Yu-Gi-Oh! Soul of Silicon

[jkBAKURA]

Dang, I wanted to comment on the last chapter first. Guess that's what I get for waiting so long.

I know we're in the final stretch, but compared to similar situations at the end of Mandate and TYD I can only use the word anticlimactic.

True the opponents have been shown throughout the story, but a half a paragraph of history that we have never even seen isn't enough to make the situation personal.

And what's with the reoccurring theme of evil teacher's anyway? My suspension of disbelief has indeed been stretched to the breaking point. I've always taken your fics with a grain of salt, and even an eyeroll every once in awhile, but these are just popping up out of nowhere.

The Hero characters have been great so far. You definitely want to show their style completely for the last time, as this may be their last appearances in fiction. The opponents however, also scream anticlimactic.

Morphotronics, fun as they are, don't exactly scream "final boss." Like anything, it may have worked with a bit of backstory and/or setup, but you seem to have lost the "fighting for our lives" factor from the previous chapters.

Same for Curran and Pikeru. I'd forget I was in mortal danger if I was facing something that cute. (could have been a nice psychology of letting the guard down if it was touched on)

The Baby from Trial of the Princesses was inspired indeed, but SO could have used a better name. As a final note, it's a shame Sam's finale was so short. She had become possibly my favorite character.

Chelsea has a soft spot. Check the Avatar, I'm a sucker for vampires. (pun noticed, but I couldn't help it. Smack me if you wish)

[Dark Sage]

Well, JK, for Erik's finale, I wanted him to have an opponent who also used toy monsters. This was the only thing I could think of.

And by the way, this is not Sam's finale. She's Yumi's rival, and she'll have a big part in another chapter that's coming up. IM or PM me if you want to know more.

Sorry I couldn't make a better impression. But we still have a way to go.

[Shuppet Master]

Well, this is most interesting. I wonder if we'll see Skull Knight again. Probably, and Sam's falling for a trap.

The Lords of Chaos entry was also interesting.

I can't wait to see the next part.

[Mystic_clown]

Let me start off by saying that I never really did like Sheena's character. I still couldn't believe that Siegfreid would fall in love with her to the point he'd give his company to her in about a month, which was what I'm guessing how long Mandate to Heaven was, especially with the events of the story taking place.

So it's good to find a character who also feels that Sheena's a bit of a gold digger. Unfortunately, there wasn't much else about him to like. In your earlier chapters, whether intentional or not, you seemed to hint that Skull Knight actually cared about Curran. Now it just seems he was only using her, which reduced Skull Knight to somebody who should be one of the Big Five.

The small bit with Ha Des irritated me a bit, though Sam referring to Shadow Tamers as fiend dominatrixes made me chuckle. All I can say is I can't wait until someone uses Hate Buster on Ha Des.

It's good to see a Gain/Drain deck, though I find it a little hard to believe that baby-like ogre is a creature of chaos, or at least an evil creature of chaos.

[Dark Sage]

I'll reply to this. First off, I never considered Sheena a gold-digger, because Siegfried approached her at first. He's the one who came out of nowhere and offered her what she had - and as we found out in Sorcerer Kings, this was due to both of them being ones who were protecting the Mandate. I doubt Sheena truly seduced Siegfried, but the relationship was something that me and Shuppet Master thought up to give Siegfried a proper heir. Perhaps Siegfried felt obligated to leave everything to Sheena because a child had been concieved. After all, he had his doubts as to whether he would survive for long.

The other thing you brought up, whether or not Skull Knight truly cared about Curran. I did not accuse him of using her - Sam did. Do not confuse me with my characters. Skull Knight did care somewhat... Maybe he kept a few secrets from her, but that was to be expected due to his position.

Finally, about the baby-creature. True, it was a creature of Chaos, but that doesn't necessarily signify evil. The monster was Pikeru and Curran's opponent on a Spell Card, so I used it as a creature of both Light and Dark who possessed both of their powers. Its true intentions remain a mystery.

Thanks for taking the time to respond, all of you. All this feedback means a lot, it really does.

[Shuppet Master]

Mystic_clown, I understand your concerns, but as Brian said, Sheena is truly innocent in the whole thing. It's understandable that, when a poor woman marries into a rich family(and there's no doubt that Seto Kaiba's family is richer than Bill Gates in the anime), people will fling accusations of gold-digging. Heck, I'm pretty financially challenged myself, so if a rich diva suddenly shows up and offers me a cushy job doing what I love at her company and, later, admits that she wants to be my children's mother, I'd probably get a little greedy myself. (We can dream can we, lol. )

But Sheena was partly MY character, an alter-ego to Shelob, Yugi Jr.'s opponent in Duelatopia. I wanted to show readers that, yes, these are not real threats at all, they have lives. The whole situation I made was inspired by Little Orphan Annie, a movie I watched as a kid. Then I thought up the whole idea of Sieg falling for Sheena and making her the mother of his kid, because, as Brian said, I wanted Sieg to have an heir to continue the whole Yugi/Kaiba friendly rival thing for another generation. Brian took it and ran with it.

Okay, done defending Sheena(whose name comes from Tales of Symphonia, I modeled her after the ninja girl of the same name - said character has the power to summon powerful entities in battle).

It is also understandable that you'd think Brian made Skull Knight a player, but you would check to see if you are in a glass house before you throw stones, okay? I projected my own thoughts when Sheena accused Skull Knight of manipulation. After all, Skull Knight/Mulner did have a precedent of trying to use a kid to get his way.

Now that's done with, I want to add that I feel a little peeved at Skull Knight's deck. After all, gain/drain has become my favorite deck and the little magician girls(Pikeru/Curran) are my favorite cards! However, this is just bias because I have to remember that any deck type is fair game for any party.

[Dark Sage]

It’s finally happened…

The Devil’s Fruit’s true purpose has become apparent, and it wasn’t the well of great power that we initially thought. It was a magical catalyst that could be used to transform humans who ate it into Duel Spirits.

Dark Necrofear said that the form I got would be dictated by my dreams and subconscious desires. Could that be true? Did a vampire lurk deep down in my soul that was waiting to get out?

Maybe Dark Necrofear was a liar. She is a demon after all, and I wouldn’t be surprised. Whether she did or not, I’ve become one of the predators of the night. The curse that Penelope endured is now one that I’m going to have to endure.

Going into this duel frightens me now. Not because I might lose, but because I might win. If I defeat this guy, will I be tempted to attack him the way a vampire normally does when a victim is at his mercy?

I have no choice but to accept his challenge… But the dread still hangs over me. The future is uncertain…

What will happen to me?

CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO



Unrequited

In the portal leading to the Core, Dark Necrofear leaned back in her alcove, chuckling with evil glee.

Yumi and her allies had fallen for it like a house of cards. Daala could go through with her plans now.

Right now, she was waiting for Yumi’s other allies to show up, as she knew they would. The perfect ending to her day would be crushing them, and hopefully gaining a soul or two, if any of them weren’t AIs.

She was very surprised to see three Mokey Mokeys fly down the hallway. She was even more surprised to see them fly towards the portal.

“Stop right there!” she shouted, standing up.

The small Fairies paid her no heed, and flew through the portal.

Dark Necrofear was about to chase them, but she stopped.

Why bother? They posed no more threat to Daala than mosquitoes. Daala could swat them with ease. She wasn’t going to waste her energy chasing down three weak Fairies…

Of course, if she had noticed the globe of light that the three Mokey Mokeys had been surrounding, she may have thought differently…

* * * * * * * * * *

Chelsea wandered through the mist, just as the others were at this moment.

She placed her hand over her chest, just as she had done every minute for the last five minutes.

Her heart was still beating, and she was still breathing. She hoped that meant she was still alive, although she really didn’t know whether or not a vampire’s organs normally continued to function or not.

At least she could go off that diet when she finally got home. Looking at herself, the change had made her lose about fifteen pounds.

But could vampires even eat normal food at all? That was the big question. If the answer was no, she might never be able to enjoy pizza or cheeseburgers again… And that was probably the least of her concerns.

She remembered reading Interview With The Vampire. She remembered reading how the vampire who was being interviewed (Louis – that was his name, if she remembered correctly) was morally averse to killing humans to survive, so at first, he fed on animals, mostly rats.

The thought of that made her a little squeamish. Weren’t rats rabid? Could vampires contract disease? If they could, even preying on humans would give them a lot of problems in this day and age…

She wondered if it was possible to buy blood from blood banks and similar suppliers if you weren’t a hospital or university.

She found herself wondering what blood tasted like. It was probably very salty. She had heard of black pudding, a type of sausage that was a traditional breakfast food in Scotland, made using the blood of pigs or cattle, among other ingredients. Germany had its own version called blutwurst. But any version was almost impossible to find in Japan, and even it if was more widespread, she wouldn’t have found it appealing. She did hear that the blood made it high in protein…

Maybe that’s why the stories about vampires always said they were very strong. The blood they drained from victims gave them a lot of protein.

An idea came to her… Could she survive if she found a place that sold black pudding?

As she thought of this and many other possibilities that might arise from her current situation, the fog started to lift.

She looked around. She was in a beautiful garden. Trees of oriental design and lovely shrubs and bushes were neatly arranged around various statues depicting the gods and goddesses of ancient Japan.

“This place…” muttered Chelsea. “The Domino arboretum. I’ve been here once… But when?”

“I’ll refresh your memory,” said a voice.

Chelsea turned to meet the new enemy, and he appeared in a dark shadow. It was a tall man, dressed in a dark suit, with a long, black cape, with a collar with a silver spider web design. His arms were completely covered with brown hair, like those of some beast. He had long, stylish brown hair, and his face would have been handsome, if the left half of it were not tattooed by a similar spider web pattern.

“A Vanity’s Fiend?” asked Chelsea.

“That’s right, Chelsea,” said the Fiend. “I’d say the Devil’s Fruit was very good to me… And to you too. You look more beautiful that ever!”

“Uh, pardon me…” replied Chelsea. “Do I know you?”

The Vanity’s Fiend frowned.

“Come on, Chelsea,” he said, with a hint of anger. “Don’t tell me you don’t recognize my voice…”

Chelsea looked at him.

“Uhm, should I?” she asked.

“I’ll give you a hint,” he said, sounding a little angrier. “May 1st of last year.”

Chelsea thought for a minute.

“Yeah, I went to the arboretum that day…” she muttered. “No, some boy took me there… Eikou, I think his name was…”

“That’s all you remember?” shouted the Fiend.

“Eikou?” asked Chelsea. “Is that you?”

“Of course it is,” replied the Fiend. “And you broke my heart.”

“It was just a date!” protested Chelsea.

“It was just a date…” muttered the Fiend. “Chelsea, I had wanted it for a long time. I had fallen for you a year earlier, and it took me that long to get the courage to ask you. I was thrilled when you said yes. But after it was over, you never called, and never acknowledged me in the least.”

Chelsea laughed.

“We go on one date, and you think that gives you the right to marry me?” she asked. “You’re demented!”

“And I’m a powerful Fiend now, much stronger than any vampire,” said Eikou. “And Daala welcomed me into her group.”

He gestured, and a standard-issue Duel Disk appeared on his arm.

“So I’m going to make you pay for rejecting me. We’re dueling right now.”

Chelsea sighed.

How hard could it be? she thought. I just have to try hard not to lose control of myself…

Eikou grinned.

She may have ignored me, he thought, but I certainly didn’t ignore her. I’ve been preparing for this duel for a long time, and my whole strategy is one that can defeat any Zombie Deck. I can’t possibly lose…

Both Disks activated.

“Game on!” they both said.

(Chelsea: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Eikou: 8,000)

“Let’s go!” laughed Eikou, drawing a card.

He looked over the six cards in his hand. He took one, and set it on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

“That will do for now,” he said.

Chelsea quickly drew a card.

“I activate Pot of Greed!” she shouted, playing the card.

“Already?” asked Eikou. “Sure you don’t want to save that?”

Chelsea ignored him, and made two draws.

Perfect! thought Chelsea, looking at the seven cards. I couldn’t have asked for a better hand…

“I play Call of the Mummy!” she shouted, as the Continuous Spell appeared.

“Hold on, Chelsea,” said Eikou. “Before you actually use that Spell, it’s only fair to warn you about my Deck Lord power.”

“Deck Lord power?” asked Chelsea.

She looked at Eikou.

“Oh my god, you’re Vanity’s Fiend!” she shouted. “Don’t tell me you can negate Special Summonings?”

“No, I can’t,” replied Eikou, closing his eyes. “Unless I was actually on the field, which would be foolish. However, Special Summoning is going to help me in the long run, because I gain 500 Life Points whenever it happens.”

Chelsea looked at him.

That’s got to be an Extraordinary Power… she thought. How far has this freak gone to get back at me? How many of Joan’s duelists has he beaten?

“I Special Summon Vampire Lord,” she said, slowly.

In a burst of energy, Vampire Lord appeared. (2,000/1,500) Eikou glowed with energy.

“Next, I Normal Summon Zombie Werewolf!”

In another burst, Zombie Werewolf appeared, and made a howl. (1,200/1,200)

“Zombie Werewolf, attack his Monster with terror claw!”

Zombie Werewolf pounced at the facedown Monster. Skelengel appeared on the card, and was blasted to pixels.

“Now I get to draw one card,” said Eikou, making a draw.

“Fine,” said Chelsea. “Vampire Lord, attack him directly, with Children of the Night!”

Vampire Lord’s eyes glowed, and he lifted his cape. The scourge of bats flew at Eikou, and he groaned as they hit him.

“I activate Vampire Lord’s effect,” said Chelsea. “I’m telling you to discard a Spell Card.”

Then Eikou grinned evilly. He took his deck from its holder.

“Your wish,” he said, “is my command…”

He chose a card and discarded it…

Then Chelsea was startled, as a dark shadow with an evil face appeared in front of her.

“Wha…” she said.

Then she screamed as it grabbed her by the throat and started to strangle her. She fell to her knees as it vanished.

(C: 7,000) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 6,500)

“What happened?” she gasped.

“The Spell Card I discarded was a special one,” replied Eikou, “called Grip of Despair. When my opponent’s card effect causes it to go directly from my hand or deck to the Graveyard, that opponent takes 1,000 points of damage.

“I have two more copies in my deck… And I have three copies of Despair From the Dark, and three Trap Cards that are activated in a similar way. In this duel, your vampires’ effects are only going to hurt you.”

Chelsea slowly got up.

“I… end my turn…” she muttered.

Eikou drew a card.

“I play Graceful Charity,” he said, as a Spell Card appeared. “I’m sure you don’t need me to explain how this works…”

He quickly drew three cards.

And I know just what to discard, he thought, as he discarded two cards.

“Now, I throw three cards facedown…”

He fit three cards in his Disk, and three facedown cards appeared.

“Then, I play the Spell Card, Soul Taker, to destroy your Vampire Lord.”

He played the card, and a blast of energy shot from it, blowing Vampire Lord to pixels.

“Talk about dumb!” shouted Chelsea, as a golden glow surrounded her. “I gained 1,000 Life Points because of that, and due to Vampire Lord’s effect, he’ll be back next turn!”

“Only if he’s in your Graveyard, which he won’t be,” replied Eikou. “I summon one of my secret weapons… The dreaded Blazewing Butterfly!”

He played the card, and a ball of fire appeared in midair in front of him. The ball turned into a small creature. Sure enough, it was a butterfly, although its wings were apparently made of fire. (1,500/1,500)

Chelsea almost laughed.

“A butterfly?” she asked. “That’s your secret weapon?”

“Watch it,” replied Eikou. “Fire is one of the few things that can actually kill a vampire.

“Now, I play the Spell Card, Double Summon.”

The Spell Card appeared on his side of the field.

“You see, Blazewing Butterfly is a Gemini Monster. So to use its effect, I have to summon it twice. So I’ll use this second Normal Summon to unleash its effect.”

Blazewing Butterfly’s wings grew to twice their size, and burned more fiercely.

“Its effect lets me sacrifice it, to Special Summon from my Graveyard any Gemini Monster except a Blazewing Butterfly. When I do that, the Special Summoned Monster comes with its effect, without having to be summoned twice.

“So I sacrifice my Butterfly…”

Blazewing Butterfly vanished.

“To summon the Gatekeeper of Hell… I call forth… Il Blud!”

In a dark shadow, a hulking creature appeared where Blazewing Butterfly had been. Chelsea stepped back in shock. It was probably the most hideous thing she had ever seen. Almost its whole body was one big torso, with a tiny pair of arms and legs, dressed in what looked like a dirty prison uniform. A long ball and chain was attached to its right leg. The front of the uniform was unzipped, revealing two hideous eyes, a big nose, and a toothy, grinning mouth, placed right on the torso. (2,100/800)

“UGH!” shouted Chelsea. “What is THAT?”

“Didn’t you hear me?” asked Eikou. “It’s Il Blud, the most powerful Zombie you’ll likely ever meet.”

“That’s not the strongest,” said Chelsea. “Probably the ugliest, but I’ve seen stronger.”

“Attack Points aren’t everything,” replied Eikou. “Il Blud has a very powerful effect, and as I said, since it was summoned using Blazewing Butterfly, I can use it right now. You see, once per turn, I can Special Summon a Zombie from my hand, or from either Graveyard.

“So hand over Vampire Lord!”

Il Blud’s eyes glowed with a demonic red light, and Vampire Lord appeared next to it. (2,000/1,500)

“Oh, crap…” muttered Chelsea.

“Vampire Lord…” commanded Eikou, “attack Zombie Werewolf with Children of the Night!”

The swarm of bats shot towards Zombie Werewolf, and the lycanthrope howled. It shattered into pixels.

“Seems I can use Vampire Lord’s effect against you,” laughed Eikou. “I think I’ll choose Monster.”

Chelsea took her deck and looked though the cards.

I know what he’s up to, she thought. The more Zombies in my Graveyard, the more chances he has to use that thing’s effect…

She smirked.

Well, let’s see just how much he’s truly prepared…

She chose Pyramid Turtle, and discarded it.

“I use Zombie Werewolf’s effect,” she said. “I get to Special Summon another one from my deck.”

A second Zombie Werewolf appeared, crouching in Defense Mode. (1,700/1,200)

“Il Blud,” ordered Eikou. “Attack with Death Breath!”

Il Blud roared, and breathed a stream of foul, green gas at Zombie Werewolf. The Werewolf turned to bones and disintegrated.

“I summon my third Werewolf!” shouted Chelsea.

A third Zombie Werewolf appeared, now in Attack Mode. (2,200/1,200)

This is bad, she thought. He gains 500 Life Points each time a Special Summon is made… And that round alone, there were four Special Summons! Special Summoning is what Zombies do best!

(C: 7,100) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 8,500)

“My move!” she shouted.

She drew a card.

“Zombie Werewolf, attack his Il Blud!” she shouted.

Zombie Werewolf howled, and pounced at the Gatekeeper of Hell.

“Nice try,” said Eikou, as one of his facedown cards lifted. “I activate Offerings to the Doomed!”

A blast of pure energy shot out of the card, and Zombie Werewolf exploded into triangles.

Chelsea growled.

“I’ll set a Monster,” she said, as a facedown Monster appeared. “Then, I’ll toss two cards facedown, and activate Mirage of Nightmare.”

Two facedown cards appeared, and the Mirage card appeared.

“Sorry, Chelsea,” said Eikou, with a chuckle, “but this time, I’m leaving you cold…

“Go, Call of the Haunted!”

Anther facedown card lifted, and a weird Monster appeared, looming behind him. It was a ghostly phantom, ten feet tall and twice as wide as it was tall, its whole body covered with ancient runes. (1,100/1,900)

“What the…” said Chelsea.

“I knew all about your Mirage strategy,” he said, “so I included a strategy of my own to deal with it. Meet Protector of the Sanctuary. With this guy on the field, you can’t draw outside your Draw Phase. That means your Mirage card has been frozen.”

Chelsea gasped as her Mirage of Nightmare froze solid, covered with a sheet of frost.

She looked at the last card in her hand.

“I… I have to end my turn…” she muttered.

“My move,” said Eikou, reaching for his deck.

“Hold it!” said Chelsea.

“What?” asked Eikou.

“You played Offerings to the Doomed, genius,” she said. “You can’t draw this turn.”

“Oh… yeah…” muttered Eikou.

Looks like someone isn’t as smart as he claims to be, thought Chelsea.

“Well, fine then,” continued Eikou. “I’ll start by moving my Protector to Defense Mode.”

Protector of the Sanctuary crossed its arms in a more protective position.

“Then, I attack with Vampire Lord!”

The swarm of bats shot towards Chelsea’s facedown Monster. Zombie Master appeared on the card, and was blown to bits.

“Il Blud, attack Chelsea directly!”

Il Blud exhaled its foul breath again.

“You triggered my Trap!” shouted Chelsea. “Hallowed Life Barrier!”

One of her facedown cards shot up, and she discarded the last card in her hand, her Axe of Despair. A dome of energy surrounded her, and the blast of filth was halted.

“Well,” chuckled Eikou. “Seems you have nothing left now… I move to my second Main Phase, and use the effect of Il Blud again.”

Il Blud’s eyes glowed again, and Zombie Master appeared on his side of the field. (1,800/0)

“I’ve got you outnumbered four to none,” he said with a laugh. “And I got 500 more Life Points to boot. I end my turn…”

(C: 7,100) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 9,000)

Chelsea nervously drew a card.

In a burst of dark energy, Zombie Werewolf appeared, crouching in Defense Mode. (1,200/1,200)

“What?” said Eikou. “Where did he come from?”

“You aren’t the only one with a great Deck Lord power,” said Chelsea. “Thanks to Marie the Fallen One, and I really should thank her if I ever see her again, I have a Greater Power called Deathless Zombies. Quite simply, any Zombie I control that’s Level Four or less has Vampire Lord’s rejuvenation effect.

“Since you destroyed Zombie Werewolf with a Spell Card, he comes back now.”

She placed the card she had drawn in her Disk, and it appeared facedown.

“That’s all I can do.”

“HA!” laughed Eikou, drawing a card. “I’m willing to bet that facedown card is nothing more than a big bluff. And I’m pretty sure that your other one is Emergency Provisions. You always play that with Mirage of Nightmare.”

“Just how long have you been spying on me?” asked Chelsea, with a frown. “Are you some sort of stalker?”

“Long enough,” said Eikou. “I’ve been studying you for a long time, and I’ve been waiting for this duel for so long…”

“Why?” asked Chelsea. “What did Daala promise you? She promised you me as a reward, right? Well, I doubt she’ll ever honor that bargain.”

“We’ll see…” replied Eikou.

He looked at the card he had drawn.

“I’ll use Il Blud’s effect to summon Pyramid Turtle from your Graveyard…”

He glowed with golden energy again, as Pyramid Turtle appeared on his side of the field in Attack Mode. (1,200/1,400)

He took the bait, thought Chelsea. Whether or not I can do anything with it… It’s all up to chance…

“Next,” he said, playing the card he had drawn, “I play the Equip Spell, Black Pendant.”

An amulet set with a dark jewel appeared around Zombie Lord’s neck.

“See this, Chelsea?” said Eikou. “It doesn’t look very good on a male Monster, does it? If you hadn’t left me hanging, maybe I could have gotten you something just as beautiful. I had rich parents.”

“Too much jewelry ruins an outfit,” replied Chelsea. “The only stone that a woman truly needs in her life is her wedding ring. Everything else is just expensive stones and precious metals that are only good for flaunting.”

“Well this stone has more value than just decoration,” said Eikou. “It boosts Zombie Master’s Attack Score by 500 points.”

(2,300/0)



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“All right! Vampire Lord, destroy her last defense!”

The swarm of bats shot at Zombie Werewolf, and the lycanthrope shattered.

“Il Blud, attack directly! Death Breath!”

Il Blud breathed its foul breath, and this time, there was nothing Chelsea could do to avoid it. She made a face, and clutched her stomach.

Feel like I’ve been doused in Pennzoil… she thought.

“Pyramid Turtle, dust of decay!” shouted Eikou.

Pyramid Turtle breathed a blast of sand and grit, and Chelsea started to sweat.

“Zombie Master, wrath of the undead!”

Zombie Master lifted his arms, and shot his burning bolts of lighting. Chelsea screamed and was knocked flat on her back.

(C: 1,500) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 10,000)

“It’s your move,” said Eikou. “Make it if you can…”

* * * * * * * * * *

Chelsea’s mind was in a fog. She didn’t think she even had the strength to stand.

Then to her surprise, a hand reached down to her.

Her eyes cleared.

“P… Penelope?” she asked.

“Yes, it’s me Chelsea,” said the Duel Spirit. “I’m still here. You need help, and that’s what I’m here for.”

“He’s too strong!” gasped Chelsea. “His strategy is too well thought out!”

“Nonsense,” said Penelope. “The reason you’re doing poorly is simple… You’re scared.

“You’ve undergone a drastic and terrible change. You’ve crossed the line from humanity to vampirism. And Chelsea, when anyone makes this change at first, they are scared. I doubt Dracula himself was very calm when he first woke as one of the undead.

“Let me tell you, you are far less scared than most are. Most young vampires panic, and make stupid mistakes that cost them their very soul…”

“My soul?” asked Chelsea.

“Yes,” said Penelope. “Listen, and listen well. I didn’t panic when it happened to me. It wasn’t my faith or dedication to the Almighty that let me keep my soul, but that did help prevent me from losing it eventually. Unless the reason they become vampires is because of the evil they have exhibited in life, vampires have their souls when they first make the change.

“I knew I had to feed, but I resisted the urge to prey on humans. As much as it disgusted me, I fed on animals… Cattle, horses, forest animals… yes, even rats when I had to…

“You see, Chelsea, so long as a vampire never preys on a living human, his heart continues to beat, and his soul remains intact…

“But the instant he makes his first kill upon a human and crosses that line, his heart grows cold, and he becomes a true monster… All the goodness in him is lost, and his soul becomes dead.

“You didn’t panic Chelsea, and that’s good. Most young vampires panic, and make that mistake early. So many could have been saved if they had only remained calm.”

“So… What do I do?” asked Chelsea. “Spend my life hunting rats and stray dogs to survive?”

“Well, Chelsea…” said Penelope. “You’re different than the ones I spent my whole life fighting. You’re both a vampire and a Duel Spirit. And one of the Twelve Dimensions is populated almost entirely by Duel Spirits who are Zombies. I’ve never been there myself, but one has to wonder how vampires there survive, when almost every member of the population is something they cannot feed on. Vampires cannot feed on other vampires. I know that firsthand.”

Chelsea looked at her.

“So… You think maybe the vampires in this dimension have another way?” she asked.

“It’s possible,” said Penelope. “And I’m sure they’d tell you if you asked nicely.

“And you can defeat this lout. All you need to do is get over the fear you have, and start thinking clearly.

“It’s your move…”

* * * * * * * * * *

Chelsea slowly got up.

“Wow…” chuckled Eikou. “Still trying to win?”

“You bet!” shouted Chelsea. “Draw!”

This next card had better be a good one…

She drew one card.

No! she thought, looking at it.

It was Vampire Genesis.

I can’t even use my Call of the Mummy to summon this guy! I’ve got nothing, and next turn…

Wait… Of course!

“I use my other Deck Lord power!” she shouted. “I send this Monster back to my deck…”

She placed Vampire Genesis back on her deck.

“And in return, I get to search for a Zombie that’s an equal or lower Level.”

She took a card from her deck, and then reshuffled.

“Now, I summon my second Zombie Master!”

In a burst of dark flames, another Zombie Master appeared. (1,800/0)

“Attack the Pyramid Turtle!” shouted Chelsea.

Chelsea’s Zombie Master shot a volley of lightning bolts, and the Pyramid Turtle was blown into a cloud of sand. Eikou winced.

“I activate Pyramid Turtle’s effect!” he shouted.

“Oh, no you don’t!” snapped Chelsea. “You clearly didn’t read the rule book right!”

“Huh?” asked Eikou.

“When a search Monster is destroyed,” explained Chelsea, “like Pyramid Turtle, the one who gets to use its effect is the one whose Graveyard it goes to. My Pyramid Turtle, my Graveyard, my effect. You should have researched this more.

“And I choose to summon… Lich Lord, King of the Underworld!”

In an explosion of dark energy, the dark-robed, skeletal sorcerer, with black, feathered wings appeared on her side of the field. (2,400/1,200)

“Well, fine,” chuckled Eikou. “Attack Il Blud…”

And as soon as you do, he thought, I’ll activate my facedown Tailor of the Fickle, transferring Black Pendant to him. This duel will be mine…

“Lich Lord…” ordered Chelsea, “destroy Protector of the Sanctuary! Unholy blight!”

“Huh?” said Eikou.

Lich Lord blasted a bolt of dark magic at the huge specter, and the Protector groaned. It shattered like glass.

“I forgot all about that crazy thing!” gasped Eikou.

“It’s your move, Eikou,” replied Chelsea. “I’m still in this…”

(C: 1,500) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 9,900)

“We’ll see about that!” snarled Eikou. “I have 9,900 Life Points, while you have only 1,500!”

He drew a card.

“Hold up, Eikou!” shouted Chelsea. “Your Protector is gone, so my Mirage of Nightmare is defrosted!”

The ice encasing the Spell Card shattered, and Chelsea quickly drew four cards. Eikou gasped.

“Now, Emergency Provisions!” she shouted, as one of her facedown cards lifted.

The large mouth appeared and consumed the Mirage card.

“So you got more cards!” cursed Eikou. “You can’t use any of them until next turn, and I’m ending this duel before then!

“I use Il Blud’s effect to Special Summon Zombie Werewolf!”

Il Blud’s eyes glowed again, and Zombie Werewolf appeared on Eikou’s side of the field. (1,200/1,200) Eikou glowed with energy again.

His facedown card lifted.

“Next, I activate Tailor of the Fickle! Now, my Black Pendant goes from Zombie Master, to Il Blud.”

The Pendant vanished, and reappeared on Il Blud. Zombie Master fell to an Attack Score of 1,800, while Il Blud rose to 2,600.

“Il Blud, attack her Lich Lord!” ordered Eikou.

“I was hoping you’d do that,” said Chelsea. “I activate… Rush Recklessly!”

Her last facedown card lifted, and Lich Lord’s Attack Score shot up to 3,100. Eikou gasped in horror.

Il Blud breathed its Death Breath, but Lich Lord shielded it with its arm. It blasted a powerful spell from its staff, and the Gatekeeper of Hell’s eyes bugged out before it exploded into a puddle of stinking residue.

Then something happened that Chelsea didn’t expect. Vampire Lord, Zombie Werewolf, and the Zombie Master on Eikou’s side of the field burst into pixels.

“What?” she said. “Why…”

“Il Blud has an unfortunate weakness…” growled Eikou. “When it leaves the field, all the Zombies that were summoned with its effect are destroyed.

“But since Black Pendant was destroyed, you lose 500 Life Points!”

Chelsea groaned as a red aura surrounded her.

Eikou fit his last two cards in his Disk.

“I set a Monster, and one facedown card, and then end my turn…” he said, as a concealed Monster and a reversed card appeared.

(C: 2,000) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 9,900)

“My move,” said Chelsea, drawing a card.

“See this?” she said, holding up a Spell Card. “It’s my own Graceful Charity!”

She quickly played it, and drew three cards.

She smirked. One of them was Vampire Genesis. She quickly discarded The Kick Man and Vampire’s Curse.

“Next,” she said, as another Spell Card appeared. “I play Book of Life. I bring Vampire Lord back from my Graveyard.”

Vampire Lord appeared again, and looked at Eikou with an expression of hate. (2,000/1,500)

“And I’m removing your Protector of the Sanctuary from play, too. No way are you using that thing against me again.”

The card fell out of Eikou’s discard slot.

“Don’t forget,” said Eikou, as he glowed with energy, “I gain 500 Life Points.”

“Want more?” asked Chelsea. “I’ll give them to you until you choke on them! I remove Vampire Lord from play, to Special Summon Vampire Genesis!”

Vampire Lord vanished into a blur of light, and with a flash of lightning, the powerful vampire deity appeared. (3,000/2,100)

“Zombie Master, attack his Monster!”

Zombie Master cast his lighting, and a Morphing Jar appeared on the card, right before it was vaporized. Eikou sneered. He drew five cards, while Chelsea discarded the three cards in her hand and drew five new ones.

“Lich Lord, Genesis…” ordered Chelsea. “Attack him directly!”

Eikou screamed as Lich Lord’s unholy blight slammed into him. He screamed even louder as Vampire Genesis rammed into him in his Crimson Shroud. He fell over.

“I’ll set one card facedown,” said Chelsea, as a facedown card appeared, “and that will be all…”

(C: 2,000) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 5,500)

Eikou was very nervous now. He drew another card.

“First,” he said, “I play Polymerization. I’ll use it to fuse together my second Il Blud, and my second Blazewing Butterfly.”

The two Monsters appeared on the field, and then combined in an aura of pure light.

“By fusing any two Gemini Monsters together, I can Fusion Summon the Superalloy Beast Raptinus.”

In a flash of blue light, a large Dragon appeared on Eikou’s side of the field. It had metallic, blue scales, which were glowing with an eerie energy. Like any Dragon, it had large wings and claws. (2,200/2,200)

“Next, I activate my facedown card,” he said, as his reversed card lifted. “Birthright. Since Gemini Monsters are considered Normal Monsters while in the Graveyard, I can bring one Blazewing Butterfly back.”

In a flash of fire, Blazewing Butterfly appeared again. (1,500/1,500)

“Now, with Raptinus on the field, all Gemini Monsters gain their effects, as if they were summoned twice. Thus, I can sacrifice my Butterfly to summon Il Blud again, with no strings attached.”

Blazewing Butterfly vanished, taking the Birthright card with it, and Il Blud appeared once again. (2,100/800)

“And I’m not done…” he continued. “I play Foolish Burial. Now, I get to send any Monster from my deck to the Graveyard.”

The Spell Card appeared. He took a card from his deck, and discarded it.

“Then, I’ll use Il Blud’s effect… But, I’m going to summon a Monster from my own Graveyard this time.”

“The one you just put in there, right?” asked Chelsea.

“You learn fast,” chuckled Eikou. “I summon Despair From The Dark!”

With a loud, haunting laugh, a huge, dark, evil-looking shadow with claws and a demonic face loomed over Eikou’s side of the field. (2,800/3,000)

“And I’m still not done,” continued Eikou. “I Equip Il Blud with my Axe of Despair.”

He played another card, and the ugly axe appeared in Il Blud’s small right hand. (3,100/800)

“I’m still going to beat you!” shouted Eikou. “Il Blud, attack Vampire Genesis!”

Il Blud’s terrible maw opened, and the vile toxin shot at Vampire Genesis.

“Not so fast!” shouted Chelsea. “I activate… Mystical Space Typhoon!”

Her facedown Spell Card flipped up, and the cyclone flew across the field. The Axe of Despair flew from Il Blud’s grasp, and then exploded. Vampire Genesis knocked the blast aside, and Il Blud choked before exploding again.

“You destroyed it!” screamed Eikou.

“And that’s not all,” replied Chelsea.

Despair From the Dark exploded into pixels as well.

“I’m not done with you!” shouted Eikou. “I still have Raptinus! Attack her Zombie Master!”

The Superalloy Beast’s eyes glowed, and they shot a blast of brilliant energy at Zombie Master. He exploded into shards.

“I end my turn…” muttered Eikou.

(C: 1,600) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 6,100)

“My move,” said Chelsea, drawing a card.

“I play my own Monster Reborn,” she said, as the Spell Card appeared. “And you know what? I think I’ll raise a Monster from your Graveyard.”

The ankh appeared, and a hulking form appeared on Chelsea’s side of the field…

“My Il Blud!” screamed Eikou.

It was indeed Il Blud. (2,100/800)

“That’s right,” said Chelsea. “Thought I’d give this guy a whirl. And you were right, I learn quickly. Especially where Zombies are concerned. So, I’ll use my Normal Summon for this turn to activate its effect.”

Il Blud glowed with that eerie green energy again.

“Next, I’ll use Il Blud’s effect to Special Summon The Kick Man from my Graveyard.”

Il Blud’s eyes glowed, and The Kick Man appeared. (1,300/300)

“Then, I’ll use The Kick Man’s effect to Equip him with my own Axe of Despair.”

The Axe appeared in The Kick Man’s hands, and his Attack Score rose to 2,300.

“Next, I’ll play my own Premature Burial, to bring back Vampire’s Curse.”

She played the card, and the elderly, winged vampire appeared. (2,000/800)

“And finally…” she said. “I’ll summon my Deck Lord to the field. That would be me, I guess…”

She stepped forward into the last vacant space. (1,550/1,550)

(C: 800) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 8,100)

“Wait a minute…” said Eikou.

“Vampire Genesis,” ordered Chelsea, “destroy Superalloy Beast Raptinus! Crimson Shroud!”

Vampire Genesis collapsed into his blood-red cloud, and flew at the dragon, blowing it to bits.

“Il Blud, attack directly with Death Breath!”

Il Blud belched its toxic breath at its former master, and Eikou screamed again.

“Kick Man, quick-stick-kick!”

The Kick Man leapt up, and kicked Eikou in the teeth. He staggered back, struggling to keep his footing.

“Vampire’s Curse, you next! Night Shade!”

Vampire’s Curse formed a ball of black energy, and threw it at Eikou. The Vanity’s Fiend fell to his knees.

“Now I’m going to finish you personally,” she said. “And I must say, you had this coming…”

She leapt at Eikou, as if by instinct, and then clocked him across the jaw with her fist. He toppled over.

(C: 800) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 0)

Chelsea took a deep breath as her Monsters vanished. She looked at Eikou. He had tears in his eyes.

“It didn’t have to be like this, Chelsea…” he sobbed. “I wouldn’t have had to do this if you had only not cast me aside…”

Chelsea looked at him again. What was she worried about? There was no temptation… In fact, the thought of attacking him like a vampire did kind of disgusted her. Penelope was right… She was more in control than she had thought.

She put her hand on her hip.

“Well, Eikou,” she replied, “maybe if you had simply called me a second time instead of waiting for me to do it, things would have been different. But, I guess you just lacked the courage. Heck, it’s nothing to be ashamed of… Calling a girl to ask for a date is one of the hardest things for a teenage boy to do.

“But, you know, as the immortal Alfred Lord Tennyson once said… ‘Tis better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all’.”

Eikou closed his eyes. He burst into green fire, and vanished. In his place was a glowing portal.

Chelsea paused. She took her deck, and looked through it until she found Penelope. She looked at the card.

“Thanks for the pep talk, Penelope,” she whispered. “Maybe it won’t be so bad, once I find out how to handle it. After all, you did…”

She smirked.

“And maybe someone will write a story about me, like they did with you… And maybe in four hundred years, there’ll be a trading card game like Duel Monsters, and someone will put my image on a card, like dad did with you…”

She walked into the portal.



GRIP OF DESPAIR (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: Despair From The Dark strangling Vampire Lord with a dark cemetery in the background.

Card Description: This card is activated when it is sent from your hand or deck to your Graveyard by a card effect controlled by your opponent. Inflict 1,000 points of direct damage to your opponent.



Eikou’s Deck Lord: “Vanity’s Fiend”: “Special Recharge”: Gain 500 Life Points whenever a Monster is Special Summoned. (Extraordinary Power) “Nullification”: You may disregard the effect that states that “Vanity’s Fiend” cannot be Special Summoned if you desire to summon the Deck Lord to the field. (Minor Power)



Chelsea’s Deck Lord: “Vampire Lady”: “Deathless Zombies”: If one of your Zombie-Type Monsters that is Level Four or less is destroyed by an opponent’s card effect, you may Special Summon it during your next Standby Phase. (Greater Power) “Zombie Swap”: You may shuffle one Zombie-Type Monster from your hand into your deck to search your deck for a Zombie-Type Monster that is an equal or lower Level than the one you sent back to your deck. You may use this effect once per round. (Intermediate Power)



Lords of Chaos

The Faceless Lord: Jubilex

What is there to say about the Faceless Lord? What purpose does he serve? Of all the demon lords that populate the Abyss, Jubilex may be the simplest (and thus the easiest to understand) in terms of his goals and drives. Put simply, he has none that anyone knows about.

Jubilex is the self-titled Lord of Slimes and Oozes, although it is likely that no-one except Zargon would ever challenge him for that title. Those who have seen him and escaped alive describe him as a giant mass of disgusting protoplasm, much like the smaller amoeboid monsters that populate his incredibly hostile Abyssal realm. He might have once been a servant of a powerful Elder Evil named Tharizdun (who will be covered later) but Tharizdun was imprisoned long ago, and Jubilex apparently doesn’t care about taking steps towards his former master’s release.

Jubilex is often called the Lord of Nothing by other demon lords. He doesn’t do much except consume and destroy everything he can get his tendrils around. He hates everything, and revels in destruction for its own sake. Other demons despise Jubilex, yet most see him as a threat only to those who are stupid enough to come near him, so they are wise enough to leave him alone.

Jubilex would go unnoticed by mortals too, if not for the danger posed by those who worship him. The Faceless Lord doesn’t recruit or encourage worshippers; he likely doesn’t even know of those who do, and even if he does, he certainly doesn’t reward them for their loyalty. However, a few insane or demented souls do worship Jubilex as a god, and this is when dangerous activities have occurred in the mortal world.

Worshippers of Jubilex are always nihilists or madmen who seek destruction on a large scale. By studying what little information there is on Jubilex (which, unbeknownst to them, is usually provided by cults of Tharizdun, which can be a far more potent threat), they are able to cast spells of forbidden knowledge, bringing horrible creatures of slime and decay to the mortal world.

The worst instance of this happening occurred three-hundred years ago in Europe, when the largest group of Jubilex’s cultists to date managed a ritual that summoned a creature that appeared to be the most powerful servant of Jubilex – a giant, black, ooze-like creature called Darkness Given Hunger. The cultists’ presumption that they could control the giant ooze was proved incorrect when it devoured them, and then went on a rampage through the rural area where it was summoned. Fortunately, it’s summoning set off an alarm that the Wind Dukes responded to, and they were able to arrive before Darkness Given Hunger reached a more populated area. It was a great stroke of good luck that the ritual was not cast in an urban area to begin with, or the creature might have killed thousands before they arrived to deal with it.

As for Jubilex, he simply exists. Demons regard him as a sort of divine garbage disposal, a cast-off by-product of a more powerful entity. Of course, if Tharizdun ever returned, perhaps Jubilex would gain a more concrete purpose… Whatever it would be is anybody’s guess.



Coming up next:

Curran returns! Empowered by the Core, holding a new deck, and more dangerous than ever, she’s back. But rather than choose one of Yumi’s friends as the target of her misguided anger, she chooses to confront Yumi herself. Next chapter, Curran forces Yumi into a duel with special house rules. Yumi will get to use one of the cards that the Testament gave her, and the end of the chapter may surprise you.

“Guessing Game” is coming soon.

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

"She leapt at Fujita, as if by instinct, and then clocked him across the jaw with her fist. He toppled over."

Fujita is the wrong name, just a minor flaw I just happened to read.

Again, the battle was cool, I love Chelsea's character the most off all I think, but the villian just seemed so..plastic. I wouldn't think of leaving earth, my parents, and the likes just because a girl stood me up. Just didn't sink in as a real reason to become a member of the inner circle.

[Shuppet Master]

I wouldn't think of leaving earth, my parents, and the likes just because a girl stood me up. Just didn't sink in as a real reason to become a member of the inner circle.

People have done so for far less, MeLovesGhosts.

Great chapter, Brian. Chelsea's duel was by far the oddest. Gemini Monsters are a bit complicated, considering that they are effect monsters masquerading as Normal Monsters until they are Normal Summoned.

I'm a bit tired right now and Heroes is going to be on soon, so I don't have much to add. Still, I can't wait for the next chapter! ^_^

[Dark Sage]

Author’s note: A reviewer brought up an interesting point. You folks are all wondering just what the purpose of my Lords of Chaos articles at the end of each chapter are about. Well, the entities that I am describing all cannot be included in this fic, I know.

I am including these little stories to help other authors. Maybe you will find some ideas when writing stories of your own, Yu-Gi-Oh or otherwise. After all, not every Yu-Gi-Oh story can use Zorc or the Orichalcos.

With that in mind, anyone who desires has my permission to use any storyline I created in the Lords of Chaos section when writing their own stories. I should point out that I borrowed the ideas for a lot of them from other sources (Jubilex is a famous figure in the Dungeons & Dragons RPG, for example). But anyway, if you get any ideas from these small stories, you may use them with my blessing.

On with the story.



Even though I was the granddaughter of two great duelists, I started out small. As a duelist myself, I evolved, and changed. My first deck wasn’t all that great… But I got better, and changed it gradually, adding cards to it until it became the powerful deck it is today.

But for every card that I added to my deck, I had to take a card out that I felt wasn’t as good as the new one I put in.

I couldn’t see Duel Spirits then, and I had no idea that a card I had in my deck, one that I had used many times, housed one of them. And when I took that card out of my deck to make room for another, I had no idea that that the Spirit would feel rejected.

And I truly had no idea that she’d come back. Daala has recruited her, and filled her mind with lies. Her anger has been turned towards me in the worst way. What happened was all a misunderstanding, but she can’t seem to realize that.

Now, I’m just as much a Spirit as she is, and she’s blocking my way to Daala. If I can’t talk any sense into her, I’ll just have to defeat her. I’m so sorry it had to come to this…

CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE



Guessing Game

As Yumi wandered through the fog, calling her friends’ names on occasion, a lot was on her mind.

She knew that breast enlargement surgery was incredibly expensive… But was reduction any cheaper?

She looked at herself. Most girls dreamed of having a figure like this, and now that she had it, she wasn’t sure she wanted it. She was practically top-heavy. How did the real Dark Magician Girl even find clothes that fit?

Would Nicholas accept her like this?

What was she saying? What male duelist in the world wouldn’t kill to hug Dark Magician Girl? If she ever got home, every boy in Domino would be drooling over her… But she wasn’t sure if that’s what she wanted…

How did she ever get into this?

As she thought this, the fog started to clear.

Unlike her four friends, as she looked around, she didn’t find anything immediately familiar about the large room she was in. She had certainly never been in this room before, and she certainly didn’t like the look of it. It looked like a combination of a temple of some sort and a spaceship hangar. On the far end of the room were two ominous statues of bearded men in robes seated on thrones, each one to one side of a doorway shaped like a hexagon. Above the doorway was a large object shaped like a pyramid.

Yumi sighed.

“Not too bad…” she thought. “At least I can see the exit…”

Then, as she started to walk towards it, someone came out of that exit…

Yumi couldn’t believe it. It was Curran.

Curran waved her hand, and a metal door slammed down behind her, sealing the exit (one with a big letter B on it).

“Hello, Yumi,” she said. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“I don’t have time, Curran,” replied Yumi. “I know you’re upset, but now is not the time to settle our differences. Now let me by!”

“And if I don’t?” replied the small Spellcaster, with a pout on her face.

“Notice that I’m Dark Magician Girl now?” asked Yumi. “I’m stronger than you are. I don’t want to hurt you, Curran, but if you force me to…”

Curran smirked, and held up a small device. She pushed a small button on it.

There was a loud hum, and the eyes of the two statues started to glow. Then Yumi felt like a huge weight had been dropped on her shoulders. She struggled, but something forced her to her knees.

“Curran!” she gasped. “What did you do? What is going on? I can barely move…”

“Don’t you recognize this room at all?” asked Curran.

Then it finally came to Yumi.

“This room…” she gasped. “It’s one big Level Limit – Area B!”

“You got it,” said Curran. “Starting to realize the downsides of your condition yet? There are a lot of them, and all Duel Spirits have to deal with them.

“This room doesn’t affect me, since I’m Level Two. But you’re Level Six, meaning that as long as the power is on, you’re helpless.”

“Curran, please!” gasped Yumi. “Did I really treat you that badly?”

Curran walked up to Yumi. She took something out of her dress that looked like an amulet with an onyx setting.

“What do you think, Yumi?” asked Curran. “You weren’t the one who was stuffed in a deck case for who knows how long…”

She fastened the amulet around Yumi’s neck.

“I could just bring you to Daala right now… Have you locked up just like I was… But that would be too easy… Tell you what…

“You agree to duel me with a little house rule, and manage to beat me, I’ll let you by.”

She backed away from Yumi, and hit the button again. The eyes stopped glowing, and Yumi felt the pressure mercilessly lift.

“I can turn it back on at any time,” said Curran, “so don’t try anything.”

“House rule?” asked Yumi, as she stood up. “What kind of house rule?”

“Simple,” said Curran. “We duel, and we play ‘Twenty Questions’ at the same time.

“Here’s the rules. You think of a Monster. Any Monster in the game. Then, whenever I start my turn, I’ll ask a question that you can answer with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’. I get one question per turn.

“If I manage to guess the Monster you’re thinking of, you lose the duel. But, to be fair, if I guess wrong, I lose. Naturally, I’m allowed twenty questions, meaning the duel will last twenty of my turns at most.”

Yumi sighed.

“I guess I don’t have a choice…” she replied.

Curran picked up her child-size Disk and placed it on her arm.

“Oh, by the way, Yumi,” she said. “That pendant I gave you is a Spellcaster’s lie detector. You tell me a fib, I’ll know.”

“All right!” shouted Yumi. “I… I got one…”

Perfect, thought Curran. This ought to be easy… I already think I know which Monster she chose. The shock of being transformed has her mind on one specific Monster… It’s hard for her to think of anyone else.

“Another thing, Yumi,” she said, “if you happen to have Nightmare’s Steelcage in your deck, don’t think it will work like it did for Ren. Taking in the energies of the Core have worked wonders for me. My claustrophobia is all gone now.”

“I’m so happy for you…” muttered Yumi.

“Game on!” they shouted.

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

“All right…” muttered Yumi, drawing her first card. “Here we go…”

She chose two cards from her hand.

“I summon Skilled Dark Magician.”

In a display of dark energy, the robed mage appeared. (1,900/1,700)

“Then I’ll set this, and you can go…”

A facedown card appeared.

“Very well,” said Curran, drawing a card. “First question… Is the Monster a Spellcaster?”

Yumi took a deep breath.

“Yes…” she muttered.

Curran grinned. She chose one of her cards. She placed it on her Disk, and a set Monster appeared.

“I end my turn,” she said.

Yumi drew a card.

I’ve got to beat her before she figures it out, she thought.

“I summon Magician’s Valkyria!” she shouted.

In a blast of light, Valkyria appeared, brandishing her staff. (1,600/1,800)

“Attack!” she shouted. “Magic illusion!”

Valkyria cast her spell, and a Mystic Tomato appeared on Curran’s card. It was blown to pieces.

Huh? thought Yumi. Why’d she have that? I thought she played a Light Attribute Deck…

“I use its effect to summon a second Mystic Tomato,” said Curran, as another of the silly Plants appeared. (1,400/1,100)

Yumi looked at it for a minute.

“Go ahead…” she said to Skilled Dark Magician.

He cast a more powerful Spell, and the Tomato exploded. Curran cringed a little.

(Y: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 7,500)

“I summon Allure Queen LV3!” shouted Curran.

In a cloud of pink smoke, a mysterious female Spellcaster appeared. She was dressed in a formal dress and hat that suggested nobility, and carried a gold staff topped with a gem-encrusted crescent. (500/500)

“Uhm, that isn’t very strong…” said Yumi.

“Allure Queen is more powerful than you think,” said Yumi. “She’s a specialist wizard, unlike most of your Spellcasters.”

“Huh?” said Yumi.

“Any other moves you’d like to make?” asked Curran.

Yumi looked at her cards.

“I… end my turn…” she said.

Curran drew a card.

“Second question,” she said. “Is the Monster Dark-Attribute?”

Yumi sighed again.

“Yes,” she said.

Curran grinned again.

Two more questions, and I’ll be sure, she thought.

“Anyway, Yumi,” she said, looking at her cards, “a specialist wizard is a magician who chooses to focus on one particular school of magic, unlike most of your Spellcasters, who are generalists. By specializing, one can become very powerful in her school, at the cost of giving up the wider variety of spells that generalists have access to.

“Allure Queen’s school of specialty is enchantments.”

“Enchantments?” asked Yumi.

“The magic of controlling others,” replied Curran. “A powerful enchanter can control the wills of others, and bend their minds to her own. Allure Queen can enchant and enslave other Monsters.

“Now then… I’m going to use my Deck Lord ability, and it’s changed since we last met. Every round, I can choose one Monster on the field, and change its Level to any I desire.

“I choose to change Skilled Dark Magician’s Level from four to two.”

“What’s the point?” asked Yumi.

“You surely noticed that Allure Queen is a Leveled Monster, right?” asked Curran. “At this stage of her growth, her Level Three form, Allure Queen’s powers only works on Monsters that are Level Three or less.”

Allure Queen stared at Skilled Dark Magician with an evil smile, and her eyes glowed with red light.

“Not so fast!” shouted Yumi. “I activate my Chaos Shield Deck Lord ability. I pay 500 Life Points, and for one round, my Skilled Dark Magician becomes immune to Monster effects.

“Sorry, Curran.”

“Not as sorry as you’re going to be,” replied Curran.

Allure Queen apparently wasn’t impressed. Her eyes continued to glow, and then Skilled Dark Magician’s eyes glowed with the same light. Then, he was yanked over to her side.

“HEY!” shouted Yumi. “It… It didn’t work?”

“I have another Deck Lord ability,” said Curran. “It’s called Override. I can use it whenever you use a Deck Lord ability that targets a Monster. If I have a Monster whose Level is higher, yours doesn’t work. And if you recall, I lowered Skilled Dark Magician’s Level to two, which is lower than Allure Queen’s.”

Yumi growled.

“So, by doing this,” continued Curran, “your Monster is Equipped to Allure Queen like a Spell Card. If you attack Allure Queen now, Skilled Dark Magician takes the fall for her.”

She chose another card from her hand.

“However, you won’t be able to attack her at all until you get past these guys. I summon Queen’s Bodyguard.”

In a blur of energy, three figures appeared on Curran’s side of the field. It was three men in fancy lavender suits and domino masks, holding decorative swords. (1,700/1,200)

“With them on the field, you aren’t allowed to attack Allure Queen. And now they’re going to attack Valkyria!”

The three Queen’s Bodyguard gang-rushed Valkyria, and she covered her head as three swords came down on her, blowing her to pieces.

“Allure Queen, direct attack!” ordered Curran.

Allure Queen pointed her staff at Yumi…

“I activate… A Hero Emerges!”

Her facedown card lifted. Curran gasped.

“That card…” she muttered.

“That’s right, Curran…” sighed Yumi. “You know, I remember my first tournament… This Trap Card prevented me from losing. My opponent destroyed my Dark Magician with his Offerings to the Doomed, and was about to make two direct attacks with his Hayabusa Knight. I would have lost if I didn’t have this Trap Card.

“I’m certain you remember what Monster I summoned with it…”

Curran just looked at Yumi for a second or two…

She actually remembered that? she thought.

“Yeah…” she muttered. “It… It was me…”

Yumi nodded.

“He couldn’t do anything but call off his attack and end his turn,” continued Yumi, “and on my next turn, I summoned Skilled Dark Magician, and we finished him off.”

“That was a long time ago!” shouted Curran. “If I have to choose, I choose far left!”

“Perfect!” replied Yumi, throwing the card on her Disk. “I summon Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer!”

In an aura of dark energy, Kycoo appeared. (1,800/700)

“My attack is called off,” muttered Curran. “It’s your move…”

(Y: 7,400) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 7,500)

Yumi drew. She looked at her hand.

“I set a Monster,” she said, as a concealed Monster appeared.

“Then I attack with Kycoo! Spell of banishment!”

Kycoo called lightning to his hands, and shot it at Queen’s Bodyguard. The three fighters hollered, and then burst into pixels.

“Now I activate Kycoo’s effect,” said Yumi. “And I remove your two Mystic Tomatoes from play.”

“So be it,” said Curran.

She took the two cards from her discard slot, and tucked them into her dress.

“I end my turn, Curran,” said Yumi.

And I think I can take out her Allure Queen, she thought. The Monster I set is Old Vindictive Magician. I don’t think that her Equipped Monster can protect her from card effects.

“My draw now,” said Curran.

She made a draw and looked at it.

“Next question…” she said, adding it to her hand. “Is the Monster blonde?”

“No,” replied Yumi.

Curran’s confident expression suddenly turned to one of confusion.

Not blonde? she thought. It’s… It’s not Dark Magician Girl?

She paused for a second.

“O…kay,” she said. “Continuing… Since Allure Queen is Equipped with a Monster, I can sacrifice her Level Three form this round…”

Allure Queen vanished, taking Skilled Dark Magician with her.

“…in order to summon her stronger form. I summon Allure Queen LV5!”

In another cloud of pink smoke, Allure Queen appeared again. However, she was dressed in a more form-fitting and darker outfit, but no less fancy. (1,000/1,000)

“In this form, Allure Queen’s powers work on Monsters that are Level Five or lower.”

Allure Queen’s eyes glowed with evil light again, and Kycoo’s eyes glowed with the same light. Kycoo was yanked over to Allure Queen’s side.

“Nuts…” muttered Yumi.

At least Kycoo can’t attack as an Equip, she thought. And when she attacks my facedown Monster…

“Now,” continued Curran, “I summon the second part of my plan… By the way, I claim this to be a complete coincidence, without it having anything to do with Erik whatsoever…

“I summon Dark Lucius LV4!”

She played another card, and a cloud of foul, black smoke appeared on her side of the field. From out of the smoke came a very sinister-looking Fiend, a muscular creature with a bony exoskeleton and sharp spurs pointing out of its back. (1,000/300)

“Urk!” gasped Yumi.

“I have a pretty good idea what that facedown card might be,” said Curran. “But it won’t work, because Dark Lucius negates the effects of any Monster he destroys.

“Dark Lucius, destroy it with Serrated Shadow Slash!”

Dark Lucius lunged at the facedown card with his claw, and Old Vindictive Magician appeared on the card, seconds before he was torn to pieces.

“Allure Queen, attack Yumi directly!” commanded Curran. “Dark Allure!”

Allure Queen pointed her staff, and shot a burst of sparkling, shadowy energy at Yumi. Yumi winced as it hit her.

“I set two cards facedown,” said Curran, as two reversed cards appeared, “and then you can go…”

(Y: 6,400) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 7,500)

Yumi drew. She looked at her hand, and then looked at the field.

Those facedown cards are probably Trap Cards to protect those two guys, she thought. And even if they aren’t, if I summon a Monster in Attack Mode, I can’t destroy Allure Queen this round… She’ll steal my Monster again on her turn.

I’d best play it safe…

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

“It’s your move, Curran,” she said. “Next question…”

Curran drew a card.

“Uhm…” she said. “Is the Monster female?”

“Yes,” said Yumi, quickly.

Curran looked even more confused.

A Spellcaster, Dark, female, she thought, but not blonde? Who is she thinking of?

I’ll worry about it later…

“I sacrifice Allure Queen to evolve her to her final form,” she said, as Allure Queen and Kycoo vanished. “Allure Queen LV7!”

The third form of Allure Queen appeared, dressed in a far more elaborate costume and a much fancier staff, surrounded by wisps of flame. (1,500/1,500)

“In this form, Allure Queen’s powers work on any Monster.

“Then, since Dark Lucius destroyed a Monster last turn, I can sacrifice him for his Level Six form.”

Dark Lucius vanished, and in his place rose a larger, better armored version of himself, holding a dark version of Warrior Dai Grepher’s sword. (1,700/600)

“You know, Yumi…” said Curran, as she slowly rearranged the cards in her hand. “My home Dimension is a wonderful place… Full of great and marvelous places… The Library Arcane is one such place.”

“Huh?” said Yumi. “What are you talking about?”

“I went there several times,” said Curran. “Any Spellcaster is allowed in if they want to do research…

“But… There’s one wing of the Library that I never went in. I was too scared to. It’s called the Dark Archive.

“Don’t get me wrong. There’s no rule that says a Spellcaster isn’t allowed to go in there. Anyone is welcome to do so… After getting permission from the special sentry who stands outside the door.

“She’s called Maiden of Macabre. No-one knows just who she is… Most assume she’s some servant of whoever owns the Dark Archive, but if her employer ever checks up on her, no-one has ever seen it. She’s willing to let anyone in… So long as she’s paid.

“But money has no value to her. She takes other things. Sometimes she wants some ability or skill you have. Sometimes she wants one of your memories. Sometimes she wants a piece of your very soul. And if you agree to give her what she wants, she cuts it out of you with the enchanted scythe that she carries, a weapon so sharp that it can cut through the psyche!

“If you refuse to pay her, the door to the Dark Archive doesn’t open, plain and simple. And anyone foolish enough to fight her… Well, it will likely be the last thing he does, because she uses what she takes from those who do pay her to get stronger. She’s a specialist wizard herself, who specializes in necromancy. The magic of death.

“It’s worth it if you do get in. I knew many Spellcasters who did research in that wing… They possessed great magical power aplenty. The ability to control the elements of nature, and raise the most powerful Spirits from the nether regions. It’s even rumored that a book exists somewhere in the Dark Archive that holds a spell that can raise the dead.”

“Is there a point to all this?” asked Yumi.

“Sort of,” said Curran. “I was too scared to even talk to Maiden of Macabre, Yumi, let alone ask what she wanted from me to let me into that wing. But I’m not scared any more! If I ever go back to my home Dimension, I’m going straight to the Library Arcane and dealing with her!

“In the meantime… Would you like to meet her?”

“Huh?” said Yumi, in shock.

Curran played a card, and a dark form started to materialize on her side of the field, until it took frightening shape. The creature looked like an evil Geisha of some sort, with an elaborate kimono and headdress. Like Curran had said, she carried a large, nasty-looking scythe. (1,700/0)

“Before I attack,” said Curran, as one of her facedown cards lifted, “I activate Foolish Revival. This lets me Special Summon Old Vindictive Magician to your side of the field in Defense Mode.”

In a burst of energy, Old Vindictive Magician appeared on Yumi’s side of the field, kneeling and shielding himself with his staff. (450/600)

“Huh?” said Yumi. “Why?”

“Next,” said Curran, “I play Book of Moon. To flip him into facedown position.”

She played a Spell Card, and Old Vindictive Magician was replaced by a facedown card.

“You see Yumi, the only way Dark Lucius can evolve further is if he negates the effect of a Monster, and I can’t be sure your other Monster will do the job.

“Dark Lucius, attack Old Vindictive Magician! Serrated Shadow Sword!”

Dark Lucius made a slash with his weapon. Old Vindictive Magician reappeared on the card, and exploded into shards.

“Maiden of Macabre, attack Yumi’s other Monster! Scythe of Souls!”

The Maiden’s eyes glowed with evil light. She swung her scythe at the facedown card, and Magician’s Valkyria appeared on it. (1,600/1,800) Valkyria parried with her staff, and the Maiden backed off.

“Oh well…” said Curran. “Moving to my second Main Phase, I use Allure Queen’s power again…”

Allure Queen’s eyes glowed, and Valkyria gasped, right before she was pulled over to her side. Yumi growled with an annoyed look.

“I end my turn, Yumi,” said Curran. “Make your move…”

(Y: 6,400) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 7,400)

Yumi drew a card.

She quickly set it in her Disk, and a reversed card appeared.

“That’s all I can do…” she muttered.

Curran smirked, and drew a card.

She looked at it. It was Level Down!?

This should be useful if that card is a Mirror Force, she thought.

“Next question,” she said. “Is the Monster high-Level?”

“No…” muttered Yumi.

Curran looked at Yumi with the same confused look.

Maybe… Magician’s Valkyria? thought Curran. No wait, she’s Light…

“I evolve Dark Lucius into his ultimate form!” she shouted.

Dark Lucius vanished into a cloud of thick, dark smoke.

“Dark Lucius LV8!”

From out of the cloud came the most frightening version yet. He looked like he was clothed in demonic, spike-studded plate armor, with four diabolic wings. He carried a two-handed sword that he was holding one-handed. (2,800/900)

“Activate Trap!” screamed Yumi, in terror. “Threatening Roar!”

Her facedown card shot up, and a roar echoed over the whole Level Limit room.

“In that case…” said Curran, “I end my turn…”

Yumi sweat as she drew a card.

She sighed, and placed it on her Disk. A facedown Monster appeared.

“I end my turn,” she said.

“Well, let’s see,” said Curran, drawing a card. “Another question… We’re up to number six, I believe. Is the Monster Level Four?”

“No,” replied Yumi.

“Hmm…” muttered Curran, looking at the facedown Monster. “Dark Lucius’s Level Eight form can not only negate the effects of Monsters he destroys, he removes them from play…

“But, I already got rid of your Old Vindictive Magician… You haven’t played any Spell Cards yet, so Magician of Faith doesn’t scare me… And Apprentice Magician wouldn’t scare me much either. But that facedown Monster may just be another Monster with high defense…

“So, I’m using my Deck Lord effect, to reduce Dark Lucius’s Level all the way from eight, to one.”

“Why?” asked Yumi.

“So I can Equip him with this,” replied Curran. “Opti-Camouflage Armor.”

She played a Spell Card, and Dark Lucius glowed with golden light.

“This Equip Spell lets a Level One Monster attack directly.

“So, attack her directly, Dark Lucius!”

Dark Lucius swung his sword at Yumi, and she screamed as it slammed into her. She fell on her behind.

“Now, Maiden of Macabre,” ordered Curran, “attack the facedown Monster!”

The Maiden charged at the facedown Monster. Morphing Jar appeared on the card, and the one-eyed creature cackled before she slashed it to ribbons.

Yumi took some deep breaths. She discarded the two cards left in her hand, and made five draws. Curran discarded her three cards, and made five draws of her own.

“By the way,” said Curran. “Maiden of Macabre’s effect now activates. Whenever she slays a Monster, she gains 200 Attack Points.”

(1,900/0)

“Allure Queen, direct attack!”

Yumi cringed as Allure Queen cast her dark spell at her. She fell on one knee.

“It’s your move…” said Curran.

(Y: 2,100) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 7,400)

Yumi slowly drew a card.

It was Goddess With the Third Eye.



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



She looked at the other cards in her hand.

I have what I need to summon Dark Paladin, she thought. But… Her facedown card is still a problem, and if I lose Dark Paladin, getting him back will be almost impossible…

Wait… I have another Fusion Monster I could summon… The one that the Testament gave me…

Time to try her out…

“All right, Curran!” she exclaimed. “I play Polymerization!

“I fuse together my namesake, Dark Magician Girl, with Goddess With the Third Eye…”

A twin of Yumi appeared on the field, along with the Goddess. They combined in an aura of pure light…

“Goddess will assume the role of Dryad in this case… To form a Spellcaster who proves that you can’t always look at the world in terms of black and white… To be specific, a lady in grey!

“I summon Sorceress of Conflict!”

A portal opened, and a new Spellcaster stepped out of it. She wore a halter top, a long skirt, and a hat similar to Dark Magician Girl’s over her long, platinum blonde hair, all a grey shade. She carried a long wand, which had a white mask of comedy on one end, and a black mask of tragedy on the other. (2,400/2,400)

“She… She exists?” gasped Curran.

“You’ve heard of her?” asked Yumi.

“Only in the scriptures of the Church of Boccob!” gasped Curran. “She’s supposed to be some sort of mediator between the extreme forces of the universe… The keeper of balance… The one who stands in the middle of every metaphysical conflict!”

Yumi shrugged.

“Next,” she said, “I play Monster Reborn, to bring back someone I discarded when Morphing Jar was triggered…”

The holy ankh appeared, and Dark Magician appeared in a flash of light. (2,500/2,100)

“Dark Magician…” ordered Yumi. “Attack Allure Queen! Dark Magic Attack!”

Dark Magician cast his mighty spell, and Allure Queen groaned as it hit her. Magician’s Valkyria shattered.

“Allure Queen survived,” said Curran. “She sacrificed Valkyria to withstand the attack.”

“But you still took damage,” said Yumi. “And there’s nothing to protect her now…

“Sorceress, attack Allure Queen!”

Sorceress of Conflict pointed her staff, and shot a spiraling beam of light and dark energy at Allure Queen.

“I activate Sakuretsu Armor!” shouted Curran, as her facedown card lifted.

The Sorceress screamed, and she was blown to shards.

“Well, that’s too bad,” muttered Yumi. “However, moving to my second Main Phase, I can activate my Chaos Life Deck Lord power, and bring my Sorceress right back. And I’m betting that your Override ability doesn’t work if I target Monsters that are in the Graveyard.”

Curran frowned. Yumi had bet right. Sorceress of Conflict reappeared in a burst of energy. (2,400/2,400)

“Next,” said Yumi, “I play Swords of Revealing Light.”

She fit the card in her Disk, and a swarm of swords shot out of it, surrounding Curran and her three Monsters.

“Before I end my turn,” said Yumi, “I get to use one of her two effects. I can either raise my Life Points by 700, or burn off 700 of yours. I’m going to raise mine.”

The Sorceress held the white mask to her face, and Yumi glowed with energy.

“Now, I end my turn.”

“That means my own Deck Lord effect wears off,” muttered Curran, “meaning my Equip Spell is destroyed.”

The Opti-Camouflage Armor card shattered.

(Y: 2,800) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 6,400)

Curran drew a card, and looked at the six cards in her hand.

“Next question…” she muttered. “Is the Monster Level Three?”

Yumi sighed again.

“No…” she said.

This is bad, she thought. Like anyone does when she plays Twenty Questions, she’s narrowing it down…

“Then, I use Allure Queen’s effect again!” shouted Curran. “And this time, she’s taking your Dark Magician! And since I have a Level Eight Monster on the field, don’t bother trying to use your Chaos Shield to stop me.”

Allure Queen’s eyes glowed again, and Dark Magician was pulled over to her side.

“I have your family’s signature Monster, Yumi!” she laughed. “I couldn’t think of a better way to beat you!”

“Show Dark Magician some respect, Curran,” said Yumi. “I seem to remember another tournament I was in, where he helped you a great deal…

“In fact… It was one where I was facing a lockdown strategy. It wasn’t Level Limit, it was Gravity Bind… But you remember, don’t you?”

Curran gasped.

“You… you remember?” she asked.

“Yes…” said Yumi. “Our opponent’s Human Wave strategy had us pinned down… But then, I brought you out to the field, and then sacrificed Dark Magician using Gift of the Martyr, making you strong enough to do enough damage to win the duel.”

Curran’s head drooped a little.

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

A reversed card appeared.

Yumi drew a card.

The two cards in her hand were Dark Magician of Chaos and Premature Burial. She’d need more than that…

“I use another Deck Lord ability,” she said. “Soul Circle. Now, I can draw once for each Monster in my Graveyard, so long as I don’t exceed my hand size limit.”

Magician’s Valkyria, Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer, Goddess With the Third Eye, and Old Vindictive Magician appeared behind her, as she drew four cards.

“I play… Heavy Storm!” she shouted, playing one of them.

She played the Spell Card, and a fierce storm blew over the field. The Swords blew away, and Curran’s Mirror Force lifted up and shattered.

“You destroyed your own Swords!” shouted Curran.

“Yes,” said Yumi, “but since Dark Magician was being treated as an Equip Spell, he’s gone too!”

Allure Queen braced herself against the wind, as Dark Magician faded away.

“Now,” said Yumi, “I play Premature Burial, to bring Dark Magician back.”

She glowed with red energy as she played the card, and Dark Magician appeared again. (2,500/2,100)

“Your Allure Queen has nothing left to protect her!” shouted Yumi. “Dark Magician… Destroy her!”

Dark Magician cast his dark spell, and Allure Queen screamed. Finally, she shattered into black shards.

“Sorceress… Attack Maiden of Macabre!”

Sorceress of Conflict cast her own powerful Spell, and the Maiden screamed before she exploded into a burst of dark energy.

“I set one card facedown,” said Yumi, as a reversed card appeared. “Then, I end my turn, and use my Sorceress’s effect to increase my Life Points again.”

Yumi glowed with golden energy again.

(Y: 2,700) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 4,900)

Curran frowned as she drew a card.

“Time for a new question…” she muttered. “Is the Monster Level Two?”

Yumi looked nervous.

“Yes…” she said, quietly.

Curran looked completely stumped.

Is it Apprentice Magician? she thought. No… Wait… She’s blonde… Did Yumi ever use Card Ejector? No, wait, she’s Level Three… And Earth…

“I’m no idiot, Yumi…” she said, looking at her cards. “Dark Lucius is stronger than both your Monsters… You obviously want me to walk right into that facedown card you just set.

“So I’m just going to end my turn without doing anything…”

“Fine with me,” said Yumi, drawing a card.

She looked at it, and then added it to her hand.

Her facedown card lifted.

“I activate Rush Recklessly!” she shouted.

Dark Magician rose to an Attack Score of 3,200.

“Go!” shouted Yumi. “Destroy Dark Lucius!”

Dark Magician cast his spell again, firing directly at the imposing Fiend. Dark Lucius groaned before being blasted into shards.

“Looks like I’m going to have to knock some sense into you, Curran,” said Yumi. “Sorceress, direct attack!”

Sorceress of Conflict cast her spell again, and Curran gasped as it hit her. She tumbled over on her behind.

“Curran, listen to me!” said Yumi. “My Rush Recklessly card… Doesn’t that bring back a memory too?”

Curran slowly got up. She looked at Yumi.

“It was the final round of the Kaibaland Invitational…” said Yumi. “My opponent had Don Zaloog and Royal Decree set up. All I had was you, and this card facedown. But it was enough… It was enough to beat his Don Zaloog, and win the duel. You helped me take home the trophy that day…”

Curran turned her head with a sad look.

“Yumi…” she muttered. “We… We did have a lot of good times… So… Just why did you take me out of your deck?”

“Well, answer me this, Curran,” replied Yumi. “Why did you put aside your Light Attribute Deck in favor of these Leveled Monsters?”

“Because…” said Curran. “Because I changed…”

“I thought so,” said Yumi. “Just like I changed. My deck changed. I got more powerful cards, and I needed to make room for them…

“But Curran… If I had known that your card held a living Spirit inside it… Heck, if I had known that Spirits even truly existed at the time… I wouldn’t have locked it in a deck case. Maybe I would have invested in some binders… The least I would have done was find a duelist who played a Burn Deck who would treat you better than I could.”

Yumi sighed.

“I end my turn, and I use Sorceress’s effect to burn off 700 of your Life Points.”

The Sorceress put the black mask to her face, and Curran cringed a little as a red aura surrounded her.

(Y: 2,700) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 1,400)

Curran slowly drew a card.

“Another question…” she muttered. “Uhm…”

She paused.

“Need a question…” she mumbled. “Need a question…”

She paused again.

Then she thought of something.

“Is the Monster in your deck?” she asked.

Yumi hesitated. She didn’t answer for a few seconds.

“No…” she finally said.

Curran’s eyes opened wide.

“I know who it is!” she shouted. “I figured it out! It’s…”

“Hold it, Curran!” interrupted Yumi. “Don’t say another word!”

“Why?” asked Curran.

“We’re playing Twenty Questions, remember?” replied Yumi. “Taking a guess at the answer counts as one of your questions, and you said you’d only make one question per turn. You already made it for this turn.”

Curran made a pout.

“Okay, I guess you’re right…” she said. “So I’ll just make the most of this turn…”

She played a Spell Card.

“I play Level Modulation. Now, you get to draw two cards, but I get to bring back Dark Lucius LV6.”

Yumi quickly drew two cards. She was surprised when she saw what one of them was.

The Level Six version of Dark Lucius appeared. (1,700/600)

“You’re probably wondering why I brought back the Level Six version and not the Level Eight one. Well, a Monster that I summon with Level Modulation can’t attack this round.

“But, if I play the Spell Card, Level Up!, then I can trade my Level Six Dark Lucius for another Level Eight one, and he can certainly attack.”

She played the Spell Card, and Dark Lucius quickly morphed into the fully evolved form. (2,800/900)

“Of course, since I took a shortcut to summon him, he loses his effects. But he still has 2,800 Attack Points.

“Attack her Sorceress!”

Dark Lucius made a slash with his blade. Sorceress of Conflict screamed right before she was cut in half, and the remains shattered.

Curran sighed.

“I end my turn,” she said.

(Y: 2,300) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 1,400)

Yumi quickly made a draw.

“Sorry, Curran, but I have to end this now,” she said.

“I play Magical Dimension! I’ll sacrifice Dark Magician…”

Dark Magician vanished into grains of light.

“…to bring out Cosmo Queen!”

In an explosion of multicolored smoke, the powerful queen of Spellcasters appeared, seemingly towering over Curran. The Ebon Magician looked at her with a look of terror. (2,900/2,450)

“Empress…” she gasped.

“And via the other effect of Magical Dimension,” said Yumi. “Dark Lucius is destroyed…”

Dark Lucius groaned, and then shattered into pixels.

“Cosmo Queen…” said Yumi.

Cosmo Queen looked at Curran. She held out her hands, preparing to cast her cosmic nova…

“NO!” screamed Curran.

She fell to her knees with tears in her eyes.

“Mercy, please!” she begged. “I give up!

“Just don’t let her hurt me, Yumi, please…”

Yumi turned to Cosmo Queen.

“What do you think?” she asked.

Cosmo Queen slowly nodded. She crossed her arms.

(Y: 2,300) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 0)

Yumi walked up to Curran.

“Curran, she won’t hurt you,” she said. “Calm down…”

“It was me, wasn’t it?” asked Curran, still crying. “I was the Monster you were thinking of the whole time…”

“Yeah…” replied Yumi. “I figured that was one you’d have a hard time guessing, because it was so obvious. And it made the duel last long enough.”

Curran sat down.

“So stupid of me…” she sobbed. “Cosmo Queen is in your deck… I can’t go home again now… She’d have me locked up for all I’ve done…”

“Curran…” said Yumi. “It isn’t too late… You know, it was a little bit my fault for what happened to you… Of course, attacking us and siding with Daala wasn’t the right thing to do…

“But… You know… If you’d be willing to forgive, then so would I…”

She started to shuffle the cards in her deck.

“Curran… My deck has still changed a lot… I might be able to make room in it for another low-Level Monster… If you’d be interested again…”

Curran looked at Yumi with a look of shock.

The she slowly smiled…

She held out her hand, and Yumi reached for it.

Then, Curran slowly dissolved into grains of light. The next thing Yumi knew, she was holding a card in her hand. It was Ebon Magician Curran.

Yumi looked through her deck.

“Gonna have to figure out what to take out quickly,” she thought. “There’s no telling what…”

Then she paused.

She looked at a strange Equip Spell… One that was clearly not there before.

“How did this get in here?” she asked.

She read the card description. Her eyebrow lifted slightly.

The doorway out slowly opened. Yumi quickly removed Secret Village of the Spellcasters and added Curran’s card.

“I’ll figure it out later,” she said, as she headed for the exit. “The others might need help.”

* * * * * * * * * *

In the true Core, the deepest part of Xanadu, Joan was standing on a stone pedestal, her arms shackled by thick chains. Fortunately, the power in the Mask of the Accursed had long been spent, and Daala didn’t have another one.

She watched as Daala watched five holographic screens, which were providing feedback of the five duels.

Joan smiled as she saw Colossal Fighter destroy Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon, and Fujita’s Life Points tumble to zero. She smiled again as Toy Dragon’s blast struck Watanabe, finishing her off.

She continued to watch. Gors struck Mulner, taking out the last of his Life Points. Then Chelsea delivered the final blow personally to Eikou.

Finally, when Curran’s defeat was all but assured, she spoke up.

“You had a funny taste in choosing your inner circle, Daala,” she said. “The only thing guiding all of them was a blind drive for revenge against Yumi and her allies. You didn’t really expect them to win, did you?”

“No, frankly I didn’t,” replied Daala.

Joan looked at her with a look of confusion.

“I chose those five as members of my inner circle for one reason,” explained Daala. “Information. Each of them could provide useful information on one member of Yumi’s group, and was all too willing to give it to me.

“I never truly intended them to duel their ‘victims’ as I called them. They existed as symbolic opponents.”

“So what changed?” asked Joan.

“Dark Necrofear,” replied Daala. “When it became necessary for her to inflict your would-be saviors with the true gift of the Devil’s Fruit, I needed to give Yumi and the others a little test-run, to see how powerful their new bodies were.

“Seems they’re pretty powerful… Just as I’d hoped…”

“You… you…” gasped Joan. “Dark Necrofear transformed them on your order? The no humans allowed rule…”

“…could have been bypassed easily if they had simply defeated Dark Necrofear,” replied Daala. “Dark Necrofear isn’t just a Fiend, Joan, she’s a true demon. And rule number one about dealing with demons… Don’t believe a word they say…”

“But why?” gasped Joan. “What benefit is it to you to turn Yumi and the others into Duel Spirits?”

“Well…” said Daala. “I think it would save a lot of time if I explained that when everyone was here… Which should happen very shortly…”

* * * * * * * * * *

Yumi ran down the dark corridor.

She stopped short as she approached a nexus up ahead. A shadow was approaching.

Her Disk activated.

She leapt out to approach the enemy. Another Disk activated.

Then, Yumi and Sam breathed sighs of relief.

“It’s only you…” sighed Yumi.

“Yeah,” muttered Sam. “I was chasing a an old shark I used to know, but he seems to have given me the slip…”

They heard footsteps, running from the other direction. They quickly turned, and saw Ren, Chelsea, and Erik running towards them.

“ERIK!” shouted Sam.

“You guys are all right!” gasped Yumi.

“We had to fight off some buzzards,” said Chelsea, “but we’re okay, all things considered.”

“People,” said Erik, slowly, “I’m beginning to think that the Devil’s Fruit is not the boon I originally thought it was.”

“Don’t worry,” said Ren. “There’s an antidote.”

“What makes you so sure?” asked Chelsea.

“When villains have an evil formula,” replied Erik, “there’s always an antidote.”

“This isn’t a comic book Ren,” said Sam. “How would it benefit whoever planted that stuff to keep an antidote for it?”

“There’s a very good reason!” replied Ren. “What if he ate it, and got a result he didn’t like? It would benefit him greatly to have an antidote!

“Now where’s the boss-lady?”

“Uh, guys?” replied Erik.

He pointed forward, and they looked at the large, stone doors that led to the arena, the true Core of Xanadu, with the marilith statue guarding it. A sense of dread crept into them as they looked upon the demonic carvings.

The statue’s eyes glowed, and the doors slowly swung open.

“The end phase is behind those doors, people…” said Yumi.

“Get ready, Daala… There’s no escape this time…”



SORCERERSS OF CONFLICT (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spellcaster/Fusion/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 7
ATK: 2,400
DEF: 2,400

Card Description: “Dark Magician Girl” + “Dryad”

This card is also considered a LIGHT Monster. During your End Phase, choose and activate one of the following effects:
* Increase your Life Points by 700.
* Inflict 700 points of direct damage to your opponent.

Note: “Sorceress of Conflict” first appeared in “The Mandate of Heaven”.



Yumi’s Deck Lord: “Dark Magician Girl”: “Soul Circle”: Once per duel, you may draw one card for each Monster in your Graveyard. You cannot draw more cards with this ability than the hand size limit allows. (Greater Power) “Chaos Shield”: If a face-up Spellcaster-Type Monster is targeted by a Monster Effect, you may pay 500 Life Points to negate the effect. (Greater Power) “Chaos Life”: Once per duel, during your turn, you may Special Summon one LIGHT or DARK Monster from either Graveyard. If the Special Summoned Monster is destroyed, it is removed from play. (Greater Power) “Martyr Shield”: If a face-up Spellcaster-Type Monster you control is targeted by an attack, you can discard a Spellcaster-Type Monster from your hand that is a greater Level than the attack target to negate the attack. This effect may be used once per turn. (Intermediate Power) “Spellcaster Shuffle”: Once per round, you can send one Spellcaster-Type Monster in your hand to your deck. Then, take a Spellcaster-Type Monster from your deck that is at least two Levels lower than the one you sent back to your deck, and add it to your hand. Then, shuffle your deck. (Minor Power)



Curran’s Deck Lord: “Dark Rankings”: Once per round, you may change the Level of one face-up Monster to any Level you desire. This change in Level lasts until your opponent’s next End Phase. (Extraordinary Power) “Override”: If your opponent uses a Deck Lord power that targets a face-up Monster, and you have a face-up Monster that is a higher Level than the targeted Monster, negate that effect. (Greater Power)



Lords of Chaos

The Great Bull Demon; Baphomet

As creatures of chaos and evil, demons represent the most base and despicable of human impulses. Is it any wonder then, that Baphomet, one of the most notorious of demon lords, is a proven thief in terms of his inspirations?

The legend of the Minotaur is well-known to every student of mythology. Before he ascended the throne of Crete, Minos struggled with his brothers for the right to rule. Minos prayed to Poseidon to send him a snow-white bull, as a sign of approval by the gods for his reign. He promised to sacrifice the bull as an offering, and as a symbol of subservience. A beautiful white bull rose from the sea, but when Minos saw it, he coveted it for himself.

Enraged, Poseidon punished Minos by making his wife fall madly in love with the bull. Minos still would not kill the bull, and would not even halt this strange relationship, and he finally realized the extent of his folly when his wife gave birth to the savage Minotaur. Minos didn’t dare kill the Minotaur, for fear of angering Poseidon further, but because this monster only ate human flesh, Minos was forced to wage wars and force other countries into horrid treaties just to supply it with victims. This went on until the hero Theseus slew the beast.

That was the end of the first minotaur, but not the last. It isn’t clear where Baphomet came from, but he seems to be young as far as demon lords go. Eventually, evil humans from uncivilized tribes were able to discover the secrets of barbaric rituals that could transform them into creatures that resembled the Cretan Minotaur. But Poseidon had nothing to do with these rituals. Baphomet had stolen this idea, and had chosen the monster’s form as his own.

Since that time, Baphomet has ruled a realm of the Abyss called the Endless Maze (a reflection of the Labyrinth built by Daedalus to imprison the original Minotaur) and in history, barbaric tribes who have made bargains with him have received his savage gift. Heroes have fought these imitations on numerous occasions, just as they have all strange beasts that they come across. These minotaurs seem to lose what little intelligence they have upon being transformed, as Baphomet values strength and savagery, and little else.

The Wind Dukes of Aaqa think of Baphomet as an annoyance, and care little if he wants to copy Poseidon’s work. (After all, Poseidon was the god of the sea, and was pretty chaotic himself.) They’d either ignore him or simply do away with him, but are cautious for one reason – he shares an unknown relationship with Pale Night, who shares his realm in the Abyss. Pale Night is far more powerful, and exactly what agreement the two demons have is unknown, as the two are never seen interacting with each other. However, anyone who attempts an assault on the stronghold of one of these two demon lords is likely going to have to face the forces of both of them.

Of course, any demon that has any sort of deal with Pale Night cannot be ignored. The Wind Dukes are trying to figure out just what the details are (not an easy task) to make certain Baphomet is not a bigger threat than he appears…



Coming up next:

The five are now one again, and they confront Daala in the Core itself. Daala prepares her final stand, but something happens that no-one prepared for. What, you may ask? I’m not telling. “The Hand” is coming up next. Why is it called “The Hand”? Be here next time to find out.

[Shuppet Master]

Well, that's a pretty interesting duel, but one problem:

“Next question…” she said, adding it to her hand. “Is the Monster blonde?”

“No,” replied Yumi.

“It was me, wasn’t it?” asked Curran, still crying. “I was the Monster you were thinking of the whole time…”

I'm not going to accuse you of being blind or ignorant, but I've seen Curran's card image, and she IS blonde.

EDIT: Thanks to Dark Sage for putting up an image. I'm sorry, I still see her as blonde, even if her hair isn't as cleanly blonde as DMG's. However, in The Sims 2, some townfolk have dyed their hair, so maybe Curran dyes hers and she's actually a natural pink like Pikeru? (Assuming the mythos says that they are sisters, it's obvious that they have the same hair color.)

[Dark Sage]

She seems more chestnut to me. Here, I can put up an image. Let's let everyone else be the judge:

[Mystic_clown]

Hmm, she looks dirty blonde to me.

[Dark Sage]

When Daala compared Yumi and herself to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Yumi rebuked that theory, and Daala admitted she had never read the book. Well, I certainly have read Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. When you’re an exile in a world that has access to the internet, there isn’t much to do but read.

In the book, Dr. Jekyll sought to create a formula that would separate his good side from his darker impulses. But he was only partially successful. He did create a new personality, a creature devoid of conscious, one of pure evil whom he named Mr. Hyde. The problem was, the other identity was still his original one, and was definitely not pure good.

Dr. Jekyll foolishly let Hyde out whenever he felt the need to give in to his dark side. And he didn’t realize the mistake he had made until Hyde brutally murdered an innocent man. Jekyll swore never to become Hyde again, but at that point, it was too late. Hyde was quickly becoming dominant, and Jekyll was changing into him against his will. Eventually, Jekyll ran out of an ingredient to make the formula, and wrote an account of his failed experiment, just before Hyde took over completely. Rather than be caught and hanged for murder, Hyde took his own life.

The Devil’s Fruit accomplished for Phyllis Ting, by accident, a more successful version of Jekyll’s experiment. It divided her into Daala, who is pure evil, and me, who is indeed pure good. Daala has already become dominant, forcing me into submission. But unlike the unfortunate Jekyll, I did not cease to exist, and I have not given up hope that the good side of Phyllis Ting can become just as powerful.

I’m taking one last gamble to try just that… If I fail, Phyllis Ting will suffer the same sad fate as Dr. Jekyll… I can’t let it happen…

CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR



The Hand

Joan grunted as she struggled against the chains holding her wrists.

“Give it up, Joan,” said Daala. “Those chains can hold an Ultimate Obedient Fiend.”

“Do you have that in writing?” asked Joan with a sneer.

“Oh, be quiet,” replied Daala. “After all, you hardly have any reason to complain. All you have to do is watch the show.”

They heard shouts coming from the entrance.

“And it’s about to start…”

Yumi, Sam, Ren, Chelsea, and Erik rushed into the large arena.

“All right, Daala,” demanded Yumi, “let Joan go NOW.”

“And if I don’t?” asked Daala, as she slowly shuffled a deck.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Daala,” said Sam. “You can clearly see that there are no other exits from this place… And we have you outnumbered five to one!”

“Yeah,” said Chelsea. “I mean, you might be able to take out two of us, but all five?”

Daala loaded the deck into her Disk.

“I think I can,” she said.

“Yeah,” said a voice that Ren recognized. “And to mark this special occasion, we’re going to record it!”

Everyone looked up, and saw a balcony above them, where the members of Daala’s inner circle (except Curran) were watching. Fujita was holding a video camera.

“Take them out, milady!” shouted Watanabe.

“Get them good!” added Eikou.

“Lovely…” said Ren. “Daala brought her own cheering section…”

“So…” said Daala, with a cheery voice. “Who wants to duel first?”

“I believe that honor belongs to me,” said a voice.

Everyone turned around. They watched, as Vita walked it.

“WHAT?” shouted Daala. “Who let a trash like you in?”

Vita tossed something at Daala’s feet. It was the stone head of the marilith who had been guarding the entrance.

“Fine…” said Daala, closing her eyes. “Now I won’t have to pay her when her contract is up…”

Vita glared at her counterpart for a second.

“Yumi,” said Vita. “Dueling Daala here is very dangerous. She may indeed be able to defeat five opponents.

“You see, here, she is closest to the source of her power. In the Core, Daala can draw energy from the very land itself, and every Duel Spirit in Xanadu. She won’t get tired. Even you five are unintentionally fueling her.”

“You’re kidding…” replied Erik.

“And just what are you going to do about it, you weakling?” asked Daala.

Vita stared at Daala again.

“I finally found out the true purpose of this,” she said, pointing to the mask. “I’ve learned a lot since our first battle. It isn’t simply to conceal my identity.

“You see, according to divine law, when a new dimension is formed, its rightful ruler is its creator, or whomever that entity designates as ruler.

“The creator of Xanadu was Dr. Edwin Ting. Now, by default more than anything, he gave rulership of Xanadu to his daughter, Phyllis Ting. He had the right to designate anyone he desired as ruler, including himself, and he likely wouldn’t have given it to his daughter once he knew how evil she had become. But sadly, he was ignorant of the rules governing other dimensions, so he didn’t give anyone else that title. By the time anyone would be able to tell him, it was too late. Phyllis Ting’s authority over Xanadu was cemented. The only way that could change was via an agreement that she had been a part of.”

“So what’s your point?” asked Daala. “I am Phyllis Ting.”

“Not quite,” replied Vita. “You forget, we both are. The Devil’s Fruit split Phyllis in two, creating two separate entities who could claim to be Phyllis Ting. You and me.

“You had big plans for Xanadu back then. And you knew I would have been in the way. You wouldn’t have been able to make any decision regarding its governing without my approval, because I would be as much its ruler as you were. You wouldn’t have been able to make a deal with Shogarr, or do half the things you did or still plan to do.

“So you defeated me, and bonded this vile mask to my face… What it truly stands for is a symbol of inferiority. So long as it remained, you would be considered the superior half, and wouldn’t need my permission for anything. I would be out of the way, so long as I couldn’t prove I wasn’t inferior.”

A Duel Disk appeared on Vita’s arm.

“So I’m going to duel you one last time… To prove I’m not inferior… And when I succeed, I’ll be able to claim my half of the authority over Xanadu.”

“She’ll cut Daala’s power in half…” gasped Chelsea. “Literally…”

“It will be a cold day in Hell before I share my power with garbage,” sneered Daala. “What makes you think I’ll agree?”

“Because I’m not the only one here wearing a mask,” replied Vita. “I have one advantage remaining over you… If you refuse, I’ll force you to show everyone here what’s lying behind the false face you’re wearing…”

Daala’s eyes widened in fright. She looked at the four members of her inner circle.

“Something you want to tell us, milady?” asked Mulner.

“NO!” shouted Daala.

She took her deck out of her Disk, and placed it in a pouch on her belt. Then she took another deck out of another pouch.

“Changing your deck?” asked Vita.

“Garbage like you isn’t worth the Dread Council’s time,” said Vita. “I’ll crush you, and maybe I’ll be able to find a way to hold you this time.”

Vita slowly moved over to Yumi.

“Yumi…” she whispered. “I have one chance at this, and Daala will never give me another one… If it looks like I’m about to lose… Use the Spell Card I gave you… It might weaken her enough for you to gain the advantage.”

Yumi sighed. She opened the pouch that held her side deck, and took out the Offerings to the Doomed card.

“Good luck, Vita…” she muttered.

“You know, Vita,” said Daala. “This may actually be kind of fun… A little appetizer before I start on the main course might whet my appetite…”

Two Disks activated.

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

“Shall we?” asked Daala, making her first draw.

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

A hidden Monster, and a reversed card appeared.

“And I’ll turn it over to you…”

“Fine,” said Vita, drawing a card.

“I summon Seraphim Saber!”

In a burst of shining light, a female angel with feathered wings, wearing a long, white toga, and holding a long sword appeared. (1,600/1,500)

“When Seraphim Saber is summoned, I have to choose either Attack Score of Defense Score. Then, for as long as she’s on the field, she gains 300 additional points to the chosen value for each additional Fairy on my side of the field. I choose Attack Score.

“Now… Attack her Monster!”

Seraphim Saber flew at the facedown Monster. Dark Mimic LV1 appeared on the card. The Fairy cut through it cleanly in half.

Daala smirked, and drew a card.

“And that will do it for now,” said Vita.

Daala drew another card.

“Very well,” she said. “I play my Pot of Greed…”

She played the card, and then drew twice.

“Hey, Yumi,” she said. “You like Spellcasters? I have a Spellcaster that I guarantee you’ve never seen before…

“I summon Dark Archetype!”

She played the card, and an explosion of dark shadow appeared on her side of the field. An ugly, fiendish creature appeared, one that certainly didn’t suggest a Spellcaster. It wasn’t humanoid, standing on all fours, with thick, clawed limbs, a body covered with grey, slimy skin, and a mechanical collar of some sort around its neck with wires attached to it that were embedded in its torso. (1,400/400)

“Ugh!” gasped Yumi. “No, I haven’t seen it… And I don’t think I wanted to…”

“Yeah, yeah,” muttered Vita. “I know all about that thing… It doesn’t scare me… Your facedown card is Zero Gazer, right?”

“Well…” said Daala. “Maybe it is, and maybe it isn’t… I end my turn…”

A second reversed card appeared.

Vita made a draw.

“I summon… Seraphim Gunner!” she shouted.

She played a card, and in another burst of light, an angel appeared who resembled Seraphim Saber, except she carried a flintlock rifle. (1,800/1,200)

“Seraphim Gunner has the same effect as Seraphim Saber,” continued Vita. “Once again, I’ll choose Attack Score.”

Seraphim Saber rose to an Attack Score of 1,900, while Gunner rose to 2,100.

“Seraphim Gunner, destroy Dark Archetype!”

Seraphim Gunner aimed her flintlock. She squeezed the trigger...

“I activate… Zero Gazer!” shouted Daala, as one of her facedown cards lifted. “This reduces my Monster’s Attack Score to zero…”

Dark Archetype fell to zero Attack Points. Seraphim Gunner fired.

“And as soon as I take battle damage,” continued Daala, “I get to draw one card.”

She made a draw, just before the shell hit, and Dark Archetype burst into pixels.

(D: 5,900) - - - - - - - - - - (V: 8,000)

“That’s nuts,” said Ren. “There must be an easier way to draw cards…”

“Actually,” said Daala. “The more Life Points I lose when Dark Archetype is destroyed, the better. I activate its effect…

“First, I select a Monster from my deck with an Attack Score equal to the amount of damage I took. Like my Lesser Fiend.

“Then, I discard Monsters from my hand whose combined Levels equal that of the Monster I selected. So I’ll toss Airknight Parshath, who, like Lesser Fiend, is Level Five.”

She discarded a card.

“Finally, I get to Special Summon the selected Monster…”

The four-armed, bare-chested Fiend appeared with a roar. (2,100/1,000)

“Seraphim Saber can’t beat that…” muttered Vita. “Fine, I end my turn…”

Daala drew a card.

“I sacrifice Lesser Fiend…” she said.

Lesser Fiend dissolved into grains of light.

“…for Beast of Talwar!”

The orb formed into a far more diabolic-looking Fiend. It was tall and muscular, with green skin, blue, demonic wings, and carrying twin scimitars. (2,400/2,150)

Oh, no… thought Joan. Is she planning to use that accursed card?

“That’s crazy…” said Erik. “Beast of Talwar may have 300 more Attack Points, but Lesser Fiend is clearly a better Monster than some plain vanilla Normal one.”

I don’t know… thought Yumi. Daala is obviously up to something…

“Attack Seraphim Gunner!” ordered Joan with a laugh. “Off with her head!”

Beast of Talwar growled, and flew at Seraphim Gunner, lopping off her head with one clean stroke of his sword. What was left of her shattered. Vita winced a little. Seraphim Saber fell to an Attack Score of 1,600.

“I end my turn,” said Daala. “It’s your move, trash.”

(D: 5,900) - - - - - - - - - - (V: 7,700)

Vita glared at her for a second before drawing.

“I play Pot of Greed!” she shouted, playing the card.

She quickly drew two cards.

“All right, Daala,” she said, “I play the Field Spell, Holy Sanctuary!”

She placed a card in her Field Slot, and the dark arena faded away. It was quickly replaced by a beautiful series of fields, with Grecian temples surrounding them. It looked like Nexus, only not in ruins.

“What the heck is this?” asked Watanabe.

“I’ll tell you what it is,” growled Mulner. “It’s a Field Spell that weakens all Monsters except Fairies by 500 Attack Points. Beast of Talwar is in trouble…”

Sure enough, Beast of Talwar fell to an Attack Score of 1,900.

“Holy Sanctuary has another effect,” added Vita. “While this card is in play, Fairies can be summoned with one less sacrifice than normal. That means I can summon a Level Seven Fairy with one sacrifice…”

Seraphim Saber vanished into grains of light.

“So, say hello to the diva of my deck… I summon… Athena!”

A glowing portal appeared, and a lovely, yet powerful-looking woman emerged from it. It clearly was the mythical goddess of wisdom, complete with her battle toga, breastplate, helmet, shield, and elaborate spear. She looked at Daala with eyes that glowed pure gold. (2,600/800)

“Athena…” growled Daala. “Phyllis Ting’s favorite card…”

“Uh huh…” said Vita. “But you locked her away, and started using that Dragon deck. But I rescued her, knowing someday I would use her for this very duel…

“And I will… Destroy Beast of Talwar! Pride of Olympus!”

Athena shouted a war cry, and charged at Beast of Talwar, jabbing her spear into the Fiend’s torso. Yumi and her friends cheered as the demon dropped his swords, and then exploded into pixels.

(D: 5,200) - - - - - - - - - - (V: 7,700)

“I set two cards facedown,” said Vita, as two reversed cards appeared, “and I end my turn.”

Daala frowned, and drew a card.

Perfect… she thought, looking at it.

“I play Magical Stone Excavation,” she said, playing a Spell Card. “So, I’ll toss these two cards…”

She discarded Asura Priest and Banisher of the Radiance.

“…to get back my Pot of Greed.”

The Pot of Greed slipped out of her discard slot.

“Now, I’ll play Pot of Greed…”

She played the card, and drew twice.

Something is wrong, thought Yumi. Daala seems to be purposely discarding as many Monsters as she can…

“Now…” said Daala. “I remove three Light Fairies… And one Dark Fiend in my Graveyard from play…”

Images of Asura Priest, Airknight Parshath, Banisher of the Radiance, and Dark Mimic LV1 appeared behind her, and vanished into nothing.

“I’m getting a serious case of déjà vu here,” said Ren.

“Yeah…” said Chelsea. “Isn’t that how Johnson summoned Norleras?”

“Not quite,” replied Daala. “Norleras is summoned the opposite way, by removing three Dark Fiends and one Light Fairy. But there’s more than one Sky Scourge… There are three total, all three of them heralds of the Dread Emperor, who represent minor aspects of Chaos. One represents Light, one represents Dark, and one is the intermediary between the two forces.

“I now summon Norleras’s opposite…

“The powerful… Sky Scourge Enrise!”

In a blast of multicolored light, a new Monster appeared in front of her. It seemed to be a Fairy – technically, at least, due to its large, feathered wings. But it wore a metal blindfold over its eyes below long, pale, white hair, had clammy, white skin, and wore leather pants and gloves, and no shirt. Strange tattoos were on its neck and shoulders. (2,400/1,500)

“And since Enrise is a Fairy,” continued Daala, “Holy Sanctuary doesn’t hurt him.”

“Yeah?” shouted Erik. “It’s still weaker than Athena!”

Daala laughed.

“Enrise,” she said. “Chaos elemental blast!”

Enrise formed a ball of multicolored light in his hands, and hurled it at Athena. The goddess gasped, and then vanished into nothing.

“What… just happened?” asked Chelsea. “How did Enrise win that battle?”

“It wasn’t an attack,” said Daala. “I didn’t even enter my Battle Phase yet. Once per round, Enrise can remove one face-up Monster from play.”

“Good grief…” said Sam. “And I thought Ruin was the worst bad apple among Fairies…”

“Of course,” said Daala, “if it does that, it can’t actually attack in the same round…”

She placed a card on her Disk.

“But since I haven’t Normal Summoned yet, I’ll summon someone who can. Like Dunames Dark Witch!”

In a burst of light, the pretty female Fairy in a red dress appeared. (1,800/1,050)

“Attack Vita directly!” shouted Daala. “Shadow flux!”

Dunames Dark Witch cast a ball of shimmering darkness at Vita.

“I activate… Magic Cylinder!” shouted Vita, as one of her facedown cards lifted.

“Not so fast!” laughed Daala.

She threw a card into her Disk.

“I activate the Quickplay Spell Card, Both Sides. This lets me sacrifice my Light Monster to summon a Dark one from my deck.”

Dunames Dark Witch vanished. Then, with a loud grunt, Giant Orc appeared in her place. (2,200/0) –> (1,700/0)

“And since Magic Cylinder’s target left the field, its effect fails.”

The Trap Card shattered.

Vita didn’t know what to say. She remembered how she had used Both Sides against Daala when she was disguised as Crystal Seer.

“Giant Orc,” commanded Daala, “attack Vita directly!”

Giant Orc lifted its club, and charged at Vita.

“I hate to do this…” muttered Vita, “but I have to activate Divine Castle Gate!”

Her other facedown card lifted.

“I have to ditch my Field Spell to activate this,” she said, “but the damage I take this turn is halved.”

Holy Sanctuary vanished, returning them to the arena. Giant Orc rose back to an Attack Score of 2,200, just before it clobbered Vita with its club. Vita staggered backwards, her Trap Card buffering the attack.

(D: 5,200) - - - - - - - - - - (V: 6,600)

Giant Orc fell backwards on its behind, dizzy and confused.

“Make your move…” said Daala, with an evil grin.

“So now what?” asked Ren. “She lost her best card!”

Yumi looked at the Offerings to the Doomed card.

She slowly placed it in her Disk. She rested her finger on the trigger button…

Vita drew a card. She looked at it.

Miraculous Descent! she thought. I can use this to bring back Athena!

But… I have to do it during my own turn, or Daala will just use Enrise’s effect on her again.

“I set a Monster, and then one facedown card,” she said, as a hidden Monster and a reversed card appeared. “And I end my turn.”

“You’re smart,” said Daala, drawing a card. “You realize that Enrise’s effect doesn’t work on set Monsters…

“I sacrifice Giant Orc…”

Giant Orc vanished into an orb of darkness.

“…to summon the third of the Sky Scourges… The intermediary between Light and Dark… Sky Scourge Invicil!”

The orb formed into another creepy-looking Fairy. This one was vaguely female, with small, feathered wings that seemed to be molting, a tight-fitting suit of black leather covered with straps, the same clammy, white skin, and pale, white hair in a style reminiscent of the Bride of Frankenstein. (2,200/1,600)

“And what does this one do?” gasped Sam.

“Invicil’s effect depends on what I sacrifice to summon it,” replied Daala. “If I had sacrificed a Light Fairy, it would be the same as Spell Canceller. But, since I sacrificed a Dark Fiend, its effect is the same as Jinzo.”

Vita’s eyes opened wide.

It negates Traps? she thought. My Miraculous Descent is worthless!

“Next,” continued Daala, “I play Coins From Heaven.”

There was a flash of light, and coins fell from the ceiling. Daala quickly drew five cards, while Vita drew four.

Daala laughed with glee.

“Oh, Joan!” she laughed. “Seems I’m finally going to reveal your big secret!”

Joan glared at her captor.

“What secret?” asked Yumi, looking at Daala with an angry glare.

“The secret that Joan never told you…” said Daala. “You see, when Joan was first cast out of the Higher Plane in the form of Marie the Fallen One, it was for a crime more severe than most…

“When she was first brought before Voltanis, the great judge had his doubts as to whether giving her the possibility of a second chance was wise or not. So Voltanis consulted Shinato himself for advice.

“Shinato used powerful magic to look at future possibilities. He saw that the future of the criminal might take two paths, should the usual punishment be given.

“One path was the one that would become reality if the criminal embraced evil. She would become a powerful and incredibly wicked Fiend, and would forever be an enemy of the Higher Plane.

“But the other path showed that not only would she succeed in finding redemption, but she would become a crusader of Order and Good more powerful than any who had risen from such a state.

“The first possibility worried Shinato, but the second one convinced him to recommend that she be given the possibility of a second chance. So the criminal was cast out of the Higher Plane as Marie the Fallen One…”

“And she took the second path, and became Guardian Angel Joan!” interrupted Ren.

“Naturally…” said Daala, closing her eyes. “Too bad really… If that hadn’t happened, it would have saved me a lot of trouble…”

She took a Spell Card from her hand.

“But just for fun… I’m going to show you what might have been… The choice she didn’t take… This card was hard to make... Pegasus never approved it past the design stage, but fortunately, the designer’s initial sketches and notes were never scrapped.

“I play Monster Reborn to bring back Beast of Talwar.”

The golden ankh appeared, and Beast of Talwar appeared again. (2,400/2,150)

“Now, I play Polymerization… To fuse it with Marie the Fallen One…”

Marie the Fallen One appeared on the field. The two Fiends combined into a large, dark, shadowy mass…

“I summon Evil Marie!”

In a burst of dark energy, a diabolic form appeared next to Invicil. It looked like Marie the Fallen One at first glance, but far more evil. Instead of her fancy dress, she was wearing demonic armor, and her black feathered wings had been replaced by larger, bat-like ones. She had more pronounced horns on her forehead, pointed ears, and nastier claws.

She turned to Joan, and made an evil smile. (2,800/2,000)

“ENOUGH!” screamed Joan.

She pulled against the chains holding her, and this time, they could not hold her. She tore free of them with a loud snap.

“Ouch…” she grunted, holding her wrists.

“Impossible…” gasped Daala.

Joan quickly rushed to Yumi and the others.

“Welcome back, Joan,” said Erik.

“You can’t deny it, Joan!” laughed Daala. “This was tempting, wasn’t it?”

“It was the easy way out!” shouted Joan. “Every time I slept, that… thing appeared in my dreams, whispering in my ear, trying to convince me to give in and accept it. She offered me great power if I simply rejected my past and embraced my dark side. But I never took the easy way out! And nothing made me happier than when I became powerful enough to drive her out forever!”

“So noble…” chuckled Daala. “Ah, well… Back to business…

“Invicil, attack the facedown Monster!”

Invicil lifted its hands, and fired a flash of pure light. Dunames Dark Witch appeared on the card, and was blown to pieces.

“Enrise, Marie… Attack directly!”

Enrise formed a ball of multicolored flames and hurled them at Vita. Vita let out a scream as an aura of colored fire surrounded her.

Then Evil Marie formed a sword of pure fire in her hands. She flew at Vita and slammed the sword into her, knocking her over.

(D: 5,200) - - - - - - - - - - (V: 1,400)

Yumi was about to hit the button…

No… she thought. I’ll delay it as long as I can…

Vita slowly got up. Sweat was forming from behind her mask.

“My… move…” she gasped.

She drew a card.

“I set a card facedown…” she said, as a reversed card appeared. “Then, I play Valhalla, Hall of the Fallen.”

She played a Spell Card, and the scenery behind her changed, turning into a grand cathedral with a huge throne at the end.

“With this card in play, if I don’t have any Monsters on the field, I can Special Summon a Fairy every round.”

“So it’s like Call of the Mummy for Fairies?” asked Chelsea.

“Basically, yes,” replied Joan.

“I Special Summon Royal Knight in Defense Mode,” said Vita.

A winged seraphim clad in metallic armor, holding a sword appeared. He knelt in Defense Mode. (1,300/800)

“Then I’ll set a Monster, and end my turn.”

A set Monster appeared beside Royal Knight.

Daala laughed as she drew a card.

“I first gain 200 Life Points from Marie being in my Graveyard…” she said.

“Now it’s time to take out the trash. I summon a second Asura Priest!”

She played the card, and one of the most dreaded Monsters to call itself a Fairy appeared; the six-armed, three-faced Spirit Monster dressed in a red cloak. (1,700/1,200)

“All right!” shouted Watanabe. “Show her what it can do!”

“It can attack all your Monsters,” said Daala, “and I’ll start with your Knight!”

Asura Priest formed a dagger in each hand, and hurled them at Royal Knight, impaling the Fairy. Royal Knight shattered.

“Now, destroy her other Monster!”

Asura Priest threw another set of daggers at the facedown card. Winged Kuriboh appeared on the card, and shattered.

Vita smirked.

“Seems your other three Monsters can’t hurt me this turn,” she said.

“Evil Marie sure can,” replied Daala. “She has two effects. See, if I sacrifice a Dark Fiend, her Attack Score increases by half that Fiend’s Attack Score for one turn.

“But, if I sacrifice a Light Fairy, she inflicts damage to you equal to half that Fairy’s Attack Score.

“So… I sacrifice Asura Priest to do so.”

Asura Priest vanished, and Evil Marie fired a bolt of energy at Vita. Vita screamed and collapsed.

(D: 5,400) - - - - - - - - - - (V: 550)

“No…” gaped Erik. “Daala will win next turn… Enrise is also a Light Fairy… Daala can inflict 1,200 more points of damage by sacrificing it…”

“What do you expect from this worthless piece of trash?” asked Daala. “Yumi… Why don’t you save her the embarrassment and use that Spell Card she gave you?”

“You know about it?” gasped Yumi.

“Of course I do…” chuckled Daala. “I may have never been able to find it, but it was hardly a secret. Do you really think it would bother me if my good side was killed? If anything, I’d prefer not being constantly reminded of what I used to be.

“I wanted to kill her so many times… But I simply couldn’t. Every time I tried to take an action towards doing so, some strange force inside me made me stop, making my body refuse to obey my mind. It was like a curse that was protecting my good side.

“So go ahead, Yumi… I’ll enjoy seeing her dissolve into a pile of sand.”

“Joan…” said Sam. “We have to help her… There’s got to be something we can do…”

Joan closed her eyes. She put her hands together.

Praying? thought Yumi.

“I end my turn,” said Daala. “I doubt you have the strength to make yours… But I’ll give you two minutes…”

* * * * * * * * * *

In Domino City, it had just turned four AM. But there had been no sleep for Dr. Edwin Ting this night. Insomnia had long been a problem for him.

In his elaborate house in the suburbs, he was sitting on a couch in his study, thinking hard and waiting for the sun to come up, with only the light of a single lamp to illuminate the room.

Words couldn’t begin to describe the worry we was feeling right now. What had his daughter done now? What dark crimes had she committed?

He closed his eyes…

Then he opened them with a start.

Quickly, he got up, and crossed the room, walking over to his desk. He opened a drawer, and picked up a deck case.

His deck… The one he himself had used as a duelist on the Pro League… Dueling was never more than a hobby for him, one that he happened to be very good at, but he had never gotten rid of his deck.

He took out the deck, and looked at it. He knew what the top card was even before he looked at it.

He looked at the Monster on the card. The Spellcaster who looked more like an alien…

Mutant Mindmaster… His signature card…

The card started to glow with a soft light…



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



Vita’s mind was a haze. She was hurt, and she was almost sure she was going to lose. Maybe she truly was inferior… Maybe Phyllis Ting had been evil before she ever touched that accursed Fruit.

But as she looked up, she saw a hand reaching for hers.

She looked up, and her eyes met those of the Duel Spirit. Most would be scared of such a monstrous creature, but Vita quickly recognized it.

“Mutant Mindmaster?” she whispered.

She paused.

“Father?”

“Vita…” said the Spellcaster. “You don’t know how happy your very existence makes me…

“I had thought that my daughter was gone… That her soul had been claimed by evil… That no good in her remained…

“I was wrong… The good in her wasn’t destroyed… It survived, in you. And that gives me hope… Hope that the true Phyllis can come back, at least in spirit.

“But before that can happen, you must do what you intended to do.”

Vita slowly stood up.

“I don’t know if I can…” she whispered. “I don’t know if I even have the strength to draw a card…”

“Then I’ll be your hand…” replied Mutant Mindmaster.

They looked at each other.

They both reached for Vita’s deck at the same time…

Then, both of them drew a card.

* * * * * * * * * *

“My move!” shouted Vita.

She looked at the card she had drawn.

“And I play Pot of Avarice!”

The card appeared, and Seraphim Saber, Seraphim Gunner, Winged Kuriboh, and Dunames Dark Witch slipped out of her discard slot. She combined them with her deck, and made two draws.

“And I chain-activate Emergency Provisions!”

One of her facedown cards lifted up, and the Pot of Avarice and her facedown Miraculous Descent were consumed by light.

“Next, I play Swords of Revealing Light!”

She played the card, and a blizzard of swords shot from the card, forming a cage around Daala’s three Monsters.

“Next, I use Valhalla’s effect to Special Summon Hysteric Fairy in Defense Mode.”

She placed the card on her Disk, and the fussy, bespectacled Fairy appeared. (1,800/500)

“Then, I play Double Spell. I’ll toss one card…”

She discarded her Celestial Transformation.

“…to duplicate your Coins From Heaven!”

The arena lit up again, and coins fell from the ceiling again. Vita quickly drew five cards, while Daala drew three.

“Perfect…” she said, looking at her cards. “I set one Monster, and then play Future Fusion!”

A concealed Monster appeared. Then, she played another Spell Card. Then she looked through her deck, and took three cards from it.

“By sending these Monsters to my Graveyard,” she said as she discarded them, “my Fusion Monster will appear in only two turns.”

“If you last that long,” growled Daala.

“I end my turn,” said Vita.

(D: 5,400) - - - - - - - - - - (V: 2,550)

“I draw one card,” said Daala. “And I gain 200 Life Points from Marie.

“Next, I summon a second Dunames Dark Witch…”

She played a card, and Dunames appeared again. (1,800/1,050)

“Then, I sacrifice her to use Evil Marie’s effect.”

Dunames vanished, and Evil Marie cast her bolt at Vita. Vita cringed again, but the Mindmaster braced her, unseen by anyone else.

“Now, I use Enrise’s effect to remove Hysteric Fairy from play,” said Daala.

Enrise cast its evil spell, and Hysteric Fairy vanished.

“I end my turn!”

(D: 5,400) - - - - - - - - - - (V: 1,650)

Vita took a deep breath.

“Hang in there!” shouted Yumi. “You can still finish this!”

“Our move!” said Vita and Mutant Mindmaster at once.

They both drew a card.

“I throw one card facedown, and set a Monster,” said Vita, “and that will be all…”

Another hidden Monster and a reversed card appeared.

Daala angrily drew a card.

“I gain 200 more Life Points from Marie,” she said.

“I’ll set two cards facedown, and end my turn.”

Two facedown cards appeared on her side of the field.

(D: 5,600) - - - - - - - - - - (V: 1,650)

Vita and Mindmaster reached for the deck. They paused, and then drew a card.

The card shone in the light…

The Future Fusion card glowed with energy.

“It’s my second Standby Phase since I played Future Fusion,” she said. “That means I can summon THIS guy!”

As she said this, a titanic form appeared behind her, the size of a small building. It looked like a giant, white cube, with stubby limbs, proportionately small wings, a question mark on its top, and a blank, expressionless face.

“MOKEY-MOKEY!” boomed the Mokey Mokey King. (300/100)

Everyone looked at the enormous Monster with a look of shock.

“Oh joy…” muttered Daala. “A giant marshmallow… I’ll get some giant graham crackers and a truckload of chocolate, and we can make s’mores for a whole boy scout jamboree!”

“Don’t underestimate my Monster,” replied Vita, as a Spell Card appeared on her side of the field. “I play… Light of Redemption! Now, by paying 800 Life Points, I get to recover a Light-Attribute Monster that was removed from play…”

She held up her hand, and Athena’s card appeared in it.

“Now, I sacrifice my two facedown Monsters to summon Athena again!”

The two facedown Monsters vanished, and the mighty goddess of wisdom appeared again. (2,600/800)

“Next, I play Mystical Space Typhoon. And I think I’ll destroy… Future Fusion!”

She played the card, and the windstorm erupted on the field. The Spell Card shattered.

“But if she does that…” gasped Chelsea. “Mokey Mokey King goes too!”

Mokey Mokey King exploded into globules of light.

“That’s the idea,” said Ren. “I’ve seen this before… When the King goes, the three regular Mokey Mokeys come to take its place!”

Indeed, the three normal Mokey Mokeys appeared next to Athena. (300/100 x3)

“Mokey-Mokey,” they said. “Mokey-Mokey, Mokey-Mokey, Mokey-Mokey…”

“This activates Athena’s effect, by the way,” continued Vita. “Whenever a Fairy is Special Summoned, you lose 600 Life Points. And I just Special Summoned three of them!”

Athena’s eyes glowed fiercely. Daala screamed as she was struck by three bolts of lightning.

“Now…” said Vita, playing another card, “I play… Mokey Mokey Smackdown!”

The Spell Card appeared, showing a picture of a very angry Mokey Mokey with an exclamation point on its head instead of a question mark.

“Athena, attack Evil Marie!” commanded Vita.

Athena charged at Evil Marie.

“WHAT?” shouted Eikou. “She’s nuts! Evil Marie is stronger.”

“You big idiot!” shouted Mulner. “That’s the idea! If a Fairy is destroyed, it will trigger the Smackdown!”

Evil Marie swung her sword, and Athena exploded into pixels…

(D: 3,800) - - - - - - - - - - (V: 650)

The results were dramatic. The three Mokey Mokeys freaked out. Within seconds, each one transformed into a Mokey Mokey resembling the one on the Spell Card, and their Attack Scores started to skyrocket… (3,000/100 x3)

“First Mokey Mokey,” ordered Vita, “attack Evil Marie!”

The first Mokey Mokey screamed a blast of pure rage at the evil imposter. Evil Marie groaned, and then exploded into shards.

“Second one…” said Vita, “destroy Invicil!”

The second Mokey Mokey screamed, and the Sky Scourge cringed before exploding as well.

“Third time’s the charm,” said Vita. “Attack Sky Scourge Enrise with Infinite Anger Burst!”

The third Mokey Mokey let out its cry of anger. Enrise hollered, and exploded as well.

“ERGH!” grunted Daala.

(D: 2,200) - - - - - - - - - - (V: 650)

“You miserable little nobody!” screamed Daala. “I’ll fix you good…”

One of her facedown cards lifted.

“I activate… Revenge Soul! This Trap Card returns the Monster that was just destroyed to my hand!”

Sky Scourge Enrise slipped out of her discard slot.

“You only have 650 Life Points left, and your Swords are only going to last one more round. Next turn, I’ll summon it again, and once they are gone, I’ll finish you off!”

“Sorry, Daala,” said Vita, “but your next turn will never come…”

Vita’s own facedown card lifted.

“I activate Call of the Haunted!”

Daala gasped as Athena appeared again. (2,600/800)

“Attack Daala directly!” shouted Vita. “Pride of Olympus!”

“NO!” yelled Watanabe. “Daala’s gonna lose!”

Daala looked at Vita in hate as Athena charged at her…

“I won’t let you beat me!” she screamed in rage.

Her last facedown card lifted.

“I activate Contagion of Madness!”

“HUH?” said Erik. “What does that do?”

“It won’t stop the attack…” gasped Joan. “But Vita will take half of the damage that Daala takes!”

“But that means…” gasped Sam.

Athena stabbed her spear into Daala, and lightning flashed. Both Daala and Vita were thrown backwards.

(D: 0) - - - - - - - - - - (V: 0)

“I… I can’t believe it…” muttered Ren. “It was… It was…”

“It was a draw…” gasped Chelsea.

Vita slowly got up.

“It sure was…” she said, taking a deep breath.

Daala looked at her.

Then Vita took hold of the mask, and slowly started to take it off.

“What are you doing?” shouted Daala. “You can’t!”

Apparently, Vita could. She lifted the mask off her face, and tossed it aside. Underneath was a face whose resemblance to Daala’s was uncanny.

“But… You didn’t beat me…” gasped Daala.

“I didn’t have to,” replied Vita. “I had to prove I wasn’t inferior, remember?

“The duel was a draw… That means we’re equal.”

“Aw, technicalities stink…” muttered Eikou.

“The mask is gone,” said Vita. “So is your mark of inferiority. So I’m taking the power that’s rightfully mine.”

“I won’t let you!” screamed Daala.

She leapt up.

And then she clutched her stomach.

“No…” she gasped. “The disguise…”

“What’s happening to her?” shouted Yumi.

“Her disguise is slipping,” said Vita. “As soon as the duel ended, half of Xanadu’s power was transferred to me. Apparently, she can’t maintain the veil with what she has now…”

Daala was indeed starting to change. Her clothes changed first, turning into a golden dress with a blue sash. Her hair grew longer, turning waist-length. Then, horns appeared on her temples, and black, feathered wings appeared on her back.

She took some deep breaths. She looked up with a look of rage.

“What are you looking at?” she sneered.

“Daala is… A Dark Witch?” asked Sam.

“For the love of…” said Ren. “And you had the nerve to call Vita worthless? You’re a pretty worthless Monster yourself!”

Daala glared at them.

“You were expecting Silent Magician LV8?” she said, in a voice that was thick with bile. “Or maybe Infernalqueen? No… I took the form of Dark Witch on purpose, and became stuck with it…”

“But why?” asked Yumi.

“Because it’s so useless!” replied Daala.

“I still don’t see why,” replied Yumi.

“Uprisings,” growled Daala. “When Xanadu was first forming, before Joan even came, I had problems with many minor rebellions. Several small groups had issues with the way I was governing the place.”

“Not surprising,” said Erik.

“In most Dimensions,” continued Daala, “a Monster’s status depends not only on power, but on how useful it is to a duelist. That’s why I summoned Dark Necrofear. She was able to use her powers to transform humans who had eaten the Devil’s Fruit into Duel Spirits. Of course, she demanded several privileges, such as immunity to all of Xanadu’s laws. I agreed, and she transformed me into Dark Witch, a beautiful but rather useless Duel Spirit.

“In this guise, I could infiltrate every uprising undetected, and find out what I needed to know to crush them. Who would suspect a Dark Witch of being the Queen of Xanadu? Who would suspect a plain vanilla Level Five Monster with only 1,800 Attack Points? No-one, that’s who…

“Unfortunately, when my hold on Xanadu was threatened by Joan, the first real serious uprising, it would no longer do. Disguises couldn’t fool the security of Joan’s temple. I told Dark Necrofear to reverse her spell and turn me into something more powerful. And she cruelly told me that her spell was irreversible.”

“Irreversible?” gasped Sam.

“I would have locked her up in my dungeons forever,” snarled Daala. “But she reminded me that she was immune to Xanadu’s laws. I would have ripped up the contract and done it anyway, but then she told me that the contract had been notarized by the Court of Woe, and breaking it would cost me my soul.

“I could only cover this shame with a disguise from that point… Appear human to everyone who looked.”

“Irreversible?” gasped Ren. “There’s… no antidote?”

Daala laughed.

“That’s right, Ren!” she laughed. “Dark Necrofear still works for me, and did it to you under my order. One of the cardinal rules of Duel Spirits is, they can’t leave their home dimensions without permission from the ruler. I still have fifty percent authority, and I’ll regain the other fifty percent soon… Unless you five get that permission from me, and you won’t, you aren’t leaving.”

“Think again,” said Vita.

She grabbed Daala’s wrist.

“Your reign is ending right now, Daala. I think I may well be strong enough to undo the curse that split us in two in the first place. It’s time to end this nightmare…”

She grabbed Daala’s other wrist, and the two started to glow…

“Llymic!” screamed Daala. “HELP!”

Then, a blast of dark energy came out of nowhere, and knocked Vita off of Daala.

Vita fell at Yumi’s feet, stunned and dizzy. Everyone looked, and saw Chaos Sorcerer standing behind Daala. It was at this point that everyone noticed the alcove behind Daala. Apparently, he had appeared in it somehow.

“Now, now…” he said. “That simply will not suffice… Fifty percent of the power of Xanadu isn’t much compared to the might of the Abyss that is allotted to me, Vita…”

Yumi glared at him.

“Look, pal,” he said. “I want to know what the whole story is… Just who are you?

“Wait… You’re another human who was transformed by the Fruit, aren’t you?”

Chaos Sorcerer nodded.

“But while Chaos Sorcerer is now my true form,” he said, “I have the power to assume my original form at any time…”

A dark shroud enveloped him, and he quickly transformed into the elderly man who had dueled Daala using the Sacred Beasts.

“Lucian T. Borough is the name…” he said. “But you can call me Llymic…

“Master of the dark arts, and since your defeat of Unus the Undying… Favored high priest of the cult of Shogarr the Dread Emperor…”

“I should have guessed,” said Yumi. “Daala wasn’t alone in this whole endeavor. There was a power behind the throne.”

“So all the talk about being a Duel Spirit who was angry about his card being outlawed,” said Ren. “It was a lie…”

“No…” said Llymic. “I just dramatized the truth…

“Let me tell you the whole story… It’s quite interesting…”

“Why do they always make speeches?” groaned Erik.

“Quiet!” replied Yumi. “We may learn something…”

“Once I was simply a kid with a dream,” started Llymic. “My parents took me to see the KC Grand Prix, and it was the high point of my young life. I saw Yugi Mouto, Joey Wheeler, and Seto Kaiba in action, and like most who picked up a Disk for the first time, I wanted to be like them.

“As fate would have it, I went to start my dream at your great-grandfather’s card store, that small, unassuming shop in downtown Domino City. I was like a kid in a candy shop that day… So many cards, so many possibilities… What ones to chose?

“And who should walk in, but the great Yugi Mouto himself? I summoned the bravery to ask him for advice. He told me that sometimes the deck picks the duelist. Maybe I would have luck with a random shot.

“So did just that. I decided to buy one booster pack, and see what card fate would hand me. The first card in the pack I bought… Was Chaos Sorcerer.

“The card seemed to glow as I read the description. It was an omen… This card was calling to me.

“Despite the fact that Chaos Sorcerer was becoming more common with each passing month, I resolved to make a Chaos Sorcerer Deck that would surpass all others. And I succeeded, at least in my eyes. I built a deck that anyone using the card would envy, and used it in several duels. Time after time, the card brought me victory, even over others who used the same card.

“But one day, my life came crashing down around me… I learned that the card I had depended on for so long had been declared illegal.

“Broken, they said. Ruining the game, they said. Cookie cutter, apparently. I was crushed.

“I didn’t stop dueling, but nothing could replace the card I had grown so close to…

“And then, from nowhere, someone approached me. He told me that it wasn’t the Monster I was so enthralled with, but the very concept of Chaos.

“I didn’t know at first that this person served the powers of the Abyss, but I did find out later. I didn’t truly care. This person opened my eyes to Chaos. He showed me secrets that would scare most men to death. They excited me. Soon, I was learning how to manipulate Chaos on my own, using the primal power that flowed from the Abyss.

“I wasn’t swayed in the least when my mentor was consumed in the wildfire created by one of his spells. I delved more, and as years went by, visions came to me. They became more and more vivid, until Shogarr himself appeared before me, and offered me more power in exchange for my services.

“I left my true name behind, and started calling myself Llymic, Lord of Anarchy, after another Elder Evil who was defeated and killed by Shogarr. He was a demonic being from an alien realm beyond the planes we know of who held power over the dark side of Chaos, and whose apocalyptic plan was to extinguish the sun and plunge the world into endless, frozen night. Shogarr opposed him, because this plan would leave nothing for him to reshape when it came time to enact his own plan. Come to think of it, most Elder Evils who are killed perished at the hands of other Elder Evils. They don’t like each other. Anyway, naming myself after one of my master’s enemies amused him, as he considered it proof positive of his superiority over Llymic.

“He instructed me to form a realm separate from the Outer Planes, the Twelve Dimensions, and the Prime Material. Not an easy feat, but I found a way to do it. I made a deal with a young girl who wanted to rule a dimension formed from her dreams. I combined my magic with her technology to form Xanadu…

“The Devil’s Fruit was my idea. I knew what great power it held, and the demonic influence it had. After recruiting Dark Necrofear, I was able to take the form of the Monster I admired most. Sadly, Dark Necrofear only served us under several conditions, and we were not safe from her sadistic trickery. She didn’t tell us that she couldn’t reverse the effect, so Daala became trapped in the form of Dark Witch after she used it to crush the early uprisings. Fortunately, the magic she had gained, she didn’t have to appear as such to her subjects.”

“And I suppose you recruited the Big Five?” asked Sam.

“Yes,” replied Llymic. “I found them, after I discovered Gozaburo Kaiba’s greatest secret…

“During the Cold War, he, like most big weapons dealers, believed that nuclear war was imminent. So he had an elaborate, top-secret bunker built for himself in the Gobi Desert. Most of the construction was done by state-of-the-art automated robotic workers, and what few human workers he needed were driven to the sight in vehicles with blacked-out windows, driven by automated systems, and they were threatened with financial ruin if they breathed a word about its existence. The end result was a bomb shelter that could house a man comfortably for the rest of his life, with a moderately powerful supercomputer inside, equipped with a powerful wireless modem that would be used to contact anyone who survived the holocaust he imagined would occur.

“Noah’s punishment for the Big Five was to imprison them in his Virtual World forever, but Gozaburo intervened, downloading them via this modem into a hard drive in the bunker’s computer. His plan for them was to reprogram their minds, and turn them into loyal slaves once his current plan succeeded, the ultimate price for betraying him. As you may remember, he was planning to do the same thing to his stepson too, once he defeated him in a duel, but Kaiba defeated him. The bunker was going to be his last resort escape plan as well, but he didn’t count on Noah destroying the Virtual World, and cutting off every escape route, including that one. So the Big Five were left in limbo, unable to escape, for decades…

“When I found them, and offered them a chance to work for us, they couldn’t agree fast enough. Using the Devil’s Fruit, I gave them what Noah couldn’t – real bodies. And we made them governors of our new world, a much better offer than the slavery they were subjected to under Noah.

“And we started forming our master plan…”

“Master plan?” asked Yumi. “And are you going to tell us?”

“Indeed I am…” replied Llymic. “Behold…

“The Great Helm!”

Instinctively, everyone looked up. Lowering from the ceiling was a helmet the size of a tool shed. It was made of iron, and of ominous design, and radiated an aura of uncanny power…

…as well as a definite aura of Evil…



SERAPHIM GUNNER (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Fairy/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 4
ATK: 1,800
DEF: 1,200

Card Description: When this card is Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned, select either ATK or DEF. Increase the selected value of this card by 300 for every additional face-up Fairy-Type Monster on your side of the field.



SERAPHIM SABER (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Fairy/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 4
ATK: 1,600
DEF: 1,500

Card Description: When this card is Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned, select either ATK or DEF. Increase the selected value of this card by 300 for every additional face-up Fairy-Type Monster on your side of the field.

Note: “Seraphim Gunner” and “Seraphim Saber” were first used by Yakou Tenma in the “Yu-Gi-Oh R” issue “Advent of the God of Fear!!” Creative credit goes to the writers.



HOLY SANCTUARY (Spell Card)

Field Spell

Image: A collection of Grecian temples on grassy hills.

Card Description: All Monsters on the field except Fairy-Type Monsters lose 500 Attack Points. The number of Tributes needed to Normal Summon Fairy-Type Monsters is decreased by one.



DIVINE CASTLE GATE (Trap Card)

Normal Trap

Image: A dragon breathing fire against an iron door inscribed with ancient symbols.

Card Description: Send one “Holy Sanctuary” on your side of the field to the Graveyard. Any damage done to your Life Points during this turn is halved.

Note: “Holy Sanctuary”, and “Divine Castle Gate” were first used by Reggie in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” Manga. (Not to be confused with the character named Reggie in the English version of the anime). Creative credit goes to the writers.



DARK ARCHETYPE (Monster Card)

Card Specs

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

Card Description: This card’s effect may be activated when it is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard as a result of battle. Select a Monster from your deck with an ATK equal to the amount of damage you received from the battle. Then, discard from your hand Monsters whose combined Levels total that of the selected Monster. Then, Special Summon the selected Monster from your deck.



ZERO GAZER (Trap Card)

Normal Trap

Image: Panther Warrior in an inferno of flames, as two evil eyes lurk behind it.

Card Description: Activate this card when one of your Monsters in Attack Position is the target of an attack. Reduce the ATK of your Monster to zero. After damage calculation, draw one card.

Note: “Dark Archetype” and “Zero Gazer” were first used by Mr. T in a fourth season episode of “Yu-Gi-Oh GX”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



CONTAGION OF MADNESS (Spell Card)

Quickplay Spell

Image: A man screaming with a ruined city in the background.

Card Description: Activate when you are attacked directly. Inflict damage to your opponent equal to half the ATK of the attacking Monster.

Note: “Contagion of Madness” was first used by the Alister in the original anime episode “Déjà Duel! (Part Two)”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



REVENGE SOUL (Trap Card)

Normal Trap

Image: A fiendish, glowing hand rising out of a stagnant lake.

Card Description: Activate when a Monster is destroyed as a result of battle and sent to the Graveyard. Return that Monster to its owner’s hand.

Note: “Revenge Soul” was first used by the Spirit of Brron in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “Turning the Page (Part Two)”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



EVIL MARIE (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Fiend/Fusion/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 8
ATK: 2,800
DEF: 2,000

Card Description: Marie the Fallen One + Beast of Talwar

Once per turn, during your Main Phase, you may offer a Monster on your side of the field as a Tribute. Enact one of the following effects depending on the Type and Attribute of the Monster:
LIGHT Fairy: Inflict direct damage to your opponent equal the half the base ATK of the Tributed Monster.
DARK Fiend: Increase the ATK of this card by half the base ATK of the Tributed Monster until the End Phase of the turn.



Lords of Chaos

The Duke of Pain: Rahu the Tormentor

As the Prince of Demons, Demogorgon has several portfolios for mortals who are depraved enough to worship him. One of them is torture. Thus, throughout history, evil mortals who engaged in this morally corrupt profession have often prayed to the Prince of Demons for aid in honing their skills. However, they were much more likely to respect his chief “surgeon”, Rahu the Tormentor, for it is this demon who was far more visible to those who practiced the questionable trade.

Rahu is a demon who has served Demogorgon for as long as anyone can remember, and he has long been known to have an interest in human physiology and anatomy that is best described as obsessive. He grew tired of working under his tyrannical master long ago, wasting his talents on souls and other demons, and started making forays to the mortal world, where he could continue his grim work on his favored subjects. It is difficult for demons to come to Earth unless they are summoned, but Rahu has found many ways over the millennia, and if Demogorgon knows of his escapades (or cares about them) he doesn’t show it.

Rahu’s means of coming to the mortal world are many and varied. Oftentimes, evil human rulers would summon him to extract information from otherwise intractable enemies. Rahu would demand a price for this service, but it would be worth it – most of the time. When summoning any demon, one must be sure not to let his protective wards slip. This was especially true with Rahu, as several employers have found themselves on the receiving end of his screws and saws.

Rahu has found ways to come to the mortal world unsummoned, and is rumored to have been involved in many events where torture was commonplace. He was powerful during the days of Rome and medieval times, when torture was widespread. He may have even invented a few of the more notorious devices used for the profession, such as the thumbscrews and rack.

Sages believe that he was present during the Spanish Inquisition’s most active years; while most victims of that tribunal were ultimately spared death, Rahu never really cared whether victims of torture died or not. The more pain he could cause, the more he believed he could learn towards his sadistic practice.

Rahu is not seen in the world of humans much these days. Numerous international laws severely punish any government that uses his craft, so it is not wise to attract him. In addition, with all the suffering he has caused, several bounties have been placed on his head by many organizations that would oppose the forces of the Abyss. The members of all such organizations have been carefully instructed on Rahu’s appearance and MO, and know what to do should he ever show up. While in Demogorgon’s realm, Rahu is safe from the Wind Dukes, but stepping outside it would be a great risk. Still, Rahu likely will not be able to resist the temptation for long, and in the near future, the Tormentor’s days may be numbered.



Coming up next:

We leave Yumi and the others for a while, as Sheena and her group rush to join them. But before they can, they have to get past Dark Necrofear. The demon is determined not to let anyone else pass, and an ancient prophesy says that defeating her may well be impossible. Can Sheena do the impossible and defeat this incredible evil? Revealing the name of the next chapter would give too much away. Stay tuned.

[Shuppet Master]

So it looks like the effect is irreversible. Bummer. That might be why you had some of the Duel Spirits who talked to Yumi's friends after a duel invite them to their realms, to start a new life. The duel was pretty interesting, with a new fan-made fusion of Marie the Fallen One.

And it looks like the **** is hitting the fan. I can't wait for the next chapter.

[Dark Sage]

As a common duelist, a Duelatopian Eliminator, and the CEO of KaibaCorp, I’ve faced a lot of spineless opponents…

I’m pretty sure my current opponent doesn’t fit that category. I can see part of her spine in a place where her flesh doesn’t cover, as well as a few of her ribs.

I’m not easy to scare. I was once trained in intimidation tactics, after all. This isn’t the first time I’ve faced a creature from the dark depths of the netherworld. When Saurius invaded Duelatopia, I was taken by surprise, and my sister had to fight off one of his goons. She always was a trooper.

Of course, the one I’m facing right now is a far more infamous force of evil, one known to every duelist who’s seen the final rounds of Battle City – in other words, all of them. Her mere presence is enough to instill fear in the five AI programs who are with me, and the ancient prophesy that she threatened us with seems very legit…

Most people would run for their lives. Most people would be far away from here…

If I did what most people did, I’d never have gotten as far as I have.

Duel…

CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE



The Dark Seed

While Yumi and the others were making their way into the Core, the other half of their group, the group consisting of Zane, Aster, Mako, Jesse, Atticus, and Sheena, were making their way through the castle, doing their best to follow the same path that their allies took.

They followed the remains of fighting and forced-in entrances that Yumi and the others had left. Most remaining members of Daala’s forces surrendered quickly, and those that didn’t were subdued easily. Their biggest lead came when they encountered Daala’s handmaidens – the group of Harpies – who were seriously reconsidering their alliances. The Harpies gave up, and were able to give them quick directions to Daala’s throne room.

Once there, the stairway leading to the Core was still exposed, and they started to follow it down, six Disks ready.

Aster was trying to reach Yumi on his mobile, but having almost no success.

“Not even a small signal,” he said. “Something’s up…”

“We’re in a demonic palace, Aster,” said Zane. “I doubt our calling plan is good here…”

“I don’t like this,” said Mako. “I have the feeling I get right before the fiercest gale strikes. This stairway may well be a passage down to Hades.”

“I don’t like it either,” said Atticus, “but my gut tells me that Yumi and the others went this way, and they might be in trouble. They could use our support, at least.”

They all walked into the large chamber, where the portal to the Core stood.

Jesse looked at it, as the Spirits of Topaz Tiger and Sapphire Pegasus appeared next to him.

“What do you guys think?” he asked.

“There’s no welcome mat in front of that door,” replied Pegasus.

“There’s evil in the air,” added Tiger.

Then everyone was startled, as two glowing eyes surrounded by an aura of darkness appeared in front of them.

“I’m so sorry, everyone,” said Dark Necrofear’s sinister voice, “but I’m afraid this path leads to a dead end…”

The six of them stepped back in shock as the Fiend came fully into view.

“Is that…” gasped Aster.

“Oh, yeah…” said Zane.

“I’m afraid I can’t let any of you go any further,” said Dark Necrofear. “But I can’t let you leave either… I suggest you simply surrender. I’ll be merciful and quick.”

“Like I’m going to believe that,” replied Sheena.

“She can’t beat all of us!” shouted Aster.

His Disk activated.

Dark Necrofear laughed a wicked laugh. She gestured, and the mannequin in her arms vanished.

“You want to duel me, fools?” she asked. “You think you can defeat me? You think I can be defeated?”

“Who says you can’t?” asked Zane.

“Says one of the greatest prophets in the Abyss, that’s who,” replied Dark Necrofear.

She paused. She turned her back to them.

“My birth, so long ago,” she started, “was a horrific event, even by demon standards. My father was a general of the Blood War, my mother one of his many concubines.

“When born, I tore myself free from my mother’s womb, killing her, and then inflicting a grievous womb upon the midwife who conducted my delivery. My father was shocked by this creature he had sired, but took it as a divine sign. Certainly, the powers of Chaos had blessed him to provide him with a daughter with such power.

“His hunch was all but proven true, when only hours after my birth, a call was delivered from the watery domain ruled by great Dagon, the Sage of the Abyss. The ancient demon demanded that I be brought before him, and my father didn’t dare disobey.

“When I faced the great Sage, the words he spoke to me were burned into my mind, and remain there to this day:

“‘Child of Chaos, great is your power, greater is your potential. Wherever you choose to go in this world and beyond, Good will crumble, Order will erode. Destruction and death will follow where you walk. Whole kingdoms will shudder at the mention of your name, and when new kingdoms are built over the ashes of the ones you have destroyed, they will dread it for generations to come.

“‘But walk with caution, Child of Chaos, for you are not invincible. One day, you will be challenged not by a legendary knight or a hero of renown power, but by an honest commoner, who was given the blessing of the celestial hosts. That day, Child of Chaos, is the day where you will finally be met with defeat.’”

Dark Necrofear chuckled as she turned back to face them.

“It’s been a long road since then,” she said, lifting her arms. “The blood of each fool who has challenged me has been sweeter than the last. No ‘honest commoner’ has ever attempted to raise a hand against me… In every city that I have destroyed, commoners flee for their lives!

“And only the ones who can run fast manage to live…”

“You monster…” growled Zane.

Dark Necrofear gestured, and a Duel Disk made from black iron appeared on her left arm.

“I’ve been called far worse things in the past, Truesdale,” she said. “The choice is yours… Either surrender, or humiliate yourself by challenging me to a battle that you cannot win.”

“I accept your challenge,” replied Sheena.

Her five companions gasped as Sheena boldly stepped forward, a decidedly pissed look on her face.

“Prophesy, huh?” she asked. “Big deal… You know what I’ve come to know about prophesies? They’re usually wrong. On my world, some people think that Nostradamus was a great prophet. The thing is, almost every event that he is believed to have correctly predicted was interpreted by modern researchers through hindsight. Likely, each time he was supposedly right, it was just a misinterpretation of his works.”

“You dare compare the abilities of the Great Sage of the Abyss to those of some mortal soothsayer?” asked Dark Necrofear, with a hint of anger in her voice. “Dagon has never been wrong.”

“First time for everything,” said Sheena. “I accept your challenge.”

“You are either very brave or very foolish, Ms. Arachne,” replied the demon. “Or maybe a little of both. Either way, who am I to stop you? I’ll duel you… And once I have crushed you… I will eat your soul!”

That last comment made Sheena flinch a little, but she quickly regained her composure.

“Uh, Sheena?” said Mako. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”

“Never been surer,” replied Sheena. “You folks might want to find a big, solid object and hide behind it. I have a feeling this duel is going to be a little intense…”

(Sheena: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Dark Necrofear: 8,000)

“I always give my victims the honor of the first move,” said Dark Necrofear. “At least they can have that…”

Sheena made her first draw.

All right! she thought. I have Sakuretsu Armor and Shrink in my opening hand! I’m off to a great start…

“I set two cards,” she said, “and then summon my Insect Knight!”

Two reversed cards appeared, and then the tall mantis Warrior appeared, brandishing his sword. (1,900/1,500)

“And I end my turn…”

Sheena watched as her opponent drew a card.

Go ahead… she thought. Attack… Attack, I dare you.

Sheena watched as Dark Necrofear placed a card on her Disk, and a Monster appeared in Defense Mode.

“I end my turn,” she said.

“Huh?” said Jesse. “All of her threats and evil taunting, and she’s defending?”

“Don’t count her out yet,” replied Zane. “Every duelist knows that several Monsters are dangerous in Defense Mode.”

Sheena drew a card.

That’s true, she thought. She’s probably using Fiends. So it might be Night Assailant… Or Newdoria… Or Grave Squirmer…

If that’s the case, and I have two Monsters on the field, she’ll likely use its effect to destroy the one that didn’t attack, so she won’t be attacked directly… So, I have to attack it with my stronger Monster…

“I summon Neo Bug!” she shouted.

In a burst of energy, the large, green, pincered Insect appeared. (1,800/1,700)

“Insect Knight, attack her Monster!”

Insect Knight flew at the facedown card…

To Sheena’s surprise, the Monster that appeared on the card was not Night Assailant, Newdoria, OR Grave Squirmer… What it appeared to be was a large fruit with eyes and a fanged mouth. Insect Knight brought his sword down on it, causing it to burst into pulp and juice.

“HUH?” shouted Atticus. “That… That was no Fiend… It… It looked like a Plant…”

“That it was,” replied Dark Necrofear. “A form of plant life grown in the soil of the Abyss called a Cursed Fig. And now that you have planted its seed in my Graveyard, it takes root, and its curse is unleashed!”

Sheena gasped, as a series of vines shot out of the ground. Then, they all looped around her two facedown cards, trying them to the ground.

“What happened?” she shouted.

Dark Necrofear laughed.

“By destroying my Cursed Fig,” she replied, “it renders those two facedown cards worthless, until you manage to remove the Cursed Fig from my Graveyard. I may have given up my attack for last turn, but I’ve taken out two potential threats by not doing so.”

“Oh, really?” asked Sheena. “Well, I’m not done with you! Neo Bug… Attack her directly!”

Neo Bug scurried up to Dark Necrofear and chomped on the demon’s abdomen with its mandibles. Dark Necrofear hardly seemed to care. She simply pushed Neo Bug away with the palm of her hand.

(S: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (DN: 6,200)

“It… doesn’t hurt?” asked Aster.

“Of course it hurts, Phoenix,” replied Dark Necrofear. “Can’t you tell by my clothing that I welcome pain? This outfit was something my father forced his female slaves to wear, but I donned it willingly. Pain only invigorates me…”

“Guys… She’s nuts!” gasped Jesse.

“I end my turn…” said Sheena, nervously.

Dark Necrofear drew a new card.

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

Another concealed card appeared, and then a reversed card.

“That will be all.”

Still no attack, thought Sheena, drawing a card. She’s clearly up to something…

“I’ll set a Monster of my own,” she said, as a facedown Monster appeared.

“Then, I’ll attack with Insect Knight!”

Insect Knight lifted his sword.

“Not so fast!” exclaimed Dark Necrofear.

Her facedown card lifted.

“I activate Raigeki Break! This Trap Card lets me destroy any card on the field, so long as I discard one from my hand.”

She quickly slipped a card into her discard slot, and lighting flashed. Insect Knight screamed, and was burned to ashes.

“Ooh, you’re gonna pay for that,” growled Sheena. “Neo Bug, attack her Monster!”

Neo Bug scurried towards the card. The creature that appeared kneeling on it was a slim, graceful, female figure, apparently clad in leaves. Then it became apparent that her body was actually made of leaves, with a crown of pink petals around her head, and a pitcher plant-like growth hanging down the back of her head like a ponytail.

Neo Bug grabbed her, and she shattered.

“You just destroyed Botanical Girl,” said Dark Necrofear, with a chuckle. “And when she goes from the field to my Graveyard, I get to take a Plant from my deck, so long as its Defense Score is 1,000 or less.”

A card slipped out of her deck, and she took it.

“I’m kind of confused here,” said Zane. “Why all the Plants? When did the ultimate evil in Duel Monsters get such a green thumb?”

“Since Shogarr the Dread Emperor put me in charge of the growth and distribution of Devil’s Fruit!” laughed Dark Necrofear. “Even demons have hobbies, Truesdale… Over many millennia, I learned several things about the Abyss, and demonic horticulture was a hobby I picked up. When Shogarr learned that a demon of my power could make plants grow as well as I could, he couldn’t enlist my services for that purpose quickly enough.

“I’ve worked with Devil’s Fruit so long, raising it, experimenting with it and developing hybrids… Transplanting cuttings on other dimensions and the mortal world so that it could take root and grow, and fools could find it and try to benefit from its power. Oh, I just love working with it… So making a deck full of Plants just came second nature.”

“It takes a lot to make something as beautiful and as natural as a flower evil,” growled Sheena. “Insects eat plants, in case you didn’t know…

“It’s your turn, by the way…”

Dark Necrofear drew a card.

“I play Monster Reborn,” she said. “I’ll summon from my Graveyard the Monster I tossed with Raigeki Break’s effect. Lonefire Blossom in Defense Mode.”

The glowing ankh appeared, and a large flower appeared in front of her. Its stem was made of thick, twisting vines, it had leaves that looked like bronze ivy leaves, and its blossom looked like a spherical pod. (500/1,400)

“Next,” she said. “I’ll summon Gigantic Cephalotus.”

She played the card, and a new Plant Monster appeared. “Gigantic” was a good description, as it was about seven feet tall, and five feet wide, and its body was almost entirely taken up by a toothy mouth with a long tongue, standing on two legs. (1,850/700)

“A big, man-eating plant?” asked Atticus. “Isn’t that kind of a cliché?”

“I’m not done,” replied Dark Necrofear. “I play the Spell Card, Seed of Deception.”

The Spell Card appeared, a card showing the image of a Dark Plant, a very out-of-date Monster.

“This Spell lets me Special Summon a Plant from my hand, so long as it’s Level Two or less. So, I Special Summon my Night Twist.”

A new Plant Monster appeared. This one looked like a small, dead tree with a fiendish face carved into its trunk. It let out a sad moan. (800/900)

“Now,” she continued. “I activate Lonefire Blossom’s effect. By sacrificing a Plant on the field, I get to Special Summon any Plant I want from my deck…”

The Night Twist vanished.

“ANY Plant at all?” asked Mako.

“Well…” muttered Aster. “What’s the worst she could summon? I mean, there aren’t all that many strong Plants...”

“But the strong Plants that do exist can be incredibly strong,” replied Dark Necrofear. “And by the way, each time a Plant goes from the field to the Graveyard, my Cephalotus gains 200 Attack Points. Also, when Night Twist is sent to my Graveyard, I gain 1,000 Attack Points.”

Gigantic Cephalotus grew to an Attack Score of 2,050.

Dark Necrofear’s eyes glowed with evil light.

“Now…” she said. “Ms. Arachne… Meet a Monster much stronger than any Insect you’re likely to summon… Her royal highness… Tytannial, Princess of Camellias!”

The Monster that appeared seemed to fit the description of a “Princess of Camellias” very well. It was a tall, very beautiful woman, clothed in an elaborate dress than seemed to be made of flowers and leaves. The upper part of the dress was all leaves, ivy, and pink roses, while the lower part seemed to be one huge, red rose. She wore a crown made from a smaller, but still large rose, set with a green gem in front. Aside from her dress, she seemed to be human, except for her hair, which appeared to be made of ivy leaves. (2,800/2,600)

“2,800 Attack Points?” shouted Mako. “She’s just as strong as my Coelacanth!”

“Is THAT strong enough for you, Aster?” asked Zane.

“She not only has a very impressive Attack Score,” replied Dark Necrofear, “but a powerful effect. If you activate a Spell, Trap, or Monster effect that targets another card, she can negate it if I sacrifice a Plant Monster.

“So, I’d like to proceed… Cephalotus, destroy her facedown Monster.”

Gigantic Cephalotus roared, and charged at the facedown card. Skelengel appeared on it. Cephalotus snapped up the cherub and swallowed it whole.

“Eww…” muttered Sheena. “I get to draw one card…”

She made a draw.

“Tytannial… Attack with Petal Storm!” ordered Dark Necrofear.

Tytannial’s eyes glowed, and she thrust her arms forward. A storm of razor-sharp rose petals shot at Neo Bug, and it was knocked over before it was blasted to pieces. Sheena shielded herself.

(S: 7,000) - - - - - - - - - - (DN: 7,200)

As Sheena put her arm down, she noticed that it wasn’t all there. Part of her arm, the part from her wrist to her elbow, was gone. Exactly what was holding her hand up, she didn’t know.

“What happened to my arm?” she gasped. “What are you doing to me?”

“Remember what I said, Ms. Arachne?” asked Dark Necrofear. “As you lose Life Points, I’ll consume your life force gradually…

“I’ve found that a delicacy like the human soul is similar to fine wine… It’s best to savor it… Rather than take it all at once…”

“This…” stammered Sheena. “This is some sort of Shadow Game, isn’t it?”

Dark Necrofear chuckled.

“I’m a demon from the Abyss, Ms. Arachne,” she said. “Did you really expect otherwise?”

* * * * * * * * * *

“Master plan?” asked Yumi.

“Why, yes,” replied Llymic. “Although, it’s changed a lot over the last few months.

“At first, we were going to pull you into Xanadu by sabotaging Ms. Arachne’s silly online video game. But with Joan’s rebellion and her dictum, which would have prevented us from making a quick capture, we decided to change tactics.

“We came up with the idea to use you to get the Key. Although, Joan was obviously too clever, and apparently hid it somewhere else. But that hardly matters now. Joan can no longer protect herself with her own dictum, and our plan to capture you has all but succeeded.”

“Another plan by Shogarr to get rid of me,” growled Yumi. “So his precious Grand Rebirth could go off without a hitch.”

“Yes,” said Llymic, “but now we came up with a way you can help us with that as well.

“You see, I discovered a way to increase the output of power from the Core of Xanadu… The epicenter of might that we’re standing on…”

He pointed to the archway behind him.

“You weren’t entirely right when you said there were no other exits from this place. That is the portal to the Abyss itself! I can make Xanadu’s Core feed off the Chaos energies and generate great power…

“The way I would do this is by creating special Soulgems. They would act as generators, using the prisoners inside them as batteries. However, these special Soulgems could only hold Duel Spirits.”

Everyone gasped.

“That’s why you tricked us into…” stammered Sam.

“Doing THIS to ourselves!” screamed Chelsea.

Llymic nodded.

“Kill two birds with one stone, that was the reason,” he said. “That was Daala’s idea, actually. You’d not only be our prisoners and be out of Shogarr’s way, you’d be giving us the energy we needed for our true goal – a mass invasion of Earth. Our first one was compromised, but with my plan, we’ll have more than enough power to make more attempts… Far more powerful ones!”

“WHY?” shouted Yumi. “Why do you want to invade Earth?”

“To lure Jaden Yuki back to defend it!” replied Llymic. “Once he and his friends learn that their home planet is under siege by Duel Spirits, they’ll come, which is just what we want…”

Yumi and the others gave him a strange look.

“What does Jaden have that you want?” asked Yumi.

“The very things that Shogarr needs to enact the Grand Rebirth,” replied Llymic. “I’ll explain…

“In his final duel with Yubel, Yubel sought to merge the Twelve Dimensions together, in a mad ritual which likely would have destroyed them, all to win back Jaden so she could rule with him at her side.

“So, she used the Super Polymerization card in an attempt to do this, attempting to fuse together twelve Monsters, of Levels One through Twelve, which would have, in turn, fused the Twelve Dimensions together.

“She almost succeeded. However, Jaden countered her Chain Material Trap Card with a Trap of his own called Spiritual Fusion, which let him choose what was fused with the Super Polymerization. Of course, if he had Neos Wiseman at the time, he could have fused Yubel’s avatar with Neos and used it to win the duel. But apparently, he either didn’t have it at the time or didn’t choose to. What he chose to fuse was his soul with Yubel’s. Thus, the universe was saved, and Jaden matured in the process, gaining a strong spirit guide.

“To perform the Grand Rebirth, we intend to conduct a similar ritual…”

Yumi gasped.

“Those eleven Monsters in that shrine!” she shouted.

Llymic nodded again.

“All we need,” he said, “is a Level Twelve Monster, and a Super Polymerization card.

“Sadly, Level Twelve Monsters are hard to come by. Almost all of them are Fusion Monsters. We thought of using Daala’s F.G.D., but as you know, we’re going to have to use eleven slots in the deck already for the other Monsters. If we use more of them for Dragons and Dragon’s Mirror cards, we can’t count on the ritual being successful. With the Grand Rebirth, time is of the essence. It must be finished quickly, because no matter how secretive we are, the Wind Dukes and every other planar race that opposes it are certain to discover what is happening, and send legions of troops to try to stop it.

“Super Polymerization is even harder. We tried to get that information from Brron, but his Wicked Cannon Spell Card simply cannot be recreated. It seems that only Yubel herself has the knowledge to craft that card.

“But… Jaden has the two cards we need. He has Super Polymerization, and he has the card that represents Yubel’s true form, Yubel – Das Extremer Traurig Drachen, a Level Twelve Monster that isn’t a Fusion.

“We simply need to lure him to Earth, take him and his allies by surprise, overwhelm them, and take those two cards. Then, by combining the power of the duel with the power of the Great Helm, the ritual can be done, and Shogarr’s ultimate plan can reach a glorious crescendo!”

* * * * * * * * * *

Sheena was sweating hard. She looked at the four cards in her hand.

I gotta think of something fast… she thought. Man, to think of all the times I told Diane that veggies were good for her…

She drew a card.

“I play Pot of Greed!” she shouted.

The wicked jar appeared with a laugh, and she made two draws.

“Perfect!” she said. “Time to toss this salad. I play Burden of the Mighty!”

She quickly threw the card into her Disk, and it appeared on her side of the field.

“Guess what?” she said. “Burden of the Mighty isn’t a targeting effect! And that’s bad luck for your three Monsters…”

Gigantic Cephalotus fell to an Attack Score of 1,650, Lonefire Blossom fell to 200, and Tytannial was hit the hardest, falling to 2,000.

“Then, I summon my Chainsaw Insect!”

With a blast of buzzing sound, the huge beetle with chainsaws for mandibles appeared. (2,400/0)

“I’ll just keep on going,” she said, “and play my own Monster Reborn!”

She played the card, and the ankh appeared on her own side of the field. Insect Knight appeared again. (1,900/1,500)

“Now, I’ll, uh…”

She paused.

“Yes, Ms. Arachne?” asked Dark Necrofear.

“One second…” replied Sheena.

Can’t make a mistake here… thought Sheena. I can only destroy two of her Monsters this round… Which one not to attack?

I have to destroy Lonefire Blossom, definitely. I can’t risk her summoning a second copy of Tytannial with it… So should I attack Tytannial, or Cephalotus?

Wait… Cephalotus will gain 200 Attack Points each time a Plant goes to the Graveyard. If I leave it alone this round, it will go up to 2,050 Attack Points again. I could handle it next round…

Unless… Unless she destroys Burden of the Mighty, in which case it would go up to 2,450, and have the potential to become even stronger!

Better destroy it now…

“Chainsaw Insect,” she shouted, “destroy Gigantic Cephalotus!”

Chainsaw Insect’s blades roared, and it scurried forward, slicing the Cephalotus in half like a ripe eggplant. The remains shattered.

“I get to draw one card due to that bug’s effect,” said Dark Necrofear with a chuckle.

She drew a card.

“And it seems you made a big mistake… One that will cost you dearly…”

“We’ll see,” said Sheena. “Insect Knight, destroy Lonefire Blossom with mandiblade!”

Insect Knight flew at the large flower, and loped off its large bulb with his sword. The rest of it was blown to pixels.

(S: 7,000) - - - - - - - - - - (DN: 6,450)

“I end my turn,” said Sheena. “And who says I made a mistake? I’ll get her next turn.”

“No you won’t,” replied Dark Necrofear.

She drew a card.

She turned the card on her Disk, and Tytannial knelt and shielded herself in Defense Mode.

“Oh no…” said Mako. “Sheena DID make a mistake. Tytannial’s Defense Score is only 200 points lower than her Attack Score! Chainsaw Insect can’t beat that!”

“Don’t feel too bad,” said Dark Necrofear. “You aren’t the first of my opponents to make stupid mistakes. Of course the stupidest mistake you made was even making this challenge.

“I summon Mystic Tomato.”

She played the card, and the large tomato with a silly face on it appeared. (1,400/1,100)

“Next, I play the Spell Card, Fragrance Storm.”

She played the card, and the air around them became full of sweet-smelling potpourri.

“When I play this card, I have to destroy one Plant on the field.”

Mystic Tomato shattered into pixels.

“Then I get to draw one card. And if that card is a Plant Monster…”

She made a draw.

“…and it is…”

She held the card forward. It was Botanical Lion.

“…I get to make an additional draw.”

She drew a second time.

“I think I’ll end my turn there.”

Sheena sighed, and then drew a card.

She turned a card on her own Disk, and Insect Knight crouched in Defense Mode.

“Guess that’s all I can do…” she muttered.

“Feeling despair?” asked Dark Necrofear. “Feeling hopeless?”

She drew.

“Good… When mortals give up the last traces of hope, they are at the peak of their flavor!

“I play the Spell Card, Tornado!”

The Spell Card appeared on her side of the field, and true to its name, a huge, glowing tornado started to form.

“You have three cards in your Spell Zone, which is exactly the amount I need to use this card and destroy one of them.”

The windstorm crashed into Burden of the Mighty, blowing it to bits. Tytannial rose back to an Attack Score of 2,800.

Then she stood back up into Attack Mode.

“Now, appear before me, Botanical Lion.”

A new plant sprouted, and formed into the shape of a lion – sort of. Its body seemed to be made completely out of wood, and it had a large rose for a mane. (1,600/2,000)

“And it gains 300 more Attack Points for each Plant I have on the field.”

(2,200/2,000)

“Tytannial, wipe out her Chainsaw Insect! Petal Storm!”

Tytannial’s eyes glowed again, and the storm of rose petals started again. Chainsaw Insect staggered against it, and then exploded.

Dark Necrofear drew another card.

Then Botanical Lion roared, and pounced, leaping on Insect Knight and crushing him flat.

(S: 6,600) - - - - - - - - - - (DN: 6,450)

Sheena was shocked to see more of her arm slowly fade away.

“Ready to give up?” asked Dark Necrofear. “Or do you want more pain?”

“I’m not gonna give up, Dark Necrofear!” screamed Sheena. “I’ll keep fighting until I can no longer stand!

“Draw!”

She drew a card.

Hmm… I think I can use this… she thought.

“I play Giant Trunade!” she shouted.

She played the card, and a fierce wind ripped over the field. Her two facedown cards strained against the vines holding them down, until finally, the vines snapped. The Shrink and Sakuretsu Armor cards reappeared in Sheena’s hand.

Okay, let’s see, she thought. If I set them again, her Cursed Fig will have no further effect on them…

However, both of them are targeting effects, meaning Tytannial can negate them if Necrofear sacrifices a Plant Monster.

So…

She took a Spell Card from her hand.

“I play Magical Mallet!” she said. “I’ll reshuffle two of the cards in my hand back to my deck, to draw two new ones.”

She placed Shrink and Sakuretsu Armor back in her deck, then reshuffled. Then she made two draws.

Now that’s more like it! she thought.

She placed a card in her Disk.

“I play… Nightmare’s Steelcage!”

The ground erupted in fire around Dark Necrofear and her two Monsters, and a solid steel domed cage formed around them. Dark Necrofear’s eyes narrowed.

“All right!” shouted Jesse. “Now Sheena is safe from attacks for two turns.”

“A mere annoyance,” replied Dark Necrofear.

“I’ll set this Monster,” said Sheena, as a Defensive Monster appeared, “and that will be all.”

Dark Necrofear drew a card.

She smirked a little. She placed it in her Disk.

“I activate a powerful Continuous Spell,” she said. “Behold, the grand majesty of… The World Tree!”

As she played the card, the whole chamber seemed to break apart, and the largest, most majestic, most beautiful tree any of them had ever seen rose behind Dark Necrofear. It was an enormous, titanic plant the size of a skyscraper, with emerald leaves, a stout trunk, and ripe, sumptuous-looking fruit hanging from its branches. Birds sang in its thousand branches, and squirrels scurried up and down the great trunk.



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“Behold, Ms. Arachne,” said Dark Necrofear, “the glory of the mighty Yggdrasill, the fabled World Tree whose branches spanned the universe. Its upper boughs reached Heaven, its roots reached into Hell, and it cradled the world of mortals in its center. This great plant held power beyond imagining, that even the gods could not comprehend.”

“Very dramatic,” said Sheena. “What does your Spell Card do?”

“You’ll see…” said Dark Necrofear. “Soon enough… I end my turn…”

* * * * * * * * * *

“So, my young friends,” said Llymic, “now that you know the whole story, do you comprehend the great potential we are poised to unleash?”

“Uh, yeah…” said Erik, nervously. “So… When do the guys in the white coats come to take you to the happy hotel?”

“Who thought up this plan?” shouted Chelsea. “Lunatics Unlimited?!”

“This is Chaos at work,” said Yumi. “It’s supposed to sound insane.

“What about you, Daala? What do you stand to gain in all of this?”

“I’ll get what I always wanted once it’s complete,” replied Daala. “The world of mortals will become an empire where Duel Spirits and humans live as one society, with me as Shogarr’s governor.”

“A twisted version of Phyllis Ting’s original dream,” replied Vita.

“Be that as it may,” said Llymic, “here is what I’m willing to offer, Yumi. If you are willing to duel both Daala and myself, you may make one final wager… If you win, you and your friends are free to go home, and Xanadu will never trouble the human world again.

“But if we win, you, your four companions, and those two…”

He pointed to Joan and Vita.

“…must surrender, unconditionally!”

There was dead silence for a few seconds.

“Two against one?” asked Yumi. “That’s hardly fair…”

“Oh, you can have a partner,” sighed Daala. “Choose anyone here you want. We don’t care…”

Yumi paused again. She looked at her hands for a minute.

“Well?” asked Llymic.

“Give me a minute…” replied Yumi. “That’s a pretty heavy wager, and I want to be sure I’m making the right decision when I answer…”

* * * * * * * * * *

Sheena drew a card. She looked at it.

“All right, demon,” she said. “I’m setting these…”

A reversed card, and a second defensive Monster appeared.

“And I end my turn.”

“Very well,” said Dark Necrofear, drawing a card.

She looked at the card, and then added it to her hand.

“I’ll simply pass for this turn, and let your cage expire.”

The metal bars started to smoke and rot, and the Steelcage dissolved into mist.

Sheena nervously made a draw.

Okay, let’s hope this works out, she thought, looking at it.

“I play… Graceful Charity!” she shouted playing it.

In a flourish of light, the lovely angel appeared once again. Her feathers fell on Sheena’s deck, and she made three draws.

Perfect! thought Sheena.

She quickly discarded her Insect Princess and Skull-Marked Ladybug.

“Next,” she said, “I flip both my Monsters into Attack Mode. First, Pinch Hopper.”

One of her facedown Monsters flipped up, and the large grasshopper appeared. (1,000/1,200)

“Next, my 4-Starred Ladybug of Doom!”

Her second Monster flipped face-up, revealing a large ladybug with four stars on its back. (800/1,200)

“Due to its effect, all your Level Four Monsters are destroyed!”

Botanical Lion roared, as glowing stars covered its woody hide. It burst into pixels.

Then, a large flower sprouted on the boughs of The World Tree.

Okay… thought Sheena. Don’t… like that…

She took another card from her hand. She opened her Field slot and placed it.

“I play Insect Garden!” she shouted.

A forest of giant grass and huge flowers started to sprout around them, still dwarfed the enormous World Tree, but only accenting the odd nature of the battle.

“By playing this card, all Insects on my side of the field that are Level Four or lower move to your side of the field. So go ahead, guys.”

Pinch Hopper and 4-Starred Ladybug of Doom scurried across the field, positioning themselves on Dark Necrofear’s side of the field.

“What’s the point?” asked the demon.

“I’ll show you,” replied Sheena. “I activate Call of the Haunted!”

Her facedown card flipped up.

“I’ll summon a princess of my own… Insect Princess!”

In a burst of energy, the royal Insect appeared; the delicate, four-armed, humanoid, female insect with antennae and butterfly wings. (1,900/1,200)

“Next, an Equip Spell,” she said. “The Insect Pheromone!”

She played the card, and Insect Princess’s wings started to glow with colored lights.

“Of course, you’re free to use Tytannial’s effect to stop me… But you’d have to sacrifice Tytannial herself…”

“I’m not afraid of your Equip Spell!” shouted Dark Necrofear.

“We’ll see about that,” said Sheena. “Insect Princess, attack 4-Starred Ladybug of Doom! Katydid kick!”

Insect Princess flew over the field, and then flew down, bringing her foot down on the Ladybug and squashing it. Dark Necrofear winced a little.

“Insect Princess gains 500 Attack Points for each Insect she stomps,” continued Sheena, as Insect Princess rose to an Attack Score of 2,400. “What’s more, due to her Insect Pheromone, whenever she does so, she can compel another Insect to attack her.”

Insect Princess flapped her wings, and a cloud of dust covered the field. Pinch Hopper scurried towards her, and the Princess complied by smashing it flat. Dark Necrofear cringed, and Insect Princess rose to an Attack Score of 2,900.

“Insect Princess is stronger than Tytannial now!” shouted Atticus. “Sheena may have a chance!”

“You got that right,” said Sheena, taking the last card in her hand. “I’ll set this Monster, and end my turn.”

Another defensive Monster appeared.

(S: 6,600) - - - - - - - - - - (DN: 3,950)

Dark Necrofear made a draw.

“I set one card facedown, and move Tytannial to Defense Mode,” she said.

A facedown card appeared, and Tytannial knelt and crossed her arms.

“That’s my turn.”

Sheena drew a card.

Hmm, this might be useful, she thought.

She set it in her Disk, and it appeared facedown.

“Insect Princess, attack the Princess of Camellias!”

Insect Princess aimed a violent kick at the flower fairy, and everyone cheered as she burst into an explosion of rose petals.

Then, a second huge flower sprouted on The World Tree.

“Uh… What exactly do those do?” asked Sheena.

“I’ll show you in a minute,” said Dark Necrofear. “Is that your turn?”

Sheena nodded. Dark Necrofear drew a card.

“Each time a Plant Monster is destroyed,” continued Dark Necrofear, “The World Tree gains a Flower. The World Tree has three different effects. Which one I use depends on whether I remove one, two, or three of them.

“By removing two of them, I can destroy any card on the field.”

The two Flowers vanished, and The World Tree glowed with eldritch energy. Insect Princess screamed, and then shattered into shards.

“No…” gasped Sheena.

“Next,” continued Dark Necrofear, “I summon the Tuner Monster, Night-Rose Knight!”

“Tuner Monster?!” shouted Sheena.

In a burst of energy, a new Monster leapt onto the field. This was not a Plant – he was clearly a Warrior. He looked like a young boy, only wearing dark knight armor and a cape, holding a sword. (1,000/1,000)

“A Tuner Monster…” gasped Zane. “That means a Synchro Monster isn’t far behind…”

“Night-Rose Knight also has a powerful effect of his own,” continued Dark Necrofear. “By summoning him, I get to Special Summon a Plant Monster from my hand, so long as it’s Level Four or less… So I summon Rigorous Reaver.”

Another Monster appeared on the field. It was a blocky construct made completely out of wood, with an ovoid head that seemed to be taken up completely by a toothy, vertical mouth. It carried a sharp scythe. (1,600/100)

“Reaver… Attack her Monster.”

“Huh?” said Sheena.

Rigorous Reaver slashed with its scythe. A Morphing Jar appeared on the card, and was sliced into dark particles.

Sheena quickly made five draws. Dark Necrofear discarded the three cards in her hand and made five draws.

“Night-Rose Knight, attack Ms. Arachne directly! Night slash!”

Sheena grunted as the Warrior’s sword struck her. She took a step backwards.

“I’m not done with you,” said Dark Necrofear.

Her facedown card lifted.

“You were expecting a Synchro Summon? I activate Urgent Tuning. This Trap Card lets me do it in the middle of my Battle Phase.”

“You gotta be kidding…” said Sheena.

“I never kid,” replied the demon.

Night-Rose Knight and Rigorous Reaver leapt into the air, and then dissolved into six glowing stars.

“Planted in cursed ground…” chanted Dark Necrofear, “roots feeding on tainted soil, a sinister bramble blooms in the wilds of the Underworld! I Tune Night-Rose Knight and Rigorous Reaver! Clustering stars call a new force… Synchro Summon… Queen of Thorns!”

The ground burst open, and thorny vines sprouted out of the ground. A feminine creature rose from the spot, one that looked like Tytannial’s evil twin. Her leaves were russet and serrated, thorny vines covered her foliage, and instead of hands, she had wicked-looking claws that resembled the mouths of a flytrap. (2,200/1,800)

“Like I said,” continued Dark Necrofear, “my Battle Phase hasn’t ended, meaning my Queen can attack you directly…”

Queen of Thorns reached for Sheena.

“NO! Don’t!” pleaded Sheena, starting to panic.

Then she screamed as the Monster grabbed her with a claw and started to squeeze. The Queen of Thorns grinned evilly as Sheena collapsed on the floor.

(S: 3,400) - - - - - - - - - - (DN: 3,950)

Dark Necrofear placed a card in her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

“While you’re picking yourself up,” she said, “it’s only fair to warn you about Queen of Thorns’ powerful effect. Summoning a Monster from your hand that isn’t a Plant costs 1,000 Life Points so long as she’s on the field.”

Sheena got up and looked at herself. Half of her lower torso had faded away.

“I end my turn,” said Dark Necrofear. “I can make the pain stop, Ms. Arachne… Any time you’re willing to surrender.”

Sheena paused. She shivered for a minute.

Okay, so I panicked, she thought. I didn’t expect a Synchro Monster… I can still do this… I just have to take a few deep breaths…

She drew a card.

“I play Pot of Avarice!” she shouted.

She played the card, and took Insect Knight, Neo Bug, Skull-Mark Ladybug, 4-Starred Ladybug of Doom, and Pinch Hopper from her discard slot. She shuffled her deck, and made two draws.

“Next, I play Premature Burial,” she said, playing a card. “I’ll bring Insect Princess back from my Graveyard.”

She glowed with an aura of red energy, as the royal Insect appeared once again. (1,900/1,200)

“Next, my facedown card,” she said, as her reversed card lifted. “Emergency Provisions. I’ll send Premature Burial and my Field Spell to the Graveyard, to gain 2,000 Life Points.”

The Insect Garden and the Equip Spell faded away, and she glowed with golden energy.

“Now, I play the Ritual Spell, Wrath of the Spider Queen!”

Lightning flashed, and the sinister spider altar appeared behind her.

“I’ll sacrifice Insect Princess and Aztekipede the Worm Warrior,” she said, “to summon The Spider Queen!”

Aztekipede appeared next to Insect Princess, and both Monsters vanished into bursts of violet flame. The altar burst, and the spider goddess with Sheena’s face appeared, and glared at Dark Necrofear. (2,600/2,800)

“Don’t forget,” added Dark Necrofear, “it costs you 1,000 Life Points.”

“I didn’t forget,” replied Sheena, as she glowed with the red aura again. “Now I’ll…”

She paused.

Aw, nuts… she thought. I have to sacrifice a Monster to attack with her…

She looked at her hand.

And the only one I have left is Doom Dozer… I could summon it, but I don’t like that facedown card she has… I’d better wait for now…

“I… end my turn…” she said.

(S: 3,600) - - - - - - - - - - (DN: 3,950)

“So,” said Dark Necrofear, “my Queen of Thorns against your Spider Queen. We’ll soon see who the better monarch is…”

She made a draw. She added it to her hand, and then gestured.

“I activate the Trap Card, Plant Food Chain,” she said.

Her Trap Card lifted, showing a rather frightening image. It was a picture of Botanical Girl being devoured by Gigantic Cephalotus.

“I seem to remember you saying,” said Necrofear, “that insects eat plants. On mortal worlds, that is indeed the case. Plants lie at the bottom of most food chains there. That isn’t always the case in the Abyss, and this Trap Card helps bring them a few notches up the ladder. By activating it, I can Equip it to a Plant Monster like an Equip Spell, and increase that Monster’s Attack Score by 500 points.”

Queen of Thorns glowed with a sickly green aura, and rose to 2,700 Attack Points.

“Destroy her Spider Queen!” she shouted.

Queen of Thorns reached for The Spider Queen with her claw…

“Not so fast!” replied Sheena.

She quickly discarded her Insect Imitation.

“If I toss a card, The Spider Queen can’t be destroyed!”

The Spider Queen grunted as the claw slashed at her, but she remained standing.

Dark Necrofear took a card from her hand, and placed it in her Disk. Another facedown card appeared. She glared at Sheena.

“Uhm, I take it that means it’s my turn…” muttered Sheena.

(S: 3,500) - - - - - - - - - - (DN: 3,950)

She drew a card.

Huh? she thought, when she saw the card. How did…

Then she suddenly remembered. She had discovered this Trap Card just last week. It didn’t truly require Insects to use, but it fit her theme, so she put it in her deck.

The problem was, she had never used it before.

Oh, a Shadow Game where my life and soul depends on the outcome isn’t exactly the best time for a test run! she thought.

She added it to her hand. Then she quickly took Chainsaw Insect and Aztekipede from her Graveyard, and pocketed them.

“I Special Summon Doom Dozer!” she shouted.

In an explosion of energy, the giant, demonic millipede appeared with a roar. Sheena groaned a little as Queen of Thorns glowed again, and her Life Points were sapped. (2,800/2,600)

“All right!” shouted Jesse. “Mulch that weed!”

“You heard him!” shouted Sheena. “Attack the Queen of Thorns!”

Queen of Thorns glared at Doom Dozer defiantly as it loomed over her…

“I activate… Mystical Space Typhoon,” said Dark Necrofear, as her facedown card lifted.

“WHAT?” gasped Zane. “But… The only card you can destroy is your own Plant Food Chain!”

“That’s the idea,” replied Dark Necrofear.

The cyclone blasted across the field, and the Trap Card shattered. Queen of Thorns fell to 2,200 Attack Points again.

“Plant Food Chain has another effect,” continued Dark Necrofear. “When it’s destroyed by a card effect, even my own, I get to Special Summon a Plant from my Graveyard.

“Guess who it is…”

In an aura of energy, Tytannial appeared next to Queen of Thorns. (2,800/2,600) Doom Dozer paused.

“Keep going!” ordered Sheena.

Doom Dozer lunged, and swallowed Queen of Thorns in one gulp.

Another flower sprouted on The World Tree.

“And you lose the top card from your deck now,” growled Sheena.

Dark Necrofear shrugged, and discarded a card.

(S: 2,500) - - - - - - - - - - (DN: 3,350)

Sheena looked at the Trap Card she had drawn again.

It’s now or never… she thought.

She placed it in her Disk, and it appeared facedown.

“I end my turn…” she muttered.

Dark Necrofear grinned as she drew a card.

“I play the Spell Card, Trap Booster!” she exclaimed. “So, I toss one card…”

She discarded her Lord Poison.

“…and I get to activate a Trap Card directly from my hand. Like a second Plant Food Chain!”

She played the card, and Tytannial’s Attack Score rose to 3,300.

Sheena grinned.

“That’s just what I was hoping you’d do, Dark Necrofear,” she said. “Now, I can activate THIS!”

Her own facedown card shot up.

“Spider Web Castle!”

In an instant, a dark shiro loomed behind Sheena, and then, her whole side of the field became shrouded in thick spider webs.

“What’s going on?” shouted Dark Necrofear.

“Spider Web Castle is a Continuous Trap,” replied Sheena, “that I can activate in response to you using a Trap Card. If your Princess attacks now, she’ll get tangled in these webs, and her Attack Score will be cut in half.”

Dark Necrofear’s eyes narrowed in anger. She took a card from her hand.

“I play Premature Burial,” she said, “to summon Lord Poison from my Graveyard.”

She glowed with red energy, as the ugly creature made of algae appeared next to Tytannial. (1,500/1,000)

“Attack it if you think you have the strength,” said Dark Necrofear. “I end my turn.”

(S: 2,500) - - - - - - - - - - (DN: 2,550)

“This is bad,” said Jesse. “If she attacks Lord Poison, that tree will gain another Flower. Dark Necrofear will be able to tear down her Castle.”

“And she’ll be able to use Lord Poison’s effect to bring Queen of Thorns back,” said Atticus. “This is one big standoff.”

“No it isn’t,” said Sheena, as she drew a card. “Watch and learn…”

She gestured, and the shiro and the mass of spider webs glowed with energy, and then faded away.

“What?” said Dark Necrofear. “You got rid of it? Why?”

“You’ll see,” said Sheena. “Now, I’ll sacrifice Doom Dozer so that The Spider Queen can attack…”

The Spider Queen pointed her scepter at Doom Dozer, and drained its energy. Doom Dozer vanished, and the Queen glowed with eerie energy.

“First you get rid of your Castle, then your Doom Dozer?” asked Dark Necrofear. “Are you trying to lose on purpose?”

“Not quite,” said Sheena. “I’m going to win.

“Your Monsters aren’t what I’m aiming for. You see, Spider Web Castle has another effect. By sending it to the Graveyard, I get to attack directly with one of my own Monsters!”

Dark Necrofear’s expression suddenly changed. A look was on the demon’s face that they had not seen before – a clear expression of terror…

“Spider Queen…” ordered Sheena, “attack directly! Spider’s Curse!”

The Spider Queen fired a blast of dark energy, and the demon screamed as she was hit by it. Dark Necrofear collapsed to her knees.

(S: 2,500) - - - - - - - - - - (DN: 0)

The Monsters and The World Tree faded away. Sheena took some deep breaths. She felt herself, and her flesh had been restored.

She looked at Dark Necrofear, who was sprawled on the ground, with dark mist rising from her body.

“How?” she moaned. “The prophesy… How could Dagon have been wrong?”

“Actually, he wasn’t,” replied Sheena. “You see pal, before Siegfried found me, I was a poor orphan girl living in near poverty… But even then, one of the Archlords chose me to defend the Mandate of Heaven.

“So in a way, I was once a ‘commoner who was given the blessing of the celestial hosts’. When you told us about that prophesy, I figured I might be the one who Dagon was talking about. A prophesy was stated, and it appears to have come to pass.”

Dark Necrofear looked up at Sheena weakly. Smoke started to rise from her pores.

“The true thing about prophesies is,” added Sheena, “you have to know how to interpret them right. Otherwise, you’ll never know when they’ll come calling.”

Dark Necrofear let out an unholy scream. Then she collapsed, and melted into a pile of black, foul-smelling sludge.

“Whoa,” said Mako.

“Whoa is right,” said Zane.

They all looked at the portal.

* * * * * * * * * *

“Well?” asked Llymic.

“I guess I have no choice,” replied Yumi.

She opened the pouch that contained her side deck, and slowly took a card out of it.

She looked at it. The card that Sheena had given her. The one that she said could defeat Daala for good.

This had better do the job, she thought.

“Sam?” she said. “I’m gonna need your help again…”

“Not surprising,” said Sam, with a smile. “You need my help with everything…”

Llymic gestured, and a dark aura surrounded him. He changed back into Chaos Sorcerer.

“So it will be two-on-two,” he said. “One last time…”

“Why bother with the disguise?” asked Ren. “We know who you are now.”

“I’m going to need this form in this duel,” said Chaos Sorcerer. “It’s my true form, after all…”

“And I think I’ll keep this form too,” replied Daala. “After all, now that the secret is out, I guess I’m going to have to learn to live with Dark Witch… Once I gain even greater power than I had before, my subjects will have no choice but to accept it…”

Then everyone heard shouting.

“What’s going on?” shouted Eikou.

“You tell me,” replied Fujita.

They watched as Sheena and her group rushed into the arena.

“Impossible!” shouted Daala. “Dark Necrofear…”

“Won’t be joining us,” said Zane.

He threw something into the middle of the arena. It was Dark Necrofear’s mannequin.

“Who…” started Sam.

“Thank Sheena,” said Jesse. “I never saw dueling like that.”

“Mom?” asked Sam. “You beat Dark Necrofear?”

“Sam?” said Sheena, in shock. “Is that you?”

Sam realized that she was a Shadow Tamer, and her mother hadn’t learned yet.

“Uh…” muttered Sam. “It’s a real long story, mom! But don’t worry… I can still go to law school once this is over…”

“Enough!” shouted Llymic, in anger. “Seems we have a regular party here… Too bad I didn’t have the sense to put out a shrimp platter…

“That’s perfectly all right,” said Eikou. “I have a terrible allergy to shellfish anyway…”

“QUIET!” shouted Llymic, raising his hand.

He chanted a quick incantation, and the doorway in became shrouded by a dark aura.

“Now, nobody comes in or out that way unless I allow it,” he said. “This duel will commence without any more interruptions…”

And when it does, he thought, the final thing we need will be finished. I left out the fact the Great Helm still needs to be fully charged with the required energy before it can be used. And it will be given energy to spare… when the powers of the two Exemplars are finally unleashed!



NIGHT-ROSE KNIGHT (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Warrior/Tuner/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 3
ATK: 1,000
DEF: 1,000

Card Description: While this card is face-up on the field, your opponent cannot select a Plant-Type Monster as an attack target. When this card is Normal Summoned successfully, you may Special Summon one Level Four or lower Plant-Type Monster from your hand.

Note: “Night-Rose Knight” will be released in the “Crimson Crisis” set, due out in Japan in mid-November (U.S. release date not yet known). It was used by Aki in an episode of “Yu-Gi-Oh 5D”.



NIGHT TWIST (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Plant/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 2
ATK: 800
DEF: 900

Card Description: This card cannot be Tributed for a Tribute Summon. When this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard, except when destroyed as a result of battle, its controller gains 1,000 Life Points.



INSECT GARDEN (Spell Card)

Field Spell

Image: A garden of grass and flowers, as seen from the view of an insect.

Card Description: All Insect-Type Monsters on the side of the field of the controller of this card that are Level Four or less are transferred to the control of his/her opponent.



INSECT PHEROMONE (Spell Card)

Equip Spell

Image: Insect Princess’s visage, with glowing wings.

Card Description: Equip only to “Insect Princess”. When the Equipped Monster destroys an Insect-Type Monster as a result of battle, it may attack a second time in the same Battle Phase. The second attack must target a second Insect-Type Monster.

Note: “Insect Garden” and “Insect Pheromone” were first used by Missy in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “Sad But Truesdale”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



SPIDER WEB CASTLE (Trap Card)

Continuous Trap

Image: A Japanese shiro covered with spider webs.

Card Description: Activate only when your opponent activates a Trap Card. When your opponent’s Monster attacks, halve that Monster’s ATK during damage calculation only. During your Main Phase 1, you may send this card to the Graveyard. If you do, one Monster you control can attack your opponent directly during the same turn’s Battle Phase.

Note: “Spider Web Castle” was first used by Bolt Tanner in the “Yu-Gi-Oh 5D” episode “The Facility (Part Two)”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



Lords of Chaos

Pale Night, The Mother of Demons

What is the mystery behind the entity called Pale Night? Scholars in demonology have been trying to figure her out for centuries, but have come up with very little. Enigmatic and incredibly powerful, Pale Night may well be one whom demons can trace to their origins.

It is known that Pale Night is a member of the obyrith race; however, she was ancient even when her race was powerful and numerous. Regarded as a mother figure by many demons, several demon lords, including Graz’zt, Lupercio, and Vucarik of Chains claim to be her offspring. Unus the Undying claimed that Shogarr may have been the father of the modern demon race, and several sages claim that Pale Night is none other than the mother of the race, suggesting that the two may have once been lovers at one point. Pale Night rarely speaks, and does not confirm any rumor about herself.

It cannot be denied that Pale Night’s power over Chaos is nearly unmatched. Those who view her see a soft, feminine form clad in a flowing white shroud. It is said, however, that like Shogarr, this is an illusion, and that Pale Night’s true form is so hideous, reality refuses to accept it. It is believed that anyone who manages to see the Pale Night’s true form – whether he attempts to do so, or if Pale Night willingly reveals herself – is struck dead by the overwhelming Chaos. If the spirits of these victims are later contacted using spiritual magic, they cannot remember what they saw. It defies description.

Pale Night doesn’t seem to have many goals these days. She dwells in a grand palace on a plateau in the Endless Maze where Baphomet also makes his home, but she has dwelt there much longer than he has. Her palace, which she rarely leaves, resembles a large, grasping hand made of bones and guarded by bone constructs. Pale Night has little to do with the politics of the Abyss, and even less to do with the Blood War. Should anyone be bold enough to approach her castle, their fate usually depends on her whim. Some, she simply sends on their way. Others she adds to her collection of lost souls.

The Wind Dukes of Aaqa know that Pale Night may well be far too powerful to confront, but take comfort knowing that she seems to be “retired” as far as demon lords go. Now and then, they confront her rare cultists, mad groups who make attempts to spawn half-demons and other monsters in the mortal world. They research the Mother of Demons as much as they can, knowing that an obyrith with this much power would be a dire threat if she ever decided to come out of retirement.



Coming up next:

It’s a two-on-two extravaganza! The heirs of Yugi Mouto and Seto Kaiba take on both Daala and Llymic in a fight to the finish. But the job may be difficult, because the two villains have the two most powerful servants of Shogarr in their decks, two mighty titans who hold the power needed to provide the energy for the Great Helm! The war against Chaos has reached its most crucial point. “Rise of the Exemplars” is coming up next.

[Shuppet Master]

Whoattitude! This is most awesomesauce! I can't wait to see the next chapter, it's so amazing! Keep up the good work, Brian.

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

Very good chapter, if not the best untill now. I really liked the plant deck, and the fact that necrofear was a fiend took it to a higer level. I liked the changes between sheena's battle and then back to our heroes. Interesting plot you got here, and the battle lookes awesome. Can't wait.

[Dark Sage]

It seems I’ve come to the end of the road, and what I’ve found here isn’t what I expected.

I expected one final showdown with Daala, her against me. But fate has proven a rascal. Her mentor, this follower of Shogarr who calls himself Llymic, has demanded a team duel, with him and Daala on one side, and Sam and myself on the other.

So far, I’ve defeated Daala once before, but only with help from Joan. Ren and Erik have defeated Llymic, but both times, he wasn’t using his true deck. Daala is now using the deck which I assume she used to defeat Joan, while I assume Llymic is also using a far more powerful deck. And since Llymic was Daala’s teacher, they likely know how to work together better than Sam and I can. I have no idea what’s in either of their decks.

On the other hand, there’s likely only one card in my deck that they don’t know about. The card that Sheena gave me that hides a virus with the ability to delete Daala forever. This card once made a difference long ago, and I’m hoping it will now…

Can Sam and I pass the ultimate test and win this twisted video game? Or will it be Game Over for both of us?

Only time will tell…

CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX



Rise of the Exemplars

Yumi and Sam faced Daala and Llymic, Dark Magician Girl and Shadow Tamer facing Dark Witch and Chaos Sorcerer, respectively.

Behind their two foes, the four members of Daala’s inner circle stood, with Fujita still recording the action. Behind them were Yumi’s three allies, along with Guardian Angel Joan, Vita, Sheena, and the five AI programs who were Joan’s top generals. Yumi’s forces may have had Daala’s outnumbered in terms of actual numbers, but she knew that the portal to the Abyss behind her two foes, along with the giant, unholy relic hanging above called the Great Helm, made this arena a den of Evil, where Llymic’s powers were likely amplified enormously. She had no choice but to accept Llymic’s conditions.

“I’ll explain the rules carefully, so there are no discrepancies,” said Llymic.

“Yeah, right,” said Mako. “People like him only want rules so they can break them!”

“I’ll deal with you later,” muttered Llymic. “Each team will share a total of 16,000 Life Points. When a team’s Life Points hit zero, both members lose. We’ll alternate turns, with Yumi going first, then myself, then Sam, then Daala, and then back to Yumi. No attacking until each player has had one Draw Phase.”

“At least he’s giving Yumi the first move,” said Jesse.

“And giving Daala the first attack,” added Zane.

“Now, we’ll be using Deck Lords,” continued Llymic, “but each team will share one. I’ll personally be acting as our Deck Lord.”

“No fair!” shouted Sam. “Chaos Sorcerer is an illegal card!”

“The rules of Xanadu clearly state,” said Daala, “that an illegal card may be used as a Deck Lord, so long as the user does not summon it to the field.”

“I’m afraid she’s right,” added Joan.

“I’ll even tell you what my Deck Lord ability is beforehand,” said Llymic, with a smile. “It’s called Chaos Theory. During a player’s Standby Phase, any Monsters that were removed from play since his or her last Standby Phase are sent to his or her Graveyard.”

“That’s pretty powerful!” gasped Sam.

“At least it affects all players,” replied Yumi.

“As for you two,” added Llymic, “choose Dark Magician Girl or Shadow Tamer, but be quick about it.”

Yumi and Sam looked at each other.

“Yumi, I…” started Sam.

“Look Sam,” interrupted Yumi. “Maybe I’d better do this… I didn’t get a chance to tell you guys this, but I figured out how to…”

Then the pouch that held Yumi’s side deck began to glow…

“What?” she said.

In an explosion of magical energy, Testament of the Arcane Lords appeared, and loomed over them. It was even taller than it had been when Yumi had spoke to it in the shrine, standing twenty feet tall at least.

“What is THAT?” shouted Daala.

“I… don’t know…” replied Llymic.

Yumi turned to the huge Spirit. She listened as a telepathic voice spoke in her head.

“Really?” she asked. “Okay then… Yeah, that will do…”

She turned to her foes, as the Testament’s smooth skin took on an orange hue.

“Testament of the Arcane Lords is our Deck Lord!” she exclaimed.

“I don’t like this, Llymic,” muttered Daala. “I’ve never even heard of this… thing. How could Yumi have changed Deck Lords without us knowing?”

“Its bark is clearly worse than its bite,” replied Llymic. “You forget that Deck Lords need experience in Xanadu to gain any sort of formidable power. It may look intimidating, but it can’t threaten us!”

Vita smirked.

These two are in for a surprise, she thought.

“One final rule that applies to a certain spectator,” added Daala. “If anyone gives Yumi and Sam any advice relating to the contents of my deck, they are disqualified!”

Joan sighed nervously. She knew that meant her. She remembered all too well the cards Daala had used against her.

“Enough beating around the bush!” shouted Daala. “It’s time to finish this once… and… for… all!”

“Game on!” shouted all four of them at once.

(Yumi and Sam: 16,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Daala and Llymic: 16,000)

“As you said,” said Yumi, making a draw, “I go first…

“And I’ll start by playing Graceful Charity!”

She played the card, and the lovely angel appeared. Like so many times before, her feathers fell on her deck, and she drew three cards.

Perfect, she thought, looking at her cards.

She quickly discarded Cosmo Queen and Dark Magician.

“I’ll summon Blast Magician.”

In a blast of fire, the red-robed mage appeared, holding his scythe-like staff. (1,400/1,700)

“I end my turn.”

“That means it’s my move,” said Llymic, drawing a card.

He looked over his hand, and then chose one.

“I summon Arcana Force 0 – The Fool!”

Huh? thought Yumi. Did he say Arcana Force?

In a burst of pure light, a weird Monster appeared. It was dressed in a purple and blue shirt and pantaloons with a swirl design, with a mask covering its face. It had snaky tendrils coming out of its head that suggested some sort of hair. (0/0)

“Zero Attack Points,” said Sam. “I’m so scared.”

“It may have no Attack Points,” replied Llymic, “but it also can’t be destroyed in battle. As for its other effect…”

He pointed, and the card he had used to summon The Fool appeared above its head. Then, it started to rotate, clockwise.

“The effect of this and every other Arcana Force Monster depends on whether its card lands upright or inverted,” he said. “Simply state when you want the spinning card to stop.”

“Stop that card!” shouted Sam.

The card came to a halt, and was upside-down.

“Inverted,” said Llymic, with a smile, “that means The Fool is now immune to all targeting card effects coming from your side of the field. That means you can’t use Blast Magician’s effect to destroy it, Yumi.”

He turned to Daala.

Is it safe to just end my turn, he said in his mind, or does The Fool need added protection?

Don’t worry, Llymic, replied Daala, in her own telepathic voice. If Yumi tries to attack it during her turn, I’ll have something to stop her.

“I end my turn,” said Llymic.

Sam drew a card. She looked at it.

“I summon The Bistro Butcher!” she shouted.

In an aura of darkness, the Fiend gourmet appeared with a laugh. (1,800/1,000)

“I end MY turn.”

“And that means it comes to me!” laughed Daala, drawing a card.

She chuckled.

“First, I’m going to Special Summon a Monster, which I can do by discarding a high-Level Dark Monster, like my Regenerating Rose.”

She took the card from her hand, and discarded it.

“Oh, Erik?” she said with a smile. “I’m sure you’re going to like him… I Special Summon Dark Grepher!”

A creeping shadow appeared on the field, and an evil-looking Warrior appeared from out of it. It looked like Warrior Dai Grepher at first glance, but he had coal black skin, and eyes that burned like smoldering embers. (1,700/1,600)

“I don’t like him at all!” shouted Erik. “He sickens me!”

“What’s the matter, Erik?” asked Daala. “Afraid of the future?”

“That thing is not my future!” screamed Erik. “I don’t care what the first Grepher did! I’m not about to make the same stupid mistake!”

“Don’t worry,” said Daala, “we won’t give you the chance to. Now, since that was a Special Summon, I’ll Normal Summon my Shadowpriestess of Ohm.”

She played the card, and in another dark shadow, a dark Spellcaster appeared. She wore a dark and sinister version of Elemental Mistress Doriado’s outfit, altered into a halter top with a dark cape and long skirt, and carried two long switches. (1,700/1,600)

“Lovely…” muttered Joan. “This is just how she started when she dueled me…”

“Uh, uh, uh!” said Llymic, waving his finger. “Don’t forget the rule, Joan… I’ll let that one slide, however.”

“That’s okay…” chuckled Daala. “This is more fun, anyway… Shadowpriestess, attack Blast Magician with shadow magic!”

Shadowpriestess formed an orb of dark energy in her hands, and hurled it at Blast Magician. Blast Magician gasped as a dark aura surrounded him, and he burst into black particles.

“Grepher, attack Yumi directly!” ordered Daala. “Shadow sword!”

Dark Grepher grinned evilly, and leapt at Yumi, slashing at her with his weapon. Yumi gasped and fell on her behind.

“Sam…” she muttered. “We’re off to a rocky start…”

“I’m not done…” said Daala, with a grin. “I activate Shadowpriestess’s effect. By sacrificing a Dark Monster, she can inflict 800 more points of damage. So, so long Dark Grepher…”

Dark Grepher vanished, and Shadowpriestess fired another blast of dark energy, hitting Yumi in the chest. She groaned in pain.

“I’ll set one more card, and end my turn,” said Daala.

A reversed card appeared in front of her.

(Y&S: 13,200) - - - - - - - - - - (D&L: 16,000)

Yumi slowly got up.

“My move!” she shouted, drawing a card.

“I summon Skilled Dark Magician!”

She played the card, and the Dark Spellcaster in the bulky robe appeared. (1,900/1,700)

“Even if The Fool is invulnerable in battle,” said Yumi, “you’ll still lose Life Points when I attack it.

“Skilled Dark Magician, attack The Fool!”

The Spellcaster pointed his scepter at the strange creature.

“Not so fast,” said Daala, as her facedown card lifted. “I activate… Zero Gravity. This changes the modes of all Monsters on the field.”

A blast of energy struck the field, and everyone was lifted off their feet. Skilled Dark Magician, Shadowpriestess of Ohm, and The Bistro Butcher gave looks of shock, while The Fool simply looked down with a curious expression. The four duelists were more used to it happening, however. Eventually, everyone landed, and the four Monsters knelt and crouched in Defense Mode.

“Thank you, Daala!” laughed Llymic. “I wouldn’t have been able to move it to Defense Mode otherwise!”

“Any time,” replied Daala.

Yumi growled.

“I end my turn,” she said.

“Then let’s see what’s next,” said Llymic, drawing a card.

“I summon another Arcana Force Monster… Arcana Force VII – The Chariot!”

He played the card, and another weird thing appeared. It looked like a flying saucer of some sort, with eyes all around its circumference. On its top was a small dome with several hands connected to hoses, and on its bottom were two weapons resembling guns of some sort, also connected to hoses. (1,700/1,700)

The Chariot, thought Yumi. I’ve definitely seen THAT before…

“Once again…” said Llymic.

The card appeared above The Chariot, and started to spin.

“Stop right there!” shouted Yumi.

The card stopped. It was right-side-up.

“Right-side-up!” said Sam, with a sigh of relief. “That’s good, right?”

“Yes,” said Llymic. “For me. You see, Sam, The Fool is the odd man out among the Arcana Force Monsters. Only it and one other have a positive effect when its card is inverted. With most of them, the effect that the controller wants is the upright effect.

“If The Chariot had landed inverted, you would have gained control of it. But since it is upright, I gain control of any Monster it destroys.

“So… Attack her Bistro Butcher! Master blast!”

The Chariot fired a beam of pure light from its hoses, blowing the Butcher to gibbets.

“Fortunately, he was in Defense Mode,” said Sam.

Then the Butcher reappeared, next to The Chariot, and was clearly in Attack Mode.

“Not any more, he isn’t,” replied Llymic. “Butcher, attack Samantha directly!”

Sam screamed as the Butcher made a slash at her with its cleaver.

She gasped for breath.

“Bad idea…” she said. “I know my Monsters’ effects by heart. Since I took damage from his attack, I get to draw two cards…”

She made two draws.

(Y&S: 11,400) - - - - - - - - - - (D&L: 16,000)

“Sam, we’re in trouble,” said Yumi. “I’ve seen these tarot card Monsters before. Cassandra used them against me.”

“Yes, I know all about your duel with Cassandra,” replied Llymic. “But the first duelist to use these cards was Sartorious, the pawn used by the Light of Ruin. It made these cards for him, and they represented its demonic servants.

“When Jaden defeated the Light of Ruin, Sartorious’s cards lost their true power, and the Light of Ruin was sealed away. Cassandra is a mystic who was one of several, along with Siegfried, charged with protecting the Mandate. But, she also served a mysterious being who resided in the Astral Plane, and was given the task of watching the place where the Light of Ruin was locked away after its defeat. After many years of faithfully doing so, this being gave her more benign versions of Sartorious’s cards.

“However… Few people knew that the Light of Ruin was a servant of a greater power…”

“So it’s true…” muttered Yumi. “The Light of Ruin was working for Shogarr…”

Llymic nodded.

“And Shogarr has finally freed the Spirits of the Light’s true servants, Yumi, and bestowed them upon me. The true Arcana Force Monsters are back… with a vengeance!”

“Yumi was right…” muttered Atticus. “They’re in trouble…”

“I end my turn,” said Llymic.

Sam made a draw. She looked at it for a second. Then she chose another card.

“I summon Archfiend Soldier!” she shouted.

In a burst of dark energy, the infernal troop appeared, holding aloft its blade. (1,900/1,500)

Okay, let’s see, thought Sam. Attacking Shadowpriestess or The Fool would be pointless since they’re in Defense Mode… The best thing to do would be to get rid of that robot or whatever the Hell it is, before it can steal another Monster…

“Attack the Chariot!” she shouted.

Archfiend Soldier rushed at the contraption, and made a single slash, slicing The Chariot in half. It shuddered for a minute, and then exploded.

“Yeah!” shouted Aster.

“I set these facedown, and end my turn,” said Sam, as two facedown cards appeared.

(Y&S: 11,400) - - - - - - - - - - (D&L: 15,800)

“Draw…” said Daala, drawing a card.

She looked at the three cards in her hand.

“Aw, pass,” she said.

Yumi drew.

Her first move used a lot of cards, thought Yumi. Maybe it wasn’t the wisest choice for her.

“I summon Magical Exemplar!” she shouted.

“Who?” asked Daala.

As Yumi played the card, a new Spellcaster appeared in a shower of sparkling motes. It was a young girl, with long, black, straight hair, dressed in an exotic, green robe embroidered with mystic runes. She looked like the typical princess from a fantasy RPG. (1,700/1,400)

“Okay…” muttered Daala. “That’s certainly new…”

“Uh huh,” said Yumi, as Skilled Dark Magician moved back to Attack Mode. “Exemplar… Destroy her Shadowpriestess! Moonlight blast!”

Magical Exemplar’s eyes glowed with soft light, and she shot a blast of glowing light from her hands. Shadowpriestess of Ohm screamed as it hit her, and she was blown to bits.

“I’ve waited a long time for this, Daala!” shouted Yumi, as Skilled Dark Magician aimed his staff at Daala.

“Oh, I bet you have…” said Daala with a smirk.

Skilled Dark Magician cast his dark spell, and Daala grunted in pain as it hit her.

“I set one card facedown,” said Yumi, as a reversed card appeared, “and then play Swords of Revealing Light.”

She played the card, and a shower of swords fell on Daala and Llymic’s side of the field. As she did, two sparking motes appeared next to Magical Exemplar, and started orbiting around her like small satellites.

“I end my turn.”

(Y&S: 11,400) - - - - - - - - - - (D&L: 13,900)

As Llymic drew a card, Daala turned towards him.

Keep them occupied for one more turn, she thought. Next turn, I’ve got what I need to hit them hard…

You got it… replied Llymic.

“I play the Continuous Spell Card, Precious Cards From Beyond,” he said, as a Spell Card appeared in front of him.

As it did, two more glowing motes appeared circling around Magical Exemplar.

“Hmm…” he muttered. “Anyway, with this Spell Card in play, any time I Normal Summon a Monster by sacrificing two others, I get to draw two cards.”

“How many double-tribute Monsters can one deck have?” asked Atticus.

“More than you’d think,” replied Aster. “You forget, the real Aster was sort of… close to Sartorious. If Llymic’s deck is based on his, I’m pretty sure that I can recognize all his cards.”

“If we may proceed…” replied Llymic. “I sacrifice The Fool and The Bistro Butcher…”

The two Monsters vanished into grains of light.

“…to summon Arcana Force XVII – The Star!”

In a blast of light, a very large Monster appeared. It looked like a huge, spherical eye, mounted on a pedestal, with five arms placed at its twelve, two, five, seven, and ten o’clock positions. (2,700/2,700)

“I was wrong…” muttered Aster. “I never saw that one before… And I don’t like the look of it at all…”

The card appeared above The Star, and started to rotate…

“One, two, three…” said Yumi. “STOP!”

The card stopped, and was upside-down.

“HA!” laughed Sam. “You lost that toss!”

“So I did,” sighed Llymic. “With The Star inverted, I’m not allowed to make direct attacks. But I still get to draw two cards due to my Spell Card…”

He made two draws, and looked at them.

“Seeing as I can’t attack anyway with Yumi’s Swords in play, I’ll simply set two cards facedown, and that will be all…”

Two reversed cards appeared.

“My move…” said Sam.

She drew a card.

Sweet… she thought, looking at it.

“I play Curse of the Masked Beast!” she shouted, as the Ritual Spell appeared on her side of the field.

The sinister altar appeared, and as it did, three more glowing motes appeared around Magical Exemplar, giving her a total of six.

“I’ll sacrifice Belial, Marquis of Darkness from my hand,” said Sam.

Belial appeared on the field, and then vanished in a burst of flame.

With a roar, the savage Masked Beast appeared, hefting its cudgel. (3,200/1,800)

“Chew on this Llymic!” shouted Sam. “Attack The Star!”

“Not so fast!” shouted Llymic. “I activate a Trap! I had hoped to use this on one of Yumi’s best Monsters, but, oh well… Crystal Seal!”

His facedown card flipped up, and The Masked Beast roared, as a shimmering glow surrounded it. Then, a solid, purple gemstone surrounded it, sealing it inside.

“That Trap Card…” gasped Yumi, as her eyes opened wide. “It was the card that Raphael used to goad the Pharaoh until he used the Seal of Orichalcos!”

“Exactly…” chuckled Llymic. “A Trap Card that brought out the evil in his soul that even he didn’t know was there. And perfect for use by me, wouldn’t you say? The effect looks just like a Soulgem.

“Your Masked Beast can’t attack me nor defend you, Samantha, nor can you even sacrifice it. It’s helpless!”

“And so is Daala!” shouted Sam. “She’s completely unguarded!

“Archfiend Soldier, attack Daala directly!”

Archfiend Soldier rushed at Daala…

Then he stopped short, as a strange Monster appeared to block the attack. It looked like a spectral, feminine form, with large, clawed arms and a fiendish face, wearing an orange dress.

“What was THAT?” shouted Sam, as it vanished.

“A Monster called Arcana Force XIV – Temperance,” replied Llymic. “By discarding it, I reduced the damage from your attack to zero.”

Daala grinned and gave him a thumbs up.

“Damn…” said Sam.

“Sam, listen to me,” replied Yumi. “That Crystal Seal isn’t as powerful as he’d like you to believe. It can be destroyed, if The Masked Beast’s Attack Score changes. Any change at all will destroy that Trap.”

She looked at the three cards left in her hand. Then she looked at the two cards she had facedown on the field.

“I have to end my turn,” she said, slowly.

“Then it’s time to start the fun!” laughed Daala, drawing a card. “It’s time for the first of the Dread Council to make its appearance, and we’re going to start things off with a bang…”

Phantom images of Dark Grepher, Shadowpriestess of Ohm, and Regenerating Rose appeared behind her.

“I have exactly three Dark Monsters in my Graveyard,” she said. “When I have that many, no more, no less, the conditions are right for me to Special Summon this creature…

“Arise… Dark Armed Dragon!”

A literal explosion of dark energy erupted on the field in front of her, and a huge Dragon appeared from out of it. It looked like Armed Dragon at first glance, but with black scales, and glowing red eyes… Darker, and more evil. (2,800/1,000)

“Good lord…” said Yumi.

“Now I activate his effect,” said Daala, with a grin. “For each Dark Monster in my Graveyard that I remove from play, I can destroy one card on the field… Any card at all…”

Yumi’s eyes opened wide, as something quickly came back to her…

“The behemoth comes, waiting to unleash its powers of destruction. Its arrival is heralded by three. Three must die before it can come. Any less, and it is too proud to appear. Any more, and the power of the hallowed ground forbids it from coming. But when it comes, it can consume the soul of one who has fallen to slay any foe or smash any barrier that would impede it. Beware, mortals, for this evil is not subtle in the least.”

“Sam!” shouted Yumi. “This is what the real Armed Dragon was trying to warn us about! Its warning was describing an evil version of itself!”

“A prophesy of doom, eh?” asked Daala. “Too bad you couldn’t interpret it… I remove Shadowpriestess of Ohm from play to destroy your Swords!”

A card slipped out of her discard slot, and a volley of dark blades shot from the Dragon, shattering the Swords of Light.

“Now, I remove Dark Grepher, to take out that facedown card!”

Another card slipped out of her discard slot, and the blades flew at the facedown card. Yumi’s Mirror Force shattered.

“Third time’s the charm,” laughed Daala, as Regenerating Rose slipped out of her discard slot. “I don’t like your Magical Exemplar, so she’s next!”

Magical Exemplar shuddered in fear as Dark Armed Dragon prepared to fire its blades again…

But when it did, the Testament reached down with its hand, shielding her from them. The blades bounced harmlessly off.

“HUH?” said Daala. “Your Deck Lord protected her?”

“That’s right!” said Yumi, with a grin. “Seems I interpreted those prophesies of doom rather well after all.

“Let me explain how my Deck Lord’s power works. It didn’t need experience to gain an Extraordinary Power – it was given one by Boccob himself.”

“Boccob?” gasped Llymic. “The god of magic?”

“The very one,” replied Yumi. “He doesn’t want Chaos eclipsing Order. Testament of the Arcane Lords has a power that I set at the beginning of the duel. I simply had to choose Spell, Trap, or Monster effect, and our Monsters cannot be destroyed by that method. Your Dark Armed Dragon can’t destroy our Monsters with its effect.

“And we can change the method during our Standby Phase if we chose, if we pay 1,000 Life Points.”

Daala growled.

“So you have a powerful Deck Lord…” she sneered. “Big deal! I still have Dark Armed Dragon’s normal attack!

“Dark Armed Dragon… Attack Magical Exemplar with dark serrated disks!”

“DAALA!” screamed Llymic. “WAIT!”

Dark Armed Dragon roared, and three disk of pure darkness shot from its abdomen.

“I activate… Shrink!” shouted Sam, as one of her facedown cards lifted. “This will cut your Dragon down to size!”

Dark Armed Dragon roared again, as its Attack Score fell to 1,400. Magical Exemplar concentrated, and a dome of energy surrounded her. The dark disks bounced back and stuck their owner. Dark Armed Dragon howled, and exploded in a burst of flaming hot metal.

(Y&S: 11,400) - - - - - - - - - - (D&L: 13,600)

“Sam…” said Yumi. “You… You… Why? You could have used that to destroy the Crystal Seal…”

Sam grinned.

“Lots of ways to destroy a Trap Card,” she said. “Not many ways to destroy a Monster that powerful. I knew we had to win the duel, Yumi, so I saved it for when the big, scary Monster showed up. You have to have your partner’s back in a team duel.”

Yumi sighed.

“Thanks, Sam…” she said.

Daala was dumbstruck.

“Wha… what happened?” she finally gasped.

“I’ll tell you what happened,” growled Llymic, with a hint of annoyance. “You got angry, you got careless, you forgot that you were facing two opponents, and Yumi’s partner managed to make a fool out of one of the most powerful members of the Dread Council!”

Everyone on Yumi’s side started to cheer.

“So she did,” muttered Daala. “Well, we won’t make that mistake a second time…

“You two may have defeated one member of the Council, but there are others…”

She placed two cards in her Disk.

“I set one card, and then summon Vengeful Shinobi.”

A facedown card appeared. Then, in a shadowy aura, a dark ninja armed with a dagger appeared on her side of the field. (400/800)

“It’s your move, Yumi,” she said.

Yumi quickly drew a card.

“Tell me,” she said, “how good are you two at counting?”

“Huh?” asked Daala.

“Uh… oh…” said Llymic. “She’s means Skilled Dark Magician’s effect… More than three Spell Cards have been played since he was summoned.”

“That’s right,” said Yumi. “Meaning I can sacrifice him to summon the real Dark Magician from my Graveyard.”

Skilled Dark Magician vanished, and with a grand flourish, Dark Magician appeared. (2,500/2,100)

“That’s not all,” continued Yumi. “Each time a Spell Card was played, Magical Exemplar gained two Spell Counters. She has eight of them now. And I can remove any number of them to Special Summon from my Graveyard a Spellcaster whose Level matches. So I’ll remove all eight…”

The glowing motes around Magical Exemplar vanished, and she put her hands together and closed her eyes. In a blast of energy, Cosmo Queen appeared next to her. (2,900/2,450)

“Dark Magician, destroy Daala’s Vengeful Shinobi!” ordered Yumi. “Dark Magic Attack!”

Dark Magician cast his dark spell, and Vengeful Shinobi groaned before shattering into shards. Daala cringed.

“When Vengeful Shinobi is attacked while in Attack Mode,” grumbled Daala, “I get to draw one card.”

She made a draw.

“Fine…” said Yumi. “Now to take out that thing. Cosmo Queen, attack The Star with Cosmic Nova!”

Cosmo Queen blasted her orb of energy, and Llymic covered his head as The Star erupted into a multicolored explosion.

“Trap Card, activate,” he said, as the smoke started to clear. “Call of the Haunted!”

His facedown card lifted, and The Star reappeared. (2,700/2,700)

“Now let’s try this again…” he said, as the card appeared above it and started to spin.

“Stop!” shouted Yumi.

The card stopped, and was upside-down again.

“HA!” laughed Mako. “This really isn’t your day, is it?”

Yumi paused for a minute.

I could make a direct attack on Daala, she thought. But that may not be wise with such a powerful Monster on Llymic’s side of the field. They know what Magical Exemplar can do, so she’s likely going to be Llymic’s next target…

“I move Magical Exemplar to Defense Mode,” she said.

Magical Exemplar knelt, and crossed her arms over her chest.

“Then I set a Monster, and two facedown cards,” she said.

A set Monster and two reversed cards appeared.

“Make your move, Llymic…”

(Y&S: 11,400) - - - - - - - - - - (D&L: 11,300)

Llymic drew a card.

“The Monster I just drew is Level Six…” he said. “But, I can Normal Summon it with no sacrifice if I have an Arcana Force Monster on the field, which as you can see, I do.

“I summon Arcana Force XIII – The Reaper!”

In a burst of multicolored light, a Monster appeared that looked like a typical grim reaper, except that rather than wearing a black robe, its clothes were multicolored, in a patchwork, gaudy pattern. It naturally carried a scythe. (2,300/2,300)

Its card appeared above it, and then started to spin.

Okay, this might make or break things… thought Yumi.

“STOP!” she shouted.

The card came to a halt. Everyone on Yumi’s side groaned when they saw that it was right-side-up.

“So what does that mean?” asked Sam.

“Simple,” replied Llymic. “The Reaper is the universal symbol of change. Thus, every round, I can use its upright effect to change the position of any Arcana Force Monster on the field, except itself.

“Therefore… I’ll switch The Star from inverted to upright.”

The Star’s card appeared above it, and turned 180 degrees.

“I don’t think I’m gonna like this…” muttered Sam.

“Indeed…” chuckled Llymic. “Upright, The Star is able to attack directly if I sacrifice two Monsters first.”

“Hey, Llymic!” laughed Daala. “Need a couple of Monsters?”

Her facedown card lifted.

“I activate Fires of Doomsday, to summon two Doomsday Tokens!”

In two wisps of smoke, two small creatures seemingly made of smoke, each with a single eye, appeared in front of her.

“Thank you, Daala,” said Llymic, with a sinister grin. “So, I’ll sacrifice these two Tokens…”

The two Tokens vanished.

“Star… Attack Sam directly! Stellar blast!”

The Star’s single eye glowed, and it blasted a bolt of pure light, covering Sam with an aura of burning energy. Sam screamed and fell to her knees.

“Reaper, destroy Magical Exemplar!”

The Reaper made a slash with its scythe, and Magical Exemplar shattered.

“I set one card,” said Llymic, as a facedown card appeared, “and that’s all for me…”

(Y&S: 8,700) - - - - - - - - - - (D&L: 11,300)

“You’re gonna pay for that, Llymic,” muttered Sam, drawing a card.

“Archfiend Soldier, attack The Star!”

“Say what?” said Llymic.

Archfiend Soldier charged at the huge Monster…

“And I activate… Bark of Dark Ruler!” shouted Sam, as her other facedown card lifted.

Dark Ruler Ha Des appeared behind her, in a cloud of black smoke. He gestured, and an aura of black energy appeared around the Star.

“I’ll give up 2,700 Life Points to reduce the Attack Score of your Monster to zero!”

Archfiend Soldier made a slash with its sword, and The Star exploded in another fiery burst.

“ERGH!” grunted Llymic.

Sam looked at Yumi.

“Sorry…” she muttered. “I guess I should have asked first…”

“Don’t worry about it,” said Yumi. “You took out one of his best Monsters.”

“I’ll set one card,” said Sam, as a reversed card appeared, “and that will end my turn.”

(Y&S: 6,000) - - - - - - - - - - (D&L: 9,600)

Daala quickly drew a card.

“During my Standby Phase, Llymic’s power activates,” she said, “and the Monsters that I removed from play last turn go back to my Graveyard.”

Dark Grepher, Shadowpriestess of Ohm, and Regenerating Rose slipped back into her discard slot.

“There are now five Dark Monsters in my Graveyard,” she said. “And since I also have no Monsters on my side of the field, the conditions are just right for me to summon another member of the Dread Council…”

“Uh… oh…” said Chelsea.

A shadow fell upon the arena, and thunder rumbled, followed by lightning flashing.

Suddenly something else came to Yumi…

“Mortals, hear my cry, and prepare, for a beast stalks the night. It commands the power of lightning, but such gives no illumination, for it is the lightning of the dead. It cannot come unless all of its allies who came before are dead, and not unless those allies number five. But when it comes, it can consume the soul of one of those allies to give life to another. Beware the beast who causes death in order to give life!”

“Sam, stay alert!” shouted Yumi. “This is what The Creator warned us about!”

“Indeed!” laughed Daala. “I summon The Dark Creator!”

In a burst of dark, flaming lightning, a huge form appeared. It was a titan in black armor, in the same general shape as The Creator, but in place of a rune-covered discus on its back, it had demonic, metal wings. (2,300/3,000)

“I’m sensing a trend here,” said Sam. “The members of the Dread Council are all evil versions of more benign Monsters, right?”

“That’s right,” said Daala. “Created by the forces of Balance as an answer to the powerful Duel Spirits who fought on the side of Order. Of course, the Dread Council could care less about the intent of the beings that created them.

“And as you can probably figure out, the effects of the Dread Council are all dark versions of the effects possessed by their benign counterparts. Take The Dark Creator. Like his Light counterpart, he can raise a Monster from my Graveyard. But the Monster must be Dark, and I have to remove another Dark Monster from play first.

“But don’t worry. Dark Armed Dragon is a NOMI, and is beyond the power of even this Monster to summon from my Graveyard. Since the number of Dark Monsters in my Graveyard likely won’t decrease to three again, you won’t be seeing him anymore.”

Vengeful Shinobi slipped out of her discard slot. Then, Regenerating Rose appeared on the field, covering itself in Defense Mode with its tendrils. (0/1,500)

“Of course!” said Zane. “Most of the Dread Council’s effects must require removing Monsters from play. That’s why Llymic invested in that Deck Lord power. Daala will never run out of Monsters to remove from play so long as he uses it.”

“It’s Chaos at work,” said Atticus. “The perfect type of powers for Spirits working for Shogarr.”

“At least we can assume that all the members of this Council seem to be NOMIs,” said Mako.

“I’ll set two cards facedown, and then turn it over to you, Yumi,” said Daala, as two facedown cards appeared.

Yumi quickly made a draw.

Hmm… she thought.

“My facedown card activates,” she said, “Call of the Haunted!”

One of her facedown cards lifted, and Magical Exemplar appeared again. (1,700/1,400)

“Now, I Flip-Summon my Morphing Jar!”

Her facedown Monster flipped, and the cackling, one-eyed creature in the jar appeared. (700/600)

Daala shrugged, and made five draws. Llymic and Yumi discarded the one card they each had left, and made five draws. Sam discarded three, and drew five.

“All right!” shouted Yumi, looking at them. “I sacrifice Morphing Jar…”

Morphing Jar dissolved into light.

“…to summon Chaos Command Magician!”

In a burst of light, the far more benign user of Chaos appeared next to Yumi’s other Spellcasters. (2,400/1,900)

“Cosmo Queen… Attack the Dark Creator!”

Cosmo Queen powered up her Cosmic Nova…

“Not so fast, Yumi…” said Daala. “I activate a Quickplay…”

One of her facedown cards lifted.


Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“Dark Invigoration. Now, I just have to remove one of my Dark Monsters in my Graveyard from play, and one on the field gains a little boost. A 1,000-Attack Point boost, that is.”

She held up the Dark Armed Dragon card.

“So Dark Armed Dragon has some use now after all…”

The Dark Creator rose to an Attack Score of 3,300. As Cosmo Queen blasted her bolt, it knocked the blast aside. Cosmo Queen shrieked, and was blown into pixels.

“Cosmo Queen…” gasped Erik. “Beaten?”

“I’m not done with you!” shouted Yumi. “Chaos Command Magician… Destroy the Reaper! Chaos magic!”

“Huh?” said Llymic.

Chaos Command Magician fired his blast of burning, multicolored lights, and The Reaper exploded into a pile of charred bones.

“Magical Exemplar, destroy Daala’s Rose!” shouted Yumi.

Magical Exemplar shot her bolt of soft magic at Regenerating Rose, and the Plant burst into a shower of thorns.

“Thank you…” said Daala. “When Regenerating Rose is destroyed, I get to Special Summon two Rose Tokens.”

Two small roses sprouted on Daala’s side of the field. (1,200/1,200 x2)

“Well, I could attack one of them,” said Yumi. “Or, I could attack Llymic directly! Dark Magician… Why don’t you do that?”

Dark Magician flew at Llymic…

“Don’t worry, Llymic,” said Daala, as her other facedown card lifted, “I got your back this time. Draining Shield!”

A dome of energy formed around Llymic, and Dark Magician’s blast was absorbed into it.

Yumi closed her eyes.

“Nice,” she said. “It is true that in a team duel, you have to watch your partner’s back… And I’m going to do just that…”

Her other facedown card lifted.

“I activate Double Spell. I’ll toss this…”

She discarded Mausoleum of the Emperor.

“…and the card I’ll take from your Graveyard, Daala, is Dark Invigoration! Now, I’ll remove Skilled Dark Magician, who’s a Dark Monster, from play…”

The card slipped out of her discard slot.

“And increase the Attack Score of The Masked Beast, who is also Dark, by 1,000 points.”

“Why would you…” asked Daala.

“Oh, no…” gasped Llymic, as The Masked Beast rose to an Attack Score of 4,200. “That will destroy the Crystal Seal!”

It did indeed. The gem imprisoning the Fiend started to crack. Then, The Masked Beast roared with fury as it burst free of the stone.

“It’s your move, Llymic…” said Yumi.

(Y&S: 5,600) - - - - - - - - - - (D&L: 12,000)

Llymic quickly drew a card.

“I play the Equip Spell, Reverse Reborn,” he said, placing a card in his Disk. “This lets me revive an Arcana Force Monster from my Graveyard, so long as I Equip it with this card. The catch is, it automatically gets its inverted effect.”

“I’ll bet he’s bringing back The Fool,” said Erik.

“Well, true,” replied Llymic.

The Fool appeared in a burst of light. (0/0)

“But it won’t be staying. I sacrifice it…”

The Fool vanished into grains of light…

“I summon Arcana Force VIII – The Strength!”

In another burst of light, another weird Monster appeared. It looked like a cylindrical robot, with large, clawed arms, no legs, and a metal, mask-like face, hovering in the air. (1,800/1,800)

“Oh, great,” said Aster. “I definitely remember that thing. It was one of the riskiest Monsters Sartorious had.”

“Care to elaborate?” asked Chelsea, as the card appeared, and started to spin.

“Well, if it lands upright,” explained Aster, “Llymic gets to take control of one opposing Monster. But if it lands inverted, Yumi and Sam get to take control of all Llymic’s Monsters except that one.”

“You heard Aster,” said Llymic, with a grin.

“Well, we’ve been having pretty good luck so far,” said Sam. “Stop that card!”

The card slowed… And then came to a stop right-side-up.

“DARN!” shouted Sam.

“Well, let’s see…” said Llymic. “Should I take control of The Masked Beast?

“No… I think I’ll take… Yumi’s Dark Magician!”

A rippling wave of energy emitted from The Strength, and Dark Magician’s eyes appeared glazed. He was pulled over to Llymic’s side of the field.

“I always wanted to give this a try,” chuckled Llymic. “Dark Magician… Attack Magical Exemplar with Dark Magic Attack!”

Dark Magician aimed his staff at the young sorceress.

“Not so fast!” shouted Sam, as her other facedown card lifted. “I have a Draining Shield of my own!”

Dark Magician fired his blast, and it was absorbed into an invisible shield.

“Ergh,” muttered Llymic. “Good thing I didn’t choose to take The Masked Beast. Strength, you attack her. Crushing wave.”

The same rippling field of energy shot at Magical Exemplar, and she screamed before bursting into pixels.

“That’s all for now,” said Llymic.

(Y&S: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (D&L: 12,000)

Sam quickly drew a card.

“First, I set one Monster,” she said, as a hidden Monster appeared.

“Now, Masked Beast, destroy The Dark Creator!”

The Fiend rushed at the giant, and clobbered it with its cudgel. The Dark Creator groaned, and sparks flew from its armor in a display of electric pyrotechnics. Then, it burst into an explosion of burning lightning.

“So much for him,” said Sam. “Now for the other one… Archfiend Soldier, rescue Dark Magician! Attack The Strength!”

Archfiend Soldier flew at the droid, holding aloft its sword.

“Not so fast…” said Llymic, as his facedown card lifted. “Ren should remember this Spell Card from his duel with Johnson. Class System.”

Archfiend Soldier stopped short.

“Since Archfiend Soldier isn’t a higher Level than The Strength, the battle is called off.”

“Nuts…” muttered Sam. “Sorry, Yumi, I should have attacked it with The Masked Beast.”

“Yeah?” asked Yumi. “If you had, Llymic might have saved that Spell Card to protect The Dark Creator, and it was the greater threat. We can still come back.”

(Y&S: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (D&L: 11,100)

“We’ll soon see, won’t we?” asked Daala, drawing a card.

“It’s my Standby Phase, so my Monsters that were removed from play since my last one go back to my Graveyard…”

Vengeful Shinobi and Dark Armed Dragon slipped back into her discard slot.

“So, Yumi… If Armed Dragon and The Creator spoke to you… I’m guessing maybe Horus did the same…”

Yumi stepped back in shock. She remembered Horus’s words quite clearly…

“Mortals, listen to what I say, commit it to memory, and hope that your minds make more sense of it than I could. Evil comes in the form of dark, armored flame, a presence that causes the sun to hide in fear. Be cautious in what powers you use to combat it, for it steals the energy from magics that are used against it to recruit its allies from the grave…”

“From the look on your face,” said Daala, “I’m guessing he did. And by the way, as for Mako’s presumption that all members of the Dread Council are NOMIs?”

She chuckled. The two Rose Tokens vanished into grains of light.

“Wrong. I summon Dark Horus!”

An aura of black fire appeared on the field, and two glowing eyes appeared from out of it. A creature emerged from it that was just as big as the real Horus, and the same basic shape, but its armor was glossy black. (3,000/1,800)

“But I won’t be using him right away,” she said. “First, I’m going to prepare for the appearance of another member of the Dread Council, who will appear next turn.”

“What do you mean?” asked Yumi.

“Simple,” replied Daala, showing them a card in her hand. “Since I have at least three Dark Monsters in my Graveyard, if I remove two of them from play, I can send her there…”

Dark Armed Dragon and The Dark Creator slipped out of her discard slot. Then she discarded the card she had shown them.

“…and on my next turn, she’ll appear in all her glory! But we’ll get to that later…

“Dark Horus, incinerate Archfiend Soldier with solar darkfire!”

Dark Horus screeched, and blasted a bolt of black flames from its terrible jaws. Archfiend Soldier screamed, and was reduced to ashes.

“ERGH!” gasped Sam.

(Y&S: 6,900) - - - - - - - - - - (D&L: 11,100)

“That’s all for now,” said Daala, with a sweet smile.

Yumi drew a card. It was Pot of Greed.

“Due to Llymic’s Deck Lord power, which doesn’t play favorites,” she said, “Skilled Dark Magician goes back to my Graveyard.”

The card slipped back into her discard slot.

Yumi looked hard at the Pot of Greed. Normally, she would have played it at once. But she was thinking about the warning that Horus had given her.

“Be cautious in what powers you use to combat it, for it steals the energy from magics that are used against it to recruit its allies from the grave…”

She thought about that for a minute.

Something will happen if I use a Spell Card, she thought. It won’t be the same as the true Horus’s negating effect… Most likely, Dark Horus will be able to activate an effect that benefits Daala. Probably one that affects her Graveyard…

She looked at the other cards in her hand.

But with my Dark Magician being held hostage, and another member of the Dread Council slated to appear next turn, I don’t think I have much choice.

“I play Pot of Greed!” she shouted, playing it.

She drew two cards.

“That means I can activate Dark Horus’s effect,” said Daala, as Dark Horus started to glow with dark energy.

“I knew it,” said Yumi.

“Now I get to Special Summon a Dark Monster from my Graveyard,” continued Daala.

Dark Grepher appeared, crouching in Defense Mode. (1,700/1,600)

Yumi looked at the two cards she had drawn.

If I destroy The Strength, she thought, I might get Dark Magician back… But can I be sure of it? I have no idea what may be coming in a few turns, and I can’t leave myself a sitting duck…

“I set a card facedown, and move Chaos Command Magician to Defense Mode,” she said.

A reversed card appeared, and Chaos Command Magician knelt in defense.

“Then I set a Monster, and end my turn.”

A hidden Monster appeared.

“My move,” said Llymic, drawing a card.

“It was a lot of fun using your Monster, Yumi,” he said. “But enough is enough…

“I sacrifice Dark Magician and The Strength…”

Dark Magician and The Strength faded into grains of light.

“To summon Arcana Force XVIII – The Moon!”

An eruption of pure light burst on Llymic’s side of the field, and a huge… thing appeared. It looked like a giant mechanical device, that wasn’t even humanoid. Rather, it looked like a large cryogenic chamber with an odd-looking alien being sleeping inside it. The whole apparatus had two oversized hands on metal tendril-like arms on its sides, and was mounted on a mass of metal tentacles. (2,800/2,800)

“The Moon is stronger than The Star?” asked Erik.

“Sartorious worked as a fortuneteller before the Light of Ruin possessed him,” sighed Aster. “As a result, these creatures based themselves on the Major Arcana of the Tarot. The higher the number of the Tarot, the more powerful the Monster.”

“Just how strong do these things get?” asked Jesse.

“Don’t ask,” replied Aster.

The card appeared above The Moon, and started to spin.

“Here we go again…” muttered Sam. “STOP!”

The card stopped, and was right-side-up.

“We’ll get to what that does on my next turn,” said Llymic, taking a card from his hand. “In the meantime, I get to draw twice due to Precious Cards From Beyond…”

He made two draws.

“Now… you’ll be flattered by this next move, Yumi… I was inspired to put this card in my deck by your grandfather Joey.”

“Please, he’d give you a hundred yen for the whole deck,” replied Yumi. “He had much better gamble cards… And much less ugly ones.”

“Say what you will,” replied Llymic. “I play Shield and Sword!”

The Spell Card appeared, and every Monster on the field started to glow.

“You see Yumi, this Spell has no affect on Arcana Force Monsters, since they always have equal Attack and Defense Scores. But it’s a liability for any Monster with a high Attack Score, as Sam’s Masked Beast would agree.”

The changes were dramatic across the board. The Masked Beast turned to (1,800/3,200), Dark Grepher turned to (1,600/1,700), Dark Horus turned to (1,800/3,000), and Chaos Command Magician to (1,900/2,400).

“I must say that was clever,” said Yumi, with a chuckle. “Too bad your brilliant plan is about to fall flat on its face…”

Her facedown card lifted.

“I activate Threatening Roar!”

A bellowing roar echoed across the field.

“Seems our strongest Monster is still safe,” she said.

“For now…” growled Llymic. “It’s your move, Samantha.”

“Draw!” shouted Sam.

She drew a card.

“Go, Monster Reborn!” she shouted.

In a flash, Archfiend Soldier appeared again. (1,900/1,500)

“Remember,” said Daala, “each time one of you plays a Spell Card, Dark Horus gets to use his effect.”

Shadowpriestess of Ohm appeared next to Dark Grepher, crouching in Defense Mode. (1,700/1,600)

“Doesn’t matter,” said Sam. “I flip my Skull Knight #2 to Attack Mode.”

Her facedown Monster flipped, and the skeletal Fiend appeared. (1,000/1,200)

“Then,” she said, “I sacrifice him, to summon Dark Ruler Ha Des!”

Skull Knight vanished, and the mighty Dark Ruler appeared in a dark aura. (2,450/1,600)

“That means I get another Skull Knight!” continued Sam.

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

“Next,” said Sam, taking a card from her hand, “I Special Summon Dark Queen Per Sephone!”

In another burst of darkness, Per Sephone appeared. (2,200/1,200)

“Time to take out the trash,” replied Sam. “Masked Beast, destroy Dark Horus!”

The Masked Beast charged at Dark Horus, and clubbed it hard. The Dragon screeched, and exploded in a cloud of black smoke.

“Persephone, Archfiend Soldier… Destroy Daala’s other Monsters!”

The two Fiends flew at Dark Grepher and Shadowpriestess. Archfiend Soldier slashed at the Dark priestess with his sword, and she exploded into pixels. Per Sephone clawed at Grepher and he burst.

“Ha Des, attack Daala directly! Stygian blast!”

Ha Des threw a bolt of black fire at Daala, and she sweated and strained as the dark aura of fire covered her.

She gasped for breath. And then was knocked down as Skull Knight slashed at her with its sword.

Sam placed two cards in her Disk, and two facedown cards appeared.

(Y&S: 6,500) - - - - - - - - - - (D&L: 7,650)

“My… move…” grunted Daala, angrily.

She drew a card.

“Due to Llymic’s effect, the two Monsters I removed from play last turn go back…”

Dark Armed Dragon and The Dark Creator slipped back into her discard slot.

It was at this point that Sam made the realization…

“Mortals, take every step through this fiery wasteland with care. The destructive side of fire has been given life in the most horrible way. She cannot be born unless she first dies, and before she dies, three have to die first, and two of those must surrender their souls to her hunger. But when she is finally born, beware, for whatever barrier you erected to keep her back will not hold…”

“Yumi!” shouted Sam. “The Monster she sent to the Graveyard last turn… It’s the Sacred Phoenix’s evil twin!”

“Correct, Sam!” laughed Daala. “You catch on fast. I call forth Dark Nephthys!”

In an explosion of dark fire, much like the one that heralded the arrival of Dark Horus, a dark parody of the Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys appeared. Like her good counterpart, she was an armored bird with flaming wings… But like the other members of the Dread Council, her armor was glossy black, and the flames were dark and emitted no light. (2,400/1,600)

“I could have just summoned her by sacrificing two Monsters,” said Daala, “but by doing it this way, I can destroy one of your Spell or Trap Cards.”

Dark Nephthys breathed a blast of dark flame, hitting Sam’s Call of the Haunted, and it was burned to a crisp.

“Now, since you made me mad, your Archfiend Soldier is the next thing that’s going up in flames…”

Dark Nephthys breathes another blast of fire, burning Archfiend Soldier to ashes.

Daala pouted as she placed a card on her Disk, and a set Monster appeared.

“I end my turn…”

(Y&S: 6,300) - - - - - - - - - - (D&L: 7,650)

Llymic! she said in her telepathic voice. We’re in hot water… The card I drew that turn was the Lost Martyr… But because of their blasted Deck Lord, he’s nearly worthless!

Don’t worry, kid, replied Llymic, I’ll think of something…

Yumi drew a card.

“I play Pot of Avarice!” she shouted.

She played the card, and Dark Magician, Magician Exemplar, Skilled Dark Magician, Morphing Jar, and Cosmo Queen slipped out of her discard slot. She shuffled them into her deck, and then made two draws.

There it is! she thought, looking at one of them. The card that Sheena gave me… The card that holds the key to Daala’s final defeat!

Only problem is… I can’t use it right now… It needs the exact right conditions for me to activate it… I’ll just have to hope no-one forces me to discard it…

“I flip Magician’s Valkyria into Attack Mode,” she said.

Her facedown card flipped up, and Valkyria appeared. (1,600/1,800)

“Then I move Chaos Command Magician to Attack Mode.”

Chaos Command Magician stood up.

“Then, I play Rush Recklessly!”

She played the card, and Chaos Command Magician shot up to an Attack Score of 3,100.

“Time to do that old-fashioned trick that you do with a yo-yo,” said Yumi. “You know…

“Shoot The Moon!”

Chaos Command Magician fired his burning blast, and The Moon exploded into a burst of flames and burning scrap metal.

Fujita burst out laughing.

“You find that funny?” shouted Watanabe.

“Well…” chuckled Fujita. “‘Shoot The Moon’… Yeah, it was kinda funny…”

“It’s not going to be very funny if we end up on the losing side of this, Fujita!” scolded Mulner.

“I’d say you four are in big trouble,” said Yumi. “Valkyria, aim for Daala’s facedown Monster! Magic illusion!”

Valkyria cast a blast of light at the facedown Monster…

And then, she gasped as a backlash knocked her over.

Crouching on the card was an odd creature that looked like a small dinosaur, sculpted out of polished, black rock. (800/2,100)

“That’s my Obsidian Dragon,” said Daala. “A bit too tough for you to crack.”

“Then I end my turn,” said Yumi.

(Y&S: 5,800) - - - - - - - - - - (D&L: 7,350)

Llymic drew a card.

“I play Cup of Ace!” he exclaimed, playing the card.

The Spell Card appeared above him, showing the image of a golden goblet. It started to spin.

“So this is the same as your Monsters?” asked Yumi.

“Exactly,” said Llymic. “You know the drill…”

Yumi looked at the card.

“Stop… now!” she said.

The Cup of Ace came to a halt right-side-up.

“That means I get to draw two cards,” said Llymic, as he made two draws.

“Well, well, well…” he said. “What do you know… I just drew a very powerful Spell Card… Wonder if I should use it…”

“What are you talking about?” said Yumi.

“I’m pondering my choices,” said Llymic. “This Spell Card can be very powerful, but very, very risky…”

He showed it to them. Daala gasped.

“LLYMIC!” she shouted. “You said you took that dangerous thing out of your deck!”

“Oh, Daala,” said Llymic. “I say a lot of things I don’t mean… Such as ‘No strudel for me this morning’, or ‘I’ll go easy on the brandy this evening’.”

“Stop making jokes, Llymic!” shouted Daala.

Yumi looked at the card.

“Suit of Sword X?” she asked.

“A deadly but unpredictable Spell Card,” said Llymic. “Once I play it, it spins just as my Cup of Ace did, and if it turns upright, all of your Monsters will be destroyed. But, if it lands inverted, all of ours will be destroyed. It’s truly a game-deciding risk.

“What do you say, Daala? Should we give it a try?”

“Llymic…” growled Daala. “If we lose because of that thing, I’ll never talk to you again…

“But I’ll sure yell at you a lot!”

“Looks like these two are falling victim to the Lumis and Umbra syndrome,” said Ren with a chuckle.

“Yep,” said Chelsea.

“Mmm, Ren makes a good point,” said Llymic. “Better not use it, at least not yet…”

He added it to his hand, and chose another.

“Instead, I’ll first summon Arcana Force I – The Magician.”

He played the card, and another odd creature appeared in a beam of light. It was man-sized, resembling an exotic harlequin, with a bald, faceless head with no features except two beady eyes. It wore black shoulder pads, a vertical striped shirt and pantaloons, and long, red, pointed shoes. (1,100/1,100)

Its card appeared above it, and it started to spin.

“This is getting tedious…” muttered Sam. “Stop right there!”

The card stopped, and everyone on Yumi’s side of the field cheered when they saw it was upside-down.

“How fortunate of you,” muttered Llymic, as his eyes narrowed. “With the Magician inverted, the two of you will gain 500 Life Points each time a Spell Card is played.

“So I’d best make the most of it… Attack Skull Knight #2! Spheroid stream!”

The Magician shot a globe of pure light at the skeletal Fiend, and it exploded into steam.

“Now, I play my own Swords of Revealing Light…”

He played the Spell Card, and the swarm of Swords shot at Yumi and Sam, forming a cage around them. But they were relieved as the Magician glowed with energy, and their Life Points went up.

“I end my turn…” he said.

(Y&S: 6,700) - - - - - - - - - - (D&L: 7,350)

Sam drew a card, and grinned at Llymic.

“I activate MY Pot of Avarice,” she said.

She played the card, and both Skull Knights, Belial, The Bistro Butcher, and Gaap the Divine Soldier slipped out of her discard slot. She shuffled her deck, and made two draws.

“You made a big mistake not trying to use that Spell Card, Llymic,” she said. “You forgot about our Deck Lord.

“I pay 1,000 Life Points to change the Testament’s setting from Monster effects to Spell Cards.”

Testament of the Arcane Lords glowed, and then changed color, turning from orange, to green.

“Your Suit of Sword can’t hurt our Monsters now,” she said. “Next, I’ll play Premature Burial to summon Archfiend Soldier again.”

She played the card, and the Archfiend appeared again. (1,900/1,500)

“And I end my turn.”

(Y&S: 5,300) - - - - - - - - - - (D&L: 7,350)

Daala looked at Llymic, and then smiled.

Now do you see the purpose? asked Llymic.

Oh yeah… replied Daala. It went as smooth as a knife through flesh!

Daala quickly drew a card.

“You fell for it, hook, line, and sinker!” laughed Daala. “That was your last mistake…

“The Monster I’m about to summon is Level Eight… But since I have at least four Dark Monsters in my Graveyard, I can summon him with only one sacrifice…”

No! thought Joan, as a look of terror crossed her face. This was exactly how she defeated me!

Obsidian Dragon vanished into a dark shadow, and the whole chamber became shrouded in an eerie darkness. It was more than darkness. It was a cold, suffocating fog of sorts, clearly a living and very evil darkness.

“Before the Dark Exemplar came, this being was the leader of the Dread Council…” said Daala. “A being spoken only of in whispers in the Higher Plane…

“I present the long-lost and much-mourned dark brother of Archlord Zerato… The one who saved the Higher Plane from a mighty relic of Chaos, only to become a being of Chaos himself… Appear before me, Darklord Zerato!”

The dark fog turned into a windstorm, and a hulking form materialized in the center of it. Yumi and Sam stepped back in fear as they came face-to-face with the legendary martyr. This powerful seraphim was clearly no longer the crusader for order and goodness he had once been. He resembled his brother only in general outline. His skin was coal-black, his helmet bore diabolic horns, and where he once had feathered wings, he now had demonic bat-like ones. He clutched a huge, serrated sword that was an ugly parody of the one used by Archlord Zerato. (2,800/2,300)

“No fair…” gasped Sam. “We didn’t get any warning about this guy…”

“Archlord Zerato must not have known,” replied Yumi. “Or his grief over losing his brother must have been too great to talk to anyone about it…”

“You’re probably wondering about this guy’s effect,” said Daala, with a grin. “Well, just as Archlord Zerato can wipe out every opposing Monster if the controller discards a Light Monster, Darklord Zerato can do the same if I discard a Dark one.

“So, I’ll toss my Dark Crusader, and let him do my dirty work…”

She discarded a card, and Darklord Zerato lifted his sword to the heavens. Lightning struck first to each side of him, then it started to strike on Yumi and Sam’s side of the field. There were six separate screams, and all six of the Monsters on their side of the field were wiped out, leaving only the Testament.

“You tricked us…” snarled Yumi, pointing to Llymic. “You wanted Sam to change the setting on our Deck Lord… That was playing dirty, Llymic.”

“You aren’t going to be so clean either in a minute, Yumi,” chuckled Daala. “Zerato… Pay Yumi a visit, would you?”

Darklord Zerato lifted his sword and flew at Yumi. Yumi closed her eyes and turned her head.

Then she paused. The sword didn’t strike.

She opened her eyes, and saw Zerato tied up with a mass of chains.

She looked at Sam, who was grinning. Her facedown card had lifted.

“Shadow Spell?!” shouted Daala.

“That’s right, Daala!” laughed Sam. “So what are you gonna do now?”

“Oh, I’ll tell you what I’m gonna do now, you little brat,” said Daala. “I was going to cut you some slack and attack Yumi twice. But since you pulled that stunt, Dark Nephthys is coming after you!”

“Bring it on!” shouted Sam, as Dark Nephthys inhaled.

Then she groaned, and staggered as the dark flames covered her.

Sam gasped, and panted for breath.

“SAM!” shouted Yumi. “You alright?”

“I think so…” gasped Sam.

“My turn is over…” muttered Daala.

Then, Darklord Zerato exploded into pixels.

“Uhm…” said Yumi. “Not that I’m sorry to see him go, but… Why did that happen?”

“An unfortunate side effect,” muttered Daala. “If he uses his effect, he goes away at the end of my turn…”

Ren ran up to Joan.

“Joan!” he whispered. “Daala said that Darklord Zerato led the Dread Council until the Dark Exemplar came. What the heck else does Daala have in this deck?”

“I don’t know!” whispered Joan back. “When I dueled Daala, I didn’t get any farther than this!”

(Y&S: 2,900) - - - - - - - - - - (D&L: 7,350)

“My move…” muttered Yumi.

She drew a card.

Then she quickly set it on her Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

“That’s all I can do…” she muttered.

“Then it’s my move,” said Llymic, with a chuckle.

He drew a card.

“I play Pot of Greed,” he said, playing a card.

He made two draws.

He smirked a little when he saw what one of them was.

Can’t use this now, he thought, adding it to his hand, but it will be useful later…

“To be safe,” he said, “I’ll move The Magician to Defense Mode…”

The Magician knelt and shielded himself with its arms.

“Then, I summon Arcana Force III – The Empress,” he said.

He played the card, and a new Arcana Force Monster appeared next to The Magician. It looked like a female creature of alien origins, gaunt and lanky, wearing a blue outfit with a gossamer cape with a high, fancy collar. It had inhuman eyes and an enlarged cranium. (1,300/1,300)

“Ugh!” said Sam.

The card appeared above The Empress and started to spin. Sam sighed.

“STOP!” she shouted.

The card stopped, right side up again.

“Lucky me,” replied Llymic. “Here’s the deal… Each time one of you two Normal Summons or sets a Monster, I get to Special Summon one from my hand, so long as it has the words ‘Arcana Force’ in its name.

“In the meantime…”

The Empress put her hands together, and shot a blast of light, striking Sam in the chest.

“Ergh…” grunted Sam.

(Y&S: 1,600) - - - - - - - - - - (D&L: 7,350)

“Sorry, Yumi…” moaned Sam. “I’m sorry I fell for such an obvious trap…”

“Don’t dwell on it, Sam,” said Yumi. “Something is wrong here…

“Why did Llymic move The Magician to Defense Mode when he could have attacked you with that as well, and brought our Life Points down to 500? That Monster is a liability to them right now… And since they’re in the lead, losing it from an attack wouldn’t hurt them too much…

“Something is clearly wrong… Llymic and Daala are trying to prolong this duel on purpose…”

Daala looked at Llymic.

They’re on to us, she said, in her telepathic voice.

Don’t worry, said Llymic. Too much is at stake for them to simply give up. They’ll continue the duel… And we’ll make it last long enough for the Exemplars to finally show their power…

He looked up at the Great Helm.

“My move,” said Sam, drawing a card. “I don’t know what your game is, Llymic, but it’s not gonna work…

“I activate Mystical Space Typhoon!”

She played the card, and the Swords of Light were blown away by the powerful wind.

“Then,” she continued, “I play Silent Doom, to bring back Archfiend Soldier in Defense Mode.”

She played the card, and the Archfiend appeared, kneeling in Defense. (1,900/1,500)

“Then,” she said, taking the last card in her hand, “I set a Monster.”

A facedown Monster appeared.

“And I use The Empress’s effect,” replied Llymic. “I summon Arcana Force VI – The Lovers.”

In another burst of light, a new Monster appeared, and it wasn’t what anyone (except maybe Aster) expected. It certainly did not suggest lovers, or even two creatures. It was a semi-humanoid creature with a torso that resembled a black dress covered with pink orbs. It had long arms that looked like tendrils, with oversized hands, and its head was a metal helmet with an alien face. (1,600/1,600)

The card appeared above it and started to spin.

“You know what?” muttered Sam. “Maybe you’d better do it Yumi…”

“Stop right there!” shouted Yumi.

The card stopped, and was right-side-up.

“These two can’t catch a break!” said Chelsea.

“With The Lovers in an upright position,” said Llymic, it can count as two sacrifices, if I sacrifice it to summon an Arcana Force Monster.”

(Y&S: 2,100) - - - - - - - - - - (D&L: 7,350)

“Since you have no more cards,” said Daala, “I believe it’s my move…”

She drew a card.

Hmm… she thought. Not the Monster I wanted… But he’ll help me draw it quicker.

“If I were to compare the Dread Council to the Beatles,” she said, “the member I’m about to summon would be the Quiet One. But let’s face it… George Harrison was a great artist, and what I’m about to summon is no slouch.

“I sacrifice Dark Nephthys…”

The dark firebird vanished…

“To summon Darknight Parshath!”

The Monster that appeared was smaller than Dark Nephthys, but no less evil-looking. It looked like Airknight Parshath at first glance, but his armor, skin, fur, and feathers were pitch black. He carried a nasty sword and shield that were a mirror image of the armaments of his good counterpart. (1,900/1,400)

“Now why did she do that?” asked Erik. “Dark Nephthys is stronger than that guy…”

“Only to start,” replied Daala. “Darknight Parshath gains 100 Attack Points for every Dark Monster in my Graveyard…”

She grinned, and a menagerie of specters appeared behind her – Dark Grepher, Shadowpriestess of Ohm, Regenerating Rose, Dark Armed Dragon, The Dark Creator, Dark Horus, Dark Crusader, Vengeful Shinobi, Obsidian Dragon, Darklord Zerato, and Dark Nephthys.

“As you can see, I have eleven,” she said, as they vanished. “That gives Darknight quite a boost…”

Darknight Parshath glowed with a black shadow… (3,000/1,400)

“Destroy Sam’s facedown Monster!” shouted Daala.

Darknight Parshath galloped at the Fiend, and Gil Garth appeared on the card. The Dark Fairy made a slice down the middle, cutting it in half.

“Darknight has another effect,” said Daala. “Whenever he slays a Monster, I can remove one Dark Monster in my Graveyard from play, to draw one card.”

Dark Armed Dragon slipped out of her discard slot, and she made a draw. Darknight Parshath’s Attack Score fell to 2,900.

She frowned.

“Disappointed?” asked Yumi, with a scowl.

“Just move…” replied Daala.

Yumi quickly drew a card.

This will be a big risk, she thought, but I have to destroy The Empress before Llymic uses its effect to Special Summon something worse…

“I summon Skilled Dark Magician again!” she exclaimed.

She played the card, and with a flourish, Skilled Dark Magician appeared a second time. (1,900/1,700)

“Sadly,” said Llymic, “I have no Arcana Force Monsters to Special Summon…”

“Destroy The Empress!” commanded Yumi.

Skilled Dark Magician fired his bolt, and The Empress cracked and chipped before shattering into shards. Llymic grinned slightly.

(Y&S: 2,100) - - - - - - - - - - (D&L: 6,350)

“It’s your move, Llymic,” said Yumi, nervously.

“Indeed it is,” said Llymic, drawing a card.

“And I play my own Pot of Avarice,” he said.

He played the card, and The Star, The Empress, Temperance, The Chariot, and The Moon all slipped out of his discard slot. He shuffled the five Monsters back into his deck, and drew two cards.

Then he smiled even broader.

“A noble attempt, Yumi,” he chuckled, “But I still have The Lovers, and I can still use it.

“I’m sure Aster will remember the beating he got from this Monster, even those the memories truly belong to the real Aster…

“I sacrifice The Lovers…”

The Lovers vanished, and a practical volcano of light erupted on Llymic’s side of the field…

“I summon forth… Arcana Force XXI…

“The World!”

Everyone stepped back in fear, as a twenty-foot-tall titan rose on Llymic’s side of the field. It looked like a giant, armored robot made of blue metal, with clawed arms and a conical spire in place of legs. Over its head was a metal arch engraved with mystic runes, and the head itself was blank and featureless. (3,100/3,100)

“Three-thousand-one-hundred?” gasped Chelsea.

“Aster!” shouted Ren. “What does this thing do?”

“If it lands upright,” gulped Aster, “and Llymic sacrifices two Monsters, he can force Sam to skip her next turn…”

“And Llymic and Daala already have two other Monsters!” gasped Erik. “The Magician and Darknight!”

The card appeared above The World, and started to spin.

This is it, thought Yumi. The whole duel rests on this spin…

“Stop right there!” she shouted.

The card slowly stopped.

Then everyone on Yumi’s side cheered. It was upside-down.

“WHAT?” shouted Llymic.

“HA!” laughed Sam. “All that work, and you got bad luck!”

“Fine,” said Llymic, closing his eyes. “When The World is inverted, then during your Standby Phases, the two of you get to recover the top card from your Graveyard.

“But The World still has 3,100 Attack Points, and I intend to use them.

“I’ll move The Magician to Attack Mode as well…”

The Magician stood up.

“Arcana Force XXI… Demolish Skilled Dark Magician with Light Catastrophe!”

A storm of burning energy erupted around The World, and it hurled the destructive bolts at the Spellcaster. Yumi screamed as her Monster was blown to dust.

“Magician, attack Yumi’s facedown Monster!” commanded Llymic.

The Magician shot its sphere at the facedown card. Apprentice Magician appeared crouching on the card, and was blown away.

A card slipped out of Yumi’s deck. She quickly placed it on her Disk, and a new facedown Monster appeared.

Llymic set two cards in his Disk, and two facedown cards appeared.

“Your move, Samantha…” he said. “Make the best of it…”

(Y&S: 1,500) - - - - - - - - - - (D&L: 6,350)

Sam’s hand shook as she drew a card.

“Due to The World,” she said, “I get to recover Gil Garth…”

Gil Garth slipped out of her discard slot.

“Now I play Pot of Greed!”

The evil jar appeared, and she made two draws.

“I’ll set a Monster, and end my turn.”

A facedown Monster appeared.

(Y&S: 2,000) - - - - - - - - - - (D&L: 6,350)

Daala drew a card. She frowned again.

“During my Standby Phase, Dark Armed Dragon goes back to my Graveyard…”

Darknight Parshath rose back to an Attack Score of 3,000.



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“Now, I attack Archfiend Soldier!”

Darknight Parshath made a slash with his sword, cutting the Archfiend down.

“Now, I’ll remove Dark Armed Dragon from play again to draw one card again.”

She made a draw.

“Darn it…” she muttered, under her breath. “Where the Hell is it…

“Just make your move, Yumi…”

Yumi quickly drew a card.

She started to smile when she saw what it was.

“Due to The World, I get Apprentice Magician back,” she said, taking the card from her discard slot.

“Next, I flip Crystal Seer into Attack Mode.”

Her facedown Monster flipped up, and Crystal Seer appeared. (100/100)

“Now, I use her effect.”

She took two cards off her deck and looked at them. They were Monster Reborn and Cosmo Queen.

She slid Cosmo Queen under her deck, and took Monster Reborn.

“First,” she said, “I play Monster Reborn to summon Magician’s Valkyria in Defense Mode.”

The holy ankh appeared, and Valkyria appeared, kneeling and shielding herself. (1,600/1,800)

“Then,” she continued, “I sacrifice Crystal Seer to summon Dark Magician Girl!”

Crystal Seer vanished, and an exact duplicate of Yumi appeared in front of her. (2,000/1,700)

“Two for the price of one,” laughed Llymic.

“You won’t be laughing in a minute…” said Yumi. “I play… Hand Control!”

“What?” said Llymic, as the Spell Card appeared.

“I name any Spell Card I can think of,” said Yumi, and if it’s in either of your hands, it is activated.”

“That’s crazy,” said Llymic. “How can that help…”

Then he saw the card in his hand, and realized what Yumi’s intention was.

“The card I name,” said Yumi, “is Suit of Sword X.”

Both Llymic and Daala gasped, as the Spell Card appeared on their side of the field, and started to spin.

“Need I remind you,” said Yumi, with a grin, “our Deck Lord is still set to Spell Cards, so there’s no risk us. You two, on the other hand, might be in big trouble…

“Stop that card!”

Everyone looked up as the card started to slow.

For the first time, a look of fright appeared on Llymic’s face, as it stopped upside-down.

There was a burst of light above the two of them, and a deadly shower of swords rained down upon Darknight Parshath, The Magician, and The World. The Magician shattered into pieces instantly. Then Darknight let out a scream as he was impaled, and then blown to shards. The World’s armor was pierced in several places, and explosions burst through its thick shell, until the whole thing erupted in flames from the inside, and then blew into slag.

Llymic looked at the smoking debris where his mighty Monster had been. He was speechless.

“YEAH!” shouted Ren. “They wiped out Daala and Llymic’s whole side! They’re gonna win!”

“Dark Magician Girl…” ordered Yumi. “Attack Llymic directly! Dark Burning Attack!”

Yumi’s twin flew up to Llymic and cast her dark spell. He screamed as it burned his skin.

(Y&S: 3,500) - - - - - - - - - - (D&L: 4,350)

“It’s your move, Llymic,” said Yumi. “This duel is just about over…”

Llymic scowled, and drew a card.

Then he laughed out loud.

“Indeed it is, Yumi!” he laughed. “They say what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger! I’m not dead yet, and I’m about to become stronger than ever!”

Three phantoms appeared behind him. They were The Magician, The Strength, and The World.

“Since I now have a low-Level, mid-Level, and high-Level Arcana Force Monster in my Graveyard,” he said, as they faded away, “I can unleash my most devastating combo!”

His first facedown card lifted.

“I activate The Material Road!”

Then his other facedown card lifted.

“Then I activate The Spiritual Road!”

He took a card from his hand.

“And from my hand, I activate The Heaven’s Road!”

A Spell Card appeared.

“It can’t be…” gasped Aster.

“I sacrifice my three metaphysical pillars to bring out the Light side of Chaos!” shouted Llymic.

The three cards vanished.

“I summon… Arcana Force EX – The Light Ruler!”

A huge, hulking form rose behind Llymic. It was even taller than The World, and wider than it was tall. Hunched over and hulking, it was armored with an alien design, had an expressionless face, and two thick, clawed, mechanical-looking arms. As it glared at Yumi and Sam with inhuman eyes, two large, mechanical dragons unfolded from its back. (4,000/4,000)

“I take it back…” said Ren, with a shudder. “They aren’t gonna win…”

“Aster…” gasped Atticus. “Do you remember this… thing?”

“I’d never forget it,” muttered Aster. “When the real Aster dueled Sartorious, he summoned Bloo-D and used its effect to absorb The World. He thought he had won, thinking The World was Sartorious’s strongest Monster…

“But Sartorious proved him wrong by summoning this… The avatar of the Light of Ruin itself! It took out Bloo-D, and Aster along with it!”

“Correct,” chuckled Llymic. “But no-one knew at the time that the Light of Ruin was one of two servants of Shogarr, the Dread Emperor… One side of Chaos…

“People… I give you the Light Exemplar!”

Then The Light Ruler’s card appeared above it, and started to spin.

This could be the most important toss of the whole duel… thought Yumi.

“STOP!” she shouted.

Then the card stopped, very abruptly. It was right-side-up.

Llymic chuckled.

“It didn’t really matter, Yumi,” he said. “With the Light Ruler, both of its effects are beneficent to me…

“Attack!”

Streams of burning, flaming light shot out of the two dragon mouths. Yumi staggered backwards as Valkyria exploded.

“You were lucky that she was in Defense Mode,” laughed Llymic. “And due to The Light Ruler’s upright effect, whenever it crushes a Monster, I get to recover any card I desire from my Graveyard…”

A card slipped out of his discard slot.

“Since I haven’t Normal Summoned yet, I think I’ll summon it…”

He placed the card on his Disk, and The Lovers appeared again. (1,600/1,600)

The card appeared above it, and started to spin.

“You know,” said Yumi, this time, I’m not even gonna bother…”

The card stopped, and was right-side-up.

“Figures…”

“I set two cards,” said Llymic, as two facedown cards appeared in front of him, “and my turn is over…”

Sam quickly drew a card, and looked at it.

“No way, Llymic,” she said. “I am NOT letting you bring out another two-Tribute terror!

“I flip Gil Garth into Attack Mode!”

Her facedown card flipped up, and Gil Garth appeared again. (1,800/1,200)

“Is Sam crazy?” shouted Jesse.

“Attack The Lovers!” ordered Sam.

Gil Garth charged, and made a slice with its blade, cleaving The Lovers in half.

“I set two cards facedown, and end my turn!” shouted Sam, as two reversed cards appeared. “Do your worst, Daala!”

(Y&S: 3,500) - - - - - - - - - - (D&L: 4,150)

Daala laughed, as she drew a card.

“You think you’re safe from The Light Ruler because it isn’t Llymic’s turn, huh?” she asked. “Wrong…

“I play Fiend’s Sanctuary…”

She played the Spell Card, and the Metal Fiend Token appeared. (0/0)

“Next, I sacrifice it, to summon my Monster Tamer.”

The Token vanished, and a rugged Warrior dressed in Arabian-style, red clothing, with a matching goatee, holding a whip appeared. (1,800/1,600)

“You’re likely thinking that Monster Tamer is pretty pathetic for a Level Five Monster,” she continued. “Well, he has a powerful ability that I can only use in a team duel.

“See, normally, I wouldn’t be able to attack with one of Llymic’s Monsters. But with Monster Tamer under my control, I can not only do so, I can give it 600 more Attack Points!”

Monster Tamer lashed his whip, and The Light Ruler rose to an Attack Score of 4,600.

“Time to finish you off!” shouted Daala. “Light Ruler… Destroy Yumi’s Dark Magician Girl!”

The two dragon heads on The Light Ruler roared. Energy appeared in their jaws…

“You think I didn’t expect that, Daala?” asked Sam. “I was counting on it! I figured you two were hiding a super-strong Monster for this duel, so I put something in my deck for just such an occasion...”

One of her facedown cards shot up.

“It’s called Battle x2! Since The Light Ruler’s Attack Score is at least twice that of Dark Magician Girl, her Attack Score is now doubled!”

Dark Magician Girl closed her eyes, and glowed with golden flames…. (4,000/1,700)

“It’s still her last stand!” shouted Daala. “Finish her!”

Two burning beams of light shot at Dark Magician Girl.

“Not quite!” shouted Sam, as her second facedown card lifted. “Part two of my plan… The Trap Card, Covering Fire! Now, she gains an additional boost, equal to the Attack Score of Gil Garth!”

(5,800/1,700)

Dark Magician Girl leapt up, dodging the powerful blast, and shot a mighty Dark Burning Attack at the very center of the beast, blowing a hole right through it. The Light Ruler teetered for a second or two… Then it collapsed forward… And then burst, sending burnt metal and flaming debris across the whole arena. Llymic shielded himself from the burning wreckage.

(Y&S: 3,500) - - - - - - - - - - (D&L: 2,950)

“You may have defeated the Light Exemplar,” said Llymic, with bile in his voice, “but the Dark Exemplar will avenge it…”

One of his facedown cards lifted, showing a Trap they had never seen before. It showed the image of a relay racer passing a baton to another racer.

“It’s a Trap called Baton Pass, and it’s exclusive for team duels. Since my Monster was destroyed, my partner gets to take one with the same Level from her deck!”

“Another Level Ten Monster?” gasped Mako.

That’s right!” laughed Daala, taking a card from her deck. “Next turn, the Dark Exemplar will appear, and will finish you off!

“I end my turn…”

Yumi slowly drew a card.

Magician of Faith? she thought. Oh, I was hoping for something stronger…

Llymic has no Monsters… If I attacked him and it went through, we’d come close to winning…

But the key words are, “if it goes through”. He has another facedown card, and if it lets him dodge the attack, I’ll be wide open for an attack from Daala’s Dark Exemplar, whatever it is…

Better play it safe…

“I set a Monster, and move Dark Magician Girl to Defense Mode.”

Dark Magician Girl knelt in defense, and a set Monster appeared next to her.

“And that’s all.”

Llymic drew a card.

“I’ll also set a Monster,” he said, as a hidden Monster appeared. “And I end my turn…”

Sam quickly drew a card.

“I summon Opticlops!” she shouted.

With a roar, the cyclopsed, horned ogre appeared. (1,800/1,700)

“Attack Llymic’s Monster!” she shouted.

Steam blew from Opticlops’ nostrils. It charged, and Kaiser Sea Horse appeared on the card. Opticlops tackled it, and it was blown to pieces.

“Gil Garth, attack Llymic directly!”

Gil Garth lunged at Llymic.

“I activate… Scapegoat!” shouted Llymic.

His facedown card lifted, and four fluffy sheep appeared. Gil Garth paused, and the slashed with its sword, cutting one of them in half.

Sam looked at the last card in her hand.

“Fine…” she muttered. “I end my turn….”

Daala grinned wickedly, and drew a card.

“As you know,” she said, “there are twelve Dark Monsters in my Graveyard right now…

“So… I remove from play seven of them…”

An immense, dark shadow started to loom over her…

“…to call forth Shogarr’s other servant. The Dark Exemplar… Rainbow Dark Dragon!”

It was hard to believe what had appeared. The titan looming over the field was a hundred feet long, and looked like an evil, blackened version of Jesse’s legendary Dragon. Its gems sparkled with light, clashing with its glossy black hide, and its eyes glowed blood red. (4,000/0)

“Impossible…” gasped Jesse. “Rainbow Dark Dragon wasn’t a separate Monster… It was the real Rainbow Dragon after Yubel put a curse on it…”

“True,” said Daala, “but she couldn’t do that alone. She recruited a powerful spirit from the very heart of Dark World to take possession of the Rainbow Dragon, offering it a body in exchange for its services. She didn’t know that it was the Dark Exemplar and a being who served an Elder Evil… Nor would she have truly cared at the time in her madness.

“The Dark Exemplar corrupted Jesse’s Crystal Beasts, and gained its powers from them. But when Jaden used the Super Polymerization to free Jesse from his prison within the Dragon, he also freed the Rainbow Dragon from the Dark Exemplar’s control, forcibly driving it out.

“The Exemplar was wounded and weakened, and wandered through the void for a time. It was eventually attracted to Xanadu, a place where its master had influence. I was charged with finding it, because it was too weak to call out to any allies. It took me years of digging up the landscape, but I eventually found it, and the Dread Council healed it, and gave a new body… This one…

“So now you know…

“And I’m activating its new, more powerful effect! I’m removing from play all the Dark Monsters remaining in my Graveyard, and for each one, it gains 500 more Attack Points!”

Rainbow Dark Dragon glowed with unholy energy… (6,500/0)

“And that’s not all,” said Daala, taking a card from her hand. “I Equip Rainbow Dark Dragon with Zombie Lineage!”

“Meaning you can ditch that card to prevent it from being destroyed by a card effect,” said Yumi.

“You got it…” said Daala, taking another card from her hand. “I could win by attacking Gil Garth… But I prefer a more symbolic victory…

“I play Enemy Controller! Dark Magician Girl… Stand up…”

Yumi’s twin on the field tried to struggle, but the Spell forced her into Attack Mode.

“Rainbow Dark Dragon…” commanded Daala, “kill Dark Magician Girl! Dark Rainbow Refraction!”

Yumi shut her eyes tight.

I tried my best, Joan… she thought, as a tear fell from one of them.

Rainbow Dragon roared, and a mighty blast of multicolored light shot from its jaws. Everyone screamed as Dark Magician Girl was vaporized.

Yumi didn’t open her eyes. Why didn’t it hurt? An attack that powerful should have thrown her across the room…

She slowly opened her eyes…

Then she saw that she and Sam were surrounded by a swarm of gently cooing Kuribohs, and Sam was grinning.

“Sam…” gasped Yumi. “The… the last card in your hand…”

Sam gave a thumb’s up.

“How DARE you!” screamed Daala. “How dare you insult my God of Darkness with that puny Kuriboh?!”

“Hey,” chuckled Sam. “It worked against Obelisk.”

“I’m not done with you!” screamed Daala. “Monster Tamer, attack her other Monster!”

Monster Tamer lashed with his whip at the facedown Monster. Magician of Faith appeared and shattered.

“There!” said Daala with a scowl. “There goes your faith, your hope, and your chances.”

Yumi frowned, and a card slipped out of her discard slot.

She looked at it. Monster Reborn.

“I’m getting tired of this,” said Daala. “Make your move. Remember, due to my Zombie Lineage, unless you can summon something with more than 6,500 Attack Points, my Monster is invincible!”

Yumi looked at her deck. Then she looked at the cards in her hand.

Only one card in my deck can do it… she thought. Come on deck…

She drew a card. She held it to the light.

“So…” she said. “That Equip Spell makes your Dragon invulnerable huh? I think not… I’m going to topple your titan, Daala!”

“You and what army?” asked Daala.

“Funny you should ask,” replied Yumi. “First, I play Monster Reborn!”

She played the card, and the holy ankh shined in the dim light. Dark Magician Girl appeared in front of Yumi again. (2,000/1,700)

“Next,” she said, taking the card she had just drawn, “I play The Sage’s Stone!”

She played the card, and Dark Magician materialized on the field next to Dark Magician Girl.

“With Dark Magician and his apprentice on the field at the same time,” said Yumi, “I can use my ultimate weapon…”

She threw a card into her Disk.

“I activate the Spell Card whose name means the Twilight of the Gods… The almighty power of Ragnarok!”

The Spell Card appeared, and lightning flashed. A fierce wind started to blow in the arena.

“Ragnarok?” asked Atticus. “Wait, isn’t that…”

“The Spell Card that her grandfather used in the final round of Battle City…” replied Joan. “The one with whose might was strong enough to even destroy The Winged Dragon of Ra!”

“That’s right,” said Yumi. “Your Zombie Lineage is a poor defense against a power that can smite a God Card. But this Spell Card has a great cost… I have to remove from play every Monster in my hand, deck, AND Graveyard.”

Several cards slipped out of Yumi’s Graveyard, and she added them to one card from her hand, and every Monster remaining in her deck. Putting every Monster in her deck except for the two on the field aside, she turned to face Daala and Llymic as the windstorm increased.

And then, ghostly shapes started to appear around her, that then took solid form. First came Magician of Faith, then Old Vindictive Magician and two Apprentice Magicians. Curran appeared, and gave an angry look at Daala. Injection Fairy Lily joined them.

The specters kept coming. Two Magician’s Valkyria, two Skilled Dark Magicians, Blast Magician, Magical Exemplar, Gemini Elf, Kycoo, Breaker, Goddess With the Third Eye. They all flew into position to face Daala’s great beast. Then the most powerful Spellcasters appeared. Chaos Command Magician, Dark Magician of Chaos, and Cosmo Queen took the high ground.

Daala and Llymic slunk back in fear as Dark Magician Girl and Dark Magician pointed…

Then the attack started, and a multitude of spells shot towards their side of the field. The three Sheep Tokens were incinerated at once. Monster Tamer screamed in terror, and was blasted into oblivion.

The army of Spellcasters continued their onslaught. The Zombie Lineage card was blasted to pieces, and Rainbow Dark Dragon strained as magical energy glanced off its armor. Eventually, the blasts started to pierce its armor, and it roared in pain. Hunks of crystal were blasted off its hide, then large cracks appeared on it.

Finally, The Dark Exemplar let out a pitiful whine, and collapsed to the ground with a crash. The army of Spellcasters didn’t let up, and finally, Rainbow Dark Dragon exploded into black shards.

“Now what?” screamed Daala.

“Don’t give up!” shouted Llymic. “We aren’t finished yet!”

“What do you mean?” asked Yumi. “I haven’t even attacked yet.”

Then the realization came to Daala and Llymic. Yumi had indeed not entered her Battle Phase yet. Neither of them had any Monsters on the field now, and no facedown cards…

“Dark Magician,” said Yumi, “Dark Magician Girl… Double Dark Magic Attack!”

The two Spellcasters flew to the forefront of the army. Dark Magician aimed his blast at Llymic, and he screamed as it hit him. Dark Magician Girl aimed at Daala and she screamed even louder. She collapsed to her knees.

The army faded away.

It was over.

(Y&S: 3,500) - - - - - - - - - - (D&L: 0)

“They won…” said Joan.

“Now let’s see if it works,” said Sheena.

Daala didn’t get up. She looked down, as if in shame.

Then she looked shocked. She was turning slightly translucent.

“What…” she stammered. “What’s happening to me? I’m fading!”

Sheena stepped forward.

“Ragnarok was more than a Spell,” she said. “It was a virus. You’re being deleted, Daala. We’re taking you out for good.”

Daala put her hand over her heart, and her expression turned to panic, as she realized it was true.

“No…” she gasped. “Llymic… Llymic! Do something! Make an antivirus or something!”

Llymic looked at Daala. Then he looked at the Great Helm.

“Sorry, kid,” he said. “But I lack what I need to do it here. And I can’t leave the Great Helm, or they’ll destroy it.”

He backed away from Daala.

“But I’ll tell Shogarr how much you helped.”

“NO!” screamed Daala, as she started to fade even more. “No, no, no, no, no! Please, someone! I don’t wanna die!”

Tears fell down her cheeks.

Then, Vita walked up to her.

“Then I’ll give you an ultimatum, Daala,” she said. “The virus will only harm Daala, not Phyllis Ting.

“So… Join back with me… Or cease to exist…”

Daala looked up at her good side. She held up her hand.

“Vita, wait,” said Yumi. “Are you sure? You have a chance to live without your evil side…”

“I know, Yumi,” said Vita, reaching for Daala. “But that isn’t for the best. Can good truly exist without evil?

“I think not…”

Daala and Vita clasped hands. The two started to glow.

Everyone present watched. The two of them, Daala and Vita, turned into pure light. Llymic shielded his eyes. Then the light became blinding…

When everyone looked, a new young woman was standing where they had been. She resembled Daala, but not as attractive, wearing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Only the Crown of Xanadu remained around her head to indicate that she was the Queen of Xanadu.

“Daala?” asked Ren.

“Vita?” asked Chelsea.

“They’re both gone,” replied Yumi. “Only Phyllis Ting is left… We can only hope that Vita’s influence is stronger.”

Phyllis looked at Llymic, and then at Joan…

And then she started to weep. She sobbed. She walked up to Joan.

“Joan…” she cried. “I can’t express how sorry I am… For all the things I put you and the whole population of this place through…

“I’ll have to pay for what I’ve done. In the meantime…”

She lifted the flames off her head.

“I abdicate the Crown of Xanadu… And I bestow it upon you…”

“NO!” shouted Llymic. “I won’t allow this!”

He started to cast a spell.

Then Phyllis quickly drew a card from what was left of her deck.

“You made me Queen of Xanadu, Llymic,” she said. “Consider this my last order as such…”

The card glowed, and a Shadow Spell grabbed Llymic. He started to curse and struggle.

“You’re under arrest.”

She gestured, and the flames surrounded Joan’s head, turning into flames of pure light.

Everyone on Yumi’s side of the field breathed a sigh of relief…

Except Yumi herself. She knew that something was still missing…



ARCANA FORCE VIII – THE STRENGTH (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Fairy/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 5
ATK: 1,800
DEF: 1,800

Card Description: When this card is Summoned, toss one coin. This card gains one of the following effects based on the result of the toss:
Heads: Take control of one of your opponent’s Monsters. Control lasts until this card is no longer face-up on the field.
Tails: While this card remains face-up on the field, your opponent gains control of all of your face-up Monsters except this one.



REVERSE REBORN (Spell Card)

Equip Spell

Image: A metal mask on a background of grey and black shapes.

Card Description: Select one “Arcana Force” Monster in your Graveyard. Special Summon the selected Monster and Equip it with this card. When this card is removed from the field, destroy the Equipped Monster. The Monster Equipped with this card has its “Tails” effect automatically applied.



SUIT OF SWORD X (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: Ten swords stuck in the ground, under a crescent moon.

Card Description: Toss one coin. Depending on the result of the toss, enact one of the following effects:
Heads: Destroy all Monsters your opponent controls.
Tails: Destroy all Monsters you control.



THE MATERIAL ROAD (Trap Card)

Continuous Trap

Image: Arcana Force I – The Magician, Arcana Force III – The Empress, and Arcana Force VII – The Chariot all floating in an ocean.

Card Description: You may activate this card when you have at least one “Arcana Force” Monster in your Graveyard that is Level Four or less.



THE SPIRITUAL ROAD (Trap Card)

Continuous Trap

Image: Arcana Force XII – The Hangman in a misty fog.

Card Description: You may activate this card when you have at least one “Arcana Force” Monster in your Graveyard that is Level Five or Six.



THE HEAVEN’S ROAD (Spell Card)

Continuous Spell

Image: Arcana Force XII – The World on a rocky mountain path.

Card Description: You may activate this card when you have at least one “Arcana Force” Monster in your Graveyard that is Level Seven or Eight. Send this card along with a face-up “The Material Road” and a face-up “The Spiritual Road” to the Graveyard to Special Summon one “Arcana Force EX – The Light Ruler” from your hand, deck, or Graveyard, disregarding its summoning requirements.

Note: The proceeding six cards were all used by Sartorious at various times in Season Two of “Yu-Gi-Oh GX”. Creative credit goes to the writers.



CRYSTAL SEAL (Trap Card)

Continuous Trap

Image: A large, violet prism, with a winged, humanoid form trapped inside.

Card Description: Target one Monster your opponent controls. The targeted Monster cannot attack, cannot be targeted for an attack, and cannot be Tributed. If the targeted Monster’s ATK or DEF changes, destroy this card.

Note: “Crystal Seal” was first used by Raphael in “Fate of the Pharaoh (Part Two)”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



ARCANA FORCE XVII – THE STAR (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Fairy/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 7
ATK: 2,700
DEF: 2,700

Card Description: When this card is Summoned, toss one coin. This card gains one of the following effects based on the result of the toss:
Heads: By Tributing two Monsters during your Main Phase 1, this card may attack directly during the Battle Phase of the same turn.
Tails: No Monsters on your side of the field may attack directly.



ARCANA FORCE XIII – THE REAPER (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Fairy/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 6
ATK: 2,300
DEF: 2,300

Card Description: This card cannot be Special Summoned. This card can be Normal Summoned with no Tribute if you control a face-up “Arcana Force” Monster. When this card is Summoned, toss one coin. This card gains one of the following effects based on the result of the toss:
Heads: You may switch the effect of one “Arcana Force” Monster (except this one) on your side of the field during your Main Phase. This effect may be used once per turn.
Tails: During each of your Standby Phases, switch the effects of all “Arcana Force” Monsters you control except this one.



BATON PASS (Trap Card)

Normal Trap

Image: A track runner passing a baton to another runner.

Card Description: This card can only be used in a duel where you have a partner. Activate this card when a Monster that you control is destroyed. If your partner has at least one Monster in his/her deck and/or Graveyard that is the same Level as the destroyed Monster, he/she selects one and adds it to his/her hand.



MONSTER TAMER (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 5
ATK: 1,800
DEF: 1,600

Card Description: You may use the effect of this card in a duel where you have a partner. During your Battle Phase, you may declare attacks with your partner’s Monsters as if they were your own, and increase their ATK by 600 until the end of your Battle Phase.

Note: This is the anime version of “Monster Tamer” as it appeared in the original multi-part anime episode “Double Trouble Duel”. The real Japanese card is a Normal Monster.



DARK INVIGORATION (Spell Card)

Quickplay Spell

Image: Doom Shaman casting a spell, and ghostly phantoms flying towards him.

Card Description: Remove one DARK Monster in your Graveyard from play and target one face-up DARK Monster on the field. Increase the ATK of the targeted Monster by 1,000 until the End Phase of the current turn.



BATTLE X2 (Spell Card)

Quickplay Spell

Image: Two Penguin Soldiers, one of them holding a large feather.

Card Description: You may activate this card during the Battle Phase when your Monster battles a Monster with an ATK at least twice as high as your Monster’s ATK. Double the ATK of your Monster.

Note: “Battle x2” was first used by Jaden in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “What a Doll!”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



RAGNAROK (Spell Card)

Quickplay Spell

Image: An elaborately painted picture of a group of villagers watching a group of huge deities fighting in the sky.

Card Description: You may activate this card when you have a combination of any two of the following Monsters face-up on your side of the field: “Dark Magician”, “Dark Magician Girl”, “Magician of Black Chaos”, and “Dark Sage”. Remove from play all Monsters in your hand, deck, and Graveyard. Destroy all Monsters on your opponent’s side of the field, regardless of any conditions that would prevent their destruction.

Note: “Ragnarok” was first used by the Pharaoh in the original anime episode “The Final Face-Off (Part Four)”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



Yumi and Sam’s Deck Lord: “Testament of the Arcane Lords”: “Life Protection”: At the beginning of the duel, choose Spell, Trap, or Monster effect. Your Monsters cannot be destroyed via the method chosen. You may switch your choice during your Standby Phase by paying 1,000 Life Points. (Extraordinary Power)



Daala and Llymic’s Deck Lord: “Chaos Sorcerer”: “Chaos Theory”: Any Monsters that are removed from play are sent to their owner’s Graveyard during his/her next Standby Phase. This effect is not optional. (Extraordinary Power)



Lords of Chaos

He of Eternal Darkness; Tharizdun

The name Tharizdun is legendary among all beings whose memories are long, and all mortals who battle evil. Joan believes that Azathoth is the greatest force of Chaos in the universe, but doubts that he exists. If the Blind Idiot Piper does exist, he is too stupid to plot his own schemes. Tharizdun is one of the mightiest forces of Chaos in the universe who actually posed a threat.

Tharizdun presumably came from the Far Realm, a plane of madness. A being of unheard of power, he sought the same goal as most Elder Evils – destruction of all he came across. He would overwhelm the universe in Chaos, and not just unmake it, but erase it. Possibly, he was the one who created the Dark Jewel that corrupted the brother of Archlord Zerato.

However, almost every other power in the universe witnessed the early stages of Tharizdun’s plan, and realized he was going too far. He would destroy the universe, and literally nothing would be spared. Tharizdun himself would not even survive. No creature with any sanity could let this continue. Even the most evil of demon lords realized that Tharizdun’s plans would leave no universe left to conquer.

Thus, a grand alliance was formed. Heaven allied itself with Hell, briefly, and a temporary truce was called in the Blood War. For a brief time, all powers, Good and Evil, Law and Chaos, all banded together to oppose Chaos. It is said in that time a powerful mortal became the god of justice who is now called St. Cuthbert.

The conglomerate army fought against Tharizdun’s mad forces, and after a long struggle, the darkness was defeated. Tharizdun was imprisoned in a secure demiplane, and has not escaped since.

But he will not accept defeat so quietly.

From time to time since that ancient battle, Tharizdun has reached out from his prison. Some mad cultists venerate his name, worshiping him as a god. Worshippers of Tharizdun strive for their god’s release, usually believing (wrongly) that they will be spared when his plan for annihilation begins again.

Perhaps Tharizdun’s greatest plan was The Temple of Elemental Evil. Proving himself a master of the elemental forces by assuming the form of the Elder Elemental Eye, he formed not one cult, but four, fueled by power from the four elements. The Temple’s goal was to bring the four Elemental Lords of Evil (beings rumored to be Tharizdun’s spawn) to Earth so that a ritual could be cast to free Tharizdun, but the plan failed, and the Temple was destroyed.

Tharizdun’s plans seem likely to fail again and again. The mere mention of his name is enough to raise an army of crusaders, not to mention the Wind Dukes, to quell whatever new plot is in the works by whatever new cult has formed. But they must be ever wary, because Chaos on this scale holds might enough to unmake all of creation.



Has Yumi achieved victory? It sure seems that way. But all is not as it seems.

The final battle of “Soul of Silicon” is coming. And it will, after an Interlude, that is coming next.

[Shuppet Master]

This was probably the most awesomesauce duel ever, and I liked how Vita convinced Daala to merge and reform Phyllis again. Of course, you have to throw in one life-or-death duel to completely end this fanfic.

Can't wait for the final chapters, we're in the home stretch.

[mario72486]

For some reason I figured Daala would be using the dark-counterpart monsters from Phantom Darkness, but I never expected other monsters from the set to be incorporated into the mix. I was also surprised how Dark Armed Dragon was the first big card to make its appearance on Daala's side. Considering the current gaming environment, you'd expect him to be a near game winner. Then again, the way you presented it and the others fit just right for their situations.

As much as Rainbow Dark Dragon would fit the bill nicely for the Dark Exemplar, I was kind of hoping for something else. Not sure what, though; perhaps an original creation was in order. The other real disappointment was how Daala met her defeat to the same card as Marik did. Then again, I suppose it's meant to be more symbolic than anything else.

Can't wait to see how this concludes.

[Dark Sage]

INTERLUDE

Yumi looked at the situation, as she stood at Joan’s side.

It certainly looked like they had achieved victory. Daala was no more, and the young woman who had taken her place had surrendered. Llymic was in chains, and the members of Daala’s inner circle were on their knees, as Joan’s five generals took them into custody as well. Best of all, Joan wore the Crown of Xanadu now.

Chelsea walked up to Joan.

“I remember Daala saying that permission from the ruler of Xanadu was needed for us to go home,” she said. “Well, since you rule Xanadu now, can we go home?”

“As soon as you like, Chelsea,” said Joan, with a smile.

Then Llymic laughed.

“Oh, sure, Chelsea!” he mocked. “You’re going to be a hit at your senior prom with green skin and fangs!”

“You be quiet!” ordered Zane, who was watching him.

Chelsea’s face fell.

“He makes a point thought,” said Ren. “Look at us… We’ve become Duel Spirits… What would we be going home to?”

“It’s not reversible!” shouted Mako.

“What do you mean?” asked Sam. “They said…”

“Look at Phyllis!” shouted Mako. “She isn’t Dark Witch any more! She turned back when her curse was lifted! There has to be a way…”

Everyone looked at Phyllis in shock. Mako was right. It took the uneducated fisherman to figure it out.

Yumi looked at Joan.

“Dark Necrofear was a liar…” she said. “She likely lied to everyone, including Daala… At every turn…”

They looked at Phyllis.

Phyllis sighed.

“Shogarr knew the secrets of the Devil’s Fruit,” she said. “And she shared them only with his most trusted followers. The leaders of his cults…”

Joan looked at Llymic. Her eyes glowed with anger. She walked over to him, grabbed him by the collar, and stared into his eyes.

“Listen, Llymic,” she said, sternly. “You stand accused of aiding an Elder Evil in an apocalyptic plan. That was bad enough. And to make matters worse, as part of the plan, these five youngsters were tricked into surrendering their human forms, a malicious and wicked act.

“If you ask me, St. Cuthbert may well insist on prosecuting your case. Can you even imagine facing him on the witness stand? Most defense attorneys in history have given up trying to defend their clients and have entered guilty pleas without making any plea bargains, rather than oppose him.

“If you want Voltanis to have any reason to be merciful, you’ll tell us the whole story behind that stuff…”

Llymic sighed.

“Very well…” he muttered.

Joan let go.

“But you won’t like my answer,” replied Llymic.

He cleared his throat.

“Phyllis isn’t Dark Witch any more because Daala received that transformation, not Phyllis. The gift of the Devil’s Fruit was granted to Daala, not Phyllis, by Shogarr’s will. He is the true master of the Fruit. When Daala stopped being Daala, the spell was thus broken.

“The story I told you a while ago about Tyrexxus left a few things out. I’ll give you the full story now. Tyrexxus and Shogarr were mortal enemies in many Blood War campaigns. Their rivalry stretched back to a time before most devils could remember. They hated each other with a passion, and each spent countless hours plotting to undo the other. Time and again, the armies of these two beings fought, but none of them ever reached a satisfactory conclusion.

“In what would be the final battle between their forces, their armies met on the Field of Nettles, the legendary battlefield that was the halfway point between Hell and the Abyss. Each of them pushed their troops cruelly, until none could stand except the two lords themselves. And still, neither would yield. They fought each other, devil lord against demon lord, in a fight of swords that lasted days. Even then, the battle ended in a stalemate. But before it ended, Shogarr managed to inflict a wound upon his foe that poisoned Tyrexxus with a deadly curse of Chaos, which would forever link the two enemies together.

“Tyrexxus went home, angered and restless. It was at this point that Levistus’s forces, knowing that Tyrexxus was weakest, decided to rebel. Unable to effectively fight back due to the curse infecting his system, Tyrexxus was overthrown, and he fled.

“Tyrexxus wandered into the Grey Waste, with Shogarr’s voice haunting his ears and mocking him. With every step, he grew wearier and wearier. Finally, when he reached the Field of Nettles where the battle had occurred, the full effects of Shogarr’s curse overcame him, and he collapsed into a deep sleep, which he would never awaken from.

“But even Shogarr could not predict a side effect of the curse. The Devil’s Fruit grew from Tyrexxus’s entombed form, fueled by the being of Law cursed by Chaos. Shogarr took notice, however. Rather than destroy these plants, he experimented with them, and found them adequate tools. He knew that their power would extend his influence, so long as his curse continued to link him to his old enemy. Although the Fruit was as much a product of demons as they were of devils, the name Devil’s Fruit stuck, as its roots came from the slumbering Lord of Stygia.

“The only way the Fruit will ever completely lose its power is if the curse is broken. And that will only happen if Shogarr allows it, or if the curse is forcefully broken by his defeat.”

Llymic chuckled.

“So what will you do, Yumi?” he asked. “Travel to the Abyss and ask him nicely to undo his curse on Tyrexxus? Or go there and challenge him to a battle to the death?”

Yumi paused.

Then she looked at the portal to the Abyss.

“No…” she said, slowly. “I don’t… think that will be necessary…”

“What is it, Yumi?” asked Sam.

Yumi paused again.

“A feeling…” she said. “I’ve never felt it before… But somehow, I know what it is…”

* * * * * * * * * *

In Tzimisce Woods, Green Baboon, Defender of the Forest sat on a large stump, chewing on a piece of bark.

He looked up, and watched the clouds of early morning float by.

He shivered. Something strange was happening.

* * * * * * * * * *

In the Sea of Infinite Tears, The Legendary Fisherman walked ashore of a small island, while his mount waited in the surf.

He looked up at the sky, and rubbed his chin. Something was coming, and it was no storm he was used to. It was something worse. Something very, very bad…

* * * * * * * * * *

In the Burnt Paradise, Horus the Black Flame Dragon perched upon a rocky slope. He surveyed the desert, as the sun slowly rose.

The wind started to pick up. Things were uneasy. A cloud covered the sun, making him uneasy as well. What was happening?

* * * * * * * * * *

From a balcony near the summit of the Cathedral of Mechanicles in Darkspire, Emes the Infinity looked over the city. The sun couldn’t reach through the smog here, but he figured it was likely almost up. He looked into the smoggy sky…

Somehow, a sense of dread crept into his circuits… He likened it to what an organic creature felt when he said it felt like someone just crawled over his grave.

* * * * * * * * * *

In the Flaming Peaks, the Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys perched on the rim of a volcano. She surveyed her fiery domain, and looked up into the soot-filled sky.

Strangely, she felt a chill, something that a being of fire rarely ever felt. Something bad was coming.

* * * * * * * * * *

In the Frozen Wastes, The Creator stood alone on an icy plateau, looking towards a herd of Sonic Ducks. It stood stoically, waiting for the right moment to do its task, even if the right moment didn’t come for years.

Then something broke its concentration. And it knew that only great Chaos could break the concentration of a being like itself that was so dedicated to Law…

* * * * * * * * * *

Everyone looked at the portal to the Abyss, as a mass of dark flames started to form in it… Something was definitely about to come out of it…

As everyone watched, a figure that stood seven feet tall strode out of the portal. Yumi and her four friends recognized him instantly – Unus had summoned his avatar when she had dueled him. A tall figure in golden, knight-like, plate armor, with no flesh exposed whatsoever, with a purple, velvet cape. A knight that held no weapon. A dark aura of energy surrounded him.

“Shogarr…” whispered Yumi.

Joan’s five generals quickly backed away from their prisoners.

The infamous demon lord put his hands on his hips and looked around. Clearly, even though his face was hidden, it was clear he was not pleased.

“You’re not just saving me,” started Llymic, “you’re…”

Then Shogarr gripped him by the face and shoved him over.

“Quiet!” ordered the Dread Emperor, in a deep, commanding voice. “I’ll deal with you later…”

“About time you showed up,” said Yumi. “All you’ve done in this whole sleigh ride is sit in your castle and watch.”

Shogarr gave Yumi a dirty look (at least he seemed to) and then walked up to Joan.

“No more games, angel,” he said. “I’m assuming control of Xanadu personally, now. Surrender the Crown.”

“And if I don’t?” asked Joan.

“You didn’t really think this whole rebellion thing through, did you?” asked Shogarr. “What did you expect would happen if you actually succeeded? Did you actually think I would sit back and allow the Higher Plane to assume control of my lands?

“Well, I’ll tell you right now, I never intended to, and I won’t. It was with my good graces that Xanadu was built… I will control it, or I will destroy it.”

“You can’t!” shouted Zane. “Thousands of Duel Spirits will die!”

“So what?” asked Shogarr. “If a Blood War battle doesn’t have at least fifty-thousand casualties, the general abandons the project, because it was clear that the goal wasn’t important enough for the enemy to put up much of a defense. The population of Xanadu is nothing to me.”

“What is Joan gonna do?” asked Jesse.

“I don’t know…” replied Aster. “Shogarr isn’t playing around. All I know is, Xanadu will be far worse under Shogarr’s rule than it ever was under Daala’s…”

Joan closed her eyes. She took a deep breath. She truly didn’t know what to do. When she had accepted this mission from Shinato, the possibility that Daala was being supported by a higher power was not confirmed. And ever since it had been confirmed, dealing with him had been a weak part in her plans…

And then, everyone was startled, as a bright light appeared in mid-air.

The bright light expanded, turning into what looked like another portal. Images started to appear in it.

A young man appeared in the forefront of the portal, half-shown, as if he was sitting at a communications device…

“Jaden Yuki!” said Yumi, Ren, Chelsea, Sam, and Erik at once.

“In the flesh,” said the young man.

“You…” said Shogarr, in an icy tone.

The portal became clearer, and everyone could make out three people standing behind Jaden – Chazz, Alexis, and Syrus.

“Shogarr,” said Jaden, “before you try anything, this is a special one-way portal. You can’t attack us from your side.”

“What do you want, Yuki?” asked the demon lord, now clearly annoyed. “You’ve meddled in my affairs enough times over the years, and if you think I’m going to let you do it again…”

“But you meddled in mine, now,” replied Jaden, “By trying to invade Neo-Space.

“Pollux, Phoebe, and Damocles have turned informant. At first, they were adamant about remaining loyal to their employer, and wouldn’t tell us anything. But eventually, they realized the cold, hard truth of their situation. They were prisoners on an alien planet, light years away from Earth, and they likely would never have seen home again unless they cooperated with us.

“Maybe you should have realized that before your cult sent them here and then abandoned them, huh?

“Anyway, they told us your plans, all of them…

“And I believe these are what you’re after?”

He held up two cards. They were Super Polymerization and Yubel – Das Extremer Traurig Drachen.

Shogarr growled a little.

“Now, Shogarr...” he continued, “get it out of your head that you’ll ever steal them from me... But, if you’re willing to duel Yumi, I’m willing to ante them... If you ante the Great Helm against them.”

“Why should I take such a gamble when I have the advantage now?” asked Shogarr.

“Well,” said Jaden, as he put the Yubel card aside. “If you go ahead with your plan, and invade the Earth, you may get your wish... We may come back to defend it...

“But, if there was any chance that you’d get your slimy mits on the Super Polymerization card, I’d have no choice but to destroy it before we did. That would mean your whole plan for the Grand Rebirth would go back to the drawing board.”

“You’re bluffing, Yuki!” shouted Shogarr. “Everyone knows you love your cards too much to destroy one of them!”

“This one is an exception,” said Jaden, looking at it. “You forget, this card was crafted using the suffering of innocents, including those of several friends who I was lucky to get back. It brought out my dark side, someone who was evil and merciless, like you. I was able to control that side of me, and I control it to this day... But you know, sometimes I wonder if I could banish the Supreme King from my psyche forever if I were to simply tear up this card...”

He held the card in two hands, as if to rip it.

“One minute to decide...”

Shogarr looked at him with a cold glare.

“You drive a hard bargain...” said the demon. “Fine, it’s a bet. But I have a condition. In this duel, Yumi must leave the Testament behind, and use herself as her Deck Lord.”

“Uh, I can do that,” replied Yumi.

Shogarr turned to face Yumi.

“Oh, and one other thing...” said Shogarr.

He lifted his arms to the heavens, and cast a mighty command...

* * * * * * * * * *

In a cafe in a busy part of Domino City, near a big screen, Nicholas and Olga were having breakfast.

Then, a surge seemed to strike all of creation. The screen changed, and Shogarr’s face appeared on it. Then the scene shifted to him confronting Yumi.

“I’ve taken control of every media device on Yumi’s world,” said Shogarr. “Every television, every internet connection... Everyone will be able to watch as the battle to decide the fate of the universe is fought!

“My dear Yumi... I hope you don’t get stage fright...”

“I’m not afraid of you...” said Yumi, even though she looked visably afraid.

“You might be once you see my Deck Lord...” replied Shogarr.

A low roar sounded, and a huge creature rose behind him. It was unmistakenly a Dragon, but an exceptional one. It stood twenty feet tall. It had smooth, green flesh, covered with silver armor. It had large wings, and a long neck, with a silver mask covering its face above wicked jaws, and a mane of orange hair. It stood upright on its powerful hind legs, its long tail trailing behind it.

“That’s Chaos Emperor Dragon – Envoy of the End!” yelled Sam.

“I should have guessed,” muttered Erik. “Leave it to him to use the most broken card in history as his deck lord...”

Chaos Emperor Dragon seemed to hear this, and it hissed angrily...

“Not yet, my pet,” said Shogarr, raising his hand.

“Yumi, be careful!” shouted Phyllis. “Shogarr created the whole Deck Lord system! That Dragon could have Deck Lord abilities that haven’t even been documented!”

“Actually,” replied Shogarr, “it has no Deck Lord abilities at all...

“But it will have some powerful ones, once I empower it with these!”

He held up six Monster cards. Phyllis gasped.

“Those are the Orichalcos Monsters that Kozaky made!” she gulped. “I locked them in my most secure vault... I never even knew what their ultimate purpose was...”

“I designed that vault,” said Shogarr. “I’d be a pretty pathetic sorcerer if I couldn’t bypass the magical wards on a vault I designed.

“As for the true purpose of these cards, Kozaky had no idea of it. Yumi... Your grandfather did me a great favor by vanquishing the Leviathan. If there’s one thing I didn’t want when I enacted my plan, it was competition!”

“Llymic was right,” muttered Ren. “An Elder Evil’s greatest enemy is another Elder Evil...”

“But the Spirits of these Monsters,” said Shogarr, “the demonic servants of the Orichalcos, didn’t realize that. Ever since their master’s defeat, they’ve been hiding in remote corners of the universe, too weak to do anything but cower. By making these cards, I was able to contact them, and offer them a new purpose, by serving me...

“And they foolishly accepted. It’s time for them to serve that purpose...

“Feed, my pet...”

He tossed the six cards upwards, and the huge Dragon snapped them up like six pieces of candy.

“GAH!” shouted Yumi. “Shogarr... What did you do?!”

Chaos Emperor Dragon started to glow with energy.

“By using those six fools as fuel,” said Shogarr, “my Dragon will be the perfect weapon in this battle...

“A battle I hoped would never come... One I tried to prevent since a prophet predicted it five-thousand years ago...

“Yumi... Do you know how many times I tried to get rid of you since that time?”

“I believe this was the third,” replied Yumi.

“Oh, please,” replied Shogarr. “I made dozens of attempts. The one that your spiritual guide told you about wasn’t even the first.

“You see, Yumi, most of the times I started a cult, it failed before it even got close to you...

“Sometimes I gave these cultists great powers... But they fell victim to greed, and decided to use the powers to steal wealth and valuable trinkets instead of concentrating on the goals I set for them. Even worse, more often than not, they ended up squabbling over their spoils, fighting amongst themselves, until the authorities found them and they were hanged as bandits.

“Other times, they disagreed on who should lead their group, their dreams of the rewards they would get upon success going to their heads. Jealousy over some relic that one member had led to murder, and the cult was destroyed from within.

“Time and again, each cult I started to take care of you failed, without you ever knowing you were in danger. Every time you were reborn into a new life...”

“What do you expect?” asked Yumi. “Groups devoted to Chaos aren’t very organized. It’s their nature.”

“Ain’t it the truth,” said Chelsea.

“I guess my efforts were all wasted anyway,” replied Shogarr. “My plans to get rid of you before now were doomed to failure. Prophesies are fickle things, and you simply cannot avoid them...

“But... The prophet that spoke five-thousand years ago merely said that you would oppose me... Who the victor would be, he did not say... So if I simply crush you now, I’ll truly be unopposed...”

“I have three words to say to you, helmet-head...” replied Yumi.

Her Disk activated.

“Bring... it... on!”

END OF INTERLUDE

Coming up next:

With the whole world watching, Yumi fights her greatest enemy in the final battle to decide the fate of creation. The conclusion to Soul of Silicon is at hand, and you all will have front-row seats. “Ritual” is next. Be here.

[Shuppet Master]

Well, looks like the big guy himself is taking the initiative. I can't wait to see this duel. We all know how the prophecy ends, but it will be most interesting.

[Dark Sage]

Attention:

Now would be the time where the heroine would make a monologue to introduce the chapter. But Yumi isn’t going to do that, because she doesn’t want to.

You see, she’s facing a foe who has made her life and the lives of her friends a living Hell for a very long time. From what she has learned, this enemy has been after her not only all her life, but for countless lives she has lived before now, for the past five-thousand years. For ages now, he has wished nothing less than to kill her and imprison her soul. She never volunteered for this, but she was never given a choice.

And now, at long last, after being reborn countless times, after surviving Daala’s mad trap that was orchestrated by him, after giving up her very humanity because of the cursed Devil’s Fruit, he’s finally decided to show his face.

To say that Yumi is pissed at this moment would be the mother of all understatements. So let’s leave it at this: She’s too angry to say anything right now, and this age-old conflict is finally going to be settled.

But even if she loses, she’ll likely take comfort in knowing that a long journey is finally at an end.

CHAPTER SIXTY-SEVEN



Ritual

“Pardon me for stating the obvious,” said Yumi. “But you don’t even have a Disk…”

“I have no need of such trinkets…” replied Shogarr.

He gestured, and in five flashes of light, the images of five cards, about four feet tall by two feet wide, with their backs to Yumi, appeared in front of him.

“Modern technology bores me,” he said. “I prefer far more elaborate methods.”

“Humph,” said Atticus. “He calls it elaborate… I call it showing off.”

“This from a duelist who wears a Hawaiian shirt and plays a ukulele,” said Shogarr, with a chuckle.

“Beat the chrome off him, Yumi!” shouted Sam. “This guy is getting on my nerves, and my patience is wearing thin…”

Then Shogarr actually laughed.

“You’re losing patience?” he asked. “Try waiting five millennia! I may be immortal, but this idiotic prophesy has grated on my nerves since the day I first heard it! I would have dismissed the prophet as a rambling lunatic if I didn’t see the proof when Atropus spoke the same words in his dying breath.”

“Who’s Atropus?” asked Ren.

“An Elder Evil who was formed when the offspring of a god was delivered stillborn,” replied Shogarr. “He was a colossal undead thing, who sought to drain the life from all that lived, and remake creation as a reality of walking dead.”

“This is seriously creeping me out!” said Erik.

“But he held great secrets in his rotting form,” continued Shogarr, “and when Orcus destroyed him, those secrets were exposed for all to hear. One of them confirmed the prophesy, giving me all the proof I needed that the mortal prophet who spoke it was not false.”

Yumi glared at her enemy.

“Then no more talk…” she said. “It’s just you against me…”

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

“My move,” snarled Yumi, drawing a card.

She looked over the six cards in her hand.

She placed two cards in her Disk, and a facedown card and a defensive Monster appeared.

“All right,” she said, “let’s see what you’ve got.”

Shogarr gestured, and a sixth card materialized in front of him.

“I summon…” he said.

One of his cards spun around.

“…Stray Asmodian!”

The card burst into flame, and an ugly Monster appeared in its place. It was a limbless Fiend dressed in a black robe, with black, feathered wings on its back. Its head had three faces, colored red, blue, and green, and had a small smokestack on top. (1,300/1,700)

“Huh?” said Erik. “I kinda didn’t expect a Fire Monster from the Lord of Chaos…”

Shogarr chuckled.

“You expected Light and Dark Monsters, right?” he asked. “Be prepared to be disappointed. My deck has only two Dark Monsters, other than my Deck Lord, and no Light ones. Light and Dark are not truly required for Chaos, despite what you may think…

“And speaking of which…”

Both Chaos Emperor Dragon and Stray Asmodian glowed with eerie energy, and Stray Asmodian rose to (1,600/2,000)

“What?” said Yumi.

“The First Circle of Chaos,” said Shogarr. “The first of my Deck Lord’s powers. My Monsters gain a 300-point boost for both attacking and defending. I doubt you can do the same for yours.

“Attack!”

Stray Asmodian breathed a stream of flames at Yumi’s facedown Monster. Old Vindictive Magician appeared on the card.

“Gotcha!” laughed Yumi. “Seems it’s curtains for your Monster!”

“Or so you’d like to believe…” replied Shogarr.

A red aura surrounded him, and Chaos Emperor Dragon roared. Old Vindictive Magician screamed, and then burst into pixels.

Yumi looked up, and saw that Stray Asmodian was unharmed.

“How…” she said.

“That was the Third Circle of Chaos,” replied Shogarr. “By paying 500 Life Points, I can negate any effect that targets one of my Monsters. To me, Old Vindictive Magician was nothing more than what he appeared to be… A feeble old man.”

Two of his cards vanished, and reappeared behind Stray Asmodian.

“I’ll end my turn with two facedown cards,” he said. “You saw what the First and Third Circles of Chaos did… Care to find out what the Second does?”

(Y: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 7,500)

Yumi drew a card and looked at it.

“I’ve got a feeling I’ll find out soon enough,” she growled. “I summon Gemini Elf!”

The two elf sisters appeared in front of her, holding hands. (1,900/900)

“Attack his Stray Asmodian!” she shouted.

The two elves started to cast a spell…

“But before that happens,” she continued, “my facedown card activates…”

Her Trap Card flipped up.

“Magician’s Circle! Now, we must each Special Summon a Spellcaster with 2,000 Attack Points or less.”

“I’d happily oblige,” replied Shogarr, “if I had one, which I don’t.”

“Then I will summon…” continued Yumi, “Magician’s Valkyria!”

In a blast of light, Valkyria appeared next to Gemini Elf. (1,600/1,800)

“All right!” cheered Jesse. “Yumi has him outnumbered!”

Shogarr chuckled again.

“And she did just what I wanted her to do,” he replied. “Activate Spell Card…”

One of his facedown cards lifted up.

“Demise of the Land. Since you Special Summoned a Monster, I can now activate a Field Spell from my deck…

“All of you… Prepare for a trip to one of the greatest sanctuaries of Chaos ever built. A structure whose name is synonymous with one of the greatest forces ever to plot universal destruction. He has been locked away where his tendrils cannot threaten the world, but I tap his power now…

“Take us to… The Temple of Elemental Evil!”

A dark shadow enveloped the field, and the whole arena changed, transforming into a sinister temple theme. It was dominated by a large altar made of black stone, covered with pulsating veins, surrounded by flaming braziers, incense burners, and large water basins.

“Where are we?” asked Ren, ominously.

“The grandest temple of the mad god Tharizdun,” replied Shogarr, “known as the Temple of Elemental Evil. Home to four separate religions, each one worshipping the destructive side of one of the four basic elements, but each ultimately answering to him. It was here that a ritual of unspeakable evil was attempted, which had it been successful, would have freed Tharizdun from his prison to begin his plan of annihilation anew.”

Yumi glared at him.

“I believe Gemini Elf was about to clean your Stray Asmodian’s clock…” she said.

Gemini Elf blasted two bolts of lightning, and Stray Asmodian exploded into a cloud of fiery smoke.

“When Stray Asmodian falls in battle,” said Shogarr, “both players gain 800 Life Points. Fire is a weapon of destruction, but it is also a tool of renewal.”

The two of them glowed with golden energy.

“I’ll give you destruction,” said Yumi. “Valkyria, attack Shogarr directly!”

Valkyria flew at Shogarr.

“Not the wisest choice,” he replied.

Then Chaos Emperor Dragon exhaled a blast of black fire at Valkyria. She didn’t even have a chance to scream before she was reduced to ashes.

“WHAT?” shouted Yumi. “How…”

“You’ve discovered the Second Circle of Chaos,” replied Shogarr. “I can pay 500 Life Points to strike down any of your Monsters who dares come near me.”

“No… way…” replied Yumi.

She looked at her hand.

“I… have to end my turn…”

(Y: 8,800) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 7,500)

Sam went beside Joan.

“I think I see the common thread here,” she said.

“Yes,” said Joan, nodding. “And it isn’t good. Chaos Emperor Dragon’s powers came from consuming the six Duel Spirits that served Dartz. And as a result, it gained three powers that are more or less watered down versions of the three layers of the Orichalcos.”

“That makes Yumi’s usual strategy pretty worthless,” replied Erik.

“Shogarr probably planned this all along!” shouted Chelsea. “He knew that Yumi’s deck was beatdown!”

Shogarr gestured, and a new card appeared beside him.

“And is that a crime?” he asked. “You forget that I’ve been commanding troops in the Blood War for eons. Studying your enemy is the sign of a good commander.

“Those foolish devils think that just because we’re chaotic, we can’t plan. They think that demons can’t think up any plan more complicated than ‘scream and charge’. Well, if that was true, we’d have lost the War millennia ago…

“I set a Monster, and then play the Spell Card, Field Barrier.”

A defensive Monster appeared, and then the Continuous Spell Card appeared.

“With Field Barrier in place, my Temple cannot be destroyed, and you cannot play new Field Spells. And with that, I end my turn…”

Yumi drew a card.

Why do I get the feeling that this Temple is an essential part of his strategy? she thought.

“I play… Graceful Charity,” she said.

She played, the card, but no angel appeared this time. Perhaps she was afraid to come to this desecrated area. Nonetheless, Yumi quickly made three draws.

She thought for a minute, and then discarded Hand Control and Chaos Command Magician.

“I’ll throw a card facedown,” she said, as a facedown card appeared.

“Then I’ll attack!”

Gemini Elf blasted their lightning bolts again…

Then they gasped, and they were thrown backwards by the backlash. Earthbound Spirit appeared on the card, shielding itself. (500/2,000) –> (800/2,300)

Weird, thought Yumi. I kind of expected more from this guy… All I’ve seen so far is this creepy Temple and a few second-rate Monsters… All he’s doing so far is putting up a defense for some reason…

“I end my turn,” she said.

(Y: 8,400) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 7,500)

Shogarr willed another card to his hand.

“I summon Avatar of the Pot,” he said.

In a burst of light, the rocky genie with a head like the Pot of Greed appeared in front of him. (1,200/1,300)

Yumi gave it a look. Her eyes narrowed.

“Now,” continued Shogarr, “I activate its effect.”

A card in front of him turned around, revealing Pot of Greed.

“I send this to the Graveyard,” he said, as it vanished, “to draw three times.”

He waved his hand, and three more cards appeared in front of him.

“And that will be all…”

Why didn’t Avatar of the Pot gain more points? thought Yumi.

She drew a card.

“I set a Monster,” she said, as a Defensive Monster appeared.

“Then I attack Avatar of the Pot!”

Gemini Elf’s lightning flashed, and the Avatar exploded into pebbles.

(Y: 8,400) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 6,800)

“All right!” shouted Ren. “Yumi’s winning!”

“Don’t jinx it!” said Chelsea, giving him a shove.

“Your move, buster,” said Yumi. “I’m curious as to just what you intend to accomplish with this thing.”

“Ever hear what curiosity did to the cat, Yumi?” asked Shogarr, as another card appeared in front of him.

“I play the Spell Card, Precious Cards from Beyond.”

Yumi looked with shock as the Spell Card appeared.

Llymic used that, she thought. If Shogarr has it too…

Another card in Shogarr’s hand revealed itself.

“Now, I play Monster Reborn,” he said.

The ankh appeared, burning with fire, and Stray Asmodian appeared again. (1,300/1,700) –> (1,600/2,000)

“Then, I sacrifice both my Monsters…”

Stray Asmodian and Earthbound Spirit vanished, and the braziers in the Temple started to burn more fiercely. Then a bonfire appeared in the center of the field.

“I summon… Imix, Evil Elemental Lord of Fire!”

The flames took shape, into a form that was twenty feet tall. It looked like a man perfectly sculpted out of fire, towering over the whole field, and holding a flaming, two-handed sword. He let out a laugh that sounded like the roar of a forest fire. (2,500/2,000) –> (2,800/2,300)

“I knew you were up to something!” shouted Yumi.

“Something indeed,” chuckled Shogarr. “I now get to draw twice due to Precious Cards from Beyond…”

Two more cards appeared in front of him.

“And as the spawn of Tharizdun and the uncontested ruler of all evil creatures with power over Fire, Imix has the ability to call his subjects to his aid. By simply discarding one card, I can summon two Fire Monsters from my deck that are Level Four or less.

“So I’ll discard this…”

A card in his hand spun around (it was an Abyss Soldier) and it vanished.

“…and I’ll call forth two Abaki.”

In two bursts of fire, two nasty, horned demons with red skin and horns, holding spiked clubs appeared to either side of Imix. (1,700/1,100 x2) –> (2,000/1,400 x2)

“Ho boy…” muttered Yumi.

“Of course…” said Shogarr, “the effects of Monsters summoned this way are negated… But that hardly matters…

“First Abaki, destroy Gemini Elf!”

The first Abaki swung its club, and the elves screamed before they shattered into shards.

“Second Abaki, the facedown Monster!”

The second one swung its club at the hidden Monster. Crystal Seer appeared kneeling on the card, and was crushed.

“Hold it,” said Yumi. “You activated her effect…”

She took two cards off the top of her deck. She quickly chose one, and put the other at the bottom.

“If you’ve made up your mind,” continued Shogarr, “Imix… Attack directly with flaming ruin!”

Imix’s huge sword blazed furiously…

Okay, decision time! thought Yumi. If I trigger my Trap, I’ll block a direct attack… But I’d probably give up my only chance to take down this thing…

She grit her teeth as the sword swung down at her…

And then she screamed as the burning blade seemed to slash right through her.

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

* * * * * * * * * *

“Yumi!” screamed Nicholas.

He got up with a start when he saw Yumi take the powerful hit. A large crowd had gathered around the big screen. The worst part was, most of them didn’t understand what was happening, or how grave the stakes of this duel were. They saw someone in knight’s armor, who wasn’t using a Disk, dueling Dark Magician Girl. It was pretty bizarre to the average onlooker.

“She’s hurt!” gasped Nicholas.

“Sit down!” urged Olga. “I know you’re worried, but we can’t help her!”

“We gotta do something, Olga!” screamed Nicholas. “She’s in big trouble!”

“Nicholas…” replied Olga, “not to drive a point home, but if she can’t turn it around, everyone is in big trouble…”

* * * * * * * * * *

“That’s it, Yumi, on your knees,” gloated Shogarr. “You aren’t the first, and you won’t be the last…”

Yumi slowly got up.

“Get used to disappointments, you bastard,” she hissed. “It’s my move…”

She drew a card.

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

Her facedown card flipped up, and a coffin appeared on her side of the field. It opened, and Chaos Command Magician stepped out. (2,400/1,900)

“Yeah, that’s right…” she said. “I’m using someone who uses Chaos against you… You don’t like it, do you?”

Shogarr didn’t answer…

Yumi played a card from her hand.

“I play Rush Recklessly!” she shouted.

Chaos Command Magician glowed with energy, and rose to an Attack Score of 3,100.

“Time to put out this fire!” she shouted. “Attack Imix! Chaos Magic!”

Chaos Command Magician twirled his staff, and shot a blast of multicolored energy directly at the heart of the fiery titan. Imix groaned and fell on one knee, and then exploded into an eruption of soot and embers.

Everyone on Yumi’s side of the field cheered.

Yumi placed another card on her Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

“Not bad,” said Shogarr, “but can you deal with this?”

His facedown card lifted.

“The Trap Card, Shattered Axe! This will cause your Monster to lose 500 Attack Points during each of my Standby Phases.

“In other words, when it’s my turn, he’ll be weaker than Abaki…”

Yumi growled.

“I end my turn…” she muttered.

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

Shogarr gestured, and a new card appeared in front of him. The Shattered Axe card glowed with red energy, and Chaos Command Magician groaned as his Attack Score fell down to 1,900.

“Attack, my Abaki,” he commanded.

One of the Abaki clobbered Chaos Command Magician with its axe, and he shattered into shards. The Shattered Axe card vanished. The other smashed at the facedown card. Magician of Faith appeared on the card, and burst.

The Rush Recklessly card slipped out of Yumi’s discard slot, and she took it.

“That’s all for now,” said Shogarr, again in his icy voice.

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

Yumi quickly made a draw.

She looked at the five cards.

Are there limits to that thing’s powers? she thought, looking at the Dragon. Time to find out…

“I set two cards,” she said, as two facedown cards appeared. “Then, I summon my second Valkyria.”

In a burst of light, another Valkyria appeared. (1,600/1,800)

“Next,” she said, “I play Monster Reborn to bring back my first one!”

The ankh appeared on her side of the field, and Valkyria’s twin appeared next to her. (1,600/1,800)

“All right!” cheered Jesse. “It’s Yumi’s Valkyria Lock!”

“It won’t last for long, I promise you,” growled Shogarr.

“We’ll soon see,” said Yumi. “I end my turn.”

Shogarr willed another card in front of him. Despite the helmet covering his face, he was seemingly irked.

“Disappointed in your draw, Shogarr?” asked Yumi.

“What’s it to you, Yumi?” he replied. “I move my two Monsters to Defense Mode, and then set another.”

The two Abaki knelt and held their clubs in their laps, and then a facedown Monster appeared.

“It’s your move,” he said.

Yumi drew a card.

Her eyes opened when she saw who it was. She smiled, and then played it.

“I summon Ebon Magician Curran!” she shouted.

In a shower of shimmering motes, Curran appeared in front of her, now holding her trademark leather switch. (1,200/0)

“Hey, Yumi!” she beamed. “It’s great to be working with you again! I feel so…”

Then she saw Shogarr.

“Oh… Then again…”

“Don’t panic, Curran,” said Yumi. “I need your help if I’m going to make any headway in this duel…”

Curran simply nodded. Shogarr growled.

“Valkyria!” ordered Yumi. “Destroy those two Abaki! Magic Illusion!”

The two Valkyria blasted their beams of pure light, and the two demons were blown into blasts of fire and soot.

“Good!” said Zane. “And since they were summoned using Imix’s effect, Yumi doesn’t lose any Life Points from destroying them!”

“I’ll end my turn there, Shogarr,” said Yumi. “Don’t forget, my two Valkyria are protecting Curran just as much as they protect each other.”

Shogarr gestured, and drew another card.

Two of his cards vanished, and a facedown Monster and a reversed card appeared on his side of the field.

“Not much to say, huh?” asked Yumi.

She drew a card.

Yes! she thought.

“Curran,” she said, “you know what to do…”

Curran pointed at Shogarr, and a bolt of dark energy blasted at him, striking him in the chest.

“Due to her effect, you lose 600 Life Points, 300 for each Monster you have.”

Shogarr hissed.

“This was my own fault…” he cursed. “I thought it was a good plan at the time… Recruit someone who my enemy once trusted and turn her against her… I should have known she’d have second thoughts!”

“Isn’t retrospect great?” asked Chelsea, sarcastically.

“You gave Curran lies,” said Ren. “Yumi gave her the truth. That’s why she had second thought. Honesty, Shogarr. It’s a concept that morons like you might benefit to learn about.”

Shogarr turned to them with an icy stare.

“Valkyria,” started Yumi, “attack…”

“I activate Threatening Roar!” exclaimed Shogarr, as his facedown card shot up.

A loud bellow echoed over the field.

“Fine,” said Yumi.

She took the card she had just drawn, and placed it on her Disk. A facedown Monster appeared.

“I end my turn…”

(Y: 5,400) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 5,900)

“And I start mine,” replied Shogarr, as another card appeared in front of him.

“I flip this facedown Monster into Attack Mode… The dreaded Jowls of Dark Demise.”

His facedown card flipped up, and a horrid Monster appeared. It looked like a specter made of purple haze, shaped into a pair of bestial jaws, with a pair of eyes inside them. (200/100) –> (500/400)

One of Yumi’s two Valkyria’s eyes glazed over, and she looked hypnotized.

“My Jowls allows me to turn one of your Monsters into my servant,” continued Shogarr.

Valkyria was pulled over to Shogarr’s side of the field, and she turned to face Yumi.

“Oh, no…” said Aster. “He broke the lock…”

“Not only that,” added Zane. “Jowls of Dark Demise gives the controlled Monster the ability to attack directly.”

“Indeed,” replied Shogarr. “Valkyria, attack Yumi directly!”

The captured Valkyria flew at Yumi.

“I activate Rush Recklessly!” shouted Yumi, as one of her facedown cards lifted.

“I’m attacking directly,” said Shogarr. “That card is worthless if you use it on your Valkyria.”

“I know,” said Yumi. “I’m using it on yours.”

“HUH?” shouted Atticus. “Is Yumi nuts?”

As Valkyria flew towards Yumi, her Attack Score rose to 2,300…

“Now, Draining Shield!” shouted Yumi.

Her other facedown card lifted, and Valkyria bounced off an invisible shield. Yumi stretched out, as energy flowed into her.

“I don’t get it,” said Ren. “Draining Shield is clearly a targeting effect. Why didn’t Shogarr negate it?”

“Because, I found the limit of his Deck Lord’s power,” said Yumi. “His Avatar of the Pot wasn’t affected by the First Circle of Chaos, and Valkyria wasn’t either, so I assumed that only a certain variety of Monsters were. And I assumed that the same was true for the Third Circle.”

“So you figured it out,” replied Shogarr. “Yes, those two powers only work on Fiends, the Type of Monsters that the Orichalcos Monsters were.

“But my turn is far from over…

“I sacrifice my Jowls, and Valkyria…”

The two Monsters vanished in two bursts of dark flame. Then the altar of black rock started to glow, and then the ground in front of him burst open in an eruption of rocks and boulders.

“I summon… Ogremoch, Evil Elemental Lord of Earth!”

Another huge Monster rose on Shogarr’s side of the field. It was just as big as Imix, but more hulking. It looked like an unfinished bipedal humanoid made of clay. Its eyes were deep, inset, and dark, its mouth was the same, and it had no apparent nose or ears. Its four limbs ended in unfinished hands and feet. It let out a massive bellow that sounded like an earthquake. (3,000/1,800) –> (3,300/2,100)

“Uh, Yumi…” said Curran, nervously. “In case you need to sacrifice a Monster… I volunteer…”

“Don’t panic, Curran!” urged Yumi.

“I get to draw two cards, due to Precious Cards from Beyond,” said Shogarr, as two cards appeared next to his others.

“Next, like his fiery brother, Ogremoch can summon his subjects to his side. Thus, I’ll discard this card…”

One of his cards vanished.

“…and summon two Headless Knights.”

Two Monsters rose out of the ground, two spectral knights in fancy armor, holding swords and shield, but naturally lacking heads. (1,450/1,700 x2) –> (1,750/2,000 x2)

“I’m finished…” he said.

(Y: 7,700) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 5,900)

“Well, Yumi’s ahead on points,” said Erik. “But I really don’t like how this whole thing is going…”

Yumi made a draw.

“Thanks to Curran, you lose 1,200 Life Points this time!” she exclaimed.

Curran cast her spell, and Shogarr groaned.

“Next, I Flip-Summon my Morphing Jar!”

The Morphing Jar flipped up, and laughed at Shogarr.

Yumi discarded the one card in her hand, and drew five new ones. The three cards in front of Shogarr vanished, and five more appeared.

“Perfect!” said Yumi. “First, I summon Skilled Dark Magician!”

In a burst of darkness, Skilled Dark Magician appeared. (1,900/1,700)

A Spell Card appeared in front of her.

“Then, I play Magical Dimension! I’ll sacrifice Morphing Jar, and summon Cosmo Queen to the field!”

Morphing Jar vanished into grains of light, and the mighty Cosmo Queen appeared. (2,900/2,450)

“Then, I’ll use the second effect of Magical Dimension to destroy Ogremoch!”

The Evil Elemental Lord of Earth groaned, and then exploded into shards of rock.

“Yeah!” cheered Phyllis. “Two down, two to go!”

“You sure he has two more in his deck?” asked Ren.

“Well, I’m… kinda assuming…” replied Phyllis.

“Skilled Dark Magician,” commanded Yumi. “Destroy one Headless Knight!”

Skilled Dark Magician blasted his scepter, and one Headless Knight groaned before being blasted into pixels.

“Cosmo Queen, Cosmic Nova!” she shouted.

Cosmo Queen blasted her mighty attack, and the second Headless Knight was blown into space dust. Shogarr shielded himself from the blast.

(Y: 7,700) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 2,600)

“I’ll admit, Yumi…” growled the demon lord. “You are powerful… Much more so than I assumed when I first knew of your existence… But when you proved your resilience, I learned not to take anything for granted…”

“Do tell,” said Yumi.

“Yes…” said Shogarr. “When you live as long as I have, you learn to be cautious. I knew that the Queen of Chaos’s plan was likely a fool’s game, so I refused to cooperate with it. What did her plan get her? Death for her, and near extinction for her whole race. When you come right down to it, there are really two types of demons… Smart ones, and dead ones.

“If you want to be a smart one, you have to plan for a long time, and take everything into consideration. I may have tried to avoid this confrontation, but that doesn’t mean I got so full of myself that I made myself believe it would never happen.”

“And now that it has?” asked Yumi.

“I must say it’s rather… invigorating…” replied Shogarr. “Dueling you, I feel a thrill that I haven’t felt since the days when the obyrith were a powerful race, and the Blood War was young…

“You know, once I had defeated you, I was going to lock you and the rest of your cohorts in soulgems… But maybe you all deserve a better fate…”

“Like what?” shouted Yumi.

“Don’t know,” replied Shogarr. “The Devil’s Fruit is still inside you, and I still have the power to manipulate it. I can do so better than Dark Necrofear could… It can transform creatures into demons as well as Duel Spirits.”

Chelsea started to cry. She held onto Ren and shivered.

Yumi stared at him. She had felt sorry for Daala… Maybe she had even felt a little sorry for Llymic, seeing as her grandfather had given him advice that had ultimately gone sour…

But this beast in front of her… He wasn’t just her opponent. He was an enemy of man and everything decent that her race represented. He was a demonic being who wished to destroy existence. And he was mocking them while he did it. He didn’t care in the least what his vile curse had done to them, and was threatening to make it worse.

He was different than Marik and Dartz and even Gozaburo in one big way: he had been born evil. All she felt towards this monster was hatred. There was nothing else to feel.

“Curran, move to Defense Mode,” she said.

Curran knelt, and crossed her arms.

“It’s your move, pal,” she said.

Shogarr gestured, and drew a sixth card.

“I use the effect of my Field Spell,” he said.

“Huh?” said Yumi. “I was wondering what it did…”

“Since I now have at least five Monsters in my Graveyard whose Attributes are not Light or Dark,” continued Shogarr, “I can take five of them, and send them back to my deck…”

Images of five cards – both Abaki, one Headless Knight, and Abyss Soldier – appeared in front of him, and then vanished.

“Then, I also send my entire hand back to my deck…”

The six cards in front of him vanished.

“Then, I reshuffle…”

A deck appeared in front of him, and shuffled itself before vanishing again.

“Then, I draw cards equal to the number my hand consisted of, plus two!”

He waved his hand, and eight cards appeared in front of him in flashes of light.

“Good grief!” gasped Ren. “That’s Pot of Avarice and Reload combined into one!”

Shogarr chuckled.

“It’s a Field Spell, Reginald,” he said. “Yumi is free to use the effect if she wants…”

“You creep…” said Sam. “You knew damn well that almost all of Yumi’s Monsters are Light and Dark.”

“And who’s fault is that?” asked Shogarr. “I summon Abyss Soldier.”

In a blue aura, a new creature appeared. It was clearly aquatic, and looked like a humanoid manta ray, holding a trident. (1,800/1,300)

“Oh, no!” gasped Mako. “That thing is bad news… If Shogarr tosses a Water Monster, he can bounce a card back to Yumi’s hand.”

“Fortunately for her, I don’t have one right now,” replied Shogarr. “But I do have this…”

His facedown Monster flipped up, revealing a second Stray Asmodian. (1,300/1,700) –> (1,600/2,000)

“Abyss Soldier, attack her Valkyria!” he commanded.

Abyss Soldier charged, and speared Valkyria in the belly with his weapon. She gasped, and then shattered.

“Stray Asmodian, punish that traitor!”

Stray Asmodian breathed a blast of flames at Curran. She screamed before she exploded into a fiery burst.

“CURRAN!” screamed Yumi.

“Such is the fate of all who betray me,” grumbled Shogarr. “And of those who fail me after accepting my power…”

He glanced at Llymic and the members of Daala’s inner circle, who had all been too scared to even speak since he had first appeared.

One of the cards in his hand vanished, and appeared facedown behind his two Monsters.

“That’s all for me for now, Yumi,” he said. “I’m still far from finished…”

(Y: 7,500) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 2,600)

Yumi looked at him in hate as she drew a card.

“Cosmo Queen!” she commanded, “attack his Stray Asmodian!”

Cosmo Queen powered up her Cosmic Nova.

“Not so fast, Yumi,” replied Shogarr. “I have my own Draining Shield.”

His facedown card lifted up, and the blast was absorbed by an energy shield. Yumi grunted.

“Skilled Dark Magician, attack his Abyss Soldier!”

Skilled Dark Magician pointed his weapon at the Aqua. Abyss Soldier looked at him with an expression that seemed to say “Huh?”

Then a blast of dark energy blew it away.


Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:

(Y: 7,500) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 5,400)

“My draw…” said Shogarr.

A new card appeared.

“I play Soul Exchange!” he exclaimed, as a Spell Card appeared.

“You’re going to sacrifice one of my Monsters!” shouted Yumi.

“One of yours, and one of mine, actually,” replied Shogarr.

Cosmo Queen gasped, and then vanished into grains of light. Then, Stray Asmodian also vanished.

The water basins in the Temple started to bubble, and overflow. Then a waterspout appeared in the center.

“I summon… Olhydra, Evil Elemental Lord of Water!”

The waterspout took shape, sort of. It looked like a giant wave of water, just as big as the previous two Lords, with no discernable features, and two glowing, evil eyes in the center. It let out a laugh that sounded like the crash of a tsunami. (2,500/2,000) –> (2,800/2,300)

“Olhydra…” muttered Mako. “All men who travel the sea know her name and fear her… The most bloodthirsty of pirates and buccaneers revere her as the goddess of the ocean’s savagery…”

“At least Shogarr can’t attack this round,” said Zane, “since he played Soul Exchange…”

“But I still draw twice due to Precious Cards from Beyond,” replied Shogarr.

Two new cards appeared in front of him.

“And like her two siblings, I can use Olhydra’s effect to summon two Water Monsters.”

One of his cards vanished, and two more Abyss Soldiers appeared to either side of Olhydra. (1,800/1,300 x2)

“Draw!” shouted Yumi, drawing a card.

“I play Pot of Greed!”

The evil jar appeared, and she made two draws.

“With three Spell Cards played since I summoned Skilled Dark Magician,” she said, “I can sacrifice him…”

Skilled Dark Magician vanished.

“I summon my Dark Magician!”

In a mighty aura, Dark Magician appeared. (2,500/2,100)

“Olhydra will drown him,” replied Shogarr.

“He isn’t staying,” replied Yumi. “I play Polymerization! I fuse him together, with Goddess With the Third Eye…”

The Goddess appeared on the field, and then the two Monsters combined into an aura of light.

In an explosion of energy, Dark Paladin appeared. (2,900/2,400)

Shogarr just glared at the fused Spellcaster.

“Attack!” ordered Yumi. “Fierce slashing wave!”

Dark Paladin swung his mighty sword, and Olhydra burst in an explosion of liquid. Then, a rain of water fell upon the temple, extinguishing the flaming braziers.

(Y: 7,500) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 5,300)

“All right!” cheered Jesse. “Not only did Yumi deep-six Olhydra, but now she can negate Shogarr’s Spell Cards!”

“My move…” replied Shogarr.

He made a draw.

One of his cards vanished, and a facedown Monster appeared next to his Abyss Soldiers. Then, both Abyss Soldiers knelt in Defense Mode.

He growled again.

“Run out of insults?” asked Yumi, drawing a card.

“I set this,” she said, as a facedown Monster appeared.

“Then my Paladin attacks!”

Dark Paladin fired his fierce slashing wave, and one of the Abyss Soldiers exploded.

“Fine…” muttered Shogarr. “My Life Points are untouched…”

“Just move…” said Yumi.

Another card appeared in front of Shogarr.

Then it vanished, and another facedown Monster appeared.

He’s stalling… thought Yumi. I have to wipe out his side before he draws the fourth Elemental Lord….

He needs two sacrifices to summon it, and I can negate another Soul Exchange. I just have to wipe out his Monsters…

She drew a card.

“I summon my second Skilled Dark Magician!” she shouted.

Another Skilled Dark Magician appeared. (1,900/1,700)

“Dark Paladin, destroy the facedown Monster on the left!”

Dark Paladin cast his mighty spell again. Earthbound Spirit appeared on the card, and was blown into an explosion of dirt.

“Skilled Dark Magician, take out the other facedown Monster!”

Skilled Dark Magician fired at the other facedown card…

Then, Spirit Reaper appeared on the card, and the blast glanced off. (300/200)

“I told you my deck had two Dark Monsters in it,” said Shogarr. “This is one of them.”

Yumi sighed.

“All right…” she said. “I have to end my turn…”

Shogarr gestured, and another card appeared.

He chuckled.

“I think he got a good draw…” said Aster.

“I sacrifice both my Monsters…” said Shogarr.

“Here it comes…” muttered Atticus.

Spirit Reaper and Abyss Soldier vanished. The incense burners started to emit thick smoke, and wind started to blow through the temple.

“I summon Yan-C-Bin, Evil Elemental Lord of Wind!” laughed Shogarr.

The wind started to take form, turning into a giant whirlwind with a huge, gaping mouth at its center. It laughed with a voice that sounded like the roar of a hurricane. (3,000/1,800) –> (3,300/2,100)

“Let me guess…” sighed Yumi. “You can discard one card to Special Summon two Wind Monsters.”

Shogarr chuckled, and one of the cards in his hand vanished. Then, two Slate Warriors appeared to either side of Yan-C-Bin. (1,900/400) –> (2,200/700)

“Yan-C-Bin,” he commanded, “blow Dark Paladin away!”

A more ferocious wind than ever before blew through the Temple, and Dark Paladin tried in vain to resist it. He finally shattered under the onslaught.

The two Slate Warriors aimed their staffs. One shot a blast of green energy at Skilled Dark Magician, and he shattered. The other fired a blast at Yumi’s facedown card. Blast Magician appeared on the card and was blown to bits.

A card in Shogarr’s hand vanished, and appeared facedown in front of him.

“It’s your move, Yumi,” he said. “The footsteps to your doom draw ever closer…”

(Y: 6,800) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 5,300)

Yumi quickly drew a card.

Hey… she thought, looking at it. I drew Mirror Force!

This card doesn’t target… It might be able to turn this whole thing around…

But I don’t even need it to take out that big windbag…

“I toss down one facedown,” she said, placing it in her Disk.

“Then, I summon Injection Fairy Lily!”

In a burst of stars and hearts, Lily appeared, holding her huge syringe. (400/1,500)

“Now, I’ll drop 2,000 of my Life Points,” she continued, “to boost her Attack Points by 3,000!”

Lily raised her weapon, and flew at Yan-C-Bin. Her Attack Score rose to 3,400, and she threw the huge needle straight into the heart of the storm. The monstrous cyclone groaned, and then dissipated.

(Y: 4,800) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 5,200)

Shogarr stared at Yumi, with a look that could best be described as disbelief.

“The great Yan-C-Bin…” he said, “whom the Sirens, Stormriders of Ryn, and fully half of all clans of Cloud Giants worship as a god was defeated by a mere nurse??

“You and your Spellcasters will pay for this indignity, Yumi!”

“Yeah, how?” asked Sam. “By my count, Shogarr, Yumi has taken out all four of your Elemental Lords!”

“And that was precisely what I wanted her to do…” said Shogarr, with a sinister tone.

“You see, you foolish mortals, the four Elemental Lords have a little condition attached to them. They cannot exist on the field unless my Field Spell is in play. And if they go to the Graveyard without being summoned to the field first, they are removed from play.”

“He wanted those four Monsters in his Graveyard…” gasped Zane. “But the only way he could get them there was for Yumi to destroy them…”

“This has all been part of some bigger strategy…” added Aster.

“You know, it is kind of strange…” added Atticus. “Lord of Chaos? He hasn’t played a single card yet that required removing anything from play…”

“My move…” replied Shogarr.

Another card appeared in front of him.

“I activate Reckless Greed,” he said, as his facedown card flipped up. “I have to skip my next two Draw Phases, but I get two cards now…”

Two more cards appeared in front of him.

Then one of them spun around.

“I activate Giant Trunade.”

A windstorm erupted over the field, and the Temple vanished, along with his Field Barrier and Precious Cards from Beyond. Yumi’s Mirror Force appeared back in her hand.

No… thought Yumi, starting to sweat. If he summons his ace, I don’t have enough Life Points to use Lily’s effect three times…

“I move my two Slate Warriors to Defense Mode,” said Shogarr, as his two Monsters knelt. “Then I play my Field Spell again.”

One of his cards vanished, and the evil Temple appeared once more.

“Now, I activate its effect once more.”

Both Abyss Soldiers, Stray Asmodian, Headless Knight, and Jowls of Dark Demise appeared in front of him. Then they and the seven cards in his hand vanished. His deck appeared in front of him, and reshuffled, and then nine new cards appeared in front of him.

“Three cards go facedown,” he said, as three cards appeared in front of him.

“Then, my turn is complete.”

Huh? thought Yumi.

She slowly drew a card.

“I summon Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer!” she shouted.

She played the card, and Kycoo appeared next to Lily. (1,800/700)

“Attack the Slate Warrior on the left!” she shouted. “Spell of banishment!”

Kycoo shot lightning at the Slate Warrior, and it exploded.

“Seems your Traps were just bluffs,” she said. “I end my turn. Don’t forget, you can’t draw this turn due to Reckless Green.”

Shogarr laughed out loud.

“Just bluffs?” he said. “Hardly! They are instrumental in my true plan…”

One of the cards in his hand spun around.

“I play Tribute to the Doomed, to destroy your Kycoo!”

Another of his cards vanished, and Kycoo screamed as energy hit him. He burst.

“Next,” he said, as another card spun around, “I sacrifice my last Slate Warrior using Mystik Wok.”

The Fiend vanished, and he glowed with energy.

“Now…” he said ominously, “I reveal the three heralds of He of Eternal Darkness, the one known as Tharizdun…”

One of his facedown cards lifted, revealing an image of a nuclear mushroom cloud exploding, while two evil-looking eyes loomed above.

“Doom…” he said.

Then the second one lifted, revealing the image of city being torn apart by a rampaging hurricane, while two evil-looking eyes loomed in the sky.

“Destruction…”

Then the third lifted, showing the image of a man rotting alive, collapsing to his knees, while two evil-looking eyes loomed above.

“And Decay.

“When all three of these Trap Cards are revealed, I can remove all four of my Evil Elemental Lords from play, to summon my ultimate beast!”

Then the whole Temple exploded in a blast that could best be compared to an erupting volcano. Lava spread quickly and all of reality seemed to come undone. Erik grabbed hold of Sam.

“Erik!” screamed Sam. “What are you doing?”

“The same thing you’re doing!” shouted Erik. “Hanging on for dear life!”

A titanic form rose in the midst of the ruined Temple… It looked like a colossal giant, made of half-cooled magma, surrounded by clouds of thick smoke and scalding steam. (0/0)

“Meet the Elder Elemental Eye,” said Shogarr. “The avatar of Tharizdun himself.”

Yumi looked up at the titan, and took a step backwards…

“And I’m just starting,” said Shogarr. “While it’s on the field, I can activate the effect of one of my Trap Cards each round. For example, I can use the effect of Doom to destroy one Monster.”

A blast of dark fire shot out of the Doom card. Lily screamed in agony, and exploded into shards.

“I know what you’re thinking, Yumi… Zero Attack Points. Well, that’s only when it isn’t battling. When it battles a Monster, its Attack Score becomes 500 more than the Score of the Monster it’s battling.

“Except when it attacks directly… Then it becomes 3,000.

“Attack directly.”

The Elder Elemental Eye lifted its giant hand… Its Attack Score rose to 3,000…

“Activate… Mirror Force!” screamed Yumi, as her facedown card shot up.

And then she was shocked as it was blown to pieces.

And she was more shocked as the huge fist slammed into her.

(Y: 1,800) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 7,100)

“How?” groaned Yumi. “Why didn’t it work?”

“It cannot be destroyed by card effects,” said Shogarr, “so long as my three Trap Cards are on the field.”

“This is not fair!” said Ren.

“I don’t think playing fair was ever part of Shogarr’s plan,” said Chelsea.

“It’s your move, Yumi…” said Shogarr.

Yumi slowly got up. She drew a card.

“I set a Monster,” she said, as a hidden Monster appeared.

“Then, I play Double Spell. I’ll toss this…”

She discarded Premature Burial.

“…so I can use your Monster Reborn.”

The holy ankh appeared, and Valkyria appeared again, in Defense Mode. (1,600/1,800)

“That… That’s all I can do…”

“Then it’s my move,” said Shogarr. “I still can’t draw, but I think I’ll activate the effect of Destruction this round, which lets my Monster attack twice.”

The Eye lifted its hand, and its Attack Score rose to 2,300. It flattened Valkyria with a mighty smash.

Then it lifted it again, and Apprentice Magician appeared on the card. The Eye’s Attack Score rose to 1,300, and it smashed her flat.

Yumi gestured, and another Monster appeared facedown.

“I end my turn,” said Shogarr.

Yumi quickly drew a card.

“I play Pot of Avarice!” she shouted.

She played the card, and took Dark Magician, both Skilled Dark Magicians, and both Valkyria from her deck, and reshuffled.

She set another Monster, and then bowed her head.

Shogarr chuckled, as he drew another card.

“I use the effect of Destruction again,” he said.

The Eye lunged forth, first destroying Apprentice Magician. Then it flattened Valkyria a second time.

“Why do you persist?” he said, as another facedown card appeared in front of him. “You cannot defeat the almighty power of Chaos!”

“Dunno,” said Yumi. “Maybe I just want to go down fighting…”

She drew a card.

“HA!” she said with a laugh. “Say goodbye to your Trap Cards, Shogarr! I play Heavy Storm!”

She played the card, and a fierce wind blew through the fiery arena.

“Not so fast!” said Shogarr, in an angry tone.

His facedown card lifted.

“I activate Dark Bribe! Now, you draw once, but your Spell Card goes away…”

The wind quelled. Yumi bowed her head again, and drew a card.

Then she looked up, surprised, as she saw what it was.

It was that strange Equip Spell that had appeared in her deck after her duel with Curran.

Maybe… she thought. Just maybe… I can actually do this…

“All right, Shogarr,” she said, “First, I set one card facedown…”

A reversed card appeared.

“Then, I’m using my Deck Lord power…

“And as hard as it is to believe, I finally figured out how to gain an Extraordinary Power of my own!”

“Say what?” shouted Llymic.

“Since I arrived on Xanadu,” continued Yumi, “I defeated three duelists who had Deck Lords who were empowered by the Core. The first was Daala’s. The second was Slade’s. And the third was Curran herself. We may have ended the encounter peacefully, but the rules of Xanadu still stood. Third time was the charm, because I learned how to achieve one.

“I simply had to give up all my previous Deck Lord powers, and invest in one powerful one…

“Invigorating Soul Circle!

“Now, I get to draw until I have six cards, and with each card I draw, I gain 500 Life Points.”

She quickly drew five cards. She looked them over.

“And I end my turn…”

(Y: 4,300) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 7,100)

“Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh,” laughed Shogarr. “What a waste. Five extra cards, and all of them dead draws.

“I use the effect of Decay this round. It inflicts 1,000 points of damage to you directly!”

Yumi screamed as the dark flames roasted at her flesh.

“Now, attack her directly!”

The Elder Elemental Eye lifted its paw…

“I activate, A Hero Emerges!” shouted Yumi.

Her facedown card lifted up.

“I’ve used this card so often,” said Yumi, “and so many times it’s saved my skin. So how about once more for old time’s sake, eh?”

“Err,” growled Shogarr. “The middle card…”

Yumi smiled. She threw a card on her Disk, and a twin of herself appeared in front of her in Defense Mode. (2,000/1,700)

The Eye’s Attack Score fell to 2,200. It made a smash with its fist, and Yumi’s double was crushed.

“You’re stalling and it won’t work,” said Shogarr.

“We’ll see,” said Yumi. “It’s my move!”

She drew a card.

(Y: 3,300) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 7,100)

“I pay 1,000 Life Points,” she said. “To summon myself to the field!”

She took five steps forward. (2,000/1,700)

Shogarr laughed out loud.

“Did you forget about my Doom card?” he asked. “You can’t defeat my Monster in battle, and next round, it will slay you!”

“No it won’t,” said Yumi, holding up a Spell Card. “I play The Sage’s Stone, to summon Dark Magician!”

The Spell Card appeared, and so did Dark Magician. (2,500/2,100)

“Next, I play Magical Stone Excavation. I toss two cards…”

She played the card, and discarded Dark Magician of Chaos and Dedication Through Light and Darkness.

“…and I get back my Monster Reborn.”

The card slipped out of her discard slot.

“Now, I play it!”

The holy ankh appeared, and Cosmo Queen appeared again. (2,900/2,450)

“So what?” asked Shogarr. “How are you going to defeat me?”

“With this!” replied Yumi. “An Equip Spell!

“And in order to Equip it to myself, I have to take seven Spell Cards from my Graveyard, and send them to the bottom of my deck.”

“What are you talking about?” asked Shogarr. “There’s no such Equip Spell.”

Yumi ignored him. Seven Spell Cards – Graceful Charity, Heavy Storm, Pot of Greed, Monster Reborn, Premature Burial, Hand Control, and Rush Recklessly – fell out of her discard slot, and she placed them underneath her deck.

Then, seven motes of light appeared above her. Each mote turned into a short rod…

Then, the short rods combined into a long, ornate rod. It lowered itself into Yumi’s hands.

“It can’t be…” gasped Shogarr.

Then he shouted in anger.

“You don’t fool me, Yumi!” he screamed. “Every race on the planes has been searching for the Rod of Seven Parts for thousands of years, and they have yet to find even one piece! That thing you’re holding is nothing but a replica!”

“Then why are you so scared?” asked Yumi. “Replica or not, this Equip Spell has a powerful effect that affects the whole field. All Chaos Monsters lose their effects.”

“Chaos Monsters?” asked Jesse. “How do you define a ‘Chaos Monster’?”

“It’s defined as any Monster that involves removing cards from play as part of its cost or effect,” replied Yumi. “And since your Elder Elemental Eye was summoned by removing four specific Monsters from play…”

“It’s Attack Score will stay at zero when Yumi attacks it!” cheered Chelsea.

“You got it!” shouted Yumi.

“No…” gasped Shogarr.

“Dark Magician…” ordered Yumi. “Dark… Magic… Attack!”

Dark Magician twirled his scepter, and fired a mighty blast at the flaming goliath. The Elder Elemental Eye groaned as magical energy burned at its impure flesh, and then it collapsed on its knees. Then, it crumbled into shards of volcanic stone.

“ERGH!” screamed Shogarr.

(Y: 3,300) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 4,600)

“I’m not through yet, Yumi!” cursed Shogarr. “You still can’t attack me directly, and…”

“Yes I can,” interrupted Yumi. “ALL Chaos Monsters are affected, even Deck Lords.”

Shogarr slowly looked at Chaos Emperor Dragon, who was clutching its chest in pain, and moaning.

“This can’t be…” gasped Shogarr.

Then he screamed, as Cosmo Queen’s Cosmic Nova struck him, blowing a hole in his breastplate.

Yumi leapt up, holding the Rod of Seven Parts over her head, and slammed it on the Dread Emperor’s helmet, then on his shoulder, and then his chest, sending him falling to the ground.

He collapsed…

(Y: 2,300) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 0)

“Ahem,” said Jaden, speaking up for the first time. “Well, you lost Shogarr, and I believe we had a deal.”

Shogarr looked at Jaden with a look of rage.

“No we didn’t,” he said. “I certainly don’t remember making any deal.

“And this isn’t over, Yuki… If I have to send my armies to Neo-Space, pull Yubel out of you, and force the secrets of those cards from her very soul…”

“I hate to interrupt an evil rant,” said Jaden, “but you are not weaseling out of this bet. You may not be able to attack us through this portal, but we can from this side.”

Then, a majestic form flew out of the portal.

“Elemental Hero Neos!” cheered Jesse.

Neos flew straight for the Great Helm, and started striking it with his fists. The Helm started to shudder.

“Get away from there!” ordered Shogarr, getting up. “I won’t…”

Then two other Monsters appeared and tackled him. Everyone saw that it was Cyber Angel Dakini and Dragonroid. Everyone looked at the portal, and saw Syrus and Alexis grinning.

Finally, Neos made one mighty blow, and Great Helm was smashed into bits of metal.

Shogarr screamed an inhuman scream. He fell to his knees, as a windstorm started to erupt in the Core…

“He’s weakening!” shouted Jaden, turning his head. “Now’s your chance…”

Then, everyone was startled as five figures appeared in the middle of the windstorm. It was three males, and two females. They were large beings, about seven feet tall, wearing scant clothing. Then had ebony skin, pure white hair, and huge, feathered wings.

They started to surround Shogarr.

“Are they angels?” asked Ren.

“No…” replied Joan. “Elemental beings… The Wind Dukes of Aaqa have arrived!”

Shogarr screamed as the Wind Dukes cast bolts of pure energy from their hands, and his armor started to crack. Yumi tried to watch, but her vision started to blur…

And then she passed out…

* * * * * * * * * *

Yumi slowly came to.

She was lying in the center of the arena, and Sheena was holding her hand.

“Did I faint?” she asked.

“You all did,” replied Sheena. “You are the last to wake up…”

Yumi looked up and saw Ren and Chelsea standing over her…

And they weren’t Duel Spirits any more.

She gasped. She looked at herself, and she was Yumi again.

“We’re cured!” she gasped.

“You can thank our friends for that,” said Sam, who was standing nearby. “Apparently, Shogarr had been weakened enough for them to… well, obliterate him.”

Yumi looked up, and saw only two of the Wind Dukes, one male and one female.

“Thanks…” she said.

The male spoke, in a deep tone.

“It was our duty,” he said. “But we must know…

“The Rod of Seven Parts. Was it only a replica like he claimed? Or did it somehow come to life in your hands?”

Yumi looked at her Disk. The Spell Card was gone.

“Who knows?” said Joan, walking up to them. “The Rod is the most powerful weapon of Law. Maybe it cannot exist unless a mighty force of Chaos exists for it to combat. Perhaps that is the only way it can ever be whole.

“Gods forbid, if someday, another force of Chaos that is just as powerful rears its head, I’m certain that the Rod will come to the hero who rises to oppose it… Perhaps in another form…”

Yumi got up.

“So, Yumi,” said Joan. “Are you all ready to go home?”

Yumi looked around.

She saw Phyllis, who was being guarded by Zane and Atticus, with her hands restrained by handcuffs.

“Phyllis…” she said. “What will you do?”

Phyllis sighed.

“I don’t know, Yumi,” she said. “My human body is gone… But whatever punishment Voltanis gives me, I’m sure it won’t last forever…

“The universe is a big place… I’m sure someday, I’ll find my place in it…”

Joan sighed. She gestured, and a portal opened beside her.

“I’ll e-mail you all soon,” she said. “We have a lot of work to do, getting this place up and running with a decent government… But we will succeed.”

Yumi nodded.

She leapt through the portal, and Ren, Chelsea, Sam, Erik, and Sheena followed.

* * * * * * * * * *

As Yumi exited the portal in the VR lab in Kaibaland, Nicholas rushed up to her and hugged her tightly.

“Yumi!” he shouted, almost crying.

“Easy,” said Yumi, as everyone else came out.

Olga appeared behind him.

“Your chauffer let us in the back way, Ms. Arachne,” she said. “The outside is mobbed.”

“Huh?” said Sheena.

She carefully opened the door.

A crowd had gathered outside, and they were cheering Yumi’s name.

Yumi blushed, and unfortunately, that made it worse.

I guess there might be a reward in all this after all, she thought.



THE TEMPLE OF ELEMENTAL EVIL (Spell Card)

Field Spell

Image: A dark altar of black rock with blue veins on its surface, surrounded by demonic statues of all types, flanked by violet torches, water basins, and incense burners.

Card Description: When this card is removed from the field, remove from play all Monsters on the field with the words “Evil Elemental Lord” in their names. Once per turn, if a player has at least five FIRE, EARTH, WATER, and/or WIND Monsters in his/her Graveyard, he/she may send five such Monsters and every card in his hand back to his/her deck, reshuffle, and draw two cards plus the number that his/her hand consisted of before using this effect.



IMIX, EVIL ELEMENTAL LORD OF FIRE (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Fiend/Effect
Attribute: Fire
Level: 8
ATK: 2,500
DEF: 2,000

Card Description: This card cannot be Special Summoned. This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set unless “The Temple of Elemental Evil” is face-up on your side of the field. If this card is sent from a player’s hand or deck to the Graveyard, remove it from play. Once per turn, you may discard one card from your hand to Special Summon two FIRE Monsters that are Level Four or less from your hand or deck. The effects of Monsters Special Summoned in this manner are negated.



OGREMOCH, EVIL ELEMENTAL LORD OF EARTH (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Fiend/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 8
ATK: 3,000
DEF: 1,800

Card Description: This card cannot be Special Summoned. This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set unless “The Temple of Elemental Evil” is face-up on your side of the field. If this card is sent from a player’s hand or deck to the Graveyard, remove it from play. Once per turn, you may discard one card from your hand to Special Summon two EARTH Monsters that are Level Four or less from your hand or deck. The effects of Monsters Special Summoned in this manner are negated.



OLHYDRA, EVIL ELEMENTAL LORD OF WATER (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Fiend/Effect
Attribute: Water
Level: 8
ATK: 2,500
DEF: 2,000

Card Description: This card cannot be Special Summoned. This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set unless “The Temple of Elemental Evil” is face-up on your side of the field. If this card is sent from a player’s hand or deck to the Graveyard, remove it from play. Once per turn, you may discard one card from your hand to Special Summon two WATER Monsters that are Level Four or less from your hand or deck. The effects of Monsters Special Summoned in this manner are negated.



YAN-C-BIN, EVIL ELEMENTAL LORD OF WIND (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Fiend/Effect
Attribute: Wind
Level: 8
ATK: 3,000
DEF: 1,800

Card Description: This card cannot be Special Summoned. This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set unless “The Temple of Elemental Evil” is face-up on your side of the field. If this card is sent from a player’s hand or deck to the Graveyard, remove it from play. Once per turn, you may discard one card from your hand to Special Summon two WIND Monsters that are Level Four or less from your hand or deck. The effects of Monsters Special Summoned in this manner are negated.



DESTRUCTION (Trap Card)

Continuous Trap

Image: A city being torn apart by a rampaging hurricane, while two evil-looking eyes loom in the sky.

Card Description: You may not have more than one copy of this card face-up on the field at one time. You may use the effect of this card once per round, during your turn if “The Elder Elemental Eye” is face-up on your side of the field and “Decay” and “Doom” are active. You may not use the effect of this card during a round in which you use the effect of “Decay” or “Doom”. “The Elder Elemental Eye” may attack twice during the Battle Phase of this round, so long as your opponent has Monsters on the field. If this card is destroyed, destroy “Decay” and “Doom”.



DECAY (Trap Card)

Continuous Trap

Image: A man rotting alive, collapsing to his knees, while two evil-looking eyes loom above.

Card Description: You may not have more than one copy of this card face-up on the field at one time. You may use the effect of this card once per round, during your turn if “The Elder Elemental Eye” is face-up on your side of the field and “Destruction” and “Doom” are active. You may not use the effect of this card during a round in which you use the effect of “Destruction” or “Doom”. Inflict 1,000 points of direct damage to your opponent. If this card is destroyed, destroy “Destruction” and “Doom”.



DOOM (Trap Card)

Continuous Trap

Image: A nuclear mushroom cloud exploding, while two evil-looking eyes loom above.

Card Description: You may not have more than one copy of this card face-up on the field at one time. You may use the effect of this card once per round, during your turn if “The Elder Elemental Eye” is face-up on your side of the field and “Destruction” and “Decay” are active. You may not use the effect of this card during a round in which you use the effect of “Destruction” or “Decay”. Destroy one face-up Monster your opponent controls. If this card is destroyed, destroy “Destruction” and “Decay”.



THE ELDER ELEMENTAL EYE (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Fiend/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 12
ATK: 0
DEF: 0

Card Description: This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card can only be Special Summoned if face-up “Destruction”, “Decay”, and “Doom” are the only cards on your side of the field, by removing four different Monsters with the words “Evil Elemental Lord” in your Graveyard from play. While this card is on the field, you cannot Normal Summon, set, or Special Summon. This card cannot be destroyed by card effects so long as “Destruction”, “Decay”, and “Doom” are face-up on your side of the field. If this card battles a Monster, its ATK becomes equal to that Monster’s ATK (if the Monster is in Attack Position) or the Monster’s DEF (if the target is in Defense Position) plus 500 during damage calculation only. If this card attacks directly, its ATK becomes 3,000.



THE ROD OF SEVEN PARTS (Spell Card)

Equip Spell

Image: Seven small, ornate, metal rods lying on the ground.

Card Description: Take seven Spell Cards from your Graveyard and place them at the bottom of your deck in any order to Equip a Monster with this card. This card cannot be Equipped to a Monster whose effects would be negated by this card’s effect. While this card is Equipped to a Monster, all Monsters on the field and all Deck Lords that fit one or more of the following criteria have their effects (and Deck Lord powers) negated:
* Monsters who are summoned by removing cards from play as a cost.
* Monsters whose effects are dependent on cards that are removed from play.
* Monsters that remove cards from play as part of one or more of their effects.



Yumi’s Deck Lord: “Dark Magician Girl”: “Invigorating Soul Circle”: You may use this effect once per duel. Draw cards equal to the number of Monsters in your Graveyard, or until your hand consists of six cards. For each card drawn, increase your Life Points by 500. (Extraordinary Power)



Shogarr’s Deck Lord: “Chaos Emperor Dragon – Envoy of the End”: “First Circle of Chaos”: All face-up Fiend-Type Monsters on your side of the field gain 300 ATK and DEF. (Greater Power) “Second Circle of Chaos”: If you are attacked directly, you may pay 500 Life Points to negate the attack and destroy the attacking Monster. (Extraordinary Power) “Third Circle of Chaos”: You may pay 500 Life Points to negate the effect of a card that specifically targets a Fiend-Type Monster you control and destroy it. (Extraordinary Power)



Stay tuned for the epilogue!

[Dark Sage]

EPILOGUE

It took a very long time for Yumi and her friends to manage to go home. The crowd of fans she had gathered all had a million questions, many wanted autographs, and almost all of them hoped she would turn back into Dark Magician Girl. Kaibaland’s security held them back for the most part, and Yumi set up a brief press conference before she managed to get away. She knew that the story was likely too farfetched to be told truthfully on the news, but she took heart in knowing that for at least one morning, her duel was the highest-rated program in the world.

The odd duel was speculated about for days afterwards. Some accused I2 of holding it as a publicity stunt for a promotion, and asked when Shogarr’s cards would be available for public release. Exactly how every media device in the world was hijacked could not be explained; federal investigators whose belief in the supernatural wasn’t even as good as Seto Kaiba’s originally was looked into the matter, concerned over the dozens of laws that had been broken. They were frustrated upon finding nothing that could trace them to any source of the broadcast or any possible perpetrators. Yumi was questioned casually, but anyone could see that the girl who was dueling in the broadcast was simply not her, even if her name had been used. No prosecutor who wanted to keep his job was going to accuse someone of disguising herself by using demonic curses. Eventually, the case was simply filed under Unsolved.

It took several days for any of their parents to leave them alone. With the exception of Erik, most of them were let off with the, “I can’t blame you since I did the same thing when I was your age” routine, and Erik’s parents were too glad that he was okay to do much to him. Still, after five days, after school had started again, Nicholas finally had Yumi alone at her parents’ apartment again.

“I thought I had lost you forever,” he said, hugging her. “If I could have come after you, I would have…”

“You did pretty well out here, from what I heard…” she replied.

Yumi sighed.

“Nicholas…” she said. “Will you go in the kitchen and get some sodas? I’ll have a surprise for you when I get back…”

Nicholas was a little surprised. Was Yumi going to take this farther than usual?

He quickly went into the kitchen and got two sodas.

When he got back to the room, he almost dropped them in shock.

Yumi had become Dark Magician Girl again.

“How?” he gasped.

Yumi chuckled.

“We’ve been able to do it for about two days now,” she sighed. “We don’t really know how but… Apparently, Nicholas, it wasn’t really the Devil’s Fruit that did it…”

She stood up.

“I guess there’s a Duel Spirit inside every duelist… We just needed a push to let ours come out.

“So… Want to hug Dark Magician Girl?”

Nicholas didn’t need to answer. They embraced.

* * * * * * * * * *

The next day, Yumi (now Yumi again) and her four friends walked into the main computer center of KaibaCorp, where Sheena was working at a screen.

“What’s up, Ms. Arachne?” asked Erik. “News?”

“Big news,” said Sheena. “I got that e-mail from Joan that she promised.”

She typed up a command, and a long letter appeared on a screen.


My dear friends,

You’ll be glad to know that our restoration of Xanadu is proceeding as scheduled. With Shogarr’s influence gone, the land is growing lush and fertile. Daala’s prisoners have been freed, and my forces are whole once again. The AI programs you worked with are the new governors of Xanadu, and the Duel Spirits who choose to remain are cooperating.

We searched the Tzimisce Woods from top to bottom. No trace of the Devil’s Fruit remains. It likely was reduced to dust when Shogarr perished. This likely means that his curse upon Tyrexxus is lifted. Whether that means Tyrexxus will awaken, and what that might mean for the politics of Hell, I do not yet know.

The Wind Dukes have made an expedition into Shogarr’s realm in the Abyss, which they expect to be in the middle of a power struggle. Their main goal now is to free the many prisoners he took over the ages so that they can finally rest in peace, and also hopefully to learn as much about the demonic armies that they can. Shogarr may be no more, but the realms of the Abyss are numerous, and Chaos will always be a threat.

Phyllis and Llymic, along with anyone who remained loyal to them, have been handed over to the courts of the Higher Plane. Take heart in knowing that this is far more than Shogarr would have ever offered you. I cannot say what their fates will be. I have done my job, and it is now out of my hands. I will say that I will make sure that the help Phyllis provided will be mentioned at her trial, and might make a difference.

This need not be the end of our interaction. In fact, I want to make an offer.

I know of KaibaCorp’s virtual multiplayer online role playing game that you are about to test. I can offer to make it better. I can create portals that can link Xanadu to Dueltasia, making Xanadu an advanced level of your game that players can find if they desire. I have proposed the matter to my army, and they unanimously agree that it is a good idea. After all, they are no longer fighting, and need a reason to exist.

Whether you agree or not, know this… All of you will always be welcome in Xanadu and in all of the Twelve Dimensions.

Sincerely,

Guardian Angel Joan


Sheena looked at them.

“Ms. Arachne,” said Yumi, “it sounds wonderful, but we gotta think about it first.”

“Yeah,” said Ren. “Why don’t you get working on it. You have our numbers, eh?”

“See you at home, mom,” said Sam.

* * * * * * * * * *

The five of them walked through the park, walking away from KaibaCorp.

“I wonder if everything will ever be the same again,” said Ren.

“Dunno,” said Chelsea. “We’ve seen some pretty serious stuff…”

As they walked past a hedge wall, they changed, and Dark Magician Girl, Shadow Tamer, Mataza the Zapper, Vampire Lady, and Warrior Dai Grepher took their places.

“Shogarr put us through the ringer,” muttered Erik.

“Eh…” said Sam. “Maybe this will look good on a resume someday… But I guess the important part is, we survived, and we came out better for the experience.”

“Know what the funny part is?” asked Chelsea.

“There’s a funny part?” asked Ren.

“Well, not ha-ha funny,” said Chelsea. “But more ironic-funny. Listen… We actually benefited a great deal from Shogarr and his attacks.”

Everyone looked at her strangely.

“Hear me out,” said Chelsea. “If Shogarr hadn’t messed with Yumi at Duelatopia, she might not have collected all of the Shadow Charms, and might not have been able to do the ritual duel. The Pharaoh may never have been released.

“And if we had never gone to Xanadu, we wouldn’t have become more powerful, or become more in touch with the worlds of Spirits. We would have lived our lives as nothing but ordinary duelists.”

“It makes sense in a crazy way,” muttered Erik. “Like how Spider-Man wouldn’t have become a hero if his poor uncle hadn’t been murdered.”

Yumi sighed.

“Well, people…” she said. “Whatever the future may hold… Whatever we choose to do with these powers… We’ll all be there as a team…”

She held her hand out. They put their hands together, in a five-way handshake.

Then they looked towards the KaibaCorp building above them…

* * * * * * * * * *

And what did the future hold?

Yumi and her four friends never attempted to return to Xanadu. For some years, they lived peacefully. All five finished school, and then college as well. They only assumed Duel Spirit form in secret during this time, not wanting to turn into outcasts.

Then, one by one, they each heard their calls. Their adventures were not over.

Sam was spending time with Erik one night, when the Spirit of Gors appeared before them. He begged for help, saying that Ha Des was in danger. Sam and Erik grabbed their Disks and ran through the portal that he created, assuming the forms of Shadow Tamer and Warrior Dai Grepher in the process.

They arrived in the Underworld, only to find that they were too late. Ha Des had been slain, and a mysterious usurper was occupying his throne. Even worse, Gors could not protect Sam when a Beast of Talwar, clearly sent by the usurper, led a mob against her, claiming that the Shadow Tamer would try to dominate the populace. Sam boldly stood up to the Beast, and a duel started. The crowd was awed when she played Ha Des’s card – apparently, his soul still lived in her deck. Sam defeated the Fiend, and the mob started to side with her.

Then, a Zombie who called itself a Plaguespreader stepped forward. It claimed that another Plaguespreader had turned itself into a hideous beast called a Doomkaiser Dragon, and that it had slain Ha Des and assumed his throne. It also said it might know a way to restore Ha Des, if the Doomkaiser was first beaten.

Sam and Erik fought their way into Ha Des’s palace. Along the way, Sam was confronted by an ally of the Doomkaiser – the real Zera the Mant. Sam defeated him, and with her powers growing, she stole his fiendish energy, and managed to evolve into a true version of Dark Queen Per Sephone, just as Ha Des said she might be able to. Sam took the Doomkaiser by surprise, and a lethal duel ensued. After a lengthy battle, the beast fell, defeated.

The Plaguespreader was indeed able to bring Ha Des back to life, but Ha Des was different than he was before. No longer a Fiend, he was a Zombie himself, a Revived King Ha Des. He reasoned he wasn’t fit to rule a nation of Fiends anymore, and decided to retire, offering Sam the position as his heir. Sam was shocked, but she accepted, and Ha Des left for his private lands, trusting the last remnants of his true self with Sam.

As for Erik, he remained with Sam as her royal consort. Many of the population were worried for a while, remembering the choice that the first Warrior Dai Grepher had made. This concern was driven home when none other than Dark Lucius himself arrived to offer him the same choice, not willing to take no for an answer. Erik furiously rejected the Fiend, and a duel ensued. In one mighty blow, the Fiend that was once the first Warrior Dai Grepher was blasted out of existence.

And in defeating him, Erik gained knowledge. He found the path to the other choice, the one that his predecessor had rejected. Following it, he took a path to a realm of Dragons, and came back to the Underworld having evolved into Ryu Senshi.

Chelsea and Ren found their place in the Dimensions at around the same time. They were called by the Vampire Genesis, who was in a panic, claiming that an undead sorcerer was ravaging the land where Zombies called home. Chelsea and Ren took their Duel Spirit forms, and followed him.

They found the Dimension of Zombies a virtual anarchy. The only apparent rule was this sorcerer, who was crushing anyone who dared stand against him. Chelsea and Ren made their way to a mausoleum of bone where this sorcerer supposedly resided, and along the way, Chelsea defeated the Red-Eyes Zombie Dragon, a necromantic creation of the sorcerer. As her own power had grown, Chelsea grew stronger still, and evolved into a far stronger vampire than her previous form.

Chelsea confronted the sorcerer who turned out to be none other than Fushioh Richie, who had recently been freed from a long imprisonment. Chelsea dueled the powerful lich, and eventually defeated him, gaining even greater power.

But then, the true power behind Fushioh Richie appeared. The last member of the Dread Council, Dark General Freed, had come to this Dimension, along with Shadowpriestess of Ohm, hoping to find enough power to somehow resurrect his master.

At this time, Burgundy finally gained enough power to reform his physical body. He suggested to Ren that they take the two villains together. Telling Chelsea to rest, Ren took up a Disk, and both he and Burgundy dueled the evil general and his henchman. Dark Freed was eventually defeated a second time, this time for good, and the Shadowpriestess was rendered powerless. Power flowed into Ren, and he found he was actually able to evolve into a new Dark General Freed, albeit one with no connection to Shogarr.

The Zombie populace of the Dimension bowed before Chelsea, and as she was the most powerful resident now, the energy of the land bonded itself to her. She was nervous at first, but she decided to accept the responsibility, becoming queen. Her first act was to cast the Shadowpriestess into the prison under the mausoleum, where she went defiantly. Ren remained with her, ruling by her side, while Burgundy stayed as well, reassuming his role as the General of Total Defense, only for a much bigger armed force.

And what of Yumi?

After making a visit to the Underworld and the Dimension of Zombies to visit her friends, she heard her own call. Curran visited her, pleading with her for help. Nicholas and Olga insisted on coming this time, and followed Yumi and Curran to the Dimension where Spellcasters ruled.

Yumi was not even able to get close to Cosmo Queen’s palace, which had been taken over by a mysterious force. She dueled some minions of the mysterious usurpers, but found that she could not draw Cosmo Queen’s card, no matter how hard she tried.

Curran finally suggested the Library Arcane. Yumi made a beeline for it, and then went straight to the Dark Archive. Maiden of Macabre stepped aside, not asking for a fee, which surprised Yumi a great deal.

Yumi poured through the books in that private wing for a whole day, while Nicholas and Olga did the same. Olga found what she had wanted – the formula that would bestow Yumi’s gift on her and Nicholas. They begged Yumi to cast it on them, wanting to have the same powers that she did. After checking and rechecking every possibility, Yumi did so, transforming Nicholas into Neo the Magic Swordsman, and Olga into Magician’s Valkyria.

Eventually, Yumi found what she needed to transport into the Heart of the Arcane, where the magical power of the Dimension was centered. She figured Cosmo Queen was there, and she was right – the Queen was in chains, being held prisoner by both Ruin and Demise. The two apocalyptic beings were going to inflict the most sadistic revenge upon the Queen, by banishing her to the most remote realm of Carceri, but not before stripping her of every trace of her power.

With their powers enhanced by what they stole from Cosmo Queen, Ruin and Demise agreed to duel Yumi and her two allies two against three. Even so, the two Ritual Spirits held their own, but as the duel progressed, they spent more and more of their energy, and got weaker and weaker. Finally, Yumi defeated them in one mighty blow, banishing them to dimensional limbo.

Cosmo Queen recovered, but so much of her energy had been stolen, and could not be recovered. Incapable of ruling, she decided to step down, and granted her crown to Yumi. Nicholas remained as Yumi’s consort, and the Six Samurai took form, heading an army that strengthened the security of the land. Olga remained as well, her power over Fairies forming a bridge to the Higher Plane, enlightening the Spellcaster Dimension.

With Yumi and her friends ruling these three Dimensions, and the three nations thus allied, a power triangle was formed. Soon, other Dimensions formed treaties, and a dimensional alliance was formed.

And did they live happily ever after? Who knew? But in a universe of possibilities, there are never truly endings…

There are only new beginnings.

Finis

* * * * * * * * * *

I hope you have enjoyed “Yu-Gi-Oh! Soul of Silicon”.

I’m going to be taking a break from YGO writing for a few weeks. In the meantime, I will be working on “Storming Heaven’s Gates”.

But do not fear, I have decided to take my YGO writing into the Fifth Dimension!

Enjoy Thanksgiving, and then Christmas. And then, on New Year’s Day, be here for the premier of “Yu-Gi-Oh! Shadowchasers”, my 5D fic. I’m taking it into hyperdrive, and I want you all to be here.

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

I was a little dissapointed in the battle with Lymic and Daala, but the final battle was all but worth it. Great going with the temple, and elemental spirits. I like how the Rod was implemented and we even got a glimpse of the Wind Dukes.

It was your best story untill now, and I'm hoping that your 5D story will be even better. Although I don't know the rules of 5D battling, I'm sure you'll explain it along the way.

Great fic, keep in regard the critism all the readers put out, and the next one will be better.

MLG

[mario72486]

What a way to finish things off. At first I thought we'd end up seeing Shogarr pull a classic villain-esque retreat, leaving the prophecy to be carried out through Yumi's descendant in a later work, but thankfully that wasn't the case. The duel was a bit unexpected, but definitely a nice way to end the main fic.

The epilogue was alright, giving the futures of all the major characters, but I was hoping this could have been left to the imagination. It certainly sounded like it could have led to a possible spin-off somewhere down the road; then again, you are looking to move on and focus on your new project in January.

In all, congrats on completing yet another stupendous Yu-Gi-Oh fic. I anxiously look forward to Shadowchasers.

[Shuppet Master]

I don't think Brian would have wanted to do another sequel here.

That was a nice way to end the series, Brian - having our heroes become Duel Spirit rulers of three of the Twelve Dimensions and bringing peace to the Dimensions in a grand adventure as immortal Duel Spirits. Ever since Legacy of the Duelist began, I knew this would end very amazingly.

And I'm glad you finished this because now you can work on the Pokemon fanfic, which I enjoy just as much.

Happy Thanksgiving to you too, Brian.