Re: Yu-Gi-Oh: Tilting the Balance
Originally Posted by Zorak
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Forgive me if I get anything wrong with this chapter, but when half the cards come from episodes not yet shown on American television, the research is hard in itself.
When I first started playing Duel Monsters, I did so for the fun of it. Nobody warned me it would someday be a matter of life and death, and to be honest, I'm really tired of it being such. I haven't dueled once in the last three days without something truly important being at stake.
This next duel, thankfully, gives me a chance to put things back into perspective. As far as I can tell, my opponent isn't a Darkness Infected, isn't working directly for Degas and Alexander, and doesn't plan on shooting me if I lose. She's just a girl who likes the game and wants to go up against me.
Of course, there's something strange about her, but that's more a matter of what she's like. And I'd be lying if I said I didn't like it...
Chapter Nineteen: Dangerous Attraction
The section of city that St. Paul called its downtown had its share of problems even before the Darkness Infection materialized. Among others, it labored under the shadow of its far more prosperous neighbor, downtown Minneapolis. As a result, it seemed somehow weaker, somehow less vital than it should have. Economically, it struggled to stay alive.
None of this mattered to Gerald's party, however, as only one thing concerned them at the moment: that the Darkness Infected were out of the region. With that being the case, the demonic city of Pandemonium would have seemed attractive.
Chad had parked the car within sight of the Xcel Energy Center - in the name of artistry, he'd done so directly under a "No Parking" sign. It had taken an act of will to resist Laura's suggestion that they park the Corolla on the sidewalk; after all, there weren't any cops in this city anymore. (Gerald had finally awoken long enough to point out the damage to the car inherent in parking it like that.)
In order to mentally recharge after the battle with Mi'Hen, the group was divided: Chad took off down the sidewalk for whatever purpose, while Gerald and Laura stopped at a nearby gaming store called Scry. It was easy to tell the place was open; a large sign hung from the door, declaring, "We are open. For the love of God, please come in!"
The layout reminded Gerald of every such store he'd ever shopped in - to his left, on a series of wall-mounted shelving, sat RPG books (the Elemental Heroes RPG had released its latest supplement the week before, covering Dark World); to his right was a bargain bin for packs of old or out-of-print card games, next to which were several boxes of "five for a buck" commons. In one corner there were several deserted gaming tables, and the counter (with all the rare and expensive cards under glass) was in the other corner. The walls on either side were covered with the current card games - of course, almost all of the left-hand wall was devoted to Duel Monsters and/or Dungeon Dice Monsters.
"Do we have money?" Laura asked, her hands in the jacket pockets.
In response, Gerald fished a large roll of bills out of his pocket. "A gift from Lucifer when we got here," he said. "All we've spent it on is food, so there's still quite a bit left. Don't go insane, but feel free to look around."
The redhead grinned, moved up to the counter, and leaned on it, looking over the possibilities.
"Please don't lean on the counter," came a voice from the backroom. Its source stepped out: a tall man in early middle age, with dark hair and a thin beard, wearing a red sweater and dark jeans. "I'm glad to have customers in a time like this, but we do have regulations here."
Laura stepped back, nodding. "Understood, sir."
"Call me Geoff, everyone else does. Well, they would if there was anyone else here. The Darkness Infection took out my consumer base - you have no idea how glad I am to see someone."
Gerald moved up to the counter, hands in his pants pockets, and studied one card under the glass. Finally, he asked, "This one card... it's priced far under its rarity. Why is that?"
Looking to the source of Gerald's interest, Geoff slumped. "The more I try to sell that card, the worse it gets," he replied. "Nobody can ever find a use for it! I'm this close to just throwing it into the commons box and hoping someone takes a chance..."
The lazy young man shut his eyes, thinking for a moment, and then shuffled over to the commons box. His fingers flipped through the box for a moment, until he'd retrieved two specific cards. He moved up to the counter, tossed his finds onto it, and said, "Add these to it and I'll take it."
Geoff barely hesitated before taking the card under discussion from the counter and saying, "Sold!" He placed it next to Gerald's selections.
As the two men worked out a deal, Laura slid her viewpoint along the other cards on display. After a few minutes, her gaze fell onto two specific cards and her heart nearly stopped beating.
Amid the other cards for sale sat two cards familiar to every duelist: the Black Luster Ritual and its partner, the Black Luster Soldier. Ever since Duelist Kingdom, tales of those two had circulated throughout the duelist circuit. And there they were, in a display counter in the heart of St. Paul.
Yugi Motoh's cards... Laura thought. They don't quite fit the theme, but... but there they are. I could always use another heavy hitter to go with Zombyra and the Master of Chains, and... well, it's the Black Luster Soldier! She pointed to them and said, "I'll take these."
Geoff turned, saw what she was pointing to, and recoiled. "I can't sell you those!"
"Then why are they on display?" Laura said, raising an eyebrow. "Are they fakes or what?"
"I assure you they're real, miss," the shop owner said, leaning against a wall and lowering his head. "I keep them on display because... well, they're the Black Luster Soldier and his ritual, how better to show off what this store can get? But I can't sell them to anyone - I wouldn't dare!"
Confused, Laura asked, "Why not? You haven't answered my question..."
By this time, however, Gerald had moved over to that part of the counter. He passed his hand over the cards and stepped back, Heaven's Sphere shining in his pocket. "Those cards are cursed," he muttered.
Geoff nodded. "You've heard of them?"
"No... I can just feel it."
"Well, you're right," the shop owner continued. "They're wonderful cards, but every last one of the Black Luster Soldiers are bewitched! Everyone who's ever played one has run into unspeakable bouts of bad luck, which is even worse for a duelist than a normal person..." He sighed. "The one you're looking at there came into my possession when its last owner rushed in, nervous and panicking, and begged me to buy it and its ritual. He didn't even haggle over the price.
"I looked into the background of this set, and it proved to be disturbing. Before the last owner had them, this Black Luster Ritual and Black Luster Soldier had passed between seven different owners. Each of them suffered a horrible run of luck while they owned the cards - and their first owner was killed in a car crash the week after he obtained them. Just before he sold me the cards, their last owner had lost in the first round of a local tournament... on the third turn of the duel. He'd drawn the Black Luster Soldier just before the kill move hit.
"Since I haven't played the cards myself, my own luck is unaffected... if you don't count the Darkness Infection. But I can't sell them in good conscience." He sighed again. "I don't want to think of what would happen to you with the city the way it is now."
Laura stumbled away from the case, not even daring to look at the cards. "So how did Yugi Motoh play them without any problems?" she asked.
Shaking his head, Geoff replied, "Who knows? Maybe he found a way around the curse; maybe it was that shiny metal thing around his neck. All I know is that nobody else can play the Black Luster Soldier without the bad luck hitting them. I heard of one guy who took his card, locked it in an iron box, buried it in a churchyard, and sowed the ground with salt - just to be sure!"
During Geoff's speech, Gerald leaned on the wall, eyes shut and hand to his chin. Finally, he looked to Laura, then looked to Geoff, and then said, "I have an idea. Take the cards out and hand them to her. I believe I have something in my possession that will break the curse."
"Are you sure about this?" Geoff asked, beginning to sweat.
"Trust me. This is a relatively minor darkness compared to what I've seen so far."
Letting out his breath, the shop owner unlocked the counter, slid it open, and took out the Black Luster Ritual and Black Luster Soldier. As he gave them to Laura, Gerald moved over to the tables, turned a chair around, and sat down.
"Now, Laura, place the Black Luster Soldier, Black Luster Ritual, Zombyra the Dark and Master of Chains on the top of your deck," Gerald ordered, searching through his deck and placing three cards on the top.
Laura began to catch on, and did as he ordered, thinking, This should be interesting.
Activating his Duel Disk, Gerald pressed a button by the Life Point counter, watching the numbers roll down. "Set your Life Points to 1,000."
In response, Laura activated her own Duel Disk, setting the Life Point counter. A ring of light began to form around them.
"Let the ritual battle begin," Gerald said, and the Life Point counters locked at 1,000. "Laura, take the first move."
As the duel commenced, a series of lines shot from point to point within the circle of light, forming a pattern close to but recognizably different from what the duelists knew as a Dark Duel. Geoff edged away, confused but not about to question the goings-on.
Laura drew her opening hand, which, of course, contained the cards she'd put on the top of her deck. She paused, and then realized what Gerald wanted. "I summon Zombyra the Dark in Attack Mode," she began.
The monster hero leapt down from the ceiling, but he looked far less confidant than usual. He glanced over his shoulder to Laura, and then down to the ring of light, visibly shivering. (2,100/900)
"Now I end my turn," the young woman continued.
Gerald drew, took a card from his hand, and set it onto his disk. "I summon Servant of Catabolism in Attack Mode."
The light swelled, and the snail/slug creature bubbled into view, tracing the lines with its tendrils. (700/500) Zombyra bowed to it, sweating even more.
"I will end my turn," the young man stated.
Laura drew, took a card from her hand, and slid it into her Duel Disk, declaring, "As per its effect, I discard one card from my hand to Normal Summon the Master of Chains in Attack Mode."
In front of Laura, the air began to flux and warp, finally ejecting the Master of Chains. He adjusted the sleeves of his shirt, and then began to look around himself, a confused and frightened expression on his face. (1,600/300)
"Now..." Laura paused for effect, and then held up the Ritual Magic card. "I'll play the Black Luster Ritual, offering Zombyra and the Master of Chains as tributes. Together, they fulfill the eight-star requirement, allowing me to summon the Black Luster Soldier!"
The altar with its crossed blades and shield appeared before the duelists, twin fires roaring in the braziers on either side of its base. For a moment, the fires died, and Laura's monsters stepped onto the braziers, arms crossed before them. The fires sprang up again, consuming them utterly, and then the fires died once more, leaving the arena dark but for the lines of light at their feet.
From the shadows emerged a man in armor, who took one of the blades and the shield from over the altar; the other blade vanished. His armor was a shining black metal, with a red gem on the chest and the seams lined with gold. His face was barely visible under the helmet, which was modeled after the head of a dragon; cold blue eyes shone from underneath, and whether that was a red tuft or a ponytail on the back of the helmet was unclear. His blade had a notch in the center, but the light made it clear it was sharp the entire way along. The Black Luster Soldier smiled and raised his blade. (3,000/2,500)
"I end my turn with that," Laura then announced, and the monster looked stunned.
Gerald drew again, saying, "I will now sacrifice my Servant of Catabolism to summon Heaven's Sphere."
The bizarre mollusk-creature rose from the ground, glowing brightly. As with each time the Sphere was called upon, the orb solidified, revealing the shining globe and its calming aura. A twisted smile crossed the Black Luster Soldier's face at the sight of it. (2,000/1,000)
"Since I have at least 1,000 Life Points," Gerald declared, "I can use my monster's effect. By paying half of that, I can double its Attack Points for the duration of the turn. This I shall now do."
Gerald's Life Points fell to 500, and the aura around the Heaven's Sphere intensified, making it hard for Geoff to look at it. (2,000/1,000 - 4,000/1,000)
"Heaven's Sphere," the young man ordered, "destroy the Black Luster Soldier and obliterate his curse with your Light of Justice."
A dot appeared on the front of the globe, growing in size as the Heaven's Sphere drew in power and light. It took aim at the Black Luster Soldier, preparing to fire.
To Laura's surprise, her monster didn't show any fear. In fact, he dropped his sword, threw aside his shield, and stepped forward, arms stretched at his sides, as if welcoming the purifying beam of light. His eyes shut, and he smiled wide.
A second later, the Heaven's Sphere fired its beam of light. The beam didn't make contact with the Black Luster Soldier at first - it hit a massive shroud of darkness that came into being around him. The beam continued to burn, however, forcing its way through the darkness (which both duelists realized was the curse made manifest). Finally, part of the shroud burned away, and the beam made contact with Laura's monster.
And then the Black Luster Soldier laughed, and he continued to laugh as the beam wiped him off the face of the earth. The shroud of darkness exploded into fragments and wisps, and Laura's Life Points hit zero, ending the battle.
The circle of light disappeared, and for a moment there was only silence. This was broken when Gerald began to snore, his head slumped onto his chest. The shop owner finally rose from behind his counter (where he'd dropped just before Heaven's Sphere attacked), pointing to Gerald and asking, "Is he always like that?"
"I've seen him stay awake twice," Laura replied. "Otherwise, it's a reflex for him." She walked up and gently patted her friend on the cheek.
With a few quick blinks, Gerald shook his head, yawning. "That should have dealt with the curse."
"How can we be sure?" Laura asked.
The lazy young man shut his eyes (Laura holding onto his hair so that he wouldn't doze off), thought for a moment, and then said, "Shuffle the Black Luster Soldier and the Black Luster Ritual into your deck, along with the Master of Chains and Zombyra. Keep shuffling until you're sure the cards are mixed, and then deal out your deck."
Although she wasn't sure what he was up to, Laura did as Gerald asked, adding the cards back to her deck and shuffling for a good minute. She then took the deck, turned it bottom-card-up, and spread it out on the counter.
Geoff and Laura both stared. The Black Luster Soldier was in the dead center of her deck... flanked by Zombyra and the Master of Chains. The Black Luster Ritual, meanwhile, was a few cards down, the four Sasuke Samurai monsters surrounding it.
Rising from his chair, Gerald strolled up to the counter, admired the arrangement, and said, "The cards you hold dearest are surrounding them. I'd say that's a good sign the curse is gone." He then looked to Laura. "Wouldn't you?"
Laura nodded and then asked Geoff, "How much again?"
"No charge."
Taken aback, she said, "Are you sure?"
The shop owner took a deep breath, replying, "Until today, I thought those cards would just sit in the display case until the end of time. But now... If those cards really are safe again, I have no right to charge you for them; after all, you're the ones who made them safe. In a way, they were yours to begin with."
"Thank you," Laura said, gathering her deck together and putting it back in her Duel Disk. She then paused, looked at another card in the case, and pointed to it, asking, "Is that one cursed?"
Looking into the counter, Geoff shook his head. "Not that I know of."
The redhead smiled. "I'll take that one... and this one I don't mind paying for."
0000000
While Gerald and Laura were in the store, Chad was a block down the street, wandering along the sidewalk with his head down. He moved with long sweeps of his feet, as if he'd thrown his entire body into the same aimless funk as his life.
He stopped in front of a music store, raising his head and glancing through the windows. The store was abandoned, as were its neighbors on either side, but the door was wide open. Apparently, someone was inside.
Curiosity overtook self-preservation, and Chad headed inside. There wasn't anyone there, as far as he could tell, but a violin sat on the counter, its bow atop it. Someone had just rosined the bow not too long before.
The tall young man couldn't resist. He took off his Duel Disk and set it down, picked up the instrument along with the bow, and then paused. I wish I'd had time to practice, he thought. I've been playing the thing since my sixth birthday, but with all that's gone on in the past week, I'm a little out of touch. He set his fingers to the strings, tucked the body under his chin, adjusted his head to the chinrest, and carefully tuned the violin to G-D-A-E.
"Sonata Number One for Solo Violin, First Movement, J.S. Bach," he said to no one. With that, he set the bow to the strings, sat on the counter, and began to play.
Between his own rusty skills and the quality of the instrument before him, Chad didn't expect virtuoso performance. And for the first few notes, the only word to describe the music would be "deplorable", or perhaps "abysmal". But as the song went on, he found the old skills returning to him, and discovered just what the violin in his hands was capable of. He shut his eyes, grinned, and pressed on, generating a melody that did its composer proud.
By the time the song was over, Chad was relieved - he'd found something to justify his existence, if not his presence. He then heard someone clapping, set the violin down, and opened his eyes.
The applause was coming from a young woman, apparently the one who'd broken into the shop, if Chad had to guess. She had light olive skin and long, shiny black hair, and although her eyes were closed at the moment he thought they'd take up half her face once she opened them. She couldn't be more than nineteen, and there was something about her that made her youth all the more obvious. She wore a short-sleeved white blouse and a long, frilly white skirt with lace on the hem. It occurred to Chad that the girl (somehow, calling her a young woman didn't work) resembled a human-sized doll; he would've sworn one of his cousins had owned a doll just like her.
The girl stopped applauding and opened her eyes; as Chad had thought, they were incredibly large, and had that indefinite color you could only describe as "dark". "That was amazing!" she said, her voice registering a European accent he couldn't quite place. "I mean, I've played the violin since I was five, but I could never get it to sound like that, and don't think I didn't try!"
"How old are you?" Chad asked.
"I'm nineteen, why do you need to know?"
He smirked. "I'm twenty-two and I've played it since I was six. There's your answer - I have two years more experience at it."
After a moment to think about it, the girl nodded repeatedly. "You're probably right, but I'm gonna go with my first answer..." She smiled wide. "You're just better than I am! By the way, before we go any further, my name's Vivienne!"
No last name? Chad thought. "My name is Chad Montmelier. Call me Chad. Why are you in town?"
"This reason, that reason, any reason, no reason. Take your pick." Vivienne smiled again, putting her hands behind her back. "And why are you here? Anyone who could got out of Dodge at the first opportunity. By Dodge I mean the Twin Cities."
It took Chad a few seconds to work out what she'd said. "I'm here for the same reason everyone else ran. My friends and I think we can destroy the Darkness Infection, so it wouldn't be the best idea to leave before that's done."
Vivienne tilted her head, her body tilting in the same direction. "And how're you going to do that? I don't think you're the magicial equivalent of the CDC. Are you carrying a giant shot of mystical penicillin or something?"
"You could say that," Chad replied, "except we are the syringes. At the moment, we're trying to find the guys who did this." No need to tell you just how lost we are, Chad thought.
For a moment, the girl looked confused, and then she giggled. "However it works, I'm fine with it!" she said. "But then again, when haven't I? My brothers used to say I'm the most agreeable person on the face of the earth, and I agree with them." She then looked past Chad to his Duel Disk and smiled wider. "Is that your Duel Disk or did you steal it from someone else? If you did, I'm fine with that."
There was something about Vivienne that was royally confusing the artist, and he was starting to like it despite himself. He replied, "Yes, it's my Duel Disk. Long story, but it's part of how my friends and I are taking care of the Darkness Infection."
"Who knew? Duel Monsters is a pastime, a magical cure-all, and a dessert topping!" Bouncing on her heels (Chad noted she was wearing white dress shoes), Vivienne asked, "Can you duel me? There just aren't too many good opponents now that everyone's disappeared."
The artist gave the proposal much thought. He knew next to nothing about this girl other than she was Gerald's complete opposite in every way, and anyone could be the next specialist. On the other hand, it was entirely possible that her hyperactivity was just the way she always was, in which case he could use a duel without any win-or-die conditions. "Deal," he finally said.
He was unprepared for the crushing-strength hug Vivienne inflicted on him immediately afterward. "YAY! YAY!" she cried as she nearly broke Chad's spine. "Just bring me that white bag from behind the counter and I'll be right outside!" She let him go, allowing Chad to resume normal breathing, and dashed out of the building fast enough to leave a smoke trail.
At this point, Chad considered sneaking out the back of the music store and running away, but he decided against it. He put his own Duel Disk back on, picked up the aforementioned bag, and headed out onto the sidewalk.
0000000
As he stepped out of the store, Chad noticed that Gerald and Laura had just arrived; Gerald was leaning against a wall, eyes closed, and Laura stood next to him, gaping open-mouth at Vivienne. Since Vivienne was, for lack of a better term, gamboling about the sidewalk, Chad could fully understand the other woman's confusion.
Setting the bag down, Chad said, "Here you go, Vivienne." He then stepped back in case of any more hugs.
The girl stepped forward, took the bag, and stepped back, opening it. It was filled with deck cases, which she sorted through while talking to herself. She was grumbling, "Armors are old-fashioned, Kuribohs I've played too many times, flip-effects are too tricky, equips are clumsy and not subtle enough... Ah, here we go!" She held up one case in particular, smiling wide. "The perfect deck!"
Rather than make a comment, Chad activated his Duel Disk, asking, "Where's your disk?"
Vivienne tilted her head, and then snapped her fingers. She reached into the bag again, taking out a pink bead, and threw it in the air, saying, "Spirits of the dreaming world, bring my Duel Disk to me..."
The bead hovered in midair, and then began to spin. As it spun, an outline of a Duel Disk faded into view around it, slowly filling in over the space of several seconds. In due time, the bead fell from the sky and into Vivienne's bag, and she caught the completed Duel Disk, strapping it to her arm.
Gerald blinked a few times before saying, "Impressive ability. Where'd you learn it?"
"My dad taught it to me," the girl replied, sliding her deck into the proper slot and activating the Duel Disk. "He taught me a lot of nifty magic tricks, but I'm not allowed to use most of them except in emergencies." She giggled, causing Laura to clench both fists. "I really don't think you're the sort of guy who would ever qualify."
Chad nodded, replying, "At least not the sort of emergency that would require magical aid. As far as dueling goes... depends on your skills. Ready?"
When he said that, Vivienne suddenly looked distracted, glancing skywards. "Ummm, just a sec..." She closed her eyes, brow furrowing as if in deep thought, and then smiled, opened her eyes, and declared, "Let's duel!"
Both Life Point counters set themselves to 8,000.
0000000
A fireball burned its way through the skies over downtown St. Paul. Its flight suddenly became erratic, weaving through the air, before it finally settled on the roof of a Burger King, melting the siding. There was a flash, and Lucifer Allumette appeared with his chin in his hand, a perplexed expression on his face.
"Zat spell," he thought aloud "It's a Dream obscuring spell, designed to keep ze user from being found. Zat's how zey managed to keep zemselves hidden so long..."
He then chuckled. "Nice try, but at zis range, it's barely better zan a hazy day when it comes to cover. And besides, a spell's teacher can poke zrough it without a second try - and who do you zink taught you zat spell, hmmm?"
Spreading his arms, Lucifer became the ball of fire once again, launching himself into the sky.
0000000
"You made the challenge," Chad told Vivienne, "so you can go first."
Drawing her opening hand, the girl said, "Thanks!" She looked at her cards, and then said, "I'll start by summoning Toy Soldier in Attack Mode!"
A wooden toy soldier appeared on the field, carrying a gun and dressed in full field regalia. It would have looked more impressive if it weren't for its lack of a face other than two dot eyes. (800/300)
"Next," she continued, "I'll set two cards facedown." Both concealed holograms appeared in front of the girl, and she raised her hand in front of her mouth, fluttering her eyes at Chad. "Your turn..."
One of Laura's eyes began to twitch, and Gerald sighed, saying, "Please remember that inflicting harm on Vivienne would count as interference."
As Chad drew his own opening hand, he thought, I'm fairly sure flirting with your opponent is an illegal move, but I can't bring myself to complain. He thought for a moment, and then declared, "I'll start with Pitch-Black Warwolf in Attack Mode!"
A snarling, sword-bearing lycanthrope marched onto Chad's field, his rage barely suppressed. He hungrily eyed Vivienne's soldier, which raised its gun and aimed at the beast-warrior. The werewolf merely snapped at it. (1,600/600)
"Remind me, that thing negates my traps during our Battle Phases, right?" Vivienne asked. Before Chad could answer, she went on, "Good thing I can set this one off right now, then! Activate Shadow Spell!"
From absolutely nowhere, a dozen black metal chains launched out and wrapped themselves around the Pitch-Black Warwolf's limbs, dragging him to the ground. He snarled again, only to get a chain sealed around his muzzle. (1,600/600 - 900/600)
Groaning, Chad took a card from his hand and slid it into his Duel Disk. "I set this facedown and end my turn," he said.
As Vivienne drew, the Toy Soldier took a small bugle out from under its jacket and set it to where it should have had a mouth. Fingering the keys, it played a call to arms, whereupon two more wooden soldiers appeared to either side of it. (800/300 x3)
"That would be my Toy Soldier's special ability at work," Vivienne declared. "If it's on my field during my Standby Phase, I can summon two more from my deck to the field in Attack Mode. Now I think they could use a morale boost, so I'll play the Magic Card known as Drum and Fife Platoon!"
As the card shimmered into view, a group of wooden soldiers came out of it, carrying several fifes and drums. They marched in front of the Toy Soldiers, playing a rousing march on their instruments. The soldiers saluted, swelling with pride. (800/300 - 1,600/300 x3)
"Can they do 'When the Saints Go Marching In'?" Gerald asked.
"They don't do requests," Vivienne replied. "However, they do have a nice effect - every monster I control that has less than 1,000 Attack Points gets their Attack Points doubled for the turn. Now, since I'm more of a cat person... Toy Soldier, execute the Pitch-Black Warwolf with Pop Gun!"
The first Toy Soldier raised its gun to its eyeline, revealing a cork stuck on the end of it. It cocked the weapon, took aim and fired, the cork bouncing off the Pitch-Black Warwolf's head. It collapsed in its chains, shattering into a thousand pieces.
Even as his Life Points dropped to 7,300, Chad declared, "I activate my trap, Animal Trail, which lets me add a Beast-type monster to my hand when one of my monsters dies in battle!" He searched his deck for a moment and then slid his chosen card into his hand.
Vivienne giggled again, announcing, "Too bad I can't play with it until next turn, huh? Especially since I've cleared the line of fire! Now attack him directly, my other Toy Soldiers!"
As she announced it, the other wooden soldiers drew a bead on Chad and fired their corks at him. Both projectiles hit him in the stomach, bending him over double and causing him to weeze as his Life Points dropped to 5,100.
"Please tell me playtime isn't over so quickly," the dark-haired girl said, frowning. "It'd be a shame to be over so soon... Either way, a card facedown completes the set. Your move." With the end of her turn, the march ended, returning the Attack Points of her monsters to normal.
Nodding, Chad took a deep breath and drew his next card.
Bracing herself, Vivienne slid her finger over one of the Magic/Trap zone buttons.
"I'll start the turn with Cold Wave!" Chad announced. "This makes all other Magic or Trap cards useless until my next turn!"
Laura turned to Gerald, asking, "You gave it back to him?" The lazy man nodded.
Oh, me, oh, my, the girl thought.
The air began to cool around them, and then flashed to freezing. All of the facedown cards on either duelist's fields were now sealed inside a thin layer of ice, which slowly began to melt.
"Remarkably durable ice, given that it's late June," Gerald noted. Everyone else involved showed amazing tact by not answering him.
"Next up," Chad continued, "I summon my Gyaku-Gire Panda in Attack Mode."
A truly vicious panda walked into the space in front of Chad, brandishing a gigantic bamboo club. It snarled at the toys, and they pulled their guns on it in response. (800/1,600)
"Hold your fire!" Vivienne yelled at her monsters. "It's an endangered species!"
"Actually, I'd say that honor goes to your Toy Soldiers, considering the special ability of that monster," Gerald said from his spot against the wall. "The Gyaku-Gire Panda gains 500 Attack Points for each monster opposing it."
Chad sighed, thinking, I was just about to say that... Meanwhile, his panda went completely out of control. (800/1,600 - 2,300/1,600) He took a moment to catch his breath before ordering, "Gyaku-Gire Panda, send one of the Toy Soldiers back to the shop!"
After pounding the ground for a moment with its bamboo stick, the giant panda grabbed hold of the first Toy Soldier. It threw the wooden toy into the air, and then swung the stick, knocking the Toy Soldier into the atmosphere. There was a brief sparkle as it left orbit.
Vivienne's Life Points lowered to 6,500, and she seethed, looking at her hand.
"If it's any consolation," Chad said, almost looking sad, "my Gyaku-Gire Panda weakens by 500 points now that I've killed a Toy Soldier." Indeed, the monster seemed calmer. (2,300/1,600 - 1,800/1,600) "That's it for my turn."
Drawing a card, Vivienne groaned; the ice on her facedown cards was much smaller, but still there. She took a card from her hand, saying, "I'll switch my Toy Soldiers into Defense Mode and leave it at that."
The wooden soldiers knelt, crossing their guns across their chests.
"Mistake," Gerald muttered quietly enough that only Laura could hear. She tilted her head at that.
As Chad drew, he smirked. "Vivienne, you just did me a favor - the Gyaku-Gire Panda deals damage through defense, so I can hurt you even worse than I could have before! Before I do that, however, I'll set two cards facedown..."
Two facedown cards flashed into being in front of the artist.
"Next," he added, "I summon Exarion Universe to my field in Attack Mode."
All around them, the air warped and turned odd colors, until finally the reason for it trotted out. The Exarion Universe, a large, green-skinned centaur in body armor, stepped into play, holding an intricate lance in one hand. (1,800/1,900)
"In response, I activate my Toy Cannon Trap Card!" Vivienne declared. "When I activate it, I deal you 400 points of damage and switch one of your monsters into Defense Mode - I'll do it to Gyaku-Gire Panda!"
A large brass cannon fell in front of the kneeling Toy Soldier, who took hold of the pull-string emerging from the cannon's back.
Raising her hand, Vivienne thrust it down, shouting, "Fire at will! But not at Will, since he's a friend of mine!"
Gerald and Laura looked at each other for a brief moment; following it, both duelists groaned simultaneously.
The Toy Soldier yanked at the cannon's pull-string, and it fired a large cork ball. The ball struck the panda in the stomach, and it fell backwards, knocking Chad over as it collapsed onto all fours and switched to Defense Mode. As the artist pushed himself upright, his Life Points fell to 4,700.
Brushing the dust off of his red leather pants, Chad said, "Nice trick, but my Exarion Universe can damage you through Defense Mode as well, as long as I cut his attack power by 400 points. I'll do that now. Exarion Universe, attack one of the Toy Soldiers with Stardust Javelin!"
Holding the lance in his fingertips, the mysterious being charged it with his energy. (1,800/1,900 - 1,400/1,900) He then threw it at the kneeling soldier, impaling it. Light rose from the impaling weapon, consuming the toy utterly and dropping Vivienne's Life Points to 5,400.
"That will be it for me," Chad then said.
Vivienne drew, and then giggled as she tucked the card into her hand. "I'll start by playing a Field Magic Card, the Haunted Dollhouse!"
The music store and the street around it disappeared, replaced by a dark void. Gerald stood up straight, concerned as to what he was leaning against. Soon, the void vanished, replaced by a decrepit mansion with oddly-proportioned furniture scattered about. The lazy man resumed leaning.
Chad raised an eyebrow, asking, "What does this place do?"
"Nothing at the moment," the girl replied. "Absolutely nothing. For now, I'll set a monster in Defense Mode and play a Magic Card known as Toy Memorial!"
The facedown monster appeared in front of Vivienne, and behind it appeared a card with a picture of several toy soldiers gathered around the broken pieces of one of their number.
"This," the girl continued, "actually has an effect at the moment. It lets me draw a card for every card with Toy in its name in my Graveyard - that's two Toy Soldiers and Toy Cannon, so I get three cards. But I can't attack on this turn if I do it, not that I planned to." She drew three times and concluded, "I'll set one more card facedown. Your turn!"
Chad drew his next card, thinking, that Toy Soldier isn't much of a threat at the moment. Whatever that facedown monster is, however, I can't take the risk of having it lash out at me. "I set a monster in Defense Mode," he said, "and switch my Gyaku-Gire Panda back into Attack Mode! Panda, attack Vivienne's facedown monster!"
The panda rose onto its hind legs, grabbed the bamboo stick, and charged the girl's field, growling for blood.
"Activate Widespread Ruin!" Vivienne declared. "Your monsters are tied, so I'll destroy the attacking one with it!"
And then the Gyaku-Gire Panda exploded, leaving only its bamboo behind.
The artist shrugged, looked to Exarion Universe, and said, "I don't think I'll use your effect this turn. Instead, attack her facedown monster with Stardust Pike."
In response, the green-skinned otherworldly monster nodded and charged, lowering his weapon to waist level. It slid cleanly through the girl's facedown monster... which turned out to be a small, cute little doll. (1,000/1,000)
Vivienne waved one of her fingers, telling her opponent, "This is Alice the Wandering Bisque Doll. Her first effect prevents her from being destroyed in battle..."
"First?" Chad asked.
"She has three. The second effect does 500 points of damage to anyone who attacks her."
A chilling laugh echoed throughout the Haunted Dollhouse, and the lights flickered as twin hands emerged from the shadows. They clawed into Chad's skin, making him cry out as his Life Points hit 4,200.
"That sets off my Trap, Numinous Healer!" Chad shouted as he hit it. A winged woman in a nurse's outfit sprang from his facedown card, swatting away the shadowy hands. "When I take damage to my Life Points, she gives me back 1,000 points!" The nurse's hand slid over Chad's cheek, and she smiled as his Life Points rose to 5,200.
All Vivienne did was shrug. "The third effect... well, she's called 'the Wandering Bisque Doll' for a reason..."
For a moment, Chad didn't understand it. He then realized Alice was no longer on her field. He looked to his own field, and jumped as he saw the monster sitting next to Exarion Universe. "So... she comes under the control of her attacker, then," he said once his heart rate stabilized.
"Pretty much," Vivienne replied. "By the way, the effect of the Haunted Dollhouse kicks in now. When Alice switches control to my opponent, the spirits of this place let me bring out a Doll Part from my deck. So I'll summon Doll Part Blue in Defense Mode!"
Shadows gathered in front of the girl, eventually fading away to reveal a disturbing monster: a severed doll head with long blonde hair. (0/0)
Eesh... Chad thought. "I'll end my turn, then."
"I have seen Dark Necrofear," Gerald said, staring at the Doll Part. "I've seen Millennium Scorpion eat a Dark Magician Girl alive. But that may be the creepiest monster I've seen in a long time."
Meanwhile, Laura sighed, thinking, How did I know she was going to use dolls?
As Vivienne drew, she began to rock back and forth on her feet, smiling. "Okay, then, what to play with next?" she asked nobody. "Ah, there we are. I summon Doll Part Gold in Attack Mode!"
A pair of arms floated down from the ceiling of the Haunted Dollhouse, hanging in midair next to the head.
"Next," she continued, "I'll play the Magic Card known as Creature Swap. This lets me give you one of my monsters for one of yours, so I'll give you my Toy Soldier and take back Alice the Wandering Bisque Doll."
Alice disappeared from Chad's field as the Toy Soldier appeared in its place. At the same time, the Toy Soldier disappeared from Vivienne's field, now replaced by the Wandering Bisque Doll.
"Why did she take Alice back after going through the trouble of giving her away?" Laura asked Gerald.
His response was, "I know as much about these cards as you do, which is to say I haven't the slighest idea."
Vivienne concluded with, "I'll set one card facedown and end with that." She then placed her hands on her knees, leaned forward, and purred, "Don't keep me waiting..."
Laura's fists began to clench.
Chad, on the other hand, was in that limbo between fear and intrigue. He drew another card, thinking over his options, before deciding on his next plan. "I'll start by sacrificing the Toy Soldier and my facedown Soul Tiger to summon Big Koala in Attack Mode!" he said in one breath.
Both monsters disappeared, the Toy Soldier falling to pieces before it did, and in their place emerged an appropriately-named giant koala. It munched a eucalyptus leaf for a moment, and then paused, looking at its surroundings. Raising its fist, it punched a hole in the Haunted Dollhouse's roof, letting in the sunlight. (2,700/2,000)
"Awwwww..." Vivienne said, smiling at the large but cute creature.
The artist looked nonplussed. "Ummm... Big Koala, attack the Doll Part Gold with Thunder from Down Under... or just eat it, whichever."
The large marsupial reached down, scooping up the toy arms, and threw them in the air. They landed in its open mouth, and it chewed on them for a moment before swallowing.
"Activate Spirit Barrier!" Vivienne declared, the card lifting as she said so. "This prevents me from taking damage in battle as long as I have monsters!" The spirits of the Haunted Dollhouse gathered around her as she said it. "And at the same time, I'll activate my other trap, Necro-Doll Meister!"
Gerald raised an eyebrow, asking, "Spirit Barrier I know, but Necro-Doll Meister?"
"I can activate that card when a Doll Part is destroyed in battle," she replied. "It lets me summon two more Doll Parts to my field from my deck in Attack Mode. So I'll bring out the Doll Parts Pink and Red!"
Another eerie laugh echoed through the Haunted Dollhouse, and two balls of purple light floated onto Vivienne's field. They transformed into a doll torso and a pair of doll legs, hovering in the air before her. (0/0 x2)
To everyone's surprise, Chad let out a low growl before ordering, "Exarion Universe, dispose of the Doll Part Blue with Stardust Pike!"
Again, the otherworldly centaur charged, impaling the toy's head on the end of his pike. He spun the weapon around and shattered the head on the ground.
"That will be it for me," he finished.
Vivienne drew, but then looked distracted. Her eyes closed, and she concentrated harder, placing her hands to her head.
"Are you okay?" Chad asked.
It was a moment before she responded, nervously nodding and saying, "Yeah, I'm fine now..."
0000000
The ball of fire stopped on top of a state of Snoopy, briefly damaging the paint job before it turned into Lucifer again. He rubbed his temples, muttering, "Why did I teach you to amplify ze spell to zat level? I'll have a migraine for a week..." He then held up his hand, palm to him, and intoned, "Ring of Clarity, pierce zis mystic shroud and open ze path to ze dreamer..."
The ring shone, and Lucifer smirked. "Can't stop me." He reverted to the ball of fire and flew off.
Continued in the next post...
