

The youth yawned again.

“Gerald,” he answered. “Gerald Laxina.”

“Fitting,” muttered Andy. “So where are you from?”

“The United States,” answered Gerald.

Andy gave him a strange look.

“Uh, can you narrow it down a little?” he asked.

Gerald sighed.

“If you want to know where I live, that’s going to be hard to pinpoint,” he sighed. “I don’t really have a hometown. My parents’ job… it requires a lot of relocating. So far, I’ve lived in over twenty towns. So I really don’t bother calling any one of them mine.”

He took a key from out of his pocket and undid the lock on his deck protector.

“Anyway, I did manage to pick up one thing growing up…” he said as he shuffled. “…aside from learning how to play chess and grow bonsai trees. I was relaxing on a bench at this mall one day when they were having a tournament, when an angry duelist threw his deck away right at my feet. I think I heard him cursing about losing to a Yata Lock, the sore loser… And I found out after giving the cards a try that dueling was one of the few things I could do well…”

He started to shuffle.

“In other words,” said Andy, shuffling, “you lucked out…”

“That duelist had a poor deck,” answered Gerald. “I made it much better… But I did luck out the next year. Some… moron left a rare card in the library while using it as a bookmark, and I found it. That card has helped me win countless times… Wait until you see it.”

He gave a smirk as he strapped his Disk onto his arm and plugged the deck in.

“Uhm, aren’t you going to stand up?” asked Andy.

Gerald shrugged.

“Why bother?” he asked, leaning back. “I can duel perfectly well this way…”

Andy couldn’t believe this. He had found the laziest duelist alive.

“Be careful, Andy…” warned Francesca, coming up to him. “He does have six Cards… He likely has a secret strategy…”

“I know…” muttered Andy.

“All right, Gerald,” he continued. “I hate to hit a guy when he’s down, but you leave me no choice…”

The holo-imagers shot out, and the Disks flipped into position. The Life Point counters hit 8,000.

”It’s time to duel!” shouted Andy, drawing five cards.

“Whatever,” sighed Gerald, drawing five.

Andy sighed.

“Why don’t you make the first move, Gerald…” he said.

“’Kay…” said Gerald with a shrug, drawing his first card.

He added it to his hand and crossed his legs.

“I’ll place this in Defense Mode…” he said.

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

“Now I’ll place two cards facedown, and that will be my turn,” he continued, placing two cards into slots.

Two facedown cards materialized in front of him.

Well, this is off to a slow start… thought Andy.

He drew a card.

Yes! he thought with glee. I drew my Tyrant Dragon on my first draw! All I need to do is get two Monsters on the field, and this guy will sweep the duel!

He added it to his hand and chose another card.

“I summon Twin Headed Behemoth in Attack Mode!” he shouted.

He placed a card down, and the fierce two-headed dragon appeared. (1,500/1,200)

“Attack his facedown Monster!” shouted Andy.

Twin Headed Behemoth shot forth twin blasts of flame…

An odd object appeared on Gerald’s card…



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/TP2-001.jpg


The creature cackled before it was burned to ashes.

“ARGH! A Morphing Jar!” shouted Andy.

“Uh huh…” muttered Gerald. “So now we have to toss our hands and draw five new cards…”

Andy was clearly very upset… Tyrant Dragon wasn’t the only good Monster he had in his hand…

“Later, guys,” he muttered, discarding his hand.

He made five new draws.

“That’s my turn…” he sighed.

Gerald made a draw.

“Well let’s see…” muttered Gerald, looking at his cards. “What to summon? This one is good…”

He looked at another two cards.

“But then again, there’s always these…”

“Come on…” urged Andy.

“Patience…” said Gerald. “Good moves take time. I never do anything unless I think it through for awhile. You ever hear the old saying ‘Slow and steady wins the race’?”

He took a card from his hand.

“Okay, I guess this guy will do…” he said, placing it on his Disk. “I’ll summon Ryu-Kishin Powered in Attack Mode.”

He placed a card down, and a fiendish, clawed gargoyle made of black rock appeared. (1,600/1,200)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/MRD-EN092.jpg


“Uh…” mumbled Gerald, “uh, attack his Behemoth! Gargoyle claws attack!”

The Fiend flew forward and slashed at Twin Headed Behemoth with its talons, blasting it to pieces!

Andy’s Life Points dropped to 7,900.

Andy raised his hand, and Twin Headed Behemoth returned. (1,000/1,200)

“All right,” sighed Gerald, “that’s my turn.”

And you’re in for a surprise… he thought.

Andy drew.

Yes! he thought.

“I sacrifice my Behemoth to summon Luster Dragon #2!” he exclaimed.

Behemoth vanished, and the huge, emerald-studded Dragon appeared, and let out a roar! (2,400/1,900)

“Now my Dragon, attack…” he started to say.

Luster Dragon reared up its head…

“WAIT!” shouted Andy. “Check that…”

He paused.

Huh? thought Francesca. Andy called off his attack?

Andy took a good look at the two facedown cards behind Ryu-Kishin Powered…

Somehow I remember seeing a strategy like this somewhere… he thought. A Dark Monster and two cards facedown…

He paused.

Maybe I SHOULD take my time and think about this…

He paused again.

That’s right! he thought as it came to him. I was watching the Battle City finals on tape!

Seto Kaiba set two facedown cards with his Vorse Raider out… And when his opponent attacked, he activated both of them. One was Shrink, which cut Vorse Raider’s Attack to below 1,000, and the other was his Crush Card, which he was able to use because Vorse Raider was now weak enough!

He took a card from his hand.

Well, I’m not falling for it…

“I play Stamping Destruction!” he shouted.

He threw the card into a slot, and Luster Dragon stamped its foot, sending a shockwave that caused Gerald to cringe! One of his facedown cards, revealed to be a Crush Card as Andy had feared, lifted and shattered.

“Clever…” muttered Gerald, as his Life Points fell to 7,500.

“Luster Dragon, attack his Ryu-Kishin Powered!” shouted Andy.

“ANDY!” shouted Francesca.

A ball of energy appeared in Luster Dragon’s mouth.

“Too late,” said Gerald with a grin. “I activate Shrink!”

Andy gasped. He had forgotten that Gerald could have used that on his Monster too…

Luster Dragon shank to half its size, and its Attack fell to 1,200! The Gargoyle lashed out with its claw, and it shattered!

Andy’s Life Points fell to 7,500.

Andy sighed.

“All right,” he muttered. “That’s all for my move.”

“Fine,” sighed Gerald drawing.

He lay down in a prone position, with his arm supporting his head.

“Ryu-Kishin, attack directly!” he ordered.

The gargoyle charged forward, and raked at Andy with its claws! He yelped!

His Life Points fell to 5,900.

At least my deck is safe… he thought.

“That should do it for now…” mumbled Gerald.

“Man, Andy is taking a beating…” gasped Francesca.

“Don’t worry,” assured Stan. “He’s been in tougher spots…”

Andy drew.

“All right!” he exclaimed. “I’ll summon my old friend Cave Dragon in Attack Mode!”

He put a card down, and the elderly, wingless Dragon appeared. (2,000/100)

“Since it can’t attack right now, I’ll end my turn,” he said.

Gerald slowly drew.

“I’ll summon my Grand Tiki Elder in Defense Mode…” he said, placing a card down.

A fiendish witch doctor in a frightening Tiki mask appeared in mid-air, shielding itself. (1,500/800)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LON-EN011.jpg


Huh, thought Andy. He must have a lot of Monsters to use the Crush/Shrink combination with…

“…and I’ll shift Ryu-Kishin Powered to Defense too,” continued Gerald.

The gargoyle knelt and crossed its arms.

“It’s your move,” he said with a yawn.

Andy made a draw.

Hmm, he thought.

“I’ll summon Divine Dragon Ragnarok in Attack Mode,” he exclaimed.

He put the card down, and the wispy Dragon made of clouds appeared. (1,500/1,000)

“Now my Dragons, wipe out his Monsters!” he shouted.

Cave Dragon belched forth a wave of gas, disintegrating Ryu-Kishin! Ragnarok breathed forth a beam of light, vaporizing Grand Tiki Elder!

“Your move, Gerald,” laughed Andy. “You’d best get a good draw this turn…”

Gerald licked his index finger and drew a card…

He placed it on his Disk.

“Dark Elf in Attack Mode,” he said, casually.

A dark shadow fell across his side of the field, and the wicked twin of Mystical Elf appeared. (2,000/800)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/MRD-EN113.jpg


“Lovely,” sighed Francesca. “He put up an offensive wall…”

“That’s all for me this turn…” sighed Gerald.

Andy grimaced as he drew.

This guy is making a fool out of me… he thought.

He looked at his card.

All right! he thought.

He placed another card on his Disk.

“I summon my favorite Monster!” he exclaimed. “Meet Lord or Dragons!”

The Spellcaster with his black outfit and cape with his skull-like helmet appeared. (1,200/1,100)

“Now,” continued Andy, “I’ll play Polymerization, to fuse him together with Divine Dragon Ragnarok!”

He played the Magic Card, and the Dragon and Lord of Dragons were drawn into the portal…



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/SKE-016.jpghttp://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LOB-EN059.jpghttp://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/FET-EN002.jpg


Dark energy flowed from the portal, and the immense form of King Dragun trudged out! (2,400/1,100)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/FET-EN036.jpg


“All right!” cheered Francesca. “I was wondering what happened to that guy!”



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“That will be all for my turn…” said Andy with a smirk.

“Impressive,” sighed Gerald, making a draw.

He turned the card on his Disk.

“I’ll shift Dark Elf into Defense Mode…” he sighed.

Dark Elf knelt in Defense.

“And I’ll also summon Mechanicalchaser in Defense Mode,” he said, placing a card down.

A large, spherical robot, with a skull-like face, wings, a sword-like tail, and a collection of spindly arms appeared. It shielded itself. (1,850/800)



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


“Your move…” he said with a shrug.

Man, Mechanicalchaser isn’t a Monster you see every day! thought Francesca. You only find them in Tournament Packs that you get for winning tournaments. This guy is no rookie…

Andy drew.

Darn, he thought. No Monsters to summon, even with King Dragun’s effect. At this rate, I’ll never get at his Life Points…

“King Dragun, wipe out his Mechanicalchaser with divine wrath!”

King Dragun blasted forth a breath of black flames, and Mechanicalchaser blew up.

“Cave Dragon, destroy his Dark Elf!”

Cave Dragon blasted forth a wave of gas, and Dark Elf gasped. She shattered.

“Your move, Gerald,” he said, “and next turn, I’ll be able to hit you with everything I’ve got!”

Gerald made a draw.

And then he sat up as he looked at the card.

He smirked, and added it to his hand. Then he chose another card and placed it in a slot.

“I play Pot of Avarice!” he announced.

A large jar with a really goofy face on it appeared in front of him.

“Pot of Avarice?” exclaimed Andy. “What does that do?”

“It’s not exactly common,” answered Gerald. “First, I take five Monsters from my Graveyard and return them to my deck.”

Five cards slid out of his discard slot. Gerald combined them with his deck, and reshuffled it.

Then he plugged the deck back in.

“Then, I get to draw two more cards,” he continued.

Just like they had seen their Pot of Greed cards do so many times, a spectral arm reached out of the Pot of Avarice, took two cards from the top of Gerald’s deck, and handed them to him.

Interesting… he thought.

“Next, I’ll place two cards facedown on the field,” he stated.

He played two cards, and they formed in front of him.

“Now I’ll play this Magic Card,” he said. “The powerful Spell Sanctuary!”

He played the card, and it revealed itself. It was a strange card, bearing the picture of an ancient temple on a hill with a glowing portal of light above it.

“Spell Sanctuary?” asked Andy. “What’s that?”

“Let me explain how this works,” started Gerald, reaching for his deck again. “First, we each get to take any Magic Card we desire from our decks and add it to our hands. So you’d best choose wisely…”

And I know just which one I want, he thought, leafing through his deck.

Andy took out his deck.

That’s odd, thought Andy. Why on earth would he let me search for any Magic Card I wanted?

“By the way,” continued Gerald, “before you make your choice, you should know that Spell Sanctuary has another effect. So long as this Continuous Magic Card remains on the field, both of us are allowed to activate any Magic Card during the opponent’s turn.”

Andy stared at him for a moment.

He looked back to his deck. He almost picked out Heavy Storm, but then he decided against it – this Spell Sanctuary might be too useful to wipe out. He finally took Scorching Ruin, and then shuffled his deck.

Gerald shuffled his, and then plugged his deck back in.

“Now,” he said with a gleam in his eye. “Prepare to meet the horror of that card that I found because an idiot left it behind in a library while using it as a bookmark!”

He held a card aloft – it seemed to glow in the sunlight...

“What?” gasped Andy. “That wasn’t your Crush Card?”

Gerald paused.

“No,” he said with a chuckle. “The Crush Card I earned. I won it at a tournament at the Mall of America.

“THIS is the kill-card of my deck!”

He threw a card into a slot.

“I activate… FINAL COUNTDOWN!”

His Life Points fell all the way to 5,500, and a wave of energy surrounded Andy! Francesca gasped in fear, as two sets of chains circled his chest!

A black box appeared where the two chains crossed, and a digital number “20” appeared on it.

”Final Countdown has been initiated,” said a computerized voice.

“What is this?” gasped Francesca.

“Final Countdown is a rare and powerful card…” gulped Stan. “Gerald had to pay 2,000 Life Points to activate it… but now, this duel isn’t going to last more than twenty more rounds between the two of them…”

“What do you mean?” shouted Francesca.

“That thing on Andy’s chest,” shuddered Stan. “It’s a bomb. A time bomb, to be precise. As each round ends, the number on it will decrease by one. When it reaches zero, it will explode, taking all of Andy’s Life Points with it…”

“Can Andy stop it?” asked Francesca, starting to panic.

“No…” muttered Stan. “Gerald’s Magic Card has already left the field. Final Countdown is irreversible…”

“Oh my God…” cried Francesca.

“Get ahold of yourself!” shouted Stan. “If you can’t take it, think of how Andy must feel!”

“I’ll finish up by placing a Monster in Defense Mode,” said Gerald.

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

“I’m ending my turn,” said Gerald, “and that was round one…”

He leaned back into a reclining position, and the bomb on Andy’s chest fell down to 19.

Andy drew.

“You think I’m beaten, you slacker?” shouted Andy. “I’ll defeat you long before the twenty rounds are up!

“Cave Dragon, attack his facedown Monster!”

Cave Dragon shot forth his deadly stream…

Gerald yawned, and hit a button on his Disk…

A Trap Card lifted…

Mirror Force!

The blast was deflected, blowing Cave Dragon and King Dragun to pieces!

“Didn’t I tell you that you should think things out before you do them?” sighed Gerald. “Good things come to those who wait.

“Now I’ll activate my other Trap… Wall of Revealing Light!”

His other facedown card lifted, and a bright barrier sprang up between the two duelists.

“I may have to pay 3,000 Life Points to let it reach it’s true potential…” sighed Gerald.

His Life Points fell to 2,500.

“But unless you can somehow summon a Monster with more than 3,000 Attack Points, you can’t touch me!”

“Fine,” grumbled Andy. “It’s your move…”

Right now, he was really regretting not getting Heavy Storm when he had the chance…

Gerald drew a card.

He reached into his pocket and took a pack of bubble gum out.

“You ever try these two-flavors-in-one gums?” he asked, unwrapping a piece. “One guy I met told me that this strawberry-lemonade flavor was ‘sweet in a tart way’, but frankly, I just think it’s just good in a good way, if you know what I mean…”

“Will you just move?” said Andy, annoyed.

Gerald popped a piece in his mouth and chewed. He took a card from his hand.

“I’ll flip my facedown Monster from Defense to Attack Mode,” he continued.

The card flipped, and the Monster revealed itself. It was a long, purple worm with three spines on its front. (750/600)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/TP3-001.jpg


“A Needle Worm!” shouted Andy.

The top five cards flew off of his deck and flew into his discard slot! Andy gasped.

“And I’m not done,” continued Gerald. “Attack directly!”

The Needle Worm darted forward and stabbed at Andy with its spine! Andy grunted, and his Life Points fell to 5,150.

That was adding insult to injury… thought Andy.

Gerald sat up, and placed a card into a slot. It appeared in front of him.

He slowly blew a bubble with his gum and snapped it.

“That’s my turn,” he said.


[B][I]Seventeen rounds before Gerald’s automatic win by Final Countdown.


Andy seethed as he drew.

“Then I’ll draw…” said Andy, doing so.

“I’m activating my Trap!” chuckled Gerald.

His facedown card lifted.

“Activate Fiend Comedian!”

Two goofy creatures resembling comical Fiends in stand-up comics’ outfits appeared in the center of the arena.



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LOD-EN098.jpg


“Fiend Comedian?” gasped Francesca. “I don’t like the sound of that…”

“It’s a very risky Trap Card…” answered Stan. “Not many duelists use it. Those two comedians are going to spin a coin, and Gerald is going to call it. If he calls it right, then all the cards in Andy’s Graveyard are removed from play. But if he calls it wrong, he has to discard a number of cards equal to the number in Andy’s Graveyard from his deck…”

The two comedians laughed, and produced a Lincoln penny nearly as big as they were. They gave it a spin!

“Heads!” shouted Gerald.

The coin spun…

Andy bit his lip…

The coin started to wobble…

And it fell.

It was tails!

“HA!” laughed Andy. “You lose!”

He looked at his discard slot.

“And in case you lost count, I had eighteen cards in my Graveyard!”

Gerald shrugged.

“Very well,” he said, taking his deck.

He started to discard cards.

“Uh, Stan…” muttered Francesca. “Is it me, or does Gerald not seem to care that he just lost almost half his deck on that move?”

“Well,” sighed Stan, “a good duelist knows how to make a good situation out of losing on Fiend Comedian. He gets to chose which cards he’ll put in his Graveyard – and it’s easier to get cards from your Graveyard than your deck…”

“But…” said Francesca. “Now he’s lost…”

She did a quick tally…

“…thirty-two cards from his deck so far! He has just enough to last until the Final Countdown expires!”

Andy took a minute to take this in. Clearly, Gerald had to have a plan…

“I’ll summon my Masked Dragon in Defense Mode, and that will be all,” said Andy.

He put a card down, and the metallic Dragon appeared, folding its wings. (1,400/1,100)

“Okay…” sighed Gerald, making his draw.

He placed a card into a slot.

“I play Book of Moon,” he said with a yawn. “This Magic Card flips my Needle Worm into facedown Defense Mode…”

Needle Worm faded, and was replaced by a facedown card.

Andy gasped. He knew what was coming next.

“Now I’ll just flip-summon it again!” said Gerald with a chuckle.

The Needle Worm reappeared, and again, five cards flew off Andy’s deck and into his discard slot!

He wiped out a quarter of my deck with one card! he thought in fear.

“Now I’ll summon Cure Mermaid,” continued Gerald.

He placed a card on his Disk, and a beautiful mermaid in a pink dress with red scales and blonde hair appeared. (1,500/800)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LON-EN041.jpg


“Lovely,” said Stan. “Cure Mermaid will restore his Life Points by 800 during each of his turns…”

“Cure Mermaid…” ordered Gerald, “attack his Masked Dragon with song of the siren!”

Cure Mermaid let out a lovely, high pitched song, and Masked Dragon howled. It shattered.

Andy looked down at his Disk. A card slipped out.

Luckily, he still had one of his three Masked Dragons left. He placed it on his Disk, and it appeared in Defense Mode. (1,400/1,100)

“Your move,” he said.

Andy drew a card.

“I’ll place this card facedown, and end my turn…” he said.

He fit a card into a slot, and it appeared in front of him.


[I][B]Fourteen rounds before Gerald’s automatic win by Final Countdown.


Gerald drew.

Cure Mermaid sang a beautiful tune, and his Life Points went up to 3,300.

He added the card to his hand.

“I’ll play another Pot of Avarice!” he stated, fitting a card into a slot.

The goofy jar appeared in front of him again.

“Which, as you know, lets me add five cards from my Graveyard to my deck, and then let’s me draw two cards.”

Five cards slipped out of his discard slot, and he combined them with his deck. The Pot handed him two more cards.

“Now I’ll play… Spell Reproduction!” he stated.

He fit a card into a slot.

“This lets me discard two Magic Cards, and in return, replay one Magic Card I’ve already played.”

He discarded two cards.

“And I chose Book of Moon!”

The Needle Worm vanished, and was replaced by a facedown card again.

“Now…” he started to say.

“Not so fast, Gerald!” shouted Andy. “Reveal facedown card!”

His facedown card lifted…

It was Nobleman of Crossout.

“Thanks to your own Spell Sanctuary, I can play this card like a Quickplay Card, which means your Worm is history!”

The armored knight appeared and stabbed his sword into the card. Needle Worm appeared, and shattered.

“Clever,” muttered Gerald. “Cure Mermaid, attack his Masked Dragon!”

Cure Mermaid sang her song, and the second Masked Dragon was blown apart.

Come on… thought Andy, looking at his deck. I have to have a Dragon left with low enough Attack…

A card slipped out of his Disk.

This will do…

“I summon The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave in Defense Mode!” he stated, placing it down.

The rocky, wingless Dragon appeared. (1,300/2,000)

“I’ll end my turn…” sighed Gerald.

Andy drew.

“Oh, I pass, there’s nothing I can do…” he pouted.


[I][B]Twelve rounds before Gerald’s automatic win by Final Countdown.



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



Gerald drew a card. Cure Mermaid sang again, and his Life Points went up to 4,100.

“I warn you, Gerald,” said Andy, “so far your deck has lost thirty cards…”

“Well,” answered Gerald, “I won’t have to worry about decking out thanks to this powerful card…”

He showed him the card.

“It’s called Grave Trade,” he said.

He played it.

“Huh?” asked Andy.

“This powerful card lets me remove cards in my Graveyard from play, and in return, add an equal amount from there to my hand.”

His discard pile came out off the slot, and he looked through it.

“Since I now have twenty-eight cards in my Graveyard,” he said, “I’ll remove fourteen that I won’t need, and add another fourteen to my deck.”

He quickly made his choices, placed fourteen cards in his Removed From Play pile, and then shuffled his ten remaining cards into the fifteen cards he had recovered. He placed the new deck back into the holder.

“And that’s my turn…” he said with a sigh.

Andy grimaced and drew.

Draconic Offering… he thought.

He looked at his hand and grinned.

And I have Snatch Steal too… time to show this guy the true nature of Dragons…

He placed a card into a slot.

“I play Snatch Steal!” he exclaimed. “And I’ll take control of your Cure Mermaid!”

Cure Mermaid floated over to Andy’s side.

“I suppose you’re going to sacrifice her now…” said Gerald with a yawn. “Big deal…”

“Yes,” said Andy with a sinister grin, “but not in the way you think. I’m playing a Magic Card called Draconic Offering!”

He played the card, and a card with the image of a princess bound to a stake with a large shadow looming over her appeared.

“To play this card, I need to have one Dragon and one non-Dragon on my side of the field,” explained Andy. “Then I can sacrifice the non-Dragon and gain Life Points equal to its Attack or Defense Score.”

He smirked.

“Dragon Dwelling in the Cave,” he laughed, “dinner is served!”

Cure Mermaid drew back in fear as the huge Dragon bore down on her.

Gerald sat up in surprise as his Mermaid was devoured.

“I gotta say this about Andy,” said Stan in shock, “he’s full of surprises…”

Francesca laughed.

“GO ANDY!” she shouted. “That was awesome!”

Andy’s Life Points went up to 6,650.

“That wasn’t very nice, Andy…” muttered Gerald.

“You should read more books, Gerald,” said Andy with a grin. “Dragons aren’t very nice!”

“Yeah?” snapped Gerald, showing some emotion for a change, “well once that bomb clicks down, all the Life Points in the world aren’t going to help!”

“Fine,” answered Andy, “I’ll end my turn.”


[I][B]Ten rounds before Gerald’s automatic win by Final Countdown.


Gerald made a draw.

“I’ll play normal old Pot of Greed this time…” he said.

The Pot handed him two more cards.

“I’ll place a Monster facedown in Defense Mode, and also a card facedown,” he said.

He set the cards, and a hidden Monster appeared, followed by a facedown card.

“It’s your move…” he said.

“Fine,” answered Andy.

He made a draw.

“I’ll summon Grey Wing in Defense Mode,” he said, placing a card down.

The brown lizard with insect-like wings appeared. (1,300/700)

“I don’t think so…” muttered Gerald.

His Trap Card lifted.

“I activate Final Attack Orders!”

Andy gasped as his two Dragons moved to Attack Mode!

“So long as this Continuous Trap remains on the field,” explained Gerald, “all face-up Monsters are shifted into Attack Mode.”

“So I see…” said Andy, nervously. “Then it’s your move.”

Gerald drew a card.

“I’ll flip my facedown Monster into Attack Mode,” he said. “Meet Don Zaloog!”

The card flipped up, and the eyepatched bandit holding a rapier and dagger appeared. (1,400/1,500)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/PGD-029.jpg


“Aw no!” shouted Stan. “Not HIM again!”

“And now,” stated Gerald, putting another card down, “I’ll summon another Don Zaloog!”

He put the card down, and a twin of the first warrior appeared. (1,400/1,500)

“Now,” he said, placing two cards into slots, “I’ll Equip one of them with Axe of Despair, and the other with Malevolent Nuzzler!”

A huge axe appeared in one of the Don Zaloogs hand, and his Attack went up to 2,400. Then a demonic woman with green skin appeared behind the other one, and his Attack went up to 2,100.

“Attack his Dragons!” shouted Gerald.

The two bandits charged, and sliced apart The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave and Grey Wing.

Andy’s Life Points fell to 4,750.

“And due to their effect…” continued Gerald.

Two cards were torn from Andy’s hand and flew into his discard slot!

“Well,” sighed Gerald, “it’s your move… And even if you could attack me, I don’t think you can summon something with more than 2,400 Attack Points… I doubt you even have something that strong left…”

He leaned back and reclined again.


[I][B]Seven rounds before Gerald’s automatic win by Final Countdown.


Darn, thought Andy. The hard truth is, he’s right… his Morphing Jar and Needle Worm made me discard practically every strong Monster I have!

He looked at the three cards he had left in his hand.

Troop Dragon. That was hardly any good, because he had lost the other two. Super Rejuvenation – that was no good… Scorching Ruin…

He thought for a minute…

He could use these three cards to clear Gerald’s field, but he needed to draw the right card now.

He went for his deck…

He drew…

The card shone in the light…

“I summon Troop Dragon to the field!” he shouted.

He placed a card down, and the three Dragon-men appeared, holding their swords. (700/800)

“And now,” he continued, placing a card into a slot, “I play Monster Reborn!”

The glowing symbol of the holy ankh appeared over him!

“Huh?” said Gerald, getting up. “What are you bringing back?”

“A Dragon so powerful,” answered Andy, that in order to bring it back from the Grave, I have to sacrifice one other Dragon first. So, Troop Dragon, begone!”

Troop Dragon shattered.

And then a huge form appeared from the ground…

“I give you… Tyrant Dragon!” shouted Andy.

(2,900/2,500)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LOD-EN034.jpg


“Nice try…” chuckled Gerald. “But pointless. That Monster may be powerful, but it still comes up 101 Attack Points too short to get though my Wall…”

“We’ll see,” said Andy with a smirk. “But first I’ll play Super Rejuvenation!”

He fit his card into a slot.

“This lets me draw one card for every Monster I sacrificed during this turn, and I sacrificed one, Troop Dragon.”

He drew one card and gave it a look.

A Trap Card, he thought.

“And I’ll place it facedown,” he said, fitting it into a slot.

“Now I’ll play… Scorching Ruin!” he shouted. This increases the Attack of any Dragon by 1,000 points for the remainder of the turn! That makes Tyrant Dragon’s Attack 3,900, more than enough to break through your Wall!

“And by the way… Tyrant Dragon has the ability to attack two Monsters at once…”

Gerald and the two Warriors in front of him gasped.

“Tyrant Dragon…” ordered Andy, “barbecue his two Dark Scorpions with imperial inferno!”

Tyrant Dragon launched two balls of flame, incinerating the two Don Zaloogs!

Gerald’s Life Points fell to a mere 800.

“And I end my turn,” said Andy. “Do your worst!”

Tyrant Dragon’s Attack went back to 2,900.

Gerald shakily drew…

There’s only 101 Attack Points keeping that Dragon at bay, he thought. And he has three more rounds to find a way to increase its score again – or destroy my wall. And thanks to my Final Attack Orders, any Monster I place in face-up position has to be in Attack Mode…

But I can still set them facedown in Defense Mode… So all I have to do is set Monsters in Defense, and he’ll never be able to touch me…

He placed a card on his Disk.

“A Monster facedown, and that will be all,” he said.

The facedown Monster appeared.


[I][B]Five rounds before Gerald’s automatic win by Final Countdown.


Okay… thought Andy. Only one card in my deck can win this, and I just have to draw it…

He drew.

Koops the Bashful? Man, he can’t help now…

“I’ll pass for this turn…” he said.

“Very well,” said Gerald.

He drew.

“I’ll place another Monster facedown in Defense Mode,” he said.

Another facedown Monster appeared.

“That will be all…”


[I][B]Three rounds before Gerald’s automatic win by Final Countdown.


Andy drew.

Admiral Bobbery? he thought. Man, I have my Companions, but they can’t help!

“I pass again…” he said.

Gerald drew.

“I set a third Monster in Defense Mode,” he said. “And I end my turn.”

A third facedown Monster appeared before him.

“I’d suggest giving up if I were you, Andy,” yawned Gerald. “This next round is the last, and I doubt you have any way to win now…”


[I][B]The final round before Gerald’s automatic win by Final Countdown.


Andy looked at his deck…

“Think of something, Andy!” shouted Francesca.



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


Andy closed his eyes as he reached for his next draw…

He envisioned himself in a dark vortex, facing a door that looked like the back of a Duel Monsters card with a knob.

He looked down at the ticking bomb on his chest, with a glowing red number that read 01.

This is the last door to open… he thought. This door can bring me to victory… or defeat…

Will this door be a dead end? Or the light at the end of the tunnel?

Then Koops and Bobbery appeared beside him.

“Stay strong lad,” said Bobbery. “There’s no turning back. Forward is the only way to go.”

“Don’t let fear overtake you!” pleaded Koops. “I made that mistake so many times… As grim as this situation looks, I’m more than certain that time won’t run out!”

Andy slowly reached for the door…

“We’re standing behind you lad…” said Bobbery.

“We always will…” said Koops.

Andy threw the door open…



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


Andy held the card aloft…

“Time to end this, Gerald!” he shouted.

“Huh?” asked Gerald.

“First I’ll activate my facedown Trap Card…” continued Andy. “Dragon’s Rage!”

The card lifted.

“This gives all my Dragons a trampling effect, meaning your three defensive Monsters can’t defend your Life Points!”

“Next,” he continued, fitting a card into a slot, “I play Power Lift!”

The card appeared.

“This allows me to add Tyrant Dragon’s Defense Score to its Attack Score, giving it an Attack Score of 5,400 for this round! That’s plenty strong enough to bust through your wall… In exchange for that, I have to send it to the Graveyard at the end of my turn…

“But this duel will be over before I reach the end of my turn! Tyrant Dragon… choose a target!”

Tyrant Dragon blasted forth its flame, and it thundered towards the Monster in the center! The image of Melchid the Four-Faced Beast appeared before it was vaporized!

Gerald’s Life Points fell to zero…

”Final Countdown averted,” said the computerized voice.

The chains on Andy’s torso crumbled and fell to dust.

“I win…” said Andy.

“So you do…” muttered Gerald, as the holograms shut down.

“Great shot Andy!” shouted Stan. “That was one in a billion!”

Gerald started to reshuffle his deck.

“I believe you owe me something…” said Andy, walking over to him.

“Eh? Oh, sure…” muttered Gerald, still with a bored look on his face.

He took a Crystal Card out of his pocket and handed it to Andy.

“Easy come, easy go, I always say…” he sighed.

He placed his deck back in the case and fit the key back in the lock.

“But still,” said Andy. “That was a pretty good duel. You almost…”

“Yeah, whatever,” muttered Gerald. “Good luck using those cards…”

And then he curled up against the tree and fell asleep again.

Andy shrugged.

“Think we’ll ever see him again?” asked Stan.

“Dunno,” said Andy with a shrug. “He has skill, but he needs motivation.”

And then Francesca grabbed him.

“You did it, Andy!” she shouted. “Seven Cards!”

“All right, Francesca, all right,” replied Andy. “It’s time to use them now. I can get the Crystal Star tonight, and we’ll be heading for the Thousand Year Door tomorrow morning…”

He placed his seven Cards into his Disk, and again, it glowed.

Again a map of Monster Island appeared.

“Congratulations, contestant!” said the female voice again. “You have won seven Crystal Cards!”

The map changed, going beyond Monster Island until it showed the image of Glitzville.

“You have been selected to compete for the Ruby Star,” continued the voice. “Win this Star, and you can enter the Thousand Year Door at any time.

“At this locale, go to the Glitz Pit and speak to Jolene about the Ruby Star. She will handle the rest.”

“Jolene?” asked Andy. “That organizer who arranged my match with Tyson? The one who gave me the Power Lift card?”

The Interdimensional Matter Transporter appeared and the portal opened.

“Enter the Transporter, and you will be taken to Glitzville. Good luck.”

Andy sighed.

He walked into the portal, followed by his two partners.



GRAVE TRADE (Magic Card)

Card Specs

Type: Magic
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Card Description: Image of a cemetery with one group of spirits rising from the ground, and another group flying into it. Remove any number of the cards in your Graveyard from play. Add an equal number from your Graveyard to your deck. Then, shuffle your deck.



DRACONIC OFFERING (Magic Card)

Card Specs

Type: Magic
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Card Description: Image of a princess bound to a stake with a looming shadow in front of her. You can activate this card when you have at least one DRAGON-Type Monster and at least one Monster of another Type on your side of the field. Offer one Monster of a Type other than DRAGON as a Tribute and gain Life Points equal to the Tributed Monster’s current ATK or DEF.



SPELL SANCTUARY (Magic Card)

Card Specs

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

Card Description: Image of an ancient temple on a hill with a glowing portal above it. Each player takes one Magic Card of his choice from his deck and adds it to his hand. Each player then shuffles his deck. While this card is on the field, players can activate facedown Magic Cards during their opponent’s turns.

Note: “Spell Sanctuary” was first used by Kaiba in the anime episode “Clash in the Coliseum (Part One)”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.




[B][I]Coming up next:

Andy returns to the Glitz Pit for an encore performance, and his opponent this time is another notorious villain from the video game. Prepare to be rawked by the fury of the ferocious Rawk Hawk!

And finally find out what Andy’s “Supernova” does! The most powerful Enchanted Card of all!

It’s a chapter I just had to call “Duelamania!” And it’s coming soon…

[Dark Sage]

Before anyone asks...

Yes, Tyrant Dragon can benefit from Dragon's Rage. It is only immune to Traps that target, and Dragon's Rage does not.

And I'll end on this word...

All submitters of user characters, my contest will begin at noon tomorrow. That is when you can get started.

Which two of you are worthy of entering the Thousand Year Door?

We will see...

[Mystic_clown]

Hmm, not a bad character Paradox. A deck based around Final Countdown, interesting. Pretty interestign how Gerald came across his cards, but apart from that, Gerald seemed a bit bland to me (dont take this the wrong way, he's not bad).

Get to the contest already! I can't wait anymore!!

[Master of Paradox]

Heh... Mystic Clown, if he were any more interesting, it wouldn't fit the character.

To be honest, I can't really critique the chapter because I had too much of a stake in it. But I can say this - that's exactly how I saw Gerald in my head. Even the occasional moments of enthusiasm were there.

The duel itself was another good one, as you could almost feel Andy's frustration at running into the walls. I didn't see Gerald attacking so much in my mind, but every duelist will take potshots if they get the chance, so I'm not complaining.

Something about the next chapter's description worries me. I get the feeling we're back on the quality rollercoaster...

[Perfect Chaos]

Very good chapter DS and your character was super interesting Paradox, my compliments to you

I found Gerald to be very amusing with this laid-back head in the clouds attitude. I think that the chapter would've been a bit more enjoyable if Andy got a little more peeved about Gerald's demeanor but this chapter was very good none the less

So the final Crystal Star will be wagered now...I was hoping Andy would use "Supernova" this chapter but I can still wait until the next one. See you then

-$3@n

[Pokemasterkatie]

As I thought--Final Countdown.^_^ And a bit of a deck-burn theme as well, to try and ensure your opponent will lose in 20 or less rounds. BTW, I really like your take on Final Countdown as a hi-tech time bomb. The real card's art isn't too impressive IMO. Gerald's pretty cute sounding...always pretty laid back(reminds me of a GX character who used a Mokey Mokey deck). But you know what they say about appearences...;)

Ah, back to my favorite location of the game. Rock...er, RAWK Hawk is a pretty neat sub-boss, and I highly anticipate this duel. On a side note, how completely ironic that the announcement of the chapter came almost a week before WWE Raw's move back to the USA channel?:D Yes, I'm a WWE fan...shut up.:p(actually, I admitted this a while back...but the post never made it during the forum move.)

[Shuppet Master]

So goes the final user character. How many of them are there anyways? :)

Anyways, the time has come to decide which of the twenty+ user characters will get a return. I am a bit biased against my character, of course, as all of you are on yours, but I'll wish the best of luck to whoever wins. After all, I've got my own stories to deal with to spend time cheering for my character(who I know will lose in the finals if he entered, since that's the nature of these stories - sub-characters are pushed aside and suffer horrible fates).

BTW, are there any girls who had submitted user characters? Just curious.

Oh, and Brian, Rawk Hawk isn't a villian, per se. He's just a bad-ass. He even tells Mario to keep fighting the good fight after the final boss battle in Glitzville. :)

[Dark Sage]

Yeah, one of the user characters - the one with the Sacred Phoenix - was a girl, but I doubt she's reading anymore.

Anyway, this version of Rawk might be slightly different than the one you're used to SM. You'll just have to wait and see.

[Shuppet Master]

Oh, he probably works for...nah, I'm not going to spoil it for everyone. I care for my friendship with you, DS, to do something as mean as THAT! :lol:

By the way, I think that Gerard reminds me of myself. My folks moved from place to place because dad is a university professor and gets lots of job offers. We lived in Oklahoma and Iowa, and a year in Florida too.

I sure hope that you have things planned for when the story is over, Brian, because otherwise Stan and Fran may end up in a long-distarnce relationship. But then, I guess the adventure of a lifetime is fun for a while, and then it's over. *sigh*

Keep up the good work, Brian, you're doing well.

[ssj4supernerd]

CONTEST,CONTEST!!!

[Dark Sage]

Well, it’s finally time.

All the user characters have premiered, and it’s time to find out who are the best duelists…

Which two are worthy of entering the Thousand Year Door? Consider this test your way of getting a Crystal Star.

What follows are twenty questions designed to test your knowledge of the Yu-Gi-Oh card game. Some are ruling questions – a few test your knowledge about the actual story behind some of the cards.

A quick warning – this test is NOT easy.

Here are the rules:


1. Only those who have submitted user characters are allowed to enter.


2. The time limit is two weeks from today (October 8th).


3. There are twenty questions. Answer as many as you can. The two winners will be whichever two gets the most right. (A skipped answer is considered an incorrect answer, and this might actually help you due to the next part.) You do not have to worry about getting them in first. I have something special planned in case of a tie between three or more people who respond.


4. There is one bonus question that combines knowledge of the anime with knowledge of game mechanics. You are free to leave this question blank if you so choose, and no penalty will be given if you do. If you answer and get it right, two of your incorrect questions will be considered correct. (Your score cannot be higher than 20.) However, if you answer and get it wrong, three of your correct answers will be considered wrong. You need to think back hard to the anime to get this one, so beware!


5. PM me the answers. Do not clutter up the board.


6. No second chances. The answers you submit to me first are your only chance.


It is perfectly legal to use the internet for research (I can’t stop you anyway), but I’m not telling you where I do my own research.

As for the two winners… Basically, they will get expanded roles for their user characters. First, the characters will each get to star in their own chapter. Then, their characters will compete in the finals.

Finally, for the one who got the most answers right, a special prize. I won’t reveal what that prize is. And to keep even the winners guessing, I’m not going to reveal to them which one of them got more right!

Again, in the case of a tie, a special method will determine the winner.

Spooky, huh?

Anyway, here are the twenty questions:




[B]1. Assuming their ATK scores are at their original states, if “Dark Ruler Ha Des” battles “Getsu Fuhma”, what is the outcome of the battle?


2. What happens if you try to use “Premature Burial” to revive “Freed the Matchless General” (be specific)?


3. A duelist plays an Equip Spell Card to Special Summon “Shinato King of a Higher Plane” from his Graveyard, at the cost of 800 Life Points. The Spell Card he used was not “Premature Burial”. What was it?


4. If your opponent’s “Insect Knight” attacks your Attack Position “Gemini Elf” and you activate “Waboku”, and both have their original ATK, what is the outcome of the battle?


5. What is the effect of “Archfiend Marmot of Nefariousness”?


6. Which one of the following Monsters can still use its effect(s) in “Necrovalley”?

A. “Agido”
B. “Bazoo the Soul Eater”
C. “Vampire Lord”
D. “Fiber Jar”


7. As revealed in an earlier chapter, “Skill Drain” actually benefits many Monsters. Which of the following Monsters would keep its handicap?

A. “Jirai Gumo”
B. “Ultimate Obedient Fiend”
C. “Arsenal Bug”
D. “The Unfriendly Amazon”


8. A Monster which first appeared in “Ancient Sanctuary” has since appeared in the image of two other cards. The actual Monster is a one-star Dark Fiend with no effect. The next card it appeared on (in “Rise of Destiny”) is a Trap which helps you choose what your next draw will be. The next (from “The Lost Millennium”) is a Trap that you have to fool your opponent into destroying. Its name also appeared on another Monster Card from “Cybernetic Revolution”. Name the Monster.


9. Who was the first Amazoness to be released?


10. What happens when “Old Vindictive Magician” is flipped when there are no opposing Monsters on the field?


11. When can use only two Monsters as a Tribute to summon “Gilford the Lightning” and still enact his effect?


12. Which of the following cards has a picture of at least one Mokey Mokey on it?

A. “Order to Smash”
B. “Beckoning Light”
C. “Human Wave Tactics”
D. “Back to Square One”


13. What card in the game has the shortest name, in terms of number of letters/numbers in its name?


14. Assuming their ATK scores are at their original states, if “Dark Magician of Chaos” battles “Ryu Kokki”, what happens to both Monsters? (Be complete.)


15. A duelist has the three Ritual Monster Cards “Dokurorider”, “Dark Master – Zorc”, AND “The Masked Beast” in his deck, but he does not have the Spell Cards “Revival Of Dokurorider”, “Contract With The Dark Master”, or “Curse Of The Masked Beast”. Why?


16. What Normal Monster has the following flavor text on its card:

This wicked Beast-Warrior does every horrid thing imaginable and loves it! His axe bears the marks of his countless victims.


17. A duelist has “The Legendary Fisherman” on the field. His opponent equips it with “Ekibyo Drakmord”. On his next turn, “The Legendary Fisherman’s” controller plays “Umi”. What happens to the Equip Card? (Be specific.)


18. The situation: You have “Behemoth, King of All Animals” and “Berserk Gorilla” on your side of the field. Your opponent has “Terrorking Archfiend” and “The Dark Door” active. All Monsters have their original ATK. You cannot destroy “The Dark Door”. Given the rulings for all four cards, what is your best option?


19. Which of the following Monsters cannot be affected by “Divine Wrath”?

A. “Dark Necrofear”
B. “Mystic Tomato”
C. “Raging Flame Sprite”
D. “Helpoemer”


20. What is the most powerful Fusion Monster you can summon without using any cards other than the fusion material Monsters and the actual Fusion Monster? (Do not count “Elemental Energy” Monsters.)


BONUS QUESTION: In the Virtual Nightmare Arc, in the first five duels, one of the Big Five used a real card which is illegal for tournament play in the real world. Name the card. (It is not necessary to name who used it, but you might as well if you get it right.) Anime-only cards do not count, but the card I am thinking of is not necessarily one that has been released in America.


Good luck, and may the Heart of the Cards guide you...

[ssj4supernerd]

I sent you the answer, but boy this was hard!!! :eek:

I found 16 the easiest.I had luck ;)

Nice going DS, I hope to see more of this!!!

[Mystic_clown]

16!? That's one of the three I couldn't answer!

In my opinion, 4 was the easiest (if you used common sense).

[ssj4supernerd]

Like I said, I got lucky, otherwise it would be pretty hard for me too.

[The Blue Avenger]

I'm almost done, I just need to get 4 more... and the bonus too. Man, this is actually pretty difficult... but then again, I don't watch the anime much and the extent of my card knowledge extends to the games I play with my brother. So it's not exactly unexpected.

*hopes*

[Zcade0]

Good chapter, I didn't really like the user characters aditude (no offence) but that's kinda expectd. I'm happy I didn't enter, I can only answer the bonus question off the top of my head.

[ssj4supernerd]

16!? That's one of the three I couldn't answer!

In my opinion, 4 was the easiest (if you used common sense).
Then you already have more than me.I only anwered 16 questions.

[Pokemasterkatie]

I tried to figure these out for fun, and found 11 the easiest one.^_^ I got 4, 8, 10, 11, 16, 20, and the bonus question.:) The rest were stumpers--you sure don't mess around, DS!;)

[Mystic_clown]

*sighs* well, I'm out. I had a good run. I was sure I wouldn't win anyway, but I didn't do too bad.

13/17 (I didn't answer three of them).

BTW, did anyone figure out when the first amazoness was released?

[The Blue Avenger]

Hey, Dark Sage, for the Fusion Monster question, are you allowed to use Polymerization or Fusion Gate in fusing them? It's worded oddly.

[Dark Sage]

No. You are only allowed to use the Monsters.

- DS

[Shuppet Master]

That's what knocked me out of the running. I should have asked for specifics. I got the worst of any of yuo, eight questions right...and I swore I knew the game! :lol:

Hint: Two of the questions are based on the new Yu-Gi-Oh tins that came out recently. ;)

[ssj4supernerd]

YES!!!!!*dances*

I failed!!!That's off my shoulders and now I know people won't alugh with me again!!YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS SSSSSSS!!!!!!!I didn't try my best, you know, i could have done much better, but Ididn't.Why??That's for you to ponder :rolleyes:

Hack, if you're feeling down because you got 8 questions right, chin up:I got 7 questions right.

Oh yeah, DS doen't take this personal, if you would(I don't know when to say it, I say it a lot XD

[Silencer]

Okay, it appears I am one of the 2 current leaders. Well we still have about 2 weeks to go so it could all change. Just wished DS gave me my score and where I got it wrong...

Anyway have been a silent reader. Don't like to critisize (on the fic that is) because I probably can't do an even good job anyway. Just hope it will finish (Knowing DS it will) but that equal attention goes to your other fic (which is reaching it's climax it seems).

Edit: Thx for the score DS, I got 18/20. 9 and 10 where wrong. I got lucky with the legendary fisherman XD

[Master of Paradox]

Well, he wasn't joking when he said it was hard. Here's to hoping...

By the way, anyone else get mixed up by the bonus question with the newest version of the ban list? I just gave both possibilities.

[Dark Sage]

Let me clear this up...

I mean currently illegal, for anyone who hasn't responded yet. I had to make a ruling for three people who answered with two responses and rendered their answer null, and I only did that because it wouldn't have made a difference.

So only the current banned list, not the new one.

- Brian

[Dark Sage]

We have our two winners! Every user character has replied, and the winners have been decided!

And now, here are the answers!



1. Assuming their ATK scores are at their original states, if “Dark Ruler Ha Des” battles “Getsu Fuhma”, what is the outcome of the battle?

Dark Ruler Ha Des will destroy Getsu Fuhma. Since Dark Ruler Ha Des negates the effect of any monster he destroys, Getsu Fuhma's effect will NOT activate, and he will remain on the field.


2. What happens if you try to use “Premature Burial” to revive “Freed the Matchless General” (be specific)?

The effect of Freed the Matchless General only applies if he is on the field. Since he is in the Graveyard when you target him with Premature Burial, you will be able to Special Summon him to the field. Then, his effect that negates any Magic Card that targets him (such as Premature Burial) will kick in and destroy Premature Burial. However, since Freed also negates the effects of any Magic Cards that target him, he will remain on the field, even Premature Burial was destroyed and sent to the Graveyard.


3. A duelist plays an Equip Spell Card to Special Summon “Shinato King of a Higher Plane” from his Graveyard, at the cost of 800 Life Points. The Spell Card he used was not “Premature Burial”. What was it?

Fulfillment of the Contract. At the cost of 800 Life Points, this Equip Spell Card, allows you to Special Summon any already-properly-summoned Ritual Monster from your Graveyard to the field. Should this Equip be destroyed, however, the Special Summoned monster is removed from the game.


4. If your opponent’s “Insect Knight” attacks your Attack Position “Gemini Elf” and you activate “Waboku”, and both have their original ATK, what is the outcome of the battle?

Gemini Elf will remain on the field, Insect Knight will be destroyed, and there will be no change in Life Points. Waboku negates ALL Battle Damage, both done to yourself and done to your monster. In essence, it prevents your monsters from being destroyed in battle and you from taking any Life Point damage in battle for one turn.


5. What is the effect of “Archfiend Marmot of Nefariousness”?

Nothing at all. It's not even a Fiend, it's a Beast with 400 ATK. However, it is an Archfiend, so you can summon Terrorking Archfiend and use cards such as Falling Down while it is on your side of the field.


6. Which one of the following Monsters can still use its effect(s) in “Necrovalley”?

C. Vampire Lord

Necrovalley negates cards that target any card (or cards) in the Gravyard, unless the card targets itself. Agido, even though it activates while in the Graveyard (which Necrovalley does NOT negate), it still targets a card other than itself that is in the Graveyard, and therefore is negated. Since both players are also forbidden from removing card in the Graveyards from play, Bazoo the Soul-Eater's effect will not activate. And, even though Fiber Jar targets things that are not in the Graveyard (cards in your hand and on your side of the field), it still also targets the cards in the Graveyard, therefore its entire effect will be negated. Vampire Lord, however, only targets itself, and nothing else. Therefore, Necrovalley will not hold it in the Graveyard.


7. As revealed in an earlier chapter, “Skill Drain” actually benefits many Monsters. Which of the following Monsters would keep its handicap?

D. The Unfriendly Amazon (Ironically)

Skill Drain only negates EFFECTS of cards. The only 'effect' the Unfriendly Amazon has is actually a COST: You must Tribute a monster on your side of the field each turn in order to keep it on the field. Skill Drain does NOT negate costs, therefore The Unfriendly Amazon is not a wise choice for a Skill Drain Deck.


8. A Monster which first appeared in “Ancient Sanctuary” has since appeared in the image of two other cards. The actual Monster is a one-star Dark Fiend with no effect. The next card it appeared on (in “Rise of Destiny”) is a Trap which helps you choose what your next draw will be. The next (from “The Lost Millennium”) is a Trap that you have to fool your opponent into destroying. Its name also appeared on another Monster Card from “Cybernetic Revolution”. Name the Monster.

Kozaky. The other cards refered to are, in order, Fruits of Kozaky's Studies, Kozaky's Self-Destruct Button, and Giant Kozaky.


9. Who was the first Amazoness to be released?

The first Amazon-related card that works with the rest of the Amazonesses released in Magician's Force is Amazon Archer, even though Amazoness is not in her name. (A lot of people guessed it was The Unfriendly Amazon. Weren't you listening to what Francesca said? Official rulings on that card say she is NOT an Amazoness.)


10. What happens when “Old Vindictive Magician” is flipped when there are no opposing Monsters on the field?

The effect text says "Destroy 1 monster on your opponent's side of the field". Therefore, nothing would happen. This is different from Man-Eater Bug's text, which simply says "Destroy 1 monster on the field". If Man-Eater BUg is the only monster on the field when it is flipped, then it will be forced to destroy itself (the effect is not optional). But, as I said, this is not the case for Old Vindictive Magician, due to the wording on the card.


11. When can one use only two Monsters as a Tribute to summon “Gilford the Lightning” and still enact his effect?

When one of the Tributed monsters is Kaiser Seahorse. Gilford the Lightning is a Light Attribute monster. If Kaiser Seahorse is Tributed to Tribute Summon a Light Attribute monster, then it counts as two monsters instead of one. Thus, you would need to sacrifice only 1 other monster to activate Gilford's Raigeki-like ability.


12. Which of the following cards has a picture of at least one Mokey Mokey on it?

C. “Human Wave Tactics”

There are at least 14.


13. What card in the game has the shortest name, in terms of number of letters/numbers in its name?

7

AST - EN091: Common
DR2 - EN204: Common
Continuous Spell
When there are 3 face-up "7" cards on your side of the field, draw 3 cards from your Deck. Then destroy all "7" cards. When this card is sent directly from the field to your Graveyard, increase your Life Points by 700 points.


14. Assuming their ATK scores are at their original states, if “Dark Magician of Chaos” battles “Ryu Kokki”, what happens to both Monsters? (Be complete.)

Both monster are destroyed and removed from play, and Ryu Kokki's owner loses 400 Life Points. Due to damage calculation, Dark Magician of Chaos will destroy Ryu Kokki, and Dark Magician of Chaos automatically removes any monster it destroys from play. Ryu Kokki, however, will destroy Dark Magician of Chaos due to its own effect, and Dark Magician of Chaos' effects states that, if it is removed from the field in any way, it is immediately removed from play.


15. A duelist has the three Ritual Monster Cards “Dokurorider”, “Dark Master – Zorc”, AND “The Masked Beast” in his deck, but he does not have the Spell Cards “Revival Of Dokurorider”, “Contract With The Dark Master”, or “Curse Of The Masked Beast”. Why?

Said duelist is intelligent and realizes that havin three different Ritual Spell Cards would be impractical. They realized that all three of the above Ritual Monsters are Dark Attribute monster, and therefore can be Ritual Summoned through a generic Ritual Card called Contract with the Abyss, which basically works as a Ritual Spell for any Dark Attribute monster (you still Tribute monsters whose Level Stars equal thhose of the monster you are trying to summon).


16. What Normal Monster has the following flavor text on its card:

[B]This wicked Beast-Warrior does every horrid thing imaginable and loves it! His axe bears the marks of his countless victims.

Vorse Raider.


17. A duelist has “The Legendary Fisherman” on the field. His opponent equips it with “Ekibyo Drakmord”. On his next turn, “The Legendary Fisherman’s” controller plays “Umi”. What happens to the Equip Card? (Be specific.)

The Equip Spell Card will remain equipped to The Legendary Fisherman, but it will no longer have any effect. The Legendary Fisherman does not negate and/or destroy Magic Cards; it simply remains unaffected by them. So Ekibyo Drakmord will not be destroyed, but just sit there, taking up space on your opponent's side of the field.


18. The situation: You have “Behemoth, King of All Animals” and “Berserk Gorilla” on your side of the field. Your opponent has “Terrorking Archfiend” and “The Dark Door” active. All Monsters have their original ATK. You cannot destroy “The Dark Door”. Given the rulings for all four cards, what is your best option?

Attack Terrorking Archfiend with Behemoth the King of All Animals and destroy it. The rulings state that Berserk Gorrila does not have to be the monster that attacks if The Dark Door is active. This way, you can keep both of your monsters on the field.


19. Which of the following Monsters cannot be affected by “Divine Wrath”?

C. Raging Flame Sprite

Divine Wrath, while powerful, has limitations. It can only work on effects that are not Continuous. Since both of Raging Flame Sprite's effects are considered to be Continuous, Divine Wrath cannot be chained to it (since there's technically nothing to chain to). As for the other monsters, it is perfectly acceptable to chain Divine Wrath in response to a monster that occurs in the Graveyard. True, a monster cannot be destroyed if it's already in the Graveyard (and, no, the monster is not removed from play), but Divine Wrath will prevent the effects of Dark Necrofear, Mystic Tomato, and Helpoemer, and in the case of Helpoemer, prevent it effect from happening during the next turns.


20. What is the most powerful Fusion Monster you can summon without using any cards other than the fusion material Monsters and the actual Fusion Monster? (Do not count “Elemental Energy” Monsters.)

Most people didn't get this one. I said "without using any cards other than the Monsters". That means no Polymerization, Fusion Gate, Summoner of Illusions, or Cyber Stein, to name a few. The only fusion Monsters that can be summoned without help from other cards are the ones formed by the XYZ Machines, (and they cannot be summoned using the usual cards for fusions), and without counting the ones in "Elemental Energy", as I said, the answer is XYZ Dragon Cannon.


BONUS QUESTION: In the Virtual Nightmare Arc, in the first five duels, one of the Big Five used a real card which is illegal for tournament play in the real world. Name the card. (It is not necessary to name who used it, but you might as well if you get it right.) Anime-only cards do not count, but the card I am thinking of is not necessarily one that has been released in America.

Only a few tried to answer this question. I was looking for "Imperial Order", used by Leichter. "Pot of Greed", used by Johnson, will qualify as of Saturday, but that answer is not correct because that card is not illegal yet. (To all those who guessed Pot of Greed, getting two extra points wouldn't have let you win anyway.)


Thanks to all who played and if you didn't win, your character might make a cameo soon.

And now to announce the two winners...

Well, why not we just present their favorite cards?



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/IOC-024.jpghttp://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/TLM-EN006.jpg


Who is the big winner? I'm not telling...

So, we'll see them in the Thousand Year Door...

- DS

[Pokemasterkatie]

4. If your opponent’s “Insect Knight” attacks your Attack Position “Gemini Elf” and you activate “Waboku”, and both have their original ATK, what is the outcome of the battle?

Gemini Elf will remain on the field, Insect Knight will be destroyed, and there will be no change in Life Points. Waboku negates ALL Battle Damage, both done to yourself and done to your monster. In essence, it prevents your monsters from being destroyed in battle and you from taking any Life Point damage in battle for one turn.

I only got the 'no LP damage' bit. I forgot how many Attack Points Insect Knight has, so I guessed 1900(same as Gemini Elf), so nothing would happen--a total draw.

EDIT: I think I realize my mistake now; as I forgot what happens when both monster have the same number of Attack Points(they BOTH get destroyed).@_@ Handy if someone actually tries a suicide mission.XD


8. A Monster which first appeared in “Ancient Sanctuary” has since appeared in the image of two other cards. The actual Monster is a one-star Dark Fiend with no effect. The next card it appeared on (in “Rise of Destiny”) is a Trap which helps you choose what your next draw will be. The next (from “The Lost Millennium”) is a Trap that you have to fool your opponent into destroying. Its name also appeared on another Monster Card from “Cybernetic Revolution”. Name the Monster.

Kozaky. The other cards refered to are, in order, Fruits of Kozaky's Studies, Kozaky's Self-Destruct Button, and Giant Kozaky.

I had almost thought it was another monster; but a quick check into the CR list got me the answer.


10. What happens when “Old Vindictive Magician” is flipped when there are no opposing Monsters on the field?

The effect text says "Destroy 1 monster on your opponent's side of the field". Therefore, nothing would happen. This is different from Man-Eater Bug's text, which simply says "Destroy 1 monster on the field". If Man-Eater Bug is the only monster on the field when it is flipped, then it will be forced to destroy itself (the effect is not optional). But, as I said, this is not the case for Old Vindictive Magician, due to the wording on the card.

Strange, because I thought the effect was the same as MEB...


11. When can one use only two Monsters as a Tribute to summon “Gilford the Lightning” and still enact his effect?

When one of the Tributed monsters is Kaiser Seahorse. Gilford the Lightning is a Light Attribute monster. If Kaiser Seahorse is Tributed to Tribute Summon a Light Attribute monster, then it counts as two monsters instead of one. Thus, you would need to sacrifice only 1 other monster to activate Gilford's Raigeki-like ability.

Like I said, this was the easiest for me to figure out.^_^


12. Which of the following cards has a picture of at least one Mokey Mokey on it?

C. “Human Wave Tactics”

There are at least 14.
Somehow; I guessed this quite easily...


16. What Normal Monster has the following flavor text on its card:

This wicked Beast-Warrior does every horrid thing imaginable and loves it! His axe bears the marks of his countless victims.

Vorse Raider.
I knew it was one of Kaiba's weaker monsters...took me three tries to find the correct answer.:p


20. What is the most powerful Fusion Monster you can summon without using any cards other than the fusion material Monsters and the actual Fusion Monster? (Do not count “Elemental Energy” Monsters.)

Most people didn't get this one. I said "without using any cards other than the Monsters". That means no Polymerization, Fusion Gate, Summoner of Illusions, or Cyber Stein, to name a few. The only fusion Monsters that can be summoned without help from other cards are the ones formed by the XYZ Machines, (and they cannot be summoned using the usual cards for fusions), and without counting the ones in "Elemental Energy", as I said, the answer is XYZ Dragon Cannon.
Once you said no Polymerization, the answer was quite simple(though it'll change a bit come EE). My first answer--Cyber End Dragon.:p


BONUS QUESTION: In the Virtual Nightmare Arc, in the first five duels, one of the Big Five used a real card which is illegal for tournament play in the real world. Name the card. (It is not necessary to name who used it, but you might as well if you get it right.) Anime-only cards do not count, but the card I am thinking of is not necessarily one that has been released in America.

Only a few tried to answer this question. I was looking for "Imperial Order", used by Leichter. "Pot of Greed", used by Johnson, will qualify as of Saturday, but that answer is not correct because that card is not illegal yet. (To all those who guessed Pot of Greed, getting two extra points wouldn't have let you win anyway.)
I was stupid to try and guess the answer...I thought it was Satellite Cannon(I thought you mentioned it was banned).X_x At least I got the right Big 5 member.:)

[The Blue Avenger]

Yep, definitely made a lot of stupid mistakes in this one... I looked at a rumored ban list as my source for the bonus (X_x) and didn't realize that the VWXYZ fusion was Elemental Energy - definitely thought that Elemental Energy was referring to Gate Guardian's components. Ah well.

Congratulations to the victors! That took a lot of knowledge.

[Zcade0]

hey, do the magnet warriors need a fusion thing or is valkerion not a fusion?

[Dark Sage]

Valkyrion is not a fusion. You sacrifice the three Magnet Warriors from your hand or the field to special summon it from your hand. The difference between it and the XYZs is, it doesn't go in the fusion deck. It goes in the actual deck.

Gate Guardian is also not a fusion. You must have the three Monsters on the field and Gate Guardian in your hand to summon it.

[Shuppet Master]

So the winning user characters are Drake and that guy who dueled Fran, the one with the Ancient Gear beasts. What was his name?

I was eager to win, but I completely screwed up because I didn't understand the questions properly. Had I been a little more careful, I wouldn't have scored so horribly. I might not have won, but I wouldn't have come off as a total newbie. :(

Brian, what's with the second cameos bit? I'm curious.

[Mystic_clown]

15. A duelist has the three Ritual Monster Cards “Dokurorider”, “Dark Master – Zorc”, AND “The Masked Beast” in his deck, but he does not have the Spell Cards “Revival Of Dokurorider”, “Contract With The Dark Master”, or “Curse Of The Masked Beast”. Why?

Said duelist is intelligent and realizes that havin three different Ritual Spell Cards would be impractical. They realized that all three of the above Ritual Monsters are Dark Attribute monster, and therefore can be Ritual Summoned through a generic Ritual Card called Contract with the Abyss, which basically works as a Ritual Spell for any Dark Attribute monster (you still Tribute monsters whose Level Stars equal thhose of the monster you are trying to summon).

Or, said duelist is incredably stupid and forgot to put the ritual spell cards in *laughs*


So the winning user characters are Drake and that guy who dueled Fran, the one with the Ancient Gear beasts. What was his name?

Wasn't it Brian or something?



4. If your opponent’s “Insect Knight” attacks your Attack Position “Gemini Elf” and you activate “Waboku”, and both have their original ATK, what is the outcome of the battle?

Gemini Elf will remain on the field, Insect Knight will be destroyed, and there will be no change in Life Points. Waboku negates ALL Battle Damage, both done to yourself and done to your monster. In essence, it prevents your monsters from being destroyed in battle and you from taking any Life Point damage in battle for one turn.

hmm, I didn't think Insect Knight would be destroyed. Then again, I've never seen a situation like that, ever!

[starjake]

15. A duelist has the three Ritual Monster Cards “Dokurorider”, “Dark Master – Zorc”, AND “The Masked Beast” in his deck, but he does not have the Spell Cards “Revival Of Dokurorider”, “Contract With The Dark Master”, or “Curse Of The Masked Beast”. Why?

Said duelist is intelligent and realizes that having three different Ritual Spell Cards would be impractical. They realized that all three of the above Ritual Monsters are Dark Attribute monsters, and therefore can be Ritual Summoned through a generic Ritual Card called Contract with the Abyss, which basically works as a Ritual Spell for any Dark Attribute monster (you still Tribute monsters whose Level Stars equal those of the monster you are trying to summon).

Or, said duelist is incredably stupid and forgot to put the ritual spell cards in *laughs*


Hey, don't be dissing the answers. I'm the one who wrote them. :D (With the exceptiong of #20, that's the one I didn't get).

Just thought I'd stop in while I had a minute and inform people of my continued existence. I have been continuing to read everyone's fics, but I haven't had the time to keep up with my own due to an incredibly busy schedule. But, never you fear, I haven't forgot about Virtual Disaster. It will once again rise from ashes of the back page. [/corny poetic stuff]

And, if my memory serves me correctly, the guy with who used a deck based on ancient history was named Kyle. Not entirely sure though;)

So, don't think of me as a stranger. Just a relative who lives far away and has little time to visit.

Cheers,
StarJake

[ssj4supernerd]

You know why I knew Vorse Raider out of my head.

Weel, Saturday I wanted to visit Pojo and watch the card reviews.The firt in line was Vorse Raider.Th e flavour text was right next to him.

Well, now that i'm stuck with 7 points, I need to rely a little bit less on my friend.I got to know more of Yu-Gi-Oh!!*goes studying*

[Dark Sage]

Your character's name is Kyle Stevens, Starjake.

And now that that's out of the way, the fanfic can get back on track!

I am proud to present the FINAL chapter of Act One!

But don't feel too bad - Act Two promises to be even better!

So enjoy...

- DS

[Dark Sage]

[I][B]Glitzville… The lights, the sights…

…and the fights…

The last time we were here, two big things happened. One, Fran was forced into a life-or-death duel with an assassin who happened to be her best friend who had been brainwashed. Yumi was cured, and Fran got her next Crystal Card.

The other thing was, I signed up for a dueling contest, not knowing it was a trap arranged by Tyson, the Shadow Spawn of Fire. I defeated him, mainly because he was an idiot, and I received my valuable Power Lift card as a reward.

I didn’t expect to come back to this city in the sky, but now I have to if I want to get into the Thousand Year Door with Stan and Francesca.

It’s time for Markova the Dragon Master to step into the ring again…

After all, as a great showman once said, always give the public what they want…




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



Duelamania!



The Interdimensional Matter Transporter deposited them in the center of the bustling square of Glitzville. People were about, and vendors were busy as they ever were.

“Well,” said Andy, looking at his watch.

It was three-thirty.

“Let’s get to the Glitz Pit and see what the deal is. The two of you had to duel freaks of nature to earn your Crystal Stars, so logic assumes I’ll have to do the same…”

As they walked towards the largest building, Francesca spoke up.

“Say, I wonder if…” she started.

“FRAN!” shouted a familiar voice.

Francesca turned to see the smiling face of Yumi running up to greet them.

“So good to see you guys again!” laughed Yumi, hugging her.

“Great to see you too,” answered Fran. She eyed the Duel Disk on Yumi’s arm. “I do hope you’ve been taking our advice and staying away from dueling…”

“I learned my lesson,” replied Yumi, looking at the Disk nervously. “But I still keep this and my Ninja Deck close by in case the Queen’s goons come back to start something… Say…”

She pulled three Crystal Cards out of her pocket.

“I still have the three I had left after you beat me Fran! If any of you guys need another one we could…”

“That won’t be necessary, Yumi,” interrupted Andy. “We all have the required Cards, and I only need to compete for something called the Ruby Star…”

“Then we’re off to the Thousand Year Door,” continued Stan, “to teach the Queen a lesson for what she did to you.”

“We just need to speak to Jolene again,” said Andy. “I might have to duel in public again.”

“Well,” said Yumi, as they started to walk towards the auditorium, “Miss Jolene has been holding dueling competitions ever since I got here. I’ve been watching all the ones I could afford…”

She sighed.

“I just wish I could afford to see the big duels… Like the ones with Rawk Hawk…”

“You mentioned him the last time were here…” mentioned Stan. “Who is he?”

“The best duelist in Glitzville,” answered Yumi. “I’ve seen pictures of him…”

She chuckled.

“Picture Big Bird on steroids, and you’ve got an adequate likeness. But don’t make fun of his appearance to his face! I’ve heard rumors that this guy eats raw meat…

“…for breakfast…”



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


In her office, Miss Jolene was typing something on a laptop.

She was incredibly nervous. Word on the grapevine was that six contestants of the Monster Island Tournament had qualified, and she was paranoid that her usefulness would soon be outlived…

She typed a passage in the document she was composing.

To my cousin Trisha, I leave my collection of autographed sports memorabilia. I realize you never particularly wanted it, but Patrick does, and I do NOT want him to get his paws on it! He’d likely get tired of it and sell it all on eBay eventually anyway. Also…

“Miss Jolene?” said an aide.

She shrieked!

“Oh…” she gasped. “It’s you Roland…”

“Not that it’s any of my business…” sighed Roland, “but have you ever considered switching to decaf?”

“WHAT DO YOU WANT?” she shouted.

“Andy Markova here to see you…” he answered.

Jolene looked surprised.

She hit the “Save” command on her computer and turned it off.

“Send him in,” she said, closing it.

Two minutes later, the four teens walked into the office.

“Andy!” said Jolene, cheerily, getting up. “How are you? Come for an encore performance?”

“I don’t know…” muttered Andy. “Depends…”

Jolene looked at him strangely.

“My Disk told me to come here…” he continued. “I was supposed to speak to you about the Ruby Star…”

Jolene sighed. She slumped into her chair.

“Ironic…” she muttered. “It was you…”

“What?” asked Andy. “Are you my opponent?”

Jolene laughed.

“No,” she chuckled. “I’m just a novice. But I was told that someone would likely win seven Cards today, so I was to schedule my part of the Crystal Star competitions…”

She sighed.

“At seven o’clock tonight,” she continued, “the biggest duel in Glitzville since the Tournament started will be held in the Pit. In one corner, the holder of seven Crystal Cards, and in the other, Glitzville’s reigning champion…”

“Rawk Hawk?” asked Yumi.

Jolene nodded.

“It goes without saying that you have to win in order to get the Star,” sighed Jolene. “But after you beat Tyson, hey, I wouldn’t be too worried.

“Trust me, Rawk’s bark is worse than his bite, and so far he’s refused to duel anyone who might be an actual challenge…”

Her voice sank to a whisper.

“He’s afraid of losing… It would be the worst humiliation…”

“So, what can I expect?” asked Andy.

Jolene chuckled as she went to the closet.

“Well, I can’t tell you that much!” she laughed. “I can’t give away a duelist’s strategies.”

“Here,” she said, handing him a box. “I saved your costume and had it dry-cleaned…”

“Aw, not that thing again!” protested Andy. “I look ridiculous in it!”

“If you think that looks ridiculous, you should see Rawk,” chuckled Jolene. “Now, I’ll have room service bring dinner for you and your three friends to the Green Room. Remember, seven o’clock… this match is going to be sold out.”

“Come on, Lord of Dragons,” teased Francesca. “Best get your clothes off…”

“Quit it…” sighed Andy.

“Hey, I thought you looked good in spandex,” replied Fran.

As they left, Jolene slumped in her chair again.

If I was Pinocchio, my nose would be the size of a yardstick… she thought. Andy’s got his work cut out for him… And if he loses to Rawk…

She sighed.

But if he manages to win, maybe I can finally stop living like this…



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


Andy sighed as he looked at himself in the mirror of the Green Room.

“This is seriously messed up…” he mumbled.

“I told you,” giggled Francesca. “You look cute…”

“Do you have any idea how much this cape weighs?” asked Andy, sarcastically. “And this stupid helmet cuts off half of my line of sight! How on earth is anybody supposed to command dragons in this getup?

“Besides, I don’t think you’d find it very cute if someone was making you dress up like one of your Amazons… Don’t they have any decency anyway? They look like something from a Sports Illustrated swimsuit special!”

“I wouldn’t dress like them,” muttered Francesca. “But they’re strong women, Andy, and they dress however they want.

“Besides, some say that the reason for their skimpy clothing is to stun male enemies with their beauty so they can get in the first strike.”

Andy shrugged.

“Touché,” he sighed.

“Hey, relax, Andy…” said Stan, who was sitting at a table laden with food. “Have a bite to eat – there’s no sense in going in there in an empty stomach…”

“Not very hungry…” muttered Andy.

At that point, Roland came to the door.

“Stan, Francesca, Yumi,” he said. “I can show you to your seats now – we got good ones in the front row.”

“Well, break a leg, Andy!” said Yumi, as the three of them left.

Andy started to shuffle his deck…



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


As the hands on their watches neared seven o’clock, it was clear to Stan, Francesca, and Yumi that Jolene wasn’t lying.

The Glitz Pit was crowded even more than last time. Clearly, discount tickets had been given out for this match, and they had been eagerly bought up.

“Yumi,” asked Francesca, “do you know anything about Rawk Hawk’s dueling strategy?”

“I asked a guy who saw him duel,” answered Yumi. “The guy said he uses a Beastdown Deck.”

“Don’t you mean a ‘Beatdown Deck’?” asked Stan.

“That’s exactly what I asked the guy,” replied Yumi. “But he told me, ‘If I had meant Beatdown, I would have said Beatdown’.”

“Odd…” muttered Francesca.

Music started to play from an electric organ above the seats, and Jolene appeared in the huge, circular ring.

“Ladies and gentlemen!” she announced. “Tonight we present a special event! One of the greatest contestants of the Monster Island Tournament, versus the Glitz Pit’s reigning champion!”

The crowd cheered.

“Introducing the challenger,” she continued, “hailing from Florida, a young man with a full seven Crystal Cards on his person… making his triumphant return to the ring… MARKOVA THE DRAGON MASTER!”

As Andy walked up to the ring, a few people cheered, but not as many as he’d have liked. It was clear he wasn’t exactly the favorite here this time…

“And now,” continued Jolene, “introducing the Glitz Pit’s undefeated, uncontested champion, the one, the only… RAWK HAWK!”

Ominous music played and the lights dimmed, as Andy’s opponent entered from the opposite side of the arena…

This was a sight Andy would not soon forget. Yumi’s description of “Big Bird on steroids” was somewhat accurate, but this guy was even more intimidating than that. He stood a full seven feet tall, and was as muscular as a pro wrestler. His face and visage resembled that of a golden eagle – it was difficult to tell whether this was his true face or some costume. His skin seemed to be covered in a fine coating of golden feathers, and his head sported a huge plume of gold. His dress was limited to trunks, a belt, large collar, boots, armbands (all of those gold), and a silver headband. He wore a Duel Disk which also seemed to be made of gold.

He got up on the ring and looked at Andy.

And then he chuckled.

“Lookee here,” he mocked. “The Lord of Dragons… I hope your dueling is better than your fashion sense, meatball!”

“I must be doing something right,” answered Andy.

“Yeah, right,” laughed Rawk. “I’m gonna take you down in three rounds!”

“Assuming a lug like you can count that high!” snapped Andy back. “You’re nothing but a muscle-bound moron.”

The crowd gasped.

“HEY!” shouted Rawk, clenching his fist. “Don’t call me names! I hate it when people call me names!”

“Oh, is that so?” chuckled Andy. “Then you’re also an ugly birdbrain.”

“That’s it!” shouted Rawk, walking up to him. “I’m gonna take this Disk and stick it where the sun don’t…”

“Rawk, please!” cautioned Jolene. “Take your aggression out in the duel!”

Rawk calmed down a little.

“Fine,” he scowled. “I eat pieces of garbage like guy this for lunch!”

“You eat pieces of garbage for lunch?” asked Andy.

The crowd laughed. Rawk stared at him.

“What’s the matter?” asked Andy. “Upset because you’ve finally found an opponent who isn’t afraid of you?”

Rawk was about to answer, but then a voice sounded in his head.

”Rawk Hawk,” said the Shadow Queen’s voice. ”Listen to me carefully…”

”Boss lady?” answered Rawk.

”Yes,” replied the Queen. ”Here’s an incentive… Defeat Andy, and you’re getting a big raise. Lose, and I’m docking your pay!”

”Don’t worry,” answered Rawk. ”I’ll defeat this meatball…”

”And here’s a word of encouragement,” continued the Queen.

”Yeah?” he answered.

”Don’t do anything stupid!” she snapped.

Rawk started to shuffle his deck, and Andy did the same.

“All right!” shouted the champion, loading his deck into his Disk. “This is starting now, Markova! Prepare to be RAAAAAAAWWWWKED!”

The Disks flipped into position, and the Life Point counters rose to 8,000, both on the Disks and on screens all around the arena. As the holo-imagers on the sides of the ring blazed, the crowd cheered.

Good luck Andy, thought Francesca.

“You make the first move, meatball!” dared Rawk, drawing five cards.

“Whatever you say, pal,” answered Andy, drawing six.

His opening hand wasn’t as good as the one he had when he faced Gerald, but he did have a few good ones…

“I’ll summon Twin-Headed Behemoth in Attack Mode,” he stated.

He placed a card down, and the two-headed Dragon of Wind appeared, making a double roar. (1,500/1,200)

“Interesting…” chuckled Rawk.

He placed a card down.

“I’ll set one Monster facedown in Defense Mode, and that will be my turn,” he declared.

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

“Your move, meatball,” he chuckled.

Andy made a draw.

A Monster facedown, he thought. It could be stronger than my Behemoth, but if what I’ve seen of this guy is any indication, he’s bluffing…

“Twin Headed Behemoth, attack his facedown Monster!” he shouted.

The Dragon shot forth a blast of flames…

And a form appeared on the card. It was a short, scrappy kangaroo with green fur, a purple jacket, and red boxing gloves and sneakers. (1,500/1,700)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/IOC-005.jpg


As Behemoth’s flames shot towards the creature, it threw its fist forward in a thundering blow! Twin-Headed Behemoth was blown to bits!

“What?” gasped Andy.

“I believe in Australia the saying is, ‘g’day mate’!” chuckled Rawk. “That was a Des Kangaroo, and since its Defense was stronger than your Dragon’s Attack, you not only lose 200 Life Points, but your Dragon is destroyed!”

Andy’s Life Points fell to 7,800.

“Yeah, well, he’s not staying destroyed,” muttered Andy.

Twin-Headed Behemoth returned. (1,000/1,200)

“I’ll end my turn by summoning Koumori Dragon in Defense Mode,” he stated.

He put a card down, and the small, winged, Dragon of Darkness appeared, folding its wings. (1,500/1,200)

Rawk chuckled as he made a draw.

“Lovely,” he said, “but this is gonna be a pretty dull duel is we only play stuff in Defense Mode!”

He slid a card into a slot.

“First I’ll play this Magic Card… the lethal Poison Fangs!”

The Magic Card appeared on his side of the field.

“Now, whenever a Beast damages your Life Points, you’ll lose an additional 500 Life Points!”

“Oh great…” muttered Andy.

“Now I’ll summon… Mad Dog of Darkness!” laughed Rawk, placing a card down.

A savage dog with orange skin, huge fangs, and demonic horns appeared. (1,900/1,400)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/IOC-057.jpg


“Now, I’ll just shift Des Kangaroo into Attack Mode…” he continued, turning his card.

Des Kangaroo hopped up and put up his dukes.

“Mad Dog of Darkness, take down his Behemoth with rabid bite attack!”

The Beast leapt forward and seized Twin-Headed Behemoth by the left neck with its fangs! The Dragon roared and then shattered.

Andy’s Life Points fell to 7,100. Then the Poison Fangs card glowed, and they dropped to 6,600.

“Des Kangaroo!” ordered Rawk. “Attack his other Dragon with destruction punch!”

Des Kangaroo charged fist-first, slamming his glove into Koumori Dragon and blowing it into shards!

The crowd let out a cheer.

“And that’s my move…” he said with a chuckle.

Be careful, Andy… thought Stan.

From the look of things, Rawk Hawk’s “Beastdown Deck” is relying on powerful Beasts and Beast-Warriors. But while it’s true that these Monsters are powerful, they’re… unsubtle.

A good strategy could possibly defeat them…

Andy drew.

“Well look at this, birdface!” he exclaimed. “It’s a good friend of mine… called Cave Dragon!”

He placed the card down, and the huge, aged Dragon appeared. (2,000/100)

Rawk scowled.

“Since it can’t attack when it’s alone, that will be my turn,” continued Andy. “It’s your move, leadhead.”

“I told you,” shouted Rawk, making a draw, ”quit callin’ me names!”

He looked at his card.

“I’ll move Des Kangaroo and Mad Dog of Darkness to Defense Mode, and that will end my turn,” he said, turning the cards.

Des Kangaroo raised its gloves defensively, and Mad Dog of Darkness sat.



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“Great,” said Andy, drawing.

He placed a card down.

“I’ll summon my Luster Dragon #1 in Attack Mode!” he chuckled.

The beautiful Dragon made of sapphire appeared, sparkling in the light. (1,900/1,600)

“Now to get rid of your Magic Card,” he continued. “I’ll play Stamping Destruction!”

He threw the card into a slot, and Cave Dragon stomped his foot down! A shockwave smashed the Poison Fangs card to pieces and threw its owner down!

“No way!” shouted Rawk Hawk as his Life Points fell to 7,500. “You actually hurt me!”

“And I’m just getting started!” shouted Andy, clenching his fist. “Cave Dragon, attack his Mad Dog of Darkness with noxious gust!”

Cave Dragon belched forth a blast of poison gas, blowing the Mad Dog away.

“Luster Dragon, send that Kangaroo back to Australia with sapphire flash blast!”

Luster Dragon blasted forth a beam of brilliant blue energy, and Des Kangaroo was blasted into shards.

The audience was silenced.

“Your move,” said Andy, with a grin.

“You’ll pay for that, meatball!” cursed Rawk, drawing.

He looked at his card. A slight grin formed on his beak.

He placed a card into a slot, and the facedown card appeared in front of him.

“That’s my turn,” he said.

Murmurs broke out among the crowd.

“No Monsters?” asked Andy. “Come on! I dare you to tell me that’s not a Trap Card!”

“Okay, it’s not a Trap Card,” answered Rawk, staring at him.

Andy made a draw.

He’s obviously lying, he thought. but I don’t have to summon anything right away…

Rawk stared at him.

Attack me, Markova… he thought. I’ll bet you don’t even have the guts…

Andy stared back.

“Cave Dragon, Luster Dragon!” he shouted. “Attack him directly!”

So he does have the guts… thought Rawk.

The two Dragons prepared to fire their attacks…

Rawk hit his Disk.

“I activate Scapegoat!” he shouted.

The Quickplay Magic Card lifted, and four colored sheep appeared. The blasts from the two Dragons vaporized two of them.

“I told ya it wasn’t a Trap,” chuckled Rawk. “For a minute there, I thought that you thought I was a liar!”

“Yeah, that was pretty much what I thought!” answered Andy. “Make your move.”

Rawk made his draw.

He looked at the Magic Card.

Perfect, he thought. This is just what I needed…

He placed another card on his Disk.

“I summon a Beast known as Berserk Gorilla!” he shouted.

A huge, very angry-looking gorilla appeared. Its fur was fiery red, and steam poured from its nostrils. (2,000/1,000)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/IOC-013.jpg


“What?” said Andy. “That was a poor move, pal! I know that thing’s weakness… It has to attack every round it’s able to. You might be able to take out my Luster Dragon, but when you have to attack my Cave Dragon with it, both of them will be destroyed!”

“Actually,” snickered Rawk, “I’ll going after your Cave Dragon first, as soon as I play this Magic Card…”

He slid a card into a slot.

“It’s called The Big March of Animals!”

Andy looked dumbfounded.

“What does that do?” he asked.

“For every Beast I have on the field,” explained Rawk, “each one of them gains 200 Attack Points for one round. Since I have the Gorilla and two Scapegoats, that’s a 600-point increase!”

Berserk Gorilla’s Attack rose to 2,600.

“Go Berserk Gorilla!” shouted Rawk. “Wipe out his Cave Dragon with blazing berserk breath!”

Berserk Gorilla breathed forth a wave of flame, and Cave Dragon exploded!

Andy’s Life Points fell to 6,000.

The crowd cheered again.

“Go on, meatball!” laughed Rawk.

Got to take out King Kong there… thought Andy.

He made a draw.

Or better yet…

He placed a card down on his Disk.

“I’ll summon Warrior Dai Grepher in Attack Mode!” he shouted.

The mighty Warrior in black leather armor holding his steel sword appeared. (1,700/1,600)

“You think that scares me?” laughed Rawk. “My Gorilla is stronger than both your Monsters!”

“I know,” chuckled Andy, placing a card into his Disk. “So why don’t I just take it from you? I play Snatch Steal!”

Rawk gasped as the card revealed itself, and the sneaky bandit appeared. He dove into Berserk Gorilla’s body, and the Beast vanished, only to reappear on Andy’s side.

“Warrior Dai Grepher, Luster Dragon, wipe out his Scapegoats!” shouted Andy.

Grepher sliced one of the two remaining tokens in half! Luster Dragon blasted its breath weapon and vaporized the last!

“Berserk Gorilla, attack directly!” shouted Andy.

Rawk Hawk screamed as his own Monster’s burning breath plowed into him, knocking him back five feet!

His Life Points tumbled to 5,500.

The crowd was silenced for a minute…

And then they cheered!

“YES!” shouted Francesca. “Go Andy!”

“I knew he’d find a way to beat those beastly bullies!” cheered Yumi.

Rawk groaned… He got up.

“That has to be the first time anyone has dared hit me with a direct attack!” he cursed.

Andy smiled and closed his eyes.

“It won’t be the last, fellah,” he said. “I have a feeling you’ve ruled this arena through fear since you arrived, through use of scary Monsters and brutal methods. And by doing so, no one has had the courage to actually put up a decent fight against you…

“But once I defeat you, I have a feeling that more competent duelists will have the courage to stand up to you, and your record will sink until you’re in the minor leagues!”

“We’ll see about that!” cursed Rawk. “You haven’t seen an inkling of what waits in my deck! And it’s my move!”

He drew.

Darn… he thought.

“You may have blasted me for 2,000 Life Points,” he gloated, “but since you have Snatch Steal in effect, I gain 1,000 back!”

His Life Points went up to 6,500.

“Now,” he continued, “I’ll play Stray Lambs!”

He fit a Magic Card into a slot, and two Lamb Tokens appeared.

“That’s my turn…” he said, nervously.

Andy drew.

Yes! he thought. Just the card I needed…

“Well Rawk,” he said, offhand, “since I don’t feel like you giving you any more Life Points, I’m moving this Gorilla into Defense Mode…”

Berserk Gorilla knelt.

“…which, as you probably know, destroys it.”

The Gorilla shattered.

“Now I’ll use Polymerization!”

He slid the Magic Card into a slot.

“This will fuse Warrior Dai Grepher with my Spirit Ryu!” he chuckled.

Spirit Ryu appeared on the field, and it and Grepher were both drawn into the portal.



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LOD-EN020.jpghttp://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LOB-EN059.jpghttp://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LOD-EN036.jpg


“And together they form a draconic Warrior feared by humans and Dragons alike, one by the name of… Ryu Senshi!”

The tall, armored form of Ryu Senshi leapt out of the portal, holding his silver sword aloft! (2,000/1,200)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LOD-EN019.jpg


“The rules state that Fusion Monsters have to wait one turn before attacking!” snapped Rawk.

“I know that!” sighed Andy. “What do you take me for, an idiot? Luster Dragon, wipe out one of his Lambs!”

Luster Dragon blasted forth his breath, and one of the tokens was vaporized.

Andy chuckled.

“You know Rawk,” he said, “Dragons are notorious for preying on livestock…”

“Big whoop!” answered Rawk.

“Aw, make your move,” sighed Andy.

Rawk drew.

“I’ll play my Pot of Greed!” shouted Rawk, throwing a card into a slot, “and I’m sure everyone knows what THAT does!”

The Pot handed him two more cards.

He laughed.

And then he laughed harder!

“Want to let me in on the joke, meathead?” asked Andy.

“Stop calling me names!” shouted Rawk. “But I’ll gladly ‘let you in on it’! First, I’ll play Premature Burial, which I’ll use to bring my Des Kangaroo back from the Graveyard!”

He fit the card into the slot, his Life Points fell to 5,700, and Des Kangaroo reappeared.

“And now,” he said, taking a few steps back, “I’ll sacrifice Des Kangaroo and my other Stray Lamb to summon a Beast so savage, it will bring you to your knees!”

He placed a card down, and Des Kangaroo and the token vanished.

A huge form started to take shape…

The creature was beyond belief. It was ten feet tall, twenty feet long, and resembled a bison in shape, but far more feral. Its muscular body had purple skin, and its paws were clawed. Its head had horns, sharp teeth dripping with saliva, and glowing eyes. It had a mane of thick, purple hair, and a huge tail. (2,700/1,500)

“Meet [I]Behemoth the King of All Animals!” shouted Rawk.

(2,700/1,500)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/FET-EN014.jpg


“And,” continued Rawk, “by summoning it, I get to retrieve one Beast from my Graveyard for each Monster I sacrificed to summon it!”

Two cards flew out of his discard slot.

He looked at his Mad Dog of Darkness and Berserk Gorilla.

I’ll save these guys for my BIG surprise, he thought.

“Now my Behemoth,” he shouted, “trample his Luster Dragon!”

The King of All Animals charged forward, striking Luster Dragon and smashing it to pieces!

As Andy’s Life Points fell to 5,200, the crowd cheered again.

“Has it sunk in wimp?” asked Rawk. “I can’t be beaten!”

Andy drew.

“I beg to differ, pal,” he said with a grin. “I just drew a Monster that will destroy your Behemoth!”

“And just how do you plan on doing that?” chuckled Rawk.

“First I’ll take a page from your playbook,” answered Andy. “I’ll play my own Premature Burial, using it to bring back Twin-Headed Behemoth…”

He played the card, and his Life Points dipped to 4,400 as his two-headed Dragon arose.

“Next,” continued Andy, taking another card from his hand, “I’ll sacrifice my Behemoth to summon a Dragon called Des Volstgalph!”

Twin-Headed Behemoth shattered, and Des Volstgalph appeared with a roar! (2,200/1,700)

“What good will that do you?” laughed Rawk. “It’s 500 Attack Points weaker than my Monster!”

“I’m also playing this!” added Andy, placing a card into a slot. “Scorching Ruin! This Magic Card will not only raise the Attack Score of any Dragon by 1,000 for one round, but it will raise Des Volstgalph’s Attack by another 200 because I’m playing a Magic Card!”

Des Volstgalph roared again, as its Attack rose to 3,400!

“Des Volstgalph!” shouted Andy. “Show him that animals are no match for the supernatural fury of Dragons!”

Des Volstgalph blasted its fired breath, and Behemoth the King of All Animals roared before it was blasted to bits!

Rawk stared in disbelief as his Life Points went down to 5,000.

“And when Des Volstgalph destroys a Monster, you lose 500 more Life Points!” laughed Andy.

Rawk growled as his Life Points fell further, to 4,500.

“And now, heeeeere’s Ryu Senshi!” shouted Andy. “Go! Attack directly with dragon soulsword!”

Ryu Senshi raised his sword aloft, and a flaming, dragon-like form appeared behind him! He charged, and smote the brute with his sword, knocking him over!

Rawk Hawk fell over and his Life Points dove to 2,500.

The crowd’s applause was now deafening!

“Yes!” shouted Francesca. “Andy’s just taken a huge lead!”

Des Volstgalph’s Attack returned to its original level.

Rawk Hawk was now clearly angry…

He pulled himself up, and drew the card from the top of his deck…

“Markova…” he growled. “You low-down, underhanded, two-bit, dirty… thug…

“But enough with the compliments…

“I’m gonna take you down, and I’m gonna take you down hard!”

He fit a card into a slot.

“I play Cost Down!” he exclaimed. “I’ll just discard this…”

He discarded a card.

“…and now my favorite Monster is downgraded from six-star to four-star!”

He placed a card on his Disk.

“Say hello… to Manticore of Darkness!”

A huge creature appeared with a bellowing roar. It had the muscular, bipedal body of a lion, wings of a huge, black bird, and a snaky tail. (2,300/1,000)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/IOC-067.jpg


“Now I’ll play this Magic Card,” he chuckled, placing a card in a slot. “Predator and Prey! When this card is played and a Beast, Winged Beast, or Beast-Warrior like my Manticore attacks, I gain Life Points equal to the Attack Score of the Monster it destroys!”

This guy must be really stupid, thought Andy. He obviously doesn’t realize that by playing two Magic Cards, he’s brought Des Volstgalph’s Attack Score up to 2,600, and that’s stronger than his Manticore…

“Manticore of Darkness,” shouted Rawk, “attack Ryu Senshi with hellfire blast!”

The Manticore blasted a stream of fire from its jowls, incinerating the Dragon Warrior!

Andy cringed as his Life Points fell to 4,100.

Even worse, Rawk’s Life Points rose to 4,500.

So maybe he isn’t stupid… thought Andy.

“Oh great…” muttered Stan. “This is trouble…”

“Huh?” asked Yumi. “That Manticore is strong, but it isn’t unbeatable…”

“It just might be, Yumi,” responded Stan. “If a duelist knows how to play Manticore of Darkness right, that Monster could well be…”

He gulped.

“…immortal…”

Andy drew one card.

He gave it a look.

“I’ll place one card facedown,” he said, “and move Des Volstgalph into Defense Mode.”

The card materialized, and Des Volstgalph lowered and folded its wings.

“That the best you could do?” chuckled Rawk, drawing a card.

He looked at the card.

Well, THIS will certainly be good for my ultimate combo… he thought.

He added it to his hand, and placed another card down.

“I’ll summon back an old friend,” he chuckled. “You remember Berserk Gorilla, dontcha?”

Berserk Gorilla reappeared, even angrier than before. (2,000/1,000)

“Berserk Gorilla, attack his…” he started.

“Activate Threatening Roar!” shouted Andy.

His Trap Card lifted, and the great beast appeared behind him, letting out a bellowing roar! Manticore of Darkness and Berserk Gorilla cringed…

“All right, fine,” muttered Rawk. “It’s your move.”

Andy made a draw. Then he placed a card into a slot.

“I play Sweet Feast!” he shouted.

“Eh?” said Rawk, dumbfounded, as the bountiful cornucopia appeared over Andy.

“Now, since your strongest Monster has six stars,” continued Andy, “I gain six thousand Life Points!”

His Life Points skyrocketed to 10,100!

The crowd let out a cheer!

“And I also get to draw six cards!” continued Andy.

The six cards flew off of his deck, and he took them.

“Clever,” muttered Rawk. “Too bad you aren’t an Exodia duelist.”

Well, since I played that card, I can’t play any other cards this turn,” said Andy, “so, since I have seven cards in my hand now, I’ll discard this card…”

He discarded his Wingbeat of Giant Dragon.

“…and end my turn.”

“I really don’t care!” shouted Rawk, drawing.



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



This Trap Card will be good for later, he thought, adding it to his hand.

“Berserk Gorilla, destroy his Des Volstgalph!” he shouted.

Berserk Gorilla blasted forth his fiery breath, and Des Volstgalph was blown to pieces.

“Manticore of Darkness, attack him directly! Hellfire blast!”

Andy cringed as the Monster’s flames covered him…

He gasped as his Life Points sank to 7,800, and the crowd started to cheer again.

“Feeling the heat yet, meatball?” mocked Rawk.

“It’s my move now, pal,” said Andy, drawing a card, and I’m going to wipe your Manticore out!”

“Yeah, how?” laughed Rawk.

“First I’ll play Monster Reborn!” shouted Andy, throwing a card into a slot.

Once again, Twin-Headed Behemoth appeared on the field.

“And now,” said Andy, switching cards, “I’ll sacrifice him again, to summon Luster Dragon #2!”

He put a card down, and the Behemoth shattered. In its place rose the huge Dragon with emerald scales. (2,400/1,900)

“Oh, another Dragon… I’m so scared…” mocked Rawk, sarcastically.

“In case you didn’t notice,” sneered Andy, “my Dragon is 100 Attack Points stronger than your Manticore. The first rule of Duel Monsters is, the Monster with the lower score loses!”

“Then attack!” laughed Rawk. “I dare ya!”

Andy paused. Doubt started to form.

Could that Manticore have some sort of special effect that might let it resist attacks? he thought. Maybe I should be careful…

“I double dare you!” mocked Rawk.

Andy’s eyes narrowed.

No way this guy was going to double dare him and get away with it…

“Luster Dragon, attack his Manticore with emerald flash blast!” he shouted.

Luster Dragon breathed forth a stream of green energy, blowing Manticore of Darkness into pixels!

Rawk chuckled as his Life Points fell to 4,400.

“Impressive…” he said. “But, unfortunately, pointless, due to Manticore of Darkness’s special effect!”

“What effect?” snarled Andy. “I just sent it to the Graveyard.”

“That’s the whole point!” cackled Rawk. “When Manticore of Darkness is sent to the Graveyard by any means, I can send one Beast, Beast-Warrior, or Winged Beast on the field or in my hand to the Graveyard to bring it back!

“So watch this nifty trick…”

He took a card from his hand and discarded it.

“First I’ll discard my second Manticore of Darkness, which will bring back the first…”

Manticore of Darkness reappeared in an explosion of flames!

“Next…” continued Rawk, “I’ll sacrifice the Berserk Gorilla I have on the field…”

Berserk Gorilla shattered.

“…which will summon to the field the Manticore I just discarded!”

A second Manticore of Darkness appeared beside the first in another explosion!

(2,300/1,000 x2)

“What did I tell you…” muttered Stan. “Practically immortal…”

“Don’t give up, Andy!” shouted Fran.

“All right,” snarled Andy. “I end my turn…”

Rawk drew.

Vorse Raider… he thought. I’ll just keep it and Mad Dog of Darkness in my hand in case he finds a way to destroy the Manticores again…

“I don’t know how you intend to defeat my Dragon with those two monstrosities…” stated Andy.

“I’ll show you how!” chuckled Rawk, flicking his Field slot open. “I play the Forest Field Magic Card!”

He inserted the card, and all of a sudden, trees and shrubs sprouted all around the ring!

“This Field Card ups the Attack and Defense of all Beasts and Beast-Warriors by 200 points!” exclaimed Rawk. “That’s just enough for them to put a hurt on you!”

(2,500/1,200 x2)

“Why Forest?” asked Andy. “Why not Gaia Power?”

“Because Manticore of Darkness is a Fire Monster, stupid!” snapped Rawk. “That would make Gaia Power pretty useless in this situation, wouldn’t it?

“A lot of my Monsters are Earth, but some of them are Fire, and others are Dark, so an Attribute-based Field doesn’t cut it. But all of them get a boost from the Forest!

“But enough chit-chat! Manticore #1, attack his Luster Dragon!”

The first Manticore blasted forth a blaze of flame, and Luster Dragon was incinerated.

“Manticore #2, your turn!” shouted Rawk. “Attack him directly!”

The second Manticore blasted forth his wave of fire, and Andy was knocked down, his cards scattering all over the place!

His Life Points had plummeted to 5,200.

Andy groaned. He slowly got up and gathered his cards…

“Summon whatever you like,” laughed Rawk. “Next round, you’ll be overwhelmed!

“I’ll place one card facedown, and that will end my turn…”

He slid one of his three cards into a slot, and it appeared behind his Manticores.

I’ve already got a strategy on the off chance he manages to summon something stronger than my Manticores, he thought evilly. As soon as he declares an attack, I’ll activate my Malevolent Catastrophe Trap, which will destroy every Monster on the field! Then I’ll discard Vorse Raider and Mad Dog of Darkness to revive my two Manticores, and attack directly, bringing him down to a mere 200 Life Points. After that, he’ll never summon anything strong enough to keep me from finishing him off…

Andy looked at his current hand of five cards…

Let’s see… he thought. Red Eyes, Lord of Dragons, Divine Dragon Ragnarok, Super Rejuvenation, and…

He shuddered at the sight of the last card…

He really didn’t want to use that card!

He paused before making his draw…



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


In his mind, he was falling through a void of stars. The card that he was afraid of was in front of him, larger than life…

Then, Koops and Bobbery appeared to either side of him.

“Andy!” snapped Bobbery. “Those Manticores are dangerous, lad! They’ll just keep coming back no matter what you do! If you want to win this duel, you must use that card!”

“Cut him some slack, Bobbery!” gulped Koops. “When the Three Heroes used that spell for the first time, I nearly soiled my shell!”

“What if it backfires, guys?” asked Andy. “I have no idea what his facedown card is! If it’s Hallowed Life Barrier or Barrel Behind the Door, I’ve had it!”

“You’ve got to believe, lad,” assured Bobbery. “You said it yourself – once you defeat Rawk Hawk, he won’t be able to rule by fear any more!”

“I have to admit, Bobbery is right…” muttered Koops. “That card is your only chance to win the duel… No matter how scary it is…”

Andy reached out and touched the card…



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


They’re right… thought Andy. This card is the only way to win… I have to use it…

The only problem is, I can’t… not without two more specific cards…

He reached for his deck.

C’mon Heart of the Cards, show me some love…

He drew.

“And my card is Pot of Greed!” he shouted, playing the card.

The Pot handed him two more cards.

Andy almost squealed with delight upon seeing them, but he caught himself.

“Okay Rawk, it ends NOW!” he shouted.

He placed a Magic Card into a slot.

“I play… Fusion Recovery!” he shouted. “This card lets me take one fusion material Monster and one Polymerization card from my Graveyard and add them to my hand!”

Polymerization and Warrior Dai Grepher slid out of his discard slot, and flew into his hand.

“Now I summon… Lord of Dragons!”

He placed the card down, and a Spellcaster dressed exactly like him appeared, striking a pose. (1,200/1,100)

“I’m not impressed…” muttered Rawk.

“Just wait!” chuckled Andy. “Now I’ll use this accessory card… The Flute of Summoning Dragons!”

He placed a card in a slot, and the trumpet-like flute appeared in Lord of Dragons’s hand.

“All right Lord of Dragons,” ordered Andy, “hows about playing some corn on that old brass horn?”

Lord of Dragons put the flute to his lips, and played a haunting melody.

“Having done that,” continued Andy, “I can now summon two Dragons from my hand!”

He put two cards down.

“So meet Red Eyes Black Dragon, and Divine Dragon Ragnarok!”

First, the mighty Red Eyes appeared. (2,400/2,000) Then the wispy, smoky Divine Dragon Ragnarok appeared next to him. (1,500/1,000)

“I’m still not impressed!” mocked Rawk.

“Not done!” continued Andy. “Now I’ll play Polymerization! This will fuse Lord of Dragons and Ragnarok together!”

The portal opened, and the Spellcaster and the Dragon were drawn through it.



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The portal flashed with energy, and the huge form of King Dragun emerged from it! (2,400/1,100)

The two powerful Dragons turned to each other. They nodded and roared.



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/SD1-EN002.jpghttp://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/FET-EN036.jpg


“Heh, heh…” chuckled Rawk. “HA, HA, HA, HA, HA! Good effort, Markova! Not many duelists can summon two seven-star Monsters in a single turn! But you wasted your time! Both of your Dragons are weaker than my Monsters by 100 points!”

“Indeed,” said Andy. “So I’ll place one card facedown, and end my turn…”

He fit a card into a slot, and it appeared behind the two Dragons.

Rawk drew.

Heh, heh, Battle Ox, he thought. Now I have three cards that I can discard…

“I’m activating a Trap!” shouted Andy.

His card lifted.

“The almighty [B]Supernova!”

Stan and Francesca got up in shock.

“Supernova?” gulped Stan.

“He’s actually using that?” gasped Fran.

The card revealed itself, bearing the image of Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon being blasted by burning energy from the heavens…

“This Trap Card doesn’t actually involve the explosion of a very large star in which the star may reach a maximum intrinsic luminosity one billion times that of the sun,” explained Andy, “but it’s powerful nonetheless! Using this card is all… or… nothing!

“In order to activate Supernova, I have to have at least two Monsters on the field, and they all have to have the same Type, Attribute, and star level. As you can clearly see, both Red Eyes and King Dragun are Dark-Attribute, Dragon-Type, and have seven stars!”

A blinding light started to appear above the arena…

“And then, I have to give up most of my Life Points!” continued Andy. “I have to spend all of them but one!”

The crowd gasped, as his Life Point counter fell to 1.

“And in exchange for all that, I get to destroy one Monster for every Monster I have that qualifies!”

The light got brighter!

“Big deal!” laughed Rawk. “I still have enough cards to discard to bring them back!”

“Oh really?” replied Andy. “You also lose Life Points equal to the current Attack Scores of the Monsters this card destroys, meaning that you’ll now lose 5,000 Life Points!”

Rawk gasped, as two burning beams of light blasted down from above! The two Manticores howled and exploded in a furious lightshow, and Rawk was thrown off his feet!

His Life Points plummeted to zero, and he was out cold!

“Phew!” gasped Andy.

The crowd let out a thunderous applause! Jolene came up to the ring.

“And the winner is…” she announced, “Markova the Dragon Master!”

The crowd cheered again.



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


Andy envisioned himself in the void of stars again, and again, Koops and Bobbery were in front of him.

“All right Andy!” cheered Koops. “Way to put that bully in his place!”

“You did it lad,” chuckled Bobbery. “You used the Three Heroes’ most powerful spell like a pro… Even they were scared to use Supernova! In fact, I believe that was the spell that finally brought the Shadow Queen to her knees…”

“I might not have dared try…” sighed Andy, “but you guys talked me into it…”

“Well, now you, Stan, and Francesca are finally going to be going to the Thousand Year Door,” said Koops, “and the two of us will be right beside you, just like always!”

“Count on it, mate!” answered Bobbery. “Believe in your Heart, and we’ll never be more than a draw away…”



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


Andy opened his eyes to see Rawk Hawk being helped off the field in a daze, and everyone in the arena shouting his name. Jolene lifted his arm into the air.

“May I present the new champion of the Glitz Pit,” she announced, “Markova the Dragon Master!”

This was indeed a little embarrassing, but it was nice to have the spotlight for a while…



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


One hour later, the uncomfortable Lord of Dragons costume was just an unpleasant memory, and the team was back in Jolene’s office.

Jolene handed Andy a glowing, red star made of crystal.

“Here it is, Andy,” she said, “the Ruby Star. Take good care of it…”

She paused. Her voice sank to a whisper.

“And promise me that you’ll defeat the Shadow Queen,” she said with her voice in a tremble. “Don’t let her hurt anyone else…”

Andy gave her a look before they left the office.



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


The four teens walked out into the night air.

“Well that was…” started Andy.

“Well done, kids!” laughed a voice.

They all looked up. It was Merlee.

“Hey, Merlee,” said Stan. “Well, we made it… We’re ready to take on the Thousand Year Door!”

“Perhaps,” said Merlee. “And I’m here to take you back to Rogueport. You can spend the night there, and maybe you can get some help tomorrow morning.”

“Eh?” asked Francesca.

“All will be revealed tomorrow,” replied Merlee. “But let’s get going – it’s late, and I’m sure you’re all exhausted.”

“Don’t worry about me,” said Yumi. “I’ll just stay in Glitzville and keep myself occupied.

“You were right Andy… Now that you stood up to Rawk, I have a feeling he’s going to be facing some tougher challenges.

“Have fun storming the palace!”

“Be careful, Yumi,” answered Fran. “Remember what I said…”

Merlee waved his arm, and a glowing portal appeared.

He stepped through it, and the three teens followed.



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


The Shadow Queen was keeping a close eye on a duel in progress.

Finally, the finishing blow landed, and another of her henchmen went down.

“Grodus…” she said.

“Yes my Queen?” answered the council member.

“The eight finalists have been decided. Tomorrow I have no doubt that the Palace of Shadow will begin to receive visitors…

“Stan, Andy, and Francesca will be among them.

“It is time to enact the next part of our plans. We’ll run our guests through the gauntlet and see how well they fare…

“And if all else fails, the tournament finals will be a pleasure to conduct…



PREDATOR AND PREY (Magic Card)

Card Specs

Type: Magic
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Card Description: Image of a Leogun pouncing on a Mystical Sheep. You can activate this card before declaring an attack on an opposing Monster using a BEAST-, BEAST-WARRIOR-, or WINGED BEAST-Type Monster. If the attack is successful, add the base Attack Score of the attacked Monster to your Life Points.



MALEVOLENT CATASTROPHE (Trap Card)

Card Specs

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

Card Description: Image of fiendish creatures flying in a dark hurricane. This card can be activated when your opponent declares an attack. Destroy all Monsters on the field.

Note: “Malevolent Catastrophe” was used by Marik in the multi-part anime episode “The Darkness Returns”, and was later made into a real card for the Japanese Marik Structure Deck. It has not yet been released in the United States.



SUPERNOVA (Trap Card)

Card Specs

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

Card Description: Image of Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon being blasted by burning energy from the heavens. You can activate this Trap when at least two Monsters (not including Tokens) with the same Type, Attribute, and star level are on your side of the field. These Monsters cannot attack during the turn you activate this card. Reduce your Life Points to 1. Destroy one opposing Monster for every such Monster on your side of the field. Your opponent takes damage equal to the total current Attack Scores of the destroyed Monsters.



[B][I]Coming up next:

Act One is over! But this fanfic is only half done!

Next chapter, after a brief interlude in Rogueport, Stan, Andy, and Francesca travel to seek the destination they’ve been yearning for so long! But it’s going to be a long road ahead, for the Palace of Shadows holds many hazards!

And wait until you learn the new dueling rules that will be in place!

In Act Two, the Monsters will be fiercer, the Magic will be trickier, the Traps will be deadlier, the dangers will be like nothing you ever saw before!

And what Yu-Gi-Oh fic would be complete without a few Shadow Games? We’ll be getting to those…

Don’t miss the first chapter of Act Two, “False Start”, coming soon…

[Master of Paradox]

I still kind of wish Rawk Hawk had a Hispanic accent, just to go with his animal mask... But that's neither here nor there.

I'd lost track of what deck types you'd used, so the Beast deck caught me off-guard. It's much lighter on the created cards than Toro's from "Mandate", so I'm impressed. The duel itself moved at a good pace, without any obvious stupidity from either side (my bugbear).

Now, you'd told me about Supernova before (when I was skeptical about this story), and it intrigued me. But now, seeing it in action, I respect it. It's tricky enough and powerful enough to live up to its namesake (which - I hate to say - wasn't worth using in PM: TYD).

And so Act One draws to a close. In the end, it had its low points (I still won't forgive Raven), but it held to the standards set by "Mandate of Heaven". Let's see if Act Two was worth the hype.

[Silencer]

Yeay my character is coming back. Now it seems I tied with the other guy so the winner is decided with somekind of special formula DS came up with, he knows who is number one but I don't... I have this strange feeling the formula has something to do with the numbers you use in the Yu-gi-oh GBA/DS games to get the cards.

Great chapter. Raven is probably gonna make it to the door to so now I'm wondering who the other 2 will be.

[Shuppet Master]

That was an aeesome duel to end Act One. Are you going to make a new thread for Act Two?

Anyways, I'm sorry my character didn't get in, but then the promise of at least a walk-on role is fine by me. I'm not into the spotlight, nor would I like to think of what would happen if Cyrus ended up in a Shadow Game and lost! Good luck to Drake and Kyle in the Palace of Shadows.

I had a feeling that Rawk Hawk used a beatdown deck, but a Beastdown was a new thing. And that Supernova card is indeed the strongest of the Enchanted Cards, and also the most risky - if Rawk had a Kuriboh in his hand, it would have been over for Andy(of course, he didn't since Kuriboh is a fiend).

Anyways, something tells me that Andy will try Supernova again in the finals and lose(maybe in the final match, I can't spoil what happens though). You'll be quite surprised by the new system of rules!

Keep it up, Brian! I'm rooting for you!

[Dark Sage]

I have a serious announcement to make. I've been making a serious error in dealing with two cards that one of my key characters uses - White Magician Pikeru, and Ebon Magician Curran.

I thought that their effect applied to all Monsters on the field. I was wrong - Pikeru's effect applies to Monsters on your side only, and Curran's to Monsters on your opponent's side only.

It's too late to change every instance of their use. But from now on, they will conform to the correct rules.

- DS

[Master of Paradox]

This, friends, is why you should always confirm the effect of a card you're using before the story begins. As anyone who's read "Lady of Dragons" knows, Eric and I have trouble with card rulings...

I can recall thinking, for the longest time, that "Dark Snake Syndrome" only affected the opponent. Then, just before I began writing Chapter Five of "Lady of Dragons" (where the villain Hasker uses that card), I actually read the card. The next hour or so was spent scrambling to rework the planned duel...

[starjake]

That was a fantastic chapter! I really enjoyed Rawk Hawk's tactics, and he portrayed in a way that made him very easy to dislike. Kudos!

It's a shame that Supernova is restricted to this story alone. That Supernova card would fit perfectly in Jake's deck, since he frequently has multiple Fire/Pyro/4 stars monsters out on the field at once (and, if you think about it, 'Supernova' is a pretty fire-related term, since, as Andy mentioned, it refers to a sun).

Ah well, such is life. Good job, and I can't wait to see these new rules in action!

[goldenzigzagoon]

great duel, my Friend runs a fire deck and always uses manticore of darkness. He has 3 of them. I feel like pulling my hair out everytime he revives it. Anyway I'm new to fanfiction. How do you make a new fanfiction? I know about the new topic thing but what do you put in the larger bubble thing? you can tell I'm a new to this but everyone is at some point

[Dark Sage]

He uses three Manticore of Darkness cards?

Pal, that's an illegal deck. Manticore of Darkness is semi-restricted. You are only allowed to have two in your deck and side deck combined.

But anyway, you start a new fanfic by hitting "New Topic" on the fanfiction boards. I'm not sure what you mean by size bubble.

[Dark Sage]

I have an announcement to make, everybody...

(Don't worry, it's nothing bad...)

Tomorrow evening, I will post the first chapter of Act Two...

But NOT on this post.

These two acts are so big in themselves, that I am going to start a separate thread for Act Two, and archive this one.

So, if you have any more comments to make on Act One, make them now. Act Two will start at arounf 5PM tomorrow evening!

- SM

[Pokemasterkatie]

Wow...I kinda thought you were going to do this...it's either that I'm psychic, or it's that mark instinct in me.:p Well, I hope Act II will be as great(if not greater) than Act I. Keep up the good work, DS-san!

[Shuppet Master]

Actually, I suggested this to him. When he said he would start the second Act on this thread, I said "Why even bother making two acts then?" and he realized that, if you are going to split a fanfic up into volumes, you should put them on seperate threads to seperate them.

My closing comment is this: Act One was awesome and I hope that Act Two is just as killer. (Of course, I know something about the new rules in Act Two, so I'm a bit ahead of you other guys. ;) )

[Dark Sage]

I'd just like to announce that Act Two is now up on a separate thread, with the next chapter.

So log onto there, and enjoy!

- DS

[Gavin Luper]

Kindly offering to move this into the archive when you are ready for it to be moved, Dark Sage.

EDIT: Moved and locked - if you need this unlocked for any reason, PM me.

Cheers!