Yu-Gi-Oh! Soul of Silicon

[Dark Sage]

My name is Vita. It is the name I chose for myself.

Who am I? I am Daala’s greatest enemy. And yet, I don’t want to destroy her. I want her save her. I want to hold her in the most loving embrace imaginable.

If it was you, and Daala had cast you out, but not before bonding an irremovable mask to your face, you would likely hate her. I don’t hate her. I understand that she couldn’t help herself when she did it, and I work towards correcting it. I work towards defeating her, so that I may remove it, and make the embrace possible.

I am a duelist with a mission. I stalk the Realms of Xanadu, keeping unseen by Daala. I challenge her artificially created minions when I know she isn’t looking, and end their evil existence. I work against her at every turn.

My strikes against her herself are few, but observing Yumi, I think I can now take a more active role. I may have a chance to do the job that I’ve been meaning to do since Daala was created.

Who am I? I am a soul…

A soul of silicon… But a soul nonetheless…

CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO



The Soul

The full moon rose in the night sky over the Tzimisce Woods. All was mostly quiet in the forest. From the branch of a tree, An Owl of Luck hooted.

It looked down as Vita walked down the forest path, with her three Mokey Mokeys floating behind her. Yumi and her four friends followed, their Disks activated and ready to draw a card should Vita prove to be leading them into a trap.

Then Yumi decided she wasn’t convinced.

“Vita, hold on!” she shouted. “I’m not taking another step until I know what the deal is!

“You’ve been playing this whole game with us since we got to Xanadu. You stay in the background, watching us and doing nothing, then deciding to help when it suddenly suits you.

“Who the heck are you?”

Vita sighed, and looked at them.

“Mokey Mokey,” said one of the Fairies, nervously.

“No, it’s all right,” said Vita.

She turned to Yumi and the others.

“I’m Daala,” she said.

“WHAT?” exclaimed the five duelists.

“Or rather,” continued Vita, “I’m a part of her. Or a part of what was once her.”

She sighed again, and sat down on a log.

“Perhaps once you hear my story, you’ll feel pity for the girl who was once Daala, instead of the hatred I now see in your eyes…

“Sit down…”

Yumi and the others did, as Vita started to explain.

“When Xanadu was just a small, virtual world,” she said, “and Daala was a young girl name Phyllis Ting, who still had a human body, she was curious. She wasn’t evil. Curiosity is a virtue, after all.

“But too much curiosity can kill the proverbial cat…

“In virtual form, she started downloading files out of her curiosity, sent to her by someone who was helping her expand Xanadu’s size and detail. With one of the files, she downloaded the first of the Devil’s Fruit. Her eyes wide with wonder, she chose one, and since she could eat as a virtual being, sampled it.

“However, like the five of you did, she chose blindly, and chose a very powerful Fruit, one which not only bestowed great powers, but a vile curse. As soon as she swallowed it, she was literally split in two. Where she was once one being, she became two beings. The dominant side, possessing the influence of the Devil’s Fruit, had all of Phyllis’s vices, sins, and negative emotions. She was what would eventually become Daala, who would pledge allegiance to Shogarr and rule Xanadu as a tyrant.

“The other being, which represented all of her morals and decency, her good side, so to speak, became me.

“I would eventually choose the name Vita, because that was name of an imaginary friend that Phyllis once had when she was a little girl. Imaginary friends are symbols childhood, and thus symbols of innocence. As I was the symbol of the innocence that Phyllis once possessed, it seemed to fit.

“Anyway, I tried in vain to convince my other half to find a way to rejoin, knowing that existing as separate entities would cause a disaster. But the evil side liked her freedom away from me, and wouldn’t cooperate. Daala knew she couldn’t kill me, because so much of her essence was inside me. The death of one of us would likely kill or cripple the other.

“I challenged her to a duel to settle the matter, which was a mistake. When Phyllis’s body split, Daala was the one holding the deck. I was forced to download a new one from the I2 database, and Daala wouldn’t give me much time to finish. Since it was a rush job, the deck I created wasn’t very good, and I was soundly beaten.

“Even though the duel was hardly fair, Daala decided to punish me for losing. Using her benefactor’s aid, she used a powerful spell to bond this accursed mask to my face, ensuring that I would never be mistaken for her.”

Vita paused, and touched the mask covering her face. She continued.

“Then she shoved me aside,” she continued, “saying that I could remove the mask if I ever proved that I wasn’t inferior. I could do nothing but flee…

“I knew her plans were big when she officially took the name Daala. She had named herself after a fictitious weapons designer who could build things capable of destroying whole planets… An inventor of doomsday machines who could do things normally reserved only for the gods. It didn’t take me long to discover that she had allied herself with an Elder Evil.

“And I watched as Daala’s power grew, along with her evil. I wandered the web as an exile, neglected and unwanted. Meanwhile, Daala destroyed her mortal body, and continued her plans, increasing the size of Xanadu exponentially. Eventually, when Xanadu was big enough for me to hide in unnoticed, I came back, and started to oppose her.

“I realized that I would have to oppose Daala in subtle ways. I’m a part of her, and I want to reunite. If that happens, maybe, just maybe, Phyllis Ting’s original personality will return, and Daala’s mad plans will end.”

“But Vita…” said Chelsea. “What if you succeed, and it backfires? What if Daala remains evil and becomes even more powerful after becoming whole?”

“I’ve considered that,” replied Vita, “but it’s a risk I must take.”

“And the Mokey Mokeys that have been following us all over Xanadu?” asked Sam.

“You might say that they’re my eyes and ears,” said Vita. “Only other exiles can communicate with these Fairies. I’ve made several allies over the past ten years.

“And we’re going to meet another one right now.”

She stood up, and waved her hand. The trees and shrubbery moved aside in front of them…

Standing in the center of the clearing that had appeared was an ancient, stone shrine. It was made of granite, and had simple design, with the symbol of Boccob carved on the stone door leading in.

Standing in front of shrine was someone they hadn’t seen before. It was a young girl dressed in traditional clothing that suggested a Native American design. Her jacket and britches were leather, and jewelry set with turquoise and beads hung around her neck. She had chestnut hair and hazel eyes.

She smiled broadly.

“Welcome, duelists,” she said. “You have journeyed far, and are nearing the end point. You have…”

“It’s you!” shouted Ren.

“Huh?” said Erik. “You know her?”

“She’s the one who was at Kaibaland with the Stone Statue of the Aztecs and Fairy Box combo!” shouted Ren. “She’s Sahkyo!”

The girl chuckled.

“Guilty as charged,” she said.

“I’m confused,” said Yumi. “If you were a duelist at Kaibaland, how did you get to Xanadu?”

“I’m not truly human, Yumi,” explained Sahkyo. “In terms you can understand, I am a nature spirit of sorts, one whom existed in the unspoiled American wilderness long before civilized man ever came.”

“So why are you here?” asked Sam.

“Because,” replied Sahkyo, “the equality of nature is tipped.

“My species preserves the equality of all things. Good and Evil, Law and Chaos. These things must all be kept at equal proportions.

“You ever hear the saying, if there was no darkness, how would we know light? It’s true on several levels. In the universe, all metaphysical forces must be moderated, or the system wouldn’t work.

“Even if the forces of Good dominated the universe, it wouldn’t be for the best. If that happened, well, life would be kind of boring. Sure, people would be at peace and would want for nothing, but they’d have little incentive to seek adventure and excitement.

“Now, long ago, long before the white man came to America, a powerful force of Chaos and Evil threatened to cover the land, eclipsing Law and Good. But fortunately, powerful shamans used a ritual similar to the Shadow Games used in Egypt to call forth the spirits of the land to defeat the great evil.”

“Native American Shadow Games?” asked Erik, in disbelief.

“The Egyptians were not the only ones who could do it,” replied Sahkyo. “Shadow Games were common to all cultures. The Egyptians were the only ones who recorded them.

“Now, an ally of that great demon is allied with Daala. If it returns to the land of mortals, the whole world is at risk.”

“Who is this evil?” asked Yumi. “Is it Shogarr?”

Sahkyo nodded.

“Our name for him is not easily translated,” she said. “It simply means ‘darkness’ or ‘wickedness’ and many unpleasant things.

“I was told that someone residing in this shine would help, if a test was passed. I don’t know who or what is in the shrine, only that it calls itself The Testament. I shall administer the test, young duelists, and if you pass, you may enter.”

Yumi looked at her.

“Fine,” she said, lifting her Disk. “I’ll duel you…”

“Not so fast, young duelist…” said Sahkyo.

Sahkyo held up two separate decks.

“I have two different decks,” she said. “One of these decks is the Deck of Order. It represents the Good side of Law.

“The other is the Deck of Freedom. It represents the Good side of Chaos.

“I also posses two other decks, the Deck of Tyranny and the Deck of Madness, which represent the Evil sides of Law and Chaos, respectively. However, they are not appropriate for this occasion.”

“So, what do I do?” asked Yumi. “Duel you twice?”

“No,” replied Sahkyo. “You choose one deck at random, and duel me. Then, if you are triumphant, you choose one of your allies. He or she will then duel me, and I’ll use the deck you didn’t face.

“Only if both of you are victorious, will the door to the shrine open.”

Yumi looked at Ren, Chelsea, Sam, and Erik.

“Uhm…” she said. “I think I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it…”

“Very well,” said Sahkyo.

Yumi looked at the two decks.

“I choose… The one on the right.”

Sahkyo smiled, and placed the one on the left inside a pouch on her belt.

“You have chosen the Deck of Order,” she said.

A Duel Disk appeared on her arm. She quickly shuffled the deck, and placed it in the Disk.

“Vita,” said Erik. “Do you know anything about these decks?”

“Sahkyo never told me about her strategy,” replied Vita. “Yumi could be in for anything…”

* * * * * * * * * *

Daala walked down a long hall of her palace, with Skull Knight following her.

“Uhm, milady,” muttered Skull Knight, “not to be rude, but do I really have to come? I mean, the air in that place kind of rubs me the wrong way…”

“Don’t worry,” replied Daala. “You won’t be coming in. You only have to wait for me outside the entrance. I’m the only one who’ll be going in.

“You might want to bring a book. I’m not sure how long you’ll have to wait.”

“What will you be doing in there?” asked Skull Knight.

Daala sighed.

“Finding my ultimate destiny…” she replied.

* * * * * * * * * *

Yumi and Sahkyo looked at each other.

Sahkyo’s eyes narrowed.

“Let’s do this…” she said.

(Yumi: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Sahkyo: 8,000)

“I’ll start this off,” said Sahkyo, drawing a card.

She looked at the powerful Monster on the card. She added it to her hand, and chose another one.

“I set a Monster, and that will be all for now…”

A facedown Monster appeared.

“Rather slow start,” said Yumi, drawing a card.

“I summon Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer!”

Kycoo appeared in a burst of shadowy energy. (1,800/700)

“Attack!” shouted Yumi.

Kycoo chanted, and his cursed magic shot towards the facedown Monster. A Giant Rat appeared on the card, and was blown to pieces.

“Lovely!” shouted Chelsea. “More Rats!”

“And now I activate its effect,” said Sahkyo, looking at the cards in her deck. “Which, as you know, lets me Special Summon an Earth Monster with a low Attack Score.

“I choose to summon Great Spirit.”

In an aura of glowing, white energy, a Monster appeared in front of her. Yumi was puzzled. She had never seen this guy before.

He looked like, as his name suggested, a spirit, being misty and translucent, clothed in armor made of wooden rods, decorated with painted images. He also covered his face with a large spirit mask. (500/1,500)

“Your Tiki Spellcaster doesn’t scare me,” said Yumi.

Sahkyo chuckled, and put her hand on her hip.

“First of all, he’s not a Tiki, he’s a Native American nature spirit, like myself,” she said. “Second, he’s a Rock, not a Spellcaster.

“And I assure you, you’ll be scared of what he can do soon enough. Are you done with your move?”

“Mmm!” replied Yumi.

Sahkyo drew a card.

“Then I play… Pot of Greed,” she said.

The wicked jar appeared, and she made two draws.

“Next,” she said, as the Field Slot on her Disk opened, “I play the Field Spell, Canyon…”

The grove and the shrine faded away, and giant, stone cliffs rose around them. Within seconds, the walls of the Grand Canyon had appeared around the two duelists.

“Welcome to Arizona,” said Sahkyo, with a smile.

“Oh no!” shouted Ren. “I saw her use this card on TV!”

“What does it do?” asked Chelsea.

“If Yumi attacks a Rock Monster in Defense Mode,” replied Ren, “and its Defense is too strong, the damage Yumi takes is doubled.”

“Indeed,” said Sahkyo. “Next, I activate one of Great Spirit’s effects, to flip him into facedown Defense Mode.”

Great Spirit vanished, and was replaced by a facedown Monster.

“Then, I set a new Monster.”

Another set Monster appeared.

“Then, I play a Continuous Spell Card. It’s called Shifting Shadows.”

She played the card, and it appeared. The image on the card depicted shadowy shapes over a collection of statues.

“I can use this card’s effect once per round by paying 300 Life Points,” she said, as dark shadows started to cover the two facedown Monsters. “It lets me rearrange the positions of my facedown Monsters any way I desire. Thus, you now have no way of knowing which one is Great Spirit, and which one is the other one I just set.

“And I’m far from done. I play Premature Burial.”

She played the card, and Giant Rat appeared again. (1,400/1,450)

“Giant Rat…” she said. “Attack Kycoo.”

Giant Rat rushed at the Ghost Destroyer. Kycoo blasted his spell, and it was blown to pieces.

“Why’d she do that?” asked Erik.

“To use its effect,” replied Sam.

“Indeed,” said Sahkyo. “This time, I’m using its effect to summon Criosphinx.”

In a flash of energy, another Monster appeared. It looked like a stone statue of a centaurian creature, its lower body like some great lion, its upper body like a muscular man with blue skin, with the head of a ram. (1,200/2,400)

“Finally,” said Sahkyo, taking a card from her hand, “I’ll sacrifice Criosphinx…”

Criosphinx vanished into grains of light.

“To Special Summon Exxod, Master of the Guard!”

With a rumble, an enormous statue rose out of the ground behind her. It looked like a stone statue of Exodia, just as big as the real thing, but carved out of granite. It was decorated with gold jewelry, and had a golden disk covered with runes on its back. It knelt and crossed its arms, clearly in Defense Mode. (0/4,000)

“Four-thousand Defense Points?” shouted Erik. “How the heck is Yumi supposed to crack that?”

“You got me,” said Sam.

“I end my turn,” said Sahkyo.

(Y: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 6,500)

Yumi drew a card.

She managed to do a lot in one turn, thought Yumi, looking at it. She’s clearly a powerful duelist…

She played the card, and the Pot of Greed appeared on her side of the field. She drew two cards.

She looked at them.

However… I’m no slouch myself…

“Okay, Sahkyo…” she said. “Your Field Spell has to go… I’m getting rid of it by playing one of my own…”

Her Field Slot opened, and she placed a card in it.

“I play Secret Village of the Spellcasters!”

The stone cliffs of Canyon faded away, and then, a dense forest rose around them. Thatched huts shaped like acorns and mushrooms rose around them, and an old wishing well appeared to the side.

Sahkyo looked around and saw little fairies dancing around her head. She chuckled.

“You brought us to a village of gnomes, and brownies, and leprechauns?” she asked. “How is this supposed to help you?”

“I’ll tell you how,” said Yumi. “This Field Spell is very powerful if used right.

“You see, if the only Monsters I have on the field are Spellcasters, you can’t use any Spell Cards.”

“Huh?” said Sahkyo.

“However,” continued Yumi. “If at any time, I have no Spellcasters on the field, then I can’t use any Spell Cards.”

“Sounds interesting,” said Sahkyo.

“Now…” continued Yumi, “I play Polymerization! I fuse Dark Magician and Goddess with the Third Eye…”

The two Monsters appeared in front of her, and merged into a swirling vortex…

“…to summon Dark Paladin!”

In an explosion of energy, the armored, blade-wielding Spellcaster appeared, glowing with a dark aura. (2,900/2,400)

“YEAH!” shouted Ren.

“Kycoo,” ordered Yumi, “attack the facedown Monster on the left!”

Kycoo cast his spell, and it struck the facedown card. When the smoke cleared, the Monster was crouching on the card. It appeared to be a door of some sort, with a face, arms, and legs, holding a spear. (800/1,800)

“That was my Golem Sentry,” muttered Sahkyo. “So that battle was a draw.”

“This one won’t be,” continued Yumi. “Dark Paladin, attack Golem Sentry! Fierce slashing wave!”

Dark Paladin made a slash with his weapon, and a blade of black magic shot towards Golem Sentry, smashing it into pebbles.

“I set one card facedown, and end my turn,” said Yumi, as a facedown card appeared.

Sahkyo drew a card.

“First, I set two cards facedown,” she said, as two facedown cards appeared. “Then, I set a new Monster.”

A second facedown Monster appeared.

“Then, I move Exxod to Attack Mode.”

Exxod slowly stood up.

“Why’s she doing that?” shouted Ren. “It has zero Attack Points!”

“Not for long,” replied Sahkyo. “I flip Great Spirit to Attack Mode as well.”

Her other facedown Monster flipped up, and Great Spirit appeared. (500/1,500)

“This activates Exxod’s effect. Whenever an Earth Monster is Flip-Summoned, you lose 1,000 Life Points.”

Exxod’s eyes glowed, and then a blast of pure light shot from them, striking Yumi. Yumi screamed and clutched her chest.

“I also activated Great Spirit’s effect,” continued Sahkyo. “When he’s Flip-Summoned, I can switch the Attack and Defense Scores of an Earth Monster on the field for one round. And that benefit is going to Exxod.”

Great Spirit started to chant in an ancient language, and Exxod glowed. It changed to (4,000/0)

“Good lord…” said Sam.

“Exxod…” ordered Sahkyo, “attack Dark Paladin with monolith smash.”

The Master of the Guard raised its mighty hand…

“I activate a Trap!” shouted Yumi. “A Hero Emerges!”

Her facedown card lifted up. She held the two cards in her hand forward.

“Now, you choose one card, and if it’s a Monster, I get to summon it.”

“If I must choose,” replied Sahkyo, “I choose the left.”

Yumi grinned.

“Come forth, Cosmo Queen!” she shouted.

In a burst of energy, the mighty queen of the galaxy appeared. (2,900/2,450)

“Not bad,” said Sahkyo. “But she won’t save your Paladin…”

Exxod slammed his hand down, smashing Dark Paladin flat. Yumi was thrown off her feet.

(Y: 5,900) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 6,500)

“I activate Great Spirit’s effect to return him to facedown position,” said Sahkyo.

Great Spirit vanished, and reappeared as a facedown card.

“My turn is over, which means Exxod’s scores go back to normal.”

Exxod reverted back to (0/4,000).

Yumi drew a card.

It was Mystical Space Typhoon.

She looked at it. Then she looked at Sahkyo’s two facedown cards.

Exxod is in Attack Mode with zero Attack Points, she thought. Clearly, one of those facedown cards is a Trap that will stop me from attacking it…

But which one?

“I play Mystical Space Typhoon!” she shouted. “And I’ll destroy…”

She paused.

“…THAT card!”

The cyclone tore across the field, and a Trap Card lifted up.

“By destroying my Desert Sunlight, you activated it,” replied Sahkyo. “Exxod now moves to Defense Mode.”

Exxod knelt and shielded himself again.

“That’s not good…” muttered Ren.

“It could have been worse,” said Vita. “Sahkyo clearly intended to trigger Desert Sunlight just as Yumi attacked it, which would have hurt Yumi. But now, she was forced to do so early.”

“Kycoo, attack the facedown Monster on the right!” ordered Yumi.

“I activate my other Trap,” said Sahkyo, calmly.

Her facedown card lifted, showing a picture of Freed the Matchless General sitting at a table looking at a map.

“A Feint Plan,” she said. “Now, you cannot attack my facedown Monsters.”

Yumi sighed. She set her last card on her Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared next to Kycoo.

Sahkyo drew a card.

“I flip both of my Monsters into Attack Mode,” she said. “Great Spirit, and Medusa Worm.”

Her two facedown Monsters flipped up. One was Great Spirit (500/1,500) and the other was a huge, rocky worm covered with spines. (500/600)

“This means Exxod’s effect activates twice.”

Two blasts flashed from Exxod’s eyes and struck Yumi. She screamed again.

“Also, Medusa Worm’s effect activates, destroying one Monster.”

A ray of energy blasted from Medusa Worm, striking Cosmo Queen. She gasped, right before she turned to stone. Then she shattered.

“HEY!” shouted Yumi.

“Next,” continued Sahkyo, “I sacrifice Great Spirit…”

Great Spirit vanished into grains of light.

“To summon Hieracosphinx.”

A new statue appeared. This one had the body of a lion, with the head and the large wings of a great hawk. (2,400/1,200)

“With Hieracosphinx on the field, you aren’t allowed to attack any of my facedown Monsters.

“Now, Hieracosphinx attacks Kycoo.”

Hieracosphinx leapt into the air, and came down on Kycoo, crushing him.

“I activate Medusa Worm’s effect, moving it into facedown position once again,” she said, as Medusa Worm was replaced by a facedown card. “I end my turn.

“Don’t forget, Yumi, since you now control no face-up Spellcasters, your own Field Spell works against you. You can’t use any Spell Cards until you correct that.”

“Don’t remind me…” grumbled Yumi.

(Y: 3,300) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 6,500)

Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“This doesn’t look good, people,” said Chelsea.

“Tell me about it,” said Sam. “Yumi can’t attack Medusa Worm. That means Sahkyo can flip it every round, inflicting 1,000 points of damage to Yumi with Exxod’s effect and destroying one Monster with Medusa Worm’s effect. Not to mention the fact that Yumi still has a Monster with 2,400 Attack Points to deal with, and no cards left in her hand.”

“Don’t give up yet, people,” said Vita. “Yumi has faced worse.”

Yumi drew a card.

“I flip Morphing Jar into Attack Mode,” she said.

Her facedown card flipped, and the laughing, one-eyed creature inside the jar appeared. (700/600)

“Uhm, Yumi…” said Sahkyo, “this may not be the best time to tell you this… But Exxod’s effect activates when any Earth Monster is flipped. Yours included.”

“Huh?” said Yumi.

Then she screamed as she was hit by Exxod’s blast again.

She slowly discarded the one card in her hand, and they both drew five cards.

Yumi looked over the five cards.

“I sacrifice Morphing Jar to summon Chaos Command Magician,” she said.

Morphing Jar vanished, and the chaos mage appeared, brandishing his staff. (2,400/1,900)

“Not bad,” said Sahkyo.

“I’m not done,” continued Yumi. “I play Monster Reborn!”

She played the card, and the ankh appeared on her side of the field. In a flash of light, Dark Magician of Chaos appeared beside Chaos Command Magician. (2,800/2,600)

“When was he in her Graveyard?” asked Ren.

“The card she discarded when she flipped Morphing Jar,” said Vita. “Brilliant.”

“I get a Spell Card back now,” said Yumi.

Pot of Greed slipped out of her discard slot, and she took it.

“Now, I’ll use it.”

She played the card, and the evil jar appeared again. She made two draws.

“Next, I play Premature Burial. Dark Magician, welcome back.”

In another burst of energy, Dark Magician appeared, striking a pose. (2,500/2,100)

“All right!” shouted Yumi. “Dark Magician of Chaos, destroy Hieracosphinx! Scepter strike!”

Dark Magician of Chaos twirled his scepter, and slammed it to the ground. The shockwave blew Hieracosphinx into pebbles that scattered over the whole Secret Village.

“Now for your Medusa Worm,” continued Yumi. “Dark Magician… Dark Magic Attack!”

Dark Magician cast his dark spell, and Medusa Worm was blown into dust.

Sahkyo chuckled.

“Again, not bad,” she said. “But I still have Exxod.”

“I end my turn,” said Yumi.

(Y: 1,500) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 6,500)

Sahkyo drew a card.

“I set a Monster in Defense Mode, and one card facedown,” she said, as a defensive Monster and a reversed card appeared. “It’s your move.”

Yumi drew again.

“Hmm…” she said.

“What hmm?” asked Sahkyo.

“First, I summon Magician’s Valkyria,” she said.

In a flourish, Valkyria appeared. (1,600/1,800)

Then Yumi played another card, and a Spell Card appeared on her side of the field.

“Now I play Hand Control,” she said. “Now, I get to name any Spell Card I can think of, and if that Spell Card is your hand, it’s automatically activated.”

Sahkyo raised an eyebrow.

“I name…” said Yumi. “Shield and Sword.”

Sahkyo’s eyes opened wide.

Shield and Sword appeared on her side of the field, glowing with energy.

“How did you know I had that card?” she asked.

“Call it an educated guess,” replied Yumi. “Almost all of your Monsters are high on defense, I figured you’d have something to make them high on offense.

“And since it was played, the Attack and Defense Scores of all Monsters on the field switch.”

Exxod changed to (4,000/0). Valkyria changed to (1,800/1,600), Chaos Command Magician to (1,900/2,400), Dark Magician to (2,100/2,500) and Dark Magician of Chaos to (2,600/2,800).

“Valkyria, attack Exxod!” shouted Yumi. “Magic Illusion!”

Valkyria cast her spell, striking the Master of the Guard, and the huge statue shuddered. Cracks appeared all over the great monolith. Then, it exploded into rocky shards.

“Dark Magician, attack the last Monster!”

Dark Magician cast his powerful spell at the facedown Monster, and Stone Statue of the Aztecs appeared on the card. It was blown to rubble.

“Now, Chaos Command Magician attacks you directly! Chaos magic!”

Chaos Command Magician fired his blast of multicolored energy, and Sahkyo sweat and strained as it hit her.

“I’m not done with you,” continued Yumi.

Dark Magician of Chaos blasted his even more powerful spell. Sahkyo screamed and was thrown backwards. Yumi’s friends cheered.

(Y: 1,500) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 2,000)

Sahkyo slowly got up.

Her facedown card lifted.

“I activate The Transmigration Prophesy,” she muttered. “Now, I get to take two cards from either Graveyard, and send them back to the owners’ decks.”

Exxod and Pot of Greed slipped out of her discard slot, and she shuffled them back into her own deck.

Yumi looked at the four cards left in her hand. She set one in her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

“It’s your move,” she said.

Sahkyo drew a card.

“Time to truly go on the offensive,” she said. “I’m removing five Rock Monsters in my Graveyard from play…”

Images of Great Spirit, Golem Sentry, Criosphinx, Medusa Worm, and Stone Statue of the Aztecs appeared behind her and vanished into grains of light.

“…to summon the Megarock Dragon!”

In an explosion of dirt and dust, a huge Monster rose next to Sahkyo. It looked like a giant Dragon carved out of unhewn stone, with no facial features and spikes all over.

“Megarock Dragon’s Attack and Defense Scores are each 700 for each Monster I removed from play to summon it.”

(3,500/3,500)

“If this attack hits,” screamed Chelsea, “Yumi loses!”

“Attack Magician’s Valkyria,” ordered Sahkyo.

Megarock Dragon roared, and a volley of razor-sharp stone shards flew towards Valkyria…

“Activate… Draining Shield!” shouted Yumi.

Her facedown card shot up, and the energy dome surrounded her and her Monsters. Energy flowed into her.

Sahkyo grinned, and closed her eyes.

“I set a Monster,” she said, “and also a facedown card.”

A defensive Monster appeared, and a facedown card materialized.

“I end my turn…”

(Y: 5,000) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 2,000)

Yumi drew a card.

Hmm… she thought.

“Trap activate,” said Sahkyo. “Dust Tornado.”

Her facedown card lifted, and a fierce tornado tore through the Secret Village of the Spellcasters. Quickly, the Village was reduced to dust, and the trees faded away, returning them to the forest shrine.

“So much for that edge,” said Erik.

“I’ll just move my Monsters to Defense Mode, and end my turn,” muttered Yumi.

Valkyria, Dark Magician, Dark Magician of Chaos, and Chaos Command Magician all knelt and held their scepters in their laps.

Sahkyo drew a card.

“Megarock Dragon,” she said, “let’s try this again.”

Again, the sharp shards flew towards Magician’s Valkyria. She screamed, and then burst into pixels.

“It’s your move…”

Yumi nervously drew a card.

She grinned.

“First, I summon Gemini Elf!” she exclaimed.

In a burst of energy, the two elf sisters appeared. (1,900/900)

“Then, I play Magical Dimension! I sacrifice them, to summon Dark Magician Girl!”

Gemini Elf vanished, and in a flurry of hearts and flowers, Dark Magician Girl appeared. (2,000/1,700)

“All right!” shouted Ren. “Yumi’s ace card!”

“Now, I use the second effect of Magical Dimension. Say goodbye to your Dragon!”

Dark Magician Girl pointed her staff, and Megarock Dragon exploded into shards of rock.

“I’m not done,” continued Yumi. “I sacrifice Dark Magician and Chaos Command Magician…”

The two Spellcasters vanished. Dark Magician Girl’s Attack Score rose to 2,300.

“To summon Sorcerer of Dark Magic!”

A burning bonfire of dark flames erupted in the center of the field. The most powerful Dark Spellcaster that Yumi possessed rose out of the flames, brandishing his ornate staff. (3,200/2,800)

“Okay…” said Sahkyo. “So you managed to summon someone who’s rather powerful…”

Honestly, this was a Spellcaster that Sahkyo was completely unfamiliar with, but she wasn’t going to come right out and say it. But she was counting on her Monster to repel his attack.

Yumi gestured, and Dark Magician of Chaos moved to Attack Mode.

“Dark Magician Girl, lets finish this!” shouted Yumi. “Attack her Monster! Dark burning attack!”

Dark Magician Girl nodded, and fired her dark blast at the facedown Monster.

Then she screamed, and was thrown backwards.

A large, stone statue was crouched on the card, with bulky limbs, holding a long staff. (100/4,200)

“Forty-two hundred Defense Points?” gasped Yumi. “But… You set it with no sacrifice…”

“Lost Guardian’s Defense Score is equal to 700 times the number of Rock Monsters that have been removed from play,” replied Sahkyo. “I removed five myself to summon that Dragon, and you removed Hieracosphinx from play when you attacked with Dark Magician of Chaos.”

(Y: 3,100) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 2,000)

“It’s my move,” she said, drawing a card.

“I set one card facedown, and a Monster in Defense Mode.”

A facedown card appeared, and then a defensive Monster appeared.

“Then, I move Lost Guardian to Attack Mode…”

Lost Guardian stood up, and held its staff in front of it.

“Then,” continued Sahkyo, “I play my second Shield and Sword.”

She played the card, and all the Monsters on the field glowed. Dark Magician Girl changed to (2,000/2,000), Dark Magician of Chaos changed to (2,600/2,800), Sorcerer of Dark Magic changed to (2,800/3,200), while Lost Guardian changed to (4,200/100)

“Attack Dark Magician Girl!” ordered Sahkyo.

“No…” gasped Yumi.

Lost Guardian swung its staff, and Dark Magician Girl screamed as it hit her, sending her flying backwards like a baseball hit by a bat. Yumi was knocked over as she shattered.

(Y: 900) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 2,000)

“And with that,” said Sahkyo, “I end my turn.”

Yumi snarled as she got up. The Attack and Defense Scores all turned back to normal.

“It’s my move…” she said, drawing a card. “And you’re about to lose…”

“Sorcerer of Dark Magic… Destroy Lost Guardian! Celestial Blast!”

The Sorcerer aimed his staff.

“I activate Desert Sunlight!” shouted Sahkyo, as her facedown card lifted.

Then she was startled, as Sorcerer of Dark Magic lifted his hand, and the Trap Card shattered.

Sorcerer of Dark Magic fired a burning blast of magic from his staff, and Lost Guardian was blown to rocky shards. Sahkyo was thrown off her feet and landed on her rump.

She panted for breath.

“He… he can negate Traps?” she gasped.

Yumi grinned, and nodded.

“Guess you found that out the hard way,” she said.

(Y: 900) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 0)

The remaining Monsters vanished, and Sahkyo slowly got up.

“I guess even spirits of the untamed wild need to study up more,” she said with a chuckle. “It was a glorious duel…”

“So,” said Yumi, “can we go into the shrine now?”

Sahkyo looked at her.

“How soon we forget…” she said.

She took the remains of her deck from her Disk, and shuffled it with the cards in her Graveyard.

Then she took her other deck – the Deck of Freedom – gave it a shuffle, and placed it in her Disk.

“You’ve proven yourself a worthy duelist, Queen of Games,” she said. “Now you must prove the worth of the company you keep.

“Choose, and choose wisely… Whichever of your companions duels now may hold your future in your hands…”

* * * * * * * * * *

According to Daala’s watch, it was eight-forty-five.

It was okay… She’d be there with time to spare.

She and Skull Knight were walking down a dark, cavernous hallway, below her prison, below her vaults, below any place where any member of her army except the most privileged members went.

Eventually, they came to a place in the hallway that was spanned by an archway. It was made of carved stone, and depictions of demons were carved into it, their faces fixed into screams. In the middle of the archway was a swirling portal of darkness.

A sign in front of the portal said, “No humans beyond this point.”

Skull Knight nervously looked at a dark alcove to the side.

“Uhm…” he muttered. “Is she still there?”

“Yes,” said Daala. “And she’s watching our every move. But don’t worry, she won’t hurt us. We still have a deal.”

“I don’t care…” growled Skull Knight. “She gives me the creeps. I still say it’s dangerous to have someone like that around.”

“What are we gonna do?” asked Daala. “I couldn’t make her leave even if I wanted her to.

“Now come on… We can’t be late…”

Skull Knight continued to look at the alcove as they walked past the sign.

He jumped as two glowing eyes peered out of the alcove and looked at him.

He ran through the portal, and Daala shrugged as she entered it.

A low chuckle echoed through the hall as the two of them disappeared into it.

* * * * * * * * * *

Lords of Chaos

The Overwhelming Force of Gogoth, The Great Beast

The common mortal assumes that most powerful beings of Chaos are mindless, destructive forces. Like most stereotypes, it is true with some of them, but not all. As previously documented, many forces of Chaos are actually quite clever. Ironically, this type of chaotic entity is easier to defeat. When facing a force of Chaos that truly is a mindless, destructive force, there’s little one can do except run the other way. Gogoth is an example of one of these beings.

Representing savagery in its purest, most primal form, Gogoth is a titan by any terrestrial standard, standing over a mile high. It resembles a corpulent humanoid with the head of a four-tusked boar, and limbs that end in claws. Maggots the size of buses bore through its great bulk, and it reeks of foul digestive juices and rotting meat. It has a huge maw that it uses to devour anything that fits within (which is to say, nearly anything). Some scholars believe that the Biblical monster called Behemoth may have been based on ancient writings about this demon, but this is merely a conjecture.

Gogoth rules (mostly by default) an Abyssal realm called Duldan, which is populated by giant, demonic versions of common animals, who seek both souls and other animals to devour. Not much edible plant life grows in Duldan, as such species were eaten to extinction millennia ago. All food in Duldan must be hunted – and given the hunger of the realm’s ruler, even the fiercest of hunters might become a meal at a moment’s notice. Fortunately, Gogoth spends most of its time sleeping, stirring forth to feed only a few times a month. The ground shakes violently when it approaches, giving smarter residents time to flee.

Gogoth is a demon lord who was more powerful in less civilized times. Mortal hunters with few scruples or not much understandings of the planar structure sometimes made offerings to it as the patron of wild animals, and bloodthirsty barbarian tribes often worshipped it as the source of nature’s fury. Today, however, man is more civilized, and mortal followers for this bestial demon are few. Not that Gogoth cares much. It is in no danger of dying out so long as it can hunt for its next meal.



Coming up next:

You may remember a while back, I had a poll to determine who would help Yumi when Vita revealed her secret. Well, next chapter, I’ll reveal the winner! And that winner will face Sahkyo and her Deck of Freedom, in order to gain access to the shrine that holds the Testament within. Meanwhile, Daala continues her way to the Core, where her final test awaits. So many things are heating up. “Freedom For All” is coming next.

[Shuppet Master]

This was an interesting duel. I completely forgot about Sahkyo in the beginning. Also, I had a feeling that Daala and Vita were connected. ^_^

I can't wait to read the second part of this two-parter.

[Dark Sage]

Author’s note: In the following we chapter, we assume that the history of Duel Monsters uses the version presented in the anime, not the manga. Thus, the Monsters that Sahkyo uses are unfamiliar to the main characters. If we were using the manga version, then they’d likely be much more recognizable. You’ll see what I mean soon.



I never asked Ren, Chelsea, Sam, or Erik to come to Xanadu with me. Daala only required that I come, and only “invited” them as an afterthought. I was more than prepared to go alone. After all, my own death was never my greatest fear in all the troubles I’ve been in. The thought of one of them dying, or going to a far worse fate, all because of some lunatic’s attempt to get at me, was what really scared me.

But Ren and Chelsea were bound by loyalty to come with me, and insisted. Sam said she wasn’t going to let me hog all the glory. Erik said he’d go wherever Sam went.

Since then, I’ve realized that I couldn’t possibly have gone as far as I have alone. My friends have stood with me this whole time, and have helped me thought this nightmare world where Chaos rules. Time and again, they have made a difference.

Now, I must make a choice…

One of them must help me in this trial before I can gain the Testament.

What do I do? How can I choose?

CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE



Freedom For All

“The choice must be entirely yours,” said Sahkyo. “Your friends cannot influence you on this matter.”

Yumi looked at Ren, Chelsea, Sam, and Erik. They smiled nervously as they looked back at her.

Look at them, thought Yumi. They’d all probably volunteer in an instant if I gave them that choice…

But the choice is clear… This duel has to be won…

“Ren, Chelsea,” she said. “Don’t hate me for this… But Sam is the better duelist. I have to go with her.”

Sam smiled.

“Looks like you aren’t so dumb after all,” she said.

She shuffled her deck.

“Move aside, sister, and let the Consort of Ha Des take care of this.”

“Don’t get cocky, Sam,” warned Vita. “Much is riding on this duel.”

Sam looked at Sahkyo.

“Okay,” she said. “Deck of Freedom, huh? Well, by all means, let’s see it…”

Both Disks activated.

“Time to see if Yumi made the right choice,” said Sahkyo.

“Game on!”

(Sam: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Sahkyo: 8,000)

Sahkyo made her first draw, and added the card to her hand.

“To begin,” she said, “I’ll set a Monster in Defense Mode, and also a reversed card.”

Two facedown cards appeared, perpendicular to each other.

“And that will be all.”

“My move,” said Sam.

She made her first draw.

“I summon The Bistro Butcher!” she shouted.

With a fiendish cackle, the diabolic chef appeared. (1,800/1,000)

“Attack her Monster!” she shouted.

The Butcher ran forward, swinging his cleaver…

…only to have it glace off solid wood. The Monster that appeared on the card crouching in Defense Mode was a ten-foot-tall giant who appeared to be half-human and half-tree, dressed only in a fur loincloth. (1,000/2,000)

“You attacked Elemental Hero Woodsman,” said Sahkyo. “And attacking him is like attacking solid oak.”

“What?” asked Sam. “There’s no Elemental Hero named… Woodsman!”

“Do you doubt your own eyes?” asked Sahkyo. “Is your turn over?”

Sam looked at her hand.

“Yes…” she said, slowly.

(S: 7,800) - - - - - - - - - - (Sk: 8,000)

Sahkyo drew a card, and then quickly played one.

“I summon Elemental Hero Knospe in Attack Mode,” she said.

She played the card, and another strange creature appeared. It looked like a humanoid plant, four feet tall, with buds for arms, a head, and a torso, and stems for legs. It had bright blue eyes, and leaves on its back, providing the illusion of a cape. (600/1,000)

“And what’s he going to do?” asked Sam.

“First of all, Knospe is a she,” replied Sahkyo. “And she may be physically weak, but she has some powerful abilities.”

“Knospe, attack. Pollen powder.”

Knospe pointed her arm bud, and a spray of pollen shot at Sam. Sam started to choke and cough.

“As you can see,” said Sahkyo, “Knospe can attack directly, so long as another Elemental Hero is on the field. And when she does that, she gains 100 Attack Points, although she loses 100 Defense Points.”

Knospe changed to (700/900).

“Also,” continued Sahkyo, “you cannot attack Knospe so long as I have at least one other Elemental Hero on the field, and as you can see, Woodsman is standing strong.”

Everyone except Vita gave Sahkyo a strange look. She simply smiled.

“I end my turn,” she said.

(S: 7,200) - - - - - - - - - - (Sk: 8,000)

“Hold on, Sahkyo!” shouted Sam. “I want answers!”

“Yeah!” added Chelsea. “Who are these guys? You say these are Elemental Heroes, but Jaden never used them in his whole career.”

Sahkyo chuckled.

“These are Heroes of a different variety,” she said. “They are connected to Jaden’s Heroes in a way that defines their origins.

“Don’t you know that superheroes are never born heroes? Heroes are always made. Every story has a beginning, and every hero has an origin.

“Jaden’s Elemental Heroes, whom we like to call the Urban Heroes, were once ordinary people. There were intellectuals who studied the building blocks of creation… The primal materials that made up the universe.

“In other words, the elements.

“But as much as they knew, they needed to know more. Their hunger for knowledge was insatiable. Their quest for such took them deep into to the unspoiled wilderness, where they first met a group of powerful nature spirits…

“The original Elemental Heroes. The Nature Heroes.

“These spirits were interested in the humans’ work, and they decided to take them on as apprentices. For a while, they existed as teachers and students. And when those humans went back to civilization, they had changed. They had become the Urban Heroes. The ones that Jaden was so familiar with.”

“I take it that Wildheart was once a part of the old group,” asked Ren.

“You’re learning,” said Sahkyo with a laugh. “Wildheart was indeed once one of the Nature Heroes, but he left to join the new group to keep an eye on them, and make sure that they would never stray from dogma of the original group.

“Eventually, the Urban Heroes did make the Nature Heroes proud. With some help from the Neo-Spacians, they helped preserve the natural world from the evil pollution of the Light of Ruin.

“So now you know… I believe it is still your turn, Sam.”

Sam drew a card.

“All right,” she said. “I play, Graceful Charity.”

The card appeared, and then glowed. She made three draws.

She looked over her hand, and then discarded Skull Knight #2 and Archfiend Soldier.

“Now, I summon Opticlops.”

She played another card, and glowed with red energy as the muscular, one-eyed ogre appeared. (1,800/1,700)

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

A facedown card appeared.

Sahkyo drew a card.

“I use Woodsman’s effect,” she said, taking her deck out of the holder. “During my Standby Phase, I can take one Polymerization card from either my deck or Graveyard.”

“Wait a minute!” shouted Erik. “You mean these guys can form fusions too?”

“Who do you think taught the Urban Heroes how to do it?” asked Sahkyo with a grin.

She added the Spell Card to her hand.

“But, I don’t think I’ll use it just yet. Instead, I’ll summon Elemental Hero Lady Heat.”

In a burst of flame, a fiery heroine in a flashy, red costume, with long red hair appeared. (1,300/1,000)

“This is crazy,” muttered Ren. “Burstinatrix is supposed to be the only female Hero. It even says so on her card.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if everything we knew about the Elemental Heroes was proven wrong in this duel,” replied Yumi.

“Knospe,” said Sahkyo, “attack Sam directly again.”

Sam cringed as Knospe’s pollen power sprayed onto her again. Knospe changed to (800/800)

“Now I move to my End Phase,” continued Sahkyo. “And Lady Heat’s effect activates, costing you 200 Life Points for each Elemental Hero I have.”

A fireball formed in Lady Heat’s hand, and she hurled it at Sam. Sam hollered as it burned at her skin.

(S: 5,900) - - - - - - - - - - (Sk: 8,000)

“It’s your move…” said Sakyo.

* * * * * * * * * *

At the deepest part of Xanadu that anyone had yet gone, Daala and Skull Knight arrived at a giant set of black, stone doors. Guarding the doors was an intimidating statue carved into them: a six-armed woman with the lower body of a snake, the same demon that had challenged Curran. This was a supposedly a depiction of a marilith, a powerful type of demon known for leading Blood War armies.

Only Daala and a privileged few knew that the statue was a real marilith who served Shogarr. She had agreed to be turned into a statue to serve as a guardian of this sacred place, and would assume her true demonic form to deal with anyone who tried to enter without Daala’s permission.

Daala sighed, and turned to Skull Knight.

“Mulner,” she said, “do you know the purpose of these flames?”

She pointed to the halo of dark fire around her head.

“I was always too polite to ask, milady,” he replied.

“These flames are the Crown of Xanadu,” said Daala. “Whoever wears them is the rightful ruler of Xanadu. I wear them now.

“But when I come out of this place, there is a good chance I won’t be the one wearing them.

“In fact, there is a very good chance that I won’t be coming out at all.

“Thus, this may be my last order to you: Whoever comes out wearing this Crown, if it is not me, serve him as well as you did me. The continued welfare of Xanadu depends on it.”

She turned to the stone doors, and they slowly opened. She walked inside.

Skull Knight was dumbfounded. He walked to an alcove in the wall, and sat down.

* * * * * * * * * *

Okay, thought Sam. Have to take out Knospe quickly, and take out Lady Heat too… Both of them are big problems…

She drew.

She grinned.

“I activate Call of the Haunted!” she exclaimed.

Her facedown card lifted, and a tombstone appeared on her side of the field. Skull Knight #2 crawled out of the ground. (1,000/1,200)

“Now, I sacrifice Skull Knight, to summon Gaap, the Divine Soldier!”

Skull Knight vanished, and the insectoid Fiend with the two huge claws on his shoulders appeared. (2,200/2,000)

“When he’s on the field,” continued Sam, “all Monsters move to Attack Mode.”

Woodsman stood up, and formed a fighting stance.

“All right!” shouted Erik.

“And I use Skull Knight’s effect, to summon another one!” continued Sam.

A second Skull Knight #2 appeared. (1,000/1,200)

“Gaap, attack her Woodsman! Terror claw!”

Gaap lunged at Woodsman, claw first…

“Activate… Hero Barrier!” shouted Sahkyo.

Her facedown card flipped up, and Gaap bounced off an invisible shield.

“This Trap negates one attack, so long as I have at least one Elemental Hero on the field.”

“Yeah?” said Sam. “Well I have three more attacks!

“Opticlops, you get him!”

Opticlops charged at Woodsman horn-first, and the Hero burst into splinters of wood.

“Butcher, take out Lady Heat!”

The Bistro Butcher slashed with his cleaver. Lady Heat screamed, and burst into an explosion of flame.

“I get to draw two cards now,” said Sahkyo, making two draws.

“Skull Knight, attack Knospe!” ordered Sam.

Skull Knight slashed with his sword, and the diminutive Hero shattered.

Sahkyo cringed.

(S: 5,900) - - - - - - - - - - (Sk: 6,500)

“Whoa, Sam’s kicking ass!” laughed Ren.

“That’s what attracted me to her,” chuckled Erik.

Sahkyo took some deep breaths.

“My move…” she said.

She drew a card.

“I play the Spell Card, Oil Drilling.”

She played the card, and the background behind her changed to a scene like an old-fashioned movie scene, showing a group of oil drilling derricks in black and white.

“It was once known as black gold and Texas tea,” she said. “Oil was once one of the great treasures of the Earth, due to its usefulness as fuel.

“And this card lets me recover a Fire-Attribute Monster from my Graveyard.”

The cinema scene faded away, as Lady Heat slipped out of her Graveyard.

“Now,” she continued, “I play Polymerization, to fuse together Lady Heat, and Elemental Hero The Heat.”

Lady Heat appeared on the field, and then a male Hero dressed in a masculine version of her costume appeared next to her. They both turned into pillars of flame, and combined.

“I summon Elemental Hero Inferno.”

In a burst of flames, a Hero garbed completely in fire engine-red armor appeared, with shoulder guards, a helmet, and designs all over that suggested fire. An aura of flames surrounded him. (2,300/1,600)

“As Jaden himself knew,” said Sahkyo, “in this sort of deck, summoning a powerful Monster is rather easy.

“Inferno, attack Gaap with magma storm.”

Inferno put his hands together, and formed a large ball of flame. Then he threw a stream of fire forward, and the Divine Soldier was burned to a crisp.

“Ergh…” muttered Sam.

“I set a card facedown,” continued Sahkyo, “and end my turn.”

A facedown card appeared behind Inferno.

(S: 5,800) - - - - - - - - - - (Sk: 6,500)

Sam drew, and looked at the card.

“I move my Monsters to Defense Mode,” she said.

The Bistro Butcher, Opticlops, and Skull Knight knelt and held their weapons in their laps (except Opticlops, who didn’t have one).

“Then I set a Monster and a facedown card.”

A facedown card and a facedown Monster appeared.

Sakyo drew a card. She nodded, and then added it to her hand.

“Attack her…” she started.

“Go, Shadow Spell!” shouted Sam, as her facedown card lifted.

A mass of chains shot out of the ground, latching onto Inferno’s wrists. His Attack Score fell to 1,600.

“That stopped him,” laughed Sam.

Then she stopped laughing as Sahkyo’s facedown card lifted.

“I activate De-Fusion,” said Sahkyo.

The chains shattered, and Inferno turned to a ball of fire. It split into two balls, and formed into Lady Heat (1,300/1,000) and The Heat (1,600/1,200), both in Attack Mode.

“The Heat has a powerful effect of his own,” said Sahkyo. “He gains 200 Attack Points for every Elemental Hero on my side of the field.”

The Heat burned with fire, and his Attack Score increased to 2,000.

“Lady Heat, attack The Bistro Butcher with cinder shower.”

Lady Heat threw a volley of fireballs, and the Butcher groaned before he shattered.

“Heat, attack Skull Knight with savage wildfire.”

The Heat threw a single ball of flame, and Skull Knight exploded.

“I end my turn,” said Sahkyo, “which means that Lady Heat’s effect activates…”

Sam screamed again as Lady Heat hit her with another fireball.

(S: 5,400) - - - - - - - - - - (Sk: 6,500)

Sam drew a card, and looked at it.

This will cost me a Monster too, she thought, but it’s the only way I can get rid of those two pyromaniacs…

“I flip my facedown Monster into Attack Mode,” she said. “Gil Garth!”

Her facedown card flipped up, and the metal, scimitar-wielding Fiend appeared. (1,800/1,200)

“Go! Attack Lady Heat!”

Gil Garth made a swipe at Lady Heat, and she exploded into a shower of flames.

The Heat’s Attack Score fell to 1,800.

“Opticlops, attack The Heat!”

“Huh?” said Sahkyo.

Opticlops charged at The Heat. They collided, and there was a huge explosion. Both duelists reeled.

When the dust cleared, both Monsters had been obliterated.

Sam placed a card on her Disk.

“I’ll set this in Defense Mode, and then play Silent Doom.”

A facedown Monster appeared. Then the Spell Card appeared, and Opticlops reappeared, kneeling and shielding itself in Defense Mode. (1,800/1,700)

“Then you can go.”

(S: 5,400) - - - - - - - - - - (Sk: 6,000)

“Sam’s not doing half bad,” said Ren, nervously.

“No…” muttered Chelsea, “but Sahkyo is still ahead…”

Sahkyo drew a card.

“I summon Lord Poison,” she said.

She played the card, and a rather disgusting Monster appeared. It looked like a vaguely humanoid creature made out of algae, with spikes protruding from its body. (1,500/1,000)

“Lord Poison…” muttered Erik. “That sounds familiar…”

“Marik used it in the four-way duel in Battle City,” replied Yumi. “But it was destroyed before he could use whatever effect it had.”

“That thing may be ugly,” said Sam, “but it’s no match for Gil Garth.”

“I agree,” said Sahkyo. “Lord Poison, attack Gil Garth.”

Lord Poison flew at Gil Garth.

“HUH?” shouted Sam. “Fight it off, Gil Garth!”

Gil Garth swung his sword, and Lord Poison exploded.

“Why the heck did you do that?” asked Sam.

“Because,” replied Sahkyo, “when Lord Poison is destroyed in battle, I get to Special Summon a Plant-Type Monster from my Graveyard. Except for Lord Poison itself…”

In a burst of energy, Elemental Hero Knospe appeared where Lord Poison had been. (600/1,000)

No wonder Marik never used its effect, thought Yumi. His Graveyard didn’t have any Plants in it at the time.

Since he had Mirror Force to protect it, I’ll wager he was planning to use it as a sacrifice on his next turn…

“You have no other Elemental Heroes on the field!” laughed Sam. “Next turn, it’s curtains for her!”

“Not quite,” replied Sahkyo. “You know how a lot of superheroes have dual identities? Alter egos? That is the case with Knospe. She’s just a disguise used by the true heroine.”

A Spell Card appeared on the field.

“I play Rose Bud. This lets Knospe assume her true form…”

Knospe vanished…

A much taller, far more human-like figure appeared where she had been. It was a young, elf-like maiden, with violet skin and platinum blonde hair, wearing a low-cut dress with trim that was shaped like leaves.

“Meet the spirit of the forest,” said Sahkyo. “Elemental Hero Poison Rose.”

The Elemental Hero knelt down and crouched in Defense Mode. (1,900/2,000)

“Oh-kay…” muttered Sam. “That’s… Interesting…”

“It’s your move…” said Sahkyo.

(S: 5,400) - - - - - - - - - - (Sk: 5,700)

Sam drew a card. It was a Spell Card that she had recently switched from her side deck.

She did a quick check of the field. No, she couldn’t summon Gaap using this. And she didn’t have any other way to defeat Poison Rose.

And she had a feeling that she wasn’t going to like her effect much…

She turned the card on her Disk, and Gil Garth moved to Defense Mode.

“That’s all,” she said.

Sahkyo made a draw.

“I move Poison Rose to Attack Mode,” she said, as Poison Rose stood up.

“Then I Equip her with Fairy Meteor Crush.”

She played the card, and Poison Rose clenched her fists, she glowed with energy.

“Uh oh…” said Sam.

“Attack Gil Garth,” ordered Sahkyo.

Poison Rose’s arms turned to thorny vines, and they shot at the Fiend. Quickly, they constricted him, and crushed him into pixels. Sam started to sweat.

“And whenever Poison Rose deals damage,” continued Sahkyo, “she gains 200 Attack Points, and loses 200 Defense Points.”

Poison Rose’s scores turned to (2,100/1,800).

(S: 4,700) - - - - - - - - - - (Sk: 5,700)

“My move!” shouted Sam.

She drew a card.

Her eyebrow lifted as she looked at the Monster on the card.

Okay, I can summon this guy… she thought. But…

She looked at her facedown Monster.

I think I’ll wait to see if she takes the bait…

“Pass,” she said. “Your move…”


Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:


Sahkyo smiled, and drew a card.

“I summon Elemental Hero Voltic,” she said.

In a burst of sparks, a new Hero appeared. It was probable that this one had some connection to Sparkman. The costume had the same electric theme, in shades of purple, and electricity coursed all over him. (1,000/1,500)

“Poison Rose, attack Opticlops,” ordered Sahkyo.

Rose’s vines shot at Opticlops, and crushed him. Sam cringed again.

“And once again,” said Sahkyo, “Rose’s scores change.”

Rose changed to (2,300/1,600).

“Now, Voltic, destroy her last Monster. Shining surge flash.”

Voltic blasted a bolt of lightning at the facedown Monster…

The Monster that appeared on the card looked like an old oil lamp, perched on four spidery legs. (900/1,400)

“HA!” laughed Sam. “You attacked my Ancient Lamp! Now, I can redirect Voltic’s attack to your other Monster!”

Voltic paused, as he saw Poison Rose’s reflection in Ancient Lamp’s shiny surface. A look of confusion came over his face.

Then he turned, and fired his lightning at Poison Rose. She swatted it aside, and Voltic gasped before shattering into pixels. Sahkyo cringed.

(S: 4,400) - - - - - - - - - - (Sk: 4,400)

“Very sneaky…” she muttered. “That’s all I can do…”

Sam quickly drew a card.

“I play Premature Burial,” she said, placing it in her Disk. “I’ll give up 800 Life Points, to bring Archfiend Soldier to the field.”

She glowed with red energy, and the infernal shocktrooper appeared. (1,900/1,500)

“When was that in her Graveyard?” asked Chelsea.

“I think it was when she played Graceful Charity,” replied Yumi.

“I’m only half-done,” continued Sam. “I use Ancient Lamp’s effect to Special Summon this guy…”

Green smoke poured from Ancient Lamp’s spout. It quickly congealed, forming into La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp. He gave a deep chuckle. (1,800/1,000)

“Now…” continued Sam. “I sacrifice La Jinn and Ancient Lamp…”

Both Monsters shattered into shards of light…

“…to summon Belial, Marquis of Darkness!”

In an inferno of black flames, the powerful form of Belial appeared on the field, holding his flaming claymore. (2,800/2,400)

Poison Rose took a step back nervously.

“Belial…” ordered Sam, “attack Poison Rose with flaming sword of Phlegethos!”

Belial’s sword erupted in fire. He made a slash at the Elemental Hero, and she shrieked before exploding into pixels.

“Archfiend Soldier, attack Sahkyo directly!”

Archfiend Soldier charged, and slammed his sword into Sahkyo. She gasped, and toppled over.

(S: 3,600) - - - - - - - - - - (Sk: 2,000)

“This duel is almost over!” laughed Ren. “The only Elemental Heroes that can beat Belial are Shining Flare Wingman and Electrum!”

I’m not too sure about that, thought Vita. There’s one other Hero that could do the job… The greatest of the Nature Heroes. In the real world, Sahkyo could never have him in her deck… But in Xanadu, anything is possible…

“It’s my move…” groaned Sahkyo, getting up.

She drew a card.

“I play… Fifth Hope,” she said, as a Spell Card appeared on her side of the field. “This card lets me take five Elemental Heroes from my Graveyard, and shuffle them into my deck…”

Knospe, Poison Rose, The Heat, Voltic, and Lady Heat slipped out of her discard slot. She added them to her deck, and reshuffled.

“Then I get to draw twice.”

She made two draws. She looked over her hand.

“Next, I play The Warrior Returning Alive. Now, I get Woodsman back.”

The Spell Card appeared on her side of the field, and Woodsman slipped out of her discard slot.

“Then, I summon Elemental Hero Wildheart.”

Finally, a Hero that everyone recognized appeared. It was the muscular, tattooed barbarian, dressed in a loincloth and carrying a sword. (1,500/1,600)

“Now, another Spell Card,” she said. “Hero’s Bond. Since I have one Elemental Hero on the field, I get to Special Summon two others from my hand that are Level Four or less. So, I’ll summon Elemental Heroes Woodsman and Stratos.”

The next Hero that appeared was one they had seen before. Woodsman appeared on the field, and crouched in Defense Mode. (1,000/2,000) The next one that appeared was dressed in a blue costume with a visored helmet, and metal wings with rotary blades in them, providing lift like some sort of hovercraft. (1,800/300)

“When Stratos is summoned, I get to enact one of two effects. I’m going to use his second effect, which lets me take any Monster from my deck with the word ‘Hero’ in it.”

She took a card from her deck. She looked at Lady Heat.

“Finally, I set two facedown cards, and that will end my turn.”

Two facedown cards appeared.

Sam drew a card quickly.

She looked at it. It was Dark Ruler Ha Des.

I could summon this guy… she thought. But those Trap Cards likely aren’t bluffs… Maybe I’d better save him for later…

“Belial, attack Wildheart!” she shouted.

Belial lifted his sword, and flew at the Hero.

“Activate… Draining Shield!” shouted Sahkyo.

One of her facedown cards lifted up, and Belial’s sword slammed into an invisible shield. Energy flowed into Sahkyo.

“Fine,” muttered Sam. “Archfiend Soldier, you attack him!”

Archfiend Soldier slashed with his blade. Wildheart dropped his sword and collapsed before shattering into pixels.

“I activate… Hero Signal!” exclaimed Sahkyo.

Her other facedown card lifted, and the strange spotlight shot into the forest sky.

“I’ll use its effect to summon Elemental Hero Ocean,” continued Sahkyo.

In a burst of watery bubbles, an aquatic Hero appeared. He was muscular, with blue skin, and a fin on his bald head. He carried a large, two-bladed spear. (1,500/1,200)

Sam sighed.

“I’ll set a Monster, and that will be all,” she said.

A defensive Monster appeared.

(S: 3,600) - - - - - - - - - - (Sk: 4,400)

Sahkyo drew a card.

“I use Woodsman’s effect,” she said, “to recover Polymerization from my Graveyard…”

The Spell Card slipped out of her discard slot.

“Next, I use Ocean’s effect, which lets me recover one Hero from my Graveyard.”

She took Wildheart from her Graveyard as well.

“Next, I summon Lady Heat once again.”

In a burst of fire, Lady Heat appeared. (1,300/1,000)

“Now, the Monster you are about to see is one that few have ever seen. This card is unique on Earth. It was designed as an award for a very big Pro League tournament…

“But thanks to the virtual miracle that is Xanadu, I’ve recreated it. I use Polymerization to fuse Woodsman and Ocean.”

Woodsman and Ocean turned into blue and brown swirls, and combined.

“One Hero of the land, one Hero of the sea… Combined together to form the spirit of the living Earth itself!

“I call forth… Elemental Hero Terra Firma!”

The ground began to shake, and Lady Heat and Stratos stepped aside, as a large form rose out of the ground. At first, it looked like Sahkyo had summoned Neos himself, as impossible as that was. At second glace, however, the Hero that appeared, while of similar majestic style, was of a different design. He seemed to be sculpted entirely out of pure, white stone, and had a glowing ruby on his chest. (2,500/2,000)

“Uhm… Very interesting…” chuckled Sam. “But he still isn’t a match for Belial. After all, Belial is not of this Earth.

“Unless… Unless he has a…”

“Special effect?” replied Sahkyo. “Yes he does, and it’s a powerful one. If I sacrifice another Elemental Hero, he gains Attack Points equal to the sacrificed Hero’s Attack Points.”

“But that means…” said Ren.

“That means Belial is in big trouble!” shouted Chelsea.

“So…” said Sahkyo, “I’ll sacrifice Stratos…”

Stratos vanished into grains of light, and Terra Firma glowed. His Attack Score rose to 4,300.

“Attack Belial!” ordered Sahkyo. “Tectonic smash!”

Terra Firma clenched his fist, and drove it into the ground. The shockwave tore into the Marques of Darkness, blowing him to pieces and throwing Sam to the floor.

“I set one card facedown, and end my turn,” said Sahkyo, as a facedown card appeared, “which means Lady Heat’s effect activates.”

Sam groaned as the flames burned her again. Terra Firma fell down to his base Attack Score of 2,500.

(S: 1,700) - - - - - - - - - - (Sk: 4,400)

Sam slowly got up.

Sam had better be careful, thought Vita. She might try to attack Lady Heat, but it won’t work. I have a pretty good idea what that facedown card is.

It’s a powerful Trap called Terra Firma Gravity. As soon as Sam declares an attack, all of her Monsters that are Level Four or lower will be forced to attack Terra Firma.

Sam quickly drew a card.

She played it, and Pot of Avarice appeared on her side of the field. Skull Knight, Gil Garth, Gaap, The Bistro Butcher, and Ancient Lamp slipped out of her discard slot, and she shuffled them into her deck. She drew twice.

“I flip my second Opticlops into Attack Mode,” she said.

Her facedown Monster flipped up, and Opticlops appeared. (1,800/1,700)

“Next, I play Monster Reborn!”

She played another card, and the holy ankh appeared. La Jinn appeared with another deep laugh. (1,800/1,000)

“Next, I sacrifice La Jinn for Dark Ruler Ha Des!”

La Jinn vanished, and the mighty King of the Underworld appeared with a flash of lightning. (2,450/1,600)

Well, so much for Lady Heat, thought Vita. Ha Des is too high-Level to be affected by that Trap Card.

Unfortunately, when Sam attacks, Archfiend Soldier and Opticlops will be affected by it. That will bring her Life Points down to…

400… This could be bad…

“Now, since Ha Des is on the field,” continued Sam, “I can Special Summon Dark Queen Per Sephone!”

She threw the card on her Disk, and Per Sephone appeared, crouched and ready to strike. (2,200/1,200)

“Now, I use Per Sephone’s effect,” continued Sam. “I toss one card in my hand…”

She discarded her Kuriboh.

“And I get to Special Summon Gil Garth from my deck.”

Gil Garth appeared in a burst of shadowy energy. (1,800/1,200)

I stand corrected, thought Vita. If she attacks, she’ll lose the duel.

“Finally…” said Sam, taking the last card in her hand, “I play The Puppet Magic of Dark Ruler!”

“HUH?” gasped Vita.

“I remove Gil Garth and Opticlops on the field from play…” said Sam, as the two Fiends vanished into ripples of light. “Then, I add up their Levels, and Special Summon a Fiend from my Graveyard whose Level matches.

“Four plus four equals eight… So guess who’s back?”

Belial appeared in a burst of black flames. (2,800/2,400)

Well… thought Vita. Just when I thought I had seen it all…

“Belial, destroy Terra Firma!” shouted Sam.

The Marquis of Darkness made a savage slash with his blade. The huge Elemental Hero shuddered, and then exploded in a flaming, fiery burst.

“Now, Archfiend Soldier, finish Lady Heat for good!”

Archfiend Soldier made a swipe with his own sword, and Lady Heat fell backwards, and shattered for the third time.

“Per Sephone, attack directly!”

Per Sephone flew up and pounced. She grinned as she grabbed hold of Sahkyo…

Then Sahkyo screamed as the lady Fiend slashed with her claws across her stomach.

She clutched her stomach as Per Sephone backed off.

Sam paused, and waited for Sahkyo to look up…

Then she pointed, and the black fire from Ha Des’s Stygian blast hit Sahkyo, causing her to topple over.

(S: 1,700) - - - - - - - - - - (Sk: 0)

“All right!” shouted Ren.

Erik ran up and hugged Sam.

“Nice job, baby!” he shouted, “that was one in a million!”

Sahkyo sighed and got up. She walked over to Yumi.

“You have passed the test…” she said.

She looked at Sam.

“The one you have chosen has passed the test…”

She turned and looked at the shrine behind her.

“I see no reason now why whoever is in there would not…”

Then the whole shrine glowed with eldritch energy. Slowly, the stone doors opened.

A voice came from the inside of the shrine. It was deep and commanding, and impossible to ignore.

“Would Yumi Mouto step inside?” said the voice. “And take care, for this ground is sacred.”

Yumi looked at the others.

“Wish me luck, folks…” she said.

* * * * * * * * * *

Night had fallen on the streets of Domino.

A Harpie’s Brother was a lot less confident now than he was a minute ago. He had Silpheed, Sonic Shooter, and Winged Rhynos on the field, and all of them were boosted by Rising Air Current.

However, his attempt to play Lightning Vortex was foiled by Olga’s Dark Bribe, followed Voltanis the Adjudicator appearing and blowing all three of his Monsters to Kingdom Come.

“I’m not done with you!” shouted Olga. “Voltanis, finish him off with Divine Judgment!”

Harpie’s Brother squawked as the divine light struck him, and his Life Points tumbled to zero.

He collapsed on his back, and vanished into grains of light.

“Olga!” shouted Nicholas, running up to her.

“Where have you been?” asked Olga, annoyed. “I had to deal with a whole flock of bird-brains while you were gone.”

“I was eavesdropping on a police frequency radio,” replied Nicholas. “Apparently, the invasion has started in earnest.

“The police are investigating several apparent abductions. From what witnesses say, several duelists are being attacked by other duelists… Dressed in Duel Monster costumes.

“And the report further says that attempts by police to pursue these assailants have all ended mysteriously. They simply vanish into shadow when chased, and no trace of them is seen again.”

“It’s like what Sheena said,” muttered Olga. “They’re only showing themselves to the ones they choose to… Duelists. And they’re taking prisoner anyone who they defeat…

“Nicholas… How do we stop this? We can’t fight an army!”

“Calm down, Olga, calm down… Let’s see… How does one fight an army…

“Well, in history, one of the best ways to bring an army to a halt is to cut off the supply lines. An army without food and equipment is dead weight. Unfortunately, it isn’t very easy to cut off supplies when they come from another dimension…

“But… One philosopher I read about in school once compared an army to a living organism. In such a metaphor, the brain of this organism is its commanding officer.”

“What are you implying?” asked Olga.

“First,” said Nicholas, “we have to identify who the general is who’s leading this army of Duel Spirits. If we shake up the next Spirits we meet, we may find out. Then…”

He took a deep breath.

“…then I’ll have to confront him, and defeat him. I cut off the head, and the body dies.”

“But Nicholas…” said Olga. “Whoever the general of this army is… He’s probably the best duelist they’ve got…”

Nicholas took another deep breath.

“I know…” he said.



OIL DRILLING (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: An oil refinery, with smoke coming out of its chimneys.

Card Description: Select one FIRE Monster from your Graveyard and add it to your hand.

Note: “Oil Drilling” was first used by Jaden in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” Manga. Creative credit goes to the writers.



Lords of Chaos

A Tale of Triumph: Vepar, Master of Angry Waters

It is not too often that the Wind Dukes can claim complete victory over one of their chaotic foes. The story of Vepar, however, proves that sometimes, Order can indeed triumph over Chaos decisively.

Vepar was once a very powerful demon who ruled an Abyssal realm called Kolopan. He held power over water and sea life, and he learned early on one vital axiom of the mortal world: to get anywhere worth going, one must cross water. In human lands, the mercantile trade is what makes nations powerful, and water travel dominated the trade routes. So, when demons became interested in humanity and he needed to decide on an area of influence, he devoted himself to gaining followers from an aspect of this profession that appealed to his chaotic and evil nature – the slave trade.

He became powerful in those times. Slavers who profited by kidnapping members of “savage” tribes and transporting them across the sea paid him homage, and for centuries, Vepar grew fat on offerings from those who desired favorable winds and stable weather. Members of those primitive races would curse his name for allowing foreigners to subjugate their people, but he thought even less of them than the slavers did. He thought it a grand irony that in many places, the law supported the practice that he represented. He was a force of Chaos who could laugh in the face of the forces of Law.

Vepar had no idea that humanity’s view on the ideal he had chosen to represent would change.

Man became more civilized, and as the years passed, slavery began to be looked down upon. Slavers began to become less respected than they already were, which was really never much to begin with. Most demons rarely care if their followers are liked or not – it’s common for religious groups and other do-gooders to oppose such cults. But demons do become alarmed when whole governments take up arms against their followers. As more and more nations outlawed the practice, there was little Vepar could do to stop the steady decline of his followers, and the very fast decline of offerings in his name.

The Wind Dukes of Aaqa, already disgusted by this practice, helped speed Vepar’s downfall. They subtly aided all abolitionist efforts, and sabotaged any attempt to keep slavery alive. Each time the practice was abolished for good in an area, a wound was dealt directly to the weakening demon prince.

Finally, the Wind Dukes decided to strike, storming Kolopan itself. Vepar’s army was but a shell of what it had once been, and was quickly decimated. Vepar was lucky to escape with his life, fleeing with most of his power gone.

Today, slavery is outlawed in almost every nation, and Vepar will never have the power he once had. There are no longer any mercantile vessels running a slave trade, so where the practice does exist, a demon with power over water is ill-fit to oversee it. He has since worked as a henchman for other demons with power over that element, such as Demogorgon; such positions are demeaning and degrading for one who once had such power, but he has little choice. He exists as a symbol of a fallen force of Chaos, proof that Order can be victorious if pushed in the right direction.



Coming up next:

Yumi confronts the mysterious entity in the shrine that she and Sam worked so hard to gain access to. But that’s just frosting on the double-layer chocolate cake that is next chapter, as Daala confronts her mysterious mentor, for the right to keep the Crown of Xanadu! It’s not going to be easy… Who does one support in a duel like this? More is revealed, and more questions pop up, as a chapter I’m calling “Arise” comes next.

[Shuppet Master]

I'm sorry I'm lacknig in reviews, I've just come from a game developer's conference, so I don't have much to say. It's a good duel, though.

[Dark Sage]

When Xanadu was first established into what it is today, Shogarr granted me the title of its monarch – but he was wary of giving such a responsibility to one so young, who had only recently pledged allegiance to him.

I was queen, but I had to abide by certain conditions. I had to follow the tutelage of a much more experienced master of the dark arts, who would serve as my chief advisor, and who would be exempt from any edicts or laws I formed for the governing of Xanadu.

And eventually, I would have to prove that I was worthy of keeping the Crown, by defeating this mentor in a duel.

Shogarr was quite generous, a trait almost unheard of among demons. He’d allow me a total of six attempts. But if I failed all six, I’d lose my status as queen of Xanadu, and be demoted… All the way down to slave.

My first attempt was three years ago. I failed. I prepared for the second time, only to find that his deck had changed completely. I failed again, and the next three times. His deck changes with each attempt, and becomes harder each time.

I’m at the peak of my strength, but tonight is my final chance. If I lose, my future will be dark and bleak.

I’m still queen of Xanadu… It’s time to see if I truly deserve to call myself by that title…

CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR



Arise

Daala walked into the large, ominous arena, where just last night, she had been with Curran.

She was startled by something that had recently been added. A soulgem had been erected to the side, one which lacked an occupant. The strange part was, it was mounted on an odd tripod that she didn’t know the purpose of.

“Llymic!” she shouted. “Llymic, where are you? I’m here, and I’m on time! Let’s get this over with!”

A dark flame appeared in the center of the room.

A figure stepped out.

It was Chaos Sorcerer.

He pulled a pocket watch out of his robe, and looked at it.

“Five minutes early,” he said. “Not bad…”

“Look, Llymic, you can drop the masquerade,” said Daala. “The disguise doesn’t fool me.”

“Disguise?” asked Chaos Sorcerer. “You know as well as I do, kid, Chaos Sorcerer is my true form now.”

“I don’t care!” shouted Daala. “I want to talk to Llymic, not another Duel Spirit in a loud outfit. I get enough of them as it is.”

“You are a Duel Spirit in a ‘loud outfit’, in case you forgot,” replied Chaos Sorcerer. “You’ve been one for a long time, even though you hide it from everyone.”

“Don’t remind me…” growled Daala. “That is one secret I’ll keep hidden for as long as I’m queen, and unless you want to defy Shogarr’s order, you’ll keep it a secret too. Now, I want to see Llymic, not Chaos Sorcerer.”

“As you wish…” said Chaos Sorcerer.

A dark shadow enveloped him. After a few seconds, he had changed from Chaos Sorcerer to an elderly, but still robust man, with white hair and rough skin the consistency of tanned leather. He was dressed in short, black robes that were held in place by a tight sash.

Daala took the Dark Exemplar out of her pouch.

“I found it,” she said, holding it up. “Along with Dark Simorgh as a bonus. I hope you’re happy.”

“Then let’s see it and the rest of the deck,” said Llymic.

Daala took the deck out of the pouch, and handed it to him. Llymic shuffled the Dark Exemplar into it, and then placed it on an alcove.

“The Dread Council should do its job by the time we’re done here,” he said. “Its old body would be useless in this deck, but they will combine their magic to give it a new one that will work much better. Whether you’ll be able to use the deck or not remains to be seen.”

“Then can we just do this?” asked Daala, with a tone of impatience in her voice.

“No, no, no, take your time!” laughed Llymic. “We don’t have to duel right away…”

He snapped his fingers, and a table and chairs appeared, on which was a pot of coffee and a plate of scones.

“Care for a little repast? After all, this may be the last time we get a chance to talk…”

Daala sighed.

“It’s a little late for coffee…” she said, “but it hardly matters…”

She sat down.

“You might be interested in knowing that the Evil Hero cards you made for Slade were a big flop,” she muttered.

“Ah, well…” sighed Llymic. “Perhaps it’s for the better. Slade is a wild card… He would obviously have challenged you with them eventually.”

“Not that he could have,” replied Daala. “He didn’t know that any prisoners he apprehended are ultimately under my jurisdiction. If he had tried to use that deck against me, I’d have taken the Elemental Heroes away from him at the last minute, and the deck would have been practically dead.”

She looked at the soulgem.

“I suppose that is for me, should I lose?” she asked.

Llymic nodded.

“Yes,” he said, “but you won’t be going to Shogarr. I’ve discovered a new way to use soulgems.

“I think I can draw more power from the Core than we are capable of doing so now, and in turn, increase the powers of anyone who draws energy from it. In effect, I can use a soulgem as an amplifier, and a Duel Spirit imprisoned inside as a battery, so long as it’s powerful enough…”

“My ultimate fate is to become a battery…” muttered Daala, pouring the coffee.

“Ah, cheer up,” said Llymic. “You haven’t lost yet. Tell me…

“Are you still using the F.G.D.?”

“And what if I am?” asked Daala.

“Oh, nothing, nothing much…” muttered Llymic. “It’s just that the card may be more dangerous than you previously believed.

“Ever wonder why the F.G.D. is never seen in any of the Twelve Dimensions?”

“I figure that a Duel Spirit so powerful isn’t allowed to roam free,” replied Daala. “I supposed some great hero, like maybe the Dragon Master Knight, defeated it a long time ago, and either killed it or locked it away somewhere.”

“No, it wasn’t like that at all,” replied Llymic.

He sipped his coffee.

“F.G.D. isn’t actually native to the Twelve Dimensions,” he said ominously. “It’s a Duel Spirit of a completely different type… One from another place…

“It’s quite a story… Listen closely…

“Long ago, in the days of the Shadow Games, a cabal of foolish wizards violated the laws of the universe in their search for power, discovering spaces ‘in-between’ the dimensions that should never have been breached. Their arrogance angered the gods, who jealously coveted this knowledge. Those with such knowledge are often tempted to use it, and do things that man was just not meant to tamper with.

“And the gods’ fears were not unfounded. They did use this knowledge to bring to the world something terrible. Because the gods saw them as enemies, they sought to protect themselves.

“The cabal sought a weapon with which to threaten the gods, one capable of killing deities. They bent their wills towards a quasi-reality best described as ‘perpendicular’ to the universe that humans and Duel Spirits call home. The dark enticement of the chance to slay gods called to the mortal world a sentient singularity of scarcely fathomable power and unrelenting destructiveness.

“It appeared to its summoners as a giant, five-headed dragon, because that was the closest analogy that the mortal mind can assign to this completely alien being. It had no real name, so it was called the F.G.D. by its summoners. The Five God Dragon.

“It sought to anxiously fulfill the terms of the contract it had agreed to, to exterminate the gods, but it was instead imprisoned, sealed away in a block of magical crystal formed by a spell that was researched specifically to hold it. The spell couldn’t hold any other creature any more than a grass hut could. To hold a creature with might like this, they had to design a spell specifically for it.

“In their hubris, those who had summoned the F.G.D. called on the gods that were aligned against them, and revealed only a hint of their weapon’s unbelievable power. They believed that such a display would force the gods to back down. Instead, the deities struck first. What would keep a single member of that insolent cabal from succumbing to madness and releasing the god-killing engine of death? Thus, before the cabal could consolidate their power, they were smote by the gods’ mighty hands, and all traces of them were obliterated from the world.

“The gods who remember that fearful time sometimes speak to their few modern followers of their decision, and it strikes fear into them. They wiped out the foolish mages, but they could not undo what they had done. Thus, they were forced to hide away the doomsday weapon and its prison, and erase all records of the thing’s existence. Nevertheless, the F.G.D. still lives, conscious and awake, immortal and… crushingly bored.

“Whenever a duelist uses the card that bears the image of the F.G.D., it is no mere Duel Monster. It is the avatar of this being, extending its influence, and gaining power from each Monster that its aspect strikes down. With each duel, the duel energy of both its user and the opponent is siphoned to it, and its prison weakens.

“Should the F.G.D. ever escape, it would have three goals.

“It first seeks revenge. It seeks vengeance for being betrayed by those ancient sorcerers who summoned it. It will try to locate any descendents of them or their people, and lay waste to them and their lands. Innocents will die for the crimes of their ancestors.

“Second, once it has sated its thirst for vengeance, it will attempt to carry out the terms of the contract that it agreed to so long ago. Although its summoners didn’t respect their end of the bargain, the F.G.D. possesses a strange sense of honor. It will fulfill its end of the contract by murdering every divine being in existence. Clearly a monumental task, as even opposing one god is difficult, but that is its plan.

“Finally, once it has finished these goals, the F.G.D. will attempt to return to its home reality – if it can. If it is prevented from leaving, whether through a conscious act or because the portal it came through cannot be recreated, it will destroy the universe, one dimension at a time.”

There was a long pause.

“So…” said Daala. “Where exactly did the gods stash it?”

Llymic chuckled.

“I don’t know, kid, it’s just a story!” he replied. “I wouldn’t tell you even if I knew… Only fools and madmen go looking for things that scare the gods.

“But anyway… The moral of this story is, know what you’re doing before using great powers.”

Daala got up.

“Enough beating around the bush!” she shouted. “I just want to duel you, and get this done with!”

Llymic’s eyes narrowed.

“Oh, yes, I see we are very serious…” he said, getting up. “Well, I’m serious too… I constructed a special deck specifically for this occasion… And the important cards in it are so powerful, they’ll only last for this one duel. Once it’s over, they’ll be nothing but dust…

“I’ve taught you everything I can, kid… Consider this your final test…”

* * * * * * * * * *

Yumi was dumbfounded.

The shrine was much bigger on the inside than it was on the outside. She was right now wandering down a hallway that seemed to be made entirely out of green crystal. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she was Dorothy, entering the throne room of the Wizard of Oz for the first time.

“Come closer,” said the commanding voice she had heard from the outside.

Yumi shivered. She cautiously walked towards a large archway, that led inside a large chamber.

She stood back in fright.

Standing in front of her was a huge creature that stood fifteen feet tall. Its whole body seemed to be made of pale green cloth parchment, put together in the shape of a feminine body. Behind the huge Duel Spirit was a ring of magical energy, covered with runes. The creature exuded an aura of pure power.

Yumi didn’t know what to say. Fortunately, the Spirit spoke first, not moving its lips, but apparently speaking in a telepathic voice.

“Welcome, Queen of Games,” it said. “I am the voice of Boccob, Archmage of the Deities, for words from his own mouth hold secrets that cannot be told. In these Dimensions, I was known as Testament of the Arcane Lords…”

Yumi stared at the huge Monster.

“Whoa…” she said.

* * * * * * * * * *

Daala and her mentor, the odd, elderly man who called himself Llymic looked at each other. Their two Disks activated.

“I’m warning you, kid,” he said, “I don’t intend to hold anything back.”

“Neither do I,” replied Daala.

“Game on!”

(Daala: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Llymic: 8,000)

“Age before beauty, I always say,” said Llymic, drawing his first card.

He looked over his opening hand.

“I summon Archfiend Soldier.”

In a burst of energy, the infernal infantryman appeared, holding his sword. (1,900/1,500)

“And I’ll leave it at that…” he said.

He’s toying with me, thought Daala. There’s got to be more to his deck than some vanilla beatstick Fiend.

Well, fine… I’ll start slow too…

“I’ll set a Monster in Defense Mode,” she said, as a facedown Monster appeared on her side of the field. “And I end MY turn.”

“Well,” chuckled Llymic, making a draw, “you aren’t going to get anywhere if you do nothing but defend…

“I’ll also set a Monster in Defense Mode…”

A facedown Monster appeared on his side of the field.

“Then I attack with Archfiend Soldier!”

Archfiend Soldier flew at the facedown card, and Sangan appeared on it. He made one slash, and it was cut in half.

“Thank you,” said Daala.

She took a card out of her deck.

You were a little too big for your britches, Lord of Dragons, she thought, looking at it, but you can still serve me in this aspect.

“I end my turn,” said Llymic, with a grin.

Daala made a draw.

She smiled.

“I play Polymerization!” she shouted. “I’ll fuse together Lord of Dragons, and Divine Dragon Ragnarok…”

The two Monsters appeared on the field, and swirled into a dark blur…

In a burst of dark energy, King Dragun appeared on the field. (2,400/1,100)

“When King Dragun is on the field, I get to Special Summon a Dragon every round. So I’ll summon Prime Material Dragon!”

In a flash of light, the large Dragon that looked like a plant sculpted into a Dragon’s shape appeared next to King Dragun. (2,400/2,000)

“Next, I Normal Summon Mirage Dragon.”

She played another card, and the wispy, transparent Dragon made of light appeared. (1,600/200)

“All right!” she laughed. “Mirage Dragon, attack his facedown Monster! Spectrum blast!”

Mirage Dragon fired a beam of multicolored light from its jaws. Morphing Jar appeared on the card, and cackled before being blown to pieces.

Daala chuckled. She couldn’t have hoped for better. She had used every card in her hand but two in that last move.

She discarded them, and Llymic discarded the five cards in his hand. Both of them made five draws.

“I’m not done!” she shouted. “King Dragun, attack Archfiend Soldier with Twilight Burn!”

King Dragun blasted a bolt of flames from his scepter, and the Fiend exploded into a burst of ashes.

“Prime Material Dragon, attack Llymic directly!”

Prime Material Dragon breathed a blast of pure, burning light, hitting Llymic and exploding on impact. Llymic groaned.

And then he laughed.

“Bravo,” he chuckled. “You managed to pull off a pretty decent combo… Clearly, I managed to teach you something…”

“I will beat you this time, old man,” growled Daala. “Just wait…”

Llymic’s eyes narrowed.

“That remains to be seen,” he said. “Anything else?”

Daala looked at her hand.

“It’s your move…” she said.

(D: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 5,100)

Llymic drew a card.

“I play Dual Gate,” he said, as a Spell Card appeared. “Now, by removing this card and a second Dual Gate in my Graveyard from play, I get to draw twice.”

The card vanished, and he made two draws. He looked at them.

“Next,” he said, “I play a Spell Card called Triangle Force.”

A Continuous Spell Card appeared on his side of the field. It bore the image of the three Magnet Warriors, Alpha, Beta, and Gamma, flying forward.

“When this Continuous Spell Card is played, I can activate two more from my deck.”

Two more copies of Triangle Force appeared. Daala raised an eyebrow.

Llymic’s face turned into a wicked grin.

“Now…” he said. “I sacrifice these three Spell Cards…”

The three Triangle Force cards turned to ice, and then shattered. The arena started to darken.

Sacrificing three Spell Cards? thought Daala. What is he…

A titanic, dark form started to rise behind Llymic…

No! thought Daala. There’s only one Monster that’s summoned like this… But that’s impossible… He couldn’t have… He wouldn’t…

But as Daala watched, and the creature came into view, it was obvious that he could, he would, and he clearly did. It was a giant, winged demon, with a scaly golden hide and wings, gaunt and skeletal. Overall, it looked like a corrupted, evil version of the Winged Dragon of Ra. (4,000/4,000)

“You managed to duplicate Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder?” gasped Daala.

“And that’s not all,” said Llymic. “But it’ll do for now.

“Hamon, attack King Dragun with Cerulean Skyfire!”

Lightning flashed, and a volley of pale, blue lightning bolts shot at King Dragun, blowing him to ashes. Daala cringed.

“And, due to Hamon’s effect,” continued Llymic. “Whenever it crushes a Monster, you lose 1,000 Life Points.”

Daala screamed as she shocked by another blast of electricity.

“I’ll set a new Monster in Defense Mode,” said Llymic, as a facedown Monster appeared, “and then play the Field Spell, Fallen Paradise.”

He placed a card in his Field slot, and the dark arena faded away. It was replaced by a blasted, burned wasteland, full of dead, twisted trees, under an overcast sky.

“It’s your move,” he said.

(D: 5,400) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 5,100)

Daala sweat as she drew a card.

Mirage Dragon and Prime Material Dragon curled up in Defense Mode, and then a new Monster appeared in Defense Mode.

“That’s all I can do…” she muttered.

“Then I draw,” said Llymic, drawing a card, “and due to the effect of my Field Spell, I can draw two times during my Standby Phase, so long as I control at least one Sacred Beast.”

He made an additional two draws.

He looked at the three new cards.

“I throw down a few facedown cards…” he said.

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

“Then I attack with Hamon!”

Hamon’s Skyfire shot at Prime Material Dragon, and it was fried to a crisp. Daala cringed as she was shocked by lightning again.

“And once again, you lose 1,000 Life Points…”

Daala bowed her head, as smoke poured from her body.

(D: 4,400) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 5,100)

“My move…” she muttered.

She drew a card.

Damn! she thought. You can never get Heavy Storm when you need it.

She paused.

What am I saying? Even I was able to destroy his facedown cards, what then? They wouldn’t help me get rid of Hamon…

“I can’t do anything…” she muttered. “I pass…”

Llymic smiled evilly, and drew a card.

“I draw two more times due to Fallen Paradise,” he said, making two more draws.

“Then I flip Dark Mimic LV1 into Attack Mode.”

His facedown Monster flipped up, and the fiendish treasure chest appeared. (100/1,000)

He made another draw.

“Next, I activate Call of the Haunted. I’ll bring back Archfiend Soldier.”

One of his facedown cards lifted, and with a glow of shadowy energy, Archfiend Soldier appeared again. (1,900/1,500)

“Next, another Trap,” he continued, as another facedown card lifted. “Metal Reflect Slime. This card is both a Trap and a Monster.”

A morass of silvery slime appeared on his side of the field. It formed into a semi-humanoid, hulking shape, and crouched in Defense Mode. (0/3,000)

“Continuing,” he said, as a third Trap Card lifted, “I activate DNA Surgery. Now, I can change every Monster on the field to any Type I desire. I choose Fiend Type.”

The change that this card caused was minimal. Two of Llymic’s Monsters were already Fiends, one was a formless mass of protoplasm, and as for Hamon, it was impossible for it to look even more like a Fiend. Daala’s Mirage Dragon acquired glowing eyes and more pronounced claws, but that was about it.

“Now,” said Llymic, taking another card from his hand, “since I changed my Slime’s Type to Fiend, I can sacrifice it, along with Dark Mimic and Archfiend Soldier…”

He’s kidding! thought Daala.

The three Monsters erupted in dark flames, and then vanished. A second titanic form rose on Llymic’s side of the field. It was huge and humanoid, with blue skin, fiendish wings, claws, and a muscular frame. It looked like a sinister version of Obelisk the Tormentor. (4,000/4,000)

First he summons Hamon, then he summons Raviel too? thought Daala. Could he possibly…

“I’m not done…” said Llymic.

His last facedown card lifted.

“I activate The Eye of Truth. This lets me look at the cards in your hand.”

The images of six cards appeared above Daala. They were Premature Burial, Tyrant Dragon, Graverobber, Van’Dalgyon the Dark Dragon Lord, Call of the Haunted, and Kuriboh.

“Graverobber?” laughed Llymic. “You actually use that outdated card?”

“I have my reasons,” replied Daala. “And your Trap Card will grant me 1,000 Life Points per turn.”

“No it won’t, because I’m getting rid of it,” replied Llymic. “I sacrifice my three Trap Cards…”

The Eye of Truth, Call of the Haunted, and DNA Surgery burst into fire…

“I summon Uria, Lord of Searing Flames!”

In an inferno, the last of the three demons appeared. I was a giant, red-scaled, serpentine creature with huge wings, resembling an evil version of Slifer the Sky Dragon.

“Well, well…” muttered Daala. “The gang’s all here…”

“As you no doubt know,” replied Llymic, “Uria’s Attack Score is 1,000 for each Continuous Trap Card in my Graveyard. And I have four of them there – Metal Reflect Slime, The Eye of Truth, Call of the Haunted, and DNA Surgery.”

(4,000/0)

“Peachy…” said Daala.

* * * * * * * * * *

Yumi was at a loss for words.

“So…” she said. “You serve the god of magic?”

The Testament nodded.

“The Uncaring is most often content with one goal,” it said. “The accumulation of knowledge and its use towards the betterment of humanity.

“But he also knows that all things in the universe must remain in moderation.

“Good, Evil, Law, Chaos, Light, Darkness… Each one must never become too strong so that it becomes dominant. Long ago, when the Queen of Chaos threatened to flood the universe with her creed, he gave the Vaati the knowledge to craft the Rod of Seven Parts, the weapon that could defeat her.

“My lord tries to remain neutral in all matters, even though Chaos and Evil are the ones who most often try to overwhelm the other forces. Just as Shogarr is trying to do now.”

“So…” muttered Yumi. “How can you help me?”

“By offering my services until Shogarr is defeated,” said the Testament.

The Testament of the Arcane Lords started to glow with an eldritch light. Then it slowly started to vanish, disappearing into motes of energy.

A Duel Monsters card appeared in the air, and floated towards Yumi. She slowly reached out and took it.

It was a card that depicted the Testament itself. It was a Level Ten Light-Attribute Spellcaster with 3,000 Attack and Defense Points.

Yumi read the effect text.

“Wait a minute!” she said. “This effect is only good in a situation where the two-out-of-three match rules are used! That rule isn’t used in Xanadu.”

“Keep this card in your Side Deck then,” said the voice of the Testament. “But keep it with you, for I can help you eventually.

“Here’s a card that will be of more use immediately. Take it as well.”

Another card appeared in front of Yumi. She slowly reached for it and took it.

“A Fusion Monster?” she asked.

“I believe you have the necessary cards to summon her,” said the Testament. “She is a Spellcaster who reflects my master’s philosophy in earnest.

“Now, the time has come to plan and prepare. At midnight, Joan’s portal will be ready, and her patron will arrive…”

* * * * * * * * * *

“Any questions?” asked Llymic.

“Only the freakin’ obvious!” replied Daala. “How the HECK did you manage to duplicate the Sacred Beasts?! I can’t even duplicate the Destiny Heroes!”

Llymic chuckled.

“Well, I’ll gladly tell you,” he said.

“Before we met, I was but an average practitioner of the dark arts. But when we discovered the means of creating Xanadu by combining magic with technology, that changed. It changed a great deal.

“Any expert on computers will tell you that computers are more efficient at doing things than humans. They can do things faster, and can do more tasks at once. I simply had to apply this fact to my ability to work magic.

“The first step was the hardest. I had to translate all my spellbooks onto a database. Since they were all handwritten, and in ancient languages, it took a great deal of time, a lot of typing, and a little patience. But it paid off.

“Once my spells, rituals, and incantations were all stored in a hard drive, all it took was the right series of programs, slightly modified with the use of the right hardware, and the benefits of the computer age were applied to the powers of eldritch wizardry! I could cast dozens of spells at once. Rituals that formerly took a day to complete now only took minutes. I became a true master of dark arts using technology.”

“Lovely…” replied Daala. “A regular Technomage…”

“Eh?” asked Llymic.

“Oh, it’s from an old TV show…” muttered Daala.

“Whatever,” said Llymic. “Using this power, I drew upon the chaotic magic of the Abyss, combined it with virtual technology, and after several failed attempts, was indeed able to duplicate the Sacred Beasts.

“Sadly, as I said, even this had limits. These cards will only be good for one duel. Once this duel is over, they’ll crumble into dust.

“But enough about that… Let’s continue…

“Hamon, attack Mirage Dragon! Cerulean Skyfire!”

Hamon blasted its lightning bolts, and Mirage Dragon exploded.

Daala screamed as lightning struck her again.

(D: 3,400) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 5,100)

“Well?” he asked. “Aren’t you going to anything to stop me?”

He paused.

“Fine… I guess this story won’t have a happy ending…

“Uria, destroy her last Monster with Hyper Blaze!”

Uria shot a powerful blast of burning death at the facedown Monster. Masked Dragon appeared on the card, and was burned to a cinder.

“I use Masked Dragon’s effect!” shouted Daala. “I summon a second Masked Dragon in Defense Mode!”

Another Masked Dragon appeared. (1,400/1,100)

“Well,” said Llymic. “I guess you still have some fight in you. Raviel, attack with Shivering Scraper!”

The Lord of Phantasms lunged forward, and crushed Masked Dragon with its mighty claw.

“I use Masked Dragon’s effect again,” said Daala, “to summon Decoy Dragon.”

In a small burst of fire, a cute, baby Dragon appeared, shielding itself in Defense Mode. (300/200)

“You’re going to stand up to my titans with that pipsqueak?” asked Llymic.

“I am,” replied Daala. “Let me explain how Decoy Dragon works.

“If you attack it, I can Special Summon a Level Seven or higher Dragon from my Graveyard, such as King Dragun, and switch your target to that Monster. And there’s no limit the number of times per round that I can do it. So your Sacred Beasts will never get to me.”

Llymic looked at her.

“I end my turn,” he said.



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



Daala drew a card.

“I toss down two facedown cards, and end my turn,” she said.

Two facedown cards appeared.

“I draw,” said Llymic, drawing a card.

“Now I activate Uria’s effect. Once per round, it can destroy one facedown card.”

Uria spit a ball of flames. The facedown card to Daala’s left exploded into fire.

“Call of the Haunted?” asked Llymic. “As if that would have helped.

“Now, I draw twice more due to Fallen Paradise…”

He made two draws.

He could deck himself out if this keeps up, thought Daala.

“Your plan has a fatal flaw, by the way,” said Llymic. “You may force me to attack the same Monster over and over again, but you obviously forget, each time Hamon attacks it, you lose 1,000 Life Points. You’ll lose in four rounds unless you manage to do something.

“But seeing as you may well find a way to do something before then, I’m going to destroy your Decoy Dragon now. I play Fissure.”

A Spell Card appeared.

“This destroys your Monster with the lowest Attack Score, and since you only have one Monster…”

“I don’t think so,” interrupted Daala. “Call of the Haunted was a decoy too. Now I can activate this!”

Her other facedown card flipped up.

“Dark Bribe,” she said. “Now, you get to draw a card, but my Dragon is safe.”

The Spell Card shattered. Llymic frowned, and made a draw.

“And that’s not all,” she continued. “Since I just activated a Counter Trap, I get to Special Summon this guy. Meet Van’Dalgyon the Dark Dragon Lord.”

In a burst of darkness, a large Monster that appeared to be half Dragon and half Fiend appeared next to Decoy Dragon. He was humanoid, and had black, plate-like armor, draconic wings, and a demonic face. He knelt and shielded himself in Defense Mode. (2,800/2,500)

“Also,” continued Daala, “Van’Dalgyon has three effects. Which one I get to use depends on what type of card I countered when I summoned him. Since Fissure is a Spell Card, you lose 1,500 Life Points.”

Van’Dalgyon’s eyes glowed with fiery light, and Llymic groaned in pain.

“It’s still my move,” he said, sounding annoyed. “Hamon, attack Decoy Dragon.”

Hamon’s lightning flashed, thundering towards the small Dragon. As Daala promised, King Dragun appeared in front of it, curled up in Defense Mode. The bolt struck him, and he was incinerated.

Daala groaned as she was shocked again.

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

A facedown card appeared.

Huh? thought Daala. Why did he spare Van’Dalgyon?

(D: 2,400) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 3,600)

She drew a card.

I’ve almost got all I need to take these things down, she thought. I just have to hang on, and hope I get what I need next round.

“I pass this turn,” she said.

Llymic drew.

“I won’t use the effect of Fallen Paradise this round,” he said. “But I will activate this…”

His facedown card lifted.

“Gift of the Mystical Elf. Now I gain 300 Life Points for each Monster on the field. And I count five.”

So that’s why, thought Daala.

“Now, onto business,” continued Llymic. “Uria, destroy Van’Dalgyon!”

The Lord of Searing Flames blasted its Hyper Blaze, and the Dark Dragon Lord was incinerated.

“Hamon, attack Decoy Dragon!”

The Lord of Striking Thunder blasted its Cerulean Skyfire, and once again, King Dragun appeared to block the blast. He was blown to pieces, and Daala cringed as she was shocked again.

(D: 1,400) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 5,100)

“I end my turn. It’s almost over, Daala.”

Daala drew another card.

“Only for your three freaks, Llymic!” she said with a laugh.

She played a card.

“I play Premature Burial! I’ll drop 800 points to summon a Monster from my Graveyard.”

She glowed with red energy, and The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave appeared on her side of the field. (1,300/2,000)

“Now, I sacrifice both my Monsters…”

Decoy Dragon and The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave vanished into grains of light.

“…to summon Tyrant Dragon!”

In a mighty burst of flames, the huge Fire Dragon appeared. It roared. (2,900/2,500)

“I activate Raviel’s effect,” said Llymic. “When you Normal Summon a Monster, I get a Phantasm Token.”

Raviel glowed with dark energy, and a Monster that looked like a miniature version of itself appeared in front of it, kneeling in Defense Mode. (1,000/1,000)

“Not gonna matter in a few minutes,” said Daala, holding a Spell Card up. “I play Dragon’s Gunfire. Now, since I have a Dragon on the field, I can destroy a Monster with 800 Defense Points or less.

“Guess what, Llymic? Uria may have an overwhelming Attack Score…”

“But its Defense Score is zero…” gasped Llymic, as his eyes opened wide.

A stream of fire blasted from Tyrant Dragon’s jowls, and Uria howled in an unholy voice. It exploded into a blast of fiery embers.

“I still have two other Sacred Beasts!” replied Llymic.

“Not for long,” said Daala. “I Equip Tyrant Dragon with Megamorph!”

She played the card, and Tyrant Dragon glowed with pure energy. (5,800/2,500)

Llymic gulped.

“Tyrant Dragon,” ordered Daala, “destroy Hamon with imperial inferno!”

Tyrant Dragon blasted a stream of flames just as intense as Uria’s, and Hamon screamed in agony. It exploded, sending a shower of sparks all over the Fallen Paradise.

“Boy, that was therapeutic,” sighed Daala. “Now I use Tyrant Dragon’s effect, which lets it attack a second Monster.

“Destroy Raviel!”

Tyrant Dragon breathed its inferno again, and the Lord of Phantasms screamed before exploding into a shower of blue rocks.

Llymic cringed.

(D: 600) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 1,500)

Then Llymic started to chuckle. The chuckle turned into a laugh.

“Well done, kid!” he laughed. “You wiped out all three of them in one turn! Heck, not even Jaden was able to do that!”

Daala looked at him.

“Make your move,” she said with a sneer.

“Oh, I will,” he said. “And now the true test begins…”

“Huh?” said Daala.

* * * * * * * * * *

Yumi walked out of the shrine, to find her friends waiting with Vita. Sahkyo, however, was gone.

“Where’s our host?” she asked.

“We don’t know,” replied Sam, sounding somewhat annoyed. “We just turned our backs, and the next time we looked, she had disappeared.”

“Maybe she turned into a wolf and ran into the forest,” said Ren.

“You watch way too many movies, Ren,” replied Chelsea.

Vita sighed, and walked up to Yumi.

“Yumi, I must leave you as well for now,” she said. “I guarantee that we will meet again before this is over. For when that happens, I have something that you might need to use.”

She handed Yumi a card. Yumi looked at it.

“Offerings to the Doomed?” she asked.

“A magical card,” replied Vita. “I’ve spent years working on it. It can actually kill a Duel Spirit. Or rather, it can kill one specific Duel Spirit.

“Me.”

“WHAT?” exclaimed Yumi.

“I believe that if Daala saw her other self die,” continued Vita, “the shock to her would be so great, that if it didn’t kill her, she would be weakened enough that she could be subdued and captured easily. So, if I’m with you when you finally confront her…”

“We use this as a last resort measure…” muttered Yumi.

“Exactly,” said Vita. “For now, I wish you the best of luck.

“You’d best get back to Joan. I fear that the energies of the Core have grown stronger as we have spent time here.”

“Agreed,” said Chelsea, nervously.

As Vita ran off, Erik looked out into the forest.

“Uh, Yumi?” he said. “Which way did we come in?”

* * * * * * * * * *

Llymic made one draw.

“I sacrifice my Token…” he said.

The Phantasm Token vanished.

“…to summon my Dark Summing Beast.”

In a burst of dark fire, a new Fiend appeared. It was about ten feet tall, and rather stereotypical for a Fiend, with wings, horns, claws, and black scales. (0/0)

“Huh?” said Daala.

“Now, I activate its effect,” continued Llymic. “By sacrificing it, I can Special Summon three specific Monsters from my Graveyard, disregarding their summoning conditions.”

Dark Summoning Beast vanished.

“Give you one guess who they are…”

Balls of red, yellow, and blue flame flew around the arena. With three angry roars, Uria (4,000/0), Hamon (4,000/4,000), and Raviel (4,000/4,000) appeared again. Daala stepped back in shock.

“Of course,” said Llymic, “they can’t attack on the round that I summon them this way.”

“Then I win!” shouted Daala. “My Tyrant Dragon still has 5,800 Attack Points, and one attack against any one of them, and this duel is over!”

“You’re dead wrong,” said Llymic.

Then all three of the Sacred Beasts erupted into black flames, and vanished into nothing. A fierce wind started to blow through the arena.

“I know,” said Llymic. “You’re thinking, is he crazy? Removing from play three of the most powerful Monsters in the game? Well, I simply did it to summon something even better…

“From the lowest layer of the Abyss, comes the embodiment of madness! Arise…

“Armitael, Phantasm of Chaos!”

The creature that appeared, all thirty feet tall of it, was hard to describe. Whoever or whatever had designed this thing had clearly not followed whatever rules had been set for the body structures of sentient beings. And perhaps, that was the whole point. One might say that it was a combination of all three Sacred Beasts, but that was applying a simple explanation to a Monster that was impossible to describe in any simple terms.

It bellowed a roar that conveyed both rage and insanity at the same time, which shook the whole arena, and shook Daala, filling her with panic. (0/0)

“Zero attack points?” she gasped.

“True,” said Llymic. “But during my first Main Phase, they gain a little boost.”

The giant Fiend glowed with intense energy. (10,000/0)

“Ten-thousand…” gasped Daala.

“Armitael…” ordered Llymic, “attack Tyrant Dragon with Transmigration Wave!”

The colossus put its hands together, and a giant black and lavender orb formed in them.

Daala was so terrified, she forgot at the moment that she had a card in her hand that could save her. Finally, at the last second, she snapped out of it. As the attack struck, blowing Tyrant Dragon to vapor, she threw it into her discard slot.

“Hmm…” said Llymic.

He looked to see Daala gasping for breath, surrounded by a swarm of Kuribohs.

Llymic burst out laughing.

“Not bad, kid!” he laughed. “You know that a little Kuriboh can absorb the damage from the mightiest attack. However, you can only have so many Kuribohs, while my Monster is Chaos incarnate!

“I’ll set one card facedown, and that will end my turn.”

A facedown card appeared, and Armitael’s Attack Score fell down to zero.

It’s Attack Score is zero again, thought Daala. Now’s my chance…

She drew a card. It was Monster Reborn.

That’s the ticket, she thought.

“I set one card facedown,” she said, as a facedown card appeared. “Then, I play Monster Reborn!”

The holy ankh appeared on the field, and then Prime Material Dragon appeared in front of her. (2,400/2,000)

“That won’t work, kid,” said Llymic. “Armitael also can’t be destroyed in battle.”

“True,” said Daala, “but you’ll still take damage when I attack.”

“Aw, crap…” muttered Llymic. “You’re right…”

“Prime Material Dragon…” shouted Daala, “attack the Phantasm of Chaos!”

Armitael roared, as the Dragon blasted its beam of pure light at it…

“You triggered my Trap!” shouted Llymic, as his facedown card lifted. “Hallowed Life Barrier. Now, I just have to discard one card, and the damage to me is reduced to zero!”

He discarded a second Archfiend Soldier.

“In that case,” said Daala, “I end my turn.”

Llymic drew a card. It was his own Monster Reborn.

“I activate my own Trap!” exclaimed Daala.

Her facedown card lifted. A grinning, giggling gremlin with a pick in its hands and a shovel and a tombstone strapped to its back appeared in front of Daala.

“Wha?” said Llymic. “Your Graverobber card?”

“That’s right!” laughed Daala. “And he’s gonna snag a Spell Card from your Graveyard!”

A card appeared in the Graverobber’s hands. It was Fissure.

“Now,” said Daala, “I’m gonna use it, and take down triple-ugly up there!”

The ground erupted in an intense earthquake, and Armitael roared in agony. Burning sparks flew all over its immense hide. Then, it exploded into black shards.

“You may have destroyed Armitael,” laughed Llymic, “but you lost the duel. You made a foolish mistake. Graverobber requires you to pay 2,000 Life Points if you actually use the Spell Card, and that’s more than you have!”

“Think again,” said Daala. “The 2,000 Life Points you lose isn’t a payment. It’s effect damage.”

“So?” asked Llymic.

“Remember him?” asked Daala, pointing to Prime Material Dragon. “He has a powerful effect of his own. While he’s on the field, all effect damage to me is negated, and I gain whatever Life Points I would have lost.”

She started to glow with golden energy.

“Now does it make sense why I have that outdated card? By combining it with Prime Material Dragon, I gain 2,000 Life Points instead of losing them.”

(D: 2,600) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 1,500)

Llymic looked at her.

Then he smirked.

“I’ll admit, that’s very clever,” he said. “But I won’t give up…”

He played a Spell Card.

“This card worked for you. I play my own Monster Reborn. And since you robbed my Graveyard, I’ll return the favor.”

In a flash of light, Van’Dalgyon the Dark Dragon Lord appeared in front of him. (2,800/2,500)

“Then, I summon Slate Warrior.”

He played the card, and the blocky, alien-looking Fiend appeared. (1,900/400)

“Van’Dalgyon, destroy her Prime Material Dragon with dark dragonfire!”

Van’Dalgyon formed an orb of black flames in his hands, and threw it forward, blowing the smaller Dragon to shards.

“Slate Warrior, attack directly!”

Slate Warrior shot a blast of green energy from its staff, and Daala groaned in pain.

(D: 300) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 1,500)

“Well, kid,” said Llymic. “You have no cards on the field… None in your hand… And only 300 Life Points left. What will you do now?”

Daala hesitated as she looked at her deck.

Everything I’ve taught you has come down to this moment! thought Llymic. Now prove to me that you’re worthy of that crown! Draw, and make me proud!

Daala drew a card.

She chuckled.

“Heh, heh…” she said. “You know, old man… I guess sometimes, Yumi says some pretty smart things… One draw CAN change everything!

“I play Dragon’s Mirror!”

In five flashes of light, Decoy Dragon, both Masked Dragons, The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave, and Mirage Dragon appeared in front of her, and then vanished into grains of light. With a roar that consisted of five mouths, the titanic form of F.G.D. rose behind her. (5,000/5,000)

“F.G.D.,” commanded Daala, “attack Slate Warrior with Pentecost Holocaust!”

Five blasts of energy shot towards Slate Warrior, and Llymic was thrown off his feet by the impact.

(D: 300) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 0)

Daala fell to her knees, panting for breath, with sweat pouring down her face. She took some deep gasps.

She turned towards the alcove where the portal usually appeared.

“I’ve fulfilled my terms of the bargain, Shogarr!” she shouted. “I won the duel!”

Llymic chuckled.

“He can hear you,” he said, “but I don’t think he’ll be coming to congratulate you in person.

“So let me do that… Arise… Queen of Xanadu…”

He held out his hand, and lifted her up. They shook.

“Now…” said Llymic, “let’s see if the Council has done its job…”

He turned towards the alcove where he had placed the deck. He took it, and started to leaf through the cards.

“Excellent,” he said.

The Dark Exemplar was now an actual Monster Card, with a picture and effect text.

Llymic handed the deck to Daala.

“I can’t wait to use this against Yumi…” she said.

“Don’t be so impulsive…” said Llymic.

He took another deck out of a pouch on his side. He leafed through it until he found a card. He held up a Monster Card.

“As you know, both the Dark Exemplar and the Light Exemplar must show their power to fuel the Great Helm…

“Think of how much power they would generate… If they fought side by side…”

“You mean…” said Daala. “A tag duel?”

“Exactly,” said Llymic. “Me and you, against Yumi and… Well, whomever she desires. It’s worth thinking about.”

He looked at the soulgem and sighed.

“Guess we’ll have to find someone else for this…” he muttered.

Daala looked at the soulgem. She made a sly smile.

“Llymic…” she said. “How long would it take you to make four more of these?”

“Uhm…” said Llymic. “Four more? A few hours, I guess. But we can’t hold Yumi and her allies with these ones. Only Duel Spirits have the proper…”

He stopped short. Then he laughed out loud.

“Oh, I get it!” he laughed. “You are incredibly diabolical, kid!

“I’ll get working on it right away…”

“Good,” said Daala. “In the meantime, I’m going to test my new deck out… And I know just who I want my opponent to be…”

* * * * * * * * * *

Most people got confused about Skull Knights. A lot of folks assumed that they were Fiends. They wore bone armor, had horns on heads that had demonic faces, and carried swords and shields. To cause further confusion, they were Fusion Monsters whose Fusion Material Monsters were both Fiends, and another Monster called Skull Knight #2 actually was a Fiend.

Skull Knights were actually Spellcasters, and as such, they had the magical abilities of any sorcerers. Some of them were capable of casting incantations that could rival the Dark Magician’s capabilities at certain times. The Skull Knight who worked for Daala wasn’t that strong in terms of spellcasting ability, but one thing he was very good at was opening interdimensional portals. He was the one who had designed the permanent portal in Nexus that led to Earth, and most of his spells went into building it.

He was making a much less powerful one right now. The portal he was working on looked like a small orb of dark energy, hanging in the air. This one wasn’t powerful enough for a living creature to go through, but it could be used to communicate and send inanimate objects. One might liken it to a dimensional fax machine.

He was surprised to see Daala walk out of the arena.

“Milady!” he gasped. “You’re all right!”

“And I’ve never been better,” said Daala.

She looked at the portal.

“Giving the General a jingle, eh?” she asked. “Good idea.”

She gestured, and the portal fully opened. A dark figure appeared on the other side.

“We have good news to report, milady,” he said, in a sinister voice. “We have taken over Kaibaland, and our troops are slowly but surely subjugating the city’s duelist population.”

“Good to hear General,” said Daala. “Keep me updated…”

She took her Dragon Deck out of its pouch, and leafed through it.

“I’m going to retire my current deck… Here’s a little gift to help you… It’s a powerful card if you use it right, but I never managed to use it with much success. Maybe you can use it better.”

She threw it though the portal.

“Thank you milady,” said the General. “You can be sure I will use it wisely.”

Daala gestured, and the portal closed.

She gestured again, and a screen covered with the faces of Duel Spirits appeared.

“Let’s see…” she said. “For my next endeavor, I’m going to need someone to go ahead of me… Someone who’s just right…

“Ah… He’s perfect…”

The screen vanished.

“Let’s go, Skull Knight.”

They started back the way they had come, at a faster pace and Daala took out her cell phone as they did.



FALLEN PARADISE (Spell Card)

Field Spell

Image: A dead, twisted tree on a blasted wasteland.

Card Description: A player may draw two cards during his/her Standby Phase if he/she controls at least one of the following Monsters: “Uria, Lord of Searing Flames”, “Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder”, and/or “Raviel, Lord of Phantasms”.

Note: “Fallen Paradise” was first used by Kagemaru in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “Rise of the Sacred Beasts (Part One)”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



TRIANGLE FORCE (Spell Card)

Continuous Spell

Image: The three Magnet Warriors flying forward, glowing with energy.

Card Description: When this card is activated, you may take two “Triangle Force” cards from your deck and activate them.



DUAL GATE (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: A man in a dense fog, between two dark portals.

Card Description: Remove this card and a second “Dual Gate” in your Graveyard from play. Draw two cards from your deck.

Note: “Triangle Force” and “Dual Gate” were first used by Jesse (possessed by Yubel) in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “The Ultimate Face-Off (Part One)”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



DARK SUMMONING BEAST (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Fiend/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 5
ATK: 0
DEF: 0

Card Description: Offer this card as a Tribute to Special Summon one each of the following three Monsters from your Graveyard, disregarding their summoning conditions: “Uria, Lord of Searing Flames”, “Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder”, and “Raviel, Lord of Phantasms”. Monsters Special Summoned by this effect cannot attack on the round they are Special Summoned.

Note: “Dark Summoning Beast” was first used by Marcel (possessed by Yubel) in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “Unleash the Dragon! (Part Two)”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



ARMITAEL, PHANTASM OF CHAOS (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Fiend/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 12
ATK: 0
DEF: 0

Card Description: “Uria, Lord of Searing Flames” + “Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder” + “Raviel, Lord of Phantasms”

This card can only be Special Summoned via Fusion Summon. This card is Fusion Summoned by removing the above three Fusion Material Monsters on your side of the field from play (you do not use Polymerization). This card cannot be destroyed in battle (damage calculation still applies). During your Main Phase 1, this card’s ATK becomes 10,000 until your End Phase.

Note: “Armitael, Phantasm of Chaos” is a Japanese card that has not yet been released in the United States (note that its effect was different in the anime).



Lords of Chaos

The Chilling Story of Father Llymic, the Killer of Light

A mote of insane thought given life, the Elder Evil that was called Father Llymic was not of this world. He was a force of Chaos that came not from the Abyss, but from some other, completely alien dimension when only madness reigns. In this dimension of insanity, things happen that defy reality.

Father Llymic was accidentally summoned by powerful druids in their experimentation with nature spirits. When using their powers to communicate with the spirits of the North Wind, something went terribly wrong, and an evil force was attracted to the world. A hulking demon of ice, he radiated terrible cold, that if left unchecked, had the potential to freeze all of creation. But he had a weakness that the druids quickly exploited – a crippling vulnerability to light. As soon as he was exposed to the sun, he was rendered helpless. With the help of some real nature spirits, the druids then cast a spell which made use of this vulnerability, and trapped him in a giant block of ice, which they stored in the coldest mountain range. So long as sunlight could shine on his prison, Father Llymic would never escape.

The Elder Evil was asleep, but his dreams took on a consciousness of their own, forming projections of his sleeping mind. This is how he got his name; those who came close to his tomb often saw a kindly-looking old man beckoning them to follow. Those who fell for this ruse were never the same again, because Llymic used this projection to brainwash anyone who came near, turning them into loyal followers. The more recruits he gathered, the more power he achieved towards his goal…

His goal was simple, if daunting – to extinguish the sun itself, so that the light would no longer confine him. Several centuries after he was imprisoned, his goal came close to fruition. His dominated minions were feeding him power, and the days were growing shorter and colder, weakening the power of the sun.

He may well have succeeded, but the world was saved by help from an unlikely source – Shogarr, the Dread Emperor. Shogarr knew that Father Llymic’s plan would freeze the entire world and kill all life on it, leaving nothing for Shogarr himself to rule when his own plans became ready to enact, and that would not do.

Shogarr used a powerful spell to bypass the wards constructed by the druids who had imprisoned Llymic. The icy prison was unbreakable, but Shogarr found a way to transport Llymic out of it without breaking it. Using powerful planar travel methods, he sent Father Llymic from his prison to the Abyss, where the sun is not the life-giving force it is in the mortal realm, and could not harm one like Llymic. He was overjoyed to be free of his prison, and be in a place where light could not dominate him, until Shogarr himself appeared personally to confront him. A battle of evil versus evil ensued, and only Shogarr left alive.

No forces of Good or Law truly cared. The world quickly recovered, and an apocalyptic threat was ended. They felt that if the powers of Chaos and Evil wanted to spend time fighting each other, it was all the better for them. Surely, they concluded that an Elder Evil’s true greatest enemy was another Elder Evil.

And how would a follower of Shogarr take Father Llymic’s name?

That is another story…



Coming up next:

The heroes may have wrested control of Xanadu’s Realms from the Lords, but they find that Chaos still rules this land, for they soon become lost in the forest. And while trying to find their way back to Nexus, Sheena guards the temple, only to be challenged by one of Daala’s minions. Sheena must duel again, but is there more than meets the eye to this challenge? “Diversion” is coming up next.

[Shuppet Master]

Very intense duel, with FGD being the finisher despite the warning given. I liked the stories about how Chaos Sorcerer's true name was that of an Elder Evil.

I have a feeling that Shogarr won't be destroyed after this story. After all, if he's actually part of a legend, I think that he's too smart to get offed that easily. This being an alternate reality, though, anything is possible.

Can't wait for the next chapter. ^_^

[Dark Sage]

I came to Xanadu because I felt it was my duty. I had created the equipment that had allowed Daala to seize control of Xanadu, which allowed her to make her demands, and take five youngsters, one of them my daughter, hostage.

It was my duty, and since then, I’ve taken on several responsibilities that came with it.

A few days ago, I was one of the most powerful women in Japan. Now I’m a member of a rebel army, an outlaw in this tyrannical government. I’ve walked into a war that, like it or not, I’m a part of.

And yet, I have no regrets. Actually, sharing Yumi’s adventures is quite invigorating.

I’m doing part of my new duty now, and this creature has challenged me. I’m pretty sure I can beat him. The only problem is, I’m suspicious as to why someone like this came to make a challenge.

Even worse, I have a feeling he knows I’m on to him…

CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE



Diversion

Nicholas and Olga looked down the street.

“Keep your ears open,” said Nicholas. “These creatures might attack by ambush…”

Then they heard strange music echoing through the night air.

“I recognize that melody…” muttered Olga. “It’s from an old cartoon… Merry-Go-Round Broke Down.”

Then they heard two sets of chuckling laughter from in front of them. Both of them stood their ground.

In two showers of motes, a Crass Clown and a Dream Clown appeared ten paces away from them.

“Well, lookee here!” chuckled the Crass Clown. “Looks like we found a two-for-one sale!”

“More like a baker’s dozen!” laughed the Dream Clown.

“Really smart,” said Nicholas. “You guys are something else… A man once said that everybody loves a clown, but let’s face it… You guys aren’t exactly Emmet Kelly.”

The two clowns chuckled and lifted their Duel Disks.

“Yeah?” laughed the Crass Clown. “Well, you two have a choice. You can surrender, or you can fight!”

“We choose to fight!” shouted Olga. “We’ll take you on, two-on-two!”

“You’re on!” shouted both of the clowns at once.

The Life Point counters all set…

* * * * * * * * * *

The irony was so thick, you could cut it with a knife. At least Sheena thought so.

She was the president of Kaibacorp, the world’s largest gaming company. Just last year, she was fourth on Forbes’ list of the world’s richest female CEOs. She was close personal friends with the Prime Minister of Japan, and several members of U.S. Congress.

And now… She was on guard duty.

She didn’t mind… She had volunteered, in fact. She figured that the whole situation she was in had turned her status topsy-turvy. At least this was better than some of the jobs she had worked before Siegfried had hired her.

She looked at her watch. It was ten-forty-five. As she stood outside the entrance to the temple, she suddenly got whiff of a bad odor coming from somewhere.

“Someone has a bad case of BO,” she muttered, making a face.

She looked around. She looked to the right, and then to the left.

Then she caught sight of two glowing eyes.

The eyes belonged to a humanoid figure, about six feet tall, muscular, with black skin. He had diabolic horns, pronounced fangs, and a black beard. He was dressed only in a loincloth.

“An Ogre of the Black Shadow?” muttered Sheena.

“Hey, doll-face,” said the Ogre, in a gruff voice. “Catch!”

As he said “catch”, he threw a stone axe at her. Fortunately, she had already been prepared to dodge it. Being trained as a Centurion back in Duelatopia made it hard to hit her with such a primitive weapon.

The Ogre laughed, and started backtracking away from her.

“Get over here, wise guy!” said Sheena, now rather annoyed. “You can’t hide from me! I could find someone with that stench in a snowstorm!”

She started to follow him, and then actually started to chase him.

* * * * * * * * * *

“We’re lost, aren’t we?” asked Sam.

“Course we aren’t,” said Ren. “We came in this way…

“No, wait, it was this way…”

“I agree with Sam,” said Chelsea, taking out her mobile. “We’re lost, and I’m calling Joan to get help.”

She dialed the phone.

“What?” she said. “Dead again?”

Yumi sighed.

“Daala is up to something,” she said. “She’s making full use of her control over Xanadu, not only to kill communications, but to alter the very terrain, making us take the wrong paths. We may go one way, and be going in the opposite direction that we think we’re going in.

“This is truly Chaos at work…”

* * * * * * * * * *

Sheena finally cornered the Ogre (she thought) in a large ruin.

“What’s the big idea, pal?” she asked. “Did you actually think Joan was going to bother with a dirty thug like you?”

The Ogre laughed. He lifted a Duel Disk.

“So, then,” he said, “Joan can’t be bothered with some ‘dirty thug’ like me, but you can?”

“I’m taking every Spirit that makes threatening moves seriously,” said Sheena. “I’m not about to let some grunt sneak up on me. And speaking of dirty, you really stink, you know that?”

“Hey, whaddaya expect?” chuckled the Monster. “I’m an Ogre of the Black Shadow. I could go take a bath and come out smellin’ all rosy if I wanted to… But you ever see an ogre who smelled springtime fresh? If I did that, the other Beast-Warriors would think I was some sorta nutcase!”

“What do you want?” shouted Sheena.

“Well,” said the Ogre. “I’m kinda what you would call a ‘low man on the totem pole’ of Daala’s army. But I had a thought… If I took on someone as big as Sheena Arachne, and walloped her butt good, I’d go up a few notches.”

“Daala’s army is going to be fighting our army in a few hours,” said Sheena. “This isn’t exactly the time to be thinking about promotions.”

The Ogre activated his Disk.

“Scared?” he asked.

Sheena activated hers.

“Oh, please…” she said. “I’ve seen moldy cottage cheese that was scarier than you.

“Game on!”

* * * * * * * * * *

Sheena had no way of knowing that when the Ogre showed up, Daala herself was hiding nearby, concealing herself invisibly in a pocket dimension.

Once Sheena had chased the Ogre away and she was sure they were out of earshot, she phased back into view, and stood in front of the front door of the temple.

“Joan!” she shouted, boldly. “I’ve come, and I’ve come alone! I accept your challenge, and I wager the Crown of Xanadu!”

There was dead silence for a minute or two…

The front doors slowly opened. Daala grinned.

* * * * * * * * * *

(Sheena: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Ogre of the Black Shadow: 8,000)

“I’ll try ta make this as painless as possible…” chuckled the Ogre, making his first draw.

He looked over his hand.

“I set this, and then this.”

Two facedown cards, a Monster and a Spell or Trap, appeared.

“An’ I’m done…”

Sheena made her draw.

“Going defensive, huh?” she asked. “Well, I’m not! I summon Insect Knight!”

In a burst of light, the mantis warrior appeared, holding his sword. (1,900/1,500)

“Attack!”

Insect Knight flew forward with a drone of wings, flying towards the facedown Monster…

And then, it was thrown backwards in a blast of electricity.

Crouching on the card was an odd creature. It looked like a large horse with two heads, which was glossy black on one side of its body, and bright crimson on the other side. (700/2,000)

“You’re gonna need somethin’ tougher than that ta crack my Phantom Beast Thunder-Pegasus,” said the Ogre.

A Phantom Beast? thought Sheena.

“It’s your move,” she muttered.

(S: 7,900) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 8,000)

The Ogre made a draw, and then played a Continuous Spell Card.

“I play… Branch!” he said. “We’ll get to that in a minute.

“Next, I’ll get rid’a my Pegasus…”

Thunder-Pegasus vanished.

“…to summon this handsome guy… Berfomet!”

In an explosion of darkness, a hulking Fiend appeared. It had four arms with claws, vulture-like wings, a hairy, muscular torso, and ram-like horns on its head. (1,400/1,800)

“When he shows up,” continued the Ogre, taking his deck, “I get to take Gazelle, the King of Mythical Beasts from my deck.

“Now, I play Polymerization!”

The Spell Card appeared. Gazelle appeared on the field, and both it and Berfomet swirled into two murky colors.

“Let’s all have a hand for… Chimera, the Flying Mythical Beast!”

Nearly everyone had seen the Fusion Monster that appeared next. It was one of Yugi Mouto’s signature Monsters. If you were one who had not paid much attention to his duels, it was best described as a two-headed, horned lion, with feathered wings and a snake in place of a tail. (2,100/1,800)

“Swat her Insect Knight!” shouted the Ogre. “Pummeling pounce!”

Chimera roared, and leapt, tackling Insect Knight. The Insect shattered. Sheena cringed.

(S: 7,700) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 8,000)

“Had enough?” asked the Ogre.

“Not by a long shot,” replied Sheena, drawing a card.

“I summon Chainsaw Insect!”

With the roar of chainsaws, the large beetle with the serrated mandibles appeared. (2,400/0)

“Next,” she said, as a Spell Card appeared, “I play Double Summon. And I’ll use its effect to summon my Des Mosquito.”

Another Insect appeared. This one was a humanoid mosquito, holding a long, metal spear. (500/500)

“That’s weak!” laughed the Ogre.

“Not as weak as you think,” replied Sheena.

Des Mosquito glowed, and two antennae appeared on its head.

“When Des Mosquito is Normal Summoned, it gets two antennae. Each one gives it 500 more Attack Points.”

(1,500/500)

“What’s more, if you try to destroy it with a card effect, it can survive by shedding one of those antennae.

“Chainsaw Insect, attack Chimera!”

Chainsaw Insect rushed at the Fusion Monster, and with a savage slash, Chimera was no more.

“I get to draw one card ‘cause of your bug’s effect,” said the Ogre, making a draw. “And ‘cause of my Monster’s effect, I get ta bring back one’a the Monsters I fused to summon it.”

Berfomet appeared on the field, crouching in Defense Mode. (1,400/1,800)

“And, thanks to Branch!, I get Gazelle back too!”

Gazelle appeared, also in Defense Mode. (1,500/1,200)

“Des Mosquito!” shouted Sheena, “destroy Gazelle! Des stinger!”

Des Mosquito flew at the King of Mythical Beasts, and stabbed it with its spear. The Beast exploded into triangles.

“I end my turn,” she growled.

(S: 7,700) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 7,700)

The Ogre drew a card.

He looked over his hand again. He had one of his most powerful Monsters right now, and he could have summoned it at this point if he wanted to.

But he didn’t want to.

Most people thought that ogres, by nature, were dumb. And the sad fact was, it was true with most of them.

But despite his course language and his body odor, which was typical of ogres, it wasn’t true with him. He was quite clever for an ogre. And he was more than capable of following the very specific orders that Daala had given him before he came here.

She had said:

“If you can defeat Sheena, congratulations. If you can’t, don’t feel too bad. But winning or losing doesn’t matter. What you must do is provide a distraction, and make the duel last for as long as you can. Drag it out for as long as possible.

“Just don’t play a Stall Deck. We don’t want your intentions to be obvious.”

Those were his orders, and he was going to follow them loyally.

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

“That oughta… Do it…” he said.

Sheena quickly made a draw.

“I summon Neo Bug!” she shouted.

The green, scorpion-like Insect appeared. It clapped its pincers. (1,800/1,700)

“Neo Bug, attack his mystery Monster!”

Neo Bug scurried forward. The Monster that appeared on the card was a bird-like creature with golden feathers and wings in place of arms. It was blown to bits.

“Chainsaw Insect, destroy Berfomet!”

Chainsaw Insect scurried forward, and made a slash, cutting Berfomet in two.

The Ogre grinned, and made another draw.

“Des Mosquito, attack him directly!”

The Ogre winced a little, as Des Mosquito stabbed him with its spear.

(S: 7,700) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 6,200)

He grinned.

“What don’t kill me only makes me stronger,” he said.

Sheena looked at him.

“I just don’t get it,” she said, shaking her head. “What did Daala promise you guys? What did she offer you to make you want to join her unholy army?”

The Ogre frowned.

“Well, not that’s it any’a your business,” he said with a scowl, “but most’a us just don’t like humans all that much.

“Wanna know why I decided to join her? I used ta live in one’a the Dimensions where primitive Spirits were the most common. Beasts, Beast-Warriors, Winged Beasts, Dinosaurs, stuff like that. I was one’a the lucky ones who found a way ta travel ta Earth, an’ watch unseen.

“I didn’t bother tyin’ myself to a card like some Spirits do. I knew that no duelist would wanna use an Ogre of the Black Shadow, cause non-Effect Level Four Beast-Warriors with my scores went outta style when Vorse Raider showed up. So I just watched.

“And ya know what made me mad? Duelists who treated the cards like crud!

“Oh, sure, they kept their Secret Rares an’ Holofoil Special Editions protected like valuable treasure, but they stuffed their common cards in boxes an’ stashed ‘em like junk. Bein’ Secret Rare doesn’t increase the chance that a card will draw a Spirit to it one bit! In fact, there are more Spirits in Commons, ‘cause there are so many more’a those! But these brats never considered that…

“How many Duel Spirits have spent countless hours alone in the darkness ‘cause someone threw their card in a closet and forgot about it? Even worse, how many have been thrown back to their home dimension, crash landing ‘cause their card was destroyed and they were torn from the world of humans forcefully?

“That’s why I joined Daala’s army! She offered us a chance ta get even!”

Sheena stared at him.

She didn’t know what to say. Was she guilty of doing the very thing he accused duelists of doing because of the vast library of cards she kept in the Kaibacorp building for research purposes? How many cards in that huge place had Spirits in them?

“I… end my turn…” she finally said.

“Then I draw,” said the Ogre, drawing a card.

His facedown card lifted.

“I play Call of the Haunted,” he said.

In a flash of light, Thunder-Pegasus appeared again. (700/2,000)

“The Monster I’m going to summon next is Level Seven. However, ‘cause of one of its effects I can bring it out with one sacrifice if the Monster I use as a sacrifice is a Phantom Beast, like itself.

“So… Goodbye Thunder-Pegasus…”

Thunder-Pegasus vanished, and the ground started to rumble.

“…and hello, Phantom Beast Rock-Lizard!”

The ground cracked, and a huge creature rose out of it. It looked like a monstrous centaur made of rock, with huge, rocky fists. (2,200/2,000)

“That was a waste,” said Sheena. “My Chainsaw Insect will eat it alive.”

“Oh, really?” replied the Ogre. “Remember that bird-like thing you deep-sixed last turn? It was another Phantom Beast called a Cross-Wing. And when it’s in my Graveyard, all Phantom Beasts on the field get 300 more Attack Points.”

Rock-Lizard glowed with energy. (2,500/2,000)

“Okay, that could be bad…” muttered Sheena.

“Rock-Lizard…” ordered the Ogre, “smash her Chainsaw Insect!”

The Rock-Lizard ran forward with a noise that sounded like an avalanche. It punched Chainsaw Insect, crushing it like a bug.

“I get another card ‘cause of your Insect’s effect,” he said, making a draw. “And, when Rock-Lizard squashes a Monster, you get clobbered for 500 more Life Points…”

Sheena screamed as a boulder flew at her, striking her in the chest. She fell over.

(S: 7,100) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 6,200)

* * * * * * * * * *

“This is hopeless!” said Chelsea.

“We need someone who’s an expert,” said Erik. “A tracker, or a survivalist, or something…”

“Uhm, I’ve got an idea…” muttered Sam.

“Well…” said Ren, “it can’t be worse than what we’ve been doing so far…”

Sam activated her Disk, and took a card from her deck.

“I summon Mad Archfiend!” she shouted.

In a burst of dark energy, the snarling, drooling demon appeared. It growled a little, and looked around.

“How’s he going to help?” asked Ren. “He’s insane, in case you didn’t realize…”

“So was Hannibal Lechter, and he was still a genius,” said Sam. “The thing is, yes, he’s insane, which means he looks at the world in a whole different way. Maybe, just maybe, the spell of Chaos that has us so confused won’t be as debilitating to someone like him, and he can use his instincts to find his way to Nexus.”

It seemed like Sam actually had something. Mad Archfiend stopped snarling for a minute, and started sniffing the air like a bloodhound. It looked down one path, and then another.

“You know…” said Yumi, “that actually makes sense in a strange way… If you want to fight a spell of Chaos, use someone who’s already thick with Chaos.”

Mad Archfiend growled, and made a beeline down one of the paths.

“Follow him!” shouted Yumi.

* * * * * * * * * *

“My… move…” groaned Sheena.

She drew a card.

Good… she thought, looking at it. This will take out that thing…

“I move my two Monsters to Defense Mode,” she said, “and set another one in Defense Mode…”

Neo Bug and Des Mosquito crouched and shielded themselves, and a third defensive Monster appeared.

“…and that’s all.”

The Ogre drew a card.

“I summon my secret weapon,” he said. “Phantom Beast Wild-Horn.”

In a blast of arctic air, a hulking Beast-Warrior appeared. It had the head of a moose with large antlers, tattoos on its fur-covered torso, and was dressed in fur clothing. It carried a sword that was also shaped like an antler. (1,700/0)

“A moose?” asked Sheena. “That’s your secret weapon?”

“Don’t knock it,” replied the Ogre. “And don’t forget, with Cross-Wing six feet under, he gains 300 more Attack Points.”

(2,000/0)

“Now, I play Path to Destiny. If a Monster is a Beast-Warrior, like yours truly, I can Equip it with this card, an’ it lets that Monster attack directly.”

Sheena grit her teeth as Rock-Lizard glowed…

Rock-Lizard slammed its fist into the ground, and a shockwave shot towards Sheena. She tried her best to brace herself as it tore through her.

She gasped for breath.

“Then there’s Wild-Horn!” laughed the Ogre.

Wild-Horn snorted with fury, and slashed at Neo Bug with its sword. The Bug shattered. Sheena cringed in pain again.

“Forgot to mention,” said the Ogre, “Wild-Horn has a trampling effect.”

(S: 4,300) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 6,200)

Sheena gave him a strange look…

Then she looked at Des Mosquito…

Neo Bug had 1,700 Defense Points… she thought. Des Mosquito only has 500…

And yet, he chose to attack Neo Bug with Wild-Horn instead of Des Mosquito…

Why would he deliberately choose the target that would do far less damage?

Unless…

Then it hit her.

“This is a diversion, isn’t it?” she shouted.

“Eh?” asked the Ogre.

“You’re purposely dragging this duel out!” shouted Sheena. “You’re keeping me occupied so that another member of Daala’s army can strike somewhere that’s truly important!”

The Ogre chuckled.

“Maybe I am, and maybe I ain’t,” he replied, with a sinister grin. “But what are you gonna do about it? I ain’t lettin’ you out of this duel. The only way you can end early is if you forfeit, and if you forfeit, you lose.”

Sheena looked at her deck.

He’s right, she thought. And we all knows what happens if I lose. I’m gonna have to win quickly.

“My draw…” said.

She drew a card.

“I flip my Man-Eater Bug into Attack Mode!” she shouted.

Her facedown card flipped, and the huge, savage Insect appeared. (450/600)

It leapt at Rock-Lizard.

“Aw, crud, my Rock-Lizard is a gonner,” chuckled the Ogre.

Rock-Lizard burst into an explosion of rock.

“But guess what? That’s still good, because when Rock-Lizard is trashed by your card effect, another of its effects is activated, and you lose 2,000 Life Points!”

“Huh?” said Sheena.

Then she screamed as a whole shower of rocks fell on her.

She slowly got up.

“I’m not done with you…” she growled. “I move Des Mosquito to Attack Mode…”

Des Mosquito stood up.

“Then, I sacrifice Man-Eater Bug…”

The Bug vanished.

“…to summon Saber Beetle!”

The Insect that appeared next could best be described as a giant rhinoceros beetle with a giant frontal horn, which was glowing with energy. (2,400/600)

“Attack his Wild-Horn!” she shouted.

Saber Beetle scurried forward, and stabbed Wild-Horn with its weapon. The Beast-Warrior groaned, and then shattered.

“Des Mosquito, attack him directly!”

Des Mosquito flew forward and stabbed the Ogre again. He staggered backwards.

(S: 2,300) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 4,100)

The Ogre chuckled.

“Spunky…” he said.

He drew a card.

“I play Premature Burial,” he said. “Guess who I’m bringin’ back?”

He played the card, and the ground split open again. Rock-Lizard appeared once again. (2,200/2,000) –> (2,500/2,000)

“Flatten her Saber Beetle!” he commanded.

Rock-Lizard punched Saber Beetle, smashing it flat.

Sheena screamed again, as another boulder hit her in the gut.

(S: 1,700) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 3,300)

“It’s your move…” he said.

Sheena drew a card.

All right! she thought.

“Oh, I’ll move all right,” she said. “I remove two Insects from play…”

Man-Eater Bug and Neo Bug fell out of her discard slot. She quickly pocketed them.

“…to Special Summon my Doom Dozer!”

Once again, the ground split open, but this time, it was on Sheena’s side of the field. The enormous, blood-red centipede appeared, and roared. (2,800/2,600)

“Whoo-wee!” said the Ogre. “You’re a big one, ain’t you?”

“Stuff it!” shouted Sheena. “I’m taking out your Lizard! Doom Dozer, attack!”

The huge centipede lunged at Rock-Lizard…

…only to be thrown back when an aura of electricity surrounded the Beast-Warrior.



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“What happened?” asked Sheena.

The Ogre held up a card.

“I used the effect of my Thunder-Pegasus,” he said. “Remember him? By removin’ him from play when a Phantom Beast on the field is attacked, I can save my Beast, and reduce the damage all the way to zero.”

Sheena growled.

“I’ll set a facedown, and another Monster in Defense Mode,” she said. “I’ll get your Rock-Lizard next turn.”

A reversed card and a facedown Monster appeared.

The Ogre laughed, and drew a card.

“Well,” he said, “since Branch! is no good any more, I’ll get rid of it.”

He played a Spell Card.

“I play Magic Planter. This lets me ditch my Spell Card, and then draw two cards.”

A cluster of vines sprang up, and consumed the Branch! card. The ogre made two draws.

He looked at them.

“Something you should know about large members of the deer family…” he said.

He played one of the cards, and a second Wild-Horn appeared. (1,700/0) –> (2,000/0)

“They always gather in herds.

“Next, I play Foolish Burial.”

The Spell Card appeared on his side of the field.

“I’ll use it to toss a second Cross-Wing,” he said, as he discarded a card. “That boosts my Phantom Beasts even more.”

Rock-Lizard grew to an Attack Score of 2,800, while Wild-Horn grew to 2,300.

“Now, I play a card I included especially for you and that big bug… Kishido Spirit.”

A Continuous Spell appeared on his side of the field.

“Now, my Monsters can attack Monsters with equal Attack Points without being smashed themselves.

“And you know somethin’? I think I’ve stalled long enough… I’m gonna end this…

“Rock-Lizard… Destroy Doom Dozer!”

Rock-Lizard charged forward, and punched the immense myriapod. Doom Dozer roared, and then shattered.

“No…” gasped Sheena. “It was my best card…”

Then she groaned as a bolder hit her again.

“Wild-Horn…” shouted the Ogre, “stomp her facedown Monster!”

Wild-Horn charged at the facedown Monster. A large, black beetle with a skull printed on its back appeared on the card, and was cleaved in half.

“A Skull-Mark Ladybug?” shouted the Ogre.

“You were expecting another Man-Eater Bug?” said Sheena with a scowl. “It has 1,500 Defense Points, so I only lost 800 Life Points, and then, due to its effect, I gained 1,000 back. I’m still in this.”

(S: 1,400) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 3,300)

“Not for long,” growled the Ogre. “My Rock-Lizard has 2,800 Attack Points, so you’re gonna need a pretty big Monster ta take it out. An’ don’t forget, if you take it out with a card effect, you lose 2,000 Life Points, an’ that’s more than you’ve got.

“Make your move…”

Sheena quickly drew a card.

“I activate… Pot of Greed,” she said.

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

That’s the ticket… she thought, looking at them.

She played one of them, and a Continuous Spell appeared on her side of the field.

“If I can’t summon a Monster that’s stronger,” she said, “I’ll make your Monsters weaker. I play… Burden of the Mighty!”

“Huh?” said the Ogre. “Burden of the Mighty?”

“Burden of the Mighty causes all of your Monsters to lose 100 Attack Points for each Level they have,” said Sheena, with a grin. “As they say, the bigger they are, the harder they fall…”

The two Phantom Beasts roared. Rock-Lizard fell to an Attack Score of 2,100, while Wild-Horn fell to 1,900.

“Next,” said Sheena, as her facedown card lifted, “I play Call of the Haunted to bring back my Skull-Mark Ladybug.”

In a flash of energy, the discolored tick appeared. (500/1,500)

“Then, I sacrifice both my Monsters…”

Des Mosquito and Skull-Mark Ladybug vanished.

“…to summon my Metal Armored Bug!”

In an explosion of dirt, dust, and rock, a giant beetle with a solid, steel exoskeleton burrowed its way to the surface. (2,800/1,500)

“Eek…” muttered the Ogre.

“I gain 1,000 more Life Points from my Ladybug’s effect,” said Sheena, as she glowed with energy. “And now, my Bug is going to take out your Rock-Lizard!”

With an even more thunderous rumble, Metal Armored Bug charged at Rock-Lizard, and crushed it under its huge bulk. The Ogre reeled from the blow.

(S: 2,400) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 2,600)

“All right, now I’m angry…” he growled.

“I set one card facedown,” continued Sheena, “and that ends my turn.”

A facedown card appeared.

The Ogre snarled as he drew a card.

“I set a Monster,” he said, “and then move Wild-Horn to Defense Mode.”

A facedown Monster appeared, and then Wild-Horn knelt, and crossed its arms over its chest.

“I end my turn.”

“Draw,” said Sheena, drawing a card.

“Metal Armored Bug, turn his Wild-Horn into venison!”

The giant Insect charged, and flattened the Beast-Warrior.

“Your move, Ogre, and I don’t think this is going to last much longer…”

The Ogre snarled, and drew a card.

He chuckled to himself when he saw what it was.

“I play Mystical Space Typhoon!” he shouted, playing it.

The cyclone ripped across the field, and Burden of the Mighty was blown to pieces.

“Now,” he continued, “I play Monster Reincarnation. I’ll ditch one card in my hand…”

He played the Spell Card, and discarded a second Berfomet.

“…to get back my Rock-Lizard. Now, I’ll sacrifice my facedown Gazelle to summon him again!”

The facedown Monster vanished, and Phantom Beast Rock-Lizard appeared with a roar. (2,200/2,000) –> (2,800/2,000)

“My Kishido Spirit is still here,” he chuckled, “making my Phantom Beast one giant fly swatter.

“Attack that overgrown cockroach!”

Rock-Lizard charged at Metal Armored Bug…

“I’ll teach you to insult my Monsters, you unwashed hypocrite!” shouted Sheena, as her facedown card lifted. “Go, The Transmigration Prophesy!

“This Trap Card lets me return two cards in either Graveyard to the owners’ decks. And I’m going to return two cards to your deck… Your two Phantom Beast Cross-Wings!”

The Ogre’s deck glowed.

“But that means…” he gasped.

“That’s right…” said Sheena, with a grin. “They can’t power up the Phantom Beasts on the field anymore.”

Rock-Lizard fell to an Attack Score of 2,200. It tried to punch Metal Armored Bug, only to have it clamp its mandibles on its hand. The Bug slammed the Phantom Beast to the ground, where it shattered into shards of rock.

(S: 2,400) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 2,000)

The Ogre of the Black Shadow looked at the one card left in his hand.

“I play Monster Reborn,” he muttered.

The ankh appeared in a flash of light, and Rock-Lizard appeared again, crouching and shielding itself in Defense Mode. (2,200/2,000)

“Just move…” he growled.

Sheena drew a card.

“I play my own Premature Burial,” she said, playing the card. “I’ll bring back my Saber Beetle.”

Sheena glowed with red energy, as Saber Beetle appeared on her side of the field again. (2,400/600)

“By the way… Saber Beetle has the exact same effect as your Wild-Horn. Allow me to demonstrate…”

Saber Beetle rushed at the Rock-Lizard, and it was blown into a blast of pebbles. The Ogre reeled from the blow.

“Now, Metal Armored Bug, attack directly and finish him off!”

Metal Armored Bug grabbed the Ogre of the Black Shadow in its mandibles, and he screamed…

It dumped him on the ground.

(S: 1,600) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 0)

Then he started laughing. He started laughing hysterically.

“What’s so funny?” asked Sheena.

The Ogre got up.

“You may have beaten me good,” said the Ogre, “but I’m pretty sure that my mission was a success. If the other duel lasted as long as this one did without Daala winning, she would have won by decking her opponent out.

“Well… smell ya later…”

Then he started running in the other direction.

Sheena was about to chase him, but she stopped short.

“What the heck did he…”

She turned and started running back to the temple.

* * * * * * * * * *

Nicholas and Olga were in big trouble right now.

They only had 2,600 Life Points left, while the two clowns had their full total of 8,000.

Nicholas had Yaichi (1,300/800), Nisashi (1,400/700), and Irou (1,700/1,200) in Attack Mode and a facedown card. Olga had a facedown Monster in Defense

Crass Clown had Castle Gate in Attack Mode (0/2,400) and Spirit Barrier. Dream Clown had Super Conductor Tyranno in Attack Mode. (3,300/1,400) Even worse, it was his turn.

He chuckled, and drew a card.

“I summon Cannon Soldier,” he laughed, as the Machine appeared. (1,400/1,300)

“Now, I sacrifice it, to use my dino’s effect. Get ‘em!”

Cannon Soldier vanished, and Super Conductor Tyranno blasted a bolt of energy at the two duelists. Nicholas and Olga screamed as their Life Points fell to 1,600.

“I’m done…” chuckled Dream Clown.

Gotta do something… thought Olga. Next turn, his partner will be able to sacrifice that Dinosaur to use Castle Gate’s effect, and we’ll lose.

She drew a card.

“I flip Zolga into Attack Mode,” she said.

Her facedown card flipped up, and a mysterious, dark, robed figure with a single eye and a helmet, floating in mid-air appeared. (1,700/1,200)

“Next, I play Monster Reborn.”

She played the card, and Hysteric Fairy appeared next to Zolga. (1,800/500)

“Now, I sacrifice both Monsters…”

Zolga and Hysteric Fairy vanished into grains of Light.

“…to summon Splendid Venus!”

In a burst of light, a powerful-looking female angel appeared. She wore golden ceremonial armor, had four feathered wings, and carried a bejeweled scepter. (2,800/2,400)

“And since I sacrificed Zolga to summon her, we gain 2,000 Life Points.”

Their Life Points rose to 3,600.

“Big deal!” laughed Dream Clown. “She can’t beat my dino!”

“Yes she can,” replied Olga. “When she’s on the field, all Monsters except Fairies lose 500 Life Points.”

“Eh?” said Dream Clown.

Super Conductor Tyranno fell to 2,800 Life Points. It growled as it and Venus looked each other in the eye…

Splendid Venus fires a blast of pure light at the huge Dinosaur. At the same time, the Dinosaur breathed a bolt of energy at Venus. The two blasts collided, and both Monsters were incinerated in a great explosion.

“Sweet Christmas!” shouted Dream Clown, cowering.

“That ends my turn,” said Olga.

“You’d better have a plan…” said Dream Clown, turning to his partner.

“Don’t worry, said Crass Clown, drawing a card. “We still have Castle Gate…

“I summon Dark Elf…”

He played the card, and the dark, evil twin of Mystical Elf appeared. (2,000/800)

“Now, I sacrifice her to use Castle Gate’s effect… Monster Cannon!”

Dark Elf vanished, and Castle Gate pointed its arms. There was a sound like artillery firing, and both Nicholas and Olga reeled from the impact. Their Life Points fell to 2,600.

“What do you say to that?” asked Crass Clown.

“I say…” said Nicholas, “it’s my move…”

He drew a card.

“I play Six Samurai United,” he said, playing the card. “Then, I summon Six Samurai Kamon.”

The Continuous Spell Card appeared, and then the explosives-laden Samurai appeared. (1,500/1,000)

“Now, I can ditch my United card to draw one card…”

The United card vanished, and he made a draw.

“Then, I play Double Summon. I can make another Normal Summon now. And I use it to summon Six Samurai – Zanji.”

In a burst of light, the naginata-wielding Samurai appeared. (1,800/1,300)

“Now… Kamon, destroy that Spirit Barrier!”

Kamon lit the fuse of one of his explosives, and threw it at the Trap Card, blowing it to pieces.

“Uh oh…” said both the clowns at once.

“Zanji, attack the Castle Gate!” shouted Nicholas.

Zanji leapt at the huge building, and slashed at it with his weapon. Castle Gate shuddered, and cracks appeared all over it. Then it collapsed into a pile of rubble.

“But how?” gasped Crass Clown. “It can’t be destroyed in battle!”

“It wasn’t,” replied Nicholas. “It was destroyed by Zanji’s effect. And you still took damage.”

The two clowns groaned as their Life Points fell to 6,200.

“And you’re both defenseless! Irou, attack Dream Clown directly!”

Dream Clown screamed as Irou slashed at him with his katana. Their Life Points fell to 4,500.

“Yaichi, you next! Aim for Crass Clown’s stomach… You can’t possibly miss.”

Crass Clown howled as he was hit in the gut by Yaichi’s arrow. Their Life Points fell to 3,200.

“And finally, Nisashi can attack twice, meaning he has one for both of you. Go, Strike of the Driving Gale!”

Nisashi dashed to Dream Clown and then to Crass Clown, slashing at both of them with their weapons and knocking them over. Their Life Points fell to merely 400.

“They still have 400 Life Points, Olga,” said Nicholas. “Can you remedy that?”

“Mercy, please!” shouted Crass Clown.

“We give up!” shouted Dream Clown.

The fell to their knees.

“Well, that’s more like it,” said Nicholas. “Now, just deactivate your Duel Disks like good scum, and start talking.”

“Who’s leading this army of Duel Spirits?” asked Olga.

“Uh… Uhm...” muttered Dream Clown.

“It’s… It’s Freed…” said Crass Clown, nervously.

“Liar!” screamed Nicholas. “Freed the Matchless General would never work for Daala.”

The two clowns looked visibly nervous. It almost looked as if they expected Nicholas not to believe them.

“Uhm…” said Dream Clown. “He’s… He’s kind of hard to describe… Look… He’s using Kaibaland as a base… We’ll gladly take you there to meet him…”

“Just leave our names out of it!” said Crass Clown.

“Perish the thought,” said Olga. “Lead on.”

* * * * * * * * * *

As Sheena ran up the hill to the temple, she saw Yumi and the others run up from the opposite direction.

“You’re back!” she exclaimed.

“After going through a virtual maze,” replied Yumi, as they ran up the hill. “Daala’s clearly trying something new.”

“I know,” said Sheena, “and I don’t like it at all…”

The doors to the temple opened.

“Joan!” shouted Yumi. “Joan!”

There was no-one in the common room. The place seemed empty.

“Let’s not panic yet, people…” said Sam.

“Where the heck is Joan?” asked Ren.

“We were hoping you folks could tell us,” said a voice from the door.

They all turned around, and saw five duelists they knew enter. Jesse, Mako, Aster, Atticus, and Zane, and all of them looked worried. Aster was carrying an extra Duel Disk.

“What happened, people?” asked Yumi.

“We were gathering Joan’s troops from the six Realms to prepare for the assault,” said Atticus, “and when we came back fifteen minutes ago… No Joan.”

“All we found was this…” said Aster.

He handed her the Duel Disk.

Yumi looked at the deck, which was half-used. Clearly, this Disk and deck had been used in a duel recently.

She looked at the cards.

“Okay, now we can panic…” she said. “Lightsworn Monsters… This belongs to Joan!”

“She was beaten?” exclaimed Mako. “By who?”

“By Daala, personally,” said a voice.

“Everyone turned, and saw General Freed enter.

“I came to tell Joan that my army stands ready to march,” he said. “But when I entered Nexus, I ran into Daala, and she and a Masked Beast Des Gardius had Joan as their prisoner. I tried to stop them, but the Fiend delayed me long enough for Daala to escape, taking Joan with her.”

Freed slammed something to the ground. It was a Mask of Remnants.

“I slew the foul abomination… A lot of good that will do Joan…”

Yumi rubbed her chin.

“Daala defeated Joan…” she muttered. “I don’t get it… Daala is no slouch, but I don’t see how she could have beaten Joan’s Lightsworn Deck… We saw the duel with Demise. Joan had several ways to defeat practically any Dragon. Even the F.G.D.”

She turned to everyone present.

“We may have taken six Realms, but we haven’t weakened Daala. She’s become stronger somehow…”

“What I don’t get is why Daala decided to capture when she could have killed,” said Zane. “So long as Joan is alive, the rebellion is still protected by her dictum, even if she herself isn’t.”

Yumi sighed.

“Daala’s goals are as fickle as Chaos itself,” she said. “Joan may not even be alive. Daala may have another reason for not arresting the whole resistance.

“And if Joan is alive, it may not be for long.

“In cases like this, we have to assume the worst… We must assume…”

She swallowed hard.

“We must assume that Joan is dead.”

There was dead silence for a few seconds.

“Zane, you’re second-in-command,” continued Yumi. “It’s up to you to do whatever Joan had planned once her patron gets here.”

“That’s a tall order, Yumi,” said Zane. “I don’t even know who this patron is! That was one thing Joan didn’t share with anybody.”

“Well, you’d better prepare fast!” replied Sam. “Because according to my watch, he’ll be here in ten minutes!”

“Jesse!” shouted Zane. “Find the manual controls to raise the portal. This assault is going through for as long as we’re able to.”

“You got it!” said Jesse.

He ran to a large winch at the other end of the room, and gave it a large turn. The trapdoor opened, and the crystal spire started to rise out of the floor.

“Oh… no…” said Yumi, looking at it.

There was a very large crack in the side of the crystal.

“I’m guessing that Daala tried to destroy it, but that was all she managed…” muttered Ren. “What are we gonna do?”

“Pray that it somehow still works,” said Chelsea. “But we’re gonna have to do an awful lot of praying…”

As she finished these words, the room became awash in light…

They turned. The light was coming from the giant throne that dominated the far end of the room. The one that they didn’t know the purpose of, and were too polite to ask.

The light became blinding…

As the light started to decrease (but not go away entirely) a majestic, titanic form appeared sitting on the throne. He had blue skin, and silvery hair tied in a long topknot. He was dressed in royal, pure white, silken robes, and a golden circlet was behind his head resembling a halo. Four glorious feathered wings were behind his back. His mere presence filled the whole room with an aura of divine energy that could not be ignored.

Six humans, five AI programs, and one Duel Spirit looked up in wonder at the immense form of Shinato, King of the Higher Plane…



DES MOSQUITO (Monster Card)

Card Specs


Type: Insect/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 3
ATK: 500
DEF: 500


Card Description: When this card is Normal Summoned, place two Counters on it. This card gains 500 ATK for each Counter placed on it by its effect. If this card would be destroyed by a card effect, you may remove one Counter from it to negate the destruction.

Note: “Des Mosquito” is a real card that has not yet been released in the United States. (Note that it has indeed been released for the TCG, but only in European versions).



PATH TO DESTINY (Spell Card)

Equip Spell

Image: Two Samurai about to ambush each other from behind the corner of a building.

Card Description: Equip only to a Beast-Warrior Type Monster. The Equipped Monster may attack directly.

Note: “Path to Destiny” was first used by Atticus in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “Pop Goes the Duel”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



MAGIC PLANTER (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: A basin full of water and vines and shrubbery, emitting eerie steam.

Card Description: Send one face-up Continuous Spell Card that you control to the Graveyard. Draw two cards from your deck.

Note: “Magic Planter” was first used by Aki in an episode of “Yu-Gi-Oh 5D”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



Lords of Chaos

The Enigma of the Monoliths of Cantha

They have stood motionless since before recorded history. Only a select few knows their purpose, and they don’t like what they know. The Monoliths of Cantha are a sleeping power that would threaten the world if they ever awoke.

The Monoliths of Cantha were discovered roughly one-thousand years ago by the Wind Dukes of Aaqa, and they consider themselves very lucky that they found them first. After a battle with a powerful demon lord who was trying to open a portal in a subterranean cavern system, they discovered an underground cathedral where these five large statues stood.

Each Monolith is twenty feet tall, hulking, blocky, and vaguely humanoid. Four of them are made of white stone, and stand in a circle facing each other. The fifth is made of black stone, and stands outside the circle, facing out.

The Monoliths seem to move slightly when viewed out of the corner of one’s eye, but this apparent illusion stops when one looks at them with a full glance. Most remarkably, no-one can sleep in the cathedral in which they are housed without suffering terrible nightmares, unless he has done so several times. Most importantly, the Monoliths radiate a powerful aura of Chaos, something that the Wind Dukes noticed immediately.

The Wind Dukes inspected the cavern, and it had apparently not been built by any human civilization that they knew of, and had been there much longer than any recorded history that existed on Earth. But years later, they found a set of ancient scrolls called the Scrolls of Cantha that told the purpose of these statues; whoever or whatever Cantha was, no-one knows, but the scrolls were written in the ancient language of the obyriths, a language they knew only too well.

Apparently, the Monoliths are forerunners of alien colonization from an unknown dimension. Their colonization party consisted of four females (the white Monoliths) and one male (the black one). For unknown reasons, the alien race that sent them to Earth either couldn’t or wouldn’t awaken its representatives. The Monoliths remain unconscious and immobile until they can somehow awaken and make contact with their home realm. Once that is done, they will “purify” the world they have arrived on before starting to reproduce their own spawn.

The Wind Dukes quickly realized that “purify” likely meant “kill all life that could interfere”. They decided to destroy the Monoliths before anything could awaken them. They first tried picks and hammers… Then explosives… They tried every form of demolition, mundane and magical, that they knew of, but nothing could make as much as a blemish on the five creatures.

The Wind Dukes resigned to the fact that the Monoliths were indestructible as they were, and the only way to destroy them was to awaken them first – probably. But since they had no idea just what they were capable of when awake, they decided not to try, and simply to watch the cathedral, keeping their knowledge secret.

Unfortunately, their knowledge slipped. Over the years, doomsday cultists and worshippers of Chaos found other copies of that scroll, and embarked on missions to awaken the Monoliths. Each time, the Wind Dukes responded, raiding the cathedral and raining death on whatever cult was trying to make the attempt.

After a very close call, the Wind Dukes decided to form a group to make a permanent base within the cathedral. They trained several strong warriors to withstand the nightmares that the Monoliths cause, and resolved to guard them until the end of time, if that was necessary.

In the meantime, research is done towards finding a weakness that can be used to destroy them. After all, guarding them forever may not be possible, and the Monoliths’ race may one day decide to awaken them from long distance. The Monoliths of Cantha are one group of foes that frustrate the Wind Dukes the most, despite the fact that combat between the two groups has never truly occurred.

There is one irony of the whole situation. Since the Scrolls of Cantha were written in the obyrith language, it hints at a relation between the Monoliths and that race. Perhaps the obyriths were allies, cohorts, rivals, or enemies of the Monoliths’ race. Maybe they were even responsible for them not being able to awaken the Monoliths. Possibly, they know of a weakness that could be exploited. But the obyriths are the last race that the Wind Dukes would go to for advice. The demons intended nothing less than their extinction when the Queen of Chaos led them, and the Wind Dukes responded by decimating them. There are many ironies in the universe, and this is one of the biggest.



Coming up next:

With or without Joan, the assault on the Core is going through! Next chapter, the Big Five return, and they aren’t the only ones, as the rebellion forces their way into the very heart of Xanadu to make the last stand. It’s Jesse versus Gansley! Aster versus Krump! And Freed’s army of Warriors versus anything in their path! And lest we forget who the stars of this fic are…

“Battlezone” is coming up next!

[jkBAKURA]

*snicker* Makes me wonder if Witty Phantom will ever duel.

Thanks for the shout out. Few may know, but Ogre of the Black Shadow is indeed the card I connected with for some reason or another, even though I am officially retired. I still read and write though.

Phantom Beasts are a good theme, but don't leave much to build an entire deck around. Still, you did well with what you had to work with.

Sorry for the short review, but I have to get going to work.

See ya'

EDIT: Ok, I'm back. No apologies necessary, I actually got a bit of a laugh out of this one. It was nod, not an attempt to recreate me, and every once in awhile the crude dumb characters are funny.

As for the deck, like I said you worked well with what you had. That was a lack of stuff released, not a fault of yours. As for stereotypical, it's tougher now to do then you think with all of the new releases. Besides, the second Leopold duel from way back when wasn't awful.

My first instinct tells me that Witty Phantom would have used a Mask Deck. What the heck did you have in mind? (on a side note, I know it would be all but impossible given the rivalry, but given his tendency to pull lines from left field, I wonder what Paradox would have added to the Phantom's dialog?) And just to point out, if he's not here anymore, at least he won't throw a fit if the chapter was included. It might even be a better opportunity.

Anyway, I wish we could have seen the Tag Team in its entirety too. You are good at these duel clips, but some of them just seem like fun matches that could be used in their entirety.

Anyhow, the Big Five are back? YEAH! Any chapter that had Johnson or Crump I've got to read.

See you in a few days.

[Dark Sage]

Glad you liked it, JK. Having Ogre of the Black Shadow as a duelist was indeed done with you in mind, as my little nod to you as a longtime fan. Sorry I had to make him so crude, but ogres didn't really strike me as being very articulate and polite.

As to why I did Phantom Beasts, well, Ogre of the Black Shadow is a Beast-Warrior, and they were the only colorful archetype of Beast-Warriors I could think of. I didn't want him to just do a stereotypical Beastdown deck.

Yeah, my initial plans while outlining this fic was to have Witty Phantom appear as the opponent in a chapter as a nod towards Master of Paradox. However, since he has pubically insulted me and my writing, I thought it was best for me to cancel that part. I think it is for the best.

Anyway, keep reading.

[Dark Sage]

It’s all come down to this…

Joan is either dead, or is a prisoner of the enemy. But an even greater representative has arrived from the Higher Plane to guide us. Joan’s defeat will not be in vain!

Freed’s army, Joan’s army, and the five of us stand ready. We’re taking the fight straight into the heart of the problem. None of us know whether or not we’ll be coming back or not, but if we are defeated, we will die knowing that we made a stand.

It will be a battle of Order versus Chaos. A battle of ideas that will be fought both with swords and Duel Disks…

We’ve worked hard to get to this point… And there’s no turning back now…

Pharaoh… If you’re watching from some better place, it’s time for me to fulfill the purpose that the prophesy spoke of so long ago. You said you had faith in me when you left, and I’ll have faith in myself.

I don’t know what we’ll find…

But we’ll find out…

CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX



Battlezone

Not many people knew it, but the throne room where Daala had resided in up to now, where she reclined on her couch being pampered by attendants, was only her secondary throne room.

At this moment, she was sitting on the true seat of power of Xanadu. She was in a vast chamber made of black crystal, lit by candelabras holding candles made of black wax and torches. She sat on a throne made of gold, decorated with demonic skulls.

She had traded in her trendy outfit for a black, low-cut, evil sorceress-style dress. She looked beautiful in a sinister way.

It was no longer time to play. It was time to be serious.

Behind her was a thick curtain. She glanced at it every now and then, making sure it was undisturbed.

In front of her were five Duel Spirits and one human – The Big Five, and Slade. Skull Knight stood off to the side.

She sighed.

“The Big Five…” she muttered. “I can’t see how I was anything more than generous to you.

“I had you rescued from that lonely place you were stuck in. I made you my governors. I even shared my precious Devil’s Fruit with you, so that you finally got what you wanted all along, and then some.”

“And we are incredibly grateful,” said Nezbitt.

“Zip it, Nezbitt!” snapped Leichter. “We’re in enough trouble!”

“And yet…” muttered Daala, “when push came to shove, you did the same thing you did when you worked for Noah… You messed up.”

Slade sighed and crossed his arms.

“Your excellence,” he grumbled. “Can you scold me separately? I don’t recall ever joining this group of losers.”

“Oh, stuff a sock in it, Slade!” shouted Krump. “You messed up just as much as we did!”

“Did I ever tell you how much I just love penguins, Krump?” asked Slade, glaring at him.

“Uh, you do?” asked Krump.

“Yes…” said Slade. “Let’s exchange recipes sometime.”

“Enough!” shouted Daala. “I’ve taken Joan prisoner, so once her army is defeated, you six can get your lordships back, as much as you don’t deserve it…”

“If you’ve taken her prisoner,” said Gansley, “I think you should kill her now.”

“Gansley is right,” added Johnson. “In every movie I’ve seen, every villain makes the same dumb mistake when he captures the hero – he waits instead of killing him when he has the chance.”

“True, I could dispose of Joan now,” said Daala. “It would end our troubles quickly…

“But, by keeping her alive, and letting her dictum stand for now, I can enact a plan that will help me get what I need to magnify the power emitted from the Core a hundredfold, increasing all of our powers!

“To do so, I need powerful Duel Spirits. I was thinking that five of them should be enough… Now, if I were to kill Joan, the most powerful ones available would be you five…”

“The plan is fine!” gasped Krump. “Whatever it is…”

“Yeah, I like it…” stammered Johnson. “But… Uhm, forgive me for asking… Who else are you thinking of?”

“Five individuals who have already proven far stronger than you five,” said Daala, as she sat down.

She paused.

“Now…” she said. “As I just said, I’m not Noah. I’m willing to give you jerks one more chance, as much as you don’t deserve it. You six will be in charge of leading my personal army when the resistance gets here. In the meantime…”

She took a card out of her dress.

“…I have a powerful card that I’m just dying to give away. But I only have one, and there are six of you…”

The six of them gasped when they saw what it was.

“As the member of the Big Five with the most seniority,” said Gansley, “it should rightly go to me!”

“That’s just another way of saying you’re old, Gansley!” replied Nezbitt. “Old and senile!”

“Why do you want it, Nezbitt?” asked Krump. “It isn’t even a Machine!”

“By all rights, I should get that card,” said Slade. “I rightfully won that duel with Yumi. She cheated.”

“On the contrary,” said Johnson, “Relay Soul is a perfectly legal card. On the other hand, the Evil Heroes were never authorized for use by Industrial Illusions. If anyone cheated in that duel, it was you.”

Gansley glared at Johnson.

“Well ex-cuse me,” he replied. “Do you ever read Shakespeare, Johnson? There’s a good quote of his from Henry VI, Act IV, Scene II.”

“I know that quote,” said Gansley. “It went, ‘The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers’.”

“No arguing!” shouted Daala. “Here’s what we’ll do. Each you will form groups of two, and then duel. The winners of the three duels will then duel in a triangle duel. The winner of that duel will get this card.”

She leaned back in her throne as Skull Knight walked over.

“The rest of the inner circle are in the prison level, milady,” he said. “So far, most prisoners who once worked for you are willing to accept your offer.”

“Good,” said Daala. “Get them their decks and Disks. Soon, the Core is gonna be a battlezone.”

* * * * * * * * * *

Yumi could not believe the irony…

Noah Kaiba had been a person with an incredible ego. In his virtual world, he was so powerful, he believed he was a god. This was reflected in the decks he used when challenging Kaiba and Yugi.

Against Kaiba, he used a deck that was titled “The Seven Turns of Creation”. As he dueled, his Monsters, Traps, and Spells were an allegory for the history of the Earth. He started with Monsters that represented Grecian deities. Then he used the Spell Card Giant Flood to simulate the Great Flood that God used to purge the world of evil (and at the same time, revealed his Deckmaster, Shinato’s Ark, which represented the biblical Noah’s Ark). His deck went on to eras like the age of dinosaurs, the Ice Age, and finally the modern age. His final move in that duel was to summon Shinato, King of a Higher Plane, which represented the Apocalypse.

After Noah defeated Kaiba (although he cheated by using Mokuba as a shield) he used a different deck against Yugi – a Spirit Deck, which seemed to represent the afterlife and beyond, continuing the theme of his first deck. Shinato remained as his Deckmaster, and it was very powerful, granting him any Life Points that Yugi lost. Still, despite an overwhelming advantage, he was defeated.

Now, Noah, despite this god complex, was only a genius in scientific matters. He may have studied world religion as part of the many social sciences he studied, but his true personal beliefs were another story. He had no knowledge of actual magic, and didn’t know that other dimensions were hidden behind the veil of his sight. He didn’t know that Duel Spirits existed, and had no way of knowing that Fairies lived in a complex society, ruled over by a real Shinato.

Yumi would have found it hard to disbelieve that fact after all she had seen in the last week. But now, if she ever had any doubts, they were completely gone.

Mostly because the true Shinato, King of the Higher Plane was seated on the immense throne before her and her allies.

The Fairy monarch looked at them, and rubbed his chin.

“Uh, people?” said Ren. “Should we kneel?”

“Kneeling is optional for non-Fairies,” said Shinato’s powerful voice.

“So…” said Yumi, in awe. “It was you who was supporting Joan all along…”

“Yes,” said Shinato. “I was the one whom Dr. Ting’s call for help truly reached.

“I investigated. I was alarmed when I saw that a new dimension had been created, and its ruler was recruiting Duel Spirits. I was even more alarmed when the key point of her recruitment was a promise to be free of the treaty that forbids them from invading Earth.

“And I was most alarmed when I saw Shogarr’s influence. I had to act.

“As the highest representative of Order in the Twelve Dimensions, I had to stop this threat of Chaos. Naturally, my responsibilities as sovereign of the Higher Plane kept me from personally coming here until I was truly needed. Fortunately, Joan was willing to do so.”

“So, you sent Joan to form a rebellion,” replied Sam.

“Yes,” said Shinato. “And she has done her job admirably. Now, it is time for me to do my job. Do your armies stand ready?”

“They will in about a half-hour,” replied Zane.

“Same here,” said Freed, “but there’s a big crack in the crystal spire. Can you fix it?”

Shinato looked at the spire.

“Hmm,” he said, rubbing his chin.

“This crack was caused by an influx of chaotic energy. Likely the result of a duel where a powerful Light Monster was defeated by a powerful Dark one.”

“Maybe Joan’s Judgment Dragon was destroyed by something that Daala summoned,” said Erik, “which was what caused Joan to lose.”

“Perhaps,” said Shinato. “But yes, I can fix it. However, I need a Spirit who represents a different contradiction. Such as a high-Level Monster with a low Attack Score.”

“We can use Doubleguy,” said Mako to Aster.

“There’s no true Spirits in my cards,” said Aster. “Only the real Aster’s cards had the Spirits of the Destiny Heroes in them. They were unique.”

“Wait!” shouted Ren.

He took a card from his deck.

“Use Black Lotus!”

Shinato looked at the card. He concentrated.

Black Lotus appeared in front of them. She closed her eyes, and held her hands together, as if she were praying.

Shinato chanted.

“Spirit’s power, make a match. Use your strength to form a patch.”

Then Black Lotus glowed with energy, and she flew into the crystal. In a burst of light, she was absorbed into it, and the crack vanished, as if it were never broken. The crystal glowed with soft, white light.

“Gather your troops outside,” said Shinato. “It’s almost time…

“And one more thing. You have thus far only fought Daala’s forces. But you cannot ignore the possibility that Daala’s demonic patron will send her aid.”

“Shogarr…” muttered Yumi. “I’m the one he wants…”

“But fear not,” said Shinato. “I have been an ally of the Wind Dukes of Aaqa for years. I told them of my concern, and they added Xanadu to the list of places they are monitoring.

“In other words, should Shogarr decide to send his demonic troops to oppose you, do not give up, whatever you do. The Wind Dukes will know, and if you can last long enough, help is sure to arrive.”

“Yeah…” muttered Sam. “The only question is, will that help arrive on time?”

“The point is,” said Yumi, “if it happens, there’s a chance they will, so we hang on until our last amount of strength is spent.

“We’re in dangerous waters now… It’s not gonna be easy…”

* * * * * * * * * *

Leichter screamed as a direct attack from Power Annihilator slammed into him. He fell to his knees.

“Well done,” said Daala, walking up to Gansley. “You have earned this.”

She handed him the card.

“Now, all of you get to your positions. The rebellion will be here soon.”

With all of them – except Gansley – grumbling, they left the chamber.

Daala grinned, and looked at the curtain.

* * * * * * * * * *

Yumi looked out at the two battalions that had formed.

On one side was Freed’s army, a large squadron of Warriors armed with swords and clad in armor, all of it finely made. Freed himself and Marauding Captain stood at the forefront.

On the other side was an equally large group of Duel Spirits and AI programs, comprised of the Xanadu population that Joan had recruited. The Elemental Heroes stood in the forefront, the Amazoness tribe made up one part, and various other Monsters filled the gaps. All of them were armed with Duel Disks.

Yumi and her friends along with Sheena and the five guides who had accompanied them through their six missions stood in front of the temple, with Shinato looming behind.

“Okay!” shouted Yumi. “Now let’s go over the plan one more time…”

She pointed to Freed’s group.

“The Gold Squadron’s job is to handle any part of Daala’s army that fights using weapons other than Duel Disks.”

She pointed to the other group.

“Red Squadron’s job is to engage anyone who summons using Disks by summoning Monsters of their own.

“In the meantime, the infiltration team, which is me and this group, will infiltrate Daala’s palace and confront Daala’s source of power directly.

“I take it no more needs to be said… May the powers of Order guide you all…”

She turned to Shinato.

“We’re ready…”

* * * * * * * * * *

The King of the Higher Plane’s eyes glowed with pure light…

An orb of light appeared over Gansley’s castle in the Tzimisce Woods…

A second one appeared over Krump’s castle at the edge of the Sea of Infinite Tears….

A third appeared over Johnson’s fortress in the Burnt Paradise…

A fourth appeared over the Infernal Clock in Darkspire…

A fifth appeared over Leichter’s castle in the Flaming Peaks…

And the last appeared over Slade’s fortress in the Frozen Wastes.

The crystal spire glowed with intense light…

* * * * * * * * * *

The army looked around. The first thing they saw was flashes of lightning.

They were on a blasted, rocky badlands. The sky was dark, and full of swirling, angry clouds. Dead trees dotted the barren land.

They were in the Core.

“Look out for the enemy!” shouted Freed.

“I’m looking,” said Burstinatrix. “And here they come!”

Coming over the hill ahead was a swarm of Monsters. Whiptail Crows, Ocubeam, Morinphen, and Reapers of the Cards came by air, while Pitch-Black Warwolves, Vorse Raiders, Stone Ogre Grottos, and Hitotsu-Me Giants came by foot.

“Attack!” shouted Freed.

Freed’s army and the army of Monsters collided. The warriors seemed to gain the upper hand at first, cutting down the grunts as they pressed forward.

“Brain Crusher at ten o’clock!” shouted Marauding Captain.

It was indeed Brain Crusher, and Weevil Underwood was riding it.

“Hee, hee,” he chuckled, activating his Disk. “This should bug you a little…”

In a flash of energy, a swarm of Killer Needles appeared.

Meanwhile, an Amazoness Swordswoman screamed as a blast hit her, blowing her to shards.

Her sisters angrily looked up, and saw Emma Frost hovering in the air next to Mental Sphere Demon, smiling evilly.

The four Elemental Heroes flew forward with Disks in hand.

“Now’s our chance!” shouted Avian. “If we can reach the next hill…”

Then Drillroid burrowed out of the ground, blocking their path.

“Where do ya think you’re going?” asked Bandit Keith.

Stealthroid, Truckroid, and Expressroid appeared. Keith held up his Vehicroid Connection Zone card, and the four melded together into Super Vehicroid Stealth Union.

Meanwhile, Freed’s men were cutting through a group of Ancient Gear Soldiers. But as they were doing so, Doresain appeared, and two of the Soldiers vanished. Ancient Gear Golem loomed over the field.

“Let’s hope Yumi’s group is having better luck than we are…” said Freed.

* * * * * * * * * *

Yumi’s group was in sight of Daala’s palace, thanks to Chelsea’s Interdimensional Matter Transporter. The whole place was built on an island in the center of a vast lake of lava.

“Well, she has style,” said Sheena.

“Aster!” said Zane. “Time to use that Spell you’ve been saving!”

“Gotcha!” said Aster, opening the Field slot on his Disk. “I play Bridge Over Destiny! London Bridge is falling down.”

With an explosion of energy, a bridge that did indeed look like London Bridge appeared, spanning over the lava.

The eleven duelists wasted no time, running across it…

…only to find their path blocked. The Big Five and Slade were on the opposing side.

“What do you clowns want?” asked Mako. “You guys are pathetic.”

“Don’t make fun of us!” replied Gansley. “Despite what you did, we’re still the law in Xanadu!”

“You’re still the law, huh?” asked Atticus. “Yumi! You and your four friends go ahead of us. The six of us will handle the Keystone Cops!”

“All right…” said Yumi.

“Be careful, Sam!” shouted Sheena.

The six governors of Xanadu and the six rebels faced off. Six duels started at once…

* * * * * * * * * *

Daala moved over to the curtain and moved it aside.

Joan was standing there, alive, but certainly not in great shape. She was tied down by two Shadow Spells, and a Mask of the Accursed was bonded to her face, rendering her blind and mute. Daala was taking no chances.

Daala grinned, and took hold of the Mask. She lifted it off of Joan’s face. Joan only glared at her.

“You’re likely wondering why you’re still here, Joan,” she said. “Well, it won’t be for long. Very soon, I’m shipping you to Shogarr, gift wrapped.”

“I heard what you said, Daala,” whispered Joan. “I’m the bait for some trap, aren’t I?”

Daala nodded.

“And guess what?” she replied. “Right before I do away with your would-be heroes, they’re gonna learn your shame.”

“You’re too late,” replied Joan. “They know about Marie.”

Daala took a card out of her dress.

“Do they know about this?” she asked.

Joan gasped.

“HOW?” she shouted. “That card was never approved for design by I2! It shouldn’t exist!”

“There are ways to get anything you want, if you want it enough,” said Daala. “I’m a girl who gets what she wants. Lights out now…”

She thrust the Mask back on Joan’s face.

Joan’s head sadly drooped as Daala closed the curtain.

* * * * * * * * * *

Meanwhile, Aster was facing Krump. Krump seemed to have the advantage, and then some. He had three Monsters on the field: Gogiga Gagagigo (2,950/2,800), which he had Equipped with Glory Level Talisman, Flying Penguin, which he had Equipped with Penguin Sword (1,200/1,000) –> (2,000/1,00), and Sea Serpent Warrior of Darkness. (1,800/1,500) He also had Level Tax on the field. Aster’s side was clear. Aster had 4,000 Life Points remaining, while Krump had 6,000. Fortunately, it was Aster’s turn.

“I’m drawing!” shouted Aster.

He drew a card.

“And I summon Destiny Hero Divineguy!”

In a flash of energy, the masked, armored Hero with the large, metal discus on his back appeared. (1,600/1,400)

“Ha!” laughed Krump. “He’s not strong enough to beat any of my Monsters!”

“He will in a minute,” said Aster, opening his Field slot. “I play Dark City!”

With a rumble, the buildings of a dark, foreboding metropolis with the full moon in the sky rose around the two duelists.

“In Dark City,” continued Aster, “the Destiny Heroes gain 1,000 Attack Points whenever they attack Monsters that are stronger than they are. And my Hero is gonna attack your Flying Penguin!”

Divineguy flew towards Flying Penguin. His Attack Score rose to 2,600.

“This activates his effect, by the way. I get to destroy an Equip Spell, and then burn you for 500 points of damage. So I think I’ll destroy Glory Level Talisman!”

Krump squawked as the Trap Card burst, and a red aura surrounded him. Divineguy slashed at Flying Penguin, and the fowl exploded. Krump’s Life Points fell to 4,900.

“I set two cards, and end my turn,” said Aster, as two facedown cards appeared.

“You’ll pay for that,” said Krump, drawing a card. “Sea Serpent, attack Divineguy!”

The Warrior of Darkness charged, and speared the Hero with his trident. Aster cringed as his Life Points fell to 3,800.

“I activate Destiny Signal!” he shouted.

One of his Trap Cards lifted, and the spotlight shone over Dark City. Defendguy appeared crouching in Defense Mode. (100/2,700)

Krump sneered. He pointed, and Gogiga Gagagigo’s mighty claw crashed down, smashing the Hero.

“It’s your move…” he growled.

Aster drew.

“I play Destiny Draw,” he said. “I’ll toss one Destiny Hero, so I can draw twice.”

He discarded a card, and made two draws. He smirked.

“Next,” he said, as a Spell Card appeared, “I play D-Mind. Since I have no Destiny Heroes on the field, I can summon a Level Three or lower one from my deck, like Diehardguy.”

In a burst of energy, the wildhaired, bare-chested hero with shells on his arms appeared. (800/800)

“Next, I Normal Summon Destiny Hero Departedguy.”

The Hero that appeared this time resembled Claude Raines as the Invisible Man. He was a mysterious-looking figure in a formal suit, with his head covered in bandages. He held a walking stick with a knob shaped like a skull. (1,000/0)

“Then, since the Destiny Hero I discarded when I played Destiny Draw was Destiny Hero Diabolicguy, I can remove him from play to summon a second Diabolicguy from my deck.”

The Hero that appeared next looked more like a Fiend than a Warrior, with horns, claws, wings, tails, and goat-like legs. (800/800)

“I lose 800 Life Points due to your Level Tax,” he said, as his Life Points went down to 3,100, “but I can take it.

“Now… I sacrifice all three of my Destiny Heroes…”

Diehardguy, Departedguy, and Diabolicguy all vanished into pixels.

“Meet the epoch of Destiny!” shouted Aster, as a huge form started to rise on his side of the field. “Destiny Hero Bloo-D!”

The demonic creature Aster had summoned left little to the imagination. It had leathery wings, fiendish armor, and huge, talon-like protrusions. Its left arm ended in a large claw, while its right ended in a diabolical dragon’s head. It roared in bloodlust. (1,900/600)

“Good lord…” said Krump. “It does exist…”

“Bloo-D is Level Eight, so I lose another 1,900 Life Points due to your Level Tax,” said Aster, as his Life Points went down to 1,200, “but it’s worth every one. I activate Bloo-D’s effect… It can absorb an enemy Monster, and steal half of its Attack Score.”

Bloo-D lifted its terrible wings, catching Gogiga Gagagigo in a powerful suction. The Reptile roared before it shattered into bits.

Bloo-D’s wing membranes started to bulge as its Attack Score went up to 3,375.

“Attack his Sea Serpent!” shouted Aster. “Vengeful Rain!”

Blood-D spread his wing, and a driving shower of gore shot at Krump’s Monster. Krump screamed as Sea Serpent Warrior of Darkness burst, and his Life Points fell to 3,325.

“I’m not done,” said Aster, as his other facedown card lifted. “I first activate Blood Roar.

“Then, I play Drain Time.”

He played his last card, and a Spell Card appeared.

“Now, since Bloo-D is on the field, I can name one Phase of the turn, and we both have skip that Phase the next time it would occur. I name Draw Phase.

“And I end my turn.”

Krump snarled.

“I can’t draw, huh?” he said, looking at the two cards in his hand. “Fine…”

“That means it’s your Standby Phase now,” said Aster, “so my Blood Roar gets a counter.”

Krump looked at him.

“I set a Monster…” he said.

He played the card, and a facedown Monster appeared.

“And that’s all I can do…”

“I have to skip my Draw Phase too,” said Aster. “I move right to my Standby Phase, and since Departedguy was sent to the Graveyard last turn, he’s Special Summoned this turn.”

“Big deal!” replied Krump. “He only has 1,000 Attack Points.”

“You didn’t let me finish,” said Aster. “He’s Special Summoned to your side of the field.”

Departedguy appeared on Krump’s side of the field in Attack Mode. (1,000/0)

Bloo-D blasted its Vengeful Rain again, and Departedguy exploded. Krump screamed again as his Life Points fell to 950.

“It’s your move,” said Aster.

“I draw,” gasped Krump, drawing a card.

“And my Blood Roar gains another counter,” said Aster.

Krump looked at the two cards in his hand.

Hey… he thought. I have Defender Iceberg and Revenge Sacrifice! With my Monster on the field, I can turn this around!

“I play one facedown card, and end my turn.”

A facedown card appeared.

“Draw,” said Aster, drawing a card.

“Now I activate the effect of Blood Roar. Since it has two counters, and Bloo-D is on the field, I can destroy one face-up Monster, and deal damage to you equal to half its Attack Score.”

Krump laughed out loud.

“Talk about dumb!” he laughed. “I don’t have a face-up Monster!”

“Krump, Krump, Krump…” said Aster. “You think too small…”

Krump looked at Aster.

Then he looked at Bloo-D. It sank in.

“Oh… no…” he said.

“You were a big accountant once, Krump,” said Aster. “Surely you can handle a simple division problem.”

Then Bloo-D exploded in a burst of nasty residue, and Krump screamed as his Life Points fell to nothing.

He collapsed, and vanished into grains of light.


Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



Using Chelsea’s Trap Card again, the team of five had made it to the back gate of the castle.

They were surprised to see that the only guards were four Chthonian Soldiers.

“Only four guards?” asked Sam.

“Maybe Daala doesn’t think anyone would be stupid enough to break in this way,” said Erik.

“Or maybe all of her important troops are needed in the battle,” said Yumi. “I just hope Freed’s forces aren’t being decimated too badly.”

The Chthonians were shocked to see a Dark Blade, Vampire Lady, Gil Garth, and Toy Magician leap at them. In only a few minutes, they were cut down.

Yumi held up a card, and Vampire Lady and Dark Blade vanished. Dark Magician of Chaos appeared. He aimed his staff, and blasted the gate open.

“Be prepared for anything,” said Yumi. “Let’s go.”

They ran into the gate, into the palace proper.

* * * * * * * * * *

Meanwhile, part of the outskirts of the palace had been transformed into A Legendary Ocean, due to Mako’s confronting Johnson. Mako also had Ocean’s Keeper (1,500/1,200) –> (1,700/1,400) and 2,500 Life Points remaining. Johnson had Shadowslayer in Attack Mode, and was ahead with 7,100 Life Points.

“Ocean’s Keeper, destroy his Shadowslayer!” shouted Mako.

The Fish speared the Fiend with its trident. Johnson grunted as his Life Points fell to 6,800.

“I set a card facedown, and end my turn,” said Mako.

“I’m going to throw the book at you,” said Johnson, drawing a card.

He played it, and Hysteric Fairy appeared on the field. (1,800/500)

“Dismiss his Ocean’s Keeper. Attack!”

Hysteric Fairy blasted a beam of light from its glasses, and Ocean’s Keeper exploded. Mako’s Life Points fell to 2,400.

“I use Ocean’s Keeper’s effect,” said Mako. “When it goes to Davy Jones, I get to pull one of two Monsters from my deck.”

He took a card from his deck.

“It’s your move,” said Johnson. “Care for a rebuttal?”

Mako drew.

“I play Premature Burial to bring back Ocean’s Keeper,” he said.

He played the card, and his Life Points fell to 1,600 as Ocean’s Keeper appeared again. (1,500/1,200) –> (1,700/1,400)

“Then, I sacrifice it, to Special Summon Thousand-Eyes Jellyfish in Defense Mode.”

Ocean’s Keeper vanished, and a large sphere covered with eyes appeared in front of Mako. (300/2,100) –> (500/2,300)

“Now, I get to see every card in your hand.”

Johnson frowned as the images of his three cards appeared above him – A Feather of the Phoenix, Graceful Charity, and Foolish Burial.

“Interesting,” said Mako. “I set one more card facedown, and end my turn.”

A second facedown card appeared.

“I draw,” said Johnson.

Mako could see the card he drew. It was Grave Squirmer.

“I play Graceful Charity,” said Johnson.

Mako played close attention as Johnson drew Monster Reincarnation, Sky Scourge Norleras, and Dimension Fusion. He discarded Dimension Fusion and Monster Reincarnation.

I know what you’re planning, you old pirate, thought Mako.

“I end my turn,” said Johnson.

Mako drew.

“First, I play Pot of Avarice,” he said.

Five Monsters slipped out of his discard slot. He reshuffled his deck, and drew two cards.

His facedown card lifted.

“Next, I bring back Deepsea Macrotrema with Call of the Haunted.”

A small, vicious-looking Fish appeared next to the Jellyfish. (600/100)

“Now, I use both these small fish as bait…”

Both his Fish vanished. The sea began to stir and shift…

“I summon the biggest fish in this pond… Arise, Superancient Deepsea King Coelacanth!”

The Monster that appeared was a Fish that looked almost too big to be real. It was bigger than Fortress Whale, and looked like a cross between a giant shark and an enormous moral eel. Its scales were rough, and had the consistency of stone. (2,800/2,200) –> (3,000/2,400)

“Three-thousand Attack Points?” gasped Johnson.

“And that’s not all,” said Mako. “By discarding one card, my King can call forth as many of his loyal subjects from my deck as possible.”

He discarded a card, and two 7 Colored Fish (1,800/800) –> (2,000/1,000), one Abyssal Kingshark (1,700/600) –> (1,900/800), and another Ocean’s Keeper (1,500/1,200) –> (1,700/1,400) appeared.

“Of course,” said Mako, “there is a catch. The Monsters I summoned with this effect can’t attack, and their effects are negated. But I can sacrifice Ocean’s Keeper again to Special Summon Cranium Fish.”

Ocean’s Keeper vanished, and the big fish with the equally big brain appeared. (2,400/1,000) –> (2,600/1,200)

“Cranium Fish, attack Hysteric Fairy!”

Cranium Fish blasted a wave of mental energy at the Fairy, and it exploded into shards of light.

“Wait a minute…” said Johnson.

“Coelacanth,” shouted Mako. “Attack his honor directly!”

Johnson hollered as the giant Fish let out a huge roar, knocking him over. His Life Points tumbled to 3,000.

“And with that,” said Mako, “I end my turn.”

Johnson got up. He drew a card.

I don’t have enough Life Points to pay for Norleras’s effect AND Dimension Fusion! he thought. I’ll have to improvise…

“I play A Feather of the Phoenix,” he said.

He discarded his Foolish Burial. Pot of Greed slipped out of his discard slot, and he placed it on top of his deck.

“Now…”

“Surprise,” said Mako, as his facedown card lifted. “I have a Trap… Imperial Iron Wall!

“When this card is in play, Monsters can’t be removed from play.”

“WHAT?” said Johnson. “But that means…”

“It means you can’t summon Norleras,” said Mako. “Because you can’t satisfy its summoning requirements.

“So, what are you gonna do now?”

Johnson looked at the other two cards in his hand.

“I play Monster Reborn to bring back Hysteric Fairy in Defense Mode,” he said.

Hysteric Fairy appeared, crouching in Defense.

“Then I set a Monster.”

A facedown Monster appeared.

“And I end my turn.”

When he attacks my Grave Squirmer, he thought, I can destroy his Trap Card. Then maybe I can gain the advantage.

Mako drew a card. It was Mermaid Knight.

“I activate Cranium Fish’s effect,” he said, discarding it. “By discarding a Water Monster, it can destroy a facedown card.”

Cranium Fish shot a beam of energy at Johnson’s facedown Grave Squirmer, and it exploded.

“Now to finish this!”

Cranium Fish blasted the energy again, and Hysteric Fairy exploded. Then Coelacanth roared again, and Johnson screamed as his Life Points fell to zero.

He collapsed, and burst into shards of light.

* * * * * * * * * *

After running through several hallways, Yumi and her allies had apparently entered an indoor arboretum.

“Who’d have thought Daala was a big fan of plants?” asked Erik.

“Be careful,” warned Sam, as they ran through the indoor forest. “This place is likely crawling with Insect Monsters…”

They stopped short.

“Speak of the devil…”

On a huge tree up ahead were about a dozen Cocoons of Evolution. And they were starting to move. Clearly, they were almost ready to hatch.

“What do we do?” shouted Ren. “We can’t fight off that many Great Moths!”

Yumi drew a card.

“I summon Blast Magician!” she shouted.

In a blast of fire, the red-cloaked Spellcaster appeared. (1,400/1,700)

“Everyone, start playing Spell Cards!” she shouted. “With each one, he can destroy a Cocoon!”

That seemed like a good idea, so they all started drawing cards. Erik played Pot of Greed. Chelsea played Call of the Mummy. Ren played Reinforcement of the Army. Each time, Blast Magician aimed his staff, and a Cocoon fell to the ground in flames.

Just as he was about to take aim at the last one, however, it burst open, and the Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth emerged. (3,500/3,000)

“Now what?” shouted Chelsea.

Sam played a card. Blast Magician vanished, and Dark Ruler Ha Des appeared. (2,450/1,600)

“Erik! On my mark!” she shouted.

The huge Moth flew at Ha Des.

“NOW!”

“I play Shrink!” shouted Erik.

The Moth shrunk to half its size, and an Attack Score of 1,750. Ha Des cast his demonic blast, and it exploded.

“Let’s not stop now,” said Yumi. “Let’s keep going!”

* * * * * * * * * *

Back at the palace outskirts, Atticus was facing off against Nezbitt.

Nezbitt had Machiner’s Force on the field, (4,600/4,100) and General Commander Covington (1,000/600) and 5,500 Life Points remaining. Atticus had Red-Eyes Black Dragon in Attack Mode (2,400/2,000), Troop Dragon in Defense Mode (700/800) and a facedown card, with 4,000 Life Points remaining.

“Your fairy tale Dragons are no match for my Monsters made of steel,” said Nezbitt, drawing a card. “I sacrifice Covington to summon Machine King.”

Covington vanished, and the monarch of Machines appeared. (2,200/2,000) –> (2,400/2,000)

“Machiner’s Force, obliterate his Red-Eyes.”

The huge Machine aimed its missile launcher.

“I activate… Staunch Defender!” shouted Atticus, as his facedown card lifted. “Now, you can only attack the Monster I choose, and I choose my Troop Dragon.”

The missiles fired, and Atticus braced himself as Troop Dragon was blown to bits.

Atticus raised his hand, and a second Troop Dragon appeared. (700/800)

Nezbitt growled.

“I end my turn,” he muttered.

Atticus drew a card.

“I summon Attachment Dragon,” he said.

He played the card, and a very small, thin, green Dragon appeared. (100/100)

It flew at Machiner’s Force, and wrapped its claws and wings around the big robot’s shoulders.

“What’s happening?” shouted Nezbitt.

“Attachment Dragon can attach to one of your Monsters,” said Atticus, “and force it into Defense Mode.”

Machiner’s Force knelt down, and crossed its arms.

“And it can’t move back to Attack Mode either. Next, I activate Big Bang Shot, to give my Red-Eyes a little boost.”

He played a card, and Red-Eyes went up to an Attack Score of 2,800.

Now, Red-Eyes, destroy Machine King! Inferno Fire Blast!”

Red-Eyes blasted a stream of fiery death, and Machine King exploded. Nezbitt growled as his Life Points fell to 5,100.

“I’ll set a card facedown, and take a break,” said Atticus, as a facedown card appeared.

Nezbitt drew a card.

“I use Machiner’s Force’s effect,” he said. “I sacrifice it, to Special Summon the three Monsters I sacrificed to summon it.”

Machiner’s Force vanished, taking Attachment Dragon with it, and Machiner’s Soldier (1,600/1,500), Sniper (1,800/800), and Defender (1,200/1,800) all appeared in Defense Mode.

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

Two facedown cards appeared.

Atticus quickly made a draw.

“I sacrifice my Red-Eyes…” he said.

Red-Eyes vanished into grains of light.

“…to summon Tiger Dragon!”

With a primal roar, a new Dragon appeared. Its hide was covered with tiger’s stripes, and its face was a cross between that of a Dragon and that of a predator cat. (2,400/1,800)

“When Tiger Dragon is summoned by sacrificing another Dragon, I can destroy two facedown cards.”

Nezbitt gasped as his Mirror Force and Call of the Haunted shattered.

“Next,” said Atticus, “I remove my Troop Dragon from play…”

His Troop Dragon faded into a ripple of light.

“…to Special Summon my Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon!”

An even bigger Dragon appeared. This one seemed to be a version of the more common Red-Eyes made entirely of metal, with glowing red eyes. (2,800/2,400)

“Now, I use my Metal Dragon’s effect, to Special Summon my normal Red-Eyes back from my Graveyard.”

He played the card, and Red-Eyes appeared again. (2,400/2,000)

“And finally,” he said, taking the last card in his hand, “I sacrifice my Red-Eyes, to summon the Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon!”

Red-Eyes vanished again, and the huge, pitch-black, ultimate evolution of the Red-Eyes appeared. (2,400/2,000)

“With seven Dragons in my Graveyard, it gains 2,100 more Attack Points.”

(4,500/2,000)

“Fine, attack my Machiners,” said Nezbitt. “They’re in Defense Mode, so I won’t take any damage.”

“Uh-uh,” said Atticus.

His facedown card lifted.

“I activate Dragon’s Rage!”

Nezbitt stepped back in shock…

Three powerful streams of fire shot from the jaws of the three Dragons, incinerating the three Machiners. Nezbitt screamed as his Life Points plummeted to zero, and then he burst into pixels.

* * * * * * * * * *

Meanwhile, Yumi and her friends had made their way into a comfortable-looking chamber, full of large, satin pillows and couches, with the smell of incense and perfume in the air. Relaxation music was playing.

And the place wasn’t uninhabited.

“Look…” said Ren. “We’re really sorry we barged in… But why don’t we just all have a drink and talk this over, and we can handle this without resorting to violence?”

The six Harpie Ladies in the chamber seemed to not want to do that. They all bore their claws, and grinned evilly at the five duelists. (1,300/1,400 x6)

“Guess they don’t feel like talking…” said Sam.

Their Disks activated, and Archfiend Soldier (1,900/1,500), Skilled Dark Magician (1,900/1,700), and Dark Blade appeared (1,800/1,500).

The Harpies grinned and stepped aside…

Then Harpies Pet Dragon loomed up behind them. It roared. (2,000/2,500) –> (3,800/2,500)

“Uh… oh…” said Chelsea.

The Dragon breathed a stream of fire, eradicating Skilled Dark Magician. Yumi cringed.

The Harpies got in a crouching position. They were clearly going to pounce for the kill once their Dragon eliminated all of their enemies’ Monsters.

Sam wasn’t going to let them. She quickly placed a card in her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

“Hey you ugly, sorry excuse for a Dragon!” she shouted. “Over here!”

The Dragon growled angrily…

It breathed its fire at Archfiend Soldier. Sam quickly activated Hate Buster, and the Dragon screamed. It exploded into a blast of fire.

The six Harpies were stunned at first. Then they all fell to their knees, sobbing.

Yumi motioned towards the other exit, and her friends followed her out. The Harpies made no move to stop them, deciding that they would rather survive.

* * * * * * * * * *

Meanwhile, Sheena was in big trouble.

She was dueling Leichter, and he clearly had the upper hand. His side of the field had EBE Abductor (1,000/500) which was Equipped with Heart of Clear Water; EBE Epsilon (1,500/1,600), and three Monsters that his Abductor had stolen from Sheena – two Insect Knights (1,900/1,500) and one Neo Bug (1,800/1,700). He had his full Life Point total of 8,000. Sheena’s side was clear, and she only had 2,000 Life Points left.

“Make your last move,” said Leichter. “I’m ending this next turn…”

Sheena drew a card. She looked at it.

She placed it on her Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

“That the best you could do?” asked Leichter, drawing a card. “Neo Bug, destroy it!”

Neo Bug charged at the facedown card. Flying Kamakiri #1 appeared on it, and was crushed.

“I use my Monster’s effect,” said Sheena. “To summon a second Kamakiri.”

A second of the large mantises appeared. (1,400/900)

“EBE Epsilon, attack that one!” shouted Nezbitt.

Epsilon slashed at the bug, and Sheena’s Life Points fell to 1,900. But a third Kamakiri appeared. (1,400/900)

“Insect Knight, destroy it!” shouted Leichter.

“Insect Knight slashed at the Insect with its sword. Sheena’s Life Points fell to 1,400.

“I use that one’s effect,” she said. “To summon my Flying Scorpion.”

In a flash of light, the large, winged arachnid appeared. (1,500/1,200)

Leichter growled. He pointed, and the second Insect Knight cut Flying Scorpion in two. Sheena’s Life Points fell to 1,000.

“I use Flying Scorpion’s effect,” she said. “To Special Summon an Insect from my Graveyard. Pinch Hopper in Attack Mode.”

The large grasshopper appeared. (1,000/1,200)

“Well, I could easily destroy that,” said Leichter. “But then, you’d be able to Special Summon any Insect from your hand. And I’m not taking that risk just yet. I end my turn.”

Sheena drew a card.

“I play… The Spell Card, Insect Costume,” she said, as the Spell appeared. “I toss one Insect from my hand…”

She discarded her Aztekipede.

“Then, I get to take a better Insect from my deck.”

She took a card from her deck.

“Then, I get to destroy one Insect on the field.”

Pinch Hopper shattered into pixels.

“That means I can Special Summon this… My Grasschopper!”

A new, much larger Insect appeared. It looked more like a mantis with scythe-like claws than any sort of grasshopper. (2,350/1,000)

“Grasschopper is a Gemini Monster,” she explained. “So, I use my Normal Summon this round to activate its effect…”

Grasschopper glowed with green energy.

“And what’s its effect?” asked Leichter.

“The ability to attack every Monster on your side of the field,” replied Sheena.

“What?” shouted Leichter. “Well… Fine. Do it! I dare you! My Abductor can’t be destroyed by your attack, and next round, it will be able to steal your Grasschopper.”

Sheena played another Spell Card.

“I Equip my Monster with Fighting Spirit,” she said. “Now, it gains 300 more Attack Points for each Monster you have on the field.”

“It does?!” shouted Leichter.

Grasschopper’s Attack Score rose up to 3,850.

“Attack his EBE Abductor!” shouted Sheena.

Grasschopper slashed at the small alien, and Leichter screamed. His Life Points went down to 5,150.

“Now take out the rest of them!” ordered Sheena.

Grasschopper slashed at EBE Epsilon and the rocky alien shattered. Leichter fell to 2,800 Life Points, and Grasschopper fell to an Attack Score of 3,550.

Grasschopper continued, smashing Neo Bug. Leichter’s Life Points fell to 1,050 and Grasschopper’s Attack Score fell to 3,200.

Finally, Grasschopper cut one of the Insect Knights in two, and Leichter fell to his knees as his Life Points fell to zero. He screamed, and then exploded into shards of energy.

“Unbelievable…” said Sheena.

* * * * * * * * * *

Yumi and company were running down a vast, wide hallway with Magician’s Valkyria (1,600/1,800) and Vampire Lady (1,550/1,550) flying in front of them.

“Wait…” said Yumi. “I refuse to believe that this hallway isn’t guarded somehow…”

As if to answer her, three large shapes rose out of the floor. They formed into Millennium Golems. (2,000/2,200 x3) They stared at the duelists with their single eyes.

“Man, oh man…” said Erik, playing a card.

Valkyria and Vampire Lady vanished, and Puppet King appeared. (2,800/2,600)

“How many of these creatures are we gonna have to smash before we get to their master?”

Puppet King slugged one of the Golems, and it shattered into shards of rock…

* * * * * * * * * *

Back at the perimeter, Freed’s army was not having a very good time. The grunts they had encountered first had given way to more powerful Monsters. Weevil had summoned Insect Queen to join his Brain Crusher. Doresain had summoned several Ancient Gear Beasts to accompany his Golem. Emma had brought out Magical Android to fight alongside Mental Sphere Demon. And Keith had summoned Super Vehicroid Jumbo Drill, forming a lethal tag team with his Stealth Union.

So, every member of Freed’s army was shocked to see the four Elemental Heroes bravely charge the group of titans.

“Are they crazy?” asked a Command Knight.

“They dress in funny costumes and fight crime,” replied Freed. “I’d say that all superheroes are a little crazy.”

Avian placed a card on his Disk.

“I remove one Wind Monster from play,” he said, “to summon Garuda the Wind Spirit.”

In a blast of Wind, Garuda appeared, flying next to him. (1,600/1,200)

“Clayman, over to you!”

“You got it!” replied Clayman, playing a Spell Card. “I play Polymerization, and fuse Big Piece Golem and Medium Piece Golem, to summon Multiple Piece Golem!”

Two Rock Monsters appeared in front of him. One looked like a big boulder with a face, hands, and feet. The other one was humanoid and made of rough stone.

They flew into the vortex, and a large golem made of brick and stone appeared. (2,600/1,300)

“Over to you, Burstinatrix!” he shouted.

“Right!” shouted the heroine, playing a Spell Card. “I play Gift of the Martyr, sacrificing Garuda to give its Attack Points to Multiple Piece Golem!”

Garuda vanished, and the Golem increased to an Attack Score of 4,200.

“Attack!” shouted Clayman. “Clobber Super Vehicroid Stealth Union!”

Multiple Piece Golem punched the huge Vehicroid, and it exploded into scrap.

“It’s gonna take more than that to stop us, you wimps!” shouted Emma.

“We’re just gettin’ started,” said Clayman. “I activate Multiple Piece Golem’s effect, and send it back to my Fusion Deck to summon Big Piece Golem and Medium Piece Golem.”

Big Piece Golem appeared (2,100/0) followed by Medium Piece Golem (1,600/0).

“An’ when Medium Piece Golem is summoned when Big Piece Golem is on the field, I get ta summon Small Piece Golem.”

A smaller Rock Monster appeared, looking like a tree stump made of stone. (1,100/0)

“How cute!” laughed Weevil. “Like the Three Bears!”

“You won’t be laughing long!” said Sparkman. “I sacrifice Big Piece Golem, Medium Piece Golem, and Small Piece Golem… Begone!”

The three Golems vanished.

“I summon… Gilford the Lightning!”

Lightning flashed, and the mighty form of Gilford appeared in the center of the field. (2,800/1,400)

“Uh… Oh…” said Emma.

Gilford unsheathed his mighty sword, and held it to the heavens. Lightning flashed, and then multiple bolts of lightning stuck the land. Emma’s Psychics were blown to gibbets. Keith’s and Doresain’s Machines were atomized. Weevil’s Insects were burned to ashes, including the one Weevil was riding, burning Weevil himself.

The grunts in the opposing army screamed as lightning struck them, and they were all struck dead.

Freed’s army cheered.

“All we gotta do now,” said Marauding Captain, “is clean up.”

Then the ground started to rumble. The human duelists on Daala’s side all looked at each other. Looks of fear crossed their faces.

Then, they lay flat on the ground, face-first.

“Daala double-crossed us!” cursed Weevil. “We should have never agreed to this…”

“Shut up, Underwood!” screamed Emma.

“What’s going on?” asked Marauding Captain.

Then, three hideous creatures flew out of the very blasted earth. They looked like gaunt, ghoulish demons, with bare skulls for faces, and black, feathered wings like those of a vulture. (1,600/1,600 x3)

Each one of them held up a Megamorph card, and they each rose to Attack Scores of 3,200.

“We can clean up…” muttered Freed. “But we’re gonna need some extra-strength detergent…”



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



Yumi and her friends were running though a vast antechamber.

“Keep going, everybody!” shouted Yumi. “I think maybe we’re getting closer!”

Then they stopped. Thundering footprints were moving towards them.

With a roar, an Ultimate Tyranno turned the corner and glared at them. (3,000/2,200)

“Okay, now I’m sure we are.”

“Daala has way too much free time,” said Sam, drawing a card.

“I play Curse of the Masked Beast! I sacrifice Mad Archfiend and Opticlops to summon The Masked Beast!”

The two Fiends appeared on the field. They vanished into black bonfires, and the huge, masked demon appeared. (3,200/1,800)

The Fiend charged at the huge Dinosaur, and clubbed it with its cudgel. The Dinosaur roared, and shattered into black shards.

“That was too easy,” said Yumi. “Keep alert, people. I have a feeling that the real danger is yet to come…”

* * * * * * * * * *

At the palace entrance, Jesse was dueling Gansley. Both duelists were feeling fatigue.

Jesse had Topaz Tiger (1,600/1,000) and Amethyst Cat (1,200/400) on the field, plus three Crystal Beasts and a facedown card in his Spell Zone. He had 3,000 Life Points remaining. Gansley had Power Annihilator (1,800/1,800), two Power Bombards (1,000/1,000 x2) and had Power Zone, Power Spirits, and Ring of Fiendish Power active, one facedown card, and 3,100 Life Points remaining.

“It’s been swell, Anderson,” said Gansley, drawing a card, “but it’s time to end this… Power Annihilator, attack his Cat! Power Pulse Slash!”

Power Annihilator leapt up in the air.

“I activate… Rainbow Path!” shouted Jesse, as his facedown card lifted. “Now, I just have to send one Crystal in my Spell Zone to the Graveyard, and your attack is negated.”

The Emerald in his Spell Zone vanished. Power Annihilator stopped short.

“I also get to take a specific card from my deck.”

He took a card from his deck.

“Then it’s your move…” growled Gansley.

Jesse drew a card.

“I play Rare Value,” he said. “Now, you choose a Crystal, and I send it to my Graveyard.”

“Oh, your Mammoth then!” shouted Gansley.

The Amber in his Spell Zone vanished, and Jesse drew two cards.

“Next, I summon Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus,” said Jesse.

In a ray of light, Pegasus appeared. (1,800/1,200)

“I use his effect to place Ruby Carbuncle in my Spell Zone.”

The Ruby appeared next to the Cobalt.

“Next, I play Mystical Space Typhoon, to destroy your Ring of Fiendish Power!”

He played the card, and the cyclone blasted the Spell Card to pieces.

“Now, I can attack your Bombards before I deal with your Annihilator.”

“You still need a Monster with at least 3,800 Attack Points to destroy that one!” shouted Gansley.

“And are you saying I haven’t got one?” asked Jesse, with a big grin.

“You don’t mean…” gasped Gansley.

Jesse played a card, and a blast of light shot into the air. It formed into a giant rainbow, pulsating with energy.

Before Gansley’s unbelieving eyes, the legendary Rainbow Dragon appeared. (4,000/0)

“It’s true!” gasped Gansley. “Joan actually was able to duplicate Jesse Anderson’s ace card!”

“And thanks to your own Power Zone,” said Jesse, “you’re in big trouble.”

“Tiger, Pegasus… Destroy his Bombards!”

“I activate Emergency Provisions!” shouted Gansley. “I’ll send Power Spirits and Power Zone to the Graveyard to gain 2,000 Life Points!”

The two Spell Cards vanished, and his Life Points rose to 5,100.

Topaz Tiger’s Attack Score rose to 2,000. It slashed at Power Bombard, ripping it in half. Sapphire Pegasus blasted a beam of energy at the second Bombard.

“Rainbow Dragon…” ordered Jesse. “Attack with Rainbow Refraction!”

Rainbow Dragon breathed a beam of multicolored light at Power Annihilator. Its Attack Points went up to 2,800, but it was hardly enough. It exploded, throwing Gansley backwards.

His Life Points fell to 2,100.

He threw a card on his Disk.

“I Summon Ruklamba the Spirit King in Defense Mode,” he said.

Ruklamba appeared, crouching in Defense. (1,000/2,000)

“I cut Amethyst Cat’s Attack Score in half so she can attack you directly,” said Jesse.

Amethyst Cat fell to 600 Attack Points. She pounced, and slashed at Gansley. His Life Points fell to 1,500.

“I set two facedown cards, and that will be all,” said Jesse.

Two facedown cards appeared behind him.

Gansley angrily drew a card.

The card I won from Daala! he thought. Now I can defeat his big Dragon…

He played a card.

“I play Monster Reincarnation,” he said. “I toss one card…”

He discarded a card.

“And I get Power Annihilator back.

“But as happy as I am to have it back in my hand, I’m even happier to have that other card in my Graveyard, because it was Ojamagic. Now, I get my three Ojamas.”

Three cards appeared in his hand.

“Now, I activate Ruklamba’s effect, and sacrifice it, to Special Summon all three of them.”

In three flashes of light, the three goofy-looking gremlins appeared. (0/1,000 x3)

“Now…” said Gansley, “I sacrifice my three Ojamas…”

The three Ojamas vanished.

“To summon the master of disaster… Behold… The Wicked Dreadroot!”

In a burst of dark, shadowy flames, the third of the Wicked Gods, the one that did not appear in Yumi’s dreams of the invasion of Neo Space, appeared. It was huge, muscular, and hulking, with claws, demonic wings, ram-like horns, and an armored carapace. (4,000/4,000)

“Dreadroot radiates an aura of fear that weakens all Monsters on the field except himself,” said Gansley, “cutting their Attack Scores in half. Not even your Dragon is immune.”

Rainbow Dragon roared as it fell to an Attack Score of 2,000. Amethyst Cat fell to 600, Topaz Tiger fell to 800, and Sapphire Pegasus fell to 900.

“Time to finish this,” said Jesse. “Dreadroot, attack his Amethyst Cat with Fierce Knockdown!”

Dreadroot roared, and lifted its mighty claw.

“Save me, Jesse!” screamed the Cat.

“Don’t worry!” shouted Jesse, “I’m getting you guys out of here! I activate Rainbow Dragon’s effect! By sending all my Crystal Beasts on the field to the Graveyard, including the ones in my Spell Zone, Rainbow Dragon gains 1,000 Attack Points for each one!”

The Cat, Tiger, and Pegasus, as well as the two Crystals in his Spell Zone vanished, and Rainbow Dragon rose to an Attack Score of 7,000.

Gansley laughed.

“Then Dreadroot’s effect is just reapplied, fool!” he said. “And your Dragon is given a new score.”

Rainbow Dragon fell to 3,500.

Then one of Jesse’s Trap Cards lifted.

“I activate The Transmigration Prophesy!” he shouted. “I’ll take Sapphire Pegasus and Topaz Tiger, and return them to my deck!”

As if that will help!” shouted Gansley. “Dreadroot, destroy his Dragon!”

Dreadroot started to attack again.

“I activate my other Trap!” shouted Jesse, as his last facedown lifted. “Crystal Split! I send one Crystal Beast from my deck to the Graveyard, and Dreadroot gets a taste of its own medicine!”

He slipped Topaz Tiger into his discard slot. Gansley gasped as Dreadroot fell to an Attack Score of 2,000.

“Now finish this, Rainbow Dragon!” shouted Jesse. “Rainbow Refraction!”

Rainbow Dragon blasted its breath weapon, and the Wicked Dreadroot screamed before it exploded in a fiery blast. Gansley’s Life Points hit zero, and screamed too, before he dissolved into mist…

* * * * * * * * * *

Back at the perimeter, the three strange demons were decimating every Monster that Freed’s army tried to defend with. Each summoned Monster was burned to ashes with dark flames, and every real Spirit was fleeing.

“What are these things?” shouted the Command Knight.

“Angels of Entropy!” replied Freed. “They’re spawned wherever large quantities of chaotic magic are formed. The last time I saw one was the last time the two Envoys fought each other!”

Burstinatrix played a card.

“Swords of Revealing Light!” she shouted.

The three Angels of Entropy screeched as the glimmering swords appeared in front of them.

“That won’t hold them for long,” she said. “Any ideas?”

“If it holds them long enough for me to summon my Super Conductor Tyranno,” replied Sparkman, “we can beat them.”

“NO!” shouted Freed. “That’s just what they want you to do!

“Whenever these things are spawned, it’s a kamikaze mission. When one of them dies, they create something called a Chaos Storm. It tears a hole in the very fabric of reality, turning the whole world inside out, upside-down…”

“In layman’s terms?” asked Avian.

“If they die, they drag us all down with them,” said Freed. “And they know it will happen, and they welcome it.”

He took a card from his own deck.

“But they have one weakness… And I know it…

“Everyone stand back!”

He walked up to the three Angels, and placed the card in his Disk. A facedown card appeared. Then he sheathed his sword.

“Not a braver Spirit alive…” muttered Marauding Captain.

“Hey you butt-ugly worms!” shouted Freed. “Yeah, you!”

The Angels turned to Freed, and their eyes glowed red.

“You three look in a reflective surface lately?” he shouted. “I’ll bet when you were born, the doctor slapped your mother!”

The three demons shrieked again.

“Know what the difference is between guys like you and manure?” yelled Freed. “Manure is useful!”

That did it. The three Angels threw their claws against the barrier, and it shattered. They dive-bombed at the Matchless General.

“Go, Trap Card!” shouted Freed. “Dimensional Prison!”

The three Angels of Entropy screeched as the Trap Card lifted, and a flash of light covered them. They vanished into nothing.

Freed took some deep breaths. Sweat poured down his face.

“Not bad, general,” said Marauding Captain. “But… How did you banish three of them with one Dimensional Prison?”

“Technically, I didn’t,” replied Freed. “Those things have no individuality. They can only exist in teams of three. Do away with one of them, and the other two lose all their power and fade into nothing.”

He looked towards the castle in the distance. Then he looked at the battlefield where many of his men’s wounds were being treated by medics, and Daala’s men, who had seemingly given up after the Angels appeared, were being apprehended.

“It seems we’ve won the first round,” he said. “Daala doesn’t seem to have a second wave ready yet. It’s all up to the ones who went ahead for now…

“Heaven help them…”

* * * * * * * * * *

Yumi and her friends had entered a large room. They stopped to catch their breaths.

“We gotta rest for a minute,” muttered Chelsea. “We…”

She looked around in fear.

“What is this place?”

They were in what looked like a combination of an evil temple and a dueling arena. The room was circular and had a lot of free space. Above them was a balcony that spanned the whole circumference. An altar was at one end, flanked by braziers and sinister idols. Torches lit with violet flames provided illumination.

“Hey guys,” said Erik. “Come over here.”

They all went to where he was standing, at a glass case at the far end of the temple.

Inside the glass case was a group of crystal cubes, and a card was sealed inside each of them. Monster Cards.

Most of them were easy to identify. They were Grave Squirmer, Giant Germ, Aswan Apparition, Nuvia the Wicked, Lesser Fiend, Infernal Incinerator, Maju Garzett, Invader of Darkness, Infernal Flame Emperor, Vennominaga the Deity of Poisonous Snakes, and Gate Guardian.

There was also an empty cube to the right of Gate Guardian.

“What are these cards for?” asked Ren. “What’s the common thread?”

“Well, they’re mostly Fiends…” replied Sam. “And the ones that aren’t Fiends are evil creatures who would be right at home with Fiends.”

“And…” said Yumi. “They’re all different Levels. Grave Squirmer is Level One, Giant Germ is Level Two, and so on, until you get to Gate Guardian at Level Eleven.”

She pointed to the empty cube.

“That one must be for a Level Twelve Monster. Whatever Daala wants to use these cards for, she must not have one yet that she can use.

“Level Twelve Monsters are pretty hard to come by…”

“She has F.G.D.,” replied Chelsea.

Yumi shrugged.

“Maybe she can’t use it for some reason…” she replied.

“Maybe we should stop this plan before we find out more about it,” said Erik. “Let’s try to bust this case open…”

* * * * * * * * * *

In the front of the palace, Zane was confronting Slade.

Zane had Cyber End Dragon (4,000/2,800) and two facedown cards, and 4,000 Life Points remaining, while Slade had two facedown cards, and 3,000 Life Points remaining.

“Time to show you who the true master of machines is, Truesdale,” said Slade, drawing a card.

“I activate Call of the Haunted.”

His facedown card lifted, and a Proto-Cyber Dragon appeared. (1,100/600)

“Now, I play Inferno Reckless Summon,” he said, playing a Spell Card. “That means I can summon three real Cyber Dragons.”

In flashes of light, three Cyber Dragons appeared. (2,100/1,600 x3)

“Next, Polymerization.”

He played the card, and the three Cyber Dragons flew through a vortex. In another flash of light, a Cyber End Dragon appeared on Slade’s side of the field. (4,000/2,800)

Zane snarled.

“Now, I activate Rare Metalmorph,” said Slade. “This makes my Dragon stronger than yours…”

(4,500/2,800)

“Attack.”

The stronger Cyber End Dragon roared…

“I activate… De-Fusion!” shouted Zane, as a facedown card lifted.

“That won’t work, Truesdale,” replied Slade. “Rare Metalmorph also lets my Dragon resist the effects of one Spell Card.”

“Who said I was using it on yours?” asked Zane.

Zane’s Cyber End Dragon vanished, and his three Cyber Dragons appeared in Attack Mode. (2,100/1,600 x3)

“Next,” he said, as another facedown card lifted, “I activate the Trap Card, Cybernetic Hidden Technology! I sacrifice one Cyber Dragon to destroy your Cyber End Dragon!”

One of his Cyber Dragons vanished.

“Not so fast!” shouted Slade. “I have a De-Fusion of my own!”

He quickly played the card, and his Cyber End Dragon vanished, replaced by three Cyber Dragons again. (2,100/1,600 x3)

“Since your Trap Card’s target was no longer there, it missed.

“Now let’s continue… Two of my Dragons attack two of yours.”

Two Dragons on each side of the field blasted beams of energy at their enemies. In a tremendous explosion, the four Cyber Dragons were blown to scrap.

“I’m not done with you,” said Slade. “My last Cyber Dragon attacks directly.”

The third Cyber Dragon breathed it Strident Blast, hitting Zane dead-center.

“And now my Proto-Cyber Dragon attacks.”

The smaller Machine breathed a blast of energy, hitting Zane as well. Zane’s Life Points fell to 800.

“Are you quite done?” asked Zane.

“Make your move…” said Slade.

Zane drew a card.

“I’m taking you out now, Slade,” he said, showing it to him. “I just drew… THIS!”

“Your Power Bond doesn’t scare me,” said Slade. “With no Monsters on the field and only one other card in your hand, you can’t possibly perform a Fusion Summon. It’s impossible.”

“Impossible, Slade?” asked Zane. “I’m sure people would have thought that the military experiment that made you immortal was impossible. I’m sure they’d have thought that creating Xanadu was impossible. Before Neil Armstrong walked on the moon in 1969, people said THAT was impossible! Mankind has been doing impossible things for ages, Slade. When you get right down to it, very few things are truly impossible.

“And neither is my ability to make a Fusion Summon. I play Cybernetic Fusion Support!

“Now, by removing my three Cyber Dragons from play, and paying half my Life Points, I can use Power Bond to summon the Cyber End Dragon!”

His Life Points fell to 400, and with a great roar, Cyber End Dragon appeared, twice as big as it was before. (4,000/2,800) –> (8,000/2,800)

“Attack!” shouted Zane. “Super Strident Blaze!”

Cyber End Dragon blasted its triple bolts of burning doom, blowing the opposing Cyber Dragon to nothing.

When Zane looked, Slade was gone. He was the winner, and Slade had apparently been atomized with his Monster.

He looked and saw his five allies regroup. It was clear that the Big Five had fallen a second time. Hopefully, this would be the last time.

“Time to get back on track,” he said.

* * * * * * * * * *

“It’s no use people,” said Sam. “This glass just won’t break.”

“We’re wasting time here!” shouted Yumi. “Let’s keep going!”

“Uhm, Yumi?” said Ren. “That might be hard…”

“Huh?” said Yumi.

Ren was trying to push the door open.

“It’s locked, Yumi,” he said. “We’re trapped in here…”

Yumi paused.

“Don’t panic, people…” said Yumi. “There’s got to be a way out… We’ll find it…”

I hope… she thought.



DRAIN TIME (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: A pocket watch with the letter D on the inside of the cover, with the numbers floating off the face.

Card Description: Activate only when you have a “Destiny Hero Bloo-D” face-up on your side of the field. Select one of the following: Draw Phase, Standby Phase, Main Phase 1, Battle Phase, Main Phase 2, or End Phase. Each player must skip their next Phase of the one that was selected.

Note: “Drain Time” was first used by The D in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “Ultimate Destiny”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



BLOOD ROAR (Trap Card)

Continuous Trap

Image: Destiny Hero Bloo-D in an explosion of dark energy.

Card Description: If a “Destiny Hero Bloo-D” is on your side of the field, you may place one “Blood Counter” on this card during each of your opponent’s Standby Phases (max. 2). During your turn, you may send this card with two “Blood Counters” to the Graveyard to destroy one face-up Monster on the field and deal damage to your opponent’s Life Points equal to half of the destroyed Monster’s ATK.



D – MIND (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: Destiny Hero Daggerguy leading Pitch-Dark Dragon, Goblin Elite Attack Force, and Return Zombie into battle.

Card Description: If you do not control any face-up “Destiny Hero” Monsters, you may Special Summon one Level Three or lower “Destiny Hero” Monster from your deck.

Note: “Blood Roar” and “D-Mind” were first used by Aster in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “The Forbidden Ritual (Part Two)”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



BRIDGE OVER DESTINY (Spell Card)

Field Spell

Image: The Destiny Signal looming over London Bridge at night.

Card Description: Once per turn, during your Main Phase, you may Special Summon from your Graveyard a “Destiny Hero” Monster that was destroyed as a result of battle (only this card’s controller may use this effect). If a Monster Special Summoned by this effect is destroyed, it is removed from play.



ATTACHMENT DRAGON (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Dragon/Effect
Attribute: Wind
Level: 1
ATK: 100
DEF: 100

Card Description: You may Equip this card to a face-up Monster your opponent controls as an Equip Spell Card. Change the battle position of the Equipped Monster. The Equipped Monster’s battle position cannot change for as long as this card remains Equipped.

Note: “Attachment Dragon” was first used by Atticus (as Nightshroud) in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “Doomsday Duel (Part One)” Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



INSECT COSTUME (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: A flying beetle flying above a grasshopper.

Card Description: Send one Insect-Type Monster in your hand to the Graveyard. Search your deck for one Insect-Type Monster and add it to your hand. Then, you may destroy one Insect-Type Monster that you control.

Note: “Insect Costume” was first used by Uryu in the “Yu-Gi-Oh 5D” episode “Creepy Crawlies”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



CRYSTAL SPLIT (Trap Card)

Normal Trap

Image: A martial artist in a blue gi karate chopping a large gem in half.

Card Description: You may only activate this card during your opponent’s turn. Select one “Crystal Beast” Monster in your deck and send it to your Graveyard. Reduce the ATK of a face-up opposing Monster by half until the End Phase of the current turn. If the opposing Monster is destroyed during the turn this card is activated, the Monster’s controller may draw one card from his deck during the End Phase of the turn.

Note: “Crystal Split” was first used by Jesse in a fourth season episode of “Yu-Gi-Oh GX”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



CYBERNETIC FUSION SUPPORT (Spell Card)

Quickplay Spell

Image: A high-tech machine generating energy towards a central point.

Card Description: Activate this card in response to your activation of a Spell or Trap Card that is used to Fusion Summon a Machine-Type Fusion Monster. If the cards listed as Fusion Material Monsters for the intended Machine-Type Fusion Monster are in your Graveyard, you may pay half your Life Points to remove those Fusion Material Monsters from play instead of paying the summoning conditions listed on the Spell or Trap Card.

Note: “Cybernetic Fusion Support” was first used by Zane in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “The Graduation Match (Part Two)”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



ANGEL OF ENTROPY (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Fiend/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 4
ATK: 1,600
DEF: 1,600

Card Description: When you have three copies of this card face-up on your side of the field, all copies of this card gain the following effects:
* When one “Angel of Entropy” leaves the field, remove all other copies of “Angel of Entropy” on your side of the field from play.
* When an “Angel of Entropy” would be destroyed as a result of battle, before applying damage calculation, destroy all cards on the field.



Lords of Chaos

The Puzzlement of Rule-of-Three

To the casual dimensional traveler, the fiendish wise man who calls himself Rule-of-Three doesn’t seem like a Lord of Chaos. For one thing, he doesn’t seem like that bad a guy, despite the fact that he’s a demon. One might meet him in a tavern in a civilized part of the Lower Planes (of which there aren’t many) and find him in a friendly mood, eager for someone to talk to, and willing to give a little advice.

For another thing, Rule-of-Three isn’t a true demon. He’s a half-demon, a hybrid of demon and human. It’s rare for demons to produce offspring with humans, but it happens from time to time. Sometimes a human is seduced by a demon – most often, by a succubus – or it happens as part of some evil ritual or bargain.

Rule-of-Three is the embodiment of the universal axiom that he is named after, that important things in the universe come in sets of threes. (Some fortunate souls have seen the seraphim warrior of Heaven named Unity of Rings, who represents another axiom. If there is another being named Center of All, he has never been seen by mortals.) Rule-of-Three seems to be a sorcerer of no small skill, but he keeps his true level of power concealed. He is an expert on the culture and society of the Abyss, and will share this knowledge with anyone who wants to deal with demons. True to his name, his advice always comes in three parts. (His usual advice for those who need to go to the Abyss is, remain inconspicuous, get the job done fast, and leave as quickly as possible.)

Rule-of-Three is as chaotic as his demonic father. He always requires three articles of payment for his counsel, but this always changes, and is often strange. One might have to present him with three riddles, or three types of pastry, or three antique tin soldiers. The better the advice he gives, the more exotic the price he wants. Strangely, he never asks for souls or other things that demons usually want. If you get past the part that he’s a demon, Rule-of-Three often comes across as friendly and likeable, a living contradiction as far as his race is concerned.

One might think that Rule-of-Three is little more than an eccentric information dealer. But spies for the Wind Dukes of Aaqa have uncovered their own information that hints at his possible true motives. Rule-of-Three is often seen in Graz’zt’s realm, and is seen going places that only the demon lord’s most trusted henchmen are allowed to go. Clearly, Rule-of-Three serves Graz’zt in some manner.

The most alarming thing about Rule-of-Three is his secret meetings with devils. He tries to conduct these meetings in the most private settings, but occasionally, they are observed. Not much is garnered from these meetings with minor officers of Hell, but Rule-of-Three seems to want to negotiate with higher-level diabolic forces for some reason.

This has led to a very frightening theory among the Wind Dukes – that Rule-of-Three is involved in a plan to end the Blood War peacefully and form a partnership between demons and devils, creating a united alliance of Evil that could oppose Heaven. Possibly, Graz’zt approves of this plan, and perhaps even initiated it.

Most think that such a plan would never succeed. The very nature of the demons and devils would prevent peace. But the apocalyptic repercussions that would occur if such a plan ever succeeded have got the Wind Dukes’ eyes squarely on this half-demon. Striking at him directly would not be wise, as he has powerful friends who would take his side if any were to oppose him. The Wind Dukes are thus searching for proof that this evil plan does indeed exist. Once they have it, if it is true, the curiosity surrounding Rule-of-Three will likely turn to fear, and they’ll be able to strike him down. Of course, Rule-of-Three may be hiding powers that they don’t know of…

Truly a mystery is Rule-of-Three…



Coming up next:

As Yumi and her friends look for a way out of that creepy chamber, they find that they aren’t alone in there. Now, Ren and Chelsea must bond together like they never have before. A team duel, perhaps? Maybe. But the dueling will continue, as the assault on the Core continues, and Joan’s forces continue to advance.

And the true secret of the Devil’s Fruit will be revealed. What is the hidden power of this strange plant that grew in fiendish soil using a sleeping devil king as its fertilizer?

“Hidden Agenda” is coming up next.

[Dueler King]

That chapter was another great one!

I have another dumb question: What is a gibbet? You used in this chapter and I have no idea what it is!

[Dark Sage]

That chapter was another great one!

I have another dumb question: What is a gibbet? You used in this chapter and I have no idea what it is!

Gibbets are more or less, globs, pieces, particles, that sort of thing.

And by the way, my father always says, the only dumb questions are the ones that remain unasked.

[Shuppet Master]

I'm sorry about not reviewing your last chapter, Brian, but my home connection blew up for three days and I had no access to the WWW. Even now, this connection is shaky, so we're getting the sattelite reinstalled Tuesday. Sorry, **** happens.

"Diversion" was really interesting. I would have thought Sheena had been smarter than chasing a Duel Spirit away from her post, guess not. Poor Joan!

I liked "Battlezone" because it was sort of a chaotic whirlwind of duels and battles. So far, Round 1 goes to the good guys, but now Ren and Chelsea will have to tag duel to continue on or risk losing a lot.

Great, keep it up, Brian!

[Dark Sage]

I can honestly say I’ve known Chelsea all of my life. Our fathers were friends when they were our age, and were young duelists with dreams themselves. When they grew up and married, they lived within blocks of each other, and never stayed out of touch. Chelsea and I knew each other before we could walk. Heck, we were even in the same class in kindergarten!

I grew older and matured, knowing that Ren was a friend who I could count on. I was closer to him than any other boy my age. When our parents finally consented to let us use Duel Disks, he was the first one who sparred with me using it. Our decks were pathetic then, but it was still fun. We eventually saw each other as boyfriend and girlfriend.

It wasn’t until Duelatopia last year that we finally took the next step… We saw each other as practical soulmates. We saw each other as the ones we wanted to be with all our lives.

It’s funny that this situation has never happened before in our careers as duelists. Two opponents have shown up, requiring a team duel, and for the first time, I have to duel with Ren as my partner.

I imagined that when this time came, I’d be nervous. But I actually welcome it.

So do I, and for the same reason. It will prove that we truly belong together.

Let’s go…

CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN



Hidden Agenda

Yumi and her five allies were spread out around the whole sinister shrine, searching every nook and cranny for anything that suggested a way to open the door, or reveal a new one.

“Be careful, people,” said Yumi. “This place may be booby-trapped, for all we know…”

“You know, Sam,” said Erik. “I just thought of something I haven’t had in a very long time.”

“What?” asked Sam.

“Big League Chew,” replied Erik.

“HUH?” replied Sam.

“You know, Big League Chew,” said Erik. “It’s bubble gum, and it doesn’t come in sticks or pieces like other gum. It comes shredded, so you can have as much of it or as little of it as you want. They want you to believe that baseball players use it, but I have my doubts…”

“What does that have to do with anything?” asked Sam, getting annoyed.

“Well…” said Erik with a sigh. “It’s just that when you’re trapped in another dimension with no way out that you know of, and you have no idea whether or not you’ll ever see home again, little things like this come to mind…”

They didn’t know at the moment that they weren’t alone. Two Duel Spirits were looking down on them from the balcony up ahead.

One of them was a young man with spiky black hair wearing a red martial arts gi with gold trim. He held an odd weapon – it looked like a long staff with a faucet head on the end.

The other was a young woman dressed in a purple jumpsuit, with long, green hair worn loose. A long knife was strapped to her belt.

Goe Goe the Gallant Ninja and Lady Ninja Yae looked down on them.

“Goe Goe…” whispered Yae, nervously. “Do we really have to do this? Isn’t there another way?”

“Look, honey…” said Goe Goe, holding her arms. “You know there isn’t. I don’t like it any more than you do, but you know what will happen if we don’t…”

“This nuts…” said Ren, putting his hands on his hips. “Maybe we should just try to…”

Then he was startled as a rope fell from the ceiling.

“GUYS!” he shouted.

Everyone turned, just as the two Ninjas slid down the rope.

“Huh?” said Yumi. “What are you two doing in here?”

“Don’t shoot!” shouted Yae.

“Actually,” said Goe Goe, “the two of us are kinda in the same boat as you guys.”

“Come again?” asked Sam.

“Well… See…” said Goe Goe. “We were just two thieves, who wanted to make a big score. So we came here, and we got this far…”

“Yeah…” said Yae, nervously. “There were two other Spirits in this temple, and they couldn’t get out either. They kinda forced us to duel them, saying that the magic of the temple demands a duel before anyone who comes in is let out. The winners leave, the losers stay.”

Yumi looked at them suspiciously.

“And you two lost?” she asked.

They nodded nervously.

“And I suppose you want another duel so you can get out?” asked Sam.

“Well, yes, but we want to make a deal before we do that!” replied Goe Goe. “See, the two who left us here hinted that the magic of this temple can be shut off by turning off some generator or something in Daala’s throne room. But, they weren’t nice enough to ever do it.”

“So…” said Yae. “We make a deal… Whoever wins finds the generator and turns it off, so we can all get out of here. Sound fair?”

“One question,” asked Erik. “Why didn’t you duel each other and make that deal?”

“We thought of doing that,” sighed Goe Goe. “We almost did it once. But we couldn’t…”

“Our decks are designed to work as a team,” added Yae. “We’re nothing on our own! If one of us got out, and the one who got out was challenged by one of Daala’s men, he or she wouldn’t stand a chance! Whoever was left behind would be trapped here forever!”

Yumi looked at them again.

“Sam…” she said. “Feel like being partners again?”

“Hold up, Yumi,” said Ren. “You and Sam had best save yourselves for Daala. I think I can do this.”

“Me too,” said Chelsea. “How hard can it be?”

The two Ninjas beamed.

“Great!” said Yae, nervously again. “Two-on-two! And it’s a deal?”

She lifted her Disk.

“Sure,” said Ren.

“Hold up,” said Goe Goe. “Some ground rules…”

“Make it quick,” said Yumi.

“Okay, here’s how it is,” said Goe Goe. “Each team will share a Life Point total, but because it’s a team, they’ll start with double the amount of Life Points.

“No sharing of strategies, and no sharing of cards that are not already played. But, you can use anything on your partner’s field. Also, both partners share the same Graveyard in terms of cards that can manipulate it.

“Are we set?”

“So who goes first?” asked Ren.

“Up to you,” replied Goe Goe.

Ren looked at Chelsea.

“Then by all means, we’ll go first,” said Chelsea.

“Okay…” said Yae with a nervous chuckle. “Then, Ren will go first, then me, then you, then Goe Goe, and then back to Ren. No attacks allowed until each player has had one Standby Phase.”

The four of them stood in a square pattern. Simultaneously, four Disks activated.

“What do you think?” asked Erik.

“I don’t know what to think yet,” replied Yumi.

There’s something wrong here… she thought. I think we’re gonna regret this…

Each player drew five cards.

“Game on!” they shouted.

(Ren and Chelsea: 16,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Yae and Goe Goe: 16,000)

“Let’s go!” said Ren, drawing a card.

He looked over his hand.

“I play a facedown, and then summon my Dark Blade.”

A facedown card appeared, and then Dark Blade appeared, lifting his swords. (1,800/1,500)

“And that’s all for me…”

“Uh, my move…” said Yae, drawing a card.

She added it to her hand and chose another.

“I’ll play a facedown too… And then summon… Silver Spirit – Sakyo.”

A facedown card appeared, and then a Monster appeared in a shower of silvery light. Ren and Chelsea were surprised. They had never seen this before.

It looked like a humanoid made entirely of paper, dressed in a plain blue robe tied with a black sash. (600/800)

“Uh… yeah…” said Ren.

“I end my turn…” said Yae.

“I draw…” said Chelsea, drawing a card.

“I play a facedown of my own, and then summon Vampire Lady!”

A facedown card appeared, and then Vampire Lady appeared in a dark shadow. (1,550/1,550)

“I end my turn.”

“My move!” said Goe Goe, drawing a card.

“I summon Silver Spirit – Ukyo.”

In another shower of silvery lights, another Monster appeared. At first, it looked identical to the one that Yae had summoned. On closer inspection, however, it was clear that the two Monsters were mirror images of each other. What was on one’s left was on the other’s right, and vice versa. (800/600)

“No wonder you two lost,” chuckled Ren. “With Monsters like that?”

“Oh, we’re so afraid of weak Monsters!” said Chelsea, sarcastically. “Especially ones made of paper!”

“Of course they’re weak,” replied Goe Goe, taking a card from his hand. “I mean, if Ukyo had more than 1,000 points, I couldn’t play this…

“Secret Pass to the Treasures. This lets him attack directly.

“So… Attack Ren directly! Quicksilver!”

Ukyo grunted, and pointed its hand at Ren. It blasted a bolt of silvery energy, slamming into Ren’s stomach.

“ERGH!” groaned Ren, doubling over.

“Chelsea… Be careful… They pack a lot of punch for a couple of paper dolls…”

“I’ll set a card facedown, and end my turn,” said Goe Goe, as a facedown card appeared.

(R and C: 15,200) - - - - - - - - - - (Y and GG: 16,000)

“And back to me!” said Ren, drawing a card. “Time to play Rock, Paper Scissors… And Scissors cuts Paper! Dark Blade, attack Spirit Sakyo!”

Dark Blade lifted his swords and flew at the Spirit.

“But Rock smashes Scissors,” gasped Yae, as her facedown card shot up. “I activate Mirror Bind!”

Ren and Chelsea were shocked as the whole room became full of mirrors, flying around in a chaotic pattern.

“With both Sakyo and Ukyo on the field,” said Yae, “this not only destroys the Monster that attacked, but destroys another one that’s weaker.”

Ren and Chelsea braced themselves as both Dark Blade and Vampire Lady exploded.

“Ooh, you aren’t gonna get away with that…” said Ren.

Both he and Chelsea gestured, and both their facedown card lifted at the same time.

“Go, Call of the Haunted!” they both shouted.

In two bursts of energy, Dark Blade (1,800/1,500) and Vampire Lady (1,550/1,550) appeared again.

“Dark Blade, let’s try this again!” shouted Ren.

Dark Blade flew towards Sakyo again…

“Not so fast!” shouted Goe Goe.

His own facedown card lifted.

“I activate Mirror Trap!”

A card materialized in his hand.

“This takes the Trap that Yae just used and sends it to me. And best of all, I can activate it right now.”

He threw it into his Disk, and once again, the chaotic storm of mirrors hit the room. Once again, Dark Blade and Vampire Lady exploded.

“And these two are stuck here because they lost?” asked Erik.

Yumi rubbed her chin.

“Uh…” said Ren, looking at his hand. “Rather than tempt fate, I’m going to end my turn…”

This seemed to give Yae a little more confidence as she drew her next card.

She looked at it. She smiled, nervously again.

“I play the Continuous Spell Card, Full Moon Mirror.”

As she placed it in her Disk, an eerie fog started to rise on her and Goe Goe’s side of the room. Between them, a mirror appeared – one without a reflective surface, and with several closed eyes on the face. Then, a full moon appeared above in the fog.

“I don’t like that,” said Chelsea. “What does your Full Moon Mirror do?”

“Nothing… yet,” replied Yae. “But we’ll get to it later, maybe…

“Anyway, I play Mirror Call.”

Another Spell Card appeared on her side of the field.

“With both Sakyo and Ukyo on the field, I get to take a Trap Card from my Graveyard.”

The Mirror Bind card slipped out of her discard slot.

Then she fit it in her Disk, and it appeared facedown.

“Terrific…” said Ren.

“Now…”continued Yae. “Sakyo, attack Chelsea directly. Quicksilver!”

Sakyo cast a bolt that was identical to the blast shot by Ukyo, slamming into Chelsea’s stomach.

“Ergh…” she groaned.

“You were right… That does hurt…”

“And I end my turn,” said Yae.

(R and C: 14,600) - - - - - - - - - - (Y and GG: 16,000)

Chelsea drew a card.

“That Mirror Bind is a power Trap, Yae,” she said. “But you said that it destroys two Monsters.

“I wonder… Does it work if your opponent only has one Monster?”

Yae just looked at her, again noticeably nervous.

“Let’s find out,” said Chelsea. “I play Call of the Mummy.”

She fit the card into her Disk, and it appeared on the field.

“Next, I use it to summon Vampire’s Curse!”

In a dark aura, the armored, winged vampire appeared. (2,000/800)

“Attack Sakyo!” she shouted “Night shade!”

Vampire’s Curse shot a ball of flaming blackness, and Silver Spirit – Sakyo exploded into scraps of paper. Yae cried out in pain.

Then one of the eyes on the Full Moon Mirror opened.

“I thought so,” said Chelsea. “Now that the coast is clear, I’ll Normal Summon Zombie Master.”

She played another card, and Zombie Master appeared in a burst of energy. (1,800/0)

“I’ll set one card facedown, and play Mirage of Nightmare.”

A facedown card and the Mirage card appeared.

“Your move…”

(R and C: 14,600) - - - - - - - - - - (Y and GG: 14,600)

Goe Goe drew a card.

“Hold up,” said Chelsea. “I get to draw four cards.”

She made four draws.

“Then, I activate Emergency Provisions.”

Her facedown card lifted up, and the Mirage card was consumed.

“Let’s take this to the next level,” said Goe Goe. “I set a facedown…”

A facedown card appeared.

“Then I sacrifice Ukyo…”

The Silver Spirit vanished.

“…to summon Magic Mirror Spirit – Nayuta!”

The Monster that appeared was frightening to look at. It was a woman dressed in the traditional dress of a miko, with flowing blonde hair, long claws on her hands, and an evil-looking, cat-like mask over her face. (2,600/1,400)

“Magic Mirror Spirit?” asked Chelsea. “What are these creatures?”

“They are known as shikigami,” replied Goe Goe. “Sorcerers summon them for use as servants, using paper to give them corporeal forms. Some are not very strong, like those two you saw a minute ago…

“This one, however, is very strong. Attack Vampire’s Curse!”

Nayuta cast a bolt of fiery energy from her claws. In an instant, Vampire’s Curse was reduced to bones, and then the bones were vaporized.

A second eye on the Full Moon Mirror opened. Also, a sliver of darkness began to cover the moon overhead.

“Uh…” said Chelsea. “Don’t think I’m gonna use his effect…”

“Suit yourself,” said Goe Goe. “I end my turn.”

(R and C: 15,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Y and GG: 14,600)

Ren drew a card. Any sympathy he had for these two Duel Spirits was fading fast.

“I summon Armageddon Knight!” he shouted.

He played the card, and the dark Warrior in worn armor with a cutlass appeared. (1,400/1,200)

“Now, I use his effect…”

He took a second Dark Blade from his deck, and discarded it.

“Continuing, I remove the Dark Blade I just discarded from play, to summon La Sombra!”

In a flash, the female bandito appeared, lashing her whip. (1,800/1,000)

“Now, one of you has to draw a card. The type of card you draw decides what La Sombra does next.”

“Uh…” said Yae.

She made a draw.

She held it forward. It was Secret Pass to the Treasures.

“Spell Card!” said Ren. “Now she can destroy one Monster!”

La Sombra lashed her whip, entangling it around Nayuta’s waist. Nayuta gasped as the bandito yanked, pulling the Fiend towards her. La Sombra made a roundhouse kick, and the Magic Mirror Spirit was blown to shards.

A third eye on the Full Moon Mirror opened.

“You two are defenseless!” shouted Ren.

“No we aren’t!” replied Goe Goe, as his facedown card lifted. “I activate Call of the Haunted! Now, I’ll bring back Silver Spirit – Ukyo!”

In a flash of light, Ukyo appeared again. (800/600)

“And when Ukyo is summoned from the Graveyard, its effect activates, meaning that Sakyo isn’t far behind.”

Silver Spirit – Sakyo appeared next to Ukyo. (600/800)

“Ren, watch out!” shouted Ren. “This means they can use that stupid Mirror Bind thing again!”

Ren looked at the other three cards in his hand.

“Thanks for the safety tip, Chelsea,” he said. “I play the Spell Card, Bait Doll. This forces you to trigger that Trap early.”

“Huh?” said Yae, as her Mirror Bind lifted up.

“However,” said Ren, “since the timing for it is wrong, it’s destroyed.”

The Mirror Bind shattered in to pieces.

“Now,” he said, taking the Spell Card, “after using Bait Doll, I return it to my deck, and then reshuffle…”

He shuffled his deck, and then placed it back.

“Next, I play Monster Reborn!”

He played the card, and the ankh appeared on his side of the field. His first Dark Blade appeared again. (1,800/1,500)

“Now, let’s take these guys out. Get ‘em!”

Armageddon Knight and Dark Blade flew at the two Silver Spirits. With two slashes of swords, the two shikigami were torn into shreds.

Two more eyes opened on the Full Moon Mirror, and the shadow covering the moon got bigger, now covering half of it.

“La Sombra, attack Goe Goe directly!” ordered Ren.

La Sombra leapt up, and slashed her whip downward. Goe Goe cringed and fell backwards.

“Goe Goe!” screamed Yae.

“I’m all right, darling…” muttered the Ninja, getting up.

“Your move, Yae,” said Ren. “We have you grossly outnumbered now…”

(R and C: 15,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Y and GG: 11,000)

Yae drew a card. She seemed to have lost the confidence she had gotten back the last turn.

“I… I set a Monster, and a facedown card, and that will be all…” she said.

A facedown Monster and a reversed card appeared.

“My move…” said Chelsea, drawing a card.

“Okay, I’m using Zombie Master’s effect,” she said. “I’ll discard my second Vampire Lady…”

She slipped the card into her discard slot.

“…to bring back my first one!”

In an aura of shadow, Vampire Lady reappeared. (1,550/1,550)

“Next, I sacrifice her…”

Vampire Lady vanished.

“To summon Ryu Kokki!”

With a roar, the giant Bone Dragon Ogre loomed over the field. (2,400/2,000)

“Next, I’ll drop 800 Life Points to play Premature Burial, and bring Vampire’s Curse back to the field.”

She played the card, and a red aura surrounded her as Vampire’s Curse appeared again. (2,000/800)

“Zombie Master, destroy the facedown Monster!”

Zombie Master cackled, and threw a volley of lightning bolts at the facedown Monster. A Morphing Jar appeared on the card, and was blown to pieces.

Another eye opened on the Mirror, and the moon continued to eclipse.

All four duelists discarded the cards in their hands, and made five draws.

“Vampire’s Curse, attack…”

“I activate my Trap!” screamed Yae, as her facedown card lifted. “Limit Reverse! This lets me summon a Monster from my Graveyard with 1,000 Attack Points or less!”

In a flash of light, Sakyo appeared again. (600/800)

“And, its effect summons Ukyo.”

Ukyo appeared next to Sakyo. (800/600)

Vampire’s Curse blasted his Night Slade, blowing Ukyo away. Then Ryu Kokki punched Sakyo with its mighty fist, flattening it.

Two more eyes opened on the Mirror.

“I believe that means it’s Goe Goe’s turn…” said Chelsea.

(R and C: 14,200) - - - - - - - - - - (Y and GG: 8,000)

Yae looked anxiously at Goe Goe as he drew a card.

“I toss three cards facedown, and that will do it,” he said, as three facedown cards appeared.

“Then it’s my move!” shouted Ren, drawing a card.

“And I summon Mataza the Zapper!”

With the flourish of a somersault, Mataza leapt onto the field, and drew his katana. (1,300/800)

“Mataza, attack Yae directly!” he shouted.

Yae gasped in fright as the ronin charged towards her.

“Don’t worry, honey,” said Goe Goe.

One of his facedown cards lifted.

“I activate Soul Mirror!” he shouted. “Now, I send one of my cards on the field to the Graveyard…”

Another of his set cards vanished.

“And I get to summon a Monster from it.”

Once again, Sakyo appeared, this time in Defense Mode. (600/800) And again, Ukyo appeared close behind. (800/600)

Sam shook her head.

“Man, this whole duel is one vicious cycle,” she said. “What benefit do they have summoning these things over and over again?”

“I dunno,” said Erik. “Ren and Chelsea are just gonna smash them over and over again.”

“This is getting annoying!” growled Ren.

He turned to Mataza.

“Go ahead…”

Mataza rushed at Sakyo and slashed with his sword. The Silver Spirit burst.

“Now I use his effect to attack a second time!”

Mataza slashed at Ukyo, and it was torn to shreds.

“I activate Buried Soul Talisman!” shouted Goe Goe, as his last Trap Card lifted up. “Since both my Monsters were destroyed in one turn, I can destroy the Monster who destroyed them.”

A talisman appeared on Mataza’s face. He screamed, and then exploded into shards.

“And that’s not all…” continued Goe Goe. “I get to Special Summon a high-Level Monster from my hand. So I summon Magic Mirror Spirit – Asogi in Defense Mode.”

He played the card, and another of the advanced shikigami appeared. This one was apparently male, and dressed in a brown robe. It crouched and shielded itself in Defense Mode. (1,500/2,500)

“And when Asogi is summoned, I get to bring Nayuta back from the Graveyard.”

In a burst of energy, Nayuta appeared again in Attack Mode. (2,600/1,400)

“Oh, great…” muttered Ren.

“Uh… Ren…” said Chelsea.

“What?” said Ren.

Chelsea pointed at the Full Moon Mirror.

The eyes were gone, and it had gained a reflective surface. And the moon overhead had been completely eclipsed. Even worse, Yae was smiling. She had seemed to have gotten over her lack of confidence.

“The Full Moon Mirror absorbed the power from every Monster that perished during this duel,” she said. “Since more than ten Monsters have now been destroyed between the four of us, its true power can finally be released…”

“Chelsea…” said Ren. “I think we may have been played for suckers…”

“My move!” said Yae, drawing a card.

“I sacrifice both our Monsters…”

Asogi and Nayuta vanished into grains of light.

“To summon the beast of a thousand nightmares… The Dark God!”

A huge, hulking shape started to form behind the two Ninja. Then it came fully into view. It was fifteen feet tall, and almost as wide, with an armor-like black hide, two huge claws, a mass of tentacles in place of legs, and one, huge glaring eye. (3,000/1,000)

“Man…” muttered Chelsea. “Why are these Monsters always big and hideous? Why can’t we ever duel someone who uses Monsters like the Ice Cream Sandwich Man?”

“Or the Calzone With Extra Pepperoni Creature?” asked Ren.

“Don’t make us hungry now,” said Sam.

“Now…” said Yae, “I send Full Moon Mirror to the Graveyard, in order to activate Infinite Fiend Mirror!”

The Full Moon Mirror vanished, and she placed a card in her Field slot. All of a sudden, the whole temple turned into a void of pure darkness, and winged imps carrying mirrors in their claws started to circle around all four duelists.

“What’s going on?” shouted Chelsea.

“When Dark God is on the field, Infinite Fiend Mirror multiplies its abilities by ten!” exclaimed Yae.

Then, more Monsters started to form on Yae and Goe Goe’s side of the field. On each space in both their Monster Zones, a man-sized version of the Dark God formed. (3,000/1,000 x9)

“You have GOT to be kidding!” shouted Chelsea. “TEN Monsters with 3,000 Attack Points EACH?”

“Now I KNOW we were played for suckers,” shouted Ren. “You two aren’t a couple of common thieves… You’re duelist assassins working for Daala!”

“We’re not going to explain ourselves now,” said Yae. “Suffice to say, you’re talking to two Duel Spirits who have nothing left to lose.

“Dark God… Mow their Monsters down!”

The Dark God and five of its duplicates blasted beams of burning darkness from their eyes, striking Armageddon Knight, La Sombra, Dark Blade, Ryu Kokki, Vampire’s Curse, and Zombie Master. The six Monsters erupted into black flames and were reduced to ashes. Ren and Chelsea screamed.

“And Dark God has an added effect,” said Yae. “For each Monster that it or one of its doppelgangers crushes, you lose 700 Life Points.”

Ren and Chelsea screamed again as a wave of evil energy struck them.

(R and C: 3,200) - - - - - - - - - - (Y and GG: 8,000)

“Well, Chelsea…” gasped Ren. “I guess this is goodbye…”

“I set two cards facedown, and end my turn,” said Yae, as two facedown cards appeared.

Ren and Chelsea looked at her with an expression that could best be defined as complete confusion.

“Uhm, hello?” asked Erik. “Can someone tell me why we aren’t scraping Ren and Chelsea off the floor right now?”

“I… I really don’t know…” said Yumi. “There has to be some reason why Yae didn’t declare a direct attack…”

Chelsea slowly drew a card. She looked at it.

“Chelsea!” whispered Ren. “Be very, very careful… She had us dead to rights, so why didn’t she attack? I think it may be less of a question of whether or not she would, and more of whether or not she could.”

Chelsea looked at them, and then looked at her hand.

“The butt-ugly Monster has a weakness, right?” she said out loud. “You didn’t have it attack us directly, because it can’t do that!

“So, if I just don’t put any Monsters on the field, we’re completely safe from your Dark God.

“But just in case, I’ll set a facedown.”

She fit a card in her Disk, and it appeared.

“And I’ll turn it over to the not-so-Gallant Ninja.”

“I’m still gallant!” shouted Goe Goe, drawing a card. “I never stopped being gallant!”

“Then why do you work for Daala?” asked Chelsea.

“I don’t recall ever admitting that I did,” said Goe Goe. “And you were right, by the way. Dark God can only attack Monsters. But that doesn’t mean we can’t hurt you with it.

“Yae, if you would…”


Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



One of Yae’s facedown cards lifted.

“I activate Ojama Trio,” she said. “If you won’t summon a Monster, I’ll just give you a few.”

In three bursts of light, three tokens resembling Ojama Yellow, Ojama Green, and Ojama Black appeared in front of Chelsea in Defense Mode. (0/1,000 x3)

“And I’ll chain my other Trap to it,” she said, as her other facedown card lifted. “Trap Reclamation. I toss one card…”

She discarded a card.

“…and as soon as my Ojama Trio goes to the Graveyard after being activated, I get it back.”

The Trap Card slipped out of her discard slot, and she added it to her hand.

“This is bad!” exclaimed Sam. “Not only will Ren and Chelsea lose 700 Life Points for each token that’s destroyed, but because those are Ojama Tokens, they’ll lose 300 more apiece!”

“Now,” shouted Goe Goe, “Dark God, attack!”

The true Dark God’s eye glowed.

“You like cards that depict the moon?” asked Chelsea. “Here’s one… Red Ghost Moon!”

Her facedown card flipped up, and she discarded her Vampire Lord, just as the blast shot at Ojama Green. The ominous harvest moon appeared behind Ren and Chelsea.

“Now, your attack is deflected, your Battle Phase ends, and we gain Life Points equal to your Monster’s Attack Score.”

(R and C: 6,200) - - - - - - - - - - (Y and GG: 8,000)

She turned to Ren.

“I held them off one round,” she said. “You got any ideas?”

“I might…” said Ren. “Wish me luck…”

He drew a card.

“Yes!” he shouted.

He played it.

“I summon New Moon Princess!” he shouted.

He played the card, and the young squire with ebony skin appeared, holding her practice sword. (1,300/1,200)

“Next, I sacrifice her, to summon her big sis…”

New Moon Princess vanished.

In an aura of darkness, the mighty form of Crescent Moon Queen appeared out of the shadows, holding her gleaming scimitars. (2,600/1,700)

“Not bad,” said Yae. “But Dark God is still stronger.”

“It won’t be,” said Ren, “once I Equip my Queen with Fusion Sword Murasame Blade!”

He played the card, and the Queen’s scimitars vanished. A much larger, much deadlier sword appeared in her hands. (3,400/1,700)

“Attack!” shouted Ren. “Destroy their Dark God!”

Crescent Moon Queen shouted a war cry, and flew at the Dark God. She slammed the sword into it, causing sparks to fly…

(R and C: 6,200) - - - - - - - - - - (Y and GG: 7,600)

…and then, she looked up, dumbfounded, to see that her foe was still there.

“Not a bad try,” said Yae, “but it can’t be destroyed in battle.”

Ren and Chelsea looked at each other.

“Okay!” shouted Ren. “I wanna know where you got these cards!”

“Don’t worry, Ren,” said Chelsea. “At least Dark God can’t defeat your Queen.”

“It could if she lost that sword,” said Yae.

“Fusion Sword can’t be destroyed,” replied Ren. “Anyway, I set a facedown, and end my turn…”

A facedown card appeared.

“My move…” said Yae, drawing a card.

“And I play the Spell Card, Spiritualism. This lets me return one Spell or Trap Card on the field to its owner’s hand.”

A cackling ghost flew out of the Spell Card. It flew into the Fusion Sword, and the weapon vanished. The card reappeared in Ren’s hand.

“Dark God, destroy his Queen!”

The Dark God blasted it bolt of evil energy, and Crescent Moon Queen screamed before she was struck. She was blown to atoms.

Three of the Dark God’s clones shot their beams at the three Ojamas. Ren and Chelsea screamed as they were shocked again.

(R and C: 2,100) - - - - - - - - - - (Y and GG: 7,600)

“I set a facedown card, and end my turn,” said Yae.

It has to be Ojama Trio again, thought Ren. If they attack another three Ojama Tokens, we lose. We have one last chance…

“Chelsea!” he said.

Chelsea was about to draw, but stopped.

“It’s all up to you…” he said. “We can still win, but neither of us can do it alone.

“Just keep us alive one more round, and show them the best you’ve got!”

Chelsea looked at Ren. She slowly drew a card.

Was that a suggestion? he thought. The most he could do without violating the rules?

Well, here goes nothing…

“Trap Card, activate,” said Yae.

“Her facedown card lifted, which was Ojama Trio again. The three Ojamas rematerialized on Chelsea’s side of the field. (0/1,000 x3)

Chelsea looked at her hand.

“I throw one card facedown,” she said, as a facedown card appeared. “Then, I play Book of Life. I’ll raise Vampire Lord from my Graveyard, and remove Nayuta from play.”

Magic Mirror Spirit – Nayuta fell out of Goe Goe’s discard slot, and Vampire Lord appeared on Chelsea’s side of the field. (2,000/1,500)

“Then, I remove my Vampire Lord from play, to summon Vampire Genesis.”

Vampire Lord vanished into grains of light, and the powerful vampire deity appeared. (3,000/2,100)

“And that’s all for me…”

“My move!” said Goe Goe, drawing a card. “And it’s time to end this…

“Dark God, attack her Vampire!”

Dark God’s single eye glowed again.

“Go, Trap Card!” shouted Chelsea. “I activate Trap of Darkness!”

Her facedown card lifted.

“Trap of Darkness can only be activated when I have 3,000 Life Points or less. Then, I can spend 1,000 of them to remove a Normal Trap in my Graveyard from play. Then, this Trap’s effect duplicates that of the removed Trap.”

A card slipped out of her discard slot.

“I choose to duplicate… Red Ghost Moon!”

She quickly discarded a Zombie Werewolf, and the Red Ghost Moon appeared again. The blast was halted dead in its tracks.

Goe Goe grunted in frustration.

“I end my turn!” he shouted.

“It’s all up to you now, Ren…” said Chelsea.

(R and C: 4,100) - - - - - - - - - - (Y and GG: 7,600)

“I draw!” shouted Ren.

“I play Premature Burial. So I’m bringing my Queen back…”

He glowed with an aura of red energy, and Crescent Moon Queen appeared again. (2,600/1,700)

“Next, I give her Fusion Sword Murasame Blade once again…”

The Sword appeared in the Queen’s hands again. (3,400/1,700)

“Now, I activate my own facedown card… Rising Energy. I toss one card…”

He discarded the card he just drew.

“And my Queen gets even stronger.”

(4,900/1,700)

“Wait a minute…” said Yae.

“And finally…” said Ren, taking the last card in his hand. “I play Gift of the Martyr! I sacrifice Vampire Genesis…”

Vampire Genesis vanished into grains of light.

“…and give his Attack Score to my Queen!”

(7,900/1,700)

“Seventy-nine-hundred Attack Points?!” shouted Goe Goe and Yae.

“That’s right,” said Ren. “And due to her own effect, my Queen can attack twice. Sure, your Dark God will survive…

“But it doesn’t really matter.

“Crescent Moon Queen, attack the Dark God!”

The Queen leapt up, and slammed her blade into the behemoth. The whole room shook, and the two Ninja screamed.

“Now… Take another swipe at it!”

Crescent Moon Queen struck at it a second time, and the two Ninja screamed again.

Yae collapsed on her knees, and started sobbing.

(R and C: 3,300) - - - - - - - - - - (Y and GG: 0)

The Monsters vanished, but Yae didn’t stop crying. Goe Goe hugged her gently.

“We’re doomed…” she cried.

“Oh, no,” said Yumi. “You two aren’t getting off that easily. You know the way out, and you’re gonna tell us, now.”

“Don’t hurt, us please,” sobbed Yae.

“Look, I’ll explain,” said Goe Goe. “We had no choice but to work for Daala. Our only other choice was to be sent to some demon king.”

“What?” asked Sam.

“Shogarr?” asked Yumi.

“We don’t know…” said Goe Goe. “See, the part about being thieves wanting to make a big score was true. In our home dimension, we belong to a clan that works kind of like Robin Hood did… Stealing from corrupt people in positions of power for the benefit of the impoverished. When we found ourselves stuck in Xanadu, we figured we should start doing the same thing. This place is full of corruption.

“But we stole something very, very valuable from Daala. We had no idea it was so valuable. We thought it was only a gemstone, but it was really a magical artifact of incredible power that could control the chaotic energies of the Abyss.

“We were caught quickly, and charged not with theft, but with treason. We didn’t know that what we did was so bad, but Daala said that ignorance was no excuse. After spending some time in prison, we were dragged out, thrown in the middle of the Burnt Paradise, and forced to face… Daala’s executioner…”

“Ruin…” whispered Chelsea.

“Yes…” said Goe Goe. “The most frightening experience of our lives. Our decks were not nearly as good as the one you saw, and we didn’t have a chance. But before she banished us, Daala stepped in. She gave us one chance.

“We simply had to stay in this temple, wait for you, and… Keep you occupied… She gave us those decks. We’ve spent most of our time here studying the cards and figuring out how they work.”

Yae was still quietly sobbing.

“We failed…” she sobbed. “We lost our only chance…”

“Show us the way out,” said Yumi. “And stay in this temple. Here’s the best we can promise you: If we are successful in our mission, the new government of Xanadu will grant you full asylum from anyone who was affected by the theft.”

Yae stopped crying. She looked at Goe Goe.

They nodded.

They put their hands together, and made an odd sign. A trapdoor in the floor opened up.

“One more thing you two,” said Yumi. “Before we go…”

She pointed to the case with the eleven Monster Cards.

“What are those for?”

“Well… We aren’t sure,” replied Yae. “We were told not to touch them, or the deal was off. But we did hear Daala say something about how this temple was supposed to be for a special duel of some sort.”

Yumi looked at the case again. She didn’t like just leaving, but they had already tried to break open that case. It was likely protected by magic.

“Let’s go, people,” said Yumi.

* * * * * * * * * *

In her throne room, Daala was getting a little concerned. She wondered why none of the Big Five had contacted her in the past hour.

Then Skull Knight ran in, quite out of breath.

“What’s going on?” shouted Daala. “What’s the status of the battle?”

“Lost,” gasped Skull Knight. “More or less…”

“What do you mean?” said Daala, getting off her throne. “The Angels of Entropy…”

“Were released too soon,” interrupted Skull Knight. “Thanks to the Elemental Heroes wiping out most of our forces with Gilford the Lightning. And Freed defeated them with a Dimensional Prison.

“And all your AI duelists realized that you intended to kill them as well. They’ve all surrendered to Freed. Freed is in the process of healing and regrouping. It won’t be long before the palace is besieged.

“And the Big Five all lost to Joan’s generals. Zane and the others have infiltrated the palace.”

A look of rage came across Joan’s face.

“Yumi!” she snarled. “Where is Yumi?”

“We lost track of her…” said Skull Knight. “Your handmaidens reported that she and her group killed their Dragon, so they clearly went through that area of the palace. But now, they could be anywhere…”

Daala paused.

“Go on ahead of me,” she said. “Remember the final plan.”

Skull Knight nodded. Then he vanished in a burst of shadow.

Daala gestured, and her iron scepter flew to her hand.

She threw the curtain aside.

“Bad news, Joan,” she said. “I have to crush your army now. I had hoped to lure Yumi to me with hopes of rescuing you… But I guess she’ll be just as willing to chase me if she’s on a revenge mission.”

She pointed the scepter at Joan…

“Dread Emperor…” she chanted. “I offer you the…”

“Stop right there, Daala!” screamed Yumi’s voice.

With an explosion, the door to the throne room flew open, and Yumi and her five friends rushed through.

Daala quickly tried to complete the spell. Then Chelsea gestured, and shot a blast of flame from her fingertips. Daala screamed in pain, and dropped the scepter.

She tried to pick it up, but Sam gestured, and the floor around Daala was covered with ice. She slipped and fell over.

Then Ren gestured, and the stone floor opened up, swallowing the scepter. It contracted, and crushed it.

“How do you like that?” asked Ren.

Daala snarled.

She waved her hand, and the chains holding Joan vanished. Joan started to collapse, but Daala caught her in a headlock.

“I like having a hostage!” she said.

Joan tried to struggle, but she was too weak. The Mask on her face prevented her from seeing or speaking, but she could still hear, and she knew what was happening. If she could have, she would have screamed to Yumi and the others that it was a trap, but she was helpless to do so.

“Well… Ain’t this a pretty picture?” said Daala. “If this was a movie and I was the villain, we’d be entering the scene now that’s universally called ‘the chase’.

“I would probably say something evil and dramatic like… ‘Don’t even think of following me, or she suffers the worst fate you can dream of!’ But you know something? I want you to follow me. If you didn’t, what fun would that be?”

Then she laughed, and both she and Joan turned into an orb of darkness. Then, they literally flew through the floor, leaving a big hole.

Yumi and the others ran up to it. A staircase going down had been revealed.

“Talk about a prima donna,” said Ren.

“You realize she’s leading us into something?” asked Sam.

“We don’t have much of a choice, Sam,” said Yumi.

They were about to follow, when Erik clutched his head.

“What?” asked Chelsea.

“A vision?” asked Sam.

“Yeah…” muttered Erik, “and a very clear one…

“Chaos Sorcerer!”

“That jerk?” asked Ren. “Well, if he’s down there, we’ll just beat his butt again…

“Come on!”

* * * * * * * * * *

Down, down, and down. They followed the very straight path down into the bowels of the castle.

“We’re getting closer,” said Yumi. “I can sense a powerful source of energy nearby.”

After what seemed a long time, they came to the portal that led to the Core. They took notice of the sign that said “No humans beyond this point”, but they didn’t care about it. They continued running…

But when they tried to enter the portal, they were thrown backwards.

“What happened?” asked Sam.

“Can you not read?” asked a sinister, inhuman voice. “The sign clearly says, ‘No humans beyond this point’.”

Everyone slowly turned to see a pair of glowing, white eyes in a dark alcove.

The creature came slowly into view. It was vaguely feminine, with blue skin, a hairless head, and pointed ears. Her clothing looked like it had been issued from a torture chamber, and half of her torso was eaten away, revealing metallic rib bones underneath. She carried a broken, demonic-looking infant doll in her arms.

“Dark Necrofear…” gasped Yumi.

“Behind that portal lies the true Core of Xanadu,” said Dark Necrofear. (Her lips didn’t move – she was likely speaking telepathically.) “The source of all power in this dimension. It is a sacred place, where humans simply are not allowed.”

Yumi lifted her Disk. The demon chuckled.

“Well, I’ll certainly duel you if you like,” she said. “But even if you defeat me, and you won’t, the portal still won’t let you in. The will of Shogarr enforces this rule, not me.”

“There must be some way in,” growled Sam, clenching her fist.

Dark Necrofear smirked.

“The only way humans may enter is if they are no longer human,” she replied. “But there is one way that will be possible, at least for you five… I notice you have sampled the Devil’s Fruit. And I am the one who controls the Fruit’s power in this world. Would you like me to awaken its true power within you?”

“True power?” asked Yumi.

She didn’t like the sound of that.

“Devil’s Fruit contains not devils,” said Dark Necrofear, “but the spark from which Duel Spirits are created. If the fruit is eaten by humans, that spark can merge with the one whom has eaten it with the right surge In other words, I can transform humans who have eaten it into Duel Spirits, if I have their permission.

“Then you could easily use that portal and deal with Daala any way you like.”

The five humans looked a little scared.

“Can you change them back?” asked Chelsea.

“Don’t know,” said Dark Necrofear. “No one has ever asked me.”

“I don’t trust this creature,” said Ren. “How do we know she won’t turn us into Kuribohs?”

“I usually do not choose the specific Spirit,” said Dark Necrofear. “To do that would require a ritual that takes hours to complete. If you have time, you could choose the Spirit yourself.”

“We don’t have hours to do it for all five of us,” said Sam. “Or even one of us.”

“In that case,” said Dark Necrofear, “I can do it instantly, but in that case, the choice is dictated by the recipient’s dreams and subconscious desires. But I can at least guarantee a humanoid form.”

“Look everyone,” said Yumi. “I don’t trust this Fiend either. After all, she was used by someone who gave my grandfather a hard time…”

Dark Necrofear chuckled.

“The dark spirit that possessed Bakura?” she asked. “I found him quite amusing. True, he used my card, but he had no idea what he was truly using.”

“I have to go into that portal,” said Yumi. “If any of you want to turn back, it’s okay. Daala invited me here alone at the start of this mess, after all.”

There was a pause.

“I’m going with you,” said Ren.

“If you are going, I am going,” said Chelsea.

“Eh, why not,” asked Sam. “It wouldn’t be any riskier than what we’ve already done.”

“Count me in too,” said Erik.

Yumi looked at the Fiend.

“Do it,” she said.

“Then I guess the decision is made…” said Dark Necrofear.

Her eyes started to glow. Yumi and her friends screamed as a terrible pain shot through their heads.

“So then,” said the demon, with a sinister smile. “You five will surrender your humanity so you may face Daala…

“Pray that you don’t regret it later…”

At that, Yumi and her four friends collapsed, out cold.

A transformation started to occur…



SILVER SPIRIT – SAKYO (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Fiend/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 4
ATK: 600
DEF: 800

Card Description: When this card is Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned, you may Special Summon one “Silver Spirit – Ukyo” from your Graveyard.



SILVER SPIRIT – UKYO (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Fiend/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 4
ATK: 800
DEF: 600

Card Description: When this card is Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned, you may Special Summon one “Silver Spirit – Sakyo” from your Graveyard.



MAGIC MIRROR SPIRIT – NAYUTA (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Fiend/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 6
ATK: 2,600
DEF: 1,400

Card Description: When this card is Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned, you may Special Summon one “Magic Mirror Spirit – Asogi” from your Graveyard.



MAGIC MIRROR SPIRIT – ASOGI (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Fiend/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 6
ATK: 1,500
DEF: 2,500

Card Description: When this card is Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned, you may Special Summon one “Magic Mirror Spirit – Nayuta” from your Graveyard.



DARK GOD (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Fiend/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 10
ATK: 3,000
DEF: 1,000

Card Description: This card cannot be destroyed by battle. This card cannot attack your opponent directly. When this card destroys an opposing Monster as a result of battle, inflict 700 points of direct damage to your opponent’s Life Points.

Note: In the English dub, this card was called “The Dark Creator”. I have referred to it by its original name here to avoid confusion with the real card with that name.



FULL MOON MIRROR (Spell Card)

Continuous Spell

Image: A mirror without a reflective glass covered with closed eyes; over this is a cloaked demon holding a glass mirror.

Card Description: When a Monster is destroyed, place one “Full Moon Counter” on this card (max. 10). You may send this card with ten “Full Moon Counters” on it to the Graveyard to activate an “Infinite Fiend Mirror” from your hand or deck.



INFINITE FIEND MIRROR (Spell Card)

Field Spell

Image: The image on this card was not shown.

Card Description: This card can only be activated via the effect of “Full Moon Mirror”. If a “Dark God” is face-up on the field, the controller of the “Dark God” must summon a “Dark God Token” on every available space on his/her Monster Zone. “Dark God Tokens” have the same ATK, DEF, Level, Type, Attribute, and effects as “Dark God”. If a “Dark God” is destroyed, all “Dark God Tokens” summoned by this effect are destroyed.



MIRROR CALL (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: A cloaked figure in a silvery flame.

Card Description: Activate only if you have a “Silver Spirit – Sakyo” and a “Silver Spirit – Ukyo” face-up on your side of the field. Select one Trap Card in your Graveyard and add it to your hand.



MIRROR BIND (Trap Card)

Normal Trap

Image: Silver Spirit – Sakyo and Silver Spirit – Ukyo fighting between two panes of glass.

Card Description: Activate only if you have a “Silver Spirit – Sakyo” and a “Silver Spirit – Ukyo” face-up on your side of the field and your opponent declares an attack. Destroy the attacking and Monster and one other face-up opposing Monster with a lower ATK than the attacking Monster.



MIRROR TRAP (Trap Card)

Normal Trap

Image: A very nervous frog surrounded by mirrors.

Card Description: During the turn this card is activated, select one Normal Trap Card from your Graveyard and set it in your Spell/Trap Zone. You may activate the selected Trap Card this turn.



BURIED SOUL TALISMAN (Trap Card)

Normal Trap

Image: A skeletal zombie with a burning talisman on its forehead.

Card Description: Activate this card during a turn when two of your Monsters are destroyed as a result of battle. Destroy the Monster(s) that attacked your Monsters. Then, Special Summon a Level Five or higher Monster from your hand.



SOUL MIRROR (Trap Card)

Normal Trap

Image: A hand mirror surrounded by flames, with a fiendish face in the glass.

Card Description: Send one card on your side of the field to the Graveyard. Special Summon one Monster from your Graveyard.

Note: The proceeding twelve cards were first used by Sarina in the multi-part “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “Mirror, Mirror”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



Lords of Chaos

The Dark Side of Nature; Nocticula the Witch Queen

Members of the Wicca faith hate to be confused with followers of Nocticula. This demon queen is the primary reason that Wicca gets the bad rap it often does. Practitioners of Wicca and cults that follow the Witch Queen both worship nature, but the similarities end there.

More than a little mad, this demon may have once been a succubus, and she believed early on that a woman’s emphatic mind and bodily cycles held the key to understanding the natural world. Her cults started slowly, and by leading mortals to the knowledge of mind-altering and hallucinogenic properties of certain plants and fungi, she created a widespread cult who specialized in the use of psychedelic drugs, both for pleasure of their own, and to make a good profit. Such things were always highly sought after.

As she got stronger, Nocticula set herself up as a protector of women, of which there were not many in those times. If a woman was abused by a husband, or was the victim of infidelity, some might tell her there was someone whom she could pray to who would answer. If she took this action, the abusive or unfaithful spouse might find himself the target of a succubus temptress sent by the Witch Queen to seduce him and then slay him in a deadly embrace. Once that was done, the succubus usually tried to convert the woman into the cult (assuming she was not already a member) and was usually successful. Scorned women were not her only recruits – sympathetic men sometimes joined, even though females outnumbered them, and more than one large-scale opium dealer secretly carried the symbol of Nocticula on his person.

One might think that Nocticula would have grown stronger in the modern age, but this was not the case. As it happened with most demon lords, her cults were opposed by heroic warriors, and fighting was not the skill that her worshippers were best at. Even worse, conflicts between the more powerful cults and the Wind Dukes often resulted in a disaster for the Witch Queen’s side, as the Vaati are impervious to poisons and toxins, the principle weapon of this type of cult.

Drugs and hallucinogens are still a vital concern in every culture, but few who use them and fewer who deal in them ever consider paying tribute to some demon lord. The drug trade is an illicit business to those who engage in it now, not a religion. Women who are the victims of abuse or infidelity now have better ways of dealing with it than selling their souls to an even greater evil. Cults of Nocticula still exist in secluded areas, grim parodies of the groups formed by Wicca and other pagan religions that worship the natural world, but they are nowhere near as powerful as they used to be.

Clearly, Nocticula is a demon lord in decline, and it may be only a matter of time before the Vaati decide to eliminate her for good.



You all likely want to find out what the outcome of Dark Necrofear’s spell will be on our heroes. Sorry, but I’ve left this part of the story on that little thing called a “cliffhanger”. You all will have to wait.

Next chapter, we leave Yumi for now, and go to the real world, where Nicholas struggles to save Domino by confronting the general of Daala’s invasion force, a member of the Dread Council itself. Can even the power of the True Master defeat this incredible force of Chaos? “The Other Side” is coming next.

[Shuppet Master]

Sorry about not replying again, I couldn't use the Internet on my computer for a long tme. Anyways, great chapter, and I can't wait to see what Duel Monsters the kids turn into. I hope it doesn't affect them permanently, though.

By the way, Brian, check your PM.

[Dark Sage]

The two Duel Spirits whom we roughed up claimed that the general of their invasion force was Freed. I refused to believe them, thinking it had to be lie. I knew that a noble Duel Spirit like Freed the Matchless General would never work for Daala.

It seems I have to apologize to them. They were not lying. There is apparently another Duel Spirit named Freed. In fact, there seems to be another Duel Spirit named Freed who happens to be a general.

However, the general I’m now facing leads a demonic army, and serves a nation where Chaos is the ruler. He’s the opposite of the noble soul that Freed is supposed to be.

I’m up against pure Evil… If ever I needed the new card in my deck, now was the time.

CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT



The Other Side

Kaibaland.

While Olga kept an eye on the Crass Clown and Dream Clown who had led them here, Nicholas looked in the small opening he had made in the fire escape door of the large stadium.

Sure enough, the place had been turned into a temporary base for Duel Spirits. Several of them were here, most of them strong Level Four Monsters. There were Blindly Loyal Goblins, Battle Oxes, Dark Assailants, Snake Hairs, and various other scary things. The one in charge – at the moment – seemed to be a Vorse Raider who was standing guard over what seemed to be a group of prisoners.

Nicholas took notice of the prisoners. They were duelists, most of them teenagers, who were shackled by their wrists and waists with heavy chains. Nicholas got angry just looking at them.

“Where’s this general?” he said to the Clowns with a scowl.

The Clowns shrugged.

“Dunno,” said Dream Clown. “He’s the one in charge, you know… He does what he wants…”

Then they heard angry cursing. He looked again, and saw a Tiger Axe and a Wolf Axwielder drag two more teenagers in, a boy and a girl. The girl was trying to fight, but the Tiger Axe who was holding her was far too strong.

The Vorse Raider held up a card – it appeared to be Shadow Spell – and a set of chains appeared, latching onto the boy. This made the girl scream even more. Then the Vorse Raider held up the card again, and she got a set of her own.

Nicholas couldn’t take it anymore, and neither could Olga. They kicked in the door and stormed in.

“That’s enough, you barbarian!” shouted Olga. “Why don’t you pick on someone your own size?”

The Vorse Raider turned and saw them. Then he smiled.

“That would certainly not be you, human,” he replied.

The rest of the Monsters laughed, as everyone saw that it was true. He was a head taller than Olga was.

“You’re gonna let these kids go right now…” threatened Olga, “or I’ll…”

“You’ll what?” asked the Beast-Warrior. “You think you can just barge into our base and make demands?

“Just how did the two of you intend to stop all of us? With your good looks?”

The Duel Spirits laughed again.

“In fact,” said the Vorse Raider, “once our general finds out…”

“Where is your general?” interrupted Nicholas. “I want a word with him.”

“He won’t be bothered with worms like you,” said the Vorse Raider. “We’ll handle you ourselves…”

The Monsters surrounded the two duelists as he activated his Disk. Olga frowned and activated hers…

* * * * * * * * * *

Five minutes later…

The Vorse Raider stepped back in shock as Tualatin appeared, blowing his Legendary Fiend, Lesser Fiend, and Beast of Talwar to pieces.

“Who’s laughing now?” asked Olga, drawing a card. “Tualatin, take him down!”

Tualatin blasted its energy triangle, and the Beast-Warrior screamed as his Life Points fell to zero.

He dissolved into grains of light.

“All right!” shouted Nicholas. “Who’s next? Who wants to see just how tough a couple of ‘worms’ are?”

“I believe that honor belongs to me…” said an ominous voice from above.

The Duel Spirits stepped back, and Nicholas and Olga looked up, as a dark figure started to descend from the stadium seats. Clearly, he had been watching the whole time.

If you saw this Duel Spirit in very bad light, you might have mistaken him for Freed the Matchless General. His armor was the same style, more or less, and he had the same hair style and moustache…

But his armor was jet black, like that of some dark knight, and his skin was an ebony hue. His hands looked more like claws, and his eyes burned like fiery embers.

Nicholas looked at him nervously…

“Who?” he asked. “You can’t be Freed…”

The Spirit smiled. It was a very unpleasant smile.

“Not quite…” he replied.

“You ever hear about how nature abhors imbalance, human? Whenever a powerful force exists for one philosophy, the opposing philosophy evens it out with a powerful force of its own.

“In the worlds of Duel Monsters, there are several powerful Spirits dedicated to Order and Good. The Dread Council was the response to this on the side of Chaos.

“I am the opposite of Freed… I am… Dark General Freed. The strategist and tactician of the armies of Xanadu, and a member of the Dread Council.”

Dread Council? thought Nicholas. As in Dread Emperor? Is this guy connected to that demon lord that’s after Yumi?

The Dark Warrior held up his left arm, and a Battle Ox quickly attached a Duel Disk to his gauntlet. It was made of black iron, and had sharp spokes between the slots on the tray.

“I’ve heard reports that you two troublemakers have been taking down my best men since my army arrived,” said the General. “And now that you’ve had the gall to invade our base, I’ll just have to deal with you myself… I might even enjoy this…”

“Bring it,” said Nicholas. “That was my idea all along…”

The two Disks activated.

“Game on!” they both shouted.

(Nicholas: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Dark Freed: 8,000)

“Feel free to make the first move,” said the General. “I doubt it matters. I haven’t lost a duel since the beginning of my career, and I don’t intend to. I’m preparing for my confrontation with my true enemy.”

“That would be the real Freed, right?” asked Nicholas.

Dark Freed nodded.

“By defeating the original, I would gain the power he has accumulated over the years,” said the General. “For once, the power would tip towards the side of Chaos.”

“I thought you said that nature abhors imbalance,” said Nicholas.

“And I’m glad it didn’t when it created me,” replied Freed. “But I really don’t care if it abhors me causing it again. It was foolish to think we would preserve its idea.”

Nicholas drew a card.

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

“That all?” asked the General. “I expected a little more.”

He made his first draw.

“I’ll start by playing the Spell Card, Lightning Crash.”

“Lighting Vortex?” asked Nicholas, confused. He certainly had no face-up Monsters on the field.

“No, Lightning Crash,” replied the General. “This lets me search my deck for any Thunder-Type Monster I desire.”

The Spell Card materialized on his side of the field. He took his deck and chose a card from it.

“The catch is, I can’t use it until next turn. Then, I’ll set a Monster of my own, and end my turn.”

A facedown Monster appeared on his side of the field.

Nicholas drew a card.

“First, I play the Spell Card, The Six Samurai United,” he said.

The Continuous Spell Card appeared.

“Then, I summon Six Samurai – Irou!”

In a dark shadow, the blindfolded Samurai appeared, holding his katana. (1,700/1,200)

“Attack his Monster!” ordered Nicholas.

Irou leapt at the facedown card. A small frog with wings on its back appeared on it, and was cut down.

“A Treeborn Frog?” gasped Nicholas.

“That’s trouble…” muttered Olga.

Nicholas looked at his hand.

“I set a facedown card,” he said, “and then play the Field Spell, Shien’s Castle of Mist.”

A facedown card appeared, and then the whole stadium faded away, and was replaced by the dark castle courtyard, with the large shiro behind Nicholas.

“And I end my turn…”

Dark Freed drew a card.

“Since I have no Spells or Traps on the field,” he said, “my Treeborn Frog comes back from the Graveyard.”

In a burst of energy, Treeborn Frog appeared. (100/100)

“Next, I sacrifice it…”

Treeborn Frog vanished.

“To summon Zaborg the Thunder Monarch.”

In an explosion of electrical energy, the exotically-garbed giant with the large electric orb for a cranium appeared. Electricity crackled around it. (2,400/1,000)

A Monarch Deck… thought Nicholas. Wonderful…

“Now, I activate Zaborg’s effect,” continued the General. “I think I’ll destroy your facedown Monster.”

Lightning struck the facedown Monster. Chamberlain of the Six Samurai was blown to pieces.

“Don’t forget,” said Nicholas, “in this Field, Monsters lose 500 Attack Points when they attack one of the Six Samurai.”

“My Monarch is still strong enough to beat him,” replied the General. “Zaborg, attack. Lightning strike.”

Zaborg threw up his arms, and blasted a bolt of lightning at Irou, his Attack Score falling to 1,900. The Samurai screamed and was reduced to dust.

“Yeah!” shouted a Goblin. “Burn him!”

“Torch him!” laughed a Swordstalker.

“Hit him with a rock!” shouted a Mountain Warrior.

We don’t seem to have much of a cheering section, thought Olga, looking at the tied up prisoners, who were watching quietly. They’re apparently too scared to shout any support for Nicholas.

(N: 7,800) - - - - - - - - - - (DF: 8,000)

“My move…” said Nicholas.

He drew a card.

“I summon Zanji!”

In a blast of light, the radiant Samurai holding his naginata appeared. (1,800/1,300)

“Since two Samurai have been summoned since I played my United card, I can ditch it to draw two cards.”

The Spell Card vanished, and he made two draws. He looked at them, and added them to his hand.

“Now, I’m going to cut your Monarch down to size, with the Spell Card, Shrink!”

He played the card, and Zaborg was reduced to half his size, and an Attack Score of 1,200.

“Zanji, attack! Rising Sun Strike!”

Zanji slashed with his weapon, and the Thunder Monarch exploded into a blast of sparks.

(N: 7,800) - - - - - - - - - - (DF: 7,400)

“Not bad…” said Dark Freed. “You destroyed one of my Monarchs… But there’s more where he came from…”

He drew a card.

“I raise Treeborn Frog from the Graveyard again…”

Treeborn Frog appeared again. (100/100)

“Now, I set two facedown cards.”

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

“Next, I sacrifice my Frog a second time…”

Treeborn Frog vanished again.

“For Mobius the Frost Monarch.”

A blast of chilling wind blew over Shien’s Castle, as another of the Monarchs, this one a giant sculpted out of pure ice wearing a cape, appeared. (2,400/1,000)

“With his arrival, I can destroy up to two Spell or Trap Cards. I could destroy your two cards…

“But… I think I’m going to destroy my own.”

The two facedown cards he had just set iced over and shattered.

“You’re likely wondering why I did that…”

Then two large frightening forms appeared to either side of Mobius. They looked like large serpents with claws wearing tutan masks. (1,000/1,000)

“Statue of the Wicked,” muttered Nicholas. “Smart…”

“Mobius, attack his Monster,” commanded Dark Freed. “Blizzard blight.”

Mobius breathed a cone of frost at Zanji, and its Attack Score fell to 1,900 again. Zanji froze solid, and then shattered,

“Now, my two Wicked Tokens attack you directly.”

The two Fiends exhaled blasts of flame from their jaws, and Nicholas screamed as he was hit by them.

(N: 5,700) - - - - - - - - - - (DF: 7,400)

Man… thought Nicholas. Monarch Decks are among the strongest in the business… And with that Trap Card trick, he put a new spin on it. I gotta think of something fast…

“My move…” he muttered.

He made a draw.

“I play… Premature Burial,” he said. “I’ll give up 800 points to bring Zanji back from the Graveyard.”

He glowed with a red aura as Zanji appeared again. (1,800/1,300)

“Next, I summon Six Samurai – Nisashi!”

In a gust of wind, the armored, double-blade wielding Samurai appeared. (1,400/700)

“Next,” said Nicholas, taking a card from his hand, “I play Enemy Controller…”

He played the card, and the large video game control pad appeared over the field.

“Go! Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, and Start! Move Mobius to Defense Mode!”

Mobius knelt and shielded itself in Defense Position.

“Now Nisashi attacks, and since I have another Samurai on the field, he can attack twice. Go, Strike of the Driving Gale!”

Nisashi flew at the first Wicked Token, and with one slash of his sword, cut it in half. Then he made a second slash, and Mobius was blasted into ice cubes.

“Zanji, destroy the other Token!”

Zanji made a stab with his naginata, and the second Wicked Token exploded.

“Ergh…” groaned the General.

(N: 4,900) - - - - - - - - - - (DF: 6,200)

“Well…” said Dark Freed. “Seems I underestimated you slightly… But only slightly…”

“It’s your move…” said Nicholas.

The General drew a card.

Not bad, he thought, looking at the Spell Card. I can do some damage with this…

“I bring back my Frog again,” he said. “In Attack Mode.”

Treeborn Frog appeared again. (100/100)

“Next, I play the Spell Card, Creature Swap.”

The Spell Card appeared on his side of the field.

“Not so fast!” shouted Nicholas.

His facedown card lifted, revealing a Quickplay Spell.

“I activate Cunning of the Six Samurai. “This lets me send a Samurai to the Graveyard to Special Summon one from it.

“So I send Nisashi to the Graveyard…”

Nisashi vanished into grains of light.

“…and summon my Chamberlain in Attack Mode.”

In a flash of light, the cybernetically enhanced Warrior holding a katana appeared, standing up. (200/2000)

“Huh?” said Dark Freed.

“In response to your Creature Swap,” said Nicholas, “you can have him.”

The General scowled, as the Chamberlain and Treeborn Frog switched places.

“200 Attack Points is better than 100,” said the General. “Attack the Frog.”

Chamberlain made a slash with the katana, and Treeborn Frog was cut in half.

“It’s your move…”

(N: 4,800) - - - - - - - - - - (DF: 6,200)

Hang in there, Nicholas… thought Olga. So much is riding on this duel…

“I draw,” said Nicholas, drawing a card.

“Then I attack with Zanji!”

Zanji charged at the Chamberlain, and his Attack Score fell to 1,300. He made a swipe, and the Chamberlain shattered into shards. The General grit his teeth.

(N: 4,800) - - - - - - - - - - (DF: 5,100)

“That’s all for me…” said Nicholas.

The General drew a card, and looked at it.

“First, I set a facedown card,” he said, as a reversed card appeared. “Then, I’m going to do us both a favor. I activate Coins From Heaven.”

The Spell Card appeared, and the sky above the Castle lit up, and coins fell from the sky. He drew three cards, while Nicholas got the better deal out of it with four.

“Next, I play a second facedown card,” he said, as a facedown card appeared. “Then I activate this one…”

The facedown Spell Card he had just set lifted up.

“I play Soul Exchange. I have to skip my Battle Phase this round, but I get to summon a Monster by sacrificing yours.”

Nicholas frowned as Zanji vanished into grains of light.

“I summon Granmarg the Rock Monarch,” continued Dark Freed.

In a burst of dirt and dust, the hulking giant made entirely of stone with a blue cape appeared. (2,400/1,000)

“By summoning this Monarch, I get to destroy one facedown card.”

“Sorry, General,” said Nicholas, with a chuckle. “I don’t have any. You’re gonna have to destroy your own.”

“That was the idea,” said the General.

Granmarg punched the facedown card he had just set, smashing it to pieces.

“The facedown card I just destroyed is called Dormant Volcano. Like Statue of the Wicked, it must be destroyed for it to be activated. When that happens, you get burned for 300 points of damage.”

“Huh?” said Nicholas.

Then he screamed as an explosion of fire surrounded him.

He gasped for breath.

“I’m guessing you have Dark Coffin in that deck somewhere too…” he muttered.

“That is for me to know and you to find out,” said Dark Freed. “You see, human, there are differences between a good duelist and a great duelist. A great duelist looks at every little detail. He sees every possibility towards using his cards’ effects. Anyone can use Mobius or Granmarg to destroy their opponent’s cards, but you can benefit from that effect in so many other ways, if you look hard enough.

“Anyway, Dormant Volcano has another effect as well, but we’ll have to wait until my next turn for that to happen. In the meantime, I’ll end this turn.”

(N: 4,500) - - - - - - - - - - (DF: 5,100)

Nicholas drew a card.

He looked hard at the seven cards in his hand.

“I set a Monster, and a facedown card,” he said, “and I end my turn.”

A facedown card and a facedown Monster appeared.

The General quickly made a draw.

“Now that it’s my turn again,” he said, taking his deck from the holder, “the other effect of Dormant Volcano activates, and both players may search their decks for any Fire-Attribute Monster they desire.”

“Really?” said Nicholas, taking his deck.

“Then I choose this guy.”

He held Six Samurai – Kamon forward.

“He’s pathetic compared to Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch,” said the General, taking a card from his own deck.

“Now, I bring my Treeborn Frog back once more.”

“Not again…” said Olga.

The Frog appeared again. (100/100)

“Now I sacrifice it to summon Thestalos.”

The Frog vanished again, and in a burst of flames, the fiery giant in plate armor with burning hands appeared. (2,400/1,000)

Two Monarchs at once? thought Olga. This is too much!

“Now, one card in your hand is destroyed,” continued the General.

The images of six cards appeared in front of Nicholas, their backs to Dark Freed. Thestalos threw a fireball at one of them. It turned, revealing itself to be Yariza, before it was burned to ashes.

“Since that was a Level Three Monster, you lose 300 Life Points.”

Nicholas groaned as a fiery aura surrounded him.

“All right!” said the General, getting excited for the first time. “Granmarg, smash his Monster! Monolith smash!”

Granmarg lumbered forward, towards the facedown Monster. Shien’s Footsoldier appeared on the card, and was crushed.

“I use my Footsoldier’s effect!” shouted Nicholas. “I summon Yaichi from my deck!”

In a burst of watery energy, the Samurai archer appeared, kneeling in Defense Mode. (1,300/800)

“Thestalos, attack!” shouted the General. “Fire blaze!”

Thestalos threw a burning bolt of flame at Yaichi.

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

His facedown card flipped up, and a forcefield materialized around his whole side of the field. The flames glanced off it.

“I place three reversed cards,” said the General, as three facedown cards appeared. “Then, I play the Spell Card, Fiend’s Sanctuary.”

The Spell Card appeared, and a Metal Fiend Token materialized on his side of the field.

“Finally,” he said, playing his last card, “I activate Mirage of Nightmare.”

The infamous Mirage card appeared.

“And I end my turn.”

“Didn’t miss a beat…” mumbled Nicholas.

(N: 4,200) - - - - - - - - - - (DF: 5,100)

He drew a card.

“Thanks to my Mirage card, I now get to draw four times,” said the General.

He made four draws.

“Then, I activate Emergency Provisions, to dispose of Mirage of Nightmare.”

One of his facedown cards flipped up, and a large set of fanged jaws appeared, devouring the Mirage card. Nicholas flinched a little.

Nicholas looked at the cards in his hand.

“I move Yaichi to Attack Mode,” he said.

Yaichi stood up, and aimed his bow.

“Then, I summon Kamon.”

He played the card, and in a burst of fire, the Samurai armed to the teeth with explosives appeared. (1,500/1,000)

“Now, I activate Yaichi’s effect,” continued Nicholas. “If I forfeit his attack, he can destroy one facedown Spell or Trap Card.

“Yaichi, the one on the left!”

Yaichi fired an arrow from his bow, and the facedown card.

“Chain!” shouted the General. “Jar of Greed!”

The red, grinning vase appeared in front of him, and he drew one card.

“Next,” said Nicholas, playing another card, “I can Special Summon Grandmaster of the Six Samurai.”

In a burst of energy, the elderly Grandmaster appeared. (2,100/800)

“And then, I can Special Summon Great Shogun Shien!”

An inferno erupted on Nicholas’s side of the field, and in a flourish, the mighty Shogun stepped out of it. He dramatically drew his katana, and uttered a battlecry. (2,500/2,400)

For the first time, Dark Freed looked a little nervous.

“Okay…” he muttered. “Nothing I can’t handle…”

“Now, I play The A. Forces!” exclaimed Nicholas, as a Continuous Spell Card appeared. “This Spell Card…”

“I know what it does!” interrupted Freed. “I’m a Warrior Spirit myself, in case you didn’t notice. You don’t need to tell me what a Warrior Support card does!”

“So what does it do, boss?” asked a Bio Plant.

Then the Attack Scores of all four of Nicholas’s Warriors went up. Yaichi went up to 2,100, Kamon to 2,300, Grandmaster to 2,900, and Shien to 3,300.

“Oh, I see…”

Dark Freed growled…

“Grandmaster,” ordered Nicholas, “destroy Granmarg!”

The Grandmaster lifted his longsword, and leapt at the huge giant. There was a sound like steel against stone, and the Rock Monarch shuddered as cracks formed all over its hide. Then it burst into a pile of inert stones.

“Shien, attack Thestalos! Sword of burning pride!”

Great Shogun Shien dashed across the field, leaving a trail of flames in his wake. The Firestorm Monarch screamed as he made a swipe with his blade, and then it burst into an explosion of soot and smoke.

(N: 4,200) - - - - - - - - - - (DF: 4,700)

“Yeah!” cheered a voice. “Get him! You can beat this creep!”

Nicholas turned to see who it was. It was one of the prisoners, the girl who had most recently been brought in. Somehow, she had found the courage to cheer for Nicholas.

Then she yelped as a Battle Steer spanked her on the buttocks with the blunt of his trident.

“Be quiet!” he warned. “Or I’ll use the prongs next time!”

“Never mind them!” ordered Dark Freed. “This human just got on my bad side… I’ve never seen a human duelist with skill like this…

“Who are you, anyway? What sort of name do you have?”

“You can call me Nicholas,” replied Nicholas.

The General’s eyes opened wide.

“Nicholas Algernon?” he asked. “As in, Yumi Mouto’s boyfriend?”

“You’ve heard of me?” asked Nicholas.

Dark Freed chuckled.

“Daala told me to be on the lookout for you,” said the general. “She said you might be useful as a hostage in the final stages of her plan… Seems I lucked out…

“Of course, I didn’t expect you to be so good with a Disk. But… You and these Samurai… This is a challenge I can finally sink my teeth into…”

He grinned broadly, showing small fangs.

“It’s your move,” said Nicholas. “And with Shien on the field, you’re only allowed to use one Spell or Trap Card per turn.”

Dark Freed drew a card.

“I don’t even need one to dispose of him,” he replied. “I pay 1,000 Life Points to keep my Metal Fiend Token.

“Then I sacrifice it…”

The Token vanished.

“…to summon Raiza the Storm Monarch!”

A fierce wind blew through the Castle of Mists, and yet another Monarch appeared. This one had green armor, a green cape, and a helmet of a bird-like design. (2,400/1,000)

“They say Raiza is the most powerful Monarch, and with good reason,” said the General. “When it’s summoned, I can send any card on the field to the top of the owner’s deck.”

An even fiercer wind started to blow, and Shien shielded himself. Then he vanished.

“You can’t possibly destroy more than one of my Samurai,” replied Nicholas. “You’ve already summoned for this round. That means I’ll be able to summon him again next round.”

“Not when I have this,” replied the General, as his facedown card lifted up. “It’s a Trap called Simultaneous Loss. Now, we each send the top card on our decks to the Graveyard.”

“You’re not gonna get away with this…” grumbled Nicholas, as he discarded Shien.

The General took the top card from his deck and looked at it. He smirked, and then discarded it.

“Now that he’s gone,” he said, taking another card in his hand, “I play Heavy Storm!”

An even more ferocious windstorm erupted over the field. The three Samurai braced themselves as The A. Forces was blown to bits, and Shien’s Castle was reduced to a pile of rubble. The scene returned to the stadium.

“Raiza,” commanded the General, “destroy Samurai Yaichi with foul winds!”

Raiza’s eyes glowed, and a chilling gale started to blow in Yaichi’s direction…

“Kamon!” shouted Nicholas. “Defend Yaichi!”

Kamon threw himself in the path of the vile wind, and he shattered into bits.

“I used the effect that all the Samurai share,” muttered Nicholas. “When one of them would be destroyed, another one can take the fall for him.”

“Indeed,” said the General. “I have no Spells or Traps on the field again, so I summon Treeborn Frog in Defense Mode.”

Treeborn Frog appeared, crouching in Defense. (100/100)

“Finally,” he said, holding up another card, “I play the Spell Card, The Shallow Grave. Now, we each must each Special Summon a Monster in facedown Defense Mode.”

The Spell Card appeared, and a facedown Monster appeared. Another one appeared on Nicholas’s side of the field.

“I’ll set two cards facedown, and end my turn.”

He played two cards, and two facedown cards appeared.

“It’s your move…”

(N: 3,100) - - - - - - - - - - (DF: 3,700)

Nicholas drew a card.

Just who I needed, he thought.

“Yaichi, destroy the facedown card on the left again!”

Yaichi fired his bow, and skewered the facedown card, which was revealed to be Mirror Force. The general growled.

“Now I summon… Hand of the Six Samurai!”

A smaller fire appeared on his side of the field, and two feminine eyes appeared in it…

When the fire died down, the Monster that appeared was a comely female, dressed in a long, silken robe, with a shawl covering her head. She carried a sharp dagger. She looked at Dark Freed and Raiza with a look that suggested she was upset… Maybe even a little pissed.

“Now, I don’t know what you’re planning to do with that facedown Monster,” he continued, as his own facedown Monster started to turn upright, “but it’s not gonna work. I Flip-Summon… Irou!”

In a flash, the blindfolded, katana-wielding Samurai appeared again. (1,700/1,200)

“Eh?” asked Dark Freed. “You didn’t bring back Shien?”

“Irou is better in this situation,” said Nicholas. “When Irou attacks a Monster that’s in facedown Defense Mode, and I have another Samurai on the field, that Monster is automatically destroyed, and its effect is negated.”

Dark Freed growled again.

“Irou, attack his mystery Monster!” shouted Nicholas. “Setting Sun Strike!”

Irou charged at the facedown Monster.

“I had hoped to use this on Shien,” growled the General, “but you leave me no choice…”

His facedown card lifted.

“Activate, Draining Shield!”

A shimmering plane of force appeared in front of the facedown card. Irou’s sword slammed into it, and energy flowed into the evil General.

Nicholas paused for a second.

I can’t waste the Hand’s effect on that facedown Monster… he thought. I have to use her for Raiza… And I can’t sacrifice Irou too, he’s too valuable.

Oh well… He didn’t have any Flip-Effect Monsters in his Graveyard anyway…

“Hand, take out that Frog!” shouted Nicholas. “Stabbing hand!”

The Hand dove at Treeborn Frog, slashing with her dagger, and blowing it to shards.

“Next, my Grandmaster is going to handle your mystery Monster…”

Grandmaster leapt at the facedown Monster. A large, wrinkled orb appeared on the card and exploded into a cloud of green gas.

Nicholas started to choke.

“A Giant Germ?” he gasped. “When the heck was that in your Graveyard?”

“I discarded it when I played Simultaneous Loss,” said Freed. “At first I wasn’t going to use The Shallow Grave, because I figured you might use it to bring back Shien. But the chance was too good to pass up.

“So you lose 500 Life Points, and I get to summon two more Germs.”

Two more Giant Germs appeared. (1,000/100 x2)

(N: 2,600) - - - - - - - - - - (DF: 5,400)

“Seems you’re only hurting yourself…” said the General.

“Yeah?” asked Nicholas, “well, here’s something that’s gonna hurt you… I activate the Hand’s effect. When she’s on the field with another Six Samurai Monster, I can sacrifice one of them to destroy a Monster. So, I’ll sacrifice the Hand herself to destroy your Storm Monarch!”

The Hand vanished into grains of light. Then she appeared behind Raiza in spiritual form. She drove her dagger between the huge creature’s shoulder blades, and it screamed. It collapsed, and then shattered into pixels.

Dark Freed glared at Nicholas again.

“My move…” he growled.



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



He drew a card. He looked at it.

He gestured, and Treeborn Frog appeared in Defense Mode again. (100/100) Then he placed the card in his Disk, and it appeared facedown. Then, he turned the cards on his Disk, and the two Giant Germs switched to Defense Mode.

He looked at Nicholas.

Nicholas drew a card.

“I set one Monster, and two facedown cards,” he said, as a set Monster and a two reversed cards appeared.

“Then I use Yaichi’s effect, to destroy your facedown card!”

Yaichi aimed his bow.

“I chain it,” replied the General, as it lifted. “Dark Spirit Art – Greed. Now, by sacrificing a Dark Monster, I get to draw two cards.”

One of the two Giant Germs vanished.

“Of course, you can stop me if you show me a Spell Card in your hand…”

Nicholas growled. He had no cards in his hand right now.

Dark Freed made two draws.

“Irou, attack the last Giant Germ!” shouted Nicholas.

Irou swung his katana at the large amoeba, and it burst into another cloud of gas. Nicholas coughed again.

“Grandmaster, attack…” started Nicholas.

He paused.

“Oh, what good would it do?” he muttered. “I end my turn…”

“Nicholas, stop talking like that!” shouted Olga. “You can still beat this guy! He’s almost out of Monarchs!”

“Maybe so,” said the General, drawing another card, “but I know how to use what I have…

(N: 2,100) - - - - - - - - - - (DF: 5,400)

“I play Monster Reborn!”

The holy ankh appeared on his side of the field. Raiza appeared once again. (2,400/1,000)

“Next, I summon my Dimensional Alchemist.”

In a twinkling aura of energy, a new Monster appeared. It looked like a knight in shimmering armor with a cape, wearing a Guy Fawkes mask over his face. (1,300/200)

“Now I activate my Alchemist’s effect,” he continued, as he took a card from his deck. “By removing the top card from my deck from play, it gains 500 Attack Points.”

Dimensional Alchemist glowed with eerie energy. (1,800/200)

“Attack Yaichi! Warp blast!”

The Alchemist formed a sphere of multicolored energy in its hands, and hurled it at the archer. Yaichi burst into an explosion of pixels.

“Now that he’s taken care of, Raiza is going to take care of your Grandmaster.”

Raiza blew its foul wind again, and Grandmaster staggered against it. He shattered into shards.

(N: 1,300) - - - - - - - - - - (DF: 5,400)

“I set another card facedown, and end my turn,” he said, as a facedown card appeared. “That means my Dimensional Alchemist’s Attack Score goes back down to 1,300. It’s your move.”

“I draw one card…” said Nicholas, making a draw.

He looked at it.

“I flip my Morphing Jar into Attack Mode!” he shouted.

His facedown Monster flipped up, and the laughing creature in the jar appeared. They both discarded the one card they had, and drew five cards.

I’m getting awfully sick of that damn Frog, thought Nicholas. I wonder…

One of his two facedown cards lifted.

“I activate Capture Summon!”

“Huh?” said the General. “Capture Summon?”

“Now, I get to look at your hand,” explained Nicholas. “And it there’s a Monster there that I can Normal Summon, I get to Normal Summon it to my side of the field.”

Dark Freed frowned. He turned his hand of cards forward. There was only one Monster there, but it was just the one that Nicholas had wanted.

Nicholas smiled as he stepped forward and took it.

“Thanks!” he said. “I kinda figured you had this guy somewhere in your deck…

“Now, then… I sacrifice my Morphing Jar, to summon Caius the Shadow Monarch!”

The Jar vanished, and the sixth Monarch appeared. It was a dark, fiendish giant in black armor, with a head with features like a large bat. (2,400/1,000)

“Now, I can remove one card on the field from play,” said Nicholas. “And I choose your Treeborn Frog!”

The prisoners started to cheer as the small Frog vanished into ripples of light.

“Curses…” growled Dark Freed.

He smirked.

“Going to attack my Alchemist, huh? By the way, Caius’s attack’s name is ‘demon shadow blast’.”

“I don’t need to give it any fancy name!” replied Nicholas. “Caius, attack his Dimensional Alchemist!”

The Shadow Monarch formed an aura of dark energy in its hands. It hurled the darkness at the Alchemist, and the Fairy exploded into shards.

“Ergh…” muttered the General.

(N: 1,300) - - - - - - - - - - (DF: 4,300)

“Seems I now have a choice to make,” said Dark Freed.

“Huh?” said Nicholas.

“Dimensional Alchemist has another effect,” said the General. “When it’s destroyed, I get to recover a Monster that’s been removed from play.”

“You’re going to get that blasted Frog back!” shouted Olga.

“Or, I can get back the Monster I removed to activate its effect,” replied Dark Freed. “It all depends on which one would be more useful at this point…”

He pondered for a second.

“I think that the Frog has served its purpose,” he said. “I’ll go with the latter.”

A card appeared in his hand.

“It’s still my turn,” said Nicholas.

His other facedown card lifted up.

“I play Double Summon. Now, I can summon Command Knight to the field.”

In a burst of fire, Command Knight appeared, holding her sword aloft. (1,200/1,900) –> (1,600/1,900) Irou rose to an Attack Score of 2,100.

“Irou, move to Defense Mode.”

Irou sheathed his katana, and knelt in defense.

“And I end my turn.”

Dark Freed drew a card. He looked at it, and nodded.

“Raiza, attack Caius,” he ordered.

“Huh?” gasped Nicholas. “They’ll kill each other!”

“Exactly,” said the General.

The two Monarchs blasted their bolts of elemental energy towards each other. Both of them exploded into pixels.

“Moving to my second Main Phase,” he said, “since you now control two Monsters, and I control none, I can Special Summon my Cyber Dragon.”

In a flash of light, the huge, serpentine Machine appeared. (2,100/1,600)

First Monarchs, now Cyber Dragons? thought Nicholas.

“Then,” continued the General, “I activate my facedown card.”

His facedown Spell Card lifted.

“It’s a Spell Card called Star Level Shuffle. Now, I get to send my Monster to the Graveyard, to Special Summon a Monster from it that’s the same Level. Most Monarchs are Level Six, but for some reason, Zaborg is Level Five. So, I’ll get rid of Cyber Dragon, who’s also Level Five, and bring back Zaborg.”

Cyber Dragon vanished into grains of light. The Thunder Monarch appeared again. (2,400/1,000)

“I set a Monster in Defense Mode, then one facedown card.”

A facedown Monster and a reversed card appeared.

“And I end my turn.”

Nicholas looked at the facedown card. Since he had clearly gotten Cyber Dragon with his draw that turn or with Dimensional Alchemist’s effect, he knew it was likely Bottomless Trap Hole. He had seen it in Dark Freed’s hand when he had played Capture Summon. If he summoned anything with 1,500 Attack Points or more, it would wipe it out.

Unless…

As he reached for his deck, he felt a sudden surge of energy.

He paused.

It was finally the time.

He drew. The card glowed with radiance.

“Time to bring out my ace Monster!” he shouted. “I could simply Normal Summon him right now, since I have two Monsters to sacrifice… But when Yaichi, Kamon, Nisashi, Yariza, Zanji, and Irou are all on the field and in my Graveyard, his true power can be unleashed!

“I Special Summon… The True Master!”

Lightning flashed, and the arena went dark. The form of a great serpentine dragon made of fire started to form behind Nicholas. It roared, and then vanished, as a Warrior started to materialize.

He was an elderly man, with a white moustache and a short beard. He was dressed in a white, tight-fitting martial arts gi, and wore a straw collie hat.

With a flourish, he drew a gleaming katana from his hip, and it shone with brilliant light. (2,800/2,500)

“Whoa…” said Olga.

“Sorry I have to ruin your plans,” said the General. “Activate… Bottomless Trap Hole!”

His facedown card lifted. A large pit started to form under The True Master…

But then he leapt clear of it, and rolled out of the way.

“Huh?” said Dark Freed. “It didn’t work?”

“When The True Master is summoned using his effect,” explained Nicholas, “he can’t be destroyed by card effects. And since he’s a Warrior, he gains 400 more Attack Points from Command Knight.”

The True Master rose to (3,200/2,500).

Irou stood up, assuming an offensive position.

“Also,” continued Nicholas, “he has three different effects, and I can use one of them every round. By sending Nisashi and Yariza back to my deck and reshuffling, he can attack you directly.”

“WHAT?” shouted the General.

The two Samurai slipped out of his discard slot, and he quickly shuffled them into his deck.

“So… Attack the General directly! Leaping Dragon Strike!”

The True Master leapt up, aiming his weapon at the evil General. He made a savage slash with the katana, and Dark Freed toppled over on his back. The prisoners all cheered, their fear quite gone by now.

“No way!” gasped the Mountain Warrior.

“He just struck the General!” gasped a Snake Hair.

(N: 1,300) - - - - - - - - - - (DF: 1,100)

Dark General Freed slowly got up, his eyes burning with absolute fury.

“You, my foolish human friend,” he said through his teeth, “have just signed your own death warrant…”

“Irou, attack his facedown Monster!” shouted Nicholas.

The blind Samurai rushed for the facedown Monster.

Spirit Reaper appeared on the card, and parried the blow with its scythe. (300/200)

Darn, thought Nicholas. Irou’s effect only works if there’s another Samurai on the field, and the Master doesn’t count.

“Make your move…” said Nicholas.

Dark Freed drew.

“I play Nightmare’s Steelcage!” he exclaimed.

He played the card, and the iron bars formed around Nicholas and his three Monsters.

“Next, I move Zaborg to Defense Mode, and that will end my turn…”

Zaborg knelt, and crossed its arms in a defensive position.

Nicholas drew a card.

“I activate another of The Master’s effects,” he said. “I send Yaichi and Kamon back to my deck, in order to destroy all Spell and Trap Cards on the field.”

He returned the two cards to his deck, and The True Master made a slash with his weapon, forming a wave of energy. The Steelcage was blown to dust.

The General grit his teeth, and fire appeared in his eyes.

“Now, my True Master attacks Zaborg!” shouted Nicholas. “Go! Leaping Dragon Strike!”

The sensei leapt at the Thunder Monarch, and cut deep with his weapon. Zaborg exploded into shards.

“All right…” said Nicholas, “I can’t get by your Reaper yet, so I end my turn…”

Dark Freed was now very nervous. He looked at his deck. He drew a card.

“I summon Reflect Bounder in Attack Mode!” he shouted.

He played the card, and the streamlined android perched on a spire appeared. (1,700/1,000)

“If you attack that, your Monster’s Attack Score will be dealt to you in damage,” said Dark Freed. “I’ll still defeat you. Make your move…”

“No you won’t,” said Nicholas, as he drew a card. “You forget, my True Master still has one move. But before he uses it, I summon Marauding Captain in Attack Mode.”

He played the card, and the battle-worn veteran appeared. (1,200/400) –> (1,600/400)

“Now,” he said, “by sending Zanji and Irou back to my deck, I can destroy all of your face-up Monsters.”

Irou vanished, and Zanji slipped out of his discard slot. He shuffled the two cards into his deck, and The True Master slashed with his weapon again. A blade of energy tore across the field, and Reflect Bounder and Spirit Reaper were ripped in half.

“I have to skip my Battle Phase if I do that, so you’re lucky,” continued Nicholas. “I set one card facedown, and end my turn…”

A reversed card appeared.

Dark Freed looked frightened for the first time. He sweat as he drew a card.

Then he grinned wickedly. He laughed out loud.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better draw…” he said with a sinister voice.

He played a Spell Card.

“I play Requiem of Monarchs. I can only use this card when I have six different Monarchs in my Graveyard. Then I get to recover three of them.”

Raiza, Thestalos, and Granmarg slipped out of his discard slot.

“Then, I have to remove the other three from play.”

He took Zaborg, Caius, and Mobius from the slot as well, and placed them in a pouch on his belt.

So that’s what that card does… thought Nicholas. It was in his hand when I used Capture Summon… But… Why didn’t he use it last round? He could have sacrificed Spirit Reaper to summon Raiza or Caius, and used either effect to defeat the Master…

“There is one other catch,” said Dark Freed, as if he knew what Nicholas was thinking. “If I summon any of them, their effects are rendered invalid.”

“Then what’s the point?” asked Nicholas.

“I’ll show you,” continued Dark Freed. “One, two, three…”

He threw the three Monarchs into his discard slot again.

“By sending them all to the Graveyard again, I can Special Summon… THIS!”

He threw his last card on his Disk, and an explosion erupted behind him. A huge, grey-scaled Dragon with vast wings and three hideous heads appeared over him.

“Meet a beast that Daala gave to me as a gift,” said Dark Freed. “The Montage Dragon!

“And if you want to know how many Attack Points it has, we add up the Levels of those three Monsters I sent to the Graveyard, and then multiply by 300!”

Montage Dragon roared… (5,400/0)

“Good lord…” said Nicholas. “This is one time I’m sorry I aced math…”

“Looks like it’s curtains for your Master…” chuckled Dark Freed.

“Don’t forget, pal,” said Nicholas. “The True Master is a Warrior. That means you can’t attack him until my Marauding Captain is gone.”

Dark Freed looked at Nicholas.

“Gee, that’s right…” he muttered. “Humph… I had hoped to win this duel by crushing your best Monster… Doing so by attacking such a common card would be… anticlimactic…

“Ah, well… If anyone asks, I’ll lie.

“Montage Dragon… Attack Marauding Captain with Power Collage!”

Montage Dragon’s eyes glowed, and it breathed three streams of lethal energy at the Warrior.

“I activate… Covering Fire!” shouted Nicholas, as his Trap Card lifted. “Now, I can add the Attack Score of my True Master to that of Marauding Captain! That means my Captain gains 3,200 more Attack Points!”

Marauding Captain rose to an Attack Score of 4,800.

“It isn’t enough to beat your beast, but at least I won’t lose the duel.”

Nicholas reeled as an explosion incinerated Marauding Captain.

He caught his breath as he watched Marauding Captain’s card fall into the Graveyard.

Thanks, pal… he thought.

“Well…” said Dark Freed. “At least I can crush your Master next round. I end my turn…”

(N: 700) - - - - - - - - - - (DF: 1,100)

Nicholas drew a card. It was Zanji.

He looked at another card in his hand.

Okay… he thought. I hoped it would never have to come to this… But he leaves me with no choice…

“I summon Zanji once again,” he said.

He played the card, and Zanji appeared for the second time. (1,800/1,300) –> (2,200/1,300)

“Summon all the Warriors you want,” replied Dark Freed. “It won’t be enough to take down a Monster with this much firepower.”

“We’ll see about that,” said Nicholas. “I play the Spell Card, Brave Attack!”

The Spell Card appeared on his side of the field.

“Huh?” said the General. “What does that do?”

“I’ll show you,” said Nicholas. “Zanji, attack!”

“What?” gasped the General. “That’s suicide!”

Nonetheless, Zanji leapt at Montage Dragon, and slammed his weapon into the great beast’s torso.

Then Zanji fell backwards, with his naginata broken, out cold.

Dark Freed laughed.

“Seems I win!” he exclaimed. “Looks like… Huh?”

He noticed that Nicholas’s Life Points had not gone down.

“Command Knight, attack!” shouted Nicholas.

Command Knight screamed a war cry, and leapt at the huge Dragon, slamming her sword into it.

Then she fell backwards and collapsed, just as Zanji had.

“What’s going on?!” shouted Dark Freed.

Then he looked at his Dragon. It was groaning, and two burning wounds were cut across its chest.

“Brave Attack is a powerful Spell Card that lets my Monsters attack as a team,” said Nicholas. “They won’t survive this assault, but when my True Master attacks, he’ll have both Zanji and Command Knight’s power to back him up!”

“Wait a second…” said the General. “That adds up to…”

“7,000 Attack Points,” said Olga. “More than enough to end this duel.”

“Go!” shouted Nicholas. “Destroy his Dragon!”

The True Master let out a scream, and leapt at the giant Monster. He made a slash with his katana, making a slice right down the middle. Montage Dragon roared in death throes… Then it burst in multiple explosions, and shattered into pieces.

Dark General Freed fell to his knees.

“This can’t be…” he gasped. “I can’t lose…”

“Can’t lose?” asked Nicholas. “Let me spell it out for you. My Monster had 7,000 Attack Points when he attacked, your Monster had 5,400. You lost 1,600 Life Points from that attack, when you only had 1,100 left. That means your Life Points are zero, meaning you lose.”

(N: 700) - - - - - - - - - - (DF: 0)

Dark Freed slowly got up. A look of anger slowly crossed his face.

“That may be true…” he said. “But too much is at stake for us to be stopped now!”

He drew his sword, and pointed it at Nicholas…

Then, his sword flew from his hand.

Dark Freed stepped back. The True Master was standing in front of him.

“No…” said the General.

Then he screamed as the sensei stabbed through the seams of his armor with his weapon. The evil General burst into globs of darkness.

“They’re too powerful!” shouted the Swordstalker. “Retreat!”

A dark portal opened, and the General’s men started to run through it. As they did, the chains holding the prisoners crumbled into dust. They fell to the ground, very stiff and sore. Nicholas and Olga ran up to them.

“Call the police, Olga,” said Nicholas. “Tell them we found the abductees… Tell them we might need trauma counselors… Although, I really don’t know how we’re gonna explain this…”

* * * * * * * * * *

At the portal leading to the Core of Xanadu…

Yumi woke up from a sleep full of nightmares. She felt like she had been turned inside out and then had her insides taken out, rearranged, and then put back in again.

She noticed her clothing had changed.

She was wearing a fancy dark blue outfit with pink trim, one with a very short skirt which showed a great deal of thigh and cleavage. She had fancy boots and odd wristbands. Then she realized that she had gained curves that she hadn’t had before. She had gotten a figure that would have taken hundreds of millions of yen worth of cosmetic surgery to acquire.

She felt her head. She was wearing an odd hat.

The realization came to her quickly…

She was Dark Magician Girl.

She slowly got up. Her eyes were still seeing things a little blurry. The shock hadn’t set in completely yet.

“Ren? Chelsea?” she called. “Where are you?”

“We’re here, Yumi,” said Ren’s voice. “At least, we think we are…”

Yumi turned, and saw Mataza the Zapper helping a Vampire Lady to her feet.

“Ren?” gasped Yumi. “Chelsea?”

“Afraid so,” said the Vampire Lady, in Chelsea’s voice.

She made a sad sigh.

“It’s finally happened,” she said, almost crying. “What happened to Penelope has happened to me now…”

She didn’t know how this could have happened… Dreams and subconscious desires? Did some part of her want to be a vampire temptress?

“Calm down, Chelsea, calm down!” said Ren, holding her. “You’re still beautiful in my eyes. And if it turns out that I have to become undead too once we take care of Daala…”

“Where’s Sam and Erik?” asked Yumi.

“Over here,” said Sam’s voice.

They looked, and saw a Shadow Tamer and what appeared to be Warrior Dai Grepher.

The Shadow Tamer looked at herself.

“Kind of… makes sense in an odd way,” she said with a nervous chuckle.

She looked at the whip that was strapped to her belt.

“At least I’m not Infernalqueen…”

“Why Warrior Dai Grepher?” asked Ren.

“Well, uhm,” said Erik, looking at himself. “That card was in the first deck I used… Kind of symbolic…”

He looked at the sword on his belt, and drew it slightly from the sheath.

“Indeed,” said Dark Necrofear’s voice.

They all turned towards the Fiend, who they had forgotten about.

“The appearance of a second Warrior Dai Grepher surprises even me,” she said. “After the first one’s hunger for power led him to make a deal with the Archfiends and turn himself into Dark Lucius, his name has only been spoken of in whispers in the Twelve Dimensions.”

“Well, people,” said Yumi, “we made our choice, and it could have been worse. We all can pass for humans… Not normal humans, granted, but we aren’t inhuman. At least we still have hands, and we can still duel. Now we’d best see what’s behind that portal.”

“One thing you should know,” said Dark Necrofear. “As Duel Spirits, you must serve as your own Deck Lords from now on. But fear not… You do not have to start at the beginning. Your old Deck Lords have transferred all their powers to you. I’d say it was very generous of them.”

“We never gave them any reason to hate us,” said Ren.

“By the way,” continued Dark Necrofear, “some folks I remembered were down this way earlier. I remembered them because they were also recipients of my power.

“I don’t know their names, but I believe they know you folks in some way.

“My work here is done… Good luck…”

She slunk back into the dark alcove.

“You’ll need it…”

Yumi looked at the portal.

“You sure you guys are all right?” she asked.

“We’ll be fine,” said Chelsea. “I don’t have any cravings for blood, at least not yet…”

“Then let’s go…” said Yumi. “The final leg of our journey is at hand…”

They all started running, and ran through the portal.



LIGHTNING CRASH (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: A city street at night with lightning flashing overhead.

Card Description: Choose one Thunder-Type Monster from your deck and add it to your hand. Then, shuffle your deck. You may not summon or set the chosen Monster on the turn you use this card.



DORMANT VOLCANO (Trap Card)

Normal Trap

Image: An ominous looking volcano with snow on the top.

Card Description: This card is activated when it is destroyed by a card effect while facedown on your side of the field. Inflict 300 points of direct damage to your opponent’s Life Points. Then, on your next Standby Phase, both you and your opponent may search your respective decks for one FIRE Monster and add them to your respective hands.

Note: “Lightning Crash” and “Dormant Volcano” were first used by T-Bone in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “J-Dawg and T-Bone”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



STAR LEVEL SHUFFLE (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: A knight in white armor and a knight in black armor struggling among broken ground.

Card Description: Send one Monster you control to the Graveyard. Special Summon from your Graveyard one Monster with the same Level as the Monster sent to the Graveyard.

Note: “Star Level Shuffle” was first used by Yakou Tenma in the “Yu-Gi-Oh R” issue “Double Lapse!! And…” Creative credit goes to the writers.



REQUIEM OF MONARCHS (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch on his knees with his head bowed and his armor broken, with a dark shadow looming above him.

Card Description: You may activate this card when you have at least six different “Monarch” Monsters in your Graveyard. Select three of those Monsters and add them to your hand. Then, remove all remaining “Monarch” Monsters in your Graveyard from play. If you Normal Summon the Monsters recovered with this effect, their effects are negated.



CAPTURE SUMMON (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: A duelist grinning as he takes a card from his opponent’s hand.

Card Description: Look at your opponent’s hand, and select one Monster from it that can be Normal Summoned. Normal Summon the selected Monster to your side of the field. (This counts as your Normal Summon for your turn.)

Note: “Capture Summon” was first used by Joey in the “Yu-Gi-Oh R” issue “Jounouchi Counterattacks!!”. Creative credit goes to the writers.



BRAVE ATTACK (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: A Swamp Battleguard holding a huge sword below the following three Monster Cards: “Gazelle, the King of Mythical Beasts”, “Obnoxious Celtic Guard”, and “Buster Blader”.

Card Description: Target one Monster on your side of the field. This turn, only the targeted Monster may attack. Add the Attack Scores of all other face-up Monsters you control to the Attack Score of the targeted Monster. When the targeted Monster attacks, destroy all face-up Monsters you control after damage calculation.

Note: “Brave Attack” was first used by Yugi in the original anime episode “A New Evil (Part Two)”. Creative credit goes to the writers.



THE TRUE MASTER (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 8
ATK: 2,800
DEF: 2,500

Card Description: You may Special Summon this card from your hand if you have six different “Six Samurai” Monsters on your side of the field and/or in your Graveyard whose names collectively include the words “Zanji”, “Irou”, “Kamon”, “Yariza”, “Yaichi”, and “Nisashi”. If this card is Special Summoned via its own effect, it cannot be destroyed by card effects. If this card is Special Summoned via its own effect, once per round, you may activate one of the following effects by moving the following Monsters from your side of the field or Graveyard to your deck and reshuffling:
“The Six Samurai – Zanji” and “The Six Samurai – Irou”: Destroy all face-up opposing Monsters. Skip your Battle Phase this round.
“The Six Samurai – Yaichi” and “The Six Samurai – Kamon”: Destroy all Spell and Trap Cards on the field.
“The Six Samurai – Nisashi” and “The Six Samurai – Yariza”: This card may attack directly.



Lords of Chaos

Obox-Ob, the Lost Prince

Long ago, Obox-Ob was one of the mightiest forces of Chaos. He held the title of Prince of Demons when the obyrith ruled the Abyss. He was also the Prince of Vermin, and ruled an empire of not only obyrith, but of demonic insects and arachnid, creatures of filth and disease that humans would come to despise.

When the Queen of Chaos rallied the obyrith lords against the Wind Dukes of Aaqa, Obox-Ob was one of several who refused her call. His pride was so great, he refused to acknowledge any other demon as a superior. The Queen proved him wrong when she killed him, personally, and granted his title to her consort, Miska the Wolf Spider.

But although Obox-Ob’s true body had been slain, his most powerful avatar survived, and fled to a remote realm of the Abyss, where the environment was so hazardous that even most demons feared to go. Only one like him who could adapt like the vermin he ruled could survive. Eventually, the avatar became his new body, albeit one with only a small fraction of his former power. He hid for centuries, but eventually, he got bored, and decided to take a chance. He returned to the more populated areas of the Abyss, only to find that the obyriths were close to extinction, a new race of demons now dominated the Abyss, and a member of this new race, the terrible Demogorgon, held the title that was once his.

Possessing nowhere near the level of power he once had, Obox-Ob refused to submit to a life of servitude as most surviving obyriths had. He now had goals… Very, very big ones. He sought nothing less than to murder Demogorgon and take back his title, and once he had done that, cleanse the Abyss of this interloper race and return it to obyrith rule. He holds these goals to this day, but before he can even start step one of these grandiose plans, he must regain the power that he once had.

This presents a problem. The best way for a demon lord, even an exiled one, to gain power, is with mortal followers. That is hard for the Prince of Vermin. One of his nature does not attract many human worshippers, even those who usually deal with demons. Not many are very interested in worshipping lice and fleas. So Obox-Ob has devised another way to gain this power: stealing it.

Special obyrith spawned by his experiments have worked their way into the courts of several powerful demon lords. These creatures attract no more attention than a cockroach. By simply being close to the lords, these parasites siphon off a tiny part of the divine energy they receive, and transfer it to their master. They only take a tiny bit so that the demon lord never misses it – perhaps one half of one percent – but there are many demon lords, and Obox-Ob has these parasites hiding in many of their demonic courts. Several small doses of power, he hopes, will add up to a large amount.

The Wind Dukes are aware of Obox-Ob’s plan, but they are content to leave him alone for now. He isn’t hurting anyone but other demons at the moment, and if by some miracle he manages to inflict lasting harm against Demogorgon, a demon who is far too powerful for them to handle, it is for their benefit. But they watch Obox-Ob with a careful eye, and the moment his plans include a move against any innocent targets, they are ready to deal with him.



Coming up next:

Daala has prepared for the heroes’ final assault, and next chapter, her next plan to oppose them begins, as her mysterious inner circle comes forward to face them. Ren faces one of these upper-class Duel Spirits, and the funny thing is, it seems to be someone he knows. The past starts to come back to assault the heroes, and then some. “Primary Colors” is coming up next.

[Shuppet Master]

So the heroes were transformed into Duel Spirits similar to their favorite monsters? Interesting. It's nice that they keep all the Deck Lord powers that they built up.

Great duel between Nicholas and that member of the Dark Council.

Keep up the good work, we're in the home stretch.

BTW, I like how Ren said "I'll have to become undead too", which reminds me of the vampire clan I read in a story and how one mortal who loved a vampiress of the clan agreed to be turned into a vampire to stay with her. Ask me for the link sometime.

[Dark Sage]

Actually, Chris, the theme of a human being in love with a vampire and being forced to make that choice (or the vampire being forced to make the opposite choice and give up being evil, like the case of Buffy and Angel) is a very common theme in horror/fantasies where vampires play a role. The plot device has been done with several variations in several contemporary works.

How will Chelsea deal with this? Well, you'll have to keep reading to find out. Clearly, she drew the short straw in this whole situation. (Forget about modern novels where characters become vampires on purpose - in classic stories, becoming a vampire is something people try to avoid at all costs. Even Dracula detested his life.) I will say that someone who's been through this same situation will be able to help her make the first few steps.

Keep reading.

[Dark Sage]

Author’s note: We are approaching the part of the story that is referred to in video games as the “boss rush”. We’re in the home stretch now, as most of you believe.

A lot of folks are no doubt going to be sorry when this fic ends. I know I will be. I love these characters, and it will be hard to say goodbye when this fic ends.

However, I have good news. Due to support, my days of writing Yu-Gi-Oh fanfiction will not end. The success of Yu-Gi-Oh 5D has inspired me, and I have decided to stay around long enough to try my hand at writing a story set in this other future time, where dueling has entered the Fifth Dimension.

Watch for previews of my new fic in the coming months. It should be a wild ride (literally, because yes, there will be Turbo Duels).



You may find this hard to believe, but my friends and I have lives outside of dueling. Heck, even our families did. Yugi Mouto and Joey Wheeler went to school like any other teenagers, and Seto Kaiba was CEO of the biggest gaming company in the world, spending a lot of time doing PowerPoint presentations and holding board meetings when he wasn’t planning his next move against his rival.

I’m a student myself, and I was planning on entering college next year, hopefully to major in business studies like my dad did. I haven’t gotten an acceptance letter from the University of Tokyo yet, but the admissions board there says I’m almost a sure thing.

Of course, it all might change, unless what has just happened to me can be reversed somehow… A change that was the result of my own choice, because it was the only way to go further and rescue Joan…

And I’m facing someone who I know from my regular life, who made the same choice as I did, apparently…

This difference is, I like to think I made the choice for a far more noble reason than he did. After all, it’s not like he was ever going to get into college.

Duel…

CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE



Primary Colors

“Yumi?” called Ren. “Sam? Erik?”

He paused.

“Chelsea?”

He stopped.

Where was he?

As soon as he stepped through the portal, he had entered a thick fog, and his four friends had disappeared.

He looked around. His sight was limited. He hoped that they were okay. Daala seemed to be up to her old tricks again.

He started thinking about Chelsea. He sighed. She was Vampire Lady.

He wasn’t going to leave her just because of that. But what if she changed? What if she couldn’t survive the sun? What if she couldn’t eat pizza or Italian food because she was repelled by garlic? What if she craved blood? What if she decided to leave him for Vampire Lord?

He looked at himself. He had changed a great deal too. He never figured himself one for Samurai armor. He figured he probably looked rather ridiculous.

Still, he kind of wished there was a mirror around somewhere…

He looked at the katana blade strapped to his hip. He took the handle and drew it halfway out of the sheath.

Yes, it was definitely real. He had heard about the various styles of swordsmanship practiced in Japan, but he had previously not known the first thing about them. Would he know how to use the weapon automatically if he ever had to?

Well, whether he would or not, holding the traditional weapon of the Samurai gave him a little more confidence. He started to walk forward.

The fog started to clear…

He found himself in a large, open-air stadium. It appeared to be a baseball diamond of some sort, and the night sky was overhead.

“I know this place…” he muttered.

Then he realized where he was. This was the Domino High baseball field.

Then some music started to play. The old classic, “Take Me Out To The Ballgame”, played on an organ.

“Am I back on Earth?” he asked.

“No,” said a voice. “I just fixed up the place more to my liking.”

Ren looked towards the pitcher’s mound, and a dark portal appeared on it. A dark, centaur-like creature appeared on it, with a breastplate and helmet, holding a bladed staff in one hand, and a shield in the other.

“Exarion Universe?” asked Ren.

“Most of the time,” replied the Beast-Warrior. “But not always. Remember me, Ren? Just listen to my voice. It will come to you…”

Ren looked at him. Then his eyes narrowed.

“How could I forget, Fujita?” he replied. “So, you work for Daala now? Why? Weren’t there any job opportunities for disgraced, drop-out jocks?”

“You’re treading on dangerous waters, bub,” said the Duel Spirit. “You’re forgetting that it was your fault that I was expelled in the first place.”

“MY fault?” shouted Ren. “It was MY fault that you broke into the teacher’s lounge, stole the hard copy of the mid-term exam, and then tried to sell the answers to the questions to the other students? THAT was MY fault?”

“You were the narc who told on me!” shouted Fujita.

“And I was glad I did it, too…” said Ren, crossing his arms. “You didn’t think anyone would be brave enough to tell on you. But I was just getting sick of you sliding though every class, cheating on every test, with the teachers looking the other way because you had rich parents who had so much influence on the school board. If Haruhi punished you, she would be sure that her next request for a budget increase would be turned down.

“I was tired of you getting good grades for doing nothing and spending all your time making out with the girls, while honest and hard-working students weren’t doing nearly as well with real work. So when you did something that bad, I told on you, knowing it would create an outcry among the other parents that Haruhi, and the superintendent, couldn’t have possibly ignored.

“You were never more than a spoiled brat, Fujita. And you got what you deserved.”

“Indeed I did,” replied Fujita. “Daala made me a member of her inner circle. Daala chose her inner circle from among humans who have issues with you and your friends. Your allies are all being disposed of as we speak, just as I’ll dispose of you. And best of all, I’m one of the true rulers of Xanadu now.”

“And I see you turned yourself into a half-horse in the process,” replied Ren. “Seems the Devil’s Fruit is more popular than we thought.”

Fujita’s weapon and shield vanished, and a Duel Disk appeared on his left arm.

“True, but the fringe benefits that go with it are great,” he said. “But anyway, since there’s no way out of this pocket dimension except past me, not to mention the fact that Mataza the Zapper is no match for Exarion Universe in a head-to-head fight, your only option right now is to duel.”

Ren looked at Fujita’s Disk. It was an Anarchist Disk.

“I never figured you for a minion of Chaos,” muttered Ren. “You may have been spoiled, but in league with demons? That’s a little much.”

“I’m full of surprises,” replied Fujita.

Both Disks activated.

“Fine,” said Ren. “I gotta say, Fujita… This is gonna be a pleasure!”

(Ren: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Fujita: 8,000)

“Eh…” said Fujita, looking at his hand. “Why don’t you go first?”

“Gladly…” said Ren, drawing a card.

He looked over his hand, and then chose three cards.

“I set two cards, and then summon my Dark Blade,” he said.

Two facedown cards appeared, and then Dark Blade appeared with a dramatic flourish of blades. (1,800/1,500)

“That will do for now.”

“Heh…” said Fujita, drawing a card.

He smirked as he looked at it.

“I set three of my own,” he said, as three facedown cards appeared. “And then I summon Sangan.”

With a loud squeak, the three-eyed Fiend appeared. (1,000/600)

“That’s all…”

Ren made a draw.

Not the best move… he thought. He’s planning some…

“Trap activate…” said Fujita.

“Huh?” said Ren.

One of Fujita’s facedown cards lifted, and Crush Card Virus appeared. Sangan started to vanish.

“Leave it to the spoiled brat to have the most expensive cards in existence!” shouted Ren. “Sorry, Fujita, but you have the Virus, I have the cure!”

One of his facedown cards lifted.

“I activate My Body as a Shield! This costs me 1,500 Life Points, but it negates any card that destroys Monsters. Even the infamous Crush Card!”

Fujita gasped as his Trap Card was blown to bits.

“And I chain my other card too,” continued Ren. “Emergency Provisions! This lets me sacrifice my Spell Card, so I gain back 1,000 of the Life Points I just spent.”

His other facedown card lifted, and the first one vanished.

“Very clever,” said Fujita with a scowl. “You’re more resourceful than I thought. But you may have negated my Crush Card, but I still had to sacrifice Sangan to pay its cost. And since Sangan was sent to the Graveyard, its effect activates.”

He took his deck, and looked through the cards until he found what he wanted. He added it to his hand, and then shuffled his deck.

“Tell that to Familiar Knight!” shouted Ren.

In a burst of energy, the knight in shining armor appeared. (1,200/1,400)

“Familiar Knight… Dark Blade… Direct attack!”

The two Warriors flew at the Beast-Warrior. Two slashes of swords slammed into Fujita, and he let out a loud neigh, and stumbled back and fell on his hindquarters.

(R: 7,500) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 5,000)

“Not so tough without mom and dad to bail you out, huh?” asked Ren.

Fujita scowled as he got up.

“How should I know?” he shouted. “They cut off my allowance after I was expelled! They said I was an embarrassment and a disgrace!

“When Daala first offered me this position, I had my doubts. But when I found out that my folks were looking into military school, I had no choice! I accepted Daala’s offer, ran away, and left the world of humans behind!

“But I’ll never forget Ren, it was you who ruined the good life I had. And you’re going to suffer for it! I promise you that!

“It’s my move!”

He drew a card.

He fit two cards in his Disk, and two more facedown cards appeared, giving him a total of four.

“I end my turn…”

Ren drew a card.

Okay, this is weird… he thought. He didn’t summon or set a Monster, even though he searched for one last turn.

Maybe one of those facedown cards is Torrential Tribute. I don’t think it would be wise to summon anything…

“Dark Blade, attack!”

Dark Blade flew at Fujita.

Fujita gestured, and his facedown card gestured. Negate Attack appeared, and Dark Blade bounced off an invisible shield.

So far the only cards he’s used are ones that could be splashed into any deck, thought Ren. I have no idea yet what sort of deck this is…

“I end my turn,” he said.

Fujita quickly made a draw.

“Okay, Ren,” he said. “I play Card Destruction.”

Ren growled. He discarded the four cards in his hand, and then made four draws. Fujita discarded the two cards in his hand, and drew twice.

“Perfect,” he said, looking at them.

One of his facedown cards lifted.

“I activate Call of the Haunted,” he said. “I’ll bring back a Monster that I just tossed. Meet Boot-Up Soldier – Dread Dynamo.”

In a burst of energy, a man-sized robot appeared. It looked like it was made of makeshift parts and jury-rigged construction. It had a large, oval-shaped cavity in its torso. (0/2000)

“What?” asked Ren.

“Next,” said Fujita, as another facedown card lifted, “I activate Inferno Reckless Summon.”

In two flashes of light, two more Dread Dynamos appeared next to the first. (0/2,000 x3)

Ren quickly took one Dark Blade from his Graveyard, and one from his deck. They appeared on the field next to the first one. (1,800/1,500 x3)

“Is there a point to this?” he asked. “Three Monsters with zero Attack Points in Attack Mode?”

“Indeed,” said Fujita, as a Spell Card appeared. “I summon Red Gadget.”

He played his last card, and in another flash of light, a cute robot appeared next to the Dynamos. It was – obviously – red, with a big gear on its back, and googly eyes. (1,300/1,500)

“And when Boot-Up Soldier – Dread Dynamo is on the field with a Monster with the word ‘Gadget’ in its name,” continued Fujita, “its Attack Points go all the way from zero, to 2,000!”

The three Dynamos glowed with energy… (2,000/2,000 x3)

A Gadget Deck… thought Ren. Terrific…

“And,” said Fujita, taking a card from his deck, “thanks to Red Gadget’s effect, I now get to take a Yellow Gadget from my deck.

“All right my Dynamos… Wipe out his Dark Blades! Revolver buckshot blast!”

The Dread Dynamos lifted their arms, and fired a burst of rounds at the three Warriors. Ren covered his head as all three of them shattered.

“Red Gadget, attack his Familiar Knight!”

Red Gadget flew at the last Warrior, and gave him a solid punch. Familiar Knight shattered.

“I activate Familiar Knight’s effect!” shouted Ren. “When he gets totaled, both players get to summon a Level Four Monster from their hands.”

He threw a card on his Disk, and Getsu Fuhma appeared. (1,700/1,200)

“I’ll use that effect as well,” said Fujita. “Here comes my Yellow Gadget.”

In a flash of light again, another cute robot appeared. This one was yellow, had no face, other than one eye on its upper torso, a gear lengthwise in the center of its torso, two halves of a gear each on the sides of its back, and limbs that looked like pipe cleaners. It knelt down and shielded itself in Defense Mode. (1,200/1,200)

“By summoning Yellow Gadget,” continued Fujita, taking his deck again, “I get to search for Green Gadget.”

This doesn’t seem at all like the type of deck that an Anarchist Deck would create, thought Ren. I would think that Gadgets would prefer Order over Chaos…

“I set a card facedown, and then turn it over to you,” said Fujita, as yet another facedown card appeared.

(R: 6,800) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 5,000)

Ren drew a card.

“I play Pot of Greed,” said Ren.

He played the card, and the wicked jar appeared. He drew twice.

He looked at the two cards.

“I was hoping you’d do that,” said Fujita. “I activate a Trap Card.”

His facedown card lifted.

“It’s called Gamble. I’m sure you know how this works…”

A gold coin appeared in his hand.

“You sure that coin doesn’t have two heads?” asked Ren.

“Ren, Ren!” laughed Fujita. “You should learn to trust people more!”

Ren crossed his arms.

“I seem to remember one of your girlfriends who believed you when you said you would marry her,” grumbled Ren. “She trusted you so much, she acted as your lookout. Look where it got her…”

Fujita glared at him.

“Heads!” he shouted.

He tossed the coin. It fell to the ground.

Then he laughed.

“Read it and weep, Ren! Heads it is!”

He quickly drew four cards.

Ren looked at him. Then he looked at his hand.

The key to beating those Dynamos is destroying the Gadgets, he thought. And with this gal, I might be able to do that…

“I remove one Dark Warrior in my Graveyard from play,” he said, “to Special Summon La Sombra!”

Familiar Knight slipped out of his discards slot, and La Sombra appeared, lashing her whip. (1,800/1,000)

“Now, you gotta draw another card…”

“Yeah, yeah,” said Fujita. “I know how it works…”

He made a draw.

Then he laughed again. He turned it forward. It was Gadget Soldier.

“No!” gasped Ren. “That’s a Monster…”

La Sombra screamed, and then shattered into dark triangles.

“Looks like Lady Luck is smiling on me this duel, Ren!” laughed Fujita.

Ren scowled, and looked at the other five cards in his hand. Unfortunately, his only other Monsters were Litmus Doom Swordsman and Dark Squire.

I can’t take out both his Gadgets this round, he thought. And even if I did, he could summon the Green one.

But maybe I can still get rid of them…

“First, I summon Dark Squire,” he said.

Dark Squire appeared on the field. She knelt and shielded herself. (300/300)

“Next, I move Getsu to Defense Mode.”

Getsu Fuhma sheathed her sword, and knelt down and crossed her arms.

“Then, I throw two cards facedown, and end my turn…”

Two facedown cards appeared.

Fujita quickly drew a seventh card.

“I activate my Deck Lord effect,” he said.

Deck Lord? thought Ren. No fair! He didn’t even tell me we were using Deck Lords! He didn’t give me a chance to bring out Penumbral…

He stopped.

Oh yeah… All her powers have been transferred to me… This gets some taking used to…

“Anyway,” said Fujita, “during my first Main Phase, I can select one of my Monsters, and that Monster gains an effect similar to Exarion Universe. The only difference is, it doesn’t have to drop 400 of its Attack Points.”

A trampling effect? thought Ren. One that he can apply to ANY Monster? No fair!

“I think I’ll choose my Dread Dynamo in the middle,” continued Fujita, as the central Dynamo started to glow with blue energy.

“Next, I move Yellow Gadget to Attack Mode…”

Yellow Gadget stood up.

“…and then play the Spell Card, Limiter Removal!”

He threw the card into his Disk, and all five of the Machines started to glow with a powerful aura. The three Dynamos increased to Attack Scores of 4,000 each, while Red Gadget rose up to 2,600 and Yellow Gadget rose to 2,400.

“Time to finish you off!” laughed Fujita. “Central Dynamo, attack Dark Squire!”

The empowered Dynamo aimed its revolvers at the young Warrior.

“Did you think these facedown cards were only for show?” asked Ren. “I activate Attack Guidance Armor!”

One of his facedown cards lifted, and the fiendish suit of armor appeared. It flew towards Yellow Gadget and clamped down over it. The Dread Dynamo fired its rounds of hot lead, but its aim was way off, and Yellow Gadget exploded.

“ERGH!” shouted Fujita. “Okay, Ren… Now you made me mad…

“Second Dynamo… YOU attack her!”

The second Dynamo raised its arms, and fired.

“You have a thick skull, Fujita,” said Ren, as his other facedown card lifted. “If it weren’t for your folks, you would likely have been held back in the sixth grade. Activate Sakuretsu Armor!”

A shimmering shield appeared in front of Dark Squire, and then a blast of energy shot back at the Dynamo. The robot exploded.

“Why, you…” growled Fujita. “Now I’m really mad!

“But at least you’re out of Trap Cards…”

The third Dynamo blasted its guns, and this time it met no resistance. Dark Squire shattered into pixels.

“When Dark Squire bites the dust,” said Ren, “both players get to draw two cards.”

Fujita frowned. He quickly made two draws, and Ren did the same.

Then Fujita pointed, and Red Gadget flew at Getsu Fuhma, punching her and blowing her away.

“I throw three more cards facedown, and end my turn,” said Fujita, as three more reversed cards appeared next to his other one.”

“That means the side effect of Limiter Removal kicks in, Fujita,” said Ren. “And your Machines go away.”

“I know how my own cards work,” replied Fujita.

Red Gadget and Dynamo shattered into shards.

(R: 6,800) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 3,400)

Ren quickly drew a card.

It was Total Defense Shogun.

“Ready to help me again, Burgundy?” he whispered.

A small smile on the Warrior’s face was all the proof he needed. He added the card to his hand.

“First,” he said, “I play Pot of Avarice.”

He played the Spell Card, and the goofy jar appeared in front of him.

All three Dark Blades, Getsu Fuhma, and La Sombra slipped out of his discard slot. He shuffled them all back into his deck, and then drew twice.

He looked at them, and then added them to his hand.

“Next, I activate the effect of a guy that I kept in my Graveyard. The Immortal Bushi. Since I have no Monsters on the field, and the only Monsters in my Graveyard are Warriors, I get to Special Summon him.”

In a flourish, the old, battle-worn veteran appeared, holding his katana and wakisashi. (1,200/600)

“Next, I sacrifice him…”

The Bushi vanished into grains of light.

“…to summon Total Defense Shogun!”

In another blast of energy, the powerful barbarian appeared, holding his huge sword and larger shield. He quickly knelt in Defense Mode. (1,550/2,500)

“Next,” said Ren, “I play Premature Burial, to bring back my Fiend Megacyber.”

He played the card, and glowed with red energy, as the powerful cybernetic Warrior appeared. (2,200/1,200)

“Bravo…” said Fujita. “Not bad for someone who once got out of gym class by claiming he had walking pneumonia.”

“I had a signed note from my doctor, Fujita!” shouted Ren. “Why wasn’t that ever proof enough for you?”

“I don’t like doctors,” replied Fujita. “They’re so bossy…”

“Stuff it!” replied Ren. “Unless one of those facedown cards is a Trap that can protect you from two direct attacks, I win!”

“Well, no…” replied Fujita. “None of them are Traps that can stop your attacks…”

“Then I’m ending this!” shouted Ren. “Total Defense Shogun, Fiend Megacyber… Attack him directly!”

Burgundy lifted his sword, and the Megacyber bore his bladed gauntlets…

“I activate… Dark Wall of Wind!” shouted Fujita.

As the two Warriors charged at him, one of the facedown cards lifted, revealing a Quickplay. A tornado of black wind surrounded him, and both Warriors were thrown backwards.

“I didn’t lie…” chuckled Fujita. “That wasn’t a Trap Card.”



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



Ren growled.

“I’ll get you next time,” he said. “In the meantime, I’ll play Reinforcement of the Army.”

He played the Spell Card, and then a card slipped out of his deck.

He took Dark Blade again, and looked at it.

“It’s your move…”

(R: 6,000) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 3,400)

Fujita drew a card.

“I summon Green Gadget,” he said.

He played the card, and the third Gadget appeared. This one was green, and seemed to have a torso that was one big gear. (1,400/600)

“Now I get to take another Red Gadget from my deck,” said Fujita, taking a card from his deck. “Then, I activate Ultimate Offering.”

Anther of his facedown cards lifted.

“Now I get to make as many Normal Summons as I want, so long as I pay 500 Life Points each time. So I’ll pay 500 Life Points to summon Red Gadget.”

Another Red Gadget appeared. (1,300/1,500)

“This lets me search for another Yellow Gadget,” he said, taking a card from his deck. “Then, I pay another 500 Life Points to summon it.”

Yellow Gadget appeared again. (1,200/1,200)

Fujita chuckled, and took another Green Gadget from his deck.

“Now I’ll activate another facedown card. It’s both a Trap and a Monster… Stronghold the Moving Fortress!”

A facedown card lifted, and with a loud rumble, a titanic robot started to rise out of the ground. Like the Dynamos, the whole thing appeared rickety and jury-rigged, but it was fifty feet tall. It knelt down, apparently in Defense Mode. (0/2,000)

Then the three Gadgets leapt up, and embedded themselves in depressions in the giant robot’s chest.

“When all three Gadgets are on the field,” said Fujita, “Stronghold’s Attack Score becomes 3,000!”

(3,000/2,000)

“Slight problem,” said Ren. “It’s in Defense Mode, and you can’t switch it to Attack Mode this round.”

“Oh no?” asked Fujita.

His last facedown card flipped up.

“I activate Zero Gravity! Now, all Monsters on the field switch modes.”

Stronghold slowly stood up, moving to Attack Mode. Burgundy also stood up, while the Megacyber knelt down and crouching in Defense Mode.

“Now I use my Deck Lord effect,” continued Fujita. “I naturally choose Stronghold.

“Stronghold, flatten his Megacyber!”

The Moving Fortress lunged forward, and with one smash of its mighty hand, crushed The Fiend Megacyber. Ren was thrown backwards from the shockwave.

“Fortunately for you,” said Fujita, “I had to switch my Gadgets to Defense Mode. I’ll set two more facedown cards, and that will be all.”

Two more reversed cards appeared.

Just how many Trap Cards does this guy have? asked Ren.

(R: 4,200) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 2,400)

He got up, and brushed himself off.

He drew a card.

“Your Stronghold may be powerful,” he said, “but it has a big Achilles Heel, in more ways than one.

“If I were to destroy even one Gadget, its Attack Score would fall all the way to zero. And the Gadgets have weak Defense Scores.”

“Mmm… That’s true…” muttered Fujita.

What Ren doesn’t know is, he thought, as soon as he tries it, I’ll activate my facedown Staunch Defender, which will force all of his Monsters to attack Stronghold. Then this duel will be mine…

Ren played a card, and Dark Blade appeared. (1,800/1,500) Then he fit another card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

“I end my turn,” he said.

Eh? thought Fujita. No attack?

He looked at Ren.

He’s up to something… He didn’t even move his Shogun to Defense Mode…

He drew a card.

“Stronghold, attack his Shogun!” he shouted.

The huge robot lunged at Burgundy…

“I activate… Rising Energy!” shouted Ren.

His facedown card lifted, and he discarded Penumbral Soldier Lady. Total Defense Shogun’s Attack Score quickly rose to 3,050.

Then, to Ren’s surprise, Stronghold vanished into grains of light right before he reached the Shogun. The three Gadgets fell to the ground, and knelt in Defense Mode.

“What happened?” asked Ren.

“I was on to you,” chuckled Fujita. “And you forgot that Stronghold was a special Monster that was also a Trap Card.

“As soon as you triggered your Trap, I chained my facedown Emergency Provisions, sending Stronghold along with Ultimate Offering and my other facedown card to the Graveyard, to avoid your attack, and gain 3,000 more Life Points.

(R: 4,200) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 5,400)

“Seems I’m in the lead. It’s your move…”

Ren drew a card.

“Okay, Fujita,” he said, as a Spell Card appeared. “I play Card of Demise. Now, I get to draw until I have five cards.”

The ominous guillotine appeared behind him as he drew four cards.

“The catch is, I have to ditch my whole hand after five turns, so I guess I’m just gonna have to finish this quickly…”

He looked at the five cards in his hand.

He was startled at the sight of one of them.

He started to sweat…

“You look awfully nervous, Ren,” said Fujita. “Don’t tell me that your own cards scare you?

“Let me guess… One of the cards you just drew was Mataza the Zapper, right? And you’re wondering what will happen if you summon it, right? Or maybe you’re wondering what will happen if you summon it and I destroy it? I’ll bet you don’t know…

“Come to think of it, I don’t know either. I don’t even have an Exarion Universe in my regular deck when I’m not using this Anarchist Disk… Never really found room… I just like the card because it looks nice…

“Why don’t you play it and find out? After all, it can attack twice… I have three defenses, and you have two Monsters…”

Ren just glared at him.

He looked Mataza the Zapper. Then he looked at the other four cards in his hand: Litmus Doom Swordsman, Chthonian Soldier, Mystic Plasma Zone, and Hidden Soldiers.

He slowly reached for Chthonian Soldier.

Then he stopped.

I’d avoid using my own card if I could, he thought. But if Fujita manages to stall long enough, it will go to the Graveyard anyway when my five rounds are up…

It’s a risk… But this is still a duel, and I have to win…

“I summon Mataza the Zapper!” he shouted.

In a burst of shadows, an exact twin of Ren appeared on the field in front of him. He drew his katana and glared at Fujita. (1,300/800)

“Whoa!” gasped Fujita, rubbing his eyes. “I’m seeing double here! Four Matazas!”

“Oh, that’s very funny,” muttered Ren, placing a card in his Field slot. “I play Mystic Plasma Zone! Your game is about to be called on account of darkness.”

The dark, creeping shadow of the Mystic Plasma Zone covered the whole diamond, plunging it into a murky void. Dark Blade’s scores changed to (2,300/1,100), Shogun’s changed to (2,050/2,000), and the Mataza on the field changed to (1,800/400)

“Hey, I like the dark,” replied Fujita. “I’m a Dark Monster myself now…”

Ren paused.

He had to admit, it was kind of invigorating…

He turned a card on his Disk.

“I move my Shogun into Defense Mode,” he said, as Burgundy knelt and held his shield up.

“Now, to take out your Gadgets! Burgundy, destroy the Green one!”

Burgundy slammed his sword down, and a shockwave shot towards Green Gadget, smashing it into scrap metal.

“Now, my double is going to attack your other two Gadgets, since he can attack twice. Go!”

Ren’s twin dashed across the field, and made one swing at Yellow Gadget, slicing it in half. He made another at Red Gadget, and it broke into pieces.

“Too bad they were in Defense Mode,” said Fujita.

“But are you?” asked Ren. “Dark Blade, attack him directly!”

Dark Blade leapt into the air, and made a savage slash at Fujita. The Beast-Warrior let out a cry that sounded like the whinny of a horse, and collapsed on his hindquarters again.

(R: 4,200) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 3,100)

“THAT was for triggering the fire sprinklers in the gym during the freshman social dance!” shouted Ren.

“No one can prove I did that!” screamed Fujita, getting up.

Ren fit a card into his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

“Just move…” he said.

Fujita drew a card.

“Oh, I’ll move,” he growled. “And you’re gonna lose. I play Enemy Controller.”

The large video game pad appeared on the field.

“And my target is your doppelganger.”

“Think again,” said Ren. “Mataza the Zapper can’t be brainwashed.”

“But I can switch him to Defense Mode,” replied Fujita.

Ren’s twin sheathed his sword, and knelt in Defense Mode.

“Next,” said Fujita, “I activate Monster Reborn, AND Premature Burial!”

The two Spell Cards appeared on the field, and both Green Gadget (1,400/600) and Yellow Gadget (1,200/1,200) appeared again.

“Now, I sacrifice both Gadgets…”

Green and Yellow vanished into grains of light.

“…to summon the most powerful beast in my deck…”

A huge form started to rise behind Fujita.

It suddenly made sense why an Anarchist Disk had chosen this deck. The Machine that had appeared could have only been conceived in a mind that had been lost to Chaos. It was in the shape of a dragon that had been cobbled together by broken gears, gaskets, gewgaws, and other spare parts. But while its component pieces were apparently all junk, it formed a strong and terrifying whole.

The Disk had created a deck using Gadgets not to symbolize Order, but a corruption of it.

The Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon let out a mighty roar… (3,000/2,000)

“I activate Hidden Soldiers!” shouted Ren. “Now I get to Special Summon a Dark Monster to the field!”

In a burst of energy, Chthonian Soldier appeared, kneeling in Defense Mode. (1,200/1,400) –> (1,700/1,000)

“As if that will matter!” shouted Fujita. “Gadjiltron Dragon… Crush Mataza the Zapper with mechanized molten blast!”

Ren looked in horror as the huge Machine opened his jaws, and flames appeared in them…

He was thrown backwards as a volley of white hot fireballs shot from the beast, incinerating his double on the field.

“Heh, heh, heh…” chuckled Fujita, getting up. “Well… Guess that’s that…”

Then he stopped laughing as Ren got up.

Ren’s face was covered with soot, but it was clear that he was not only unharmed…

…he was incredibly angry.

“Why are you still here?” gasped Fujita. “Your Deck Lord…”

“That wasn’t my Deck Lord,” said Ren, staring at him. “I’m the Deck Lord.

“I was tipped off to the situation when you said you didn’t have an Exarion Universe in your ordinary deck. You likely were too much of a coward to try what I just tried.

“That made me figure that using your own card is optional for Duel Spirits. And using it, if you take that option, has no effect on the Spirit itself.

“You just destroyed an ordinary card. I’m still here, and this duel is still going on.”

Fujita’s eyes narrowed.

“Maybe so…” he said. “Maybe I should add an Exarion Universe to my deck then…”

“Why not?” asked Ren. “You always did like looking at yourself.”

“It doesn’t matter!” shouted Fujita. “Since I sacrificed Green to summon my Dragon, it has the same trampling effect as Ancient Gear Golem. And since I sacrificed Yellow, you lose 600 more Life Points whenever it crushes a Monster. And like most Ancient Gear Monsters, you can’t activate Trap Cards when it attacks.

“It’s your move… Make it so I can finish you off…”

(R: 1,000) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 2,300)

Ren slowly drew a card.

It was Monster Reborn.

The other card in his hand was Litmus Doom Swordsman.

No good… he thought. There isn’t a Monster in either Graveyard that can stand up to that thing… If only I could summon Litmus Doom and trigger a Trap Card… But I can’t do either…

What do I do? This is the time I would likely ask my Deck Lord for advice…

Then it hit him.

What am I saying? I’m the Deck Lord now…

He looked at Litmus Doom.

And maybe I can use this guy to finally use that card… That special Monster that Freed gave me!

It’s worth a shot…

“All right, Fujita!” he shouted. “I’m using one of my Deck Lord abilities! Arms Trade!”

“Arms Trade?” asked Fujita.

“By sending one Warrior back to my deck,” said Ren, “I can search for one that’s a lower Level. So I can send my Level Eight Litmus Doom Swordsman back to my deck, to search for a Level Three one.”

Fujita laughed.

“Level Three?” he laughed. “If it were Level Four I might be worried that you were looking for Exiled Force. What Level Three Warrior could possibly be a threat to my Dragon?”

Ren glared at him, and shuffled his deck.

“This one,” he replied. “I summon… Tune Warrior!”

In an aura of energy that looked like a pattern of ones and zeroes, a strange Warrior appeared. It looked like an android of some type, with red armor covered with dials and gauges, antennae on his helmet, jetpacks on his heels, and radio port plugs instead of hands. (1,600/200)

“Wait a second…” gasped Fujita. “That… That’s a Tuner Monster!”

Ren played the other card in his hand, and the holy ankh of Monster Reborn appeared on the field. Dark Squire appeared next to Tune Warrior. (300/300)

“WAIT!” screamed Fujita. “You don’t know what you’re doing! Do you actually believe you can control what you’re about to summon?”

“I do,” replied Ren. “This is a card that chose me. And to summon it, I need a Tuner, and exactly eight Levels worth of Monsters, no more, no less.”

Tune Warrior’s visor glowed, and the needles on its dials all set to maximum. Then he leapt into the sky of the Mystic Plasma Zone, and Chthonian Soldier and Dark Squire followed him.

“I tune Dark Squire, Chthonian Soldier, and Tune Warrior!” shouted Ren. “Clustering stars call a new force. The ultimate Shadow Warrior! Synchro Summon… Colossal Fighter!”

The three Warriors transformed into eight shimmering stars, which in turn burst into an explosion of stars that showered over the whole baseball diamond. Then, a titanic creature crashed down on Ren’s side of the field with a roar. It was just as big as Fujita’s Dragon, a giant that appeared to be covered from head to toe with cybernetic armor, wearing a green visor. (2,800/1,000)

“HA!” laughed Fujita. “All that big show for nothing… It still falls short of being strong enough.”

“Guess again,” replied Ren. “Colossal Fighter has a nifty effect. He gains 100 more Attack Points for each Warrior-Type Monster in my Graveyard. And in case you lost count, there are eight of them there right now.”

“Hey, wait a minute…” said Fujita.

“Not to mention the 500-point bonus he gets from the Field Spell, since he’s a Dark Monster,” continued Ren.

(4,100/600)

“Hold on!” gasped Fujita. “This… This isn’t fair! I wasn’t supposed to lose! No-one told me you had one of those… Things…”

“You haven’t changed, Fujita,” said Ren. “You’re nothing but a spoiled brat, who thinks the world owes him everything. Well, since you never paid attention in English class except to copy off the other students’ work, let me quote from the immortal Mark Twain.

“‘Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.’

“Colossal Fighter, destroy his Dragon with mega-knuckle!”

With hardly any subtlety at all, Colossal Fighter slugged the Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon hard, causing its steel exoskeleton to crack all over. Then the whole beast exploded into a conflagration of flames and molten steel.

“Burgundy…” said Ren. “Finish him off…”

Burgundy made a slash downwards with his great sword, and Fujita, alias Exarion Universe, let out a great scream…

(R: 1,000) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 0)

Ren looked around. He was alone, aside from Colossal Fighter, Dark Blade, and Burgundy. Fujita had vanished.

“Good riddance to bad rubbish,” muttered Ren.

As the Monsters vanished and he started to shuffle his deck, he saw a shimmering portal appear on the pitcher’s mound where Fujita had been standing.

“I take it that’s the other exit to this pocket dimension,” he muttered. “At least I hope it is… Because it’s the only way out…”

He started to walk towards it.

“If what Fujita said is true,” he mused, “the others are all fighting the other members of Daala’s inner circle… And they’re all folks who are angry at us for some reason… Daala probably went all-out preparing for us to come to Xanadu.

“I hope Chelsea is all right…”



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



Fujita’s Deck Lord: “Exarion Universe”: “Bestial Strike”: Once per turn, during your first Main Phase, select one face-up Monster on your side of the field. During that turn, when the selected Monster attacks with an ATK that is higher than the DEF of your opponent's Defense Position monster, inflict the difference as Battle Damage to your opponent's Life Points. (Extraordinary Power)



Lords of Chaos

The Legend Not Told; The Hecatoncheires

Some legends are well-known. But many of them have parts that are left out.

When the world was young, the Titans ruled supreme. The Titans were children of Gaia, the spirit of the living Earth. But before them, Gaia had other children. The Hecatoncheires were among them.

Sages are uncertain just how many Hecatoncheires existed, or still exist. Most believe there are three, while others put their number closer to six. While the Titans possessed godlike beauty, the Hecatoncheires were hideous, being giant brutes, each with fifty heads and a hundred arms. They represented the destructive side of their mother, bringing earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis wherever they went. Each was the equal of any Titan in terms of strength, but because they were ugly, and also dimwitted, their father Uranus banished them to Carceri.

Carceri was then an untamed wilderness that bordered the Abyss, and would become known as the Prison Plane. Whenever a powerful being or even a god had a prisoner whose escape could simply not be allowed, Carceri was the most secure jail. Mortals would one day call it Tartarus.

When Cronus made a bid to overthrow his father, he at first promised his mother to free the Hecatoncheires once he was successful. But after he was successful he broke this promise, for the same reason his father had imprisoned him. He would not have such ugly beings walk upon his kingdom. But, when his own son Zeus rallied his siblings against him, he made the same promise, and didn’t wait until victory to keep it. He freed the Hecatoncheires, who needed no prompting to fight on his side in his bid to overthrow the Titans. As everyone knows, Cronus and the Titans were defeated, and imprisoned in Carceri, where they remain to this day. Zeus then gave the Hecatoncheires the task of guarding them.

The Hecatoncheires made adequate jailers for a few centuries. But eventually, it sank in that they were also prisoners in all but name. Zeus had kept his promise to the letter, but not the spirit. Zeus was not repulsed by their ugliness, as his father and grandfather were, but rather concerned about the danger they posed. He feared that their destructive nature would be a threat to the race of mortals that now populated the world if they were allowed to be free.

The Hecatoncheires abandoned their duties, and since that time, have offered their services as mercenaries. They will serve practically anyone who offers them a way out of Carceri. Unfortunately, almost everyone who has made this offer so far has been a powerful demon or other force of Chaos. Despite the fact that they once served a force of Order, no sane being of Order today would consider freeing such destructive creatures. Zeus’s decision has always turned out to be the wise one, because anyone who frees the Hecatoncheires eventually regrets doing so, as they cause too many casualties to make the endeavor worth it. Every time they were freed, the ones who have freed them have broken their promise and sent them back to the prison where they were taken from.

Time has gone by, and the Olympian gods have lost most of their power due to lack of worship. But the Hecatoncheires are not gods, and do not need devotion from mortals to keep their great strength. They are too stupid to ever find a way out of Carceri themselves, but many fear that it is only a matter of time before some force of Chaos manages to use their destructive power completely to his advantage. Then, a force that was not seen since the time of the Titans may then be unleashed…



Coming up next:

You all are probably thinking right now that Domino Public High School is not the best place to for teenagers to go to school. Well, it isn’t, and if you read the earliest Yu-Gi-Oh manga, you’d know that. Ren had a problem with a fellow student who was taking advantage of everyone, and he’s not the only one of our group who has had bad memories of that place.

Next episode, Erik comes face-to-face with another member of Daala’s inner circle, and finds that she’s a figure from his past that’s just as mad at him as Fujita was at Ren. Why? Well, saying too much now would be giving it all away. I can’t even reveal the title for fear of revealing too much. Be here, or be square.

[Shuppet Master]

Jilted girlfriend? Heh.

Anyways, it looks like Daala is making the same sort of mistakes the Shadow Queen did, trying to use people who have a beef with the heroes to try to assassinate them before they reach her. I can't wait to see what happens next.

[mario72486]

So the first round of boss battles begins. Nice way to get cards from the Machine-oriented Structure deck in here, since many of the them don't see play besides the Gadgets. It should be interesting to see what the other 'rivals' will be using.

I'm still anxious to see what kind of deck Daala will be using for this ultimate showdown. I have an aching feeling in my stomach that I know the answer, if I correctly pieced together the various clues throughout the fic, that is. I'll keep my mouth shut, though. I'd rather wait and see how it all plays out.

And it's gratifying to know that you'll still be writing Yu-Gi-Oh fiction after you finish Soul of Silicon. It'll feel a bit out of place to see you take things into the 5Ds era, but there's no doubt that you'll do the anime justice.

[Mystic_clown]

I'm getting a bit of a bad feeling about Daala's inner circle here. I can easily guess who will be going up against Yumi, but I'm worried about the others the rest will face.

I'm going to be blunt with this. Fujita was a bland villian. A cheating rich kid mad at the main character because he caught him out doesn't make for a good character, especially for one who's supposedly one of the true rulers of Xanadu. I hope there's a bit more depth with more of the inner circle.

It's good to see a Gadget deck being used. I can't remember the last time they were used (I'm not counting when Yugi used them against Forte in Six Avatars).

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

A good battle, but same as MC, the villian was too basic and didn't really surprise of impress me. I found this story to be very original and surprising, but this really seemed out of place.

The story is still great, though, just pointing out.

MLG

[Dark Sage]

It’s Columbus Day. Today, we honor the discoverer of America, despite the fact that he discovered it by accident after making a gross miscalculation of the size of the Earth, and he never realized what he had discovered. Nonetheless, as ignorant as Columbus was, today is a holiday that means a day off for many, or in my case, overtime pay, so I thought I’d put up a new chapter.

Now, this is another chapter where I use Japanese names for a group of Monsters. The names were given a pretty big change for the American transition, likely to avoid legal trouble with a company that is far more powerful than Konami.

I don’t have to worry about that, and since the original names are so much cooler in this case, I’m using them.



You ever have a teacher you didn’t like?

If any of you said “no”, I’d accuse you of lying. Everyone has teachers they don’t like. There are ones who give pop quizzes, ones who have dour personalities, and ones who give lectures that could cure insomnia.

But let me ask you this: Did you ever have a teacher who hated you, wanted to see you fail, and was so obsessed with proving her superiority over you that she refused to believe your best work had been done honestly?

Probably not. Well, I had a teacher like that.

My conflict with this teacher ended badly for her. I never thought I’d see her again.

I was wrong. Seems she hated me so much, she’s done the unthinkable.

One good part of this situation, though… There’s no principal here, no dean of students, and no guidance counselors. She can’t simply use her position to give me detention. At long last, I’m confronting her on equal terms.

Duel…

CHAPTER SIXTY



More Than Meets The Eye

Neo-Space.

Alexis Rhodes – the true Alexis, not a virtual copy that Joan had created – walked quickly down a long hallway, lit by odd lights. Unlike Jaden, she had long ago left her Duel Academy outfit behind, wearing a long, white jacket over a blouse and a skirt, as well as her Duel Disk. (She’d feel naked without that.) After all, her primary role in the government here was as counselor and negotiator.

She headed towards the door at the far end. She made a quick salute to the sentry guarding it, and the door opened. Inside, several Neo-Spacians and other alien creatures were sitting at monitors, observing various locations. Some images on the screens depicted jungles, others plains, and still others building complexes.

The one human in the room, other than the one who had just entered, was Syrus Truesdale, who was supervising, and writing down the progress of one project that was being viewed on a clipboard.

“Syrus,” said Alexis, as she walked up to him. “Do you know where Jaden is?”

“Uhm, he might be upstairs,” replied Syrus, not looking up immediately. “Why? Big news?”

“Probably,” replied Alexis. “I just got back from the detention center. Phoebe is ready to start talking. And I think that Pollux and Damocles are almost at that precipice. All it took was a little gentle persuasion.”

Syrus handed the clipboard to someone next to him.

“You’re a pro, Alexis,” he said. “We’d better find him quickly. The sooner we know what the whole deal with those three was, the better…”

* * * * * * * * * *

Erik was wandering through the thick mist. He called Sam’s name every now and then, but there was no answer.

He looked at himself, and worried.

After Unus the Undying told them that story about Warrior Dai Grepher, he did his own research into the Monster. Most of it was hearsay, interpreted by several Spell and Trap Cards where he was a part of the scene. Apparently, Grepher was once a heroic soldier. But he became obsessed in his rivalry with Warrior Lady of the Wasteland. And after she defeated him when she became D.D. Warrior Lady, he searched for more power.

If the Trap Card The Paths of Destiny was to be believed, he was offered power from two sources, light and darkness. He chose darkness. He got power… But it cost him his humanity.

Erik had seen the Dark Lucius cards used… The demonic Monster that Grepher had turned into. The Level Eight version was even scarier than most of Sam’s Fiends. What was so appealing about it that Grepher chose that over the light?

What if someone offered him the same choice that the first Grepher was offered? Did the Archfiends even now have their eyes on him, and were they looking forward to making the dark enticement a second time?

He hoped he wouldn’t have to find out… If they defeated Daala, maybe Joan could find someone who could make them human again…

As he said this, the fog started to clear.

He looked around. To his surprise, he was in a school lecture hall. There were rows of seats on a dais above a teacher’s desk in the front.

I know this room… he thought.

He paused.

“No…” he said. “This in my Senior English classroom!”

“Quiet down, students,” said a voice. “Class is now in session.”

It can’t be… thought Erik. Professor Watanabe?

Then a shimmering portal appeared on the desk. As Erik watched, an exotic female form stepped out of it. It was a woman with a halter top and long skirt, with long brown hair with two thick braids.

The Otohime looked at Erik with an evil smile.

“Professor Watanabe?” asked Erik. “Is that you?”

“In the flesh,” said the Duel Spirit. “Or rather, in a much better flesh, thanks to the Devil’s Fruit…”

She leapt off the desk, did a flip, and landed on her feet.

“Yeah, right!” laughed Erik. “You chose a poor form, teach! Otohime has zero Attack Points. So you’re gonna let me out of here, or I’ll…”

Then Watanabe’s eyes glowed. Erik felt himself losing control of his muscles. He was slowly forced to kneel.

“Otohime can also force the mightiest Monster to its knees,” said Watanabe. “In the game, this is translated into her ability to switch a Monster’s battle position. You may be stronger, but I’ll never let you get near me.”

“You’re something else,” grumbled Erik. “You gave me a hard time all the way through my Senior year. My English Seminar paper was the best work I ever did, and yet you…”

“Best work you plagiarized, you mean!” shouted Watanabe.

“Oh, give it up!” yelled Erik. “You just won’t quit! You were so certain it was plagiarism… But you didn’t know from what source I had copied it from. You couldn’t make that accusation without proof. So you withheld my grade so you could find the source.

“But your search of all the websites that students commonly download papers from turned up nothing even similar. For over a month, you combed the internet, searching every keyword you could think of, hoping something would lead you to the paper I had copied from. You looked through every essay book in the library with a fine-toothed comb, and still came up empty.

“Finally, my parents got upset, and demanded my grade. They went to the school board.”

Watanabe growled.

“I told them my reasons,” she said, “and I thought they would take my side. But they accused me of ‘antagonizing an innocent student’.”

“As I recall, it wasn’t the first time you had ‘antagonized an innocent student’!” replied Erik.

“They took the paper out of my hands,” growled Watanabe. “You ended up getting an A on it, while I was reprimanded, and my files were investigated. I lost my chance for tenure because of it all! You deserved to be expelled for what you did, and instead you graduated with honors and I was the one who was disciplined!”

“Give it up!” shouted Erik. “Why don’t you admit it, Watanabe? The truth is, you were jealous because that paper was better than anything you had ever written! You just hate teenagers, and that makes you a lousy teacher!”

Then Watanabe’s eyes glowed again, and Erik was forced to his feet. A Duel Disk appeared on her arm.

“It was plagiarized, and you know it,” she said. “And once I defeat you, I’ll be able to drag the truth right out of your very soul.”

Erik laughed, and activated his Disk.

“Oh, I thought you’d never ask,” he said. “Like I need incentive to duel you? What high school student wouldn’t jump at the chance to kick the butt of a teacher who always gave him a hard time?”

“I hope you remember what all your Deck Lord’s powers were,” said Watanabe, “because they’re yours now.

“And I’m going to show you what it feels like to have your ideas copied. My deck also uses toys.”

“Your deck is just like mine?” asked Erik. “Talk about dumb. That means there’s no way for you to surprise me.”

“Oh, it’s very different than yours,” replied Watanabe. “I use more… modern toys.”

They both drew five cards off their decks.

“Game on!”

(Erik: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - (Watanabe: 8,000)

“I’m gonna teach you a thing or two, teach,” said Erik, drawing a card.

He looked at his hand.

“I’ll use one of my Deck Lord abilities right away. I toss one Spell Card…”

He discarded his Pot of Avarice.

“And in return, I get to activate Toy Town from my deck.”

The classroom faded away, and the gingerbread houses and sugarplum hills of Toy Town rose around them.

“Nice place, huh?” asked Erik.

“I was diabetic, you little brat!” replied Watanabe. “This place would have been a nightmare before Daala gave me my new body…”

“The problem with you, Watanabe,” said Erik, “is that the world dealt you a bad hand, and you dealt with it by taking it out on everyone else.”

He played a card, and Toy Soldier appeared in front of him. (800/300) –> (1,100/300)

“That’s all for now…”

Watanabe drew a card.

“I summon… Deformer Mobaphon!” she exclaimed.

“Say what?” asked Erik. “Deformer?”

With a loud whir, a cellular phone the size of a man appeared in front of Watanabe. Erik raised an eyebrow.

Then, the phone’s parts started to turn, shift, and change shape. After a few seconds, it had become a cute robot with the features of a cellular phone. (100/100)

“Now, I activate its effect. Okay, Mobaphon… Dial On!”

Deformer Mobaphon whirred and beeped, and then the numbers on its chest started to light up in an apparently random sequence. Finally, it stopped on the five.

“Five?” asked Erik. “Five what?”

“That means I get to check the top five cards of my deck,” replied Watanabe, “and if there’s a Deformer Monster among them that’s Level Four or less, I get to Special Summon it.”

She took five cards off of her deck and looked at them.

“And there is… The Level Three Deformer Magnen U! I summon it in Attack Mode.”

With another whir, a large, steel magnet appeared next to Mobaphon. Then it started to change shape, just like Mobaphon did, until it was another cute robot, this one blue with an elongated head. (800/800)

“I get it…” said Erik. “Your Monsters are those toy robots that turn into things.”

“You got it,” replied Watanabe. “Next, I reshuffle these other four cards back into my deck…”

She quickly shuffled.

“And by the way, a Deformer’s effect depends on its battle position. Take Deformer Magnen U, for instance. If it were in Defense Mode, it would be the only Monster you could attack. However, since it is now in Attack Mode, you can only attack it with your strongest Monster.

“With that, I set one card facedown, and then end my turn…”

A reversed card appeared behind the Deformers.

Erik drew, and looked at the two Deformers.

I know what she’s planning, he thought. She thinks I’m going to attack Mobaphon because it’s weaker.

But… If she summoned another Magnen U and managed to switch them both into Defense Mode, it would form an attack lock, like two Marauding Captains… I have to take it out.

“I use Toy Soldier’s effect, to summon two more Soldiers.”

In two flashes of light, two more Toy Soldiers appeared. (800/300 x2) –> (1,100/300 x2)

“Next, I use my most powerful Deck Lord effect,” said Erik. “My Toy Tinker ability. I get to take a low-Level Toy Monster from my deck this turn, and ever other turn thereafter.”

He looked through his deck, and took Toy Magician from it. He nodded.

“Now, I play Crowning of the Emperor!”

The Toy Soldier in the middle saluted, and then vanished into grains of light. Toy Emperor appeared, galloping onto the candy street on his toy horse. (2,300/800) –> (2,600/800)

“Toy Emperor, attack Deformer Magnen U!”

Toy Emperor pointed his saber, and charged at the robot…

“I activate… Negate Attack!” exclaimed Watanabe.

Her facedown card flipped up, and an invisible shield stopped Toy Emperor dead in his tracks.

Erik looked at his hand, and sighed.

“I’ll end my turn there,” he muttered.

Watanabe drew again.

“Once again, I use Mobaphon’s effect,” she said. “Dial On!”

Again, Mobaphon’s button’s flashed with a series of beeps. They landed on the three.

Watanabe took three cards from her deck, and looked at them.

“I Special Summon Deformer Clockn in Defense Mode,” she said.

In a whir, a large digital clock appeared in front of her. Its numbers read 0:00. (600/1,100)

Watanabe quickly shuffled the other two cards into her deck.

“Next,” she said, “I Normal Summon a second Magnen U.”

Another of the large magnets appeared, and it changed shape, turning into a twin of the first Magnen U. (800/800)

“Now, I’ll Equip my first Magnen U with Deformer Cord.”

She played a card, and a large, leather strap covered with circuits with plugs on each end appeared in the air. It plugged into the sides of Magnen U.

“Then,” continued Watanabe, “I move it to Defense Mode…”

The first Magnen U started to change shape again. After a few minutes, it had reverted to magnet shape.

“Due to that Cord, whenever it changes its battle position, one Spell or Trap Card on the field is destroyed.”

Then an electric storm erupted over the whole arena. Erik shielded himself as the buildings of Toy Town were blasted into dust.

“Then I use my Deck Lord effect,” continued Watanabe. “It’s called Battle Dance. During my first Main Phase, I can switch the Battle Position of one of my Monsters, regardless of any conditions that say I can’t. So, even though I just summoned my second Magnen U in Attack Mode, it goes into Defense Mode as well.”

The second Magnen U changed shape like the other one did. Then they both were surrounded by an aura of electricity, which grew into an electrical field that surrounded her whole side of the field.

“An attack lock,” muttered Erik. “Great…”

“You don’t know the half of it,” replied Watanabe. “Now I can use the effect of my Clockn. Each round that it’s in Defense Mode, I get to put one Deformer Counter on it.”

The number on Deformer Clockn changed to 1:00.

“At any time, I can sacrifice my Clockn to inflict damage to you equal to 1,000 times the number of Counters it has.”

“So, it’s not a clock,” replied Erik. “It’s a time bomb.”

“More or less,” replied Watanabe. “I set a facedown, and end my turn.”

She played another card, and a facedown card appeared behind her Deformers.

Erik drew a card.

It was Puppet King.

I have enough Monsters to summon this guy, he thought, but I think I’ll save him for later…

He added the card to his hand, and chose another card.

“I summon Toy Magician,” he said.

In a flash of bright energy, Toy Magician appeared next to his other toys. (1,600/1,500)

“Maybe I can’t attack your Monsters,” he said, as he played a Spell Card, “but with my Forced March, my Monsters can attack you directly, so long as I cut their Attack Scores in half.”

The Toy Soldiers aimed their guns, and their Attack Scores fell to 400 each. Toy Emperor’s fell to 1,150, while Toy Magician fell to 800.

“Wait a minute…” said Watanabe.

The two Toy Soldiers fired, and Watanabe shrieked as the shells hit her. Then Toy Magician cast his spell, and she groaned.

Then Toy Emperor galloped forward, and slashed at her with his saber. She fell backwards.

(E: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - (W: 5,250)

“That’s all for my turn,” said Erik. “You may have a bunch of toy robots, teach, but you can’t beat that old-fashioned charm.”

“I’ll show you,” said Watanabe, drawing a card.

Her facedown card lifted.

“I activate Compulsory Evacuation Device.”

“You’re going to bounce my Emperor back to my hand!” shouted Erik.

“No,” replied Watanabe. “Actually, I’m going to return Mobaphon to MY hand.”

An odd machine looking somewhat like a mortar cannon appeared on her side of the field. Mobaphon was grabbed by a set of chains and drawn into it, and then shot out with a blast. Its card appeared in Watanabe’s hand.

“Next,” she continued, as a Spell Card appeared, “I play the Spell Card, Deformer Speed Unit. By sending one Deformer back to my deck, I can destroy one card on the field.”

She shuffled Mobaphon back into her deck, and a machine that looked like a streamlined rocket engine appeared. Its engine ignited, and it flew into Toy Emperor, blowing him to bits. Erik scowled.

“Also, I get to draw one card,” she said, making a draw.

She looked at it, and added it to her hand.

“Now, I add one more Counter to Clockn.”

The clock’s number changed to 2:00.

“Then, I summon Deformer Chakkan!”

In a burst of flames, a man-sized cigarette lighter appeared in front of her. Like before, it whirred and changed shape, transforming into another toy robot. (1,200/600)

“Not exactly the best toy for kids,” said Erik.

“Indeed,” said Watanabe, as another Spell Card appeared. “Any parent will tell kids they shouldn’t play with fire. And you’re about to learn why. I play the Continuous Spell Card, Gadget Box.”

It was an odd Spell Card. It showed the picture of a cartoonish machine with weapons built into its limbs looming over a collection of stuffed toys.

“This card is a Monster creator,” said Watanabe. “Once per round, I can use it to summon a Gadget Token.”

In a flash of energy, an odd Machine appeared. It was a goofy gizmo, with six arms, each one with a tool in place of a hand, such as a hammer, shears, cleaver, metal fist, and wrench. (0/0)

“But, if you think this card is just like Jam Breeding Machine, and will keep me from summoning Monsters, think again. I can summon all the Monsters I want. The downside is, I can’t sacrifice the Tokens for a Tribute Summon.

“But I can sacrifice them for other things. Such as Chakkan’s offensive effect. By sacrificing a Monster, it can deal 600 points of damage. So, I’ll sacrifice my Token.”

The Gadget Token vanished, and a blast of flame shot from Deformer Chakkan. Erik winced a little.

“Now, thanks to my Battle Dance ability, Chakkan moves to Defense Mode…”

Chakkan turned back into its lighter mode, moving to Defense.

“And that means I can use its defensive ability, which lets me inflict 300 points of damage without sacrificing anything.”

Another blast of flame shot at Erik, and he winced again.

“So, Deformers are just an exotic burn strategy?” asked Erik.

“I end my turn,” replied Watanabe, not bothering to answer the question.

(E: 7,100) - - - - - - - - - (W: 5,250)

Erik drew.

That’s it, he thought.

“First, I use my Toy Tinker ability again,” he said.

He took his deck, and took a second Toy Magician from it.

“But I won’t be using him yet… I sacrifice both my Toy Soldiers…”

The two Toy Soldiers vanished into grains of light.

“To summon Puppet King!”

With a roar, the mighty Puppet King appeared on his side if the field. (2,800/2,600)

“So what are you going to do with him?” asked Watanabe. “You still can’t attack.”

“I’ll be able to as soon as I play Enemy Controller!” replied Erik.

The large video game pad appeared on Erik’s side of the field. Watanabe gasped as the Deformer Magnen U that was Equipped with the Deformer Cord changed shape, moving to Attack Mode.

“I’m guessing that the effect of that Equip Spell isn’t optional,” said Erik. “Am I right?”

“Yeah, you were right…” mumbled Watanabe. “But I can use the effect to destroy the Cord itself.”

The Cord shattered.

“I didn’t forget Deformer Magnen U’s offensive ability,” continued Erik. “When it’s in Attack Mode, I have to attack it with my strongest Monster.

“Puppet King, attack the Attack Mode Deformer Magnen U! Majestic Checker!”

Puppet King lunged at the small robot, and slugged it hard. It shattered into pieces of broken metal.

“ERGH!” shouted the Otohime.

“Now, my Toy Magician attacks your defensive Magnen U,” said Erik. “Sparkle blast!”

Toy Magician cast his powerful spell, and the second Magnen U exploded.

“I throw a card facedown,” said Erik, as a reversed card appeared, “and my turn is over.”

(E: 7,100) - - - - - - - - - (W: 3,250)

Watanabe frowned, and drew a card.

“I play Pot of Greed,” she said.

The evil jar appeared, and she made two draws.

Darn, she thought, looking at one of them. I drew this one a turn too late…

“I activate Chakkan’s defensive ability again,” she said.

Erik groaned as a blast of flame hit him again.

“Then, I move it to Attack Mode.”

Chakkan changed shape, turning to robot form again.

The Gadget Box card glowed, and a second Gadget Token appeared. Then it vanished, and Erik hollered as Chakkan blasted him a second time.

“Now,” said Watanabe, “I place another Counter on Clockn…”

The number on Clockn turned to 3:00.

“Then I move Clockn to Attack Mode as well…”

Clockn started to change shape as the others did, and also turned into a robot, with its number on its chest.

“While in Attack Mode, I can’t place any new Counters on Clockn. But, it gains 500 Attack Points for each Counter it already has.”

(2,100/1,100)

“Then, I summon Deformer Radion!”

With another whir and a burst of energy, a digital radio appeared. It changed shape, turning into a radio robot. (1,000/900)

“When Radion is in Attack Mode, all Deformers gain 800 more Attack Points.”

Clockn rose to an Attack Score of 2,900, Chakkan rose to 2,000, and Radion itself rose to 1,800.

“Finally,” she said, playing another card, “I Equip Chakkan with Deformer Power Unit.”

Chakkan glowed, and an engine appeared on Chakkan’s back. It pulled a ripcord, and the engine started to hum.

“This Equip Spell doubles its base Attack Score. Of course, after two of my turns, the Unit will be destroyed, and I’ll take damage equal to that base score.”

Chakkan rose to an Attack Score of 3,200.

“So,” said Watanabe, “to answer your previous question, no, Deformers are not ‘an exotic burn strategy’. They are quite capable of battling when they have to.

“Chakkan, attack Puppet King! Flame blaze!”

Chakkan blasted flames at the huge Warrior with the power of a flamethrower…

“Not so fast!” shouted Erik, as his facedown card shot up. “I activate Draining Shield!”

She shielded himself as the flames were blocked by an invisible barrier.

“OOH!” shouted Watanabe. “Clockn, you attack!”

Clockn pointed, and a blast of energy composed of glowing numbers shot at Puppet King. Puppet King groaned, and then exploded.

“Radion, attack Toy Magician!”

Radion blasted a beam of energy that looked like a radio band. Toy Magician was blown to pieces.

“And that’s all,” laughed Watanabe.

(E: 9,100) - - - - - - - - - (W: 3,250)

Erik looked at her.

“Gee, Watanabe…” he said. “You were never this enthusiastic before. Your lectures on the symbolism of Milton’s works could bore a rock to sleep. What happened?”

“Well, just look at me,” replied Watanabe.

She made a seductive pose.

“Aren’t I more beautiful now than I ever was when I was human? Once I left my human body behind, I was free to express myself in ways I never though I would be able to…”

“But at what cost?” asked Erik. “What did you promise Shogarr for your beauty and power? People never think of the consequences when making such decisions… Heck, you said so yourself in your lecture on Marlowe’s The Tragic History of Doctor Faustus.

“Of course, you also believe that dumb conspiracy theory about Marlowe… About how he faked his death and then wrote all of Shakespeare’s plays…”

“I never admitted that!” shouted Watanabe.

“Of course you didn’t,” replied Erik. “People would think you were ignorant, which you are. Still, you always seemed to take a dim view of any student who gave Shakespeare credit for his own works and quotations, and lectures about his biography were always strangely absent from your lesson plans.”

He drew a card. Watanabe was simply looking at him blankly, as if he had struck a nerve.

“Marlowe’s life was tragically cut short, Watanabe,” continued Erik. “He was murdered by three guys with unclear motives. That dumb theory was started because the upper class just refused to believe that a commoner like Shakespeare could have written such genius work. Just like you didn’t believe that a mere student like me could have written such a good paper. You’re simply ignorant, and I’m gonna see to it that you regret it…

“I play Toy Memorial! Now, I get to draw once for each card in my Graveyard with the word ‘Toy’ its name. With Toy Emperor, Toy Magician, Toy Town, and three Toy Soldiers, that’s six cards!”

He quickly made six draws. He looked them over.

“I have to skip my Battle Phase, but it’s a small price to pay.

“Next, I play Toy Box.”

He played the Spell Card, and the goofy Toy Box materialized on his side of the field. (0/0)

“You can’t attack it, nor can you use Spell Cards on it. And I get to take two Monsters in my hand with the word ‘Toy’ in their names, and hide them in the Toy Box.”

Two cards in his hand turned into motes of light, and then flew inside the Toy Box.

“Then, I set a card facedown, and that will be all.”

A facedown card appeared.

Watanabe laughed as she drew a card.


Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“Six new cards,” she laughed, “and you couldn’t get a Monster that you could defend yourself with?

“I summon Deformer Cameran!”

In a bright flash of light, another robot appeared on her side of the field, this one short and blocky, colored red and blue. (800/600)

“And thanks to my Battle Dance ability, I can move it to Defense Mode.”

Cameran started to whir and change shape, turning into a very large photographer’s camera.

“When Cameran is in Defense Mode, none of my Deformers can be targeted by Spell or Trap Cards. So unless your facedown card is a Mirror Force, it isn’t gonna work.

“But before I attack, I’ll use the effect of Gadget Box again…”

The Spell Card glowed, and another Gadget Token appeared. (0/0)

It vanished, and Chakkan shot a stream of flames at Erik again. Erik groaned.

“Now, Chakkan, show him some real fire! Attack directly!”

Deformer Chakkan’s Power Unit started to hum again. It blasted an even more intense stream of flames…

“Go, Toy Robot Box!” shouted Erik, as his facedown card lifted.

He quickly discarded a Toy Wind-Up. Three toy robot action figures appeared in front of him, crouching in Defense Mode. (0/0 x3)

Watanabe growled.

“You just don’t give up, do you?” she asked.

Chakkan’s flame incinerated one of the robots. Clockn shot its numbers at another, and it exploded. Radion shot its band of energy at the third, and it burst.

“I end my turn,” she said.

“Not before I activate the effect of my Toy Box,” said Erik. “I use it to bring Toy Magician out of it.”

The Box opened, and Toy Magician hopped out. (1,600/1,500)

(E: 8,500) - - - - - - - - - (W: 3,250)

“Now I’ll draw,” said Erik.

He drew a card.

“I’m going to skip using my Toy Tinker ability… My deck is running a little short of Monsters as it is…

“But I will play Premature Burial. Now, my Toy Emperor returns!”

He placed the card in his Disk, and glowed with a red aura, and Toy Emperor appeared in a flash of light. (2,300/800)

“Now, I use another Deck Lord ability,” he continued. “When Toy Emperor is on the field, I can toss one card in my hand to recover another Monster with the word ‘Toy’ in its name.”

He discarded his Dark Designator, and his other Toy Magician slipped out of his discard slot.

“Now I’ll summon it while I’m at it…”

In a flash of light, the first Toy Magician appeared next to the second. (1,600/1,500)

“Now, I’ll bring out the other Monster I hid inside my Toy Box… Meet my Toy Dragon!”

With a loud roar, Toy Dragon leapt out of the Toy Box, its eyes blinking red, and its articulated parts ready to strike. (2,300/2,000)

The Toy Box disappeared.

“Toy Dragon gains 400 more Attack Points for each other Toy Monster I have on the field. That equals 1,200 more big ones.”

(3,500/2,000)

“All right!” shouted Erik. “First Toy Magician, destroy Deformer Cameran!”

The second Toy Magician cast his spell, and Cameran exploded into pieces of broken metal.

“Toy Emperor, attack Deformer Radion!”

Toy Emperor charged at the robot, and slashed with his saber, cutting it in half.

Clockn fell to an Attack Score of 2,100, while Chakkan fell to 2,000.

“Now, I get to take a Trap Card from my deck…”

He looked through his deck, and took what he wanted.

“Toy Dragon, stop her clock!”

Toy Dragon shot a blast of glowing motes from its jaws, and Deformer Clockn exploded. Watanabe cringed.

(E: 7,700) - - - - - - - - - (W: 1,350)

“Since Chakkan is still too much for my other Magician to handle, I set one card facedown, and end my turn.”

A reversed card appeared.

“It’s your move…”

Watanabe snarled as she drew.

“I seem to remember you saying that Deformer Power Unit is destroyed this round,” said Erik, “and that you take 1,200 points of damage.”

The Equip Spell shattered, but Watanabe just laughed.

“I forgot to mention the other Deck Lord effect I have,” she said. “I take no effect damage from any cards that I control.”

“You’re kidding…” said Erik.

“No joke,” replied Watanabe. “You should have seen the face on the fool who used a Lava Golem against me.

“Now… I’m sure you remember Mobaphon.”

She played a card, and with another whir, the cell phone robot appeared again. (100/100)

“Now, once again, Dial On!”

Mobaphon’s numbers flashed, and beeped, until they landed on the three.

Watanabe looked at the top three cards on her deck, and then chose one.

“I summon Deformer Radiocassen in Defense Mode!” she exclaimed.

With another loud whir, a large, old-fashioned boom box, the type that was used to play cassette tapes, appeared in front of her. (1,200/400)

“Once again, Gadget Box activates…”

A Gadget Token appeared again. (0/0) Once again, it vanished, and the flames shot at Erik. Fortunately, he was used to it happening by now.

“Next, I move Chakkan to Defense Mode, so it can use its other effect.”

Chakkan quickly turned back to lighter mode, and shot another stream of flames at Erik.

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

She played the last two cards in her hand, and two reversed cards appeared.

(E: 6,800) - - - - - - - - - (W: 1,350)

Erik quickly drew a card.

I don’t like the look of that boom box, he thought. I’d better get rid of it first…

“Toy Magician, destroy Deformer Radiocassen!”

The first Toy Magician pointed his wand…

“I activate Radiocassen’s effect!” shouted Watanabe. “Once per round, it can negate one attack against it!”

The blast shot at Radiocassen, but simply glanced off it casing.

“Toy Emperor, destroy it!” shouted Ren.

Toy Emperor slashed at the Machine with his saber, and the boom box exploded.

Erik paused to look through his deck, and took a Trap Card from it.

“This next hit is going to wipe you out!” shouted Erik. “Toy Dragon, attack Deformer Mobaphon!”

Toy Dragon roared…

“I activate a Trap!” shouted Watanabe, as a facedown card lifted. “It’s called simply, Deform. This shifts my Deformer to its other battle position, and negates your attack!”

As Toy Dragon’s blast shot towards Mobaphon, it quickly changed to phone form, and the blast glanced off an invisible shield.

“Second Toy Magician, attack Deformer Chakkan!” ordered Erik.

Toy Magician pointed his wand at the lighter.

“Surprise…” said Watanabe, as her second facedown card lifted. “I have two copies of Deform.”

Chakkan quickly turned into robot mode, and Toy Magician’s blast bounced off the same invisible shield.

Erik looked at his hand for a second.

“I set another card facedown, and end my turn,” he said.

A facedown card appeared next to his other one.

“I draw one card…” said Watanabe.

She drew.

“And my Trap Card activates!” shouted Erik. “Dust Tornado!”

One of his facedown cards lifted up, and the Tornado shot across the field, blowing the Gadget Box card to pieces.

“So much for you getting free uses of that thing’s effect,” he said.

“Well, I’ll still be able to delay you a little,” said Watanabe. “I play Swords of Revealing Light!”

She played the card she had just drawn, and a blizzard of swords shot from it, trapping Erik and his Monsters.

“Now, I use Mobaphon’s defensive ability…”

The lights on the huge cell phone flashed again. They landed on the four.

“That means I get to look at the top four cards on my deck before I draw them.”

She looked at the top cards on her deck. She smirked, and then put them back.

“Now, I move Chakkan to Defense Mode, to use its effect again.”

Chakkan moved back to lighter mode, and then blasted its flames at Erik again.

“And I end my turn.”

(E: 6,500) - - - - - - - - - (W: 1,350)

This is getting to be annoying… thought Erik, as he drew a card.

“I’m just going to pass,” he said. “It’s your move…”

Watanabe grinned, and drew a card.

She gestured, and Chakkan shot its flames at Erik again.

“I play Psychic Cyclone,” she said, holding up the card she had just drawn. “This Spell is kind of like Mystical Space Typhoon, but it only works on set cards. Before I use it, I have to guess whether the target is a Trap or a Spell. If I’m right, I get to draw one card. If I’m wrong, then you get to draw one card.

“Doesn’t that sound interesting?”

Erik just glared at her.

“Since you searched for that facedown card with Toy Emperor’s effect, I’m gonna guess Trap Card.”

A cyclone tore across the field. Erik’s Mirror Force lifted up and shattered. Watanabe laughed, and drew a card.

She quickly placed it on her Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

“Your move…”

Erik drew a card.

Let’s see, he thought, looking at his hand. What is that facedown Monster? Deformers don’t seem like the Flip-Effect type…

Since she used up all the cards in her hand, it’s likely a Flip-Effect Monster that will likely let her make more draws… Maybe even Morphing Jar…

And since she waited until then to use Psychic Cyclone, when she knew exactly what her next card would be due to Mobaphon’s effect… Yeah, it’s definitely Morphing Jar…

So…

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

Two reversed cards appeared.

Watanabe quickly drew a card.

She looked at it, and then set it on her Disk, a second facedown Monster appeared.

Then she flipped the facedown Monster face-up, and Morphing Jar appeared. (700/600)

Bingo… thought Erik.

He discarded the cards in his hand. They both drew five cards.

Erik looked at his deck.

Only seven cards left in my deck… he thought. All the drawing and searching has caught up to me… I’d better win this fast…

Then he was shocked as Chakkan’s flame burned him again.

(E: 6,200) - - - - - - - - - (W: 1,350)

“Your turn!” laughed Watanabe.

Erik growled as he made a draw.

“I’m just going to pass, and end my turn there,” he said. “Now your Swords wear off, and my Monsters will be free to attack next round.”

“That will be too late, Erik,” replied Watanabe, drawing another card. “Time to show you what my deck can truly do…

“First, I move Chakkan and Mobaphon to Attack Mode.”

The two Deformers quickly switched to robot mode.

“Then, I use Chakkan’s offensive effect, and sacrifice Morphing Jar to do so…”

Morphing Jar vanished, and Erik sweat as more flames scorched him.

“Then, I use my Battle Dance to switch it to Defense Mode, and use its other effect.”

Chakkan turned back to lighter mode, and another blast of flame hit Erik.

“Next, I use Mobaphon’s effect one last time. Dial On!”

Mobaphon’s buttons flashed again, this time landing on the three. Watanabe looked at the top three cards on her deck.

“I summon a second Clockn in Defense Mode,” she said.

Another of the digital clocks appeared. (600/1,100)

“Now, I place one Counter on it…”

Clockn’s number changed to 1:00.

“Then I sacrifice it to use its effect!”

Clockn vanished, and Erik cringed as a red aura surrounded him.

(E: 4,300) - - - - - - - - - (W: 1,350)

“I’m just getting started,” said Watanabe. “I flip my facedown Monster to Attack Mode. Reveal… Penguin Soldier!”

The card flipped up, and a cute-looking penguin carrying a sword appeared. (750/500)

Oh, no… thought Erik. She can use that to bounce two of my Monsters back to my hand…

“I use its effect to send Deformer Mobaphon and Deformer Chakkan back to my hand,” said Watanabe.

The two Deformers vanished.

“Confused?” asked Watanabe. “It will all become clear in a minute. You likely thought I had no high-level Monsters in this deck… Well, I have one. I sacrifice my penguin…”

Penguin Soldier vanished.

“…to summon Gadget Hauler!”

In a large burst of energy, a large semi rig truck appeared next to Watanabe. It didn’t seem very remarkable as far as rigs went, but Erik could tell, this meant business. (1,300/0)

“Next,” continued Watanabe, “I use my Hauler’s effect. For each Deformer in my hand that I discard, it receives a permanent gain of 800 Attack Points.”

She quickly discarded Mobaphon and Chakkan, and Gadget Hauler glowed, rising to an Attack Score of 2,900.

“Next,” she continued, “I play the Spell Card, Factory of 100 Machines!”

A creepy-looking Spell Card appeared on her side of the field. It had the picture of Jinzo with two shadowy Deformers behind it.

Then nine Deformers appeared behind Watanabe: Mobaphon, two Magnen U, two Clockn, Radion, Radiocassen, Chakkan, and Cameran. They all faded into nothing.

“By removing from play every Deformer in my Graveyard, one Machine on my side of the field gains 200 Attack Points for each!”

(4,700/0)

Gadget Hauler’s cab split in two, its trailer opened, and a large cannon with a giant engine emerged from it…

Ho boy… thought Erik. This is gonna hurt…

“FIRE!” shouted Watanabe.

Gadget Hauler’s cannon blasted with a roar so explosive that the whole half of the room behind Erik was blown to pieces, revealing a dark void outside. Toy Magician was vaporized, and Erik was thrown backwards.

Erik narrowly avoided the same fate. He grabbed hold of a broken pipe just in time to keep from falling into that void…

He caught his breath, and pulled himself back into the room.

(E: 1,200) - - - - - - - - - (W: 1,350)

He looked, and saw that, by some miracle, his hand of cards had fallen on the floor right before he had nearly been blown away. He slowly picked them up.

“Anything else?” he said, with a hint of anger in his voice.

Watanabe placed a card in her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

“I end my turn, which means the effect of my Spell Card wears off,” she said. “But like I said, any increase that my Hauler gains by its own effect is permanent.”

(2,900/0)

Then this is my last chance, thought Erik. If she manages to use that effect next round with even one more Deformer, it will be too strong for anything I’ve got to defeat…

He drew a card. He held it to the light.

One of his facedown cards lifted.

“Go, Monster Reborn!” he shouted.

In a flash, the ankh appeared, and the Toy Magician appeared again. Toy Dragon rose to an Attack Score of 3,500 again.

“Go ahead!” laughed Watanabe. “Attack if you think it will work!”

“Oh, but it will,” replied Erik. “I play… Sky Union!”

The Spell Card appeared, and glowed with energy.

“I sacrifice three Monsters…”

Both Toy Magicians and Toy Emperor vanished.

“To bring out my most powerful beast… Arise!”

From out of the void behind him, the mighty Air Fortress Ziggurat appeared. (2,500/2,000)

“HA!” laughed Watanabe. “That’s not strong enough!”

“It will be in a minute,” replied Erik. “I play… Shrink!”

His other facedown card lifted.

“It doesn’t truly cut your Hauler’s Attack Score in half… But it does reduce its Score by half of its base Attack Score, which I believe was 1,300. That means it loses 650 Attack Points, which makes it just the right size for my Fortress to handle.”

Gadget Hauler fell to an Attack Score of 2,250.

“Attack her Gadget Hauler!”

Air Fortress Ziggurat’s eyes glowed with golden fire.

“I activate… Sakuretsu Armor!” shouted Watanabe.

Her Trap Card lifted up.

Then she was startled, as it was smashed to pieces.

“My Monster is immune to Traps,” replied Erik. “I’m guessing you didn’t research the game as much as you researched the cheat sites so you could find the proof you imagined existed that I had copied that paper.”

A volley of missiles fired from the Fortress, blowing Gadget Hauler to scrap. Watanabe screamed.

“Before I attack, teach,” said Erik, “here’s one last thing to remember me by… I didn’t plagiarize that paper. If I did, don’t you think I’d gloat about it right now?”

“Wait… don’t!” begged Watanabe, looking at Toy Dragon. “Mercy, please!”

“Mercy?” asked Erik. “As if! I’ve wanted to do this ever since you assigned us to read Gulliver’s Travels over Christmas break!

“Toy Dragon… Attack directly with Shooting Star Shower!”

Watanabe screamed as the barrage of glowing motes from Toy Dragon slammed into her. She fell to her knees.

(E: 1,200) - - - - - - - - - (W: 0)

Erik walked up to Watanabe, who was panting for breath.

“So you beat me…” she said, with a voice that was thick with bile, “but consider this, Erik… I’ve learned a few things about the politics of the Twelve Dimensions…

“Dark Lucius is one of the Archfiends’ greatest assets. As a general of the armies of Pandemonium, he’s led battalions of their troops to many victories in the darker parts of the Dimensions…

“You can just imagine how much the Terrorking is salivating with anticipation right now, now that the possibility has arisen of another Dark Lucius eventually being born…”

That was too much for Erik. He drew the sword out of the sheath at his side. But before he could use it, Watanabe erupted into green flames, and vanished.

Erik took a deep breath.

“Deformers, huh?” he muttered. “Weird…”

He looked, and saw a glowing portal open where Watanabe had stood.

“That’s my way out…” he muttered. “Let’s hope Sam isn’t at the mercy of some other psycho…”



GADGET BOX (Spell Card)

Continuous Spell

Image: An odd-looking machine with cartoon weapons built into its limbs looming over a collection of stuffed toys.

Card Effect: Once per turn, you may Special Summon one “Gadget Token” (Machine/Earth/Level One/0ATK/0DEF) in Attack Position. “Gadget Tokens” cannot be used as Tributes for a Tribute Summon.

Note: “Gadget Box” was first used by Rua in an episode of “Yu-Gi-Oh 5D”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



PSYCHIC CYCLONE (Spell Card)

Quickplay Spell

Image: A mysterious man holding up one finger with a whirlwind around it.

Card Description: Target one set card in your opponent’s Spell/Trap Zone. State whether the set card is a Spell or Trap Card. Then, destroy that card. If the card is the type of card you stated, draw one card. If the card is not the type of card you stated, your opponent draws one card.

Note: “Psychic Cyclone” was first used by Takasu in an episode of “Yu-Gi-Oh 5D”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



Erik’s Deck Lord: “Warrior Dai Grepher”: “Toy Tinker”: Once every two turns, starting on your second turn, you may search your deck for a Monster with the word “Toy” in its name that is Level Four or less and add it to your hand. (Greater Power) “Realm of Toys”: You must use this ability on your first turn. Discard one Spell or Trap Card from your hand. Activate one “Toy Town” from your deck. (Minor Power) “Imperial Rally”: If a “Toy Emperor” is face-up on your side of the field, you may discard one card from your hand to select one “Toy” Monster from your Graveyard that is Level Four or less and add it to your hand. (Minor Power)



Watanabe’s Deck Lord: “Otohime”: “Battle Dance”: Once per turn, during your Main Phase 1, you can change the battle position of one face-up Monster you control, disregarding any condition that would prevent you from doing so. (Greater Power) “Desensitization”: Negate any effect damage you would take from the effects of cards you control. (Extraordinary Power)



Lords of Chaos

The Sleepers; The Irecundia

What are the Irecundia? What purpose do they serve? The simple answer is, only the gods may know for sure. They are quite likely the most dangerous threat that the Abyss has to offer.

Irecundia are demons of mind-boggling size, the size of mountains. If you are able to look at the entire creature – which is difficult – apart from its colossal size, it would look like a typical demon, except that its body is covered with strange runes that have no meaning in any known language. No-one knows how many there are, how they manage to eat enough to maintain their enormous bulk, or what drives them. These goliaths are found in the most desolate areas of the Abyss, always singly, and asleep almost all the time. They do not seem to be related to the obyriths, and they are certainly far older than the current race of demons. Some have theorized that they wait for the end of all times, when they all will awake to devour the universe. Thankfully, these giants are asleep almost constantly.

Irecundia are so powerful, they cannot be summoned or controlled. Sometimes, when the need is dire enough, groups of powerful demon sorcerers can use mighty spells that can wake one of them up. Even then, there is no guarantee that the behemoth won’t flatten the ones who did so, but if a demon with power on par with a demon lord speaks to it sternly, there is a chance it might decide to obey.

This is usually done when a demon lord must end a long and very frustrating Blood War conflict. Any battle where an Irecundia shows up is very one-sided, with the great beast stomping and devouring the devilish forces, and often most of the demonic ones as well. Even after the battle is won, the Irecundia doesn’t stop slaughtering every living creature who can’t escape its grasp, and does so until it gets bored, and decides to leave and find a place to go back to sleep.

Only once in history was there a record of an Irecundia being defeated. Roughly two-hundred years ago, several representatives of the planar races representing Order in the universe decided to form a council, holding a meeting in an area of the Outlands known as Common Ground. This great meeting was overseen by Alorous, one of the group of Archlords that governed Heaven.

News of this council of Order leaked, and one of the most ambitious – but not necessarily the smartest – demon princes, an up-and-coming lord named Bifrons, decided it was the perfect opportunity to decimate the powers of Law. He formed an army, and managed to awaken an Irecundia and convince it to come with them.

His first mistake was thinking he could take the council by surprise. The area of the Outlands that surrounded Common Ground is a vast, grassy plain, and the council was able to see the Irecundia coming from fifty miles away. They were long gone by the time Bifrons’s army got there – all except Alorous, who decided to stay behind and deal with the great beast. And he did so, flying at the walking mountain with his celestial sword drawn. Bifrons laughed at this apparent foolish act, until he saw that the look on the Irecundia’s face was clearly one of terror. Exactly where on the huge demon Alorous stuck, it was hard to tell, but it was a lethal wound, which sent the great beast toppling over, crushing Bifrons’s army and Bifrons himself. The giant demon’s body quickly fossilized, becoming a series of hills, but Outlands natives avoid the place to this day.

This victory has led many to believe that the Archlords know something about the Irecundia that even most demons don’t. Clearly, Alorous knew of a weakness in the giants, possibly one connected to their origins. However, the Archlords keep this weakness a secret, obviously to prevent any would-be heroes from going to their deaths hoping to slay the great beasts. Perhaps, as an old saying goes, some secrets are not meant for man to know.



Coming up next:

You’ve been reading this fic for a long time, and you’ve likely suspected that the Skull Knight who works for Daala is not the same one who was a follower of the Supreme King. Well, let me say right now, he is a completely different Spirit.

Coming up next, the solo missions continue, as Sam confronts Skull Knight, and he reveals just who he is, someone whom Sam remembers only too well, and has reason to hate. And you can bet that he won’t go down easily. “Old Issues” is coming soon.

[Shuppet Master]

Wow, that was pretty intense. I have to see those Deformers in action someday.

I'm curious though. Does 5Ds have any normal duels, or are all the duels done in light-cycle style? I'm curious, that's all, because I thought I saw Jack and Yusei using duel disks.

[mario72486]

Ah, the Deformers. No wonder you said the title would give things away. Too bad Upper Deck had to go and bastardize their names. Otherwise I might enjoy their arrival to the States a little more.

While the duel itself was unique, I'm sorry to say that the bad blood between Erik and Watanabe was not. I feel like I've seen the situation before, but in a different style. I'm hoping that the confrontation between Sam and Skull Knight will help to lift the story up a bit.

I'm curious though. Does 5Ds have any normal duels, or are all the duels done in light-cycle style? I'm curious, that's all, because I thought I saw Jack and Yusei using duel disks.

5Ds does have standard duels at various points. The ones involving the cycles (Speed duels) have a special set of rules. For example, the Field card Speed World is already in play; no Magic cards are permitted - only Speed Spells can be used, and only when you have a specific number of Speed Counters stored up. Plenty of other complicated rules to go along with these. I'm sure Sage will have them explained in detail when he includes Speed duels in his next fic.

[Dark Sage]

What he said. In 5D, Yusei and Jack are the only current "regulars" of the series who even own Duel Runners (they're apparently rare), and all others are in the hands of opponents or enemies. There are plenty of normal duels for when the a Duel Runner can't be used, which is about fifty percent of the time, on average, or pretty much all the time if the duel doesn't involve Yusei or Jack. (There's a new main character debuting in a few episodes who owns a Duel Runner, but only a little is known about him.)

In my upcoming fic (yes, this is a plug) there are four main characters, and three of them have Duel Runners. However, there will be plenty of normal duels. I've found that Turbo Duels can be hard to outline and write. Fortunately, Janime is very specific on the rules of the Turbo Duel and just how the various Speed Spells work. The site has been a big help.

[Shuppet Master]

Oh good. I might do a 5Ds fic myself, but only two characters own Duel Runners - the main character and her archnemesis, and any Turbo Duels will be done by them when they clash and only during travel scenes and the big epic finale. Both characters will have two decks, one deck for the Turbo Duels and one normal deck, and both have different themes. (Yes, I know, Brian, you don't need to tell me - go to Janime and do the frammin' research! I know I need help with REGULAR duels, Turbo Duels are going to be a *****, which is why I won't use them expect for a few times.)

Oh, and there'll be different made-up Synchros, no dragons. Dragons are getting too popular in the animes. They are my favorite monster type, but c'mon!

*groan* I've been bitten by the 5Ds bug too. But it's not too bad. At least the Turbo Duels provide some variety.

[Dark Sage]

What I know of my dad, the illustrious Siegfried Kaiba, I know through pictures and videotapes. He was murdered shortly after I was conceived. Thus, I never knew him on a personal level.

And yet, I owe him a great deal. He loved my mother, and made sure she would want for nothing. His will left her almost everything he had, including the seventy-five percent of stock in KaibaCorp that he owned. With mom owning a controlling share of the company, she pretty much owned the company.

Now, as it always happens when a big company changes CEOs, there were people who were not happy. Many of KaibaCorp’s board of directors were upset that the title had been given to Siegfried’s lover when many of them thought it should have gone to them. Many of them doubted that the will was authentic, even though Siegfried’s lawyers assured them repeatedly that it was.

Even before giving birth to me, mom set them straight. She let them know in no uncertain terms that she was in charge, and it would be either her way or the highway. Most of them relented, and took her way…

But one of them took the highway… One of the most stubborn men I ever had the privilege of meeting.

He gave me a lot of trouble a few years ago… Now I’m finally going to settle it.

Time to duel…

CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE



Old Issues

Phoebe sat at a table in a brightly-lit interrogation room, her expression far less confident than it was when she had dueled both Jaden in Chazz. Her mask was long gone as well; it had been confiscated, along with her Duel Disk. She looked at the door from time to time, but she was smart enough to know that it was guarded. But even if she got past them and escaped this complex, where would she go? How could she ever escape from an alien planet where the rulers controlled every means of transportation elsewhere?

The door opened, and Jaden walked in.

“Hello, Phoebe,” he said with a smile.

“Jaden, can I ask you something?” she replied.

“Shoot,” he said.

“Neo-Space is like… An inter-planetary empire,” she said. “And you’re head of government… You have great power, wealth, respect from everyone here…”

“And?” asked Jaden.

“So, why do you still wear that same old red college jersey?” asked Phoebe.

Jaden shrugged.

“Dunno,” he replied. “Why do you guys wear scary, black robes? Certainly not because they’re stylish.”

Phoebe sighed.

“Look Phoebe, I’m sure you know the deal,” said Jaden. “Whoever sent you on this mission has obviously decided to abort it, and he’s abandoned you. The only way back to Earth is through us. And we’ll provide it… So long as you tell us what the whole deal was.”

Phoebe let out a longer sigh.

“Okay…” she said, meekly.

Then the door opened, and Chazz stuck his head in.

“Chazz?” asked Jaden.

“Hold that thought, Jaden,” said Chazz. “Pollux and Damocles want in on this conversation.”

Jaden thought for a second.

“Okay, send them in,” he said.

* * * * * * * * * *

As the duels were starting with Ren facing Fujita and Erik facing Watanabe, Sam was wandering through the fog, not knowing where it would lead.

She grunted as she pushed her waist-length, blue hair out of her face for what seemed to be the tenth time.

How do Shadow Tamers stand having this much hair? she thought.

She sighed.

She realized that she would likely never get her human body back… Well, if she ever made it back to Earth again, she would make due. She had a personal hair stylist, something that she doubted most Duel Spirits ever went to.

She looked at herself.

And once she got rid of this ridiculous costume, she could live with this change. At least the change had slimmed her down and given her a better figure.

The fog started to clear.

Something’s up… she thought.

She looked around as the fog went away.

She was in an office. An executive’s office in a big office building. It looked like it belonged to the most important executive in whatever building it was. It was a corner office, with a lot of space, and some very pricy furniture. In front of her was a very large desk made of mahogany, with a comfortable chair behind it.

She recognized this office at once.

“This is mom’s office!” she exclaimed.

“That’s right,” said a voice, coming from the desk. “Welcome, Samantha…”

Sam turned to watch, as Skull Knight slowly materialized, reclining on the chair. He grinned, and put his hands behind his head.

“So good to see you again, Samantha,” said the Spellcaster. “It’s been what… Two years?”

Sam’s eyes narrowed.

“Oh, come on…” he said. “Don’t tell me you don’t recognize my voice?”

“Yeah, I recognize it…” growled Sam. “It just took me a minute… Mulner…”

“Glad to see you too…” said Skull Knight. “Can I get you a beverage?”

“NO!” shouted Sam. “So, you work for Daala now, and you took the Fruit’s power yourself… The demonic knight is so fitting for one like you…”

“Sam, Sam!” laughed Mulner, getting up. “Why do we have to argue?”

“Why?!” exclaimed Sam. “Because you’re a big jerk!”

“You wound me,” replied Mulner.

“Oh, you want a reason?” asked Sam. “Fine…

“You were my dad’s right-hand man, even though you inherited the position from your own dad, who worked for my great uncle. And you had some fantasy where you thought you were next in line to take over KaibaCorp, even though my dad never even liked you.

“When dad left everything to my mom, you expressed to everyone that she was nothing more than a gold-digging bimbo, and that my dad had been seduced. That was bad enough…

“But then, you tried contesting the will, even though you had no proof at all that it wasn’t authentic. After your first argument was thrown out of court, you tried again, and then again. You tried for ten years, giving the judge the same BS every time about new evidence, when you really never had anything. Finally, he fined both you and your lawyer for filing frivolous lawsuits, and your lawyer refused to deal with you any more.”

Mulner’s smile turned into a frown.

“And when I turned sixteen…” growled Sam, “you did something I’ll never forgive… You tried to convince me to turn against my mother. You wouldn’t take no for an answer, and it turned into a duel. I was pretty surprised. For someone who used to work for KaibaCorp, you were no better than a dueling monkey.”

“It was bad enough that Seto Kaiba didn’t leave the company to my dad,” growled Mulner. “He gave it to yours. He had worked for KaibaCorp since the days of Gozaburo. He may not have had the authority that the Big Five did, but he was loyal to Kaiba when they turned against him, even though he had turned Gozaburo’s company into a joke. All my dad ever got for it was a retirement party with an achievement plaque that wasn’t even made of real wood.”

“That wasn’t all he got!” shouted Sam. “His monthly pension alone was more than the average worker makes in a year! He should have gone on an extended vacation and lived the good life, like all corporate bigwigs do when they retire.”

“Regardless,” growled Mulner. “He deserved more. I swore I would get what he was denied. But your father gave everything to the first tramp he fell in love with…”

“Call my mother a tramp again,” growled Sam, “and I’ll…”

Mulner stood up and drew his sword.

“You’ll do what, Samantha?” he snarled. “In case you didn’t notice, you’re a weak Level Three Monster, and I’m a strong Level Seven one. I could slay you with one swipe of my blade…”

Sam gulped, and took a step back.

“I’m also not a Fiend,” continued Mulner, “so even if you had taken time to learn how to use your powers as a Shadow Tamer, they wouldn’t work on me… However…”

The sword vanished, and an Anarchist Disk appeared on his left arm.

“…I’ve gotten a lot better since we last dueled. I’m Daala’s second-in-command now. If you can beat me, I’ll let you by.”

“And if I lose?” asked Sam.

“Then you’re mine,” replied Mulner. “And when your mother finally gets here, I’ll use you against her like I planned to all along. Whether you like it or not.”

Sam chuckled a little. She activated her Disk.

“Say what you will,” she replied. “But even with this new body, at least in spirit, I still have Seto Kaiba’s blood in my veins. I hope my dad’s watching from somewhere, because I’m going to teach one of his most ungrateful employees a lesson he’ll never forget.”

“We’ll see, won’t we?” asked Mulner.

(Sam: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Mulner: 8,000)

“You may go first,” said Mulner. “A knight must be chivalrous, after all. Even a Skull Knight.”

“Aw, you just want the first attack,” replied Sam, making her first draw.

She looked at the six cards in her hand.

“I summon Archfiend Soldier,” she said.

In a dark shadow, the demonic soldier appeared. (1,900/1,500)

“Then I’ll set this, for later…”

A reversed card appeared.

“Interesting,” said Mulner. “You use Fiends, and the Fruit chose to give you the form of a Shadow Tamer. What’s the symbolism, I wonder?”

“What do you mean?” asked Sam. “They can control Fiends, but…”

“You don’t know Duel Spirits like I do, Sam…” replied Mulner. “I know several Shadow Tamers. Yes, they can control Fiends, but they don’t do so because they’re do-gooder heroines. Shadow Tamers dominate and enslave Fiends, using them to do their bidding. Several times in history, they’ve been capable of using their slaves to do acts just as evil as the Fiends would have done.

“As you might realize, Fiends don’t like them too much. Powerful Fiends put bounties on their heads, and Shadow Tamers who don’t watch their backs in places where Fiends are the rulers are often enslaved themselves.”

Sam looked at him hard.

“Just move!” she shouted.

Mulner chuckled, and drew a card. Sam really hoped he was lying to throw her off.

“I summon Mythical Beast Barbaros!” he shouted.

With a great roar, a large Beast-Warrior appeared. He looked like a ferocious centaur, except that instead of being part-horse, his bestial parts were those of a great, black lion. His face also had the features of a great cat, with a mane of blonde hair. He held a long lance in one hand, and a steel shield in the other. (3,000/1,200)

“How did you summon THAT with no sacrifice?” screamed Sam.

“Take it easy,” replied Mulner. “Due to one of his effects, despite being Level Eight, Barbaros can be summoned with no sacrifice. However, if I do that, he loses a lot of his Attack Points.”

Barbaros frowned, and fell to an Attack Score of 1,900.

“Seems our two Monsters have equal scores,” said Mulner. “Attacking would accomplish nothing…”

He fit a card into his Disk.

“I’ll just set a facedown card of my own, and that will be all…”

Sam looked hard at Barbados, and then at the facedown card.

“Uh, yeah…” she said, drawing a card.

She looked at her hand.

“I sacrifice my rank-and-file Soldier…”

Archfiend Soldier vanished.

“…to summon Gaap, the Divine Soldier!”

In a darker shadow, the larger demon with the exoskeleton and two huge claws on his shoulders appeared. (2,200/2,000)

I can see your strategy from a mile away, Mulner, thought Sam. It couldn’t be more obvious. That facedown card is Skill Drain.

As soon as I attack, you’ll trigger it. Barbaros will lose its effect, meaning its Attack Score will go up to its base score of 3,000.

What you don’t know is, before my Monster reaches yours, I’ll activate my facedown Mystik Wok to sacrifice it. Then I’ll use Silent Doom to defend myself with Archfiend Soldier.

I’ll just play dumb for now…

“I activate Gaap’s effect,” she continued. “For each Fiend in my hand that I show you, he gains 300 Attack Points for one round.”

She flipped a card in her hand around, which was The Masked Beast. Gaap glowed with energy, and went up to an Attack Score of 2,500.

“Gaap, destroy Barbaros! Terror claw!”

The Divine Soldier’s eyes glowed, and he made a savage swipe at the Beastking. Barbaros roared, and then exploded into pixels.

(S: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 7,400)

“WHAT?” shouted Sam. “No Skill Drain?”

Mulner chuckled.

“Nope, no Skill Drain,” he said. “I summoned Barbaros with a completely different strategy in mind…”

His facedown card lifted.

“It’s a Trap called Level Resist Wall. Since you destroyed my Monster, I get to summon from my hand as many Monsters as I can, whose combined Levels equal the Level of the Monster you just destroyed.

“Barbaros was Level Eight. So, I summon Fire Princess…”

In a burst of flame, a stern-faced princess in a flowing, red dress, carrying a wooden staff appeared. (1,300/1,500)

“That’s four. Then, White Magician Pikeru.”

In a shower of bright motes, a child Spellcaster wearing a white robe and a hat shaped like a Scapegoat, holding a wand with an orb at the end appeared. (1,200/0)

“That’s six. And to make eight, Ebon Magician Curran.”

In a shower of much darker motes, Pikeru’s darker half appeared, the other child Spellcaster wearing a black dress and bunny-eared hood. (1,200/0)

A Gain/Burn Deck! thought Sam.

She looked at Curran.

“Uhm, is that…” she started to ask.

“Nope, that isn’t her,” replied Mulner. “She’s doing something else very important right now… But I don’t think she’ll mind if I use her card.

“After all, I was the one who took Curran in after she ran away. She needed someone she could turn to after Yumi threw her out. She needed a more powerful and more experienced Spellcaster to teach her how to survive.”

“And you obviously didn’t tell her that you used to be human,” snarled Sam. “So Daala wasn’t the one who poisoned her mind with lies. It was you. Is it some habit of yours to seek out youngsters and use them for your own selfish goals?!”

“I do what I have to do,” replied Mulner. “And it’s still your move.”

Sam growled, and looked at the other cards in her hand.

“I end my turn…” she said.

“Then I draw,” said Mulner.

“And I gain 1,200 Life Points from Pikeru, four-hundred for each Monster I have…”

Pikeru lifted her staff, and Mulner glowed with energy.

“Then, each time I gain Life Points, Fire Princess burns off 500 of yours.”

Fire Princess pointed her staff at Sam, and shot a bolt of fire. Sam screeched as it hit her.

“And Curran deals you 300 points of damage for each Monster that you have!”

Curran threw a small orb of black energy at Sam, and she winced again.

(S: 7,200) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 8,600)

“I’m not done,” continued Mulner. “I play… Pot of Greed.”

He played the card, and made two draws.

“And I couldn’t be happier,” he said as a Spell Card appeared on his side of the field. “I play Monster Reincarnation. I’ll discard this card…”

He held up a card.

“That’s Marie the Fallen One!” shouted Sam.

“It sure is!” laughed Mulner, as he discarded it. “We’ll get to that later. In the meantime, I get Barbaros back…”

A card slipped out of his discard slot.

“Now, just as I can summon Barbaros with no sacrifice, I can also summon it with three sacrifices.”

“Huh?” said Sam.

Fire Princess, Pikeru, and Curran all dissolved into grains of light.

He’s sacrificing his whole strategy? she thought.

Barbaros appeared again, with a far more vicious roar. (3,000/1,200)

“When Barbaros is summoned using three sacrifices,” continued Mulner, “he destroys all the cards on your side of the field.”

Sam gasped. The Beastking raised his mighty lance, preparing to thrust it into the ground…

“CHAIN!” shouted Sam, as her facedown card lifted. “Mystik Wok!”

Gaap dissolved into light, and Sam glowed with energy.

“I sacrificed my Monster before your Beastking’s effect kicked in,” said Sam with a grin. “Now he has nothing to destroy, and I gained 2,200 Life Points.”

“That’s all well and good,” said Mulner with a smile. “But now, Barbaros attacks you directly!”

The Beastking galloped towards Sam, and she screamed as he stabbed her hard with his lance. She fell on her behind.

(S: 6,400) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 8,600)

“While you’re picking yourself up,” he said. “I’m going to activate one of my Deck Lord abilities. It’s called Reverse Reincarnation. I send my Monster to the Graveyard…”

Barbaros vanished into grains of light.

“…and in return, I get to bring back the Monsters I sacrificed to summon it.”

Fire Princess (1,300/1,500), Pikeru (1,200/0) and Curran (1,200/0) appeared again.

“To end my turn,” he said, playing the last card in his hand, “I play Messenger of Peace. For the low price of 100 Life Points per round, this card keeps all Monsters that have 1,500 Attack Points or more from attacking.”

Sam sighed. She knew what it did, and it was trouble.

She drew a card.

“I play Silent Doom,” she said, playing a Spell Card.

Archfiend Soldier appeared on the field, crouching in Defense Mode. (1,900/1,500)

“Then I set a Monster, and two facedown cards…”

A concealed Monster and two reversed cards appeared.

“And that’s all I can do…”

“Then I draw,” said Mulner, drawing a card. “And I pay 100 Life Points for Messenger of Peace.

“That means I gain 1,200 Life Points from Pikeru, and 200 from Marie.”

He glowed with energy.

“And since I gained Life Points from two sources, Fire Princess gets to use her effect twice!”

Fire Princess aimed her staff, and blasted two fireballs at Sam. Sam shielded herself and staggered as they hit her.

“Then there’s Curran!”

Curran shot her dark bolt, and Sam cringed again.

“I’ll set this facedown,” he said, placing the card he drew in his Disk.

The reversed card appeared.

“Then, my Princess is going to attack your facedown Monster. I have a feeling I know what it is…”

Fire Princess blasted a stream of flame from her staff at the facedown card. The Morphing Jar appeared on the card, and exploded. Mulner laughed.

He quickly drew five cards. Sam discarded the one card in her hand, and made five draws.

“And I’ll just keep on going,” laughed Mulner, looking at his hand. “I summon Granadora!”

He placed a card on his Disk, and a huge, semi-humanoid lizard with an ugly face full of horns and pointed teeth appeared. (1,900/700)

“Also known as the Swallowtail Spike Lizard. By summoning it, I gain 1,000 Life Points, which means Princess gets to use her effect again.”

“Not again…” groaned Sam.

She yelped as the fire hit her again.

“I’ll set one more card facedown,” said Mulner, “and that will be all…”

Another reversed card appeared.

(S: 4,300) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 10,900)

Sam grumbled as she drew a card.

It was Dark Ruler Ha Des.

Time to teach this guy a lesson… she thought.

“I sacrifice Archfiend Soldier to summon the Dark Ruler!” she shouted.

Archfiend Soldier vanished, and lightning flashed. Dark Ruler Ha Des appeared in a cloud of black smoke. (2,450/1,600)

“Now, I activate my own Deck Lord ability, and it’s a dozy! By tossing two cards when Ha Des is on the field, he destroys every card on the field except himself!”

She quickly discarded Gil Garth and Messenger of Hades – Gors.

“Go! Wrath of Ha Des!”

Ha Des lifted his hand…

And then, Sam let out an agonizing scream as a painful backlash hit her. She fell on her back.

She slowly got up, shaking in pain. Mulner was surrounded by violet flames, and his Monsters had not been harmed at all. Her forearms were on fire…

She slowly pulled off her right glove. An ugly scar was on her arm, as if it had been slashed with a knife.

There was likely one on her left arm too…

“Mulner…” she gasped. “What… What did you do?”

Mulner held up the Marie the Fallen One card.

“As Daala’s second-in-command,” he replied, “I have access to one of the most powerful Deck Lord abilities. It’s called Crippling Wave.

“I can activate this whenever you try to use your Deck Lord ability. I merely have to remove a Dark Monster in my Graveyard from play, and pay 1,000 Life Points, and not only is your attempt negated, but all your Deck Lord abilities are disabled until you complete three Standby Phases.”

“No… fair…” gasped Sam.

“So who said life was fair?” asked Mulner.

One of his facedown cards lifted.

“I activate Burial From a Different Dimension. Now, I can return Marie to my Graveyard.”

He discarded the card.

That means using his power only sets him back one of the two costs, thought Sam. While I wasted two cards. And even if I last three more rounds, he’ll just be able to do it again if I try to use my Deck Lord powers…

What do I do?

Then, her eyes were blinded as a curtain of darkness covered them…



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



Sam was in a sort of waking dream. She was in a dark place, with fog covering the ground.

She turned around, and saw the tall, hulking form of Dark Ruler Ha Des.

“You!” she gasped.

Ha Des nodded.

“I channeled my power through my card, because I thought you could use a pep talk,” said the Dark Ruler. “It’s been a long time since we spoke, consort. I see you’ve changed…”

“Ha Des, you gotta tell me!” gasped Sam, running up to him. “Is what he said true? Are Shadow Tamers really Fiend dominatrixes?”

“Unfortunately, he spoke the truth,” sighed Ha Des. “In all realms where Fiends are the rulers, including mine, Shadow Tamers are feared criminals, who use their powers to enslave the populace and have them do their dirty work. Some say that they were given their powers by the Archfiends. But they won’t reveal the source of their power. I myself have captured several of them… Not even the threat of execution will make them reveal their secrets…”

A look of panic appeared on Sam’s face.

“Ha Des, can you help me?” asked Sam. “Me and the others? You rule the Underworld… You must have libraries, magicians, scientists… That sort of thing. Do you know of any cure?”

“Calm down!” replied Ha Des.

He sadly shook his head.

“I’ve ruled my realm for centuries…” he continued. “Since the days of the Shadow Games, in fact. In all the books of alchemy and magic that I have studied, I never found any formula that could transform humans into Duel Spirits. This Devil’s Fruit is completely new to me.”

Sam bowed her head.

“What do I do?” she muttered.

Ha Des put his arm on her shoulder.

“There, there,” he said. “I’m here to help now, and all is not lost. If you succeed in your mission, find your way to my realm as soon as you can.”

“You want me to find a way to a place where Shadow Tamers are considered criminals?” asked Sam.

“I wasn’t always the Duel Spirit you see here now,” said Ha Des. “I was once one that was much weaker. But I overthrew the Dark King of the Abyss and evolved into the powerful Fiend I am now. Just like Guardian Angel Joan was St. Joan once.

“Under certain conditions, Duel Spirits can shed their forms, and evolve into something stronger. Maybe I can help you become something that isn’t so reviled by my kind…

“Perhaps… Perhaps even Dark Queen Per Sephone can become a reality…”

Sam looked at him.

“Really?” she muttered.

“But first,” said Ha Des, “you have to get by that big jerk in front of you. The solution is almost within reach, and you just have to hold out a couple more turns.

“Now finish up…”

Sam opened her eyes.

* * * * * * * * * *

Sam looked at the other cards in her hand.

She fit one of them in her Disk, and a third facedown card appeared.

“Move,” she said.

(S: 4,300) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 9,900)

“I draw,” said Mulner, drawing a card. “Once again, I pay 100 Life Points for Messenger of Peace. Then I gain 1,600 from Pikeru, and 200 from Marie.

“Then Princess and Curran can do their jobs.”

Sam shielded herself as two blasts of fire from Fire Princess and a bolt of dark energy from Curran hit her.

“I think I’m just going to end my turn there,” said Mulner.

(S: 3,000) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 11,600)

At this rate, thought Sam, I’ll be finished in two more rounds. This next draw had better count…

She drew a card.

“All right, Mulner,” she said, “I play Pot of Greed.”

The evil ceramic appeared, and she drew twice.

“Perfect!” she said. “I play the Spell Card, Shrink!”

“Why bother using that card on my Monsters?” asked Mulner. “You still can’t attack them.”

“I’m not using it on any of yours,” said Sam. “I’m using it on mine.”

Dark Ruler Ha Des glowed with dark energy, and his Attack Score fell to 1,225.

“Now, Ha Des is weak enough to get by your Messenger of Peace. So, Ha Des, attack his Fire Princess!”

Ha Des’s hand glowed with shadowy energy…

“You made a slight miscalculation!” laughed Mulner. “Fire Princess is now 75 points stronger!”

One of Sam’s facedown cards lifted.

“I activate Bark of Dark Ruler!” she exclaimed. “I’ll pay 1,300 Life Points, and your Princess falls to a much lower Attack Score.”

Fire Princess gasped and held her hand over her chest, as her Attack Score fell to zero. Then she screamed as the Stygian blast hit her, and she was blown to shards.

“ERGH!” grunted Mulner.

“I’ll set a Monster, and that will end my turn,” said Sam, as a facedown Monster appeared in front of her. “That means my Shrink wears off.”

(S: 1,700) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 10,375)

It cost me a little, thought Sam. But part of my problem is taken care of. Let’s hope this jerk takes the bait…

“I draw!” said Mulner with a scowl, drawing a card. “And I pay 100 Life Points for my Messenger! Then I gain 1,200 Life Points from Pikeru, and 200 from Marie.

“Then, you lose 600 from Curran.”

Curran shot her bolt at Sam, and she grunted again.

“Now, Curran is going to attack your facedown Monster!”

Curran pointed her finger, and blasted a bolt of dark energy at the facedown card. A shadowy, hooded, masked assassin holding a knife appeared on the card. It was blown to bits.

“Sorry, Mulner,” said Sam, with a laugh. “You just activated Night Assailant’s Flip-Effect. Now, I get to send one of your Monsters packing. Think I’ll choose Pikeru.”

Pikeru screamed, and then shattered into shimmering lights.

“Why you…” growled Mulner.

He looked at his hand.

“I set two cards facedown, and that will end my turn!”

Two facedown cards appeared.

(S: 1,100) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 11,675)

Sam looked at her deck.

C’mon deck… she said. Give me a winner…

She drew.

Yes!

“First, I play Enemy Controller!” she shouted.

The large video game pad appeared.

“Now, I can move your Granadora to Defense Mode!”

Granadora knelt, and crossed its arms over its chest.

“Next, I summon Skull Knight #2. Ironic, isn’t it?”

In a burst of dark energy, the armored, skeletal Fiend appeared. (1,000/1,200)

“Then, I play Monster Reborn! I’ll summon a Monster from your Graveyard!”

The holy ankh appeared, and White Magician Pikeru appeared on her side of the field. (1,200/0)

“Pikeru, attack Ebon Magician Curran!” shouted Sam.

Pikeru and Curran looked at each other with stern looks. Pikeru blasted a bolt of shimmering magic. Curran shot back with a blast of shadowy darkness. They collided, and both Spellcasters were blown to bits.

“Skull Knight #2, destroy Granadora!”

Skull Knight made a slash with its sword, and the large lizard exploded into bits.

“And due to Granadora’s effect, you lose 2,000 Life Points when it’s destroyed.”

Mulner groaned as an aura of red energy surrounded him.

(S: 1,100) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 9,675)

“With that, Mulner, I end my turn. Seems I’ve taken out your whole side.”

“We’ll soon see,” said Mulner. “I draw one card…”

He drew a card. He looked at it.

“I pay 100 Life Points to keep Messenger of Peace. Then I gain 200 from Marie.

“Then I play… Magic Planter. I send my Messenger of Peace to the Graveyard to draw two cards.”

He played a Spell Card, and a cluster of vines shot up, consuming the Spell Card. He made two draws. He looked at them.

He smirked.

“I see you have no cards left in your hand, Samantha. That is a shame. Well, maybe I can help…”

One of his facedown cards lifted.

“I activate The Gift of Greed. This Trap Card requires you to draw two cards.”

“What?” shouted Sam.

She made two draws.

“You’re crazy…”

“Not as crazy as this,” said Mulner, as a second facedown card lifted. “I’m activating a second Gift of Greed!”

“WHAT?” shouted Sam.

She looked at him with a puzzled expression. Then she drew two more cards.

“That’s the stupidest thing you’ve ever done,” she said. “Letting me have four free cards…”

“It will seem smarter in a minute,” said Mulner, taking a card from his hand. “I let you have four more cards so I couldn’t possibly miss when I played this one.”

A Spell Card appeared.

“It’s called Temptation of the Goddess. Now, I get to see your hand. And if there’s a Level Four Monster there, I get to force you to Special Summon it in Attack Mode.”

Sam gave him a strange look. She turned her hand of cards forward.

“Malice Doll of Demise will do,” said Mulner with a grin.

Sam placed the card on her Disk, and the evil puppet holding an axe appeared. (1,600/1,700)

“And just how is this helping you?” asked Sam.

“Here’s how,” replied Mulner, as his last facedown card lifted. “It’s a Trap Card called Comparable Level, and I can activate it when you summon a Monster. I now get to Special Summon Monsters from my hand whose combined Levels total the Level of your Doll.”

In two flashes of light, a second Curran and a second Pikeru appeared. (1,200/0 x2)

“They won’t last long,” replied Sam. “You got rid of your Messenger, remember?”

“I don’t intend to keep them,” replied Mulner. “I sacrifice both of them…”

Pikeru and Curran vanished into grains of light…

“I summon… Mondo the Meanie!”

In a giant shadow, a huge, hulking Monster loomed over Mulner’s side of the field. As Sam got a clear look at it, it seemed almost comical – a giant, monstrous infant of sorts, with a scowl on its face, wearing a black pair of trousers and a small beanie on its head. (2,700/2,000)

“Hold on…” said Sam. “I recognize that Monster… He’s the ogre that Pikeru and Curran are fighting on the Trial of the Princesses Equip Spell. So that’s his name?”

“Yeah,” replied Mulner. “Curran told me some inside information about this card. She and Pikeru had to defeat this creature to earn their birthrights, the reason being, it possessed both their powers, slightly enhanced. Powers of Light and Dark…”

“A being of Chaos,” muttered Sam.

“You got it,” replied Mulner. “Mondo, flatten that sorry excuse for a Skull Knight!”

The monstrous infant roared, and lifted its fist…

“Not so fast!” shouted Sam, as one of her facedown cards shot up. “I activate Shadow Spell!”

A mass of chains shot out of the floor, and wrapped around Mondo the Meanie. The ogre growled, and struggled, but they held fast, and its Attack Score fell to 2,000.

“So you last one round longer,” said Mulner, placing his last card into his Disk.

A facedown card appeared.

“But not much longer. I end my turn.”

(S: 1,100) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 9,775)

“Then I draw,” said Sam, drawing a card.

She was relieved to see the nasty scar on her arm from Mulner’s Crippling Wave finally disappear.

She looked at the card. Pot of Avarice.

“And my Trap Card activates!” shouted Mulner. “Dust Tornado!”

His facedown card lifted, and the fierce wind tore across the field. The chains binding Mondo snapped, and it roared with rage as its Attack Score rose back to 2,700.

“You’ve lost, Samantha,” said Mulner. “As soon as I start my turn, Mondo’s effect will increase my Life Points by 600 for each Monster I have, but more importantly, will deal you 400 points of damage for each one you have. Do the math. You lose.”

“Not if I get rid of him first,” replied Sam. “I play Pot of Avarice!”

She played the card, and Night Assailant, The Masked Beast, Archfiend Soldier, Morphing Jar, and Gil Garth slipped out of her discard slot. She shuffled them into her deck, and made two draws.

“Okay, Mulner,” she said. “I play a Monster Reincarnation of my own.”

The Spell Card appeared, and she discarded Opticlops.

“I’ll bring back Gaap, and then sacrifice Skull Knight #2 to summon him.”

The skeletal Fiend vanished, and Gaap appeared again. (2,200/2,000)

“That means I get to Special Summon a second Skull Knight from my deck!”

A second Skull Knight #2 appeared. (1,000/1,200)

“You remember Gaap’s effect, right?” she continued. “By showing you a Fiend in my hand, he gains 300 Attack Points.”

She turned one of her three cards around, revealing it to be Dark Queen Per Sephone. Gaap rose to an Attack Score of 2,500.

“Next, with Ha Des on the field, I can Special Summon Per Sephone.”

She played the card, and the fiendish beauty that resembled her old self appeared, bearing her claws. (2,200/1,200)

“Next, I play a Spell Card,” she said, as another card appeared. “The Puppet Magic of Dark Ruler. I’ll remove my Skull Knight and Doll from play…”

Skull Knight and Malice Doll of Demise vanished into ripples of light.

“…and in return, I get to summon a Fiend from my Graveyard whose Level matches their Levels combined. Here comes Gors!”

In an explosion of dark energy, the Messenger of Hades appeared, holding his zanbatô aloft. (2,700/2,500)

“Wait a minute…” said Mulner.

“Finally,” said Sam, “I’ll toss this…”

She discarded her last card.

“…to use Per Sephone’s effect, and Special Summon Archfiend Soldier from my deck.”

Archfiend Soldier appeared in a burst of black smoke. (1,900/1,500)

The five Fiends glared angrily at Mulner…

“Gors…” ordered Sam. “Attack Mondo the Meanie!”

“With pleasure, my queen,” replied Gors, lifting his weapon.

The Messenger shouted a war cry, and leapt at the huge ogre. Mondo met the attack with its fist, and an explosion rocked the whole room, blowing both Monsters to shards.

“I have over 9,700 Life Points!” shouted Mulner. “Do you have enough there to finish me off?”

“Well, why don’t we find out?” asked Sam. “Ha Des, attack directly with Stygian blast!”

Ha Des cast his dark spell, blasting Mulner with wicked flames. The Skull Knight screamed.

“Gaap,” ordered Sam. “Terror claw!”

Gaap leapt at Mulner, and raked at him with its huge claws.

“Per Sephone, dark claw!”

Per Sephone flew at Mulner, and slashed at him with her long talons.

“Archfiend Soldier, sword of Perdition!”

The Archfiend flew at Mulner and made a savage swipe with his blade. Mulner staggered backwards.

(S: 1,100) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 725)

Mulner held his chest. Sweat fell down his forehead.

“Not bad…” he gasped. “Not bad… But I still have some Life Points left, and…”

Then he stopped short, as Sam’s last facedown card lifted.

Call of the Haunted.

In another explosion of energy, Gors appeared again, (2,700/2,500)

“Gors, finish him off,” said Sam. “Demonblade.”

Gors flew at the demonic knight, slamming the zanbatô into him, and sending him falling to the floor.

(S: 1,100) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 0)

Mulner got up, gasping for breath, and glared at Sam with hate.

“This isn’t over, Samantha…” he cursed.

“Your Life Points are at zero, Mulner,” said Sam. “That’s about as over as it can get.”

Mulner stood up.

“The only thing I have to say to you is…” he said.

A portal opened behind him.

“…catch me if you can!”

He fled through the portal, and Sam started to chase him, hot on his heels.

That’s right, Samantha, thought Mulner. Chase me… Your friends will follow, and pretty soon, I’ll have the last laugh after all…



MYTHICAL BEAST BARBAROS (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Beast-Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 8
ATK: 3,000
DEF: 1,200

Card Description: This card may be Normal Summoned or set without Tribute, or by Tributing three Monsters. If you Normal Summon this card without Tribute, the ATK of this card becomes 1,900. If you Normal Summon this card by Tributing three Monsters, destroy all cards on your opponent’s side of the field.

Note: “Mythical Beast Barbaros” is a Japanese card that has not yet been released in the United States.



COMPARABLE LEVEL (Trap Card)

Normal Trap

Image: An equal sign between one big monster with a star on its chest and five small monsters with stars on their chests.

Card Description: Activate this card when your opponent Normal Summons or Special Summons a Monster. Special Summon from your hand Monsters whose combined Levels exactly equal that of the Level of the summoned Monster.

Note: “Comparable Level” was first used by Yakou Tenma in the “Yu-Gi-Oh R” issue “Unsurpassable.” Creative credit goes to the writers.



LEVEL RESIST WALL (Trap Card)

Normal Trap

Image: Two warriors running towards two swords imbedded in the ground. In front of them are three sets of stars: A set of three stars and a set of two stars over a set of five stars.

Card Description: You can activate this card when a Monster you control is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard. Special Summon from your hand Monsters whose combined Levels exactly equal that of the Monster that was destroyed.

Note: “Level Resist Wall” was first used by Yakou Tenma in the “Yu-Gi-Oh R” issue “Offense and Defense of the Summoned God.” Creative credit goes to the writers.



TEMPTATION OF THE GODDESS (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: A beautiful, blonde woman with angelic, feathered wings. (The woman on this card looks a great deal like Pegasus’s deceased wife, Cecelia.)

Card Description: Look at your opponent’s hand. If he/she has a Level Four Monster that can be Normal Summoned, you may Special Summon that Monster to his/her side of the field in Attack Position.

Note: “Temptation of the Goddess” was first used by Lucien in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “Don’t Fear the Reaper”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



MONDO THE MEANIE (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Fiend/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 8
ATK: 2,700
DEF: 2,000

Card Description: This card cannot be Special Summoned. When this card is Tribute Summoned, the Tributed Monsters must be LIGHT and/or DARK. During your Standby Phase that this card is face-up on your side of the field, increase your Life Points by 600 points for each Monster on your side of the field and inflict 400 points of direct damage to your opponent for every Monster on his/her side of the field.



Sam’s Deck Lord: “Shadow Tamer”: “Wrath of Ha Des”: When you have a “Dark Ruler Ha Des” face-up on your side of the field, you can discard two cards from your hand to destroy all cards on the field except “Dark Ruler Ha Des”. You cannot declare an attack on a round in which you use this effect. (Greater Power) “Immortal Ruler”: You may disregard the summoning restrictions for “Dark Ruler Ha Des” and Special Summon it from your Graveyard using the appropriate card. (Minor Power) “Summon Subjects”: When “Dark Ruler Ha Des” is face-up on your side of the field, you may spend 800 Life Points to Special Summon a Level Four or lower Fiend-Type Monster from your Graveyard. You may use this effect once per turn, during your Main Phase. (Minor Power)



Mulner’s Deck Lord: “Skull Knight”: “Crippling Wave”: You may activate this effect when your opponent activates a Deck Lord’s Power. Remove from play from your Graveyard one DARK Monster and pay 1,000 Life Points. Negate the use of the Deck Lord Power. Your opponent then cannot use any of his/her Deck Lord’s Powers until three of his/her Standby Phases have passed. (Extraordinary Power) “Reverse Reincarnation”: Target one Monster on your side of the field that was Tribute Summoned. Send the targeted Monster to the Graveyard. If the Monsters used as Tribute to Tribute Summon the Monster are in your Graveyard, Special Summon them to your side of the field. (Greater Power)



Lords of Chaos

The Dreadnaught of Agony

It may not be entirely correct to classify the Dreadnaught of Agony as a Lord of Chaos. After all, it isn’t even a living creature. But this weapon that may tip the balance of the Blood War is something that cannot be ignored by the powers of Order and Good.

In the history of the War, demons and devils alike have always loved fortresses. Their strongholds are built not only with fortification in mind, but intimidation. The denizens of the Lower Planes are hard to scare, but most mortals find it unsettling to approach a building shaped like a giant skull (for instance).

The Dreadnaught of Agony is a fortress that is currently under construction on the first layer of the Abyss. Construction was started five decades ago, and it is apparently going according to schedule. (Demons are immortal, so they think big, and their projects take a long time.) The supervisor of the project is a Blood War general named Belfazar, but no-one is sure who he answers to. Most assume that a project this grandiose has either Demogorgon, Orcus, or Graz’zt behind it.

The Dreadnaught is not only huge, it is mobile. It resembles, at first glace, a huge, metal battleship on rollers, with demonic architecture. When complete, the Dreadnaught will be able to roll into battle, being both a base and a weapon for large-scale skirmishes. Details include an armored hull, cannons and mortars powered by magical energy, and other dangerous weapons.

At first, this is not remarkable as far as demonic war engines go. Mobile fortresses were built by them and by devilish forces several times in the past. But one aspect of it puzzled many until recently. A prison was built inside it, one that held about two-hundred mortal prisoners, presumably enemies of the lord who is funding the fortress’s construction. Why the lord decided to convert part of this fortress into a prison was unknown, until recently, when the craft’s most powerful weapon was tested.

The weapon is called a “torment cannon” by those who have seen it demonstrated. Apparently, the pain that the prisoners are subjected to is channeled into generators that charge this weapon. When fully charged, it can fire a blast that can conceivable lay waste to a small city – or a fairly large regiment of troops.

How this terrible weapon was built, no-one is certain. It would take magic well beyond the capabilities of any demon lord. The Wind Dukes are worried about the power of this weapon, and the possibility that even more deadly devices are slated to be installed in the Dreadnaught. Plans may well be underway to halt the completion of the fortress before it can actually be used for any Blood War efforts.

After all, if this sort of technology proves a success against the devils, other enemies of the demons may be next…



Coming up next:

Of all of Yumi’s group, Chelsea probably got the worst out of their dealing with Dark Necrofear. The curse of vampirism seems to have been inflicted on her due to her wanting to help. Not exactly the best fate for a hero.

But next chapter, she’ll have to deal with it, as another vindictive individual from the past shows up, one who holds a deck designed to defeat hers. Chelsea’s toughest battle is about to come, and she has very little to support her.

“Unrequited” is coming up next.