*claps* Bravo, bravo! I loved how you portrayed Raphael in this. By the way, what was the card Raphael was afraid of? Was it Aitos? Because I never really saw her as evil.
Re: Yu Gi Oh! Dark Messiah
Continued from last post:
“I believe it’s my move…” he said.
He drew. He looked at the Spell Card.
Very well, he thought. This was exactly what I needed to teach this fool and whoever sent him a painful lesson…
“I just drew Soul Release,” he said. “With this, I can remove from play up to five cards in my Graveyard… Or yours.
“However… I will only remove one. Namely, your Call of the Haunted.”
He played the card, and the Trap fell out of Digger’s discard slot.
“What’s the point?” asked Digger.
“Next,” he said. “I’ll activate my last Trap… I only used this Trap as a true last resort…”
His facedown card lifted. It showed the image of the six Guardians fleeing from a dark shape.
“It’s a rare card called Guardian Retreat,” he said. “Now, every Guardian on my side of the field returns to my hand.
“So come on back, everyone!”
He took the cards off his Disk, and Elma, Kay’est, Grarl, and Baou vanished.
“HA, HA, HA!” laughed Digger. “All their weapons are gone! You can’t summon them again!”
“True…” said Raphael. “But there’s still someone who I can summon…”
Thunder flashed.
“Wait…” said Digger. “You don’t mean…”
Raphael took a card from his hand…
“I Equip Backup Gardna with Celestial Sword!” he shouted.
The clouds parted, and a gleaming, shining sword that could only have been forged in Heaven itself fell, piercing the Seal and landing in Gardna’s hands. He bowed his head.
“You dug a lot of graves in your time, Digger, but in this duel, you only dug your own. By attacking with that Ghoul, you let me activate Rescuer From The Grave twice, and remove from play all the Monsters you put in my Graveyard with Cemetery Change.
“And while you contaminated my Graveyard, it now has no Monsters again, so my most powerful cards will now function as normal. And my most powerful Guardian can now be summoned with no sacrifice.”
He held up his last card, and lightning started to flash! The wind bellowed! The trees of Marble Cemetery shook as the sky grew dark…
“Descend, mighty seraphim of the Higher Plane!” shouted Raphael. “I summon… [B]Guardian Aitos!”
He threw the card on his Disk…
At first nothing seemed to happen. In fact, the storm gave way to an eerie, dead calm…
Then a beam of light pierced the clouds, and a form flew out of the sky…
From a distance, it looked like some great bird with white feathered wings, but as it approached, it became clearer that it had a more human shape…
It was an angel…
She had lovely feathered wings, along with a feathered headdress shaped like a hawk’s head. Her clothing suggested that of a Native American, leather and splendidly sewn. Her face showed both power and wisdom at the same time. She looked very young, but a glance in her eyes showed a spirit that was eternal…
She flew through the Seal, and landed beside Raphael…
(2,500/2,000)
“No…” muttered Digger. “I…”
He paused.
“What’s the matter?” asked Raphael. “I thought you were prepared for her?”
“I thought…” muttered Digger, “…if you had Monsters in your Graveyard… The only way you could bring her out… Was to sacrifice your Monsters… And you wouldn’t…”
“You failed!” snapped Raphael.
He paused.
“One hundred years ago…” he said, “this Monster’s appearance meant victory for the Orichalcos so many times… Well, this time, she’s going to hand it a defeat…
“I use Gardna’s effect to transfer Aitos’s Sword to her!”
The Celestial Sword vanished, and appeared in Aitos’s hands…
“Any Monster armed with this Equip gains 300 Attack Points for every Monster in my opponent’s Graveyard,” started Raphael. “And while that may be true for Aitos…”
Aitos rose to an Attack of 7,000.
“…when Aitos hold her own weapon, I can drive the point home even harder. By sending it to the Graveyard, I can remove the Monsters in your Graveyard from play, from the top down, until I reach a Spell or Trap…
“Of course… Since I didn’t remove Reprocessing Plant from play, that means Ceal and Grave Protector will be spared. Your Monsters, however…”
Aitos’s Sword shattered. Digger’s Disk started to shake…
Then Monsters started to fly out! Keldo came first, and was absorbed into Aitos. Then came Shadow Ghoul, then three Nimble Momongas, then three Troop Dragons, then three Masked Dragons, and finally, Mudora…
Aitos started to glow with golden fire!
“And now, the base Attack Scores of all those Monsters are added to that of Aitos!” continued Raphael.
Aitos’s Attack fell to 2,500…
And then skyrocketed… to 16,100!
Digger slunk back in fear…
Then, to add insult to injury, the Crystal Seal shattered, and Chaos Necromancer fell to an attack of only 1,100.
“Ah, yes…” muttered Raphael. “Only two Monsters in your Graveyard now…”
He looked up.
“Here’s a message to whomever sent this bastard,” he said, “because I know you’re watching. Let the return of Aitos serve as a sign… That the Orichalcos will fall, just like it did one hundred years ago…
“Guardian Aitos… Attack Chaos Necromancer with holy smite of Heaven!”
Thunder rolled again, and two swords of pure light appeared in Aitos’s hands. She spread her wings and flew forward, trailing motes of golden light…
As she stuck the Fiend, reality itself seemed to explode in a burst of pure light…
[B](R: 3,350) (D: 0)
[B]* * * * * * * * * * *
In the dark chamber, the dark figure screamed…
It fell off the throne of obsidian…
“Such… power!” it gasped.
It slowly got up. It held its head.
“This is bad…” it said. “Those three are dangerous. I don’t dare send anyone to make a third attempt…
“But what will they do if left alone?
“What will they plan?”
[B]* * * * * * * * * *
Raphael stood over Digger’s soulless body.
He turned his head over his shoulder.
“It’s safe to come out now…” he said.
Valon and Alister crept out from behind the large tombstone they had taken cover behind when the storm started that proceeded Aitos’s arrival.
“Is she gone?” asked Valon, scared.
“Yeah…” sighed Raphael.
That was a lie. She was standing right next to him.
He was holding Grave Protector… And Guardian Ceal.
After about a minute, Ceal appeared in front of him.
“I…” muttered Raphael. “I’m sorry… I never knew he would have used such an awful card…”
Aitos put her hand on Raphael’s shoulder.
”Raphael…” she said. ”In the game of Duel Monsters, no strategy is foolproof. No deck is without a weakness. No plan is perfect unless you are cheating. Do not blame yourself.
“Take pride in one thing…
“That cur did his hardest to destroy what worked for you for so long…
“But you found a way to defeat him anyway. Ceal will forgive, if you forgive yourself.”
Ceal came up, and offered his hand.
Raphael looked him in the eye, and then took it…
“So now what do we do?” asked Valon.
Raphael paused again.
“I’ve been giving that some thought,” he said.
He turned, and they walked towards the exit to the Marble Cemetery.
Aitos and Ceal followed. Then Elma, Baou, Kay’est, and Grarl appeared and followed as well.
Taking this odd phenomenon as if it was commonplace – after all, it was to him – Raphael continued.
“I doubt that Puppeteer guy will show up with Raviel gone,” he said. “So pretty soon, those three clowns are sure to want to duel the Chosen again. Before they do… We have to have a talk with one of them…”
[B]* * * * * * * * * *
That Friday at five o’clock…
Sersei was nervous. Russell had told her to meet her near the main gates.
She was startled as two hands covered her eyes.
“Surprise!” said Russell’s voice.
“Russell?” she said, nervously.
“Sersei…” he said. “Trisha and Jason told me about the whole thing with Cleo. I want to tell you two things…
“One, you are the craziest girl I have ever met…
“And two…”
He hugged her.
“Thank you… If you hadn’t done it, I might still be in that horrid place…
“But don’t you ever do that again, you hear? Or I’ll kick your butt!”
“Promise…” she said.
He looked in her eyes.
“Come on,” he said. “I know this great restaurant… You like Italian?”
“All except veal,” she replied. “Veal’s bad.”
“I know a place that makes great fettuccini Alfredo,” said Russell. “And the garlic bread is to die for if you don’t mind spending twenty minutes brushing your teeth the next morning.”
“By the way…” said Sersei, looking at the trenchcoat, “I like your new look… It makes you look so… mysterious…”
[B]* * * * * * * * *
Several hours later…
Russell was often surprised how things could change.
Before this week, Sersei’s style intimidated him, with the Monsters in her deck.
Now…
He was tired, but he wasn’t about to fall asleep yet. His arms were around her, and she was sleeping peacefully with a smile on her face.
She had lost her soul once in that horrid arena, and she risked losing it again to save him. He almost wished there was a way for her to give it to him, so that the folks he was fighting couldn’t steal it if they ever came looking for her again.
He put his head on her chest and heard her heart beat steadily…
After a few minutes, he was asleep too.
Friday, October 9th, 2006, 11:23 PM
BACKUP GARDNA (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Beast-Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 4
ATK: 500
DEF: 2,200
Card Description: This brute’s looks are deceptive. He is not a good fighter, and he doesn’t even like holding weapons. Once per your turn when this Monster is face-up on your side of the field, you can remove an Equip Spell Card Equipped to one Monster on your side of the field and Equip it to another Monster on your side of the field.
GUARDIAN FORCE (Trap Card)
Card Specs
Type: Trap/Counter
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –
Image: A blast of raw, magical energy.
Card Description: You can activate this Trap when you have no Monsters in your Graveyard. Negate the activation of your opponent’s Spell Card and destroy it.
LIMIT TRIBUTE (Trap Card)
Card Specs
Type: Trap/Continuous
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –
Card Description: So long as this Trap remains active, both players may only Tribute one Monster per turn.
SELF TRIBUTE (Spell Card)
Card Specs
Type: Spell/Quickplay
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –
Card Description: You can activate this card when a Monster on your side of the field would be destroyed as a result of battle. Pay 1,000 Life Points to prevent the Monster from being destroyed. Battle damage still applies.
RESCUER FROM THE GRAVE (Spell Card)
Card Specs
Type: Spell
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –
Image: A pious man in a robe, holding a staff up high, while standing atop a stone monument.
Card Description: When this card is in your Graveyard and your opponent declares an attack, you may remove five cards in your Graveyard from play to negate the attack. This effect may be activated multiple times. This card may be included in the five removed cards.
PURITY OF THE CEMETERY (Spell Card)
Card Specs
Type: Spell/Continuous
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –
Image: The image of a bearded, hooded man looking over a serene cemetery.
Card Description: Destroy this card if you have any Monster Cards in your Graveyard. Your opponent loses 100 Life Points during each of his Standby Phases for each Monster he has in his Graveyard.
CRYSTAL SEAL (Trap Card)
Card Specs
Type: Trap/Continuous
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –
Image: A purple gemstone with a feminine face inside it.
Card Description: Choose one Monster on the field. The chosen Monster cannot attack, and cannot be used as a Tribute. This card is destroyed if the ATK of the chosen Monster is raised or lowered.
CELESTIAL SWORD – AITOS (Spell Card)
Card Specs
Type: Spell/Equip
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –
Image: Aitos’s face behind two crossed swords.
Card Description: Increase the ATK of the Monster Equipped with this card by 300 for every Monster in your opponent’s Graveyard. When this card is Equipped to “Guardian Aitos”, you may send this card to the Graveyard to remove the Monster Cards in your opponent’s Graveyard from play from the top down until you reach a Spell or Trap Card. Then, add the base ATK of each Monster removed from play to “Guardian Aitos”.
GUARDIAN AITOS (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Fairy/Effect
Attribute: Wind
Level: 8
ATK: 2,500
DEF: 2,000
Card Description: The rarely seen Queen of the Guardians. She is a benevolent monarch of the Higher Planes. This Monster cannot be Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned unless you have a “Celestial Sword – Aitos” on your side of the field. If you have no Monster Cards in your Graveyard, this Monster may be Normal Summoned or set with no Tributes.
Note: The proceeding nine cards were used by Raphael at various times in “Waking the Dragons”. All creative credit goes to the writers of the anime.
GUARDIAN RETREAT (Trap Card)
Card Specs
Type: Trap
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –
Image: The six Guardians fleeing from a dark shape.
Card Description: Return all Monsters on your side of the field with the word “Guardian” in their names to your hand, except for "Celtic Guardian", "Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress #1", "Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress #2", "Guardian of the Labyrinth", “Guardian Angel Joan”, “Gate Guardian”, and “Dark Guardian”.
SECURITY BREACH (Spell Card)
Card Specs
Type: Spell/Quickplay
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –
Image: Cliff the Trap Remover working on a security box with a pair of wire cutters.
Card Description: Discard one card from your hand. On the round when you activate this card, your opponent cannot activate facedown Trap and Spell Cards.
TURNABOUT TREASURE (Spell Card)
Card Specs
Type: Spell
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –
Card Description: You can activate this card when you have no cards on your side of the field, and this is the only card in your hand. Draw one card for every card on your opponent’s side of the field.
Note: “Turnabout Treasure” will be used by Kenzan in the second season of “Yu-Gi-Oh GX”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
CEMETERY CHANGE (Spell Card)
Card Specs
Type: Spell
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –
Image: Two hands moving handfuls of cards towards each other.
Card Description: Pay 1,000 Life Points. Destroy all Monsters on the field. Then, switch the cards in your Graveyard with the cards in your opponent’s Graveyard.
Note: “Cemetery Change” will be used by Chazz in the second season of “Yu-Gi-Oh GX”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
CHAOS BARRIER FIELD (Trap Card)
Card Specs
Type: Trap
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –
Image: A black silhouette of a man with his hands on his head, with a red sphere to his right and a blue sphere to his left. A red arrow points from the red sphere to the blue sphere.
Card Description: Activate this card when you have no Monsters on your side of the field, your opponent declares an attack, and has more than one Monster face-up on his side of the field. Redirect the attack towards the Monster on your opponent’s side of the field with the lowest ATK. Then, end the Battle Phase.
Note: “Chaos Barrier Field” was used by Noah in the multi-part anime episode “Noah’s Final Threat”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
DARK WALL OF WIND (Spell Card)
Card Specs
Type: Spell/Quickplay
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –
Image: A man being buffeted in a dark tornado.
Card Description: You can activate this card when you have no Monsters on your side of the field. During the round this card is activated, all Battle Damage and Effect Damage to your Life Points are reduced to zero.
Note: “Dark Wall of Wind” was used by Marik in the multi-part anime episode “The Darkness Returns”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
REPROCESSING PLANT (Spell Card)
Card Specs
Type: Spell
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –
Image: The Cyber Commander looking over metal being processed on a factory belt.
Card Description: Pay 2,000 Life Points. Take all Spell and Trap Cards from each Graveyard, and place them at the bottom of the owners’ decks in any order the owners desire.
[I][B]Coming up next:
An old student comes to the Academy, and she has a message for the three Chosen Ones… But only if one of them can meet a two-part challenge. Who is this strange duelist, and what is the answer to her riddle? Find out in a chapter called “Question”, coming up next.
Re: Yu Gi Oh! Dark Messiah
*claps* Bravo, bravo! I loved how you portrayed Raphael in this. By the way, what was the card Raphael was afraid of? Was it Aitos? Because I never really saw her as evil.
I'm in your dimensions, screwing with your reality!
Re: Yu Gi Oh! Dark Messiah
Great chapter, Brian. You outdid yourself yet again. Raphael was one of my favorites.
I sort of remembered how he used his deck to keep monsters from his graveyard, and it was sort of like how Mako revived Legendary Fisherman instead of his big-beater, because the card reminded him of his dad and he refused to believe his dad was dead. Great job.
I think the opponent was really interesting, too bad we didn't see cards like Disciple of the Forbidden Spell, but Excelion was just as good. I recall a story where Syrus battled Camula and let Vampire Lady hit him and discard two monsters from his play, and they were both Excelion.
Keep up the good work, and I can't wait to see who this old student is.
Originally Posted by Zorak
Re: Yu Gi Oh! Dark Messiah
Mystic Clown,
The card he was afraid of was Crystal Seal. As you recall, that's the card he used to force the Pharaoh to play the Seal of Orichalcos.
He would never be afraid of Aitos - she became almost his mother after he lost his real one.
Re: Yu Gi Oh! Dark Messiah
Great chapter.I always liked Raph and how he treated his monsters.The arival and attack of Aitos just blew me away (and aparently the head hancho behind this whole plot.)And as for Russle it's the coat chicks dig the coat.
"I am the hand of Darwin and idiots will be smacked on sight."
-Me
Re: Yu Gi Oh! Dark Messiah
Well... that was boring...
Perhaps I'm still getting over my Guardian burnout after "Sister of Anansi", but this chapter left me feeling empty. There was no way you were going to toss the old Swordsmen at this point in the plot, so there was absolutely no suspense. Digger's deck felt more like a concept than a theme (there is a difference; it's about the same as the difference between using a card and playing it) - he bounced all over the place. And the final move was as subtle as killing a fly with a cannon.
And is it just me, or have your characters started swearing more in the last few chapters? At least this time it made sense, unlike, say, Sersei yelling, "Hey, bitch!" out of nowhere...
Speaking of Sersei, I'm still not buying her relationship with Russell. It came out of nowhere four chapters ago and doesn't feel right.
I'm afraid, in the end, there was nothing I liked about this chapter. Aside from all my other complaints, it felt like filler.
Your description of next chapter is so vague that I can't guess what's coming, so I have no comment.
The Place That Is No More - Because the world needed to hear me rant and rave.
My ASB A-Team: Qwerty (Magneton), Cici (female Shuckle), Pudge (male Persian), Fuji (male Torkoal), Light (Starmie), Matthias (male Flygon) (six others)
Re: Yu Gi Oh! Dark Messiah
Heh heh heh... That's our Master of Paradox!
I have to say, this chapter was pretty good... Raphael's deck is different from a normal Guardian Deck, I think; you portrayed it perfectly, DS.
However, I do have to agree with Paradox in that the Digger's deck seemed a little... Eh, I dunno... Excelion was pretty good, and KotSS is always nice, but something just seemed... off... I dunno.
Back on the plus side, though, the abundance of anime and made-up cards made me smile... I personally love made-up cards and think my own story needs more of them, so long as they aren't deu ex machines... I misspelled that, didn't I?
Anyway, I might have a slight idea about who's coming back next time, but... Well, wait and see, I guess...
Until next time, adios!
-Blade
EDIT: Heh, whoops... got a couple of characters mixed up... Sorry.
Re: Yu Gi Oh! Dark Messiah
OK, I might as well come clean. I was the one who submitted a few ideas of the outline. I was paying back a debt, as he helped be tremendously with a chapter of my own. But I still say Dark Sage should get most of the credit.
The list of suggestions for Digger included Excelion, King of the Skull Servants, Mudora, and Cemetary Change. (keep in mind that at no point during the chapter did any of Raphael's monsters actually go to HIS graveyard.)
The original intent behind the Cemetary Change included the Dragon Stall earlier in the chapter. Raphael plows through the Dragons, only to run into a Buster Blader when they end up in Raphael's graveyard.
As neither one of us really made a complete outline beginning to end, things like the KoSS and Mudora may not have quite gotten up to their full potential, fine if one is going for realism, but the dramatics didn't quite get to the red zone. I found myself wishing that Grave Protector was one-sided on more then one occasion.
I also would like to note that Invented no cards for this chapter. Those were all DS. I'm glad to know that the chapter was popular, if maybe a bit forced into the story, but I couldn't let Raphael not get his ten minutes of fame.
So, I take partial responsibility for what could have been better, and am humble enough to re-direct attention back to the author for what worked.
He was a great author I thought,
But when his fiction was starting to rot,
His friends said, "don't you see,
They're burning you in effigy!"
He declared with a smile, "No they're not!"
Re: Yu Gi Oh! Dark Messiah
It's a bit early for a new chapter, but this is one chapter I am especially proud of. Besides, it starts the new "arc" of this story, so to speak.
Read on. And yes, the character of Amethyst is based on someone I know, who's true name I won't reveal. I will say however, that she's a wonderful person, and that she's a duelist too.
[B][I]I’ve been through so much doom and gloom lately, the duel I’m in right now is almost a relief.
My opponent doesn’t want to steal my soul, and she isn’t using any cursed cards… She even seems like a decent sort.
But that doesn’t make it any easier.
She knows a secret that we have to know, and she’ll only share that knowledge if I win this duel AND find out a personal secret about her on my own.
Doing both is proving harder than it would seem… Because she’s a good duelist…
…and as for what she wants me to figure out… I’m clueless.
[size=3][B]CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Saturday, October 10th, 2106, 9:37 AM
“Hear this, Chosen Ones… When midnight strikes and the tenth of November turns into the eleventh, the Black Moon will shine, and not even you three will be able to stop me…”
“That’s what this Fortunado guy told us,” said Trisha, as they walked into the library, “so basically, we have one month before the end of the world… Or whatever he was referring to…”
“We should be able to find something,” said Russell. “Unless it was a lot of hot air…
“I mean, why do the villains always have to make speeches, anyway? It’s like that all the time. I think they just like talking about themselves.”
He took a toothpick out of his pocket and clenched it between his teeth. Then he sat down at the computer and cracked his knuckles.
He started typing.
“We’ll just log onto the Virtual Almanac,” he said, “and cross-reference November 10th with ‘Black Moon’.”
He typed some things in.
”Searching…” said the search engine.
“Here we are…” said Russell.
They looked at a reference.
[B]The Black Moon: A phenomenon believed to accompany the Wiccan event called The Reckoning. Exact details unknown. Possibly a lunar eclipse.
“Okay…” said Jason. “We’re getting somewhere… Cross-reference ‘Wicca’ with ‘The Reckoning’.”
“Can’t you ever say ‘please’?” sighed Russell.
He started to type.
Eventually something came up on the screen.
They looked at the entry.
[B]The Reckoning: A belief held by Wicca, that an event happens every millennia where a force of evil and a force of good meet in mortal combat, and the result will change the outcome of history.
Russell frowned. Jason and Trisha shivered.
“Is there a Wiccan website?” asked Jason.
“Buddy, there’s a website for everything,” replied Russell. “Just give me a few minutes…”
Fifteen minutes later, he had found something.
“Here, guys,” he said. “This is the website owned by a Wicca practitioner who records the history of the religion…”
“Isn’t Wicca another name for a witch?” asked Trisha.
“There are a lot of misunderstandings about them,” said Jason, “many of which are simply not true.
“One train of thought says they worship the Devil. The truth is, they don’t… They don’t even believe in the existence of Satan or some supremely evil being.
“Another belief is that they cast evil spells. The truth is, they aren’t supposed to. They believe in something called the Three Times Rule. It states that if you hurt someone with magic, you suffer three times as much.”
“HA!” laughed Russell. “Whoever thought THAT up was certainly wrong! Or if it is, our problem should take care of itself.”
He continued to type.
“Basically,” said Jason, “most Wicca are just honest folk who have a religion that’s… different, as most pagan beliefs are. And since it’s older than Christianity by several thousand years, possibly even older than Judaism, it can hardly be called improper.”
“Yeah, but it’s… weird…” added Russell.
He finally found what he was looking for.
“Here we are…” he said. “A journal entry translated into English, written by someone named Sir Issac. Translated to the modern calendar, this entry was written on November 12th, 1106 AD…”
They stared at each other.
“We’re close to the one-thousand year anniversary of whatever this records!” gasped Trisha.
“Let’s take a look here…” said Russell
He read the footnotes.
“According to the description, Issac was a knight of the First Crusade… He certainly wasn’t a Wicca…”
He started to read.
[I]This to remember how we, the faithful Knights in service of our Lord, destroyed the tyrant of this town, Malay Crom, thus ending the abominable Reign of the Abomination.
At daybreak, we moved to free the city with just a small army, led by the loyal knights who had accompanied me from back home. A great uprising of the town population, however, having long suffered under Crom’s iron fist, supported us. This is good, for it is just to rebel against evil.
The citizens opened the main gate for us, and we swept like a righteous storm into the streets, bringing death to the minions of evil. After most of the day, the entire town was free, and Malay Crom, his entire army decimated, took refuge in his dark palace. We paused to rest, as the sun set, and the full moon rose, casting a soft glow over the town…
And then, a dark shape blotted out the glow of the moon, plunging the land into darkness, and we knew that the battle had only begun.
We broke down the doors of the palace, undaunted, where the chambers were filled with gloom that seemed magically alive and filled with the hideous screams and howls of demons. Only the bravest could follow me all the way to the great hall, where the tyrant was waiting for us.
“Who are you, fool?” he asked, pointing his finger at me.
“The Lord has decreed that evil and chaos shall no longer reign here!” was my answer.
Then, the dark wizard’s horrible ally came loomed out of the darkness – standing the height of three men, the hulking demon Malastus was a chimeric creature with the head of a boar, arms like that of a bear, and a grotesquely fat torso. Two pathetically small, feathered wings, the purpose of which I could not fathom, graced its back. The fight was glorious and terrible. All my companions fell before the demon was finally destroyed by the power I channeled. Engulfed by holy fire, the horrible demon was blasted out of existence.
With the focus of his power defeated, Malay Crom, now little more than a madman, slipped down from his seat like an empty bag. He tried to get up to run, but was swiftly struck down by my longsword. The hour of retribution had come.
With the wizard’s death, the cloak of fear and darkness that hung over the palace was lifted, and a mob of furious people rushed in to loot and destroy all they could. Exhausted and grieving over the deaths of my companions, I could do little more than watch how much the reign of the evil sorcerer had filled every heart with hate and desire for vengeance. The next morning, the body of Malay Crom was burned in the same place where his minions had executed so many innocents over the past three years.
Now, the time has come to restore a benign government in this town, with the hope that the tragic days of the Reign of the Abomination are gone forever.
Glory to God Almighty
They were speechless for a minute.
“Issac seemed like one tough guy,” said Russell.
“A battle between pure good and ultimate evil…” said Jason. “One thousand years ago… Wizards, demons, knights, crusaders… Before Duel Monsters ever existed…”
“And it’s been one thousand years since,” said Trisha. “A new Reckoning is about to occur, and the side of Evil has chosen the Orichalcos as its weapon, along with Duel Monsters…”
“And the only way we have a chance…” muttered Russell.
He took The Eye of Timaeus out of his pouch.
“…is to find the Dark Messiah… in the next thirty-one days.”
“People, am I the only one who has half a brain here?” asked Russell, starting to type. “That stupid Puppeteer told us that Yugi found a way to destroy the Seal!”
He hit a key, and the Industrial Illusions website came up. He clicked onto the database.
“That means that somewhere in here, among thousands and thousands of cards that have been created since the game has been invented, there exists one that can smash that blasted Field Spell. The one that Yugi used. Somehow, we have to find out what it is…”
“Students?” said a voice.
They looked up and saw Dr. Peters.
“Uh, yes?” asked Jason.
“Dr. Artemis requests your presence,” said Peters, “and she used the words ‘right now’.”
They looked at each other in worry…
“Was she angry?” asked Russell.
“She looked more… annoyed,” answered Peters.
Trisha gulped.
The only thing worse than Dr. Artemis when she was angry was Dr. Artemis when she was annoyed…
[B]* * * * * * * * * *
The three current Swordsmen of the Orichalcos were standing in the dark chamber, as the shadowy figure loomed above them on its throne of obsidian.
“Listen closely,” said the figure, “as you know, thanks to the Puppeteer’s royal screw-up, our original plan has been ruined.
“Thus, we must go to our alternate plan.
“I’m going to require you three to duel the Chosen Ones again… However, while one or two of them can lose, and I’d reward the ones who could do so, at least one must survive.
“If necessary, we’ll Seal them and then let Trisha and Jason go free after they have learned their place. But we cannot take them permanently yet.
“They must survive until they find the Dark Messiah.”
“Pardon me for asking,” said Cassius, “but you want the Dark Messiah to come out of hiding?”
“Indeed, Cassius,” said the figure. “They may not know it, but an ultimate confrontation with him is the ultimate plan.
“Now, you must prepare the next assaults carefully, and not recklessly as you did before. Strike when they are least expecting it, and coordinate your attacks carefully.
“I will tolerate no more mistakes. If you lose in your attempt, I will not spare you.”
They gulped.
They turned to leave.
Fools, thought the figure. They actually think that they’re going to make it through the Reckoning with their souls intact… Their chances of actually defeating the Chosen Ones is slim at best...
[B]* * * * * * * * * *
When the three students walked into the office, Twinky currently was standing beside the Chancellor with a coffee pot.
This had to be big.
They saw that Artemis had another visitor. Sitting on the couch was a young woman who looked to be about twenty-five or so. She was wearing a blue, low-cut halter covered with a jacket and a short skirt, and flats on her feet. Her long hair was dyed purple, and she had big, sea green eyes.
“Uh, Dr. Artemis?” asked Trisha. “You wanted to see us?”
The chancellor took a big swig of coffee, and then held out the cup for Twinky who started to refill it.
“Not particularly,” she said, “but due to the current situation, I have little choice.”
The young woman stood up and held out her hand.
“Hello,” she said. “I’m Dr. Amethyst Malone, M.D.”
“M.D.?” asked Jason, shaking.
“Monster Doctor,” replied Amethyst. “I’m a former student…
“And I want to duel one of the Dragons’ Chosen Ones.”
The three of them looked at Artemis.
“This was not my idea…” answered Artemis.
“Any particular reason?” asked Russell, in an annoyed tone. “We have enough trouble fending off guys who want to kill us to worry about people who want to do it for research.”
“Well…” said Amethyst, sitting down, “I know what you want. I know you’re looking for the Dark Messiah…
“I can help with information, but I won’t give it for free…”
They looked at her.
“You see students,” she continued, “I don’t actually know where the Messiah can be found. I’m one of three messengers, and I can lead you to the second.
“I have two conditions for you to receive my help. The first is, one of you has to duel me, and win.”
“And the other?” asked Jason.
Amethyst smiled.
“One hundred years ago, the patriarch of my family was a great duelist,” she said. “He dueled two members of the Trinity on separate occasions. He may have lost both duels, but both of them were close.
“Before the last blow of this duel lands, you must figure out who he was.”
“I can give you one hint, if you want… He was one of the few opponents they had who had as much honor as a duelist as they did.”
“Well, that does kind of narrow it down…” muttered Russell.
“Wait a second…” said Jason. “I watched most of their public duels, I don’t remember any duelist named Malone…”
“His only child was a daughter,” answered Amethyst. “When she eventually married, she didn’t choose to keep her maiden name.”
Dr. Artemis leaned her head on her hand.
“This is totally up to you three,” she said. “But I fear I cannot help you with this. Amethyst is working independently.”
“I expect nothing in return should you fail,” said Amethyst, “but you will have to find the second messenger on your own.”
The three students looked at each other.
They held up their fists. They shook them.
Jason’s and Russell’s hands opened, paper. Trisha’s two fingers jutted out, scissors.
“I’ll take you on,” said Trisha. “But it would likely be better for us and the whole world if you’d just tell us your information…”
“I’m afraid I can’t,” said Amethyst. “Ancient rules dictated by the force behind the Dark Messiah say that a challenge must be made by each messenger. We have little choice.”
“Get ready and go to the Arena,” said Artemis. “I’m going to have a chat with the… M.D.”
As they left, Artemis held out her cup for another refill, and stared at Amethyst.
“These cryptic visits are getting to be tiresome, Amethyst,” she said. “After you graduated, you said your plans were secret, but these secrets are getting annoying.”
“There’s one secret I don’t like keeping,” answered Amethyst, crossing her arms.
Artemis sighed.
“Amethyst,” she said, “you must not, under any condition, tell anyone that you were a member of Exodia Gold! If the students knew that the much-rumored fourth level truly existed, we’d never hear the end of it. We’d be swamped with requests for information about the requirements from students who didn’t stand a prayer of getting in.
“And if they knew, they’d do God knows what to try to fulfill the most important requirement.
“Besides…”
She paused.
“Exodia Gold might see all its empty slots filled soon. Those three will be nominated, and possibly others…
“They and several other students have recently fulfilled that requirement…”
“You mean…?” asked Amethyst.
“Yes…” said Artemis. “The requirement that says a candidate must have, at least one time, been lured into a Shadow Game… And emerged victorious…”
Amethyst shivered.
“That’s right…” said Artemis. “You still remember how you were forced to fulfill that requirement, and how a lucky topdeck saved you. I do not under any conditions want students to go looking for Shadow Duelists!
“The results could be dire…”
[B]* * * * * * * * * *
Cleo combed her hair as she looked in her mirror.
She looked at herself, staring her own reflection in the eyes.
“The Master is getting tense, isn’t she?” she asked.
This was a game she often played with herself – discussing things with herself as if she were two people. It wasn’t much of a stretch. For most of her life, she was the only person she had to talk to.
“I know,” she replied. “We’re getting closer to the big day, and not much progress has been made. If you ask me, she must be starved. All she’s had to eat are the souls of the dregs we’ve sent after them.”
“And they don’t taste very good, most likely,” she replied.
“That dumb Puppeteer got what was coming to him,” she added. “I could have sensed that Russell’s e-mail was a set-up from a mile away. Why did the Master trust him with Raviel anyway?”
“Oh, did you want to use it?”
“Good grief, no! That thing is dangerous!”
“Well, there you go. Likely, she gave it to him because he was the only one who was stupid enough to use something so dangerous. I mean, using a counterfeit Sacred Beast is like the Duel Monsters equivalent of throwing rocks at a hornet’s nest.”
“Anyway…” she replied. “I have to duel Jason again, but she doesn’t want all of them Sealed. Maybe there’s a way to teach him a lesson without even using the Seal.”
She paused.
“Without using the Seal…” she muttered. “Now there’s an idea…”
[B]* * * * * * * * * *
Trisha stood in the floor of the Arena while Jason and Russell tried to calm her.
“I hope you can do this, Trisha…” said Jason.
“It should be easy,” she replied. “I just have to look at the theme of her deck, and remember which of the Trinity’s old sparring partners used that theme.”
“A misconception, as you’ll soon learn,” said Amethyst, as she walked in. “My family’s patriarch had a powerful deck theme, but it is one that I did not adapt.
“If you were chosen by Critias, Trisha, you must have a great deal of untapped power hidden inside you. You must call upon it… Take every subtle hint, and see if you can identify who my ancestor was…
“And if you can, and win this duel as well, your job will become much easier…”
Russell and Jason sat down in the front row, and saw that Dr. Artemis was already there.
“You came?” asked Jason. “I didn’t know you intended to…”
“I always like seeing a good duel,” answered Artemis. “I just hope Trisha isn’t in over her head… Amethyst was one of my best.”
Trisha and Amethyst handed each other their decks and they started to shuffle.
“Uh…” said Trisha. “You don’t even have a Disk, pardon me for saying so…”
Amethyst smiled as she took back her deck.
She took something out of her pocket that looked like a cell phone, and clipped it to her bracelet…
She tapped a button, and the device quickly expanded and unfolded, forming into a wafer-thin Disk.
“A Pocket Disk…” muttered Jason.
He was envious… Students weren’t allowed to use those, but apparently, there was nothing that said a guest couldn’t.
Amethyst placed her deck in the Disk.
“Nervous?” she asked. “Why? The outcome of this duel will only affect your entire career…”
“Funny…” said Trisha. “Game… start!”
[B](Trisha: 8,000) (Amethyst: 8,000)
“I’ll even let you move first,” said Amethyst, drawing five.
“Why thanks…” said Trisha, drawing six.
She looked over her cards.
Not bad… she thought.
“I’ll start by playing Graceful Charity,” she said, playing a card.
He played the card, and the angel appeared.
She drew three cards, and considered…
After a minute, she discarded Mighty Guard and Soul Release.
“Now I’m starting with my favorite,” she said. “Nanobreaker, in Attack Mode!”
She played the card, and the lovely, female android appeared, holding aloft her sword. (1,600/1,800)
“That’s my turn for now,” she said.
Amethyst drew a card.
“I play the Spell Card, Magical Mallet,” she said, holding up a card. “This allows me to take whichever cards I choose from my hand, shuffle them into my deck, and then draw the same number.
“And I choose to do so, with all five of my cards!”
She removed her deck, placed her hand in it, and quickly shuffled.
Then she replaced it, and drew five new ones.
“Very well,” she continued. “I’ll place a Monster in Defense Mode, and end my turn.”
A facedown Monster appeared.
Trisha drew a card.
She smirked.
“I summon Cyber Phoenix in Attack Mode,” she said.
In a burst of flames, the metal phoenix appeared, slowly flapping its wings and hovering in the air. (1,200/1,600)
“And so long as he’s on the field,” she said, “my Machines are immune to all Spells and Traps that target.
“Now I’ll have Nanobreaker attack your facedown Monster! Go! Nano-blade!”
Nanobreaker flew forward…
A Spellcaster in an exotic blue dress with purple hair in a ponytail, holding a staff topped with a crescent moon appeared on the card. She cringed before she was cut down.
“You just flipped my Magician of Faith,” said Amethyst. “Now I get to retrieve one Spell Card from my Graveyard. Of course, there’s only one there…”
A card slipped out of her discard slot, and she held up the Magical Mallet.
“Well, I’m hardly done,” said Trisha. “Cyber Phoenix, attack her directly!”
Cyber Phoenix opened its beak and fired a flamethrower at Amethyst. She crossed her arms as it closed in on her…
To the shock of everyone watching, she didn’t even flinch as the flames hit her.
[B](T: 8,000) (A: 6,800)
“Uh, yeah…” muttered Trisha. “I’ll… end my turn there…”
Amethyst drew a card.
“Since I got Magical Mallet back,” she said, holding it up, “I’ll use it again. Once again, I’ll reshuffle all five of my cards.”
“What the Hell is she doing?” asked Russell. “Why does she keep resetting her hand?”
“I’ve seen something like this before…” answered Jason. “This is just a hunch, but… I think that somewhere in Amethyst’s deck is a card that plays a very important part of her strategy…
“…and she’s looking for it…”
Amethyst drew five more cards.
“Next, I play Pot of Greed,” she said.
She drew two more.
“And finally,” she said, “to protect myself, I summon Dark Elf in Attack Mode.”
She played the card, and the dark twin of Mystical Elf appeared. (2,000/800)
Trisha got nervous.
“Something wrong?” asked Amethyst.
“The three of us…” replied Trisha. “We had a bad experience with a duelist who used that Monster…”
“No kidding,” said Russell, under his breath.
Trisha drew a card.
Get a grip, Trisha, she thought. It’s a perfectly useful way to form an offensive wall. She isn’t going to use the Seal…
“I summon Mechanicalchaser in Attack Mode,” she said.
She played a card, and the machine hunter appeared, brandishing its blades. (1,850/800)
“That will end my turn,” she said.
Amethyst drew a card.
“All right, Trisha,” she said, “I’ll place two cards facedown…”
She placed two cards in her Disk. They materialized.
“And since you seem to like Machines so much, I believe I’ll summon one of my own…”
She showed her the card.
“It’s a guy called Fusilier Dragon the Dual-Mode Beast. This is a seven-star Monster, but its effect lets me summon it with no sacrifice, so long as I cut its Attack and Defense Scores in half.”
She placed a card on her Disk, and in a burst of energy, a huge Machine rolled forward. It looked for all practical purposes like a mechanical Dragon on tank treads, with laser cannons were its eyes would be, and two more guns sprouting from its torso.
Small bursts of energy flew from it, and sparks started to fly. It appeared to be broken. (2,800/2,000) –> (1,400/1,000)
“What?” asked Trisha. “Since you did that, it’s no stronger than a Celtic Guardian.”
“Yes, and that’s 200 Attack Points strong enough to destroy your Cyber Phoenix,” added Amethyst. “Fusilier Dragon… attack Cyber Phoenix with shadow fission laser!”
The Dual-Mode Beast blasted its cannons, and Cyber Phoenix was blown to shards.
[B](T: 7,800) (A: 6,800)
“I forgot to mention…” said Trisha. “When Cyber Phoenix is destroyed in battle, I get to draw one card…”
She drew.
Mystical Space Typhoon, she thought. Might be useful…
“It’s your move,” said Amethyst.
“Indeed,” said Trisha. “First I draw…”
She drew.
“Then I’ll attack! Nanobreaker, attack the Dual-Mode Beast!”
Nanobreaker raised her sword and leapt forward.
“You always should look before you leap, to quote a cliché,” said Amethyst.
One of her facedown cards lifted, showing the image of Dark Ruler Ha Des suffering from some horrible disease.
“WHAT?” shouted Russell.
“That’s Skill Drain!” shouted Jason.
“Exactly!” said Amethyst. “For the low, low price of only 1,000 Life Points, this Continuous Trap strips all Effect Monsters on the field of their effects.
“But Fusilier Dragon doesn’t care… In fact, he actually likes it, because without his effect, his Attack and Defense are restored to full power!”
The sparking and bursts on the Machine stopped…
(2,800/2,000)
“And might I add, it’s too late for Nanobreaker to call off her attack…”
Nanobreaker’s sword struck the huge Machine…
…and it broke in two with a snap.
Nanobreaker looked at the remains of the sword with a confused look. Then she noticed that the larger Machine was taking aim at her…
With four powerful blasts, she was atomized.
Trisha growled.
“And by the way, Trisha,” said Amethyst, “Dark Elf benefits from this Trap too. With her effect gone, I don’t have to pay Life Points to order her to attack.”
Dark Elf smirked at Trisha with an evil grin.
“It’s still my turn, Amethyst!” shouted Trisha.
She turned a card on her Disk.
“First, I’ll move Mechanicalchaser to Defense Mode…”
Mechanicalchaser shielded itself.
“Next, I summon Battle Footballer in Defense Mode…”
Battle Footballer appeared and crouched. (1,000/2,100)
“Next I play… Monster Reborn!”
She played the card, and Mighty Guard appeared, also kneeling in Defense Mode.
“Then I’ll summon two more, by playing Machine Duplication!”
She played another Spell Card, and two more Mighty Guards appeared. (500/1,200 x3)
“Finally, I’ll place three cards facedown.”
She fit three of her four remaining cards into slots, and three facedowns appeared.
“That will end my turn.”
I'll give her a big surprise... she thought.
[B](T: 6,600) (A: 5,800)
“Well, Trisha seems able to defend herself for now,” said Russell.
“True, but she had to use all the cards in her hand but one,” replied Jason. “Let’s hope those facedowns are good ones.”
“My draw…” said Amethyst.
She drew a card.
“And my Quickplay activates!” shouted Trisha, as one of her facedowns lifted.
“Mystical Space Typhoon! Say goodbye to your Skill Drain!”
The cyclone shot forward.
“I activate my Counter Trap…” said Amethyst.
“Counter Trap?” gasped Trisha.
Amethyst’s other facedown card lifted.
“Judgment of Anubis!” exclaimed Amethyst.
“Not that…” gasped Jason.
“Yes, that,” answered Amethyst. “This deadly Trap can be activated when you try to destroy one or more of my Traps or Spells with a Spell Card. For the cost of one card…”
She discarded another Magician of Faith.
“…this not only foils your attempt, but destroys one of your Monsters.”
A frightening spectral jackal appeared above her… The Mystical Space Typhoon died down to nothing.
“Anubis, destroy!” she commanded.
The jackal howled, and Mechanicalchaser exploded in a flaming burst! Trisha fell on her behind from the impact.
“Even worse… for you,” she continued, “the Attack Points of that Monster now come out of your Life Points.”
[B](T: 4,750) (A: 5,800)
“You don’t play a Skill Drain deck, Trisha,” she said, “without taking precautions to protect the key part of your strategy.”
“Well, you certainly can’t blame me for trying…” muttered Trisha.
Continued…
Last edited by mr_pikachu; 1st December 2006 at 10:04 PM.
Re: Yu Gi Oh! Dark Messiah
Continued from last post:
“Then my turn continues,” said Amethyst, taking a card from her hand. “I summon an evil goddess whose name is known and feared as Nuvia the Wicked.”
She played a card, and a frightening form floated out of the ether. It looked like a fiendish face with a woman’s face in the center, with a spiny, trailing tail, and two clawed arms. Her eyes glowed with evil light. She didn’t make a sound… She just stared at Trisha in stony silence. (2,000/800)
“You’re clearly starting to get the picture, Trisha,” said Amethyst. “Normally, Nuvia would die if I Normal Summoned her, and even if she was Flip-Summoned or Special Summoned, her Attack Points would go down by 200 for every Monster my opponent controls…
“She just loves Skill Drain…
“Fusilier Dragon, attack Battle Footballer! Shadow fission laser!”
Fusilier Dragon blasted Battle Footballer to bits.
“Dark Elf, attack with dark curse!”
Dark Elf cast a wicked spell, and one Mighty Guard was blown up.
“Nuvia, attack with wicked gaze!”
Nuvia’s eyes glowed red… twin beams of energy shot out, and destroyed another Mighty Guard.
“Your move…” said Amethyst.
Trisha drew a card.
“I summon Green Gadget in Defense Mode,” she said.
Green Gadget appeared, shielding itself. (1,400/600)
“Don’t forget,” said Amethyst, “with Skill Drain out, it loses its effect.”
“I know! Just move…” mumbled Trisha.
Amethyst drew.
“I summon Flash Assailant in Attack Mode,” she said.
She played the card, and a new creature leapt down from the ceiling. It was a fiendish bandit in pantaloons and a scarf with an eyepatch, holding a dagger.
He licked the blade eagerly. (2,000/2,000)
“Four Monsters?” gasped Trisha.
“Good, you can add,” said Amethyst. “Let’s see how well you can subtract. Dark Elf, attack the Green Gadget.”
Dark Elf cast her Spell, and Green Gadget blew into shards.
“Nuvia, take out the last Mighty Guard.”
Nuvia stared, and the last Guard was blown up.
“Her last Monster is gone…” gasped Russell.
“I activate my facedown card!” shouted Trisha. “Go, Hyper-Refresh!”
Her facedown card lifted.
“I can add and subtract,” she added, “and I can multiply too. And since I now have no Monsters on my side of the field, and the combined Attack Scores of yours is greater than my Life Points, my Life Points get multiplied by two.”
[B](T: 10,500) (A: 5,800)
Amethyst smirked.
“Not bad…” she said. “But my Battle Phase continues. Fusilier Dragon, attack her directly!”
Fusilier Dragon roared. It aimed its guns and a crosshairs appeared on Trisha…
“I activate… Nutrient Z!” shouted Trisha.
Her other facedown card lifted…
Trisha screamed as the blasters fired directly into her torso.
She gasped for breath, and slowly got up… Smoke poured from her chest.
“That hurt…” she muttered, catching her breath. “But thanks to my Trap, I gained 4,000 Life Points before losing 2,800, for a total gain of 1,200.
[B](T: 11,700) (A: 5,800)
“You have no more Traps left,” said Amethyst, “but my Flash Assailant still has an attack. Flash Assailant, attack directly with flash dagger!”
Flash Assailant sped forward in a blur. Trisha screamed again as he stabbed the dagger into her torso.
He cackled as she collapsed on her stomach.
[B](T: 9,700) (A: 5,800)
She slowly got to her feet…
“My… move…” she said.
She drew a card.
I’m ahead on points, but she has me outnumbered four Monsters to none, she thought. Maybe this will help…
“I play Card of Sanctity!” she shouted.
She played the card, and a bright flash lit up the arena. They both drew until they had six cards.
Trisha looked at one of them.
Mirror Force, she thought. I just might win this…
“I summon Robotic Angel in Defense Mode,” she said.
She played the card, and the mysterious, faceless angel appeared, folding her arms over her chest. (0/2,000)
“Next, I play Silent Doom. I’ll use it to revive Battle Footballer in Defense Mode.”
She played the card, and Battle Footballer appeared.
“Finally, I’ll play a card facedown, and that will be all.”
She fit a card into a slot, and it appeared.
“Now that was a smart move!” exclaimed Russell. “She has two Monsters in Defense Mode with at least 2,000 Defense. Amethyst can’t destroy both of them this turn!”
“Oh, no?” asked Amethyst.
She drew a card.
“I summon Zombyra the Dark in Attack Mode,” she said.
In a burst of shadow, a dark superhero wearing a black costume, a cape with a high collar, and a demonic, skull-like mask flew onto the field. (2,100/500)
“I’ve been wrong before…” muttered Russell.
“This guy is powerful,” said Amethyst, “but without Skill Drain he’d lose 200 Attack Points after each attack and could never attack directly. I’ll gladly let him attack you once he takes care of your defenses.”
She chose a card from her hand.
“Of course,” she continued, “with your earlier stunt with those facedown cards, I’m not taking any chances.”
“I play Mystical Space Typhoon!”
She played the card, and Trisha watched in horror as her Mirror Force was blown away…
“Mirror Force…” muttered Amethyst. “Figures…”
“It was worth a shot…” answered Trisha.
“Worth a shot?” asked Amethyst, as if she was talking down to her. “Trisha, you can’t hope to succeed with such obvious maneuvers. You realize I couldn’t have used Heavy Storm or Giant Trunade… My Skill Drain would have been demolished. So if you had put the Mirror Force and one or two more cards facedown as decoys that might have saved you a lot of pain on this round.
“Sadly you didn’t… So you have to suffer for it…”
Trisha bowed her head… That was a good point…
“Zombyra…” ordered Amethyst, “attack Robotic Angel with super powered punch!”
Zombyra the Dark flew forward, and socked the robotic seraphim, blowing her to shards.
“Fusilier Dragon, destroy Battle Footballer.”
Fusilier Dragon aimed its cannons, and blasted Battle Footballer for the second time.
“Flash Assailant, Nuvia, Dark Elf… Take her down.”
Trisha wailed in agony as she was stuck by two dark spells and another slash from a dagger.
She fell to her knees. Smoke rose from her body…
[B](T: 3,700) (A: 5,800)
“I’ve never seen Trisha take a beating like this…” muttered Russell. “What is she made of?”
“I don’t know,” replied Jason, “but now it’s going to take a miracle. Amethyst not only has a full field of five Monsters, all of them are ones with 2,000 Attack Points or more that she summoned without so much as a sacrifice… Monsters that would have nasty drawbacks normally, but thanks to that Skill Drain, have fit the definition of ‘broken’.”
“I know…” said Dr. Artemis. “Amethyst was the best in the school five years ago, and she crushed anyone who challenged her with this strategy. No one could stand up to it…
“And I hate to say this, but her favorite Monster has yet to come out.”
Trisha slowly caught her breath and stood up.
There’s got to be some method to this madness, she thought. And I have to find out who her ancestor was…
Two of her Monsters are Fiends… Marik liked Fiends... The duels could have taken place after he was… cured.
Same goes for Bakura… Naw, he was a pathetic duelist when the Evil Spirit wasn’t controlling him.
Face it, most of the “great duelists” that those three faced were nothing more than scoundrels…
“Are you going to move or not?” asked Amethyst.
Trisha drew a card.
“I play… Pot of Greed,” she said.
She played the card. The jar appeared, and she drew twice.
“I summon Machine King Prototype in Defense Mode,” she said.
Prototype, appeared, crouching in defense. (1,600/1,500)
“Now, I place three cards facedown,” she said.
She played three cards, and they appeared.
“Over to you.”
Amethyst drew.
She looked at the powerful Monster. She added it to her hand.
“Flash Assailant… attack!” she shouted.
The Fiend zoomed forward.
“I activate… Negate Attack!” exclaimed Trisha.
Her Trap Card lifted, and the Assailant slammed into an invisible wall.
“Now with just one Trap, your attack has been foiled, and your Battle Phase ends,” she said.
“Then my turn ends as well,” said Amethyst. “But you’ve only bought one turn.”
Trisha looked at her deck.
All I need is the right Monster… she thought.
She drew a card.
She grinned.
“You know, Amethyst…” she said. “I hate being on the defensive…”
She turned the card on her Disk.
“I move Machine King Prototype… to Attack Mode!”
Prototype stood up.
“Has she gone mad, you ask? Well, no… Because now I Equip him with Cannon of the Machine King!”
She played a card. The huge Cannon fell from the ceiling, and Prototype caught it. He crouched on one knee, aiming it.
“It cost me 1,000 Life Points to arm him with this weapon, but it will let him attack all of your Monsters at once.”
“I see one thing wrong with that,” said Amethyst. “He’s still weaker than all of them.”
“Not for long…” said Trisha.
Another Trap Card lifted.
“I activate… Elemental Blight! Now, by removing one Monster in my hand from play, all Monsters with the same Attribute as the one I’m removing lose 1,500 Attack Points for one round. All five of your Monsters are Dark Monsters, in case you didn’t notice...”
She held up a card.
“…and I’m removing Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive!”
Amethyst paled…
A wave of energy covered the field, and all her Monsters looked sick. Fusilier Dragon fell to an Attack of 1,300, Zombyra fell to 600, and the other three fell to 500.
“Machine King Prototype…” ordered Trisha. “Attack with pulverizing plasma blast!”
Machine King Prototype fired a mighty blast from his weapon, and a massive explosion erupted on Amethyst’s side of the field! She flew back and stumbled off the arena floor.
Only ashes were left where the five Monsters had stood.
[B](T: 2,200) (A: 1,200)
Amethyst coughed…
Jason and Russell started to cheer.
“I end my turn, Amethyst,” said Trisha. “And the tide of this battle is turning.”
“No it isn’t,” replied Amethyst. “I have just what I need right now, to finish you off… You die on this turn…”
Jason got nervous…
“She’s speaking figuratively, moron,” said Russell.
Although, even he was a little worried.
Amethyst drew a card. She added it to her hand, and then played one.
“I summon the most powerful four-star Monster ever created,” she stated. “Giant Kozaky.”
She played the card, and a rumbling sounded. A giant creature that looked like a crazy robot of some sort, with a saucer-shaped body and built to look like it was dressed in a white shirt and a tie, rolled into view in front of her. It had claws, a drill, a hammer, and other odd tools, and a leering expression on its metal face. (2,500/2,400)
“That thing is as strong as the Dark Magician…” gasped Jason. “It’s a four-star Monster?”
“I’ve never heard of a Machine called Giant Kozaky…” muttered Trisha.
“That’s because it isn’t a Machine, it’s a Fiend,” answered Amethyst. “As you might expect, as the most powerful four-star Monster ever made, Giant Kozaky has the deadliest drawback. I’ll explain.
“If you have it on the field with no regular Kozaky – and regular Kozaky is a weak, one-star Monster with 400 Attack Points and no effect – this thing explodes, and takes 2,500 of your Life Points with it.”
“It seems to me that it’s a very dangerous Monster, even for a Skill Drain Deck,” replied Trisha. “What if I was somehow to destroy that Skill Drain now? You’d lose!”
“You misunderstand,” said Amethyst. “I’m not going to attack with Giant Kozaky…”
She held up a Spell Card.
“I’m going to give it to you. I play… Creature Swap…”
She played the card, and it appeared.
“This card would normally require us each to choose a Monster and trade them. But since we each have only one Monster…”
Giant Kozaky and Machine King Prototype vanished, and appeared on the opposite sides.
“And now…” said Amethyst, taking another card from her hand. “I’ll play Emergency Provisions, to get rid of my Skill Drain!”
“NO!” screamed Jason.
“It’s going to blow up in Trisha’s face!” screamed Russell. “You know, if it weren’t Trisha, this might actually be kind of cool…”
Amethyst played the card, and the Skill Drain card started to vanish.
“Not so fast!” shouted Trisha. “I still have one more facedown card…”
Her last facedown card lifted.
“This facedown card was a decoy, as you suggested, but you made it work. It’s my Mystik Wok. Now, I can sacrifice Giant Kozaky before it explodes.”
Giant Kozaky vanished into sparkling light. Trisha started to glow.
“Even better, instead of losing 2,500 Life Points, I gain that many. And it feels good!”
[B](T: 4,700) (A: 2,200)
“This duel is far from over,” she said.
Amethyst started at her for a minute.
“Ingenious, Trisha,” she said. “You are the first duelist ever to avoid perishing when I used that combo. I take back what I said… Certainly, your skills as a duelist are incredible.
“But my Battle Phase hasn’t started yet. Machine King Prototype, attack her directly.”
Trisha cringed as she was hit in the chest by the Machine’s weapon.
Attacked by my own Monster… she thought, perspiring. That was low…
“I’ll end my turn,” said Amethyst.
[B](T: 3,100) (A: 2,200)
Trisha drew.
“I summon a second Mechanicalchaser in Attack Mode,” she said.
A new Mechanicalchaser appeared. (1,850/800)
“Sure, Prototype gains 100 more Attack Points, but that’s not quite enough. Prototype, don’t hold this against me…
“Mechanicalchaser, attack!”
Mechanicalchaser flew forward, slashing at Prototype with its blades. The smaller robot exploded.
[B](T: 3,100) (A: 2,050)
“Your move…” said Trisha.
Amethyst drew a card.
“I’ll place two cards facedown, and that will be all,” she said.
She fit two cards into her Disk, and they appeared.
“HA!” laughed Russell. “I think she’s bluffing!”
Trisha drew a card.
“I summon Red Gadget in Attack Mode,” she said.
Red Gadget appeared, putting up its fists. (1,300/1,500)
“And since your Skill Drain is gone, my Monsters gain back their effects, meaning I get to add Yellow Gadget from my deck to my hand…”
She got what she needed from her deck.
“Mechanicalchaser, attack Amethyst directly!”
Mechanicalchaser flew at Amethyst…
“Activate… Draining Shield!” she shouted.
Her Trap lifted, and a dome of force appeared around her. Mechanicalchaser jammed its blades into it, and the energy flowed into her. She glowed.
“Okay…” muttered Russell. “I guess she wasn’t bluffing…”
“Red Gadget, you attack!” shouted Trisha.
Red Gadget flew forward, and it was more successful. It punched Amethyst upside the face
[B](T: 3,100) (A: 2,600)
Amethyst wiped her face.
“You’re treading on dangerous waters, Trisha,” she warned. “If both of your attacks had gone through, you would have won…
“But you still would have failed, because you haven’t yet met my other condition, remember? You must figure it out before the last blow of this duel lands…”
She drew a card.
“Not that it matters much, because you are going to lose this duel.”
She waved her hand, and her other Trap lifted. It was another Skill Drain.
“It costs me 1,000 Life Points again, but I’m quite willing,” she said, “because I just drew my favorite Monster.
“You know… This guy caused my family’s patriarch a great deal of trouble… But I’ve grown to like him a lot.
“I summon Panther Warrior in Attack Mode!”
With a growl, a tall panther-man in exotic armor and a cape holding a scimitar and a shield appeared. He growled, and lifted his weapon menacingly. (2,000/1,600)
Trisha raised an eyebrow.
“Normally,” said Amethyst, “this guy couldn’t attack unless I sacrificed another Monster first, but Skill Drain removes that handicap.”
“So attack then,” said Trisha. “I’ll survive…”
“Barely…” said Amethyst, with a smirk.
She took another card from her hand.
“My deck has two copies of Boar Soldier, two copies of Indomitable Fighter Lei Lei, and two copies of this guy… Six Beast-Warriors. So I included a special Spell Card in my deck…
“The Equip Card, Fate’s Guidance!”
She played the card.
“Any Beast-Warrior Equipped with this card can ignore your Monsters and attack you directly,” said Amethyst. “Guess what kind of Monster Panther Warrior is.
“Panther Warrior… Attack Trisha!”
Trisha screamed as the Beast-Warrior flew forward and slammed his sword across her torso.
[B](T: 1,100) (A: 1,600)
She slowly got up… Sweat poured down her face…
This duel obviously beat her previous record of number of direct attacks she had taken in one duel, and all but one of them so far had at least 2,000 Attack Points behind it…
…but through the soreness and pain, she was thinking hard.
Panther Warrior gave this guy a lot of trouble? she thought. This was Joey’s Monster…
Let me think…
Joey first used Panther Warrior in the first Battle City… In his duel against Weevil Underwood… But Weevil defeated it pretty easily.
In Joey’s next duel, he…
A light flashed in her head… An image of an arena that had been turned into an ocean, where this Beast-Warrior was a David to an incredible Goliath…
“I know who you are!” she shouted.
Amethyst raised her eyebrow.
“Your family’s patriarch… is Mako Tsunami!” shouted Trisha. “He lost his bid for Battle City because of this Monster when he dueled Joey, and it destroyed both his Fortress Whale and Legendary Fisherman! That’s what you meant by how it gave him so much trouble!”
Amethyst closed her eyes and smiled.
“Clever, Trisha,” she said. “You picked up on the subtle hints. Although, I expected you to also take my looks into consideration… My family has had the same facial features for a long time. The same eyes, the same dimples, the same smile…
“However, you still must win this duel, and I just made it harder. It’s your move now…”
Trisha drew a card. She looked at the green-bordered card.
“Fine,” she said. “This ends now… You made a mistake by attacking me directly instead of attacking my Monsters… Because despite your Skill Drain, they’re still Machines.”
She took the card she had just drawn.
“I play Limiter Removal!”
She played the card, and Red Gadget and Mechanicalchaser glowed with blue flames! Red Gadget shot up to an Attack of 2,600, and Mechanicalchaser rose to 3,700.
Amethyst bowed her head…
“Red Gadget, attack the Panther Warrior!” shouted Trisha.
Red Gadget socked Panther Warrior hard, and the Beast Warrior burst into triangles.
“Mechanicalchaser, attack Amethyst directly!” she yelled.
The robot flew forward. Amethyst screamed this time, as it slashed at her with its blades.
She fell over.
[B](T: 1,100) (A: 0)
“Game over, Amethyst…” muttered Trisha.
The two Machines vanished in plumes of flame.
Dr. Artemis got up and clapped.
“Congratulations, Patricia,” she said. “Considering all the direct attacks, it was a great duel.”
Amethyst slowly got up.
“Yes…” she said with a smile. “And I guess I have to fulfill my end of the bargain.”
She reassembled her deck, and then her Pocket Disk retracted.
She and Trisha sat down.
“I take it you guys like parties?” she asked.
“Do we ever,” answered Jason.
“Well,” said Amethyst, “the second messenger will be showing up in two weeks, when you hold your annual Halloween party.”
The three students paused.
That was actually going to be held a week before Halloween, on the 24th…
“Look for a dark lady with blonde hair,” said Amethyst. “And one who isn’t a bad duelist either. When you think you know who it is, give her a gift…
“A card… A female Monster. She’ll tell you what she knows then.
“By the way, I’m personally of the ‘school’ of duelists who thinks that D.D. Assailant is female, but I don’t know if she’s the same.
“That’s what I know. I wish you all the best of luck.”
“That’s it?” asked Russell, annoyed again. “Trisha went through all that pain for that?”
“That’s a lot, actually,” said Trisha. “We’d have missed something valuable otherwise.”
She got up.
“Well, Amethyst,” she said. “It was a great duel. If you ever want a rematch…”
Amethyst smirked.
“I’ll think about it…” she said. “I have to be going now… The duties of an M.D. are many and numerous.”
She got up, and turned to leave.
“Well guys…” said Trisha. “Not much else to do but prepare for Halloween…
“And hope it isn’t as hard as this was…”
“There is one thing we can do…” replied Jason.
[B]* * * * * * * * * *
Four hours later.
Trisha was on the computer in the library.
“Any luck yet?” asked Russell, as he and Jason went up to her.
“Well…” said Trisha. “I tried to look for a legal card that was truly indestructible. After a lot of searching, I only found one legal card that supposedly is: This one.”
She brought an image up on the screen. It was a Spell card.
They looked at it. The image on the Spell Card was that of an outdoor altar, looking vaguely Greco-Roman, surrounded by cloudy mists.
ALTAR OF MISTS
Continuous Spell
Card Description: This card cannot be destroyed by card effects. On your third Standby Phase after playing this card, destroy this card and remove it from play, and then search your deck for one Ritual Spell Card and add it to your hand.
“Anyway,” said Trisha, “I figured that if there was indeed a card that could destroy this before the three turns were up, then maybe it would work on the Orichalcos…
“But then I saw the rulings…”
She scrolled down. They looked at them.
“In other words, there isn’t a card that can destroy it…” muttered Russell.
“Not even the duelist who played it could destroy it if he wanted too,” answered Trisha.
There was a long pause.
“Maybe Yugi used a custom card…” said Jason. “A sort of anti-Orichalcos.”
“That sounds ridiculous…” said Russell.
“Yes, but it’s the only thing that makes sense,” answered Jason. “And unfortunately, Yugi’s cards are in storage in some Swiss bank account somewhere…
“There must be another solution…”
Saturday, October 10th, 2106, 3:49 AM
FATE’S GUIDANCE (Spell Card)
Card Specs
Type: Spell/Equip
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –
Image: Two Samurai about to ambush each other from behind the corners of a building.
Card Description: This card can be Equipped to a BEAST-WARRIOR-Type Monster. The Equipped Monster may attack your opponent directly.
Note: “Fate’s Guidance” will be used by Atticus in a future episode of “Yu-Gi-Oh GX”. All creative credit goes to the writers of the episode.
Amethyst’s Skill Drain Deck
A Skill Drain Deck is a difficult strategy to pull off. Until you draw one of the Trap Cards that is key to your strategy, the Monsters in it are difficult to use. Fortunately for Amethyst, she has ways to both find the Trap Cards fast, and hold her opponent off while she does. Magical Mallet can achieve the former, and she has a good chance of having Dark Elf, Panther Warrior, or Indomitable Fighter Lei Lei to provide an offensive wall.
With the exception of Fusilier Dragon, all of her Monsters are four-star (she once tried using Ultimate Obedient Fiend, but it just wasn’t her). This makes it easy for her to fill her side of the field with incredibly powerful Monsters that benefit from Skill Drain, and pound her opponent into submission. It isn’t exactly subtle, but it works.
Giant Kozaky combined with Creature Swap and Emergency Provisions is a clever combo that usually gets the job done. She can often use it to deliver the finishing blow.
The best part of this strategy is, Skill Drain not only empowers her Monsters, it usually weakens her opponents’. Without being able to use effects, her opponents have few options unless they can rely on raw power. Of course, no strategy is foolproof, but this one comes close.
[B][I]Coming up next:
Halloween…
Trick or treat… smell my feet…
…give me something good to eat…
The school holds a party, and it’s crashed by a girl who just wanna have fun. Jason gets into a duel with a powerful opponent… What will be the outcome?
Don’t miss “The Emperor’s Holiday”, coming soon.
Re: Yu Gi Oh! Dark Messiah
Damn--I nearly got that riddle. I guess you could say Weevil had quite a bit of pride as a duelist(mainly due to his title), but it went over his head and would be classified as arrogance.:p There was also Joey himself to consider(he's never beaten Kaiba OR Yugi...though it would not count in the manga), but he's way too much of a recognized duelist.XD As I read Amethyst's appearance again, the sea-green color eyes was a big clue.
Skill Drain decks are tricky to run indeed; but I bet they're quite fun.
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Re: Yu Gi Oh! Dark Messiah
Pretty interesting chapter. I see Exodia Gold IS real, but it's a closely guarded secret. Trisha sure took a beating. Ouch.
Can't wait for the next chapter.
Re: Yu Gi Oh! Dark Messiah
My exact train of thought: "Her patriarch dueled two out of the three majors... only child was a daughter... wait... Crystal... Amethyst... Brain, you crafty little-!"
So yes, I figured it out before the duel ever started.
I have to say I like this chapter more than the last one, and quite so. For starters, I've always admired Skill Drain decks (as seen when Ogre dueled in TTB). I wouldn't say that Amethyst used it better than he did, but since your duels are usually longer than mine, we got to see more of one, and it was quite the experience. In addition, this duel managed the trick of maintaining some sort of tension, which can be tough in YGO fics.
If Amethyst is anything to go by, incidentally, the real-world counterpart must be nice to know.
Interesting opening segment, as well. Can't say I liked the Three Swordsmen bits so much, but at least it confirmed that the Big Bad is a female. (That makes the ratio of female to male villains in your stories 3 to 2...)
My only real problem with this chapter is a personal one: because I wrote that TTB chapter mentioned above, I'd seen most of the moves before, which slightly blunted my interest. But that didn't hurt things too bad.
Also, you should be careful not to outrun your timeline, but I know you well enough that it's not a danger.
This next chapter should be... neat is the only word that comes to mind. I look forward to it.
The Place That Is No More - Because the world needed to hear me rant and rave.
My ASB A-Team: Qwerty (Magneton), Cici (female Shuckle), Pudge (male Persian), Fuji (male Torkoal), Light (Starmie), Matthias (male Flygon) (six others)
Re: Yu Gi Oh! Dark Messiah
I will reply to this response.
Yes, the Big Bad is a female. However, this time, I really had no choice. The reason for this will be revealed when she appears in person, and then perhaps you will understand.
Second, since Amethyst's real-life counterpart has given me permission, I will tell you who she is. Her name is Ashley, and we have been going out for a year (I do have a social life). In contrast to Amethyst, Ashley has short, brown hair and brown eyes... However, she does play a Skill Drain Deck most of the time.
Ashley uses some of Amethyst's strategies; she has three copies of Magical Mallet and two Magicians of Faith. However, most of her Monsters are better. She depends mostly on Lei Lei, Chainsaw Insect, Goblin Attack Force, Goblin Elite Attack Force, and Giant Orc. She does have Zombyra and Fusilier Dragon, however.
The Giant Kozaky combo is something she tried once... However, she was never lucky enough to have all three of the right cards in her hand, so she eventually gave it up.
When she saw this chapter, she said she'd love to have Fate's Guidance. Well, to tell you the truth, so would I.
So now you know.
Re: Yu Gi Oh! Dark Messiah
I thought so--your girlfriend. How sweet.Second, since Amethyst's real-life counterpart has given me permission, I will tell you who she is. Her name is Ashley, and we have been going out for a year (I do have a social life). In contrast to Amethyst, Ashley has short, brown hair and brown eyes... However, she does play a Skill Drain Deck most of the time.
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Re: Yu Gi Oh! Dark Messiah
Well, this was something of a turning point... Exodia Gold has been confirmed, the main villian/the Black Moon prophecy have been exposed a bit more, and a new plan is in the works - on both sides. Nice work.
I will say the duel wasn't too exciting, simply because I'm not a big fan of Skill Drain decks, but I was glad to see Giant Kozaky finally appear - just him/Kozaky and Creature Swap is quite a combo, but in a Skill Drain deck... very useful.
Now, next time is a Halloween-type chapter, eh? I can't wait...
Until then...
-Blade
Yu Gi Oh! Dark Messiah
Hey there guys
Yeah, I'm still in India, but I managed to get a chance to catch up on Dark Messiah. I'm not up for reviewing ALL the chapters that I have missed, so I'll just anew with this one.
Amethyst was a very interesting character, and the riddle stumped me greatly. Still, I'm not sure I see the relationship between her and Mako. Ah well.
Yeah, that has to be one of the worst beatings Trisha ever took in a duel. But I'm glad she went through that type of duel that didn't involve her soul on the line or some other danger involved.
I look forward to the next chapter
-Sean
Re: Yu Gi Oh! Dark Messiah
Hi, everyone! It has been a while.
I just got Yu-Gi-Oh GX Duel Academy, and I'm hooked on it. The game is a lot of fun. The only bad part is, the opponents don't have many of the cards they do on the show. (IMOHO, the hardest opponent I've faced yet is Alexis, but she doesn't use the Cyber Girls in this game. She does, however, use a lot of tough Fairies, including Shinato and Zerato.)
Anyway, it's time for a new chapter... Halloween-style...
[B][I]Halloween…
You have to love a holiday that combines ancient Celtic rituals with bite-sized Snickers bars.
It was once called All Hallow’s Eve, and was believed to be the last day of the year when ghosts and spirits could roam the earth before the winter chill sealed them in their graves. Nowadays, it’s a holiday merely for play, where folks dress up in scary costumes, people bob for apples and children go for tricks or treats.
I want to enjoy myself tonight, as I do at every Halloween party, but I know I have to keep an eye out…
An eye out for a dark lady with blonde hair.
She’ll take us one step closer to solving our problems…
[B][size=3]CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Wednesday, October 21, 2106, 4:27 PM
Dr. Peters had four objects on his desk.
From left to right, they were: a glass case full of ants, a gas canister that was connected to the case via a tube, a small tank of water, and a holder that held a test tube holding several small stones.
“I have here on my desk,” he said, “an incredibly lethal poison, and an incredibly volatile explosive.”
He motioned to the gas canister.
“This is the poison. Breathing a small amount would be lethal to most animals. Watch as I introduce a small amount to this colony of ants.”
He turned on the canister, and then quickly turned it off. The ants fell dead.
He then motioned to the test tube.
“This is the explosive,” he said. “Ounce for ounce, it is much more powerful and volatile than standard TNT. Watch as I place a very small amount in water…”
He took a pair of tongs and lifted one of the stones out of the tube. He dropped it in the tank of water.
Sparks flew, then a small explosion, and then a burst of flame erupted out of it.
Eventually the flames died down, and he put the objects away under the desk.
“The poison is called chlorine,” he continued, once he had finished. “The explosive is called sodium.”
He walked in front of the desk, and reached in his pocket.
“When these two elements combine, we get sodium chloride, also known as…”
He took a salt shaker out of his pocket.
“…salt. A valuable substance that is necessary for survival, and has been used as a food preservative for centuries. This combination is a necessary part of life.
“Why do I bring this up? Ever since Duel Monsters has started, combining Monsters, also known as Fusions, has been a vital part of the game. It started with the old fashioned Polymerization… Then, someone added Fusion Gate…
“Then specialized Fusion cards came out. Dragon’s Mirror, Power Bond, Miracle Fusion, Future Fusion, Overload Fusion, and many others.
“While Fusions may not be a part of every deck, they form one of the foundations of Duel Monsters.
“And that is the focus of the chapter which we will be starting tomorrow.
“Before I dismiss, as you know, the big Halloween party will be held this Saturday at nine PM. Those of you who wish to gain extra credit by helping, report to Dr. Macader. He’s in charge.”
Trisha held her head…
Dr. Macader planned a party like Godzilla planned a trip to Tokyo…
Big.
[B]* * * * * * * * * *
As Trisha left class, June called to her.
“Hey Trisha, what sort of costume are you wearing?” she asked.
“I am not about to tell you, June,” she answered with a grin.
As she walked back to her room, she smiled broadly.
She walked in, and took a box out of her closet.
Everyone will expect me to go as Nanobreaker, she thought. But this will surprise everyone.
As she walked back into the common room, she saw Old Ben sitting on a couch, reading a hardcover book.
Trisha was quite surprised when she saw what the title was:
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
“Who’d have thought?” said Trisha with a smirk. “The Strongest Left Hand In The Land a fan of Lewis Carroll?”
“Yeah…” muttered Ben. “You found me out… I’ve become rather attached to this book…”
He took a photograph out of the front of the book and handed it to Trisha.
She looked at it. It was a photo of an adorable, blonde-haired girl, about eight-years old, with a smile that would melt your heart.
Written on the photo were the words:
To Ben,
Keep reaching for the top. Never let anything stand in your way.
- Nichole
February 12th, 2096
Trisha looked at it for a minute.
“Who was this?” she asked. “She’s precious…”
“My biggest fan,” answered Ben.
He sighed.
“When I was a boxer, I fought a lot of charity tournaments,” he said, “including one big one where I represented the American Leukemia Fund. This little girl was only eight at the time, and she came to watch, because, well, she benefited from that charity. I won the tournament and earned a lot of money for it, and she started showering me with letters and homemade gifts… It was touching.
“I had to meet her in person, and, well… I became sort of like a big brother. She didn’t have anyone else… She just needed someone who cared.”
He picked up the book.
“She loved this book… Alice in Wonderland. She never got tired of me reading it to her. The story of a young girl who follows a White Rabbit into a fantasy world and has so many strange adventures…”
He sighed.
“Whatever happened to her?” asked Trisha.
“Didn’t I tell you she had leukemia, Trisha?” asked Ben.
There was a long pause.
“She was never scared…” he said, sadly. “Up to the end, she was never scared. The last time I saw her, she gave me this, and made me promise to always keep it to remember her…
“One year later, I had to give up boxing… So she only knew the boxing Ben and not the dueling Ben.
“You know, sometimes I wonder what we could have done if she had survived… If the remission had lasted. I could have taught her the game… I’m sure she would have been a natural.”
“Oh?” asked Trisha. “What sort of deck do you think she’d play?”
Ben looked at the book.
“Dunno…” he said. “Maybe Fairies… Or Spellcasters…”
Trisha put her hand on his shoulder.
“I’ll keep it a secret,” she whispered.
[B]* * * * * * * * * *
One hour later, Sean Kishore was in the main room, opening a box that had come in the mail.
Oh, good, it’s here, he thought, looking at the costume. My mom sure can sew…
“So Sean,” said Russell, walking in, “how’s it feel to be a year older?”
Sean blushed a little.
“How’d you know it was my birthday?” he asked.
“I keep track of things,” said Russell. “You shouldn’t get so hung up on birthdays. You should be happy to have them. You ever hear about Methuselah?”
“Uh… rings a bell somewhere…” said Sean.
“According to the Bible,” said Russell, “he was a guy who lived to be nine-hundred and sixty-nine years old. Bet it was hard to get him a gift every year.”
Sean chuckled.
“So, going to the party?” asked Russell.
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world…” muttered Sean, stashing the box behind his back.
[B]* * * * * * * * * *
Sebastian sat on a couch, watching TV.
He flipped the channels. Even in the year 2106, there was rarely much good on, at least not until primetime.
As he surfed the channels, he searched his mind, as he had ever since he had dueled Trisha. That duel had wiped his mind clean of a painful memory, and as far as he was concerned now, that lover who had loved him and then betrayed him had never existed.
His plan had done the job… The pain in his heart had been purged. But somehow, he felt… weird.
He noticed a magazine that Cassius had left on the coffee table – Playboy. Even in this day and age, Hugh Hefner’s brainchild had never lost popularity.
He frowned and picked it up. He opened and leafed through it.
He looked at one of the pictorial sections.
Now there’s a decent rack… he thought.
He frowned.
“Oh, what am I doing!” he growled, tossing it away. “This is sleazy even for me!
“If I want Trisha ever to accept the situation that is to come, I can’t cheat on her, even with magazines.”
He took a box of cards off the table and looked through them.
He found one…
Nanobreaker.
“Trisha…” he said, “next time we duel, you won’t be so lucky. You will be mine.
“But I swear to you, you won’t find it so bad after a while…
“You might even grow to like it…”
[B]* * * * * * * * * *
Dr. Macader promised everything for the party – live music, catered food, the whole nine yards. And of course, dueling was allowed if a challenge was accepted.
Jason had a plan to get someone to duel him, and he had asked his mom to send him something. They knew they had to look for this “dark lady”, but they were going to have fun.
Jason was escorting Trisha, of course, and Russell had asked Sersei – she couldn’t say yes fast enough. Jason and Trisha were glad that Russell finally had a girlfriend, although Trisha was worrying what would happen at the inevitable time that she and Sersei dueled again.
Finally, at 8:30 on Saturday, Jason put the finishing touches on his costume.
Most of the costume had been easy. He had gone to the biggest suit rental place in Manhattan and asked to rent a purple tuxedo. They were able to get him one in his size (technically it was “violet”), and he combined it with a formal shirt, tie, and a purple derby hat that he had gotten in a costume store. The costume store had also supplied the long, pale, blonde wig, fake pointed ears, and red contacts.
Using the mirror, he used a powder puff to spread orange stage makeup on his face.
Finally, he slipped his Disk on his arm and picked up a box that was tied shut with a string.
“Perfect,” he said. “If you’re going to go to a party dressed as a Duel Monster, you might as well go as one who has a sense of style.”
He walked out to Trisha’s room where she said she’d meet her, and knocked on the door.
“Two minutes, Jason!” she called.
Only a minute and a half later, she came out.
Her hair was covered by a purple wig, tied in a ponytail. She wore a blue tunic tied with a golden belt, covering a shirt with loose purple sleeves, and wore silken pants and pointed slippers. She was holding a staff topped with a crescent moon.
“Magician of Faith…” said Jason. “Nice…”
“Hmm…” she answered with a smile. “I wouldn’t have expected the Witty Phantom. You sure are handsome for a Fiend. What’s in the box?”
“This is my key to getting a duel tonight,” he said. “Shall we?”
They clasped arms.
He paused.
“Strange…” he said.
“What?” she asked.
“These costumes,” he answered. “It’s almost as if there’s some… synergy between them. As if… As if these two Monsters went together in some way in another place and time…
“Eh, don’t worry about it. Let’s find Russell and Sersei.”
[B]* * * * * * * * * *
As they walked out, Russell and Sersei were waiting.
Russell’s costume made sense – he was dressed as Marauding Captain, in a suit of armor that might look real from a distance, but was revealed as carefully made papier-mâché up close. A sword was slung on his back. (The real Captain carried two swords, but Russell needed his hands free.)
Sersei was naturally dressed as Harpie Lady, an image of the Cyber version. Her exotic look was punctuated by a whip coiled and hooked to her belt.
“Not bad, guys,” said Jason. “That a real sword, Russell?”
“Yeah,” he replied. “Making swords is impossible unless you’re a blacksmith. But fortunately, my dad collects them. He had someone bring me one yesterday.”
“Well everyone,” said Sersei, “let’s par-tay!”
Little did they know, someone was above on the roof watching them. She giggled.
Halloween… she thought. I love this time of year! It’s one of the few times of year I can come out and play…
[B]* * * * * * * * * *
A Lord of Dragons stood at the door to the auditorium to welcome everyone in. Orange and black streamers hung in a room that was surrounded by jack o’lanterns lit with flickering candles. And amid the music of the band that had just started to play, it seemed the floor was full of Duel Monsters.
A White Magical Hat danced with a Witch of the Black Forest. Near them, a Roboyarou passed by with his date, a Mystical Elf. An Unfriendly Amazon shared punch with Zombyra the Dark.
The group of four looked around. They saw a few people they knew.
Ansel was naturally dressed as Musician King. Next to him was Malvolio, dressed in the ominous clothing that identified him as Mataza the Zapper.
Nadia and Randy were together, instantly recognizable. Randy’s costume was Avian, while Nadia’s was St. Joan.
Amanda was dressed as Chaos Command Magician, a reversal of genders, possibly. Ami was Raging Flame Sprite, naturally.
Sean was dressed in an elaborate costume that depicted Mr. Volcano. His date was Fire Princess.
Silver and Karen were also together. Silver was dressed as Different Dimension Master, and Karen as Doriado.
Jack was dressed as Green Phantom King… His date, naturally, was Queen of Autumn Leaves. Russell noticed a Vampire Lord and a Vampire Lady nearby…
He looked carefully. Yes, the Lord was Nathan, but he couldn’t tell who his date was.
Even a few staff had gotten in on the festivities. The Buster Blader stood by one end of the auditorium, and while he was clad completely in armor, the metal arm identified him as Old Ben.
And standing quietly in one corner was the imposing form of The Agent of Judgment – Saturn. Even in costume and makeup, Dr. Artemis exuded as much authority as ever. She was serving as chaperone, and the fact that she had chosen a divine being who was also a judge sort of drove the point home.
The band was named Driving Rain (Dr. Macader had said that the lead singer was a duelist), and to fit the occasion, they were also in costume, as Water Monsters. The lead singer was a Mermaid Knight (propped up on a cushioned pedestal, since her costume disabled her legs); the drummer was an Aqua Madoor; a Sea Serpent Warrior of Darkness and a Water Magician were on bass; and a Deepsea Warrior played keyboards.
“Hello everyone!” announced the lead singer. “Welcome to a night of spooky fun… Where we won’t only be enforcing the scary… But the comedy!”
The she started to sing as a lightshow started. The students started to dance.
[B][I]Something familiar,
Something peculiar,
Something for everyone:
A comedy tonight!
Something appealing,
Something appalling,
Something for everyone:
A comedy tonight!
Nothing with kings, nothing with crowns;
Bring on the lovers, liars and clowns!
Old situations,
New complications,
Nothing portentous or polite;
A tragedy tomorrow,
Comedy tonight!
Something convulsive,
Something repulsive,
Something for everyone:
A comedy tonight!
Something aesthetic,
Something frenetic,
Something for everyone:
A comedy tonight!
Nothing with gods, nothing with fate;
Weighty affairs will just have to wait!
Nothing that's formal,
Nothing that's normal,
No recitations to recite;
So, open up the curtain:
Comedy tonight!
Something erratic,
Something dramatic,
Something for everyone:
A comedy tonight!
Frenzy and frolic,
Strictly symbolic,
Something for everyone:
A comedy tonight!
Something familiar,
Something peculiar,
Something for everybody:
Comedy tonight!
Something that's gaudy,
Something that's bawdy –
Something for everybawdy!
Comedy tonight!
Nothing that's grim.
Nothing that's Greek.
She plays Medea later this week.
Stunning surprises!
Cunning disguises!
Hundreds of Monsters out of sight!
Pantaloons and tunics!
Courtesans and eunuchs!
Funerals and chases!
Baritones and basses!
Panderers! Philanderers!
Cupidity! Timidity!
Mistakes! Fakes!
Rhymes! Crimes!
Tumblers! Grumblers!
Bumblers! Fumblers!
No royal curse, no Trojan Horse,
And a happy ending, of course!
Goodness and badness,
Panic is madness –
This time it all turns out all right!
A tragedy tomorrow,
Comedy tonight!
So intense was the music, very few people noticed when a Dark Magician Girl wandered in.
She looked around, and quickly started to attract attention. Eventually, she motioned to Malvolio, and the two started dancing to the music. Everyone started watching her.
Artemis’s eyes narrowed.
So… she thought. The duel world’s biggest party animal returns… Sigh… Asking her to leave would make everyone hate me…
[B]* * * * * * * * * *
“So,” said Jason, “you see any sign of a ‘dark lady’?”
“Well, I have some suspicions,” said Russell. “We have quite a few Dark Monsters around. You seen where Sersei went, by the way?”
Jason pointed to the refreshment table.
Sersei and the Dark Magician Girl were drinking from the punch bowl and laughing.
“Say, Russell,” said Sersei, as he came up. “I have a bet with DMG here… You think this punch is made with Kool Aid or Hi-C?”
Russell took some and tasted it.
“Mmm, I’d say Hi-C,” he said.
He looked at the table.
There wasn’t quite enough food to feed an army – he should know – but there was a lot. There was almost every type of hors d’oeuvre they could possibly have – mozzarella sticks, cocktail weenies, stuffed mushrooms, finger sandwiches, buffalo wings…
But even more attention had been given to the sweets. On another table were cupcakes frosted to look like jack o’lanterns, fudge brownies, candied apples, five kinds of chips with four kinds of dip, and one of the major staples of Halloween – large bowls full of small individually wrapped Snickers, Milky Ways, Almond Joys, Skittles, Starburst, and every other candy you could think of.
“So much junk,” commented Russell. “It’s gonna be a miracle if someone doesn’t end up sick. Someone always gets sick at these parties, come to think of it.”
Dark Magician Girl smiled sweetly. Russell looked at her strangely. He noticed that she had a Duel Disk on her arm.
She picked up a cupcake.
“I for one am glad for it all,” she said. “Where I come from, treats like this are almost impossible to get…”
Russell didn’t doubt it. She seemed to have a figure like a supermodel.
Sersei looked over her costume…
One which exposed a great deal of cleavage and thigh. She shook her head.
You know… she thought. If I was the Dark Magician’s apprentice, I would hope I could score a more dignified outfit…
“So…” she asked. “You didn’t have anyone to bring?”
“Eh, I have someone who’s sort of a boyfriend,” she replied, “but he’s always busy… He has a very demanding job…”
“I see…” muttered Sersei.
She looked at her strangely.
The music finally stopped.
“Thank you!” said the Mermaid Knight. “We’re gonna take a little break now, but we’ll be back later…”
“That’s my cue…” said Jason. He went up to the stage and whispered something to someone near it.
After a minute, the Mermaid gave him the microphone.
“Hey everyone,” he called out. “I have here in my hand, my mother’s homemade chocolate-chip and macadamia nut cookies…”
He held up the box he had brought.
“…and anyone who can defeat me in a duel me will get them!”
Murmurs broke out among the crowd.
“Ooh…” moaned Sersei.
“What’s wrong?” asked the Dark Magician Girl.
“I love those cookies…” groaned Sersei. “He shared them once before… But I’ll never beat him…”
Dark Magician Girl rubbed her chin.
“Anyone?” asked Jason.
“I’ll take that challenge!” said a sweet voice.
He turned and saw Dark Magician Girl smiling sweetly.
“On one condition,” she continued. “If I win, you give them to Sersei.”
“Very well, I’m jack with that…” said Jason.
He started to shuffle his deck.
“So, uh… what’s your name?”
She giggled.
“Tell you what,” she said. “Beat me, and I’ll tell you.”
“Deal,” he said.
Russell picked up the microphone and Trisha stood behind him.
“Hello, ladies and germs, hope you’re having a good time,” he announced. “Looks like an official challenge has been made! So it seems we can stop with the dancing and see some good old-fashioned violence.”
“Nice…” muttered Trisha.
“In one corner, dressed as one who presides over death and looks sharp doing so, Jason ‘Glad I’m Not Still His Roommate Because He Hogs The Bathroom’ Conrad.”
“Real funny, Russell,” snapped Jason.
“And in the other corner,” continued Russell, “dressed as someone who has technically always come second, but will be first in most duelists’ books… uh, I don’t know her name, but… uh…
“Looks like I talked myself into a corner.”
Trisha grabbed the microphone.
“It’s time to duel, people!” she shouted.
“Get your game on!” shouted Jason.
The Disks activated.
[B](Jason: 8,000) (Dark Magician Girl: 8,000)
“Ladies first,” said Jason.
She giggled.
“No, I insist, you go first,” she answered.
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“Positive,” she answered.
Jason drew a sixth card.
“Well… okay…” he said.
He placed a card on his Disk.
“I’ll summon Peten the Dark Clown in Defense Mode,” he said.
Peten appeared on the field. (500/1,200)
To Jason’s surprise Peten tipped his hat and made a polite bow to his opponent before crouching in Defense.
Hmm, he never did that before, he thought. Well, next round, I’ll sacrifice him or the next Peten to summon my more powerful Monster…
“Over to you,” he said.
Dark Magician Girl drew her first card.
“Well…” she said. “I think I’ll… place this Monster in Defense Mode, and end my turn.”
She put a card on her Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.
Jason drew a card.
“I’ll sacrifice Peten to summon Luster Dragon #2!” he exclaimed.
Peten shattered, and the powerful Dragon appeared. (2,400/1,400)
“Yeah…” said Russell. “Look’s like Jason is about to take this duel by the horns.”
“Luster Dragon…” continued Jason, “attack with emerald flame!”
Luster Dragon shot forth a blast of fire…
A weird creature with red skin and eyes all over its body appeared on the facedown card, and was burned up.
Dark Magician Girl giggled.
“Uh oh!” said Trisha. “That was Big Eye. Now Dark Magician Girl gets to look at the top five cards on her deck and rearrange them any way she chooses.”
“And I know just how I want them!” said Dark Magician Girl, looking at them.
She placed them back on her deck.
“Well, it’s your move then,” said Jason.
She drew a card.
“I’ll place a Monster in Defense Mode again,” she said.
Another card appeared facedown.
“Back to you!”
Jason drew another card.
Continued…
Last edited by mr_pikachu; 1st December 2006 at 10:05 PM.
Re: Yu Gi Oh! Dark Messiah
Continued from last post:
Well, it’s my old friend Vorse Raider… he thought.
He placed a card on his Disk.
“I summon Vorse Raider in Attack Mode,” he said.
The sinister Beast-Warrior appeared, hefting his axe. (1,900/1,200)
“All right,” said Jason, “attack the facedown Monster!”
Vorse Raider charged…
The Monster appeared on the card. It was a woman shrouded in fire, in a blue formal dress and a fancy hairdo with a white streak.
“Huh? Who’s that?” asked Russell.
“She’s the Lady Assailant of Flames,” answered Dark Magician Girl with another giggle. “So now I get to remove the top three cards on my deck from play, and she gets to blast you!”
She took the three cards off her deck, and flames appeared in Lady Assailant’s hands… Her eyes glowed…
She shot a stream of fire forward, hitting Jason.
Vorse Raider’s axe finally hit, and she shattered.
“Well, that was strategy,” said Russell. “Thanks to Big Eye, she knew exactly what cards she was removing from play.”
“Yeah, but now she’s at Luster Dragon’s mercy!” added Trisha.
“You got that right,” said Jason. “Luster Dragon, attack directly!”
Luster Dragon blasted his breath weapon forward. Everyone gasped as Dark Magician Girl was engulfed in flames.
But she was still smiling when it stopped.
“Giggle, giggle,” she laughed. “Not bad.”
[B](J: 7,200) (DMG: 5,600)
“What are you made of?” asked Jason, in wonder.
“Strong stuff,” she answered. “Anything else?”
“This is feel-good violence,” said Russell. “Come on you sissies! Don’t make me come down there!”
“Actually, I do have another move,” continued Jason. “I play this, the Continuous Spell Card, Future Fusion.”
He played the card, and then took his deck.
“I take fusion material Monsters from my deck,” he explained, “like two of my Cyber Dragons, and send them to Graveyard…”
He discarded the two cards.
“And in just two of my turns, I’ll be able to Special Summon the resulting Fusion Monster, meaning Cyber Twin Dragon!
“That will be my turn.”
“Meh…” said Russell. “He could have sent all three of them there to summon the big guy… Don’t tell me he’s wimping out.”
“Maybe he wants to save one Cyber Dragon for later,” answered Trisha.
Exactly, thought Jason. And since the Fusion Monster would be destroyed if Future Fusion were destroyed, playing this card is always risky. I can’t afford to lose all three Cyber Dragons.
Besides, I’m already winning… Cyber End would be overkill.
Dark Magician Girl drew a card. She added it to her hand.
“I play the Spell Card, Soul Release,” she said, “to remove Big Eye and Lady Assailant of Flames from play.”
She played the card, and then chose another one.
“Now, since five of my cards have been removed from play,” she continued, “I can play this, Miracle Dig, to return three of them to my Graveyard.”
She played the card.
“Now, I’ll play Monster Reborn, to revive a Monster I just put in there, in Defense Mode. Magician’s Valkyria!”
In a burst of light, a female figure appeared, kneeling in defense. She looked somewhat like Dark Magician Girl, but brunette, with fancier raiment, and a more elaborate staff. (1,600/1,800)
“And finally,” she said. “I’ll summon a second Valkyria in Defense Mode!”
She played the card, and an identical twin of the first Valkyria appeared.
“Uh oh…” said Russell. “I think I see her strategy now…”
“What?” asked Trisha.
“Magician’s Valkyria has an effect like Marauding Captain, only with Spellcasters,” answered Russell. “When one’s on the field, the opponent can’t attack any Spellcasters except her.”
“So with two on the field, Jason can’t attack at all!” exclaimed Trisha.
“Well, at least they aren’t strong enough to defeat Luster Dragon and Vorse Raider.”
Dr. Artemis crossed her arms.
After so many years, she thought, still the same basic strategy. Jason will have his work cut out for him…
Jason took the situation in, and drew a card.
“Think I’ll pass for this turn,” he said.
Dark Magician Girl drew a card.
“I play the Spell Card, Curse of Fiend!” she exclaimed.
An ominous mist formed over the field, and a series of torches lit.
“When this card is played, all Monsters in Defense Mode move to Attack Mode…”
Her two Valkyria stood up.
“…and vice versa!”
Vorse Raider and Luster Dragon crouched in Defense Mode.
“Now go!” she shouted. “Bright rainbow blast!”
The two Valkyria shot beams of multicolored light and Jason’s two Monsters were blasted to pieces.
“Ugh…” said Jason.
“Giggle, giggle,” laughed Dark Magician Girl. “It’s your move…”
Jason drew a card.
“You know what this means,” he said, “Future Fusion now activates!”
Cyber Twin Dragon appeared in a flash of light! It roared! (2,800/2,100)
Everyone applauded.
“I may not be able to attack right now,” he added, “but your Valkyria can’t defeat him.”
Dark Magician Girl giggled again.
“Oh no?” she asked.
She drew a card.
“I play a Spell Card,” she said. “Magicians Unite!”
The Spell Card appeared, showing the image of two cloaked mages in front of a stained glass window.
The two Valkyria nodded to each other. One of them tossed her staff to left hand, and the two of them linked arms.
“What’s happening?” asked Jason.
“Magicians Unite can be played when I have more than one Spellcaster on the field,” she replied. “It lets them attack as a team, with an Attack Score of 3,000!”
“Oh… no…” muttered Jason.
The two Valkyria fired a mighty spell, and Cyber Twin Dragon exploded in a powerful blast!
Everyone in the room cheered. It was hard to see who was on who’s side.
[B](J: 7,000) (DMG: 5,600)
“Well, uh… Jason’s in the lead…” said Russell.
“Maybe not for long…” added Trisha.
“I’ll place one card facedown, and end my turn,” said Dark Magician Girl, placing a card into her Disk.
A facedown card appeared.
Jason drew a card.
Des Feral Imp… he thought. Let’s see them get past this…
“I’ll place a Monster in Defense Mode, and end my turn,” he said.
A facedown Monster appeared.
“My draw!” laughed Dark Magician Girl.
She drew a card.
“Mmm, not the best, but I can still use it…”
She took the other card from her hand.
“I play Pot of Greed…”
She played the card, and the grinning jar appeared.
“And I’ll chain my facedown card, Serial Spell!”
Her facedown card lifted.
“Now, I’ll discard the card I just drew, and it lets me play Pot of Greed twice!”
A second Pot of Greed appeared, and the two of them shattered as she drew four cards.
Sheesh… thought Jason. Clearly, this girl is no amateur…
“Now let’s play some!” she giggled. “I play Premature Burial to bring back Lady Assailant of Flames.”
She played the card, and the Pyro reappeared. (1,500/1,000)
“And now I’ll sacrifice to her to summon…”
She laughed again, as Lady Assailant vanished.
“Well… Take a look! It’s someone who’s been in front of you the whole time!”
To everyone’s shock, a Spellcaster who seemed to be an exact copy of the duelist appeared in front of her! (2,000/1,700)
“How cute,” said Russell. “She’s using the same Monster she’s dressed as!”
“Uh, Russell?” said Trisha. “Isn’t this a little… odd?”
“What do you mean?” asked Russell.
“Dark Magician Girl has always been an incredibly rare card,” said Trisha. “Most of the known copies have been owned by rich collectors. Very few duelists were actually known to regularly use one – one was the King of Games himself.”
“I see…” said Russell. “This is weird…”
Dark Magician Girl took another card from her hand.
“Next, I’ll Equip her with this,” she said, playing it. “Magic Formula.”
A large spellbook floated onto the field, and opened. The Dark Magician Girl on the field perused over the pages.
“I love curling up with a good book, and so does she,” said the duelist, “because it gives her 700 more Attack Points!”
(2,700/1,700)
“Now go!” yelled the duelist. “Dark burning blast!”
The Dark Magician Girl cast her dark spell, and Des Feral Imp appeared before it was blown to pieces.
“Well…” said Jason, nervously. “When Des Feral Imp bites the big one, I get to take one card from my Graveyard and shuffle it into my deck…”
He showed her a Cyber Dragon, and then shuffled it into his deck.
“Okay…” he said. “I guess you can finish…”
He closed his eyes…
“Valkyria…” she laughed, “attack directly!”
The two Valkyria fired their spells and an explosion centered on Jason.
[B](J: 3,800) (DMG: 4,800)
For a few seconds, all Jason could hear were little birds flying around his head…
“I’ll place a card facedown and end my turn,” she continued.
She played her last card, and a facedown card appeared.
This is bad, thought Jason. Since Dark Magician Girl is a Spellcaster, those Valkyria protect her from an attack too, even if I could summon a stronger Monster…
He drew a card.
“I play… Magical Mallet!” he exclaimed. “Now, I’ll reshuffle all six of my cards back into my deck, and redraw six again.”
He shuffled the cards into his deck, and then drew six.
“All right…” he said. “First, I’ll place down one facedown…”
He played a card, and a facedown card appeared.
“Then, a Monster in Defense Mode.”
A facedown Monster appeared.
“That will end my turn.”
“All right!” laughed Dark Magician Girl.
She drew a card.
“Valkyria number one, attack!”
The first Valkyria flew forward…
Ancient Lamp appeared on the card! (900/1,400)
“Gotcha!” shouted Jason, as the Lamp glowed. “Now I can redirect her attack towards your Dark Magician Girl!”
The first Valkyria’s eyes glazed over. She aimed her staff at the stronger Spellcaster…
The Dark Magician Girl on the field looked surprised. She defended herself with her own magic, and the Valkyria was blown away.
“Humph…” said Dark Magician Girl. “You… Attack Ancient Lamp!”
Her twin aimed her staff…
“I activate… Negate Attack!” shouted Jason.
His Trap Card lifted, and the Spellcaster’s blast was deflected.
“Sigh… It’s your move…” she said.
[B](J: 3,800) (DMG: 3,700)
“Well,” said Jason, drawing. “Now that I can attack again…”
He placed a card on his Disk.
“I use Ancient Lamp’s ability to Special Summon La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp.”
Smoke poured out of the Lamp, and it formed into La Jinn. (1,800/1,000)
“And next… I’ll sacrifice both my Monsters…”
La Jinn and Ancient Lamp vanished…
“To summon Tyrant Dragon!”
Everyone gasped again, as the huge Fire Dragon appeared! (2,900/2,500)
“And since your Trap likely won’t work on him,” he continued, “attack her Magician’s Valkyria! Imperial inferno!”
Tyrant Dragon roared, and shot a stream of flame towards Valkyria…
“Sorry, Phantom,” said the duelist. “But this Trap affects my own Monsters. I activate Covering Fire!”
Her Trap lifted…
The stronger Spellcaster leapt behind the weaker one, and they both aimed their staffs. Valkyria’s Attack rose to 4,300.
With two powerful blasts, the fire was deflected, and Tyrant Dragon was blasted to pieces.
Everyone was dumbfounded…
“Giggle, giggle…” laughed Dark Magician Girl. “Gotcha!”
“Yeah, you ‘got’ me…” muttered Jason. “It’s your move…”
[B](J: 2,300) (DMG: 3,700)
She drew.
“All right sweetie…” said Dark Magician Girl, “let’s finish this!”
The Dark Magician Girl flew towards him, scepter first…
He howled as the powerful spell ripped through him.
[B](J: 0) (DMG: 3,700)
“Well, looks like we have a winner…” said Russell. “Eh… It was his own fault…”
He looked offstage.
“And folks can have more opportunity to duel later. Here’s Driving Rain again!”
The Deepsea Warrior carried the Mermaid Knight back to her pedestal, and she took the microphone.
“Don’t forget our, deal, Phantom,” said Dark Magician Girl. “Sersei gets those cookies now…”
Jason grinned.
I hope she doesn’t get fat on Russell… he thought.
“That was fun everyone,” said the Mermaid. “Now let’s mash!”
The music started again.
[B][I]I was working in the lab, late one night,
When my eyes beheld an eerie sight,
For my monster from his slab began to rise,
And suddenly to my surprise,
He did the Mash!
He did the Monster Mash.
The Monster Mash!
It was a Graveyard smash.
He did the Mash!
It caught on in a flash.
He did the Mash!
He did the Monster mash.
From my laboratory in the castle east,
To the master bedroom where the vampires feast,
The ghouls all came from their humble abodes,
To get a jolt from my electrodes.
They did the Mash!
They did the Monster Mash.
The Monster Mash!
It was a Graveyard smash.
They did the Mash!
It caught on in a flash.
They did the Mash!
They did the Monster Mash.
The zombies were having fun;
The party had just begun;
The guests included the Wolf Man,
Dracula, and his son.
The scene was rockin', all were digging the sounds,
Igor on chains, backed by his baying hounds,
The coffin-bangers were about to arrive,
With their vocal group, "The Crypt-Kicker Five".
They played the Mash!
They played the Monster Mash.
The Monster Mash!
It was a Graveyard smash.
They played the Mash!
It caught on in a flash.
They played the Mash!
They played the Monster Mash.
Out from his coffin, Drac's voice did ring;
Seems he was troubled by just one thing;
He opened the lid, and shook his fist;
And said, "Whatever happened to my Transylvania twist?"
It's now the Mash!
It's now the Monster Mash.
The Monster Mash!
And it's a Graveyard smash.
It's now the Mash!
It's caught on in a flash.
It's now the Mash!
It's now the Monster Mash.
The zombies were having fun;
The party had just begun;
The guests included the Wolf Man,
Dracula, and his son.
Now everything's cool, Drac's a part of the band,
And my Monster Mash is the hit of the land,
For you, the living, this Mash was meant too,
When you get to my door, tell them Boris sent you.
Then you can Mash!
Then you can Monster Mash.
The Monster Mash!
And do my Graveyard smash.
Then you can Mash!
You'll catch on in a flash.
Then you can Mash!
Then you can Monster Mash.
[B]* * * * * * * * * *
An hour later, another duel was in progress, Silver had challenged Karen…
And right now, he was getting royally trounced.
He had Dimensional Fissure active and D. D. Survivor on the field, but Karen had Doriado in Defense Mode, Equipped with Heart of Clear Water.
“I summon Element Dragon!” she shouted.
Element Dragon appeared on the field.
“Not only does Doriado’s Fire nature make him stronger than Survivor, but her Wind nature lets him attack twice!
“Attack D.D. Survivor! Blazing breeze!”
The Dragon shot a cloud of flame that burned up D.D. Survivor.
“Now, attack directly!”
Silver winced as the strong direct attack plowed into him.
“Oh yeah?” he said. “Well, since my Dimensional Fissure just removed D.D. Survivor from play, he comes right back as you end your turn…”
A portal opened, and Survivor came out.
“My move…” he said, drawing.
“I summon D.D. Assailant in Defense Mode.”
Assailant appeared, crouching in Defense.
Dark Magician Girl and Sersei were watching the duel very closely, while Jason, Trisha, and Russell were watching Dark Magician Girl.
“You sure it’s her?” asked Trisha.
“A ‘dark lady’ with blonde hair?” asked Jason. “How close can you get?”
“I flip Aussa the Earth Charmer into Attack Mode!” shouted Karen, as Aussa appeared on the field. “Now I can brainwash D.D. Assailant!”
Aussa cast her spell, and D.D. Assailant was drawn over to Karen’s side.
“Now, Element Dragon, attack twice!”
Element Dragon wiped out D.D. Survivor, and then attacked directly.
“D.D. Assailant, you attack too!”
Assailant slashed at Silver with her cleaver, reducing his Life Points to zero.
Russell wasn’t paying attention. He walked up to Dark Magician Girl.
“Hey,” he said. “I have a little gift for you…”
“Oh?” she asked.
He handed her a Duel Monsters card.
It was the Getsu Fuhma he had used against the Puppeteer.
She looked at it. For the first time all night, she looked serious.
“Well…” she muttered. “Let’s have a talk, you, me and your two friends. Let’s all go outside…”
They walked out, into the night air.
She sat down on one of the many benches around a monument, and sighed.
“You figured out that I was the second messenger,” she said. “I want to thank you for such a fun duel…”
“Don’t mention it…” answered Jason. “I’m still sore…”
“Anyway,” continued the Dark Magician Girl, “I can’t lead you to the Dark Messiah, but I know who can…”
“Just give us a name,” said Trisha.
“Patience,” said Dark Magician Girl. “Listen… Outside of Rye is the Briarwood Reservation Casino. Now, it’s different than most Native American-owned casinos… Sure, you can play slots, blackjack, roulette, craps, and all the average stuff…
“However, they have a special attraction. You’ll notice that many of the dealers and cocktail waitresses have Disks. These employees will duel the guests if you desire and you wager against their odds. Each duelist has odds assigned to him or her, based on how good he or she is.
“Go there… Ask for their best duelist. You can wager as much money as you want…
“But wager one other thing as well… Your darkest secret against your opponent’s. If you win, your opponent will be forced to tell you.”
She paused.
“I’m afraid that’s all I can help you with,” she said. “Now go back, enjoy the rest of the night, and who knows?
“Maybe I’ll meet you again next year… And maybe we can duel again…
“Thanks for the card.”
She got up and slowly walked away…
She vanished into the darkness.
A Witty Phantom, Marauding Captain, and Magician of Faith looked at each other…
“So, a casino,” muttered Jason. “Hopefully, this will be the last leg…”
[B]* * * * * * * * * *
“Please, boss?” asked Cleo.
“No…” growled Fortunado.
“Please, boss?” she repeated.
“If I said no the first time,” he answered, “do you really think I’ll say yes the second time?”
“No…” she said. “But you might say yes the forty-third time. Please, boss?”
“Argh…” he said. “All right! But don’t say I didn’t warn you…”
He went to a painting on the wall, and moved it aside, revealing a safe.
He turned the dial back and forth and opened it.
Inside the safe were two objects: a single Duel Monsters card in a plastic case, and a leather gauntlet with the Eye of Wdjat on the palm.
“Cleo, listen closely,” he said, taking them out. “Jaden Yuki’s heirs would not sell these even when I offered astronomical amounts. They feared that they’d be used for evil. I had to hire a group of… eh, thugs to steal them. All but one of them was caught, and most of the things they stole were reclaimed. However, the one who escaped managed to keep these.
“So do NOT lose them! I mean that.”
He handed them to her.
“Oh, I won’t…” said Cleo. “Jason will expect the Orichalcos next time…”
She fit the glove on her hand.
“…but he’ll get a big surprise instead…”
Sunday, October 25th, 2106, 12:02 AM
MAGICIANS UNITE (Spell Card)
Card Specs
Type: Spell
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –
Image: Silhouettes of two cloaked mages in front of a stained glass window.
Card Description: You can activate this card when you have two or more SPELLCASTER-Type Monsters on your side of the field. The ATK of one SPELLCASTER-Type Monster on your side of the field becomes 3,000 for the remainder of the round. No SPELLCASTER-Type Monsters except the one you use this effect on can attack during the round you use this card.
MAGIC FORMULA (Spell Card)
Card Specs
Type: Spell/Equip
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –
Image: A spellbook glowing with energy.
Card Description: This card can only be Equipped to “Dark Magician” or “Dark Magician Girl”. Increase the ATK of the Equipped Monster by 700. When this card is sent from the field to your Graveyard, gain 1,000 Life Points.
Note: “Magicians Unite” and “Magic Formula” are Japanese cards that have not yet been released in the United States. “Magicians Unite” was used by Pharaoh Atem in the anime episode “The Final Duel (Part 4)”
[B][I]Coming up next:
Russell gets caught in a duel where the toss of a coin or the roll of a die can change the outcome dramatically. Will he roll snake eyes or double boxcars?
It’s a chapter called “Gamble”, naturally, coming soon.
Re: Yu Gi Oh! Dark Messiah
Good chapter, Dark Sage. Although it did sort of remind me of the episode where Jaden duels the Duel Monster Spirit of Dark Magician Girl, it was interesting. But I thought you said that Dark Magician Girl (the card) would never appear in this fanfic. Were you bluffing so we would never expect it coming?
Anyways, the Halloween Party was pretty interesting. At least no one did a Jaden and combined their costumes like Jaden did.
So the heroes are going to a casino, huh? I think that will be an interesting duel.
Keep up the good work!!!!
Fritz: So, Prue, I hear your friend’s a cop.
Prue: Inspector, actually.
Fritz: Oh, yeah. (to Andy) Well, I got these parking tickets...
Andy: Yeah, my focus is mainly homicide, robbery.
Fritz: Yeah. Yeah. So I have these parking tickets...
- Charmed Episode 3 - Thank You For Not Morphing
Re: Yu Gi Oh! Dark Messiah
[quote=Inferno_Dragon ]
Actually, all he ever said was that the Dark Magician (not the girl) or the Blue Eyes White Dragon wouldn't appear unless Yugi or Kaiba, respectively, showed up. (He hedged his bets by having Arkana use the former.)
Is it just me or was this the shortest chapter yet? Even with two (frankly unnecessary) musical sequences, it didn't even make three posts. That still makes it longer than most of mine, but by your standards it's kind of disappointing.
And Inferno Dragon pointed another thing out: this felt a lot like the GX "Cosplay Duel" episode. Normally I'd let it slide - what else are you going to do with the DMG? - but after copying "A Spirit Summoned" for the Loki chapter, this is bordering on unacceptable.
The sequence with Sebastian felt like an attempt to remind us he's not dead... although I can't criticize, since I've done similar things. (And I did get a sense of foreboding from the Cleo scene.)
In truth, I don't dislike this chapter so much as I wish there was more to it. It was over before I could even find anything to comment on.
But I can't help but smile at the SR: 15 homage.
The Place That Is No More - Because the world needed to hear me rant and rave.
My ASB A-Team: Qwerty (Magneton), Cici (female Shuckle), Pudge (male Persian), Fuji (male Torkoal), Light (Starmie), Matthias (male Flygon) (six others)
Re: Yu Gi Oh! Dark Messiah
Heh, I caught that as well--Witty Phantom and Magician of Faith.^_^
And I wanna be there right now(hey, Ami made a cameo!)! The candy~*drools*
But I sort of have to agree. It was kind of lackluster, but it did advance the plot.
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Re: Yu Gi Oh! Dark Messiah
Well, Brian told me about this whole thing, and I didn't expect Jason to lose so easily, but it seems that Duel Spirit had gained a few tricks since her last duel. And for those of your whining and complaining about the shortness of the chapter, you must remember that the duel she had with Jaden was just as short.
The loss was acceptable since it wasn't a life-or-death duel, and now we're going to see a gamble deck again. (Isn't it obvious with the fact that it takes place in a casino and the teaser?) Great job, Brian.
Re: Yu Gi Oh! Dark Messiah
Hmm, it was alright, but not great compared to others. There were a couple of segments htat really were unnessacary, such as Artemis referring to the DMG as the academy's biggest party animal (she didn't seem that wild to me) and that little bit about the actual card (when I read that, I thought maybe she was Yugi's descendant or something).
Hmm, this chapter does seem shorter, but I'm not complaining.
Nice CSR: 15 and Simpsons homages.
I'm in your dimensions, screwing with your reality!
Re: Yu Gi Oh! Dark Messiah
Heh... Not bad, not bad...
OK, the Shadow Realm: Fifteen references were cool, I love the Monster Mash (Though I actually liked the Mandate of Heaven variation better, hehe.), and I was glad to see Karen return, along with a lot of the other user characters.
The duel itself wasn't too exciting, I'll admit, but Future Fusion was a nice addition. And I never knew Magic Formula worked that way... huh. Go figure.
Anyway, not much else to say, though I'm interested in seeing just what 'gamble theme' is gonna appear next time, as well as what Cleo is up to...
-Blade
Re: Yu Gi Oh! Dark Messiah
You were thinking about how Yugi used it, back in the old days, when the effect was "Equip this card to any Spellcaster-type monster, increase its attack by 500." Sort of a pumped-up Book of Secret Arts. But when the Dark Magician Girl used it, it was similar to its Japanese counterpart, Textbook of Dark Magic(or whatever its name was), which stats "Equip this card to a Dark Magician or Dark Magician Girl, increase its attack by 700. If it is destroyed, you get 1000 life points."And I never knew Magic Formula worked that way... huh. Go figure.
Re: Yu Gi Oh! Dark Messiah
The chapter was alright, nothing special. I liked the Fifteen reference, although it seemed out of place
And what happened to Russell's new personality? Even after the chapter where he woke up, his whole mentality didn't seem to change much. This chapter, he sounded and acted like his old self
T_M_L
My ASB Team:
Nightshade, Orion, Drake, Apollo, Shino, Ares, Arya, Isis, Ace, Arbiter, Nero, Haplo, Coren, and Marit
Re: Yu Gi Oh! Dark Messiah
TML asks a valid question. I'll try to explain, because Russell's new attitude is complicated.
Russell has basically become Retribution. His purpose now is not just to oppose evil, but to punish it. If you aren't deserving of punishment, he's basically just a smart alec. In other words, he isn't a threat unless you oppose him. Other times, he can still be civil.
But to the forces of evil, he will show no mercy.
It's a little like a flip side of how Kaiser has become in the second season of GX. Ryo has become incredibly selfish and uncaring, adopting a "win at all costs" attitude, but he isn't a threat to you unless he's your opponent. To anyone else, he's indifferent. This multiple outlook is similar to how Russell works, in a way. To innocents, he's basically harmless. To those who deserve it, he's relentless.
Re: Yu Gi Oh! Dark Messiah
For those of you who only know the dub, Brian is talking about Zane.
I'm STILL waiting for the new season of Yu-Gi-Oh GX to show up. They said it'd start airing this month, but...
Re: Yu Gi Oh! Dark Messiah
August 22, SM.I'm STILL waiting for the new season of Yu-Gi-Oh GX to show up. They said it'd start airing this month, but...
And in turn, Ryo has become one of the most evil *bleep* I've ever seen in an anime. JUST LOOK AT WHAT HE DID TO SHO/SYRUS, DAMMIT!;___;It's a little like a flip side of how Kaiser has become in the second season of GX. Ryo has become incredibly selfish and uncaring, adopting a "win at all costs" attitude, but he isn't a threat to you unless he's your opponent.
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Re: Yu Gi Oh! Dark Messiah
A lot of folks didn't seem to like my latest chapter.
Well here's a confession - I didn't like it much either.
See, I wanted the second messenger to be a spirit, but I wanted a friendly, nonthreatening one. The only way I could think of to do this was to bring in DMG.
I didn't like the chapter, so I'm putting up the new one now.
Read it. And come by tomorrow when you can participate in where this story goes... With a poll!
[B][I]As much as I admire the members of the Trinity, I don’t agree with all of them in their tastes. Joey Wheeler is an example. He had a lot of cards that relied on luck and chance… Dice rolls, coin flips, and simply trying to guess from hidden possibilities.
I’d never choose to rely that much on luck. According to the laws of probability, a coin flip always has a fifty percent chance of being called right. Not the best odds. Dice rolls are random as well, their outcomes always tricky.
As you can probably guess, I’d never make a habit of coming to a place like this. But now it’s necessary. And I’m facing a formidable foe…
I have to hope my luck is better than hers, because if it isn’t, our quest will have hit a dead end.
[B][size=3]CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Sunday, October 25th, 2106, 9:10 AM
The next morning, after having slept off a night of dancing and sugary sweets, the three friends were sitting at the Spring of Rebirth at the Ra Dorm’s promenade.
“So,” asked Russell, “how the heck are we going to get to Rye?”
“I called a taxi shuttle service,” answered Jason. “They said that they could take us from Manhattan to the casino for one-hundred and fifty dollars. One way.”
“Three hundred dollars round trip?” gasped Trisha. “I am not gonna be the one to explain to my folks why I spent a hundred bucks to go to a casino!”
“My parents warned me about casinos,” grumbled Russell. “They hate gambling. They didn’t even like state lotteries.”
“Who wants to go to a casino?” asked a voice.
They turned around and saw Ansel, dressed in his casual clothes.
“Uh, hi Ansel,” said Jason. “We heard about a casino in Rye where you can duel and wager money.”
“Briarwood?” answered Ansel. “Hey, my folks love that place.
“Tell you what, I have nothing to do today… I’ll drive you there.”
“You have a car?” asked Jason.
Ansel held up a set of keys.
“My folks are in Aruba for the week,” he said. “It’s a business trip for dad, and a free vacation for mom. Anyway, mom lent me her wheels…”
His eyes narrowed.
“Just don’t eat in it, drink in it, or smoke in it,” he warned, “or she’ll be madder than that Berserk Gorilla my last opponent used.”
[B]* * * * * * * * * *
Even in the year 2106, Cadillac was the favored brand of car for those who could afford it…
And for those who wanted to look sharp and had enough money, the Cadillac Platinum Plexus was one of the best cars out there. In these times, the best cars didn’t even use gasoline, as electric engines had been perfected fifty years ago, and this one got great mileage and made almost no noise. It had excellent control, had many options… And best yet, it was made for comfort. The seats were relaxing, with plenty of leg room.
“So,” asked Ansel, as they drove onto the highway, “why the sudden interest in betting on dueling?”
“Let’s just say it’s a long story, Ansel,” said Jason. “It’s just something we have to do. I don’t know how we can repay you for taking us… This means a lot.”
“Tell you what,” answered Ansel, “if you win any money gambling, you spend some of it on the place’s buffet, your treat. I like the food in these places.
“Just sit back and relax. You like music?”
He placed music disk into a slot on the dashboard, and an old song came on.
[I][B]A long, long time ago,
I can still remember,
When that music used to make me smile…
And I knew if I had that chance,
I could make those people dance,
And maybe they’d be happy for a while…
But February made me shiver,
With every paper I’d deliver,
Bad news on the doorstep,
I couldn’t take one more step…
I can’t remember if I cried
When I read about his widowed bride,
But something touched me deep inside…
The day… the music… died…
A tear fell down Russell’s cheek.
“I love that song…” he said.
[B]* * * * * * * * * *
Cassius lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
Something wasn’t right…
He looked at the wall. The portrait of his father was there.
When the heck did I put THAT back up? he thought.
He stared at it.
“Bee in your bonnet, son?” said his father’s voice.
“If you must know,” growled Cassius. “I’m planning to duel Russell again, and I don’t think he’s going to fall for the same trick twice.”
”Then form a new strategy,” said the voice. ”One that is foolproof…”
“And you’d be an expert in foolproof strategies?” he asked. “Once he gets Hermos out, he can’t be stopped.”
”Well…” said his father’s voice. ”Perhaps you could find a way to keep him from using Hermos.”
Cassius looked at him.
“Keep him from using Hermos…” he thought. “Hermos can merge with any Monster to form an Equip Spell Card…”
He considered.
“Cursed Seal of the Forbidden Spell might work…”
”Are you certain that Hermos is a Spell?” asked his father. ”No green border on the card, you know. I don’t think he fits into any category.”
“Prohibition then?” muttered Cassius.
”Too fragile,” said his father. ”One Mystical Space Typhoon and you’re in trouble.
“But… I do know that any card Hermos creates counts as a Spell.”
There was a pause.
”Good gracious, son, look at your cards!” shouted the voice. ”The answer is right in front of you.”
Cassius took out his cards and leafed through them.
Then he stood up.
“Dad…” he muttered. “You are a clever bastard…”
He took the portrait off the wall.
“I’m glad you’re dead!”
He threw the painting under his bed again.
“Oh, that was a good one,” he said with a laugh. “I’m glad you’re dead… But he did have a good idea… Next time I see Russell…
“Hermos is going out first…”
[B]* * * * * * * * * *
It was only noon when the four students walked into the main casino of Briarwood, but the place was bustling.
They looked around. Like Dark Magician Girl said, a few of the dealers and some of the waitresses did indeed have Disks on their arms.
This was going to be tricky.
Ansel motioned to one of the waitresses.
“Could I get a bottled water, please?” he asked.
“Guys,” said Jason, as they walked over to the counter. “How much cash can you spare?”
Russell took out his wallet.
“Fourteen dollars,” he said.
“Eight dollars,” said Trisha, taking money out of her purse.
“And I have eight too,” said Jason.
Russell let out a sigh.
“Well, since I’m putting in the most,” said Russell, “I’d best be the one who duels.
“I don’t like it, but maybe I can humiliate these high rollers.”
That seemed to make sense, so they gave Russell the money. He walked up to the changer on the counter.
“Thirty dollars in chips, please,” he said.
The changer took the money, and handed him a cup full of plastic chips.
“Going to try your luck at craps?” he asked.
“No,” said Russell. “I was interested in dueling.”
“Oh…” said the changer.
He turned aside.
“Lou!” he called.
A short man hurried up. He was wearing a formal vest and suit and pants, and a green bookie’s visor. He looked about in his late fifties, with a bulbous nose and small eyes.
“Lou,” said the changer. “One of these kids wants to duel one of our duelists.”
“Oh?” said the man. He turned to them.
“Well kids,” he said, “I’m in charge of that. Anyone in particular?”
“I want your best duelist,” said Russell. “And when I say best, I mean best. Period.”
Lou slowly took a large cigar out of his pocket, and bit off the end.
“Really?” he said, lighting it. “I warn you, our best duelist has thirty-to-one odds.”
“Call me a sucker for a challenge,” answered Russell.
“Well then,” said Lou, with a smirk, “I guess if you want to blow some money, you might as well do it style…”
He chuckled.
“Heh, heh… This way.”
While they were doing that, the waitress handed Ansel his water, and he gave her a five-spot. He quickly ran to join them.
Lou led them to the blackjack tables, where one was dominated by an impressive dealer.
It was a woman, blonde, blue-eyed, and busty, with hair that was bobbed in “roaring twenties” style, wearing a low-cut casino-style outfit.
She currently had a ten revealed on the table.
She grinned as she revealed the other one, showing it to be another ten. The players groaned and tossed the cards down.
“Frenchie!” said Lou. “Enough of that for now. Someone here wants to duel you.”
Frenchie gave them a sweet smile and walked up to them.
“Well, that’s my job,” she said, taking a deck of cards. “Who’s the one who wants to duel my Casino Deck?”
Casino Deck? thought Trisha.
“That would be me…” said Russell, his eyes narrowing.
“Mmm, okay handsome,” she purred. “Then place your wager. As Lou no doubt told you, I’m thirty-to-one.”
“I bet thirty dollars,” said Russell, placing the chips on the table beside him. “And also…”
He paused.
“The loser must tell the winner his or her darkest secret.”
Everyone looked surprised.
“Well!” exclaimed Frenchie. “That’s certainly new! And I love trying new things…
“So, you wager thirty dollars, and your darkest secret. I’m game with that…”
Lou motioned to another waitress.
“Get these kids some drinks…” he muttered.
Frenchie looked at him intently as she placed her Disk on her arm. She was all smiles on the outside, but her heart sank into gloom…
I knew this would happen eventually… she thought. The guy in the cloak told me it would. Of all the dealers in all the casinos in all the world…
Why did it have to happen to me?
Russell took a toothpick from his pocket.
He glared at her as his teeth clenched on it…
[B]* * * * * * * * * *
“Hey everyone!” shouted someone at the slots. “Frenchie is dueling!”
That seemed to elicit a big reaction so a lot of folks left what they were doing, and gathered around the open space where Frenchie and Russell faced each other.
“Since I’m one who lives by chance most of the time, hon,” said Frenchie, “we’ll let a toss of the coin decide who goes first.”
She held up a gold coin that had the image of the Eye of Wdjat on the front.
“This is heads…”
She turned it around, revealing a side with a circle.
“…this is tails.”
She tossed it.
“Call it!”
“Heads!” shouted Russell.
The coin fell to the ground.
It was tails.
“Then I’ll make the first move,” said Frenchie with a grin, as their Disks activated.
“Very well,” said Russell, drawing five cards. “Ready… battle!”
“I like your style…” she purred.
[B](Russell: 8,000) (Frenchie: 8,000)
Russell looked at his cards.
What luck, he thought. I drew Freed on my opening hand!
“Okay, hon,” said Frenchie, drawing her first card. “As they say in this business, it’s time to ante up!”
She played a card. It showed the image of a fiendish, cloaked hand holding a Skull Servant card.
“And that’s exactly the name of the Spell Card I’m throwing at you, Ante!”
The card appeared.
“Okay… how does that work?” asked Russell.
“Each of us chooses one card from their hand,” explained Frenchie, “and the one whose card has the least number of stars has to discard it, and gets blasted for 1,000 points of damage. Spells and Traps count as zero stars. Got it?”
Russell paused.
He nervously took Freed from his hand. Frenchie took a card from hers.
They showed them to each other.
Russell groaned. Her Monster had six stars, one more than Freed had. (It was called “Maximum Six”; Russell was certain he had seen it somewhere before, but where?)
“Ha, ha!” laughed Frenchie. “Looks like we found something you’re bad at!”
The Ante card glowed, and shot a beam of light, hitting Russell! He groaned again.
He slowly discarded Freed.
[B](R: 7,000) (F: 8,000)
“Nuts,” said Trisha. “That’s not good. Losing one of his most powerful cards might cost him.”
“Continuing my turn,” said Frenchie, “I’ll summon a big guy named Abare Ushioni in Attack Mode.”
She played a card, and in a flash of light, a large, very angry-looking bull with a red hide and strange symbols on its skin appeared. It had three glaring eyes and sharp teeth. It growled and then swished its tail. (1,200/1,200)
“Holy cow…” muttered Ansel.
“You had to say it…” replied Trisha.
“Now, I activate his effect,” said Frenchie, taking another coin. “I toss a coin and call it. If I call right, you lose 1,000 Life Points. If I call wrong, I lose 1,000 Life Points.
“Exciting, isn’t it?”
“Don’t worry, Russell!” shouted Jason. “You have a fifty-fifty chance!”
“That may be true,” said Frenchie, “but of all my cards, I’ve had the most luck with this guy… I’ve never lost the toss on this Monster.”
“Never?” asked Russell. “I find that hard to believe…”
“Heads!” shouted Frenchie, tossing the coin.
She caught it and flipped it on her wrist.
Russell groaned again. It was heads…
“And it seems my perfect record with him still stands!” laughed Frenchie.
Abare Ushioni’s three eyes glowed, and it shot three rays at Russell. He cringed as they hit him.
“I’ll place one card facedown, and end my turn,” said Frenchie.
A facedown card appeared.
[B](R: 6,000) (F: 8,000)
“About time!” said Russell, drawing.
That oversized hamburger is rather weak, he thought, looking over his cards. That facedown is likely a Trap to protect it. But if I don’t attack, she might sacrifice it to summon that six star Monster she has.
I have to risk it.
“I summon… Obnoxious Celtic Guardian!” he shouted.
He played the card, and the elven Warrior appeared, holding aloft his sword. (1,400/1,200)
“Turn that bull into prime rib!” he shouted. “Silver blade slash!”
Obnoxious Celtic Guardian charged…
“I activate my Trap,” exclaimed Frenchie. “Go… Fairy Box!”
Her facedown card lifted, and a colorful box resembling a whack-a-mole appeared. Loony music started to play, as cylinders with stars on them popped in and out of the top.
“What the heck?” asked Russell.
“Ever play whack-a-mole?” asked Frenchie. “This might not look impressive, but it can be deadly.”
“Now I get to toss a coin again, and if I’m right, your Warrior’s Attack Score will be reduced to zero!”
She tossed the coin.
“Tails!”
She grabbed it and flipped it on her hand.
It was tails.
Abare Ushioni growled, and slammed its horns into the Guardian. He shattered.
“Wow… This gal has pretty good luck,” said Ansel.
[B](R: 4,800) (F: 8,000)
“By the way,” said Frenchie, casually tossing the coin, “I can use the effect of Fairy Box each time you attack, so long as I pay 500 Life Points each turn.”
“I can’t do anything else,” said Russell. “It’s your move.”
Frenchie drew a card.
She grinned.
“First I’ll pay 500 Life Points to keep my Fairy Box for now,” she said.
“Next, I’ll play an incredibly rare Continuous Spell Card,” she continued. “It’s called Lethal Stakes.”
She played the card, and it appeared. It showed an ominous picture of Sand Gambler and Goddess Whim playing blackjack, with Terrorking Archfiend as the dealer.
“Let me explain how this complex Spell works, hon,” she said. “On each of our turns, before we begin our Battle Phases, we can wager our Life Points, in increments of 100. If we successfully damage our opponent more than the amount we wagered, we gain Life Points equal to the wager. If we do less, we lose Life Points equal to the wager.
“Got it?”
“Yeah…” said Russell. “It… sounds interesting, I guess...”
Frenchie held the coin up.
“Well,” she said, “I could use Abare Ushioni’s effect again…”
She tossed the coin casually, and then grabbed it.
“But while my record with him is perfect, a clever gambler knows never to take risks when she doesn’t have to, and right now, I really don’t have to. That’s the first rule of gambling.
“So, I’ll wager 1,100 Life Points on Lethal Stakes, and unless you have a Kuriboh in your hand, that’s a wager I can’t lose!”
Eleven glowing blue chips fell in front of her.
“Abare Ushioni, attack Russell directly!
“Pamplona pound!”
Abare Ushioni snorted and steam shot from its nostrils. It charged and rammed into Russell’s stomach! He struggled to keep his footing.
“Looks like I won that wager, hon,” she said.
The glowing chips were absorbed into her body, and she glowed.
Russell groaned and clutched his stomach.
[B](R: 3,600) (F: 8,600)
“Russell’s in trouble…” moaned Trisha.
“He passed ‘trouble’ last turn,” said Jason. “He’s getting to the point where it becomes overwhelming.”
“To complete my turn,” said Frenchie, “I’ll play another Continuous Spell Card. It’s called Dangerous Machine Type-6.”
She played the card, and with a rumble and a blast of sparks, a large and frightening machine rose up behind her. It looked like some sort of cross between a clock and an electric generator, with the letters one through six on its face. Sparks flew from it, as if it was ready to explode.
“That does look dangerous,” said Trisha.
“One guy I dueled used this card against me once…” said Ansel. “On every one of her Standby Phases, it will choose a number between one and six at random, and depending on the number, it could hurt or help either duelist.”
Russell drew a card.
Attacking it with that Fairy Box in play is too risky, he thought. I’ll defend for now…
“I place one card facedown,” he said, “and then summon Axe Raider in Defense Mode.”
A facedown card appeared, and Axe Raider appeared, kneeling and holding his weapon in his lap. (1,700/1,150)
“That’s all I can do.”
Frenchie drew a card.
All the eyes in the room turned to the Dangerous Machine, as its numbers started to glow. Finally, the number one lit up red.
Frenchie frowned.
“Eh, that’s means I have to discard a card…” she muttered.
A card in her hand glowed, and she discarded it (it was Goddess of Whim).
“Well, at least we know it’s possible for her to miss…” said Jason with a shrug.
“I’ll neglect to pay for Fairy Box, so it’s destroyed,” continued Frenchie.
The Fairy Box burst into pixels.
“Next,” she said, “I’ll sacrifice Abare Ushioni to summon someone better…”
The large bull vanished.
“I summon Maximum Six!”
A large, hulking creature appeared on her side of the field. It was a ten-foot-tall, muscular ogre with purple skin, blonde hair tied in a long ponytail, and six arms, each with huge biceps. The Roman Numeral for six was tattooed on his chest. His only clothing was a loincloth. He stood up erect and proudly flexed his muscles. (1,900/1,600)
“When you play poker,” said Frenchie, “you have to worry about cheaters who hide cards up their sleeves. I wouldn’t want to play cards with this guy… He has six sleeves!”
Lou groaned.
“That joke was funny for about two minutes,” he said. “Frenchie, try getting a new one, okay?”
Frenchie seemingly ignored the remark. She continued:
“But I love him anyway, because when he’s summoned…”
Her hand glowed, and a large die formed in it.
“…I get to roll one die, multiply its result by 200, and add it to his Attack Score.”
She threw the die, and it rolled…
It came up a three.
“Not bad,” said Frenchie, as Maximum Six’s Attack rose to 2,500.
“Since you’re defending, I won’t bother making a wager. Maximum Six, attack with sextuple slugging!”
Maximum Six leapt forward, and clobbered Axe Raider with all six fists, and he shattered.
“Don’t worry, Russell!” shouted Jason. “She only has one card left in her hand! You can come back!”
“That’s rubbish,” replied Frenchie. “I’ll place that last card facedown, and end my turn.”
She placed the card in her Disk, and it appeared.
Russell drew.
“I activate my Trap Card!” exclaimed Frenchie.
Her facedown card lifted.
“Fire Darts!”
“Okay, this one I don’t know about,” said Ansel.
A flame appeared in Frenchie’s right hand, and then a fiery crossbow appeared in it.
“What?” asked Russell.
“Fire Darts can only be activated when I have no cards in my hand,” said Frenchie. “When I activate it, I roll three dice, and the number I get… Well, that’s how many arrows this thing gets.
“Each shot costs you 100 Life Points, so hope I roll low.”
Three dice flew forward.
One came up five, the second one six, and the third one five.
Russell groaned as Frenchie aimed the weapon at him.
Can my luck get any worse? he thought.
Frenchie pulled the trigger, and a series of fiery blasts shot at Russell, striking him in the chest!
[B](R: 2,000) (F: 8,600)
The crossbow vanished in a burst of flame.
“It’s still my move, Frenchie,” he stated, holding his chest.
He placed a card on his Disk.
“Command Knight in Defense Mode!”
Command Knight appeared, crouching in Defense. (1,200/1,900) –> (1,600/1,900)
“That ends my turn…” he said.
Frenchie drew a card. The Dangerous Machine whirred again…
It landed on the three.
“That means I get to draw one card,” she said, drawing.
She looked at it.
“I’ll place it facedown…”
Another facedown card appeared.
“…and then I’ll attack with Maximum Six!”
The ogre rushed forward, and flattened Command Knight.
“Your move…”
Russell drew.
“I play Pot of Greed…” he said, playing it.
The jar appeared, and he drew two cards.
Finally… he thought, looking at them.
“Thanks a bunch!” laughed Frenchie. “Since you did that, I can activate the Trap I put down last turn.
“This one’s name says it all… Gamble!”
Her Trap lifted, showing the image of a hand tossing a coin over a table with cards scattered on it.
“Uh oh…” said Ansel. “I know about this one too. It can only be used when your opponent has six or more cards in his hand, and you have two or less. She flips a coin again, and if she calls it right, she gets to draw until she has five.”
“And if she calls it wrong?” asked Russell.
“Her next turn is skipped,” replied Ansel.
“Will you shut up?” groaned Russell. “I knew what it did, okay?”
Frenchie produced another coin.
“It’s heads!” she shouted, tossing it.
She caught the coin on her wrist.
Russell slapped his forehead in frustration… It was heads.
Frenchie grinned, and drew four cards.
“You know something, Frenchie?” he asked, getting annoyed. “I’m starting to think you could make more money by just patronizing these places rather than working here.”
“Been there, done that,” replied Frenchie, looking over her new hand. “Being a card shark was fun for a while, but no one can live on gambling alone. No matter how lucky you are at games of chance, you still need the one thing that’s reliable… A paycheck.
“And these places can afford to pay their dealers very well… Plus I get free medical and dental.”
“Indeed,” said Russell, scowling. “Well, you obviously thought that with 2,500 Attack Points, Maximum Six could have protected you if you had missed on that Gamble card. You were wrong. Let me show you a little trick that all Warrior duelists know.
“I play Premature Burial, to bring back the guy I discarded when you played Ante…”
He played the card.
“Freed the Matchless General!”
General Freed appeared, bravely facing Maximum Six. (2,300/1,700)
“Of course,” continued Russell, “any Equip Card that is Equipped to Freed is destroyed…”
Premature Burial shattered.
“…however, due to the technicality of that effect, Freed is not destroyed, so except for it costing me 800 Life Points, Premature Burial is like Monster Reborn for Freed.
“Next, I’ll summon Warrior Dai Grepher in Attack Mode…”
He played a card, and Grepher appeared, holding aloft his sword. (1,700/1,600)
“And now I’ll use your Lethal Stakes card and wager 600 Life Points, which is the maximum that I can.”
Six of the glowing chips appeared next to him.
“What?” laughed Frenchie. “But he can’t even defeat Maximum Six!”
“Forget about my facedown card?” asked Russell.
His facedown card lifted.
“The Trap Card, Reinforcements. This will raise Freed’s Attack Score to 2,800!”
Freed glowed, and his Attack Score went up.
Continued…
Last edited by mr_pikachu; 1st December 2006 at 10:07 PM.
Re: Yu Gi Oh! Dark Messiah
Continued from last post:
“Freed, attack Maximum Six!” he shouted. “Blade of the battle-scarred!”
Freed leapt up, and slashed his sword across Maximum Six’s chest. The ogre doubled over in pain, and let out a groan, and then shattered into pixels.
“And now…” continued Russell, “Warrior Dai Grepher attacks you directly! Go! Steel blade slash!”
Frenchie shrieked as Grepher slashed at her with his blade. She stumbled backwards and fell on her tuckus.
“Looks like I won my wager,” said Russell. “Bad luck for you.”
The chips were absorbed into him, and he glowed.
“And it’s good luck that I didn’t miss that coin toss,” she muttered, getting up.
[B](R: 1,800) (F: 6,600)
“Well, Russell just got a shot at her,” said Trisha. “And he has Freed on the field.”
“But she’s still in the lead,” added Jason. “Way in the lead.”
Frenchie drew a card. The Dangerous Machine shook again, and this time landed on the two.
“Ha, ha!” laughed Frenchie. “That means you discard one card!”
A card in Russell’s hand glowed. He frowned, and discarded Big Shield Gardna.
“Now then,” said Frenchie, “I’ll summon the Sand Gambler in Attack Mode.”
In a shimmering light, a new Monster appeared. He looked like a handsome gentleman in an old fashioned suit, with a pencil-thin moustache. He placed his left hand in his pocket and started to casually toss a coin with his right hand. He smirked at the two Warriors. (300/1,600)
“Oh no…” muttered Ansel.
“What?” asked Russell. “I have a feeling you’re gonna tell us?”
“This creature can be very dangerous if her luck holds out…” muttered Ansel.
“Well, what?” asked Trisha.
“She tosses a coin… this time, three times,” answered Ansel. “If she gets three heads, all of Russell’s Monsters are destroyed. But three tails, and all of her Monsters are destroyed.”
“So here we go!” said Frenchie, tossing her coin.
She caught it and slapped it on her wrist.
Heads.
She tossed it, caught it and slapped it again.
Heads.
“Third time’s the charm…” she said, tossing it.
She slapped it on her wrist once more.
She frowned.
Tails.
Sand Gambler put his hand on his chin and shook his head…
“In that case,” said Frenchie, “I’ll place one card facedown, and end my turn.”
A facedown card appeared.
Russell drew a card.
Talk about a bad hand, he thought. That facedown card worries me. If I make a wager, and it’s something that can block my attack, I’ll be in dangerous waters…
He paused.
Man, she has a poker face!
“I wager 900 of my Life Points on Lethal Stakes,” he said. “Grepher, attack Sand Gambler!”
Grepher raised his sword. Nine of the blue chips appeared next to Russell.
“I activate my Trap!” exclaimed Frenchie, as her Trap Card lifted. “Hallowed Life Barrier.”
Three figures, looking somewhat like the Waboku priestesses, but clothed in purple, appeared and surrounded Frenchie. She glowed with soft light.
“Now, for the cost of only one card…”
She discarded a card.
“All damage dealt to me this round is reduced to zero.”
Grepher’s sword slammed into Sand Gambler, blasting him away, but it didn’t hurt Frenchie at all.
Russell shook his head.
“I have no choice…” he said. “I have to end my turn.”
“And you lost that wager, hon…” said Frenchie.
The chips in front of Russell exploded, and he cringed.
“Know why?” asked Frenchie. “Because you forgot the first rule of gambling that I told you before… Never take risks when you don’t have to.”
[B](R: 900) (F: 6,600)
This is madness! thought Russell. I have to win this duel to find the Dark Messiah, and such important information is being left to chance? To random rolls and tosses? This isn’t how it should be!
This isn’t how it should be at all. Such vital information shouldn’t be wagered on against your luck…
Frenchie drew a card.
The Dangerous Machine spun again, and sparked even more. It landed on a four.
Frenchie frowned.
“That means you get to draw one card,” she said.
Russell drew a card.
Gilford the Legend, he thought.
“Now I’ll play my own Pot of Greed,” said Frenchie.
She played the card, and drew two cards.
“And now…” she said, “I’ll play another copy of Ante!”
She played the card. Trisha and Jason gulped.
“You remember how this works, right?” she asked.
“Indeed,” said Russell. “And if I lose, I’m toast.”
“Exactly,” said Frenchie, with a smile.
They both chose cards.
Frenchie held up a six-star Blowback Dragon.
Russell grinned and flipped Gilford the Legend around.
“Eight stars?” gasped Frenchie.
She shrieked as she was shocked by energy from the card.
She grunted, and discarded the card.
“Your luck’s starting to run out,” muttered Russell.
But personally, he knew that that had been one of the closest calls ever. If the Dangerous Machine hadn’t landed on four, he wouldn’t have gotten a free draw, and Gilford wouldn’t have been in his hand…
And the only other Monster he had right now was Warrior Lady of the Wasteland – she had only four stars.
He trembled.
[B](R: 900) (F: 5,600)
“We’ll see,” she said. “I summon Slate Warrior in Attack Mode.”
She played the card, and the alien-looking Fiend with a blank face and a gold breastplate appeared. (1,900/400)
“Next, I’ll play a Spell Card,” she said, “Graceful Dice!”
She played the card, and a small teddy bear with wings holding a die appeared. It tossed the die. It rolled.
It came up a five.
Slate Warrior’s stats rose to (2,400/900).
“My luck hasn’t run out yet, hon,” said Frenchie. “Slate Warrior, attack the General with fist of slate!”
Slate Warrior flew forward and punched Freed in the face. He groaned, and then shattered.
“I end my turn…”
[B](R: 800) (F: 5,600)
Slate Warrior’s Attack fell back to 1,900.
“Crud,” said Trisha. “Russell lost Freed again, and now Frenchie has a 1,900-Attack Point beatstick on the field.”
“Even worse,” said Jason, “if he does manage to destroy Slate Warrior, the Monster who does so will be weakened.”
Russell paused.
I have Gilford the Legend, he thought. But he can’t be Special Summoned, and I’d have to trade two Monsters for him. I’d better get a good draw.
He drew.
He looked at the card strangely. It had been a long time since he actually had used it. For some reason, he rarely ever drew it.
“I shift Grepher into Defense Mode,” he said.
Grepher knelt in Defense.
“And then, I’ll place another Monster in Defense Mode.”
A facedown Monster appeared.
“That will end my turn,” he said.
Frenchie drew, and the Dangerous Machine started to whir again.
It landed on a six.
“Oh no…” muttered Frenchie. “Not THAT one!”
The Dangerous Machine Type-6 started to spark and shake…
Then it exploded in a fiery burst!
“Well… So much for that…” she said with a sigh.
She played a card.
“I play… Roll of Fate,” she said. “Now I get to roll a die again…”
A white die appeared in her hand. She threw it.
It landed on the five.
“Perfect,” she said. “Now I get to draw five cards…”
She drew five times.
“Of course, now I have to remove the next five cards from my deck from play.”
She took the next five, and placed them in the Removed From Play slot in her Disk.
“Well, hon,” she said, “it’s been a great duel… So great, that I’m going to end it on a high note that I don’t often do…
“I’m going to finish you off with my strongest Monster…”
She paused.
“Some say that gambling is a sin…” she said, softly. “Except, of course, when churches hold fund raisers with casino themes…”
A lot of people laughed at that remark.
“Is it any wonder then,” she asked, “that the Monster that represents the greatest gamble of all is a Fiend?”
“What are you up to?” asked Russell, narrowing his eyes.
Frenchie played a card.
“I play the Ritual Spell Card, Contract With The Dark Master!” she exclaimed.
Everyone gasped…
“Now, I’ll sacrifice Slate Warrior and another Monster…”
A Roulette Barrel appeared on the field. Both Monsters were shrouded in dark flames and slowly consumed…
A cocoon made from dark, wiry ribbons formed on the field. It started to swell…
“…and I summon… Dark Master Zorc!”
The lights dimmed in the whole room… The cocoon burst.
A shadowy shape rose up. It looked like a cross between a Fiend and a Zombie, with black skin, and wiry hair. It bore wicked claws, and its eyes glowed red… It seemed to be creating the darkness rather than simply residing in it.
A haunting laughter echoed through the whole hall. (2,700/1,500)
Lou looked incredibly nervous. He slowly downed the glass of scotch he was holding.
“Where’d she get that card?” gasped Trisha.
“Bought it with her Christmas bonus,” muttered Lou. “Last year. We can afford to give out pretty big bonuses. I don’t like it when my duelists lose, but…”
He gulped.
“…that guy even creeps me out. And you’re talking to someone who was in the service during the war…
“It’s kind of like that thing was once real… In one way or another… I know it doesn’t make sense, but…”
“Kinda defeats the purpose of Christmas…” muttered Trisha.
“Let me explain how Zorc works,” said Frenchie, as she waved her hand.
A black die appeared in her hand.
“I roll one die… And on a roll of one or two, he can wipe out all your Monsters. Three or four, and he can destroy one. A six, and all my Monsters are destroyed.”
“The odds are way in her favor…” muttered Trisha.
“Russian roulette…” mumbled Ansel.
“What?” asked Trisha.
“It’s like Russian roulette,” he answered. “Her chances of losing are slim, but if she does lose, she’s dead.”
“Guys…” said Jason, “perhaps you don’t realize it… Zorc has 2,700 Attack Points, and Russell has only 800 Life Points left! If he has to take a direct attack from that thing, he loses!”
All will have been for naught… thought Russell, looking at the hideous creature. All we’ve worked for depends… On the roll of a die…
Frenchie tossed the die… It rolled.
It landed on a five.
Okay… muttered Russell. So I survive for one more turn.
“Zorc, wipe out Grepher!” she commanded.
Zorc simply raised his hand, and Grepher winced in pain.
Then he was simply consumed in dark flames! Everyone watched in horror as he was immolated from the inside out!
“Now, attack his facedown Monster!”
Zorc breathed black flames at the facedown Monster…
Warrior Lady of the Wasteland appeared on the card. She shrieked before she was incinerated.
“Heh, heh,” said Russell. “Since you destroyed Warrior Lady of the Wasteland, her effect activates, and I get to summon an Earth Warrior with 1,500 Attack points or less from my deck. Go, Hero Kid!”
One Hero Kid leapt up and did a somersault. (300/600)
“And since he was Special Summoned,” continued Russell, “here come two more.”
The Kid’s two brothers appeared next to him, crouching in Defense Mode.
“And what are they going to do?” asked Frenchie. “I’ll end my turn.”
Russell drew a card.
A Trap Card… A very common one.
Then he looked at the evil creature in front of him…
“Okay…” he said. “I’ll move the Hero Kid who’s in Attack Mode, to Defense Mode…”
The standing Hero Kid knelt.
“And then, I’ll place three cards facedown.”
He threw three cards into his Disk, and they appeared, one behind each Kid.
“And I’ll end my turn…”
Let’s hope that for this roll, my luck is better than hers… he thought. Let’s hope it holds out one more time…
Frenchie drew a card.
The die formed in her hand again. She threw it…
It landed on a four.
Zorc raised his hand, and one of the Hero Kids burst into flames.
“Zorc, take another one out!” she shouted.
Zorc shot forth dark flames again.
“I activate… Negate Attack!” said Russell.
His facedown card lifted, and the flames stopped short.
“All right, fine,” said Frenchie. “But this duel will be over soon…”
“I agree,” said Russell, drawing a card. “Prepare to eat the floor.
“I activate Call of the Haunted, to bring back Freed.”
Another facedown card lifted, and Freed reappeared. (2,300/1,700)
“Now, Monster Reborn, to bring back Axe Raider.”
He played the card, and Axe Raider appeared on the ankh. (1,700/1,150)
“Next, I’ll Equip him with Fusion Sword Murasame Blade…”
He played the card. Axe Raider’s axe vanished, and the powerful blade appeared in his hands. His Attack went up to 2,500.
“Finally, I’ll sacrifice my two Hero Kids to summon Gilford the Legend!”
The two Kids vanished, and Gilford arose, holding his huge sword. (2,600/2,000)
“Neither of them are strong enough,” said Frenchie. “You should have Equipped that Sword to Gilford!”
“We’ll see,” said Russell. “I activate my last Trap…
“Go, Miracle Kids!”
The Trap Card lifted.
“Now, for each Hero Kid in my Graveyard, your Monster loses 400 Attack Points.”
The ghosts of the three Kids flew out of the card laughing, and flew at Zorc! The Fiend lord roared in rage, and tried to swat them aside, but they clung to him and glowed with bright energy! The demon groaned, and his Attack fell to 1,500.
“Good lord…” muttered Lou. “Dark Master Zorc… taken down by kids?”
“Freed, destroy Dark Master Zorc!” shouted Russell.
Freed leapt forward, and with one swipe of his sword, cleaved the Fiend in half. The remains shattered. The spirits of the three Kids flew away, laughing heartily.
“Axe Raider, Gilford, attack directly! Combination attack!
“Smash her good!”
Frenchie screamed as the two Warriors charged at her! They slammed their swords into her and she was thrown backwards!
[B](R: 800) (F: 0)
“Cease fire…” muttered Russell.
Frenchie groaned. The darkness started to clear up.
Lou wasn’t so happy either.
“Ho boy,” he muttered, motioning to a girl who was a carrying a tray of chips. “Serves her right for using that awful card… I really should tell her to get rid of it…
“Let’s see… Thirty-to-one odds, thirty dollars wagered…”
He went up to Russell and handed him nine golden chips.
“Don’t lose those,” he warned. “Each is a one-hundred dollar chip. If you want to test your luck any more, you can exchange them for some smaller ones.”
“No,” said Russell, “we’re going to cash in. But I think Frenchie owes us something else.”
Frenchie got up.
“I know…” she muttered. “My darkest secret…”
“Hey,” said Russell, “no hard feelings. It was a good duel. At least it didn’t backfire on you like most Gamble Decks tend to do. Once we cash in our chips, we’re going to go to the buffet. Why don’t you join us, and you can tell us there?”
“Well…” muttered Frenchie. “I could use some strong coffee…
“Lou, I’ll be taking my lunch break.”
[B]* * * * * * * * * *
Despite all the great amount of food that was available in the buffet restaurant, Frenchie seemed content with a simple cup of black coffee.
“It’s strange that you should want to know my darkest secret,” she said. “You see, the one who told this told me that I shouldn’t tell until someone challenged me for it.
“I guess now is the time.”
She motioned for the waitress with the coffee pot.
“Are you sure you don’t want anything else?” asked Trisha. “We have everything here.”
“You’re very kind, but no,” she said. “You see, it all happened about three months ago. My boyfriend and I were drifting apart. I just know he was cheating on me.
“He was a duelist too, but even though I have a powerful Fiend in my deck, I never liked his cards. He played a Dark World Deck, full of… hideous creatures.”
“I played against a guy who used Dark World Fiends once,” said Ansel. “I agree with you… They are butt-ugly. And all of their powers are activated when they’re discarded. A Hand Control Deck’s worst nightmare.”
“You can already tell that a lot of cards in my deck would have benefited him even if he lost the roll…” continued Frenchie. “Ante, the Dangerous Machine… With Dark World Fiends, making your opponent discard is NOT a good idea.
“One night, he called me, saying he wanted to apologize. He invited me to our special spot for a friendly duel, promising me an unforgettable night afterwards… I saw no harm in that…
“A part of me wanted to believe that he was sincere… That we could start over… That we would be happy again…”
A tear fell down her cheek.
“But a few rounds into the duel, he played a horrible Field Spell…”
Her hand shook as she sipped the coffee.
“The Seal of Orichalcos…” said Jason with a growl. “That was shortly before we came across it. They must have been doing test runs of some sort…”
“Maybe those slimes we’ve been tangling with want their recruits to prove loyalty,” added Trisha. “How else can you prove it by taking the soul of your girlfriend?”
“Before I knew it,” continued Frenchie, “I was dueling for the worst stakes ever. My deck relies so much on luck, and I had to pray that it held out. I didn’t dare use Ante or the Dangerous Machine this time, and it seemed that those cards were in my hand for the longest time, completely useless…
“My Life Points were in triple digits, and he used Card Destruction to summon four of his Fiends. My only Defense was my Abare Ushioni in Defense Mode, and my Fairy Box. I won the first toss, and fortunately, his Life Points were too low for him to risk attacking with his others. Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough Life Points to keep the Fairy Box for more than that round.
“My only chance was Abare Ushioni’s effect… I made the toss…
“…and I won…”
She paused. She removed the Abare Ushioni card from her deck, and looked at it for a minute.
“Strange…” she said. “You know, I was scared to make the toss at first… I had never missed with him, but I knew there was a first time for everything. If I missed this time, I would have been the final time. But then… Someone urged me, telling me that I wouldn’t miss. I could have almost sworn that the urging was coming from the card itself… As if the Monster himself was telling me not to give up…”
She put the card back.
“I must have cried for an hour after it was over,” she continued. “But then, out of the darkness, a man came to comfort me… A strange old man… I never got his name, but I’ll never forget his face.
“He reminded me of Gandhi, only not as gaunt. He wore a fancy robe that was all black with a red sash.
“His soothing words calmed me down, and he told me that I wouldn’t face that horrible card again. But others, unfortunately, would. He told me he was the leader of a special sect who resided in a secret monastery, located deep under the city…
“At the right time, he would unleash the holy power of the Dark Messiah, and the Orichalcos would be defeated.”
“What else did he say?” asked Jason, getting excited. “How do we get to this monastery?”
Frenchie paused.
“He told me,” she continued, “that the path would be open to the ones chosen by the Dragons once the current Swordsmen were utterly defeated.
“Once that happened, Timaeus, Critias, and Hermos could reveal an entrance to a series of abandoned sewers from Grand Central Station. From there, the monastery would be easy to find by the ones holding those cards.”
She sighed.
“I’m afraid that’s all I know…” she muttered.
“Thank you,” said Trisha. “You’ve given us more than enough.”
As Frenchie left, they looked at each other.
“The first step is obvious,” said Russell, clenching his fist. “We have to hunt down those three goons and take them out. Take them out hard! Show them as much mercy as they’ve shown us and who knows who else.”
“We’ll go to class for now,” said Jason, “and assuming they don’t come for us, we’ll start looking for them on Friday afternoon.”
Ansel had been listening to this whole thing mostly in silence.
“Is there anything I can do?” he asked.
“If you know any good prayers,” replied Trisha, “say some for us…”
She raised her glass of soda.
“Here’s to the utter defeat of the Orichalcos,” she said.
They clinked their glasses together.
Russell looked through the money he had won.
“The bill for this food will be about sixty dollars,” he said. “That leaves two-hundred and eighty for each of us. I suggest we spend it on strengthening our decks…”
[B]* * * * * * * * * *
As the car started to drive back to New York City, thunder rolled.
“Uh oh…” said Ansel. “Rain. We’ve been getting so much lately…”
[B]* * * * * * * * * *
At ten o’clock that night, Raphael and Valon waited outside the Ra Dorm.
Alister slowly walked out, with a disappointed expression on his face.
“Any luck?” asked Valon.
“No…” muttered Alister, sitting down. “I wasn’t able to communicate with her, and try as I might, I couldn’t do it with my cards again. I think that each of us are only allowed to give a gift once…”
“Swell…” muttered Raphael. “That leaves you and me, Valon. One of us will have to give one of them their deck…”
“Hold the phone, guys,” said Alister. “Both of you have strategies that are… hard to use, to say the least.”
Raphael and Valon looked at each other. They couldn’t deny that.
“Then it all comes down to whoever’s strategy is less hard,” said Raphael. “And I hate to say it, but I don’t think it’s mine…”
“True…” muttered Alister. “Your whole strategy depended on never sending a Monster to the Graveyard, and you were the only duelist in history who could do that.”
“I know,” answered Raphael. “I really don’t think any of these kids can manage that.”
“And your Guardians are hard enough to summon to begin with,” said Valon.
He took his deck out and leafed though it.
“It’s up to me then…”
Sunday, October 25th, 2106, 10:17 PM
LETHAL STAKES (Spell Card)
Card Specs
Type: Spell/Continuous
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –
Image: Sand Gambler and Goddess of Whim playing blackjack with Terrorking Archfiend as the dealer. They’re using blue lights rather than chips.
Card Description: During each player’s Battle Phase, they may declare an increment of 100. If during that Battle Phase they deal damage to their opponent’s Life Points totaling more than the declared number, they gain Life Points equal to the declared number. If they deal damage to their opponent’s Life Points totaling less than the declared number, they lose Life Points equal to the declared number. The declared number must be at least 100 and cannot be greater than double the declaring player’s current Life Points.
Note: “Lethal Stakes” was created by Master of Paradox for his fanfic “Yu-Gi-Oh! Tilting the Balance”. All creative credit goes to him.
MAXIMUM SIX (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 6
ATK: 1,900
DEF: 1,600
Card Description: When this card is successfully Tribute Summoned, roll one die. Multiply the result by 200, and add the result to this card’s ATK for as long as it is face-up on the field.
DANGEROUS MACHINE TYPE-6 (Spell Card)
Card Specs
Type: Spell/Continuous
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –
Image: A machine looking vaguely like a clock, with six numbers on its face, sparkling with electricity.
Card Description: During each of your Standby Phases, roll one die. Activate one of the following effects according to the result of the roll: 1 – Discard one card from your hand at random. 2 – Your opponent discards one card from his hand at random. 3 – Draw one card. 4 – Your opponent draws one card. 5 – Destroy one opposing Monster. 6 – This card is destroyed.
Note: “Maximum Six” and “Dangerous Machine Type-6” are Japanese promotional cards that have not yet been released in the United States. Both were used by Joey in the multi-part anime episode “Down in Flames”.
ROLL OF FATE (Spell Card)
Card Specs
Type: Spell
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –
Image: A beautiful woman’s portrait on the right, and a dark-haired man’s portrait with his eyes closed on the left. A die separates the two portraits.
Card Description: Roll one die. Draw a number of cards equal to the result of the roll. Then, remove from play the same number of cards from the top of your deck.
Note: “Roll of Fate” was used by Joey in the multi-part anime episode “Down in Flames”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
Frenchie’s Casino Deck
Frenchie has lived in a world of card sharks and high rollers for a long time, first as a gambler and later as a blackjack dealer. She’s had tremendous success in games of chance of all types, so as a duelist, it would make sense that cards dependent on luck and risk would populate her deck.
Frenchie has a few average beatsticks, like Slate Warrior and Gemini Elf (good to combo with Graceful Dice and Skull Dice) but most of her Monsters are ones whose effects are activated with coin tosses and dice rolls. Abare Ushioni is one of her favorites, because she can honestly say she has NEVER lost the toss with this Monster. Most don’t believe her when she claims this, but it is actually true. Despite this, she doesn’t think she is invincible, and as she said, she won’t take risks when she doesn’t have to.
Many more Monsters fill in the gaps. Dice Jar, Roulette Barrel, Maximum Six, Blowback Dragon, Sand Gambler, Time Wizard, and Goddess of Whim are all prevalent in her deck. She also keeps quite a few gambling-inspired Spells and Traps, including two copies of Ante and one each of Sixth Sense, Fire Darts, Fairy Box, and Gamble.
Dark Master Zorc doesn’t see much use. As useful as this card is, she would agree with Ansel that it’s too much like Russian roulette, a gamble that even she would never take.
Surprisingly, Frenchie’s deck does not contain any copies of Second Coin Toss or Dice Re-Roll. In real gambling, a player is NOT allowed a second chance when he loses, and she feels that these two cards are cheating. Perhaps Frenchie simply considers herself a gambler first and a duelist second, which is why she has set such restrictive rules for herself.
[B][I]Coming up next…
Russell finds Cassius and demands a rematch, which Cassius is all too happy to give him. But the outback outlaw has switched tactics, and won’t go down as easy this time. And his plan to cripple Hermos is one that has spelled doom for many duelists.
The next arc starts in a chapter called “Magic Jammer”, coming soon.
Re: Yu Gi Oh! Dark Messiah
I pictured Frenchie as the one from Grease but with a different style of hair
This was better than the last one but you always know those who play gambling decks always lose to the heroes so you know the outcome already. I also didn't like how Russell trembled since it conflicts with his new personality but you said it was complicated so I'll take your word on it
T_M_L
My ASB Team:
Nightshade, Orion, Drake, Apollo, Shino, Ares, Arya, Isis, Ace, Arbiter, Nero, Haplo, Coren, and Marit
Re: Yu Gi Oh! Dark Messiah
I really don't like gamble decks one, but you made Frenchie's deck a little less reliant on constantly using those effects. Great chapter, and it looks like we're going to have a rematch with the Three Swordsmen again. Their fate is sealed.
Re: Yu Gi Oh! Dark Messiah
Interesting. Considering Cassius's deck, there's both the Swordsman level monsters, and Horus to deal with Spell cards Hermos may produce. Now I see why you gave that particular Dragon to Russel.
As for the chapter, it was nice to see that Gilford the Legend has not been forgotten. Frenchie herself wasn't my favorite character to appear, but you did make an incredible duel as far as a Gamble deck goes. Unlike Jade or Mary, this one seemed to at least have a reasonable amount of reality in the coin-tosses and die rolls. (Plus, in some cases any other result would have resulted in the duel ending way too quickly)
I kind of hoped for an appearance from Gattling Dragon, and I can't say I'm suprised by Leathel Stakes, but don't get me wrong, the chapter is a welcome addition.
As for next time, it seems you've come up with a better way to create tension in the Duel, unlike last time, which will always seem like a rather weak attempt. Hopefully, it will create what the rivalry was intended to be in the first place.
I'll be waiting as usual
He was a great author I thought,
But when his fiction was starting to rot,
His friends said, "don't you see,
They're burning you in effigy!"
He declared with a smile, "No they're not!"
Re: Yu Gi Oh! Dark Messiah
Interesting indeed, JK.
The Gamble Deck was just what I expected, and a few things about the casino staff annoyed me (Yeah, Zorc is a pretty creepy Monster, but come on, Lou...), but otherwise the chapter wasn't too bad - the whole 'secret sect of the Dark Messiah' part was interesting...
Somebody in card production screwed up, though - the Roman numeral for 5 is 'V,' not 'X.' Technically, the number tattooed on (Or carved into, considering the color) Maximum Six's chest is 11, not 6 (Think of the 10th Friday the Thirteenth, Jason X, if you don't believe me.). Little things like that are more distracting to me than the bigger ones, as weird as that sounds...
I don't know for sure what's coming next time, but depending on the Ban List in this story, and the fact that Cassius has supposedly changed his strategy, it could be one of 3 things... Hmmm...
-Blade
Re: Yu Gi Oh! Dark Messiah
Hello everyone...
See the poll on another thread. Vote!
EDIT by mistysakura: Polls don't need a separate topic, so I've merged the topics into one.
Dark Messiah Poll!
Hello everyone...
Time to give everyone a chance to participate in this fanfic... with a poll!
You know by now that Russell, Trisha, and Jason are on the right track to the Dark Messiah.
But let me explain a secret about the Dark Messiah. It is not one person. "Dark Messiah" is a title.
Every thousand years, during each Reckoning, one hero has been given a blessing where he has been chosen as the champion who will oppose the evil in the great comflict. This hero is the Dark Messiah.
Now, that blessing will go to one who is already blessed, one who holds one of the Legendary Dragons...
But as much as they'd like to share, Russell, Trisha, and Jason cannot. There can only be one Messiah.
Who will it be?
This poll will be up until midnight, August 23rd. Until then, vote for who you want to recieve the blessing. Choose who you want to hold the power of the Dark Messiah.
But be careful...
The one who gains this power will become a mighty weapon of light... But he or she may have to pay a price if it is desired...
Cast your vote now!
Re: Yu Gi Oh! Dark Messiah
Interesting Duel, Dark Sage. It does kind of remind me of the duel between Alexis and Pierre. Of course, Pierre's duel was nearly as exciting as Russel's duel against Frenchie. But what I can't wait is to see Cassius's duel.
Keep up the good work!!!
Fritz: So, Prue, I hear your friend’s a cop.
Prue: Inspector, actually.
Fritz: Oh, yeah. (to Andy) Well, I got these parking tickets...
Andy: Yeah, my focus is mainly homicide, robbery.
Fritz: Yeah. Yeah. So I have these parking tickets...
- Charmed Episode 3 - Thank You For Not Morphing
Re: Yu Gi Oh! Dark Messiah
Well, it looks like Jason's winning the poll, which sucks - I really wanted Trisha to win. Of course, if Jason wins, he'd probably be like the man he idolizes, Seto Kaiba.
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