Re: Yu-Gi-Oh! Soul of Silicon
Continued from last post:
“Now… I’m giving it something extra… The Equip Spell, Amulet of Ambition.”
He played the card, and a glowing aura appeared around Sonic Duck’s neck. It formed into a glowing amulet with an eye on the setting.
“I’ll explain this as simply as I can,” he said. “This can only be Equipped to Normal Monsters. And when the Equipped Monster battles a Monster that’s a higher Level, the Equipped Monster gains 500 Attack Points times the difference.
“So…
“Sonic Duck, attack the Toy Magician on the right with supersonic dash!”
Sonic Duck squawked and sped towards Toy Magician in a blur. Its Attack Score rose to 2,200, just as it collided with the Spellcaster, blowing him to pieces.
“Wait a second,” said Ren. “This means…”
“This means that the higher the Level of Erik’s Monster, the stronger Sonic Duck will be,” said Chelsea. “Even Erik’s Puppet King would be outclassed… If he tried to attack with him…”
“Sonic Duck would gain 2,000 Attack Points,” said Yumi. “And I don’t think Erik even has a Level Three Monster that can beat these low-level beatsticks.”
True, thought Erik. But I have something else…
“I’ll move Dragon Zombie to Attack Mode while I’m at it,” said Gadget Soldier, as Dragon Zombie picked itself up. “I’ll set a Monster in Defense Mode, and end my turn.”
He played his last card, and a facedown Monster appeared.
(E: 4,650) -------------------- (GS: 3,950)
He drew a card.
“I play Mystical Space Typhoon!” he shouted. “Say goodbye to that Amulet!”
He played the card, and the cyclone tore across the field, blowing the Amulet of Ambition off the Duck’s neck.
“That was pointless,” said Gadget Soldier. “That card has another effect. If it’s destroyed, I get to put it on top of my deck, and I don’t have to pay a dime.”
He placed the card on the top of his deck.
Erik frowned. He looked at the card he had just drawn.
“I play… Symbol pf Heritage,” he said. “Since I have three of the same Monster in my Graveyard, this Spell Card lets me bring one of them back to the field.”
He played the card, and Toy Soldier appeared on the field. (800/300) –> (1,100/300)
“Next,” he said, “I play a powerful Spell called Crowning of the Emperor! This lets me sacrifice him…”
Toy Soldier saluted, and held his musket by his side. He vanished in a sparkle of light.
“Come on out, Toy Emperor!”
With a galloping of hooves, a mounted figure rode onto the field. It was another wooden soldier, this one dressed in Napoleon’s military uniform, holding a saber and riding a wooden horse. His eyebrows were narrow, and his mouth was carved into a frown.(2,300/800) –> (2,600/800)
“First, Toy Magician, destroy his Sonic Duck!”
Toy Magician cast his spell, and Sonic Duck exploded in a burst of feathers.
“Second, I have a feeling I know what that set Monster is, seeing as you used up every card in your hand. Let’s see if I’m right…
“Toy Emperor, attack his facedown Monster!”
Toy Emperor gave his mount a kick, and he galloped towards the facedown Monster. A ceramic jar appeared on the card, and a dark shadow with a mouth and one eye appeared out of it. It let out a cackling laugh before Toy Emperor slashed it to bits with his saber.
“Yep, I was right,” said Erik. “Morphing Jar…”
He discarded the one card that was left in his hand, and drew five cards. Gadget Soldier simply drew five cards.
“And Toy Emperor has a powerful effect,” said Erik. “Now I get to take any Trap Card from my deck that I want.”
A card slid out of his deck. Erik gave a puzzled look, and took it.
It was the one he wanted again, all right. Xanadu had strange laws.
He placed it in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.
“That’s all for me,” he said.
(E: 4,650) -------------------- (GS: 3,750)
“Draw,” said Gadget Soldier.
He drew a card.
“I Equip Amulet of Ambition on Dragon Zombie,” he said.
The Amulet appeared on the Zombie’s neck.
“Go, Dust Tornado!” shouted Erik.
His Trap Card flipped up, and the tornado tore across the field, blowing the Amulet to pieces.
“Talk about a dumb move,” laughed Sam. “He told you he could search for any Trap Card… Every duelist and his brother uses Dust Tornado.”
“Okay, change of plans!” growled the Machine. “It’s about time I brought out my key player anyway…
“I use my Deck Lord ability, which I can do three times per duel total. I get to Special Summon any Normal Monster from my deck that I want. And I choose Summoned Skull.”
In an explosion of lightning, Yugi Mouto’s signature Fiend appeared on the field. There was no mistaking him… The horns, claws, and bony carapace. (2,500/1,200)
“Of course, there is a catch,” said Gadget Soldier. “It can’t attack, and it will be destroyed when I end my turn.”
“Meaning you’re gonna sacrifice him, right?” said Erik.
“Watch your mouth!” said Gadget Soldier. “I play the Ritual Spell Card, Synthesis Spell.”
Summoned Skull vanished, and a cylindrical tank with a man inside, floating in liquid and hooked up to odd hoses and paraphernalia appeared.
“By sacrificing six Levels worth of Monsters, I can bring out the ultimate beast…”
The man inside the tank changed. He transformed into a more bestial shape…
Then he smashed his way out of the tank, and roared in anger.
Standing in front of Erik was a vicious-looking wolfman, with razor-sharp teeth and claws, dressed in ragged trousers, with odd wires on its chest. (2,400/1,800)
“Whoa,” said Chelsea. “It looks like someone gave my Zombie Werewolf a makeover.”
“This werewolf ain’t a Zombie,” said Gadget Soldier. “It’s a Beast-Warrior called Lycanthrope, and it’s about to go postal on your Toy Emperor!”
“Let him try!” laughed Erik. “My Field Spell makes my Emperor stronger!”
Gadget Soldier played another card.
“I Equip him with Ritual Weapon!” he shouted.
Lycanthrope’s right wrist glowed, and a golden, glowing crossbow appeared on the back of its claw. (3,900/3,300)
Erik turned to Blockman.
“Now?” said Blockman.
“Now,” said Erik, nodding.
“Attack his Toy Emperor!” shouted Gadget Soldier.
Lycanthrope howled. It pointed with its weapon, and a volley of sharp, glowing spires shot towards the toy monarch.
Erik cringed, but Toy Emperor stood fast.
(E: 3,650) -------------------- (GS: 3,750)
“My Emperor isn’t ready to leave yet,” said Erik. “I used my Deck Lord ability. I can also use it three times.
“You get to draw one card, but I can make any Toy Monster withstand any attack.”
Gadget Soldier grinned as he drew a card.
“But you still lost Life Points,” he said. “So Lycanthrope’s effect activates, and you lose 200 Life Points for every Normal Monster in my Graveyard. In case anyone here lost count, I’ve got eight of them there.”
Erik screamed as Lycanthrope’s eyes glowed, and a fiery aura surrounded him. He fell to his knees.
(E: 2,050) -------------------- (GS: 3,750)
“Crud,” said Ren. “And with that extra draw, he likely drew Amulet of Ambition again.”
Gadget Soldier looked at the card he had drawn.
He’s wrong, he thought. When I used my ability to bring out Summoned Skull, my deck was shuffled. What I actually drew was Frostosaurus, an incredibly powerful Level Six Monster.
He won’t be dumb enough to keep his two Monsters in Attack Mode in order to attack my Dragon Zombie, so I’ll easily be able to summon it next turn.
Erik looked at the field.
“Your move,” said Gadget Soldier.
Let me think, thought Erik. If I attack Dragon Zombie with Toy Emperor, I’ll be able to get Mirror Force from my Deck… But if he’s somehow able to destroy it, I’m a gonner…
He drew a card. He looked at it.
Nope, I got a better idea… And to think Sam thought this card was a dumb idea…
He added it to his hand and chose another one.
“First I summon… My third Toy Magician!”
He played the card, and yet another of the plastic, colored mages appeared. (1,600/1,500)
“Eh?” said Gadget Soldier. “Attack Mode?”
“Now,” said Erik. “I play Heavy Storm!”
He played the card, and a fierce wind tore across the field. Toy Town vanished, and the Ritual Weapon crumbled to dust.
“Big deal!” said Gadget Soldier. “You took out your own Field Spell, so he’s still stronger than any of your Monsters.
“And even if you can make your Emperor stronger, you’d best make it count, because I have this.”
He turned one of his two cards in his hand forward. It was Fulfillment of the Contract.
“Oh, but I am going to ‘make it count’, as you say,” said Erik.
He placed a card in his Disk.
“I play… Autonomous Action Unit!”
“Say WHAT?” shouted Gadget Soldier.
“This card may cost me 1,500 Life Points,” said Erik, as he glowed with red energy, “but it’s worth every one to resurrect one of your Monsters and recruit him to my side.”
A pair of space-age doors appeared on Erik’s side of the field, and they opened with a burst of steam…
Summoned Skull stepped out, but he was different. Apparently, he had been reborn using cybernetics. His left arm and right leg were bionic, metal plating was on his chest, and a helmet covered the right half of his head, giving him a glowing red optic sensor for a right eye. An odd metal pack was strapped to his back. He glared at Gadget Soldier. (2,500/1,200)
“Oh, crap…” said Gadget Soldier.
“Summoned Skull…” ordered Erik, “atomize Lycanthrope with electromagnetic cyber lightning strike!”
Two protrusions resembling lasers unfolded from the pack on Summoned Skull’s back, and twin volleys of lightning bolts shot from them, reducing Lycanthrope to a pile of ash.
“All right!” shouted Erik. “Toy Emperor, destroy Dragon Zombie!”
Toy Emperor charged at Dragon Zombie, and with one slash of his saber, the dragon corpse was ripped to shreds.
“Toy Magicians… Finish him off!”
Both Toy Magicians shot their sparkle blasts at the Machine. Gadget Soldier fell to his knees.
(E: 550) -------------------- (GS: 0)
Summoned Skull gave Gadget Soldier an angry look.
“Don’t look at me like that!” he shouted to the Fiend. “Yeah, I lost, but keep in mind… You still couldn’t beat me when you…”
Before he could say anything else, Blockman’s eyes glowed. Gadget Soldier fell to his knees, and shattered into pixilated remains, that evaporated.
Blockman gave a thumb’s up to Erik. He slowly vanished.
Summoned Skull turned to him. The Fiend smiled before he vanished as well.
“What was that all about?” asked Sam.
Yumi rubbed her chin.
“Maybe Summoned Skull was a Duel Spirit too, and he wasn’t serving in Gadget Soldier’s deck willingly,” she said. “Maybe they dueled in the past, and Skull lost…”
“And he became Gadget Soldier’s slave…” said Chelsea. “If Daala’s men can enforce their will like that, I just want to overthrow her more…”
“Well, it seems that Skull is a free Monster now,” said Erik.
He looked at the fruit trees.
“And the Devil’s Fruit is ours.”
“Erik, are you certain this stuff is safe?” asked Yumi. “There must be a reason why it’s called Devil’s Fruit and not Angel’s Fruit.”
“Well, in the Manga there is one known side effect,” said Erik. “Hear this before you decide.
“Devil’s Fruit was supposed to be the fruit of the Sea Devil, whatever that means. And whoever eats it… Well, that person will never be able to swim again.
“The sea itself rejects those who have eaten it. Thus, anyone who has eaten it is helpless in water. If we eat this, and then fall into a large body of water, we’d likely drown.”
They all paused for a while.
“Heck with it,” said Sam. “I never learned to swim anyway…”
“We’ll just stay away from lakes and the beach,” said Chelsea.
“Anything else we should know?” asked Yumi, nervously.
“Well…” muttered Erik, “there was a rather… ghoulish rumor that said that the powers inside them didn’t like each other too much, and that if someone ate more than one, they’d war with each other, and kill the one who ate them. This was never proven, because no-one was known to be dumb enough to test it.”
“Okay…” said Chelsea. “Good safety tip…”
“So, which ones do what?” asked Ren, looking at one of the trees.
“You never know until you eat it,” said Erik. “The Manga said at various times that several catalogues of them existed, but none were ever actually seen.”
Sam picked one. It was pear-shaped, and colored turquoise.
“Now there’s a color found in nature,” she said sarcastically.
“Maybe we should each choose a different one,” said Yumi. “Then, the chances of at least one of us getting a useful one improve.”
Eventually, they all picked one from a separate tree.
“Uhm, one final thing,” said Erik. “I should warn you, these taste pretty bad…”
Ren bit into his. He made a face as he forced himself to swallow it.
“Ugh!” he gasped. “You weren’t kidding!”
Chelsea cringed as she bit into hers. She swallowed hard.
“That tastes like moldy Play-Doh!” she shouted.
Sam took a bite of hers. She simply frowned.
“I’ve eaten worse,” she said, tossing the rest of the fruit aside. “Not as bad as some of the stuff they serve at the Centurion’s barracks at Duelatopia.”
Erik bit into his. He cringed. He knew it was his idea, but that didn’t make it any less disgusting.
Yumi looked long and hard at her piece. She wondered if she was feeling the same way as Alice felt after she had just arrived in Wonderland, and found a bottle with a label that read “Drink Me”.
Secretly, she hoped that they all weren’t being played for suckers.
She took a bite.
* * * * * * * * * *
Daala sighed as she watched something on a screen.
She had watched this duel so many times. Yugi Mouto Sr.’s victory over Marik in the final round of Battle City.
Every time she watched it, she couldn’t help but think what an egotistical idiot that Marik was.
Standing behind her was one of her chief enforcers, a Skull Knight. Everyone in Xanadu knew about him. With the exception of Daala herself, he was the best duelist in Daala’s army.
“Question,” she asked him. “What was Marik’s problem?”
“Overconfidence?” he asked.
“No,” she said, “it was…”
She stopped short.
“Actually, yes,” she said. “That, and ego.
“He thought that Yugi couldn’t have possibly beaten Ra without a God Card of his own. So, to defeat him, and prove with his over-inflated head that his God Card was superior, he attacked Obelisk instead of attacking Dark Magician Girl, who would have been the easier target.
“How little did he know that she was the one whom Yugi truly needed to defeat Ra. That mistake not only proved that his God Card wasn’t superior, but it let Yugi prove that he was superior to all three of the God Cards!
“Anyway, there’s a lesson in there somewhere, but I kinda forget what it is.”
“I take it this is why you turned down the request to create a virtual version of Marik?” asked Skull Knight.
Daala nodded.
“Rule number one of amassing minions,” she said. “Never try to recruit anyone who’s stronger than you are. And rule number two, which pertains to this case, is never create anyone who’s crazier than you are.”
A beeper on the screen went off.
“Hmm,” she said waving her arm.
The screen changed, and a scene of Yumi and company wandering through the forest came up.
“They’re almost there…” she thought. “Maybe one more small hurdle…”
The screen changed, and a face appeared on it.
“They’ll be there in about twenty minutes, give or take,” she said. “Tell whoever is at the gates to challenge Ren. I want to see him at his full capacity.”
“As you wish,” said the figure.
She leaned back on the couch.
“Hopefully, we’ll get what we want from Yumi soon,” she said. “Then we won’t need our friends any more… And we can take them out and any other annoyances with one swift stroke…”
* * * * * * * * * * *
TOY SOLDIER (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 3
ATK: 800
DEF: 300
Card Description: If this card is face-up on your side of the field during your Standby Phase, you may Special Summon up to two “Toy Soldiers” from your hand or deck.
TOY EMPEROR (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 6
ATK: 2,300
DEF: 800
Card Description: This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card must first be Special Summoned via the effect of “Crowning of the Emperor”. When this card destroys an opposing Monster as a result of battle and sends it to the Graveyard, you may search your deck for one Trap Card and add it to your hand.
FIFE AND DRUM CORP (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: A parade of Toy Soldiers with drums and fifes.
Card Description: During the turn you activate this card, the ATK of all Monsters on your side of the field whose ATK is 1,000 or less is doubled until the End Phase of the turn.
CROWNING OF THE EMPEROR (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: An elaborate crown, with a spotlight on it.
Card Description: Offer one “Toy Soldier” on your side of the field as a Tribute. Special Summon one “Toy Emperor” from your hand or deck.
Note: “Toy Soldier”, “Toy Emperor”, “Fife and Drum Corp”, and “Crowning of the Emperor” were all first used by Bonaparte in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “Dormitory Demolition”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
TOY MEMORIAL (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: A group of Toy Soldiers standing around a broken one of their own.
Card Description: Draw one card for every card in your Graveyard that has the word “Toy” in its name. You must skip your Battle Phase on a turn in which you use this card.
Note: “Toy Memorial” was created by Master of Paradox for his fanfic “Yu-Gi-Oh! Tilting the Balance”. Creative credit goes to him.
TOY TOWN (Spell Card)
Field Spell
Image: A colorful toy village with a toy castle on a hill overlooking it and a rainbow in the sky.
Card Description: Monsters with the word “Toy” in their names gain 300 Attack Points. Negate the effect of any Trap Card that specifically targets a Monster with the word “Toy” in its name and destroy it. If a Monster with the word “Toy” in its name is destroyed outside of battle, the owner may select one Monster from his deck with the word “Toy” in its name that has a lower base ATK than the destroyed card and add it to his hand.
Note: “Toy Town” first appeared in “Legend of the Sorcerer Kings”.
TOY MAGICIAN (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Spellcaster/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 4
ATK: 1,600
DEF: 1,500
Card Description: This card can be treated as a Spell Card and set facedown into your Spell/Trap zone. When this card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard by the effect of an opponent's card while set in the Spell/Trap zone, Special Summon this card onto your field during the next End Phase. In addition, when this card is successfully Flip-Summoned, destroy a number of Spell and Trap cards up to the number of face-up “Toy Magicians” on the field.
CARD BLOCKER (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 3
ATK: 400
DEF: 400
Card Description: When this card is successfully Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned, it is switched to face-up Defense Position. When a face-up Monster you control is targeted by an attack, you may switch the attack target to this card. When this card becomes the attack target, you may send up to three cards from the top of your deck to the Graveyard. For each card sent to the Graveyard in this manner, increase this card’s DEF by 500 until the End Phase of the turn.
Note: “Toy Magician” and “Card Blocker” are Japanese cards that have not yet been released in the United States.
TOY TANK (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Machine/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 4
ATK: 1,300
DEF: 1,100
Card Description: When this card is destroyed as a result of battle and sent to the Graveyard, you may search your deck for one Monster that is Level Four or less with the word “Toy” in its name, except for a “Toy Tank”, and Special Summon it.
DESPERADO MANAGER (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: A burly biker crackling with electricity, with a seedy agent standing behind him.
Card Description: You can activate this card when you have at least one card in your hand other than this card. Draw two cards from your deck. Then, choose three cards from your hand and place them on the top of your deck in any order.
Note: “Desperado Manager” was first used by Chazz in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “Head in the Clouds (Part Two)”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
Erik’s Deck Lord: “Blockman”: “Toy Blocker”: Three times per duel, you may negate a “Toy” Monster’s destruction as a result of battle (damage calculation still applies). If you use this effect, your opponent may draw one card. (Minor Power)
Gadget Soldier’s Deck Lord: “Simple Summons”: Three times per duel, during your Main Phase, you may Special Summon a Normal Monster from your deck. The Special Summoned Monster cannot attack, and is destroyed during the End Phase of the round it is Special Summoned in this manner. (Intermediate Power)
Coming up next:
Here’s a question to think about: Did the elves in Lord of the Rings have pointed ears? Despite depictions in various media, Tolkien’s descriptions never addressed that one way or another. But you can’t deny one thing… Tolkien’s elves were tough.
In the fantasy world of Xanadu, races from several dimensions come together, and one from an elven land stands in the heroes’ path. To get into the Realm Lord’s fortress, Ren must get past one of them and her legions of elven warriors.
Coming up next, “The Empress Elf”. It sure isn’t Galadriel.
