[B][I]I like the Amazons… But up until the time I came to Monster Island, I thought that legends like the story of The Unfriendly Amazon were just fairy tales that some duelist who happened to be a writer made up…

Turned out I was wrong. Shortly after I met Stan and Andy, the real thing showed up gunning for me. She affirmed my story, and showed a great hatred of true Amazons, like the ones in my deck. Naturally, she hates anyone who uses them… people like me.

I thought I was done with her – but now she’s back, and she’s gunning for revenge with a whole new strategy.

I hope I can take her out again… That Skill Drain deck of hers was rather rough.

But I’m not a coward. If I can’t stand up to her, I’ll never defeat the Shadow Queen…



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



Girl Power



The Shadow Spawn had certainly seen better days.

They knew that the images of Joey Wheeler and Seto Kaiba in front of them were only phantasms (none of them had the guts to face Yugi yet), but that didn’t make being smashed by them any less embarrassing.

Their mother had left them alone for the time being, and Melissa was trying her luck against Kaiba. She had been waiting to face him for years so she could steal his three Blue-Eyes…

And right now, it seemed like that dream was a long way off…

“Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon!” shouted “Kaiba”. “Attack The Creator!”

Melissa cringed as The Creator was blasted into shards.

“Blue-Eyes!” shouted Kaiba. “Attack her directly!”

Melissa screamed as a bolt of White Lightning ripped through her, and her Life Points fell to nothing.

She fell on her back, and smoke rose from her clothing…

“Pathetic,” said her opponent. “Even Wheeler gave me a better challenge than that…”

“Kaiba” vanished.

“Bravo,” said Kurtis, clapping. “Encore!”

“Hey…” groaned Melissa, “I brought his Life Points down more than you could…”

“Yeah,” he responded. “You brought them down to 7,000 instead of 7,500…”

“People, this is embarrassing,” sighed Maria. “We’ve each lost by shutout at least once…”

“Twice here,” groaned Leopold.

“We’d have the advantage if we could do it our way…” sighed Tyson.

Vladimir stared at him.

“Tyson,” he stated. “These duelists are non-living doppelgangers. They may be able to talk and even insult us, but they’re actually mindless, with no more real souls than a player piano. ‘Our way’, as you put it, can only be done against living, sentient opponents.”

“I guess…” muttered Tyson.

Melissa smirked.

“Hey, Vladimir…” she chuckled. “You claim to be the best one of us… I dare you to take on Yugi!”

Vladimir drew back.

“Why?” he asked. “Mom was planning on dueling him personally.”

“Aw, are you afraid to go up against the King of Games?” asked Melissa.

Vladimir’s eyes narrowed.

He stepped up to where Melissa had been.

“Present Yugi Mouto,” he ordered.

A light flashed, and the intimidating form of Yugi Mouto appeared in front of him…

A light shone from the Millennium Puzzle…


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


Half an hour earlier…

In the arena where Stan had dueled The End of Anubis, the three partners still were no closer to proceeding.

“I guess one of us should pull a lever next,” said Andy to Francesca.

Francesca sighed.

“I’ll do it, baby,” she said.

She went to the lever with her name on it, and threw it down.

The door on the right slowly opened…

A tall figure walked out…

Francesca gasped. She recognized her immediately…




“The Unfriendly Amazon!” she shouted.

“Hello Fran,” scowled the Amazon. “So good to see you again.”

“What do you want?” asked Fran. “You want your butt kicked again?”

The Amazon growled.

“Thanks to you Fran,” she replied, “the Queen buried me for what seemed to be an age. But she can be generous – she gave me another chance. I’m not going to lose to you this time.

“And once I defeat you, you’ll be the one who’s tucked away in the Graveyard, and I’ll get what I wanted all along… Namely your deck.”

“WHAT?” exclaimed Francesca, nearly laughing. “What do you want my cards for? I thought you hated the Amazons!”

“I do!” snapped The Unfriendly Amazon.

She paused.

“Perhaps it hasn’t kicked in yet,” she said, “but the Shadow Queen can enchant cards and bring them to life. Once I defeat you, she’s promised to do exactly that to the Monsters in your deck… And then force them to serve as my slaves. I’ll finally be able to enact my revenge by dominating them!

“They’ll suffer forever…”

“You’re insane…” scowled Francesca.

“We’re all a little insane, Fran,” chuckled the Amazon, “and you’ll either duel me, or you and your friends will never leave this arena…”

She drew her sword.

“…at least not in one piece…”

Francesca sighed.

“Fine…” she said.

“Fran…” warned Andy, “be careful. “You know she plays a Skill Drain deck, and most of your Monsters are powerless without their effects…”

“Then I’ll just have to be really careful, Andy,” replied Francesca.

Fools, thought the Amazon. Little do they know, I’m now using a completely different deck. I’ll take Francesca completely by surprise…

Francesca faced her foe, and the two activated their Disks.

“Now choose your Deckmaster,” chuckled the Amazon. “As you can see, I’m my own… And I can guarantee my powers will be better than any you have!”

Fran looked through her deck.

Her eyes caught sight of her most powerful Monster.

Heh, why not? she thought.

She held the card up.

“My Deckmaster is Guardian Angel Joan!” she shouted.

A flash of light appeared, and the lovely form of Joan appeared beside her.




“Now let’s duel…” dared Francesca.

Then she heard an enchanting, musical voice behind her.

“Francesca,” said Guardian Angel Joan’s telepathic voice. ”Fear not, for I will stand behind you and help you vanquish this evil creature. My power of Resurrection is incredibly potent…”

“Resurrection?” asked Fran. “How does that work?”

”If you simply discard one card and pay 500 Life Points, I can revive a four-star or lower Monster, chosen at random, from your Graveyard,” answered Joan. ”But be careful, because I cannot use this ability to revive the same Monster twice.”

“Okay,” answered Francesca. “That sounds good…”

“All right Francesca,” chuckled The Amazon, making a draw. “I’ll start this thing off…”

She added the card to her hand.

“Okay…” she chuckled. “I’ll place one card facedown…”

She played a card, and it appeared.

“And now I’ll summon Etoile Cyber in Attack Mode!”

She placed a card down, and a tall form appeared. It was a thin woman dressed in a colorful blue and red bodysuit decorated with ribbons, with gorgeous, flowing, chestnut hair. She spun a pirouette and then turned to face Francesca. (1,200/1,600)




“That will be my turn,” chuckled The Amazon.

Etoile Cyber? thought Francesca, making a draw. Who the heck is that?

She looked at her hand.

Her facedown card is likely her Skill Drain… But Getsu Fuhma can handle that gal without her effect…

She threw a card down.

“I summon Getsu Fuhma in Attack Mode!” she shouted.

The redheaded Warrior of Darkness appeared, holding her katana aloft. (1,700/1,200)

“A new one?” chuckled The Amazon.

“Uh huh,” answered Francesca. “And unless you have any Fiends or Zombies in your deck, she doesn’t care about your Skill Drain! Getsu Fuhma, attack her Etoile Cyber!”

Getsu Fuhma lifted her sword and leapt forward…

“I activate Mirror Wall!” shouted The Amazon.

Francesca gasped as a wall of glass sprang up! Getsu Fuhma’s blade struck the glass, and her Attack Score was reduced to 850!

“Etoile Cyber, counter-attack!” shouted The Amazon.

Etoile Cyber spun around and delivered a kick to Getsu Fuhma, smashing her apart!

Francesca’s Life Points fell to 7,650.

“All right, you win round one…” muttered Francesca.

“Of course,” chuckled the Amazon, making a draw.

“I’ll pay 2,000 Life Points to keep my Trap in place…”

Her Life Points fell to 6,000.

“What’s she thinking?” asked Andy. “That’s an expensive Trap to keep…”

“Now I’ll place a card facedown,” said The Amazon with a grin, placing a card.

The card appeared.

“And now that you have no Monsters to defend you, I can attack you directly with Etoile Cyber,” she continued. “And when she makes a direct attack, her Attack Score increases by 600 points!”

Etoile Cyber spun her pirouette and her Attack rose to 1,800. Francesca grunted as the Warrior kicked her in the stomach.

Her Life Points fell further, to 5,850.

“I warn you, Francesca,” sneered The Amazon. “You haven’t even seen the beginning of my new strategy…”

“You can’t keep hiding behind that Mirror Wall forever,” gasped Francesca. “It’s my draw…”

She made a draw.

“I activate my Trap!” shouted The Amazon.

Her Trap Card lifted.

“It’s a handy Continuous Trap called Life Absorbing Machine!” she declared. “What does it do? You’ll see on my next turn!”

“Wonderful,” muttered Francesca. “I’ll summon Amazoness Swords Woman in Attack Mode…”

She placed a card down, and the scantily clad Warrior with her huge sword appeared. (1,500/1,600)

The Warrior sneered at The Unfriendly Amazon.

“What was it you said about this one?” asked Francesca. “Didn’t you say she was the one who argued the loudest for having you thrown out of the tribe?”

The Amazon frowned.

“Yeah,” she said, “and once the Queen gives life to your deck, I’m going to torture her the most!”

“It’s your move…” growled Francesca.

I’ll never let you enslave my Amazons… she thought. I won’t let you win this duel…

The Unfriendly Amazon drew.

Good, she thought. My combo is two-thirds complete…

“First, my Life Absorbing Machine restores my Life Points by half of what I paid last turn,” she announced.

Her Life Points went up to 7,000.

“Then I’ll pay 2,000 again, to keep the Mirror Wall…”

They went down to 5,000.

“And finally, I’ll summon Blade Skater in Attack Mode!”

A flash of light appeared on the field, and a figure actually skated into view. It was a female in a silvery bodysuit, with a bald head, wearing ice skates and two sharp blades on her forearms. (1,400/1,500)




“This gal is lighter on her feet than Michelle Kwan on her best day!” laughed The Amazon.

“Big deal…” replied Francesca. “She still can’t defeat Swords Woman. And what’s with the dancers and figure skaters? Aren’t they a little… effeminate for someone who’s supposed to be as tough as you are?”

“That’s the whole idea…” snarled the Amazon, with an evil glare.

Fran didn’t like that look.

“The Amazons who banished me take pride in being so tough and rugged…” she snarled. “So in this duel, I’m going to humiliate them and you with a female Warrior who’s much more cultured!

“And as soon as I draw the right card, you’ll see her true power!

“Now make your move…”

Francesca drew.

Perfect… she thought.

“Time to use my Field Magic Card,” she announced.

The Unfriendly Amazon chuckled.

“Hate to break this to you,” she replied, “but Etoile Cyber and Blade Skater are both Earth Monsters. Your Gaia Power will benefit them too…”

“This isn’t Gaia Power,” answered Francesca, opening her Field slot.

She placed a card in it.

“Time to bring us… to Themyscira!”

A blinding flash of light pervaded the arena, and the surroundings changed. Before everyone’s eyes, they were standing in what best could be described as… paradise. It was a beautiful, lush rain forest, unspoiled and pure, with sparkling waterfalls. Ancient temples of strange architecture surrounded them.

“Since you were once an Amazon yourself,” chuckled Francesca, “I’m sure you’ve heard of Themyscira… maybe when you were young, and being trained? The ancestral home of the Amazons? It is said that an Amazon who dies heroically in battle will be welcomed into this paradise… That pretty much leaves you out.

“And because this is their true home, all Amazons gain a 500-point bonus to both their Attack and Defense Score!”

Amazoness Swords Woman rose to (2,000/2,100)

“Your move…

The Amazon snarled as she drew.

“Yes…” she chuckled as she looked at it. “Now my combo is complete…”

“First I’ll gain 1,000 Life Points from Life Absorbing Machine,” she stated.

Her Life Points rose to 6,000.

“Then I’ll deactivate my Mirror Wall, so I don’t lose any more.”

The Trap Card vanished.

“And now I play… Polymerization!”

She fit the card into a slot. Etoile Cyber and Blade Skater started to dance up a storm…

A flash of light consumed them, and from out of the flash, a new figure appeared. It was a female in a red and purple spandex suit, with flowing black hair, and red shades. She wore ice skates and had spiked protrusions on her shoulders.

“I summon Cyber Blader!” laughed The Amazon.

(2,100/800)




“Now I’ll place a card facedown,” she continued.

She played a card, and it appeared.

“That will be my turn,” chuckled The Amazon.

“Fine…” stated Francesca.

She drew a card.

Waboku… she thought.

“I’ll place a card facedown, and that will be all…” she stated.

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

“Stan,” muttered Andy. “You ever hear of Cyber Blader?”

“No…” answered Stan. “Somehow I doubt that she’s good news…”

The Amazon drew.

“Cyber Blader,” she ordered, “attack Amazoness Swordswoman with whirlwind rage!”

Cyber Blader spun into a furious pirouette and hurtled towards Swords Woman…

“I activate Waboku!” shouted Francesca.

Her Trap Card lifted.

“Oh, will you?” answered the Amazon. “I activate my Trap Jammer!”

Her own Trap Card lifted, and the Waboku card shattered.

Cyber Blader plowed into Swords Woman, and she was blown to shards.

“That may have cost me a few Life Points,” sighed The Amazon, as her Life Points fell to 5,900, “but I just couldn’t resist a chance to destroy her… It was so… therapeutic.”

“Keep yakkin’, you sorry excuse for an Amazon,” snarled Francesca.

She made a draw.

Perfect, she thought. That was just what I needed…

“I summon Amazoness Fighter in Attack Mode!” she shouted.

The muscular Warrior appeared. (1,500/1,300) –> (2,000/1,800)

“And now,” stated Francesca, “I’ll Equip her with The Girdle of Hippolyta!”

She placed a card in a slot, and the golden belt formed around the Fighter’s waist, bringing her Attack up to 2,800.

“Now she’s strong enough to defeat your dancer!” stated Francesca. “Fighter, attack!”

Amazoness Fighter leapt forward and aimed a kick at Cyber Blader…

She hit the Warrior in the gut…

Cyber Blader let out a groan of pain, but when Amazoness Fighter fell back, she was still there!

The Unfriendly Amazon chuckled… Her Life Points fell to 5,200.

“Wha?” asked Francesca. “How did she survive?”

“That’s one of Cyber Blader’s powers,” chuckled the Amazon. “When my opponent has exactly one Monster on the field, she can’t be destroyed in battle!

“And you haven’t seen anything yet…”



Continued…