Yu-Gi-Oh! Sorcerer Kings

[Dark Sage]

Good morning. Or whatever time it is where you are.

I’d like to welcome you to my latest Yu-Gi-Oh project. I don’t know if I can top Dark Messiah, but this story ties a lot of loose ends, and does something I wanted to do for a long time.

Anyway, let’s take a moment to reveal the game mechanics that this fanfic will follow, in regard to dueling.

Simply put, the duels will follow real-life rules almost to the letter. My biggest change from previous stories is, Monsters cannot be Normal Summoned in face-up Defense Position.

Of course, I will use anime-only cards, Japanese-only cards, and cards from my previous stories, as well as a few created by my partner in crime, Master of Paradox. Some anime rules will be in play, such as the anime effect of Card of Sanctity. However, not everyone will use that card. It will only be used rarely. The hero characters do not use it. (Okay, I’ll only use it when I truly have to. That card is a cop-out if everyone uses it.)

Also, some cards are illegal in this world, but some that are illegal in ours aren’t. You’ll have to see for yourself. (Raigeki is still illegal, for example. Monster Reborn is not.) Also, some cards that are common in our world are much rarer in this one.

For anyone who was turned off by my using the Orichalcos in the last fanfic, I assure you, it is not in this one. In fact, the general plot of this story does not compare to any storyline in any anime season. There is a tournament, but it will get much more interesting eventually.

A note on the timeline.

My original trilogy began thirty-five years after the original series was supposed to end. The trilogy itself lasted three years. This fic takes place nineteen years after that. If we assume that the original series ended in 1996, that puts the year of this fic at 2053. We will assume that the events of “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” have all taken place (in fact, one chapter will reference them in a big way). The only event in the anime that occurred differently in this world is the Ceremonial Duel between Yugi and Atem (it did not occur, due to reasons that are explained in the opening monologue).

To avoid explaining things, I know that Disk technology has likely advanced even since the GX era. However, for practical purposes the physical design has not. Assume that characters use Disks that resemble those used in GX. Maybe a bit more streamlined. (It’s very hard to change the device’s appearance even further, even if internal improvements have been made. You still need the tray and the discard slot.) As for how other technology has improved, you’ll see more advances as they show themselves.

If you want to brush up on the trilogy, go to fanfiction.net, where my stories are there to read under the penname Cyber Commander.

I’d also like to explain something I never got around to explaining. When I named Kaiba’s nephew Siegfried, the character of Ziegfried Von Schroder had not even come close to being introduced. I realize that Mokuba would likely not have given his son a name that was similar to that of one of his big brother’s enemies, but by the time Ziegfried was introduced, I was stuck with it. The reason I personally named him Siegfried, as Master of Paradox no doubt knows, is because it is a name associated with a dragon in Norse Mythology. The only reason, storywise, I can give as to why Siegfried got his name is, it was his mother’s idea.

One final thing. I’m going try hard to avoid themes that everyone has displayed a dislike for. I solemnly swear that no duelist in this fic will use an Amazon or Dark Scorpion Deck. (I can’t say for certain whether on not Don Zaloog will show up at all – he’s used in a great deal more situations than with his four pals.) As for Cyber Dragons, they’ll only show up once, but my lips are sealed as to in what regard. (Small secret – I cannot stand that card, and the only reason one of the main characters in my last fic used them is because he needed a substitute for Blue-Eyes.) I’ll try to be as creative as I can. In fact, one of the goals of this fic was to use themes I didn’t use in “Dark Messiah”.

Oh, and before I forget…

I do not own any rights to the Yu-Gi-Oh! TGC, OCG, anime, or manga, which are registered trademarks of Konami. I am an independent author not affiliated with Konami, and I am not an employee or representative of them.

You likely knew that, but I have to say it anyway.

Read, review, and have fun.



You know how the story goes…

You know how a young boy named Yugi Mouto was given a strange gift – a puzzle made of complex, interlocking pieces, and how after years of work, he put it together. He found that with the Millennium Puzzle came a stranger gift… The spirit of a five-thousand year old Pharaoh who would become his protector… his partner… his friend…

You know how he became skilled at the game of Duel Monsters, and along with his friends, saved the world from dangerous threats, many times over. Dangerous demons and madmen, using his cards and his Heart to overcome them.

When all of it seemed over, there was nothing more to do. An ally told him of a way that a ritual could be performed to release the Pharaoh from the Puzzle so that he’d be free…

…and that is where realities split…

You see, in the myriad worlds of the cosmos, there exist many different realities; in many of them, the occupants are the same. However, their lives and their fates sometimes differ.

In the one you are familiar with, Yugi faced the Pharaoh in a Ceremonial Duel; in order to be set free, the Pharaoh had to know something that the strongest men must know – defeat. Yugi triumphed, and the Pharaoh was allowed to leave the world. The Millennium Items were buried forever, and for a short time, the world earned a respite from evil…

But in another reality, something much different happened…

In this reality, before the ritual could even occur, it was interrupted. Everyone present was taken to a peaceful place, where a beautiful angel who called herself Shanalla told them that she could not allow the ritual to take place. Not yet. She foresaw a dangerous threat in the future, where the Pharaoh’s skills would be needed once more.

But it was so far in the future, that Yugi himself would not be able to handle it. Shanalla predicted that Yugi would sire a son, and that the task would fall to him.

Shanalla left them with one promise. Sometime after this threat was dealt with, the ritual would be done. She gave her word.

And then she left everyone with no memories of what had transpired.

Eventually, Yugi grew up, and put his Puzzle away, while the Pharaoh slept in hibernation. He married, and did indeed have a son – Yugi Mouto Jr. When the son got older, Yugi gave him the Puzzle, and when he got older still, odd things started to happen.

The daughter of Maximillion Pegasus sought revenge on Yugi for turning her father’s life into misery, and thought to do it by killing Yugi’s son. During her mad trap, the Pharaoh awoke, and guided him through it. With his allies, including his father’s best friend’s daughter and the nephew of his father’s old rival, he defeated her… and then saved her soul when Death itself tried to devour her.

A year after that, a madman sought to free the demon-god Set by imprisoning New York, seeking to use Yugi and his friends as fuel. Once again, they triumphed, and the evil was vanquished.

Finally, the threat that Shanalla spoke of arose. A fallen angel named Saurius sought to find and destroy a sacred artifact called the Mandate of Heaven, to bring doom to the world. Yugi and his friends fought him valiantly, and endured the death of their friend before the demon was defeated.

It is now nineteen years after that fateful summer when Duelatopia first opened. Yugi Mouto Jr. – now rarely calling himself “Junior” – never knew of any way to release the Pharaoh. Two years after Duelatopia, he married, and quickly, he sired a child of his own…

But this time, fate would prove a rascal…

The third generation of the Moutos, and thus the fate of the Pharaoh… would fall to a daughter…

”Your move…”

Get ready to meet the challenge,
See your foes throw the gauntlet down;
Set your sights to new horizons,
Turn your hopes towards reaching the crown…

Each card… you draw…
Makes you… a little bit better…
Each time… you win…
Is one more step up the ladder!

It’s a whole new generation!
It’s a new legacy to be made!
Just believe in yourself,
And remember one thing:
The duel’s never over until…
The last card is played!

Get ready to climb the rankings,
Face beasts and show no fear;
Make moves with careful choices,
Turn your goal from far to near.

Each duel… You start…
Is a new thrill to discover!
If you… fall down…
Just get back up, and recover!

It’s a whole new generation!
It’s a new legacy to be made!
Just believe in yourself,
And remember one thing:
The duel’s never over until…
The last card is played!

No, the duel’s never over until…
The last card is played…

YU-GI-OH!

Third Generation



The Legend of the Sorcerer Kings

It was 4:30 in the afternoon, on the boardwalk of the Domino City amusement park.

The young and the young at heart were about. Laughing, playing…

…dueling…

A young teenage girl stood, carefully considering the situation.

She was dressed in black, in a midriff (navel exposed, but not indecently) and black jeans, and had black hair cut short. She had sky blue eyes and dimples.

A Duel Disk was on her left arm – the latest model, recently delivered by KaibaCorp.

In front of her was Vampire Lady (1,550/1,550) waiting for her to give a command. Her opponent, twenty feet in front of her, had only a facedown Monster.

She couldn’t believe the scores… She had 2,500 left, and her opponent only had 1,000. This was the closest she had ever come…

She made her draw…

“You’re in trouble now!” she announced. “I sacrifice Vampire Lady, for Vampire Lord!”

Vampire Lady vanished, and the older, male vampire appeared in a dark shadow. (2,000/1,500)

“Attack the facedown Monster!” she shouted. “Children of the night!”

Vampire Lord lifted his cloak, and a swarm of bats shot at the facedown card. Blast Magician appeared on the card, and was blown away.

She fit a card into her Disk, and a facedown card appeared behind Vampire Lord.

“Won’t be long now, Yumi…” she said with a smile.

“We’ll see, Chelsea…” said her opponent.

Her opponent drew a card.

She played it, and Pot of Greed appeared on the field. She drew two cards.

She played a card, and Magician’s Valkyria appeared to face Vampire Lord. (1,600/1,800)

“Huh?” said Chelsea.

“Now I play Magical Dimension,” continued her opponent. “Meaning I can sacrifice her to summon Dark Magician Girl…”

Valkyria vanished, and the Dark Magician’s cute, buxom apprentice appeared. (2,000/1,700)

“And then, your Monster… goes boom!”

Vampire Lord exploded!

“Fine!” laughed Chelsea. “Attack me! I dare you! You can’t finish me off with her, and he’ll be back next turn!”

“Oh?” asked her opponent.

A card appeared behind Dark Magician Girl…

Rush Recklessly…

Chelsea sighed as Dark Magician Girl flew at her…

Well, at least it was the closest she had ever come…

She cringed in pain as Dark Magician Girl cast her dark spell at her.

She almost fell over, but then someone caught her from behind.

“You okay?” said a voice.

The voice belonged to a boy her age, with black hair wearing a black leather jacket. He had a Disk on too.

“I’m okay Ren, I’m okay…” said Chelsea. “Not the first time it happened, you know.”

She slowly removed the card from her Spell/Trap Zone.

So close… It had been her own Rush Recklessly…

Chelsea’s opponent walked up.

The girl had flowing blonde hair, deep violet eyes, and was dressed in a halter, jean jacket, and a short skirt. Around her neck was a shiny golden pendant shaped like an inverted pyramid with an eye on the front.

“That’s enough practice for one day, guys,” she said.

“We both lost, Yumi,” said Ren. “You’re unbeatable.”

“Please,” said Yumi. “I’m the only one who can beat you two. You both have powerful decks.”

She put her arms around them.

“The three of us are going to take Duelatopia by storm. The names Yumi Mouto, Ren Marris, and Chelsea Ramset are going to be household names in the dueling world. The Three Musketeers.”

“Three Musketeers…” muttered Ren. “There were four. How come everyone always forgets about D'Artagnan?”

“Heh…” chuckled Yumi. “Yeah, it wouldn’t have been much of a story without him. Now who’s up for pizza and root beer?”

They both grinned.

* * * * * * * * * *

The pizza parlor at the amusement park had recently added a new feature – a TV screen as big as a movie screen. It was currently set to cartoons. As the three of them waited for dinner, the patrons were getting restless.

“Okay, okay…” said a waitress, grabbing a remote. “I’ll change the channel…”

She flipped a switch, and the familiar logo of KaibaCorp TV flashed on the screen, along with the usual music.

“Hi!” said a young reporter. “This is Mandy Malone. We’re here at Kaibaland, where a rare treat has just appeared…”

The cheering of children followed that remark.

“Hey Yumi…” said Ren, “it’s your favorite opponent…”

Yumi looked at the screen.

It was true… Favorite opponent whose ass she liked to kick.

The eighteen-year-old girl had vaguely Chinese features, tanned skin, and long, chestnut hair down to her waist. She was also dressed in a midriff, with blue jeans.

Samantha Arachne, daughter of Sheena Arachne, the head of KaibaCorp. Her father was supposedly Siegfried Kaiba, who was killed shortly after she was conceived…

It seemed that the heirs of the Moutos and the Kaibas would be rivals forever…

Samantha (“Sam” to most) seemed to be always changing decks. As Yumi’s grandfather would say, she hadn’t found one that came from her heart yet. She had promised on a permanent one for Duelatopia, but it had not been seen yet. Yumi wondered about it as Sam faced her opponent, a younger kid with a t-shirt and dungarees, with a baseball cap on backwards.

Yumi frowned. Didn’t anyone who didn’t actually play baseball ever wear a baseball cap the way it was made to be worn anymore?

“The question on everyone’s mind is,” said the reporter, “will the secret of Samantha’s new deck be revealed? This reporter is hoping so.”

A lot of duelists are hoping so too, thought Yumi. Including this one. I just know I’m going to have to face it sooner or later.

The two duelists were shuffling each others decks.

“Ready to have your butt kicked from here to Bombay, Sam?” asked the boy, as they loaded their decks.

“Please, Nick,” said Sam, as her Disk activated. “The day I’m beaten by the likes of you is the day I eat my deck.”

They both drew five cards.

“Game on!” they both said at once.

(Sam: 8,000) -------------------- (Nick: 8,000)

“All right!” said Nick, drawing his first card. “For my first brilliant move, I’ll place this in Defense Mode.”

He played a card, and a facedown Monster appeared.

“That’s all for now.”

“I’ve seen better opening moves from preschoolers,” said Sam, making her first draw.

She looked over her hand.

“I always say, the best defense is an aggressive offense,” she said. “I summon Luster Dragon in Attack Mode.”

She played a card, and a huge sapphire appeared in front of her. It shattered, revealing a slim Dragon made entirely of blue gemstones. Its eyes were pools of blue right that cast a soft glow. (1,900/1,600)

“Nope,” said Yumi, with a shrug. “I’ve seen this deck before.”

She leaned her head on her hand. She really knew this deck. Sam had thought she could emulate Seto Kaiba by using Dragons… She even started calling herself the Dragon Queen after this deck proved mildly successful. And then Yumi showed her what Buster Blader was capable of.

Thus, the Dragon Queen was dethroned, and Sam started looking again. This girl was determined to find the perfect deck… And hints dropped to everyone were showing that she had recently found it.

“And now I’m going to use that aggressive offense,” said Sam, “by wiping out your defense! Luster Dragon… Attack! Sapphire flash blast!”

Luster Dragon spread its wings and gave a cry. Then it exhaled a blast of blue fire. The Monster that appeared on Nick’s card was a young woman dressed like a green beret, complete with blacking under her eyes, with feathered wings on her back. (1,200/1,900)

She shielded herself with her arm, and the fire was deflected.

She gave a mean look at Sam, as if to say, “I dare you”.

“Sorry, Sam,” said Nick, “but Command Angel’s Defense was just as strong as your Dragon’s so called aggressive offense. Better luck next time.”

Sam looked at her hand.

“I’ll set this facedown,” she said, fitting a card into her Disk, “and take a break for now.”

A facedown card appeared.

Nick drew a card.

“I summon Hysteric Fairy in Attack Mode,” he said.

A slim figure in a blue formal suit and glasses with feathered wings, carrying a book with an ankh on it appeared as he played the card. Its gender could best be described as… androgynous. It adjusted its spectacles and gave a fussy look. (1,800/1,000)

“You call that a Monster?” asked Sam, sarcastically. “It looks like my old algebra teacher!”

“I’ll also shift Command Angel to Attack Mode,” said Nick, “and she grants all Fairies on my side of the field 400 more Attack Points. So, stand up!”

Command Angel stepped up and pulled a golden machine gun from her back. Hysteric Fairy rose to 2,200 Attack, and Command Angel herself rose to 1,600.

“Okay, that might be a problem…” muttered Sam.

“Hysteric Fairy, attack the Dragon!” shouted Nick.

Hysteric Fairy adjusted its glasses, and fired a beam of light from them, blasting the Dragon to shards.

“And since you’re defenseless,” said Nick, “Command Angel, attack Sam directly!”

Command Angel grit her teeth and aimed the machine gun. Sam winced as she fired six rounds into her torso.

(S: 6,200) -------------------- (N: 8,000)

“Man, Sam just got nailed,” said Ren.

“Watch,” said Yumi. “She’ll come back. I know she will.”

Sam caught her breath and made her draw.

“I play Premature Burial,” she said, placing a card in her Disk. “I’m sure you know how it works. I merely give up 800 Life Points, and my Dragon returns.”

She played the card, and as her Life Points dipped, Luster Dragon crawled out of the ground.

“Now I sacrifice him…” she continued, “for his big brother… Luster Dragon #2.”

The Dragon turned into a huge emerald. It shattered, revealing a larger, fiercer-looking Dragon with green scales. Its glowing green eyes again glowed with soft light. (2,400/1,400)

“Attack the Command Angel!” she shouted. “Emerald flame!”

Luster Dragon roared, and then breathed green fire. Command Angel screamed as she was engulfed in it. She shattered.

(S: 5,400) -------------------- (N: 7,200)

Hysteric Fairy dropped back to 1,800 Attack.

“That’s enough for one turn,” said Sam.

Nick drew a card, and looked over his hand.

“I’ll move Hysteric Fairy to Defense Mode,” he said, “and set another Monster in Defense Mode.”

Hysteric Fairy shielded itself, and a facedown card and Monster appeared.

Sam made her draw.

“Not the wisest choice,” she said. “First, I summon Element Dragon.”

In a flash of light, a medium-sized Dragon with orange scales and a mane of fur around its neck appeared. (1,500/1,200)

“Next, I’ll activate my facedown card, a little thing called Dragon’s Rage.”

Her Trap Card lifted.



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“Now, due to this powerful Continuous Trap, all my Dragons can hurt you even when your Monsters are in Defense Mode, as if all of them were Equipped with Fairy Meteor Crush.”

“That’s… not good…” muttered Nick.

“But wait…” said Sam. “There’s more. When there’s a Wind Monster on the field, like my Luster Dragon is right now, my Element Dragon gets to attack again if it kills one Monster first.

“So… Element Dragon attack the facedown Monster! Incendiary breeze!”

Element Dragon breathed a cloud of fire, and Nick cringed as his Monster was blown up.

“You destroyed my Skelengel,” said Nick. “So now I get to draw one card.”

He made a draw.

“Big deal…” said Sam. “It can attack twice, remember? Element Dragon, attack the Hysteric Fairy!”

Element Dragon breathed its lethal cloud again, and Hysteric Fairy was blown to shards.

“Luster Dragon, attack Nick directly!”

Luster Dragon shot its emerald flame forward, and Nick screamed as an inferno of green fire erupted around him.

(S: 5,400) -------------------- (N: 2,700)

“Looks like Sam has this in the bag,” said Chelsea.

“Where’s our pizza?” sighed Yumi. “Are they going to Italy to get the mozzarella?”

“You’re gonna pay for that…” muttered Nick.

He drew a card and considered his hand.

“So what pathetic move are you going to make now, Nick?” asked Samantha.

“How’s this for pathetic?” he asked, opening his Field Slot. “I play The Sanctuary in the Sky.”

Everyone took notice, as the whole arena was enveloped in light. The floor became a mass of clouds, and an ancient, stone temple rose behind Nick. It was topped by a spire holding a glowing orb. Soft light glowed from the whole structure.

“Okay…” muttered Sam, nervously. “Nice place…”

Meanwhile, the pizza had come. The three friends took a slice.

“So what does this mean?” asked Chelsea, sprinkling parmesan on hers.

“By itself, Sam can’t hurt him by attacking his Fairies,” said Yumi, “but if he combined it with other cards…”

“Now, let’s get serious,” continued Nick. “I summon Warrior of Zera.”

A stern-faced Warrior in armor with a sword, wearing a horned helmet appeared. (1,600/1,600)

“Case in point…” muttered Yumi.

“But he won’t be here long,” he continued, taking another card. “This Warrior is a man with a dual nature, who constantly struggles between good and evil… And when in the blessed realm of the Sanctuary, a powerful transformation can take place…”

Warrior of Zera became shrouded in light, and a great transformation started to occur. A more imposing figure appeared, in silvery armor with huge, feathered wings on his back with a helmet. A long scarf covered his mouth and swept behind him in the unseen wind. He held a gleaming broadsword in his hand that shone with pure light. He radiated an air of authority that was impossible to ignore. (2,800/2,300)

“Meet the ace of my deck…” said Nick. “Archlord Zerato!”

“Impressive…” muttered Sam.

Yumi was watching intently. Her father had used that guy in his duel against Saurius so many years ago… He had been instrumental to victory…

“Here’s something that’s even more impressive,” said Nick. “I’m going to discard my Dunames Dark Witch…”

He discarded one of his cards.

“And say sayonara to your Monsters!”

The spire of the Sanctuary glowed, and blasted a lightning bolt, vaporizing Luster Dragon and Element Dragon.

“You’re wide open!” shouted Nick. “Zerato, attack! Holy sword!”

Zerato flew at Sam with his blade, and she was helpless to do anything but take it. She screamed and toppled over.

“Wow…” said Ren. “This is exciting.”

“Mmm…” said Yumi, with her mouth full. “Exciting…”

And if Sam is humiliated on live television right before her debut in Duelatopia, she thought, it’s gonna be so much fun rubbing her nose in it…

(S: 2,600) -------------------- (N: 2,700)

Yumi eagerly watched. One more attack and Sam would be defeated… All Nick would need was another Light Monster…

Nick played two of his three remaining cards, and two facedown cards appeared.

“Your move,” he said. “One more blow like that, and you’re history.”

Sam drew a card.

“I play… Graceful Charity…” she said.

She played the card, and an angelic form appeared over her. The angel’s feathers fell on her deck, and she drew three cards.

“Now I can draw three cards, so long as I toss two…”

She looked at the cards in her hand.

She discarded Masked Dragon and Divine Dragon Ragnarok.

“Now I summon Cave Dragon,” she said, playing a card.

A hulking, elderly Dragon with no wings appeared in front of her. It yawned, and looked at its opponent with tired-looking eyes. (2,000/100)

“He may look tough,” she said, “but he’s actually a shiftless, lazy slob who can’t do much on his own. You see, he can’t attack unless I have another Dragon on the field.

“So, I’ll also place three cards facedown, and end my turn.”

Three facedown cards appeared.

Nick drew. He looked at the two cards in his hand.

“Problem?” asked Sam. “Don’t have the right card to discard, huh?”

“Actually, no, I don’t,” said Nick. “So I’ll just have to get one.”

A facedown card lifted.

“I activate Beckoning Light. Here’s how it works. First I toss all the cards in my hand.”

He discarded his two cards, a Mudora and an Agido.

“Then, I can recover one Light Attribute Monster from my Graveyard for each card that I tossed…”

Two cards came out of his discard slot.

“…like Hysteric Fairy and Dunames Dark Witch.

“First, just in case, I’ll summon Dunames Dark Witch…”

He played the card, and a pretty female Fairy in a red dress and metallic wings appeared. (1,800/1,050)

“Now I’ll discard Hysteric Fairy, and activate Zerato’s effect!”

He discarded the card. The spire of the Sanctuary started to glow.

“Not so fast!” shouted Sam. “I chain two of my facedown cards. First, Rush Recklessly.”

One of her cards lifted.

“It increases Cave Dragon’s Attack Score by 700 points, to 2,700. Next, I’ll activate Burst Breath!”

Another card lifted.

“Now, I can sacrifice my Cave Dragon, and all Monsters with lower Defense Scores than his Attack Score go down in flames!”

A blast of green flame shot out of Cave Dragon’s mouth, and both Zerato and Dunames Dark Witch cringed against it before they shattered. Then Cave Dragon shattered.

“Aw, shoot…” muttered Nick.

“Finally,” said Sam, “my last card activates…”

Her last facedown card lifted, showing another Quickplay.

“Super Rejuvenation,” she said. “Now, for each Dragon that I sacrificed this round, I get to draw one card.”

She made a draw and looked at it.

“You have no cards left, so I’ll move…” said Sam, drawing again.

She looked at the new card.

“You like Light Monsters? Here’s a good one for you. I summon Mirage Dragon.”

She played the card, and a beam of light fell from above. A wispy Dragon that seemed made out of pure light appeared. (1,600/600)

“In case you think that facedown card will block this attack, forget it. He’ll prevent you from activating it. Mirage Dragon, attack with spectrum blast!”

Mirage Dragon breathed a blast of multicolored light, and Nick shielded himself as it hit him.

(S: 2,600) -------------------- (N: 1,100)

“Not bad…” he said, panting for breath.

He drew a card.

“But you aren’t out of the woods yet… I play my Pot of Greed.”

He played the card, and the green, smiling jug appeared in front of him, and gave an evil cackle.

“Now I draw two cards…”

He looked at them.

“And now I’ll activate my facedown card… Light of Judgment.”

His facedown card lifted, and storm clouds appeared over the Sanctuary.

“Now, since the Sanctuary is on the field, by discarding one Light Monster, like my Absorbing Kid From The Sky…”

He discarded a card.

“I can either destroy one card on your side of the field, or one card in your hand. So… Mirage Dragon dies!”

Lightning struck, and Mirage Dragon was atomized.

“Good grief…” muttered Chelsea. “If that other card in his hand is a Monster, he can attack her and bring her down to dangerous numbers.”

“Well, Zerato is a NOMI,” replied Yumi. “He can’t summon him from the Graveyard.

“You know, I often wondered just what ‘NOMI’ stands for. I’ve never gotten a straight answer from anyone.”

“I’ll place my last card in Defense Mode, and end my turn,” said Nick.

A facedown Monster appeared.

Sam drew a card.

“My patience has paid off, Nick,” she said. “First, I summon Lord of Dragons to the field.”

She played the card, and the draconic Spellcaster dressed in black with a claw-like helmet appeared. (1,200/1,100)

“Now I play… Dragon’s Mirror!”

“Dragon’s Mirror?” asked Nick. “What’s that?”

“A mirror that’s sure to give you bad luck,” said Sam, “whether you break it or not. It’s a Polymerization substitute. Now I can remove Fusion Material Monsters on the field and in my Graveyard from play to summon the Fusion Monster, so long as it’s a Dragon.

“So, I’ll fuse together Lord of Dragons and the Divine Dragon Ragnarok in my Graveyard…”

A large mirror with a golden frame appeared on the field. Ragnarok appeared beside the Spellcaster, and both of them were drawn into the mirror...

Then the mirror cracked, and smoke started to pour out of it…

“…and say hello to King Dragun.”

The smoke formed into an impressive creature. It was a serpentine Dragon, centaurian in general outline, whose upper body resembled that of Lord of Dragons, only more majestic. His lower body was bulky and serpentine. A mane that resembled more a cloud of mist than hair surrounded his neck. He gripped a staff resembling the Flute of Summoning Dragons, and he radiated a dark aura. (2,400/1,100)

“King Dragun, attack!” she shouted. “Flaming scourge!”

King Dragun breathed white-hot flames from his maw, and an explosion burst on the facedown card.

Sam cringed as pain coursed through her…

“What happened?” she gasped.

She looked…

Where her target had been was a small creature, resembling a dollop of whipped cream. It had two big eyes, and above them was a smile that was upside down. It grinned at Sam. (300/500)

“What in blazes?” asked Ren. “Is that a Monster or a dessert soufflé?”

“Don’t estimate Marshmallon,” said Yumi, between chews. “It’s powerful. Since Sam attacked it while it was facedown, she lost 1,000 Life Points. And it can’t be destroyed in battle. Not to mention the fact that it’s a Fairy, so the Sanctuary keeps Nick from losing Life Points from that Dragon’s Rage.

“This is a big handicap for Sam, because this deck is mostly slash and burn. She’s already used her Burst Breath.”

(S: 1,600) -------------------- (N: 1,100)

“My move now…” said Nick.

He drew a card.

“Perfect…” he said, looking at it. “I don’t know if you’d ever hit a guy with glasses on Sam, but now you don’t have a choice, I play Marshmallon Glasses.”

He played the card.

“So long as this card is on the field with Marshmallon, you’re only allowed to attack him. So I have lots of time to summon something to bring tall, dark, and gruesome there down!”

“We’ll see…” said Sam, drawing.

“This duel is over…” she said. “It will be a cold day in Hades before my Monsters are brought to a halt by some little cream puff.”

“And just what are you gonna do?” asked Nick. “Summon whatever Dragon you want. Marshmallon can’t be destroyed.”

“Only in battle,” replied Sam. “I just drew this Spell Card. It’s called Dragon’s Gunfire.

“See, I can only activate it when I have at least one Dragon on the field. Then I have to make a choice. I can either inflict 800 points of direct damage to you, or destroy a Monster with 800 Defense Points or less.

“And since your Marshmallon only has 500 Defense Points, I can fry it up like a Baked Alaska.”

“What’s a Baked Alaska?” asked Ren.

“Don’t you guys know anything about gourmet desserts?” asked Yumi. “Let’s just say it’s the only ice cream dish that you serve hot.”

King Dragun blew a stream of flames, striking Marshmallon. The little Fairy was burned up and reduced to ashes.

“You’re next,” said Sam. “King Dragun, attack directly!”

King Dragun blasted another gout of super-hot flames. Nick screamed and was propelled backwards as it hit him.

(S: 1,600) -------------------- (N: 0)

The clouds of the Sanctuary and Sam’s Monster slowly vanished.

As Yumi, Ren, and Chelsea watched, a boy about Sam’s age ran up and hugged her. He was handsome, with shaggy-long hair.

It seemed Sam had a boyfriend now, and now Yumi was a little jealous.

Mandy Malone came up to Sam.

“Congratulations, Ms. Arachne on another victory,” she said. “Care to give anyone a hint on this new deck you’ve been working on?”

“Well,” said Sam, “it will be unveiled in Duelatopia in two weeks. Anyone with internet access merely has to look up my name to see me use it.

“And there’s one girl out there I can’t wait to show it to.

“I’m not naming any names, of course, but she has a bad hair style, and wears a tacky piece of jewelry. Of course, I can’t blame her for the first part. It seems her whole family has been hated by beauticians. Although I doubt her maternal grandfather ever even went to one. Heck, I doubt he even ever used a comb.

“If you’re out there, listen up… This tournament, the Consort of Ha Des is going to drag you into the Underworld and throw you into the Pit of Fire!”

Her boyfriend hugged her lovingly, and they walked away from the reporter.

“Uhm…” said Mandy. “Strong words, and a powerful prediction of things to come. I guess the gauntlet has officially been thrown. Now this…”

“My Puzzle is NOT tacky!” shouted Yumi. “She has some nerve!”

She knew that Sam had been waiting for this tournament… She had been eligible to compete in the last two Duelatopia tournaments – you only had to be sixteen – but she had turned the offers down both times, saying she wouldn’t until she could win by beating Yugi Mouto’s heir… Not the most subtle hint…

“Relax, Yumi,” said Ren. “She’s all bark and no bite.”

“Yes, relax…” said a gentle voice in her head.

Yumi calmed down a little.

“We can’t let insults distract us, Yumi,” said the voice. “Things are coming to a headway…”

Yumi sighed and took out her deck.

She took out Dark Magician Girl and looked at her…

She put her deck back.

“Check please…” she said.

Behind Yumi, a spectral form appeared…

It was a tall woman, who seemed young in terms of age, but a definite aura of experience was present. She wore a white business suit that was spotlessly clean, and sunglasses over her eyes. Her hair was platinum blonde, and down to her waist.

No one seemed to see her as she walked up behind Yumi. She removed the sunglasses, and her eyes were green… Deep, sea green that you could lose yourself in.

She smiled sweetly and placed her hand on Yumi’s head affectionately.

Yumi felt strange at that point. It was a sensation of warmth… A gentle feeling…

The strange woman replaced the sunglasses and slowly faded away…



COMMAND ANGEL (Monster Card)

Card Specs
Type: Fairy/Effect
Attribute: Fire
Level: 4
ATK: 1,200
DEF: 1,900
Card Description: When this card is face-up on your side of the field, all Fairy-Type Monsters on your side of the field gain 400 ATK for as long as this card is face-up on your side of the field.

Note: “Command Angel” was first used by Tristan in the original anime episode “Mechanical Mayhem”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



MARSHMALLON (Monster Card)

Card Specs
Type: Fairy/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 3
ATK: 300
DEF: 500
Card Description: The user of the Monster that attacks this Monster while it is in facedown Defense Position takes 1,000 points of direct damage after battle damage is applied. This card is not destroyed as a result of battle (damage calculation still applies).



MARSHMALLON GLASSES (Spell Card)

Continuous Spell

Image: A pair of eyeglasses with a picture of Marshmallon in each lens.

Card Description: When this card and “Marshmallon” are on your side of the field, your opponent cannot attack any Monster except “Marshmallon”.

Note: “Marshmallon” and “Marshmallon Glasses” are Japanese cards that have not yet been released in the United States. They were both used by Little Yugi during the original anime series Pharaoh’s Memory Arc.



Ren: I’m so psyched, Chelsea! We’re going to Duelatopia!

Chelsea: Just like our parents did all those years ago. I can’t contain myself…

Yumi: Yeah guys, I know we should be excited but…

…somehow, the turmoil inside me is strong, and a friend of mine is feeling it too.

But don’t let me distract you. Review your decks, review your strategies, and get ready…

Next chapter is Chapter One, “A New Beginning; A New Starting Point”.

[Dark Sage]

CHAPTER ONE



A New Beginning;



A New Starting Point

Sheena Arachne walked down the spotlessly clean halls of the tech building, located far away on the island that many called Duelatopia.

She was a tall, slim, and striking woman, even at the age of thirty-eight…

Some would call her life amazing…

Her mother had been abandoned by her true father after she had been conceived. Hope came when her mother was taken in by another man, but it was dashed to pieces when both her mother and foster father were killed in an accident. She had spent the first nineteen years of her life in near-poverty, first in an orphanage, and then working demeaning jobs… Flipping burgers, bagging groceries, and at worst, scrubbing floors. Only the occasional boon from winning at Duel Monsters enabled her and her younger sister the occasional luxury. It seemed she and her sister had a bleak future…

…until she met Siegfried Kaiba.

He had been looking for special duelists for the first Duelatopia tournament. Eliminators. Duelists who used psyche-out warfare and sinister threats as well as skill to crush anyone who looked for a shortcut. Sheena’s big break came when Siegfried saw potential in her…

She joined the Eliminators, becoming the spider-savant known as Shelob, and the best one he had. Having a four-armed, half-spider-half-human woman as your opponent who was threatening to devour you could unnerve anyone. Not to mention the fact that her Insect Deck was incredibly well-built. She even got a chance to duel Yugi Mouto Jr., but he couldn’t be scared, and he beat her.

But it became more serious. She and her employer were falling in love.

She didn’t expect to carry his child so soon, but it happened, as Duelatopia entered the end phase. And sadly, a crisis struck which he didn’t survive.

Siegfried would not abandon her, even in death. The bulk of his estate and KaibaCorp itself was willed to her, and she did her best to accept the responsibility. Even while raising his daughter.

From rags to riches… She was now the most powerful figure in the gaming world.

And as she entered the computer room, she intended this tournament to be safe and fun for all.

“Waylan,” she said, walking to the head computer technician.

“Uh, yes, Miss Arachne,” said the thin, bespectacled man.

He was visibly nervous. He had been for a week now.

“Has the main computer been checked this morning for online intrusions?” she asked.

“Yes, twice…” answered Waylan. “But I assure you…”

“Mr. Smalls…” she said sternly. “In the history of KaibaCorp, tournament guest lists tend to be hacked into. The Rare Hunters did so in Battle City, causing the legitimate guests all sorts of grief. Ziegfried Von Schroder did so during the Grand Prix in an attempt to literally destroy KaibaCorp by destroying its complete computer system.

“It will not happen again. Capish?”

“Miss Arachne…” he said. “I studied computer programming for eight years. I graduated at the top of my class at Harvard…

“I installed firewalls and anti-viral programs that the government would envy, and a few tricks of my own.

“The only one who could hack into that guest list is… Well, is me.”

“Make sure…” said Sheena, turning to leave.

As Waylan sat back at his console, he picked up a cell phone, and nervously dialed a number.

“Hello?” he said into it. “Is this… uhm, John Smith?”

“It is,” said a voice. “Talk to me.”

“I got your file in my personal e-mail last night,” said Waylan with a sigh. “It has been done.”

“Excellent,” said the voice. “Is it secure?”

“Yes,” said Waylan. “Get this… The new names will be on what I call a ‘shadow list’. They will identifiable as legit tournament guests if anyone checks their badges, but their names will not be on the official list. Miss Arachne will not see any names on the list that she didn’t approve, and thus won’t get suspicious.”

“Excellent,” said the voice. “Now, I’m going to make you an offer…

“I’m willing to increase the payment to three million, if you remove three names from the official list.”

“Oh?” asked Waylan, taking a pen. “Who?”

“Write this down,” said the voice. “Yumi Mouto, Ren Marris, and Chelsea Ramset. They must be…”

“Hold on!” said Waylan, in a frightened whisper. “No way, Jose. That would get me caught for sure.”

“What makes you so certain?” asked the voice.

“What makes me so certain?” he replied. “Their parents are close friends of Miss Arachne! They’d want to know why if those kids were turned away from the boat, and she’d find out I did it, and…”

“Mr. Smalls,” said the voice, “I thought you needed money.”

“I do!” he whispered. “And they only pay you twelve cents an hour in prison!”

“Four million dollars?” offered the voice.

“You know…” said Waylan, in an annoyed tone, “I’m beginning to think this whole thing was a bad idea, so you can keep the one million. I’m going to delete those names I already added…”

He reached for the mouse.

“Wait…” said the voice.

Waylan paused.

“Very well… You needn’t remove anyone. Just keep the first part of the deal, and the money will be in your account in the morning.”

“Enjoy the tournament…” muttered Waylan.

He hung up.

In a dark room somewhere in Europe, a figure put down a phone.

“Ah, well,” he said with a shrug. “Not as much as I’d hoped, but more than I expected… I guess there’s nothing wrong with a little… competition.

“Very soon, the conclusion to a great amount of work will finally come to fruition…”

* * * * * * * * * *

Chelsea sat on the unmade bed in her messy room, slowly going over her cards.

She had the problem right now that all duelists had when they wanted to add a card to their decks – what to take out to make room.

She sighed.

“Eenie, meanie, minie, moe,” she muttered, “catch a Monster by the toe, if it stinks then… let it go…”

Eventually, she picked up her Despair From The Dark. She supposed it was the one that had seen the least amount of use… She put it aside…

Then she picked up the new card and grinned. Her father had designed it with her in mind… She’d be the first duelist in the world to use it…

She heard a low moan coming from the wall to her left…

She turned, and saw a spectral, aged knight, clad in pitted and broken armor, with a full beard. He moaned again.

“Hi, Sir Percival,” she said.

The phantom sighed.

“You know, milady,” he said, “when I was your age, I’d have been scared out of my wits if I ever saw a ghost…”

“Dunno…” said Chelsea. “I guess these days, kids are just harder to scare. Probably due to movies and television. So what have you been up to?”

“Oh, just looking for…” he started. “Uhm… Well… That… thing I’m always looking for, you know…”

Chelsea frowned.

She had been seeing undead spirits for a long time, and Sir Percival was one of the most complicated. He was always looking for something, but he didn’t know what. He was certain he’d know it when he saw it.

Chelsea knew a little about how ghosts worked… She realized that Percival would likely be able to rest in peace once he found whatever it was he was looking for. But without a single clue, she couldn’t help him.

“Working on that odd card came of yours?” asked Percival. “I was always more a fan of straight poker myself…”

He looked over her shoulder.

“Humph… Vampires, eh? Never liked such folk… They considered themselves the aristocrats of the supernatural, but in reality, all they ever became were a bunch of snobs. I feel a little sorry for them, though… They were wiped out in the Great War…”

“Great War?” asked Chelsea.

“A secret conflict…” said Percival, ominously. “No one knows who started it, no one knows the cause, but a war of sorts occurred between the race of vampires and humanity. Clearly, humanity was the victor… Vampires are all but extinct, now… Not one has been seen for centuries…”

Chelsea looked at the special card.

“Well, they have their uses…” replied Chelsea. “And they fit well. For someone like me, using this deck… This Vampire/Immortal Deck… It just seems to fit…

“Duelatopia had better watch out…”

* * * * * * * * * *

Five streets over, in his room in another house, Ren looked through his deck…

Then he removed a card, and picked another one up.

“Dad’s best card…” he muttered. “The one that he took to Hell and back, literally… It’s mine now…”

He sighed and shuffled it into his deck. His dad always seemed to be away on business. This precious card had come via certified mail. But it was the clincher that he needed.

At that moment, two small hands covered his eyes.

“Guess who?” laughed a childish voice.

“Connie?” said Ren, annoyed. “Don’t you know how to knock?”

He turned around, and lifted up his kid sister, a ten-year-old with a dimpled face and black pigtails.

“Ren, why can’t I come too?” she asked. “I can duel…”

“Connie, you have to be at least sixteen,” said Ren. “Besides, you’re too young to duel using a Disk. You don’t know what it’s like to take a direct attack. It can be painful even for me sometimes…

“Now, one more year, and we’ll sign you up for Duelist Camp… You’ll get your first experience there…”

Connie crossed her arms in a sulk.

Ren picked up the card he had removed from his deck.

“Here…” he said, handing it to her. “A new card always cheers me up when I’m feeling down…”

She took the card and looked at it.

“Getsu Fuhma?” she asked.

She read the card text.

“I don’t need a third one,” said Ren. “And Getsu Fuhma has a special power… She drives away evil creatures and night terrors. Keep that card with you, and you’ll always be safe…”

Connie smiled slightly.

“And be sure to check the Duelatopia website every day and look up my name,” he said. “You can see every duel I’m in. It’s gonna be great…”

* * * * * * * * * *

In a penthouse apartment on the upscale part of town, Samantha Arachne looked over the cards in her Dragon Deck.

Des Volstgalph… Spear Dragon… Even Tyrant Dragon…

Then she put the deck in a metal deck case and put it on a shelf, right next to four other deck cases, holding her other decks. Warriors, Beasts, Fire, and RFG.

None of them had ever met her calling. They all had their weaknesses as well.

Take the Warrior Deck. Its major weakness was, it only had four Traps, three of which were Royal Decree. Disabling all Traps seemed like a good idea at the time, but it had problems. Not being able to defend yourself with them could put you in a bad situation. There was only one way to disable your opponent’s use of Traps and still use them yourself, and that was to combo Jinzo with Amplifier. And THAT was more dangerous than using Jinzo alone. One Mystical Space Typhoon would take out both Jinzo and your so-called advantage.

She sat on her bed and picked up a sixth deck.

She smiled.

She hadn’t used this deck against a live opponent yet – only against the virtual ones in Kaibaland. But this deck had filled a spot that had previously been empty… It had struck a cord with her…

This… this deck was truly hers…

* * * * * * * * * *

The famous game store that had been opened by Solomon Mouto was still the property of the Mouto family. But these days, the apartment over it was rented out, and the staff of the actual store simply worked for the family.

The Moutos themselves could afford better, especially after Yumi’s father had won a great deal of money in the first tournament, and had emceed the tournaments afterwards for the summers of his college education, which paid a considerable salary.

Right now, Yumi was making the last adjustments to her deck, sitting in her bedroom – much neater than Chelsea’s – in the apartment in uptown Domino that her family called home.

Her father was also away on business – the life of an archaeologist was one that required a great deal of travel – but he always managed to keep in contact. Her mother was home more often, but the field of pediatric medicine always kept her busy.

Yumi looked at one card in her deck. The Dark Magician.

This had always been her father and grandfather’s favorite card… And to her, he was the “main man” of her deck…

But as she looked at another card, something drew her closer…

She looked at Dark Magician Girl.

She slowly shuffled the deck, and placed it on her desk.

Then a spectral hand reached for it and picked it up.

“It’s a powerful deck, Yumi,” said the strong voice of the Pharaoh. “And far more organized than anything your parents or grandparents ever used. I should know.”

“I hope it’s good enough…” said Yumi. “Maybe it needs more Spell Cards…”

The Pharaoh chuckled.

“I had this discussion with your grandfather right before Battle City,” he replied.

He paused.

“Those were dark times… Days of madmen and tyrants… And cursed cards…”

“Someone is getting tense…” said Yumi with a grin. “I know this whole deal hasn’t been easy for you… Me being a girl, and you having to adjust. But there’s something else, isn’t there?”

The Pharaoh paused.

“Come on…” said Yumi. “I had a hard time accepting the fact that you were there while I was in the shower, but I learned to accept it after a while. You can tell me.”

The spirit sat down.

“It’s complicated, Yumi…” he said. “For years, my memories have been suppressed, waiting for the time when… Something happened.

“I think that the ‘something’ is going to happen soon. It can happen at any time.”

He paused.

“And every time I look at you, little pieces of my memory start to come back… It’s as if I knew you in some form or another… At a different time…”

Yumi grinned.

“Hey…” she said with a chuckle. “Maybe when you were Pharaoh, I was some slave girl you had…”

The Pharaoh shook his head…

“I suppose it might be possible…” he muttered. “Although I’d like to think if I ever kept slaves, I had a benign reason for doing so…”

Yumi’s expression turned serious.

“Uh, yeah…” she muttered. “Anyway…”

She placed her deck into a holder on her belt.

“We’re going to make some history… I’m going to go right to the top…

“Some might call me the Princess of Games… But I won’t call myself Queen until I deserve it.”

* * * * * * * * * *

It was a sunny morning on the third day of July, when the three friends met outside of Yumi’s apartment building.

Ren carried his guitar strapped to his back. His dad had at first disapproved of his desire to play the instrument, remembering how it was Remi’s hobby, but he eventually gave in, and Ren’s music was enough to lift anyone’s spirits.

Chelsea carried a satchel full of photography equipment, reminiscent of the one her dad always carried when he was her age. She intended to take pictures of every opportunity she could find, and maybe start a book that would be a best-seller among the dueling world, like her dad’s had been.

The instructions they were given told them to be at Domino Pier at eleven, so they had plenty of time.

“So,” said Yumi, “anyone up for bagels and juice before we…”

She was startled as a large stretch limo stopped in front of them. It was one of the most expensive models, driving on air jets that hovered over the ground, rather than tread on it.

The chauffer stepped out.

“Ms. Mouto?” he said. “The young lady inside would like to offer you and your companions a ride.”

“Oh, she would, would she?” asked Yumi, annoyed.

She knew who was in the limo already.

The chauffer opened the door, and sure enough, Samantha was sitting there. The boy who had been with her at Kaibaland was next to her.

“Why am I not surprised?” asked Yumi.

“Thought you might enjoy riding to the Pier in style,” said Sam. “Trust me Yumi… I’m only nasty when you’re my opponent…”

The three of them got in, and sat opposite the two older teenagers.

The car started up.

“Where are my manners?” continued Sam. “This is Erik Matell.”

“Uh, hi…” said Erik. “Nice to meet you all.”

He seems nice enough… thought Chelsea, but what does he see in her?

“Why are you even going by boat, Sam?” asked Ren. “Is KaibaCorp’s private jet in the shop?”

Sam shook her head.

“Mom insisted that once I get to the Pier,” she replied, “my special treatment ends. In this tournament, I’m just like you.”

She looked at Ren and Chelsea.

“I kind of wonder how you two got invited,” she asked. “Being related to important folks doesn’t cut it…”

“See here…” started Ren.

Yumi raised her hand.

“Ren and Chelsea came in second and third place, respectively, in the Tokyo National Tournament,” she replied. “The one the two of us had to skip.

“And what about your boyfriend, Sam? What did he do that was so special?”

“Well, I…” started Erik.

“Erik won the Kaiba Dome Intermediate Division Tournament,” replied Sam. “And he’s fully capable of going far in a major tournament.”

“Pray that the two of you never have to duel each other,” said Chelsea, with a smirk.

Sam looked a little surprised.

“Uh, apple strudel?” she asked nervously, holding up a plate of pastries.

Yumi took one.

“So, Sam…” she asked, “any chance you can spill the beans on the big secret behind the Coliseum this year? I heard your mom’s put some incredible money on the holographic systems in that place.”

Sam was quiet for a minute.

“Well, you didn’t hear this from me…” she muttered, “but the arena will change with each duel in the finals. The Coliseum will create seven whole worlds to serve as battlegrounds. All I know are the names…

“In the quarter-finals, the arenas are called The Fiery Perdition of Gehenna, The Savage Wilderness of the Beastlands, The Olympian Glades of Arborea, and The Tarterian Depths of Carceri…

“In the semi-finals, the two arenas will be The Clockwork Nirvana of Mechanus and The Ever-Shifting Chaos of Limbo…

“And finally, for whoever makes it to the finals, the arena will be The Mounting Heavens of Celestia.”

“Interesting…” said Chelsea.

“Need I remind you,” continued Sam, “that the finals are going to be broadcast worldwide. Someone will bask in glory for all the world to see…

“And others will be humiliated…”

She smirked at Yumi.

“I just hope you all remembered those badges that came with the invitations…”

“You mean these?” asked Ren, holding something up.

It was an octagonal brooch made of glass, colored orange.

“What do they do exactly?”

“You’ll find out…” said Sam. “Just don’t lose them…”

The limo pulled up to the Pier.

“Looks like we’re here…” said Sam. “See you three in Duelatopia. But remember, the next time we meet, we’re rivals!”

“I can hardly wait…” muttered Yumi, as they got out. “And you’re gonna be a riot there with that zit on your forehead.”

“WHAT?” screamed Sam. “NO! I can’t be getting a zit! Not now!”

She scrambled and looked for a mirror.

“Easy, Sam, easy…” said Erik. “She’s just pulling your chain… You’re skin is totally smooth…”

Sam took some deep breaths.

“You aren’t just saying that, are you?” she asked.

“I’d never lie to you, baby…” he replied.

He kissed her on the forehead.

“I’d love to teach her a lesson…” he said with a growl.

“Please, baby…” muttered Sam, kissing him back. “You wouldn’t stand a chance. I’m gonna be the one to bring her down. You’ll just have to watch…”



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



A sizable crowd had formed in front of the large luxury liner several hours later. All the duelists in this part of the world had come to Domino to take this boat to Duelatopia, and a similar liner would be leaving from America at the same time. Another had already left Europe. Duelatopia was going to be bigger than ever.

“Okay…” said Chelsea, looking through her bag. “I have my cameras, extra batteries, twenty rolls of normal film, five rolls of high-speed film…”

“Chelsea, don’t worry…” said Ren, “they sell film there at every store. You’ll have everything you need to make your dad proud.”

As everyone waited to board, a man stepped up on a pedestal. He was wearing full armor, like the kind seen in science fiction movies, his face completely concealed by a helmet.

Yumi knew these men. The Duelatopian Centurions, the peacekeepers of the tournament. They were among the best trained security forces in the world, with skills that rivaled some government agencies.

“Greetings, everybody,” he said through an amplifier in his helmet. “You may call me Sergeant McAlmer, and I will be in charge of your welfare for the transport portion of this endeavor.

“Now, the goal of this tournament is to have fun. Nonetheless, we have a few guidelines.

“When you check into your cabins, you’ll find several things. A guide to the facilities, and a guidebook to Duelatopia itself. As you might expect, it has a lot to offer.

“We’ve also provided the latest rules for dueling set by Industrial Illusions. Lists of Forbidden and Limited cards are with the package. Make sure your decks are all tournament legal, because cheating is not tolerated.

“A buffet lunch is going to be served in the cafeteria at one, and dinner is at seven. Our ETA for arrival is four PM tomorrow afternoon.

“If you want to hone your skills by dueling, we have a designated arenas below deck. But no dueling using Disks elsewhere. Trust me, when you get to Duelatopia, you’ll be able to duel anytime, anywhere.

“Now that that’s out of the way, everyone line up, and your tickets will be scanned, and your Disks will be registered.

“And no shoving! Our insurance doesn’t cover you until you’re actually on the boat.”

* * * * * * * * * *

With organization that could best be compared to an old episode of The Keystone Cops, the passengers finally all made it on board just fifteen minutes behind schedule.

Yumi had to admire the ones in charge. They had a great deal of patience.

Chelsea was amazed at what was offered at the buffet. She had heard Yumi’s grandparents talk of the boat to Duelist Kingdom, where food wasn’t even served and they had to sleep on the floor.

Sheena Arachne knew how to treat her guests.

As Chelsea reached for the hot wings, she felt a familiar chill behind her.

“’Ello, Chelsea old girl,” said a voice with a high British accent.

Chelsea frowned, and turned to see the tall, thin phantom wearing the trappings of a harlequin.

Of all the local ghosts in Domino, Figlio was the most annoying. Rumor was he was once a nobleman’s jester who was killed after poking fun at the wrong person. Being dead apparently didn’t teach him a lesson. When this guy was around, he simply never shut up.

“Why are you here, Figlio?” she asked. “Get tired of haunting the mall?”

“Well, yes…” he replied. “But word spread around among all the local ghosts about this… Uhm, event you’re going to, and since you can see us, a few of us… Well, we decided to tag along to watch.”

Chelsea held her head.

“Define ‘a few of you’,” she growled.

“Oh, three… four…” he replied. “Uhm… twenty-two…”

Chelsea held her head again.

“Lovely…” she said. “I’ve got my own fan club… The problem is, they’re all a bunch of restless spirits!”

She quickly piled food on her plate.

“Oh, come on!” protested Figlio. “We have feelings too, you know!”

Chelsea didn’t answer.

She simply marched right through him, towards the table where Yumi and Ren were.

“Ooh, I hate that!” moaned Figlio.

He vanished.

Chelsea sat down at the table.

“Yumi…” said Ren, who was nervously stirring a chicken tender in sauce. “I can’t help but think that something bad is waiting on that island…”

Yumi sighed.

“Okay, folks,” she said, “let’s all cover the possibilities…

“First, the Millennium Items. The Scales are with Jade’s family, and she’d never hurt us.

“The Key, Rod, and Ring are with Shadi, and he hasn’t even shown his face in years.

“The Eye and Necklace are also in good hands. Dad knows who has them, and she’s a friend.

“That only leaves the Puzzle. It’s with me, and we know we can trust it.

“Anastasia is dead, and her soul was redeemed. She isn’t a threat.

“Remi and Set are still banished, and they likely will never come back.

“Saurius was obliterated, having lost a Shadow Game to holders of all seven of the Items, so he’ll never threaten the world again. And the Mandate of Heaven was given to the higher powers. Dad assumes it was transformed into a state that cannot be stolen or destroyed.

“So guys… There’s nothing left that can come after us. No Millennium Items, no more holy artifacts, no Shadow Games. We’re safe.”

There was a long pause.

Yumi munched on a breadstick…

She was a little worried herself, especially after her talks with the Pharaoh…

But she simply didn’t know what could threaten them this time…

Ren was the first to say it.

“You realize,” he said, “that if we all go to the top, we might have to duel each other. And not for fun like we usually do. It will be for real.”

They paused.

“Then it will be a duel of honor and integrity,” said Yumi. “Let’s make an agreement – we won’t disclose to each other anything about our updated decks that we don’t learn on our own. No one will have an advantage against each other.”

“Agreed,” both of them said.

Yumi paused.

“Even so…” she said. “Let’s try not to get into any duels without anyone for support. The sure way to defeat a group is with the Divide and Conquer strategy…”

It was true. Her grandparents had been the victims of such a trick a few times in the past. They had made the mistake of keeping to themselves in Battle City. If the two of them had stayed together, a lot of dangerous situations that they had fought alone would have been avoided…

Arkana…

Lumis and Umbra…

Not to mention the two of them being forced into a deathmatch with one of them brainwashed. It would have been avoided if Joey had had someone other than Tea to fight off the Rare Hunters in the first place.

Ever since her father had formed a group of his own, he remembered this… He tried his hardest never to let the group fall apart, lest one of them be caught alone…

It could lead to disaster.

* * * * * * * * * *

Ren walked into the dueling arena below deck.

He looked, and saw a duelist with a Blowback Dragon facing one with Gear Golem the Moving Fortress.

The duelist with Blowback Dragon drew a card. He was a short youth wearing a sweatshirt with a hood, baggy jeans, and a red bandana.

“Go!” he shouted. “Triple toss!”

Three golden coins dropped down in front of Blowback Dragon. They started to spin.

One stopped: Heads.

The second stopped: Tails.

The third: Heads

Gear Golem the Moving Fortress exploded.

“Attack directly!” shouted the youth. “Flaming forge!”

Blowback Dragon’s chest opened, and flame shot out. The youth’s opponent was knocked over.

Guess he won, thought Ren. Hope I don’t have to duel him…

As Ren watched, the youth motioned, and an older teenager went up to him. He was dressed in full “punk” ensemble, with a rainbow Mohawk and leather jacket.

The youth whispered something to the punk, and they looked at Ren.

“Aw, don’t worry, he’s harmless,” said the punk.

Ren made a sideways glance.

I heard that… he thought. They don’t know I did, but I did…

This could be trouble…

* * * * * * * * * *

Yumi was on the upper deck, looking out over the ocean.

The moon cast a soft glow on the sea.

The strange woman was standing behind her. Yumi tensed a little…

She turned around. Nothing was there…

The Pharaoh appeared beside her.

“You felt it too, huh?” she asked.

He nodded.

“It’s strange, Yumi…” he said. “This… familiar presence… I’ve been feeling it ever since I’ve known you. But it’s gotten stronger of late.”

“Is it bad?” asked Yumi.

“I don’t think so…” he replied. “But it might not be good either.”

“You think maybe some other restless spirit is hovering over my shoulder?” she asked.

The woman chuckled a little at that.

Yumi turned again, but again, she saw nothing.

Yumi took a deck out of a deck holder on her belt…

This wasn’t her regular deck, but her second deck.

She looked at it longingly.

This deck had been the product of three generations of work by the Mouto family. He grandfather had started working on it right after he had won Pegasus’s Duelist Kingdom, and he, her father, and herself had worked on it since. As of last week, it was done at last…

Three generations of work, and it was finally done…

“Yugi…” said the Pharaoh, “I know it’s tempting, but let’s hold off on that. We haven’t used it in a single duel, it’s completely untested, and in a tournament like this, we can’t afford to use a trial deck.”

“I guess you’re right,” said Yumi, returning it to the holder.

The woman reached over and gently stroked Yumi’s hair. She yawned.

“Look at the time…” she muttered. “We’re gonna be fighting jet lag tomorrow… Best get some shut eye…”

She turned and walked back to the cabins.

* * * * * * * * * *

Duelatopia.

In the Marshal Islands of the Central Pacific, this place had history dating back thousands of years…

Magical energy had long risen from its core, and when man was just becoming civilized, the powers of Heaven had chosen it as a location to hide a sacred artifact called the Mandate of Heaven. It was Earth’s defense against the armies of Hell, what prevented the infernal forces from making a full-scale invasion. With it in place, they simply couldn’t. Their numbers on Earth were severely limited.

In recent years, it had become threatened, so they entrusted a group of mortals to guard it… Chosen Ones who would give their lives to protect it from evil…

And one of them was Seto Kaiba.

To help protect it, he came out of retirement. He bought the entire island with his own funds.

And when he learned the nature of the threat that was posed, he devoted the bulk of KaibaCorp’s resources to one project – the building of a grandiose dueling resort that would be called Duelatopia.

Kaiba was willing to die before he gave information to the ones who wanted the Mandate… And sadly, he did indeed have to make that sacrifice. But before he breathed his last, he passed the secret and the mantle to his nephew, and chosen heir, Siegfried.

Siegfried presided over the first Duelatopia tournament as a mysterious armored ruler called the Master of Games, knowing that his ally would have to end the threat. And sadly, he gave his life to protect the Mandate as well. But the deaths of Seto and Siegfried were not in vain. The demon was defeated, and the Mandate was saved.

And now… Duelatopia lived on, a monument to dueling, and a memorial to two martyrs. In the past nineteen years, it had grown, in size and in splendor…

The three friends watched as it appeared over the horizon. The spires of shining buildings grew from the center, the largest of which was the holographic tower, a giant antenna that could generate the holograms for hundreds of Duel Disks at once.

Getting closer, they saw beaches and boardwalks, and other buildings. Duelatopia would be like the typical resort city, if not for the competition that the guests engaged in. It was far evolved from Pegasus’s Duelist Kingdom, where guests would have to sleep out under the stars and bring their own food. Here, it was a city with hotels and restaurants that would treat the guests well.

It wasn’t only a tournament… It was a vacation, in every sense of the word.

* * * * * * * * * *

Three boats were disembarking when Yumi, Chelsea, and Ren walked down onto the docks. Ren knew of this area… His dad had dueled Orin Tsunami here, at the gateway to Duelatopia.

But this time, a change had been made. The tower where the Master of Games had once welcomed their parents was gone. Would anyone be there to greet them?

A squad of Centurions stood in front of the ample crowd. Everyone knew enough to wait.

And then a huge, fiery dragon appeared in front of the crowd. It roared and spewed flame into the air.

“That’s Tyrant Dragon!” shouted Chelsea.

Then they noticed that a woman was perched on the Dragon’s head. It lowered its head to the ground, and she stepped off.

“Greetings, my friends,” she said, “I’m Sheena Arachne. And welcome to what promises to be a competition like none other. Duelatopia has been upgraded with a few new surprises, and the next six days are going to be a test of survival for all of you. Three hundred duelists are here, only eight will make it to the final rounds.

“The whole city is your arena. Duels can take place anytime, anywhere. Every public place has a spot where a duel can happen – just ask whoever is in charge.

“Now then, you might be wondering about those badges you all have. Do NOT lose them! You’re helpless without them.

“First of all, they are what links you to the trust fund that each duelist has been given. Each of you has four hundred dollars put aside that can be spent anywhere.”

“Four hundred?” said Ren, amazed. “Wait… how much is that in yen?”

“Now, you might wonder,” said Sheena, “is KaibaCorp crazy? Giving away $120,000? Don’t worry, we make more than ten times that in one hour.

“When you want to use your fund, scan the badge like a credit card, scanning it at one of our stores or restaurants. This fund is irredeemable elsewhere, so be sure to use it. On the other hand, once it’s all gone, you’ll have to use your own finances.

“Now, you get ahead in this competition as you’d expect… By dueling! The badges are Orange now, and change color with each victory or defeat. If you lose at Orange, you fall to Red… Lose then, and it will fade to Black, and then, I’m afraid you’re out. Still, you may stay and enjoy our hospitality and attractions, the least of which will be the finals, which everyone will be invited to free of charge.

“If you ever want to have an unofficial duel, for fun, you and your opponent can temporarily turn off the badge by turning the small switch in the back, and it will remain off for one hour. But a duel cannot take place if one duelist’s badge is on and another’s is off.

“Win an official duel, and you can progress to Yellow, then Green, Blue, Violet, Silver, and finally Gold.

“However, if you’re at Silver, you can’t just find someone with Red status to get an easy advance to Gold. In order for you to advance, your opponent can be no lower than one rank below you. This rule has been in effect for the past six years to make sure that the higher ranking guests don’t seek out the lower ones. If you win a duel against someone with too low a rank, you will not advance, and he will not be downgraded. However, if you win a duel against a duelist who is a much higher rank than you, you will indeed be upgraded, and your opponent will be downgraded.

“Again, this rule is in effect to make sure that the stronger duelists do not seek out the less strong.

“The first eight duelists to reach Gold will be given a spot in the finals. If you miss the finals, keep dueling! If you reach Gold anyway, you’ll get a consolation prize, a grab bag of great cards.

“Now, there are two types of employees in Duelatopia you should know about. The first are the legendary Eliminators. I trust you’ve heard stories about these folks… Tread cautiously if you locate one of them. If you can defeat them, you will be upgraded one level, as always. In addition, you’ll get one or more incredibly rare cards, and get one other priceless gift. I cannot elaborate on that. But if you lose, you will be disqualified. Also, you may be punished, depending on the Eliminator’s whims.

“Again, tread with caution. These duelists are without mercy or compassion. They are trained not to win, but to make sure their opponents lose.

“The other employee is a new addition that we call a Bonus. These folks could be any employee you see in Duelatopia. A store owner, bellhop, ice cream man… They might approach you with a challenge, and the reward is the same as a standard duel – one upgrade for winning, but no downgrade for losing. You might also be able to make some small wager in the process.

“After six days, the finals will be held. The winner will receive the grand prize of five million American dollars.”

Murmurs broke out among the crowd.

“How much is that in yen?” asked Ren.

“And also…” continued Sheena. “A special prize. The winner gets one request. Anything he or she wants that KaibaCorp’s deep pockets can provide. The sky’s the limit for the one who goes all the way.

“Now that I’ve explained the good stuff, some ground rules…”

She paused.

“You’ve already met the Centurions, and they exist to keep the peace. Three things are absolutely not allowed in this city – fighting, stealing, and cheating. Do not think you are in the clear merely because you don’t see a man in armor. Several of them work undercover. And if you think you can tamper with a Disk so that illegal cards will work on it, guess again. That has been attempted many times in the past, and the perpetrators have always regretted it. Using an older model won’t work either. That’s another trick that many have tried and no-one has gotten away with. No matter what is done to a Disk, no matter what model is used, we can detect what cards are used, I assure you.

“Now that that’s out of the way…

“Dueling commences at seven AM tomorrow morning. The gates of the city await!”

She climbed back on the Dragon’s back, and it vanished in a burst of flame.

The gates opened, and everyone started moving towards them.

“Slowly!” warned one of the Centurions. “No one is going to get hurt…”

“What hotel are we in?” asked Chelsea.

“According to this, Camelot,” said Yumi. “The guidebook says it’s the second-best hotel.”

“Mmm, Sam probably has the best…” sighed Ren.

* * * * * * * * * *

Camelot was well-named. The lavish hotel (all the hotels were lavish) seemed to have the underlying theme of three of the Mouto family’s signature Monsters – Queen’s Knight, King’s Knight, and Jack’s Knight.

Fighting jet lag, most of the guests of Duelatopia ate light that evening, and tried to sleep early.

And once asleep, they dreamed…

One night remains before the tournament officially begins on Duelatopia. Sleep well, rest well everybody. Because when morning comes, you’ll need all your strength to fight your way towards the top!


Chelsea: Well, it was a long trip, but I’m ready to get started.

Yumi: So am I. I just have to find an opponent…

Ren: Hey, Yumi… That guy in the cowboy hat looks like he’s checking you out.

Chelsea: Heh… Wonder what sort of deck a cowboy plays?

Yumi: Maybe we should find out. There’s no time like the present.

Next time, “The First Duel! Princess of Games!”

Ren: I could sure use some popcorn for this…

[Shuppet Master]

Well, needless to say, I'm quite impressed, Brian. Your final Yu-Gi-Oh fanfic started off with a bang.

Prologue: I really enjoyed seeing Samantha, she was everything I expected her to be and more. The way she taunted Yumi on TV and how Yumi was enjoying it when Samantha was being dropped in life points reminded me sort of the relationship between Chazz and Syrus.

Chapter 1: It is stuff like this that makes me feel proud to have created characters like Sheena, even if the stories don't fly high enough. I liked Sir Percival, Connie, and the whole talk between Yumi and the Pharoah. (Wasn't Yumi the name of Fran's childhood friend?)

I like the changes to Duelatopia. Keep it up!

[Hinoryu]

Hmm. I'm hooked already, I think.

Yumi, for some reason, irritates me slightly, but I think it's just my bias against Mutous in general, so putting that aside, she seems an interesting character. Mentioning that she 'had to get used to Atemu being in there while she showered' amused me.

I like Chelsea. I admit freely to enjoying the characters who can see the ghost-type people, and rather than helping them, just get harassed. It's a form of comedy that is used far too rarely.

Ren, I haven't been able to form an opinion of yet, but he seems okay.

Sam is probably my favorite character so far. She seems half-goofball, half-serious, and Kaiba's probably rolling in his grave that his heir seems to have not inherited his badassery.

For the Duelatopia tournament thing itself... It's honestly just like your others so far. "Here's your cash, here's your island, go wail on each other 'til you're ranked high enough." However, I'm sure it'll get twisted to hell (figuratively, not literally, this time) soon enough.

I'll refrain from comment on the mysterious villain until we actually know more about him.

[Inferno_Dragon]

This fanfic is interesting. It has twists and turns ... but I can't say anymore because even though I have read Dark Sage's fanfics, you never know what to expect.

[Neo Arkadia]

Long time lurking reader on FF.N and recent lurker here at PM. Great story so far. For the sake of critical reviews, stuff I liked and disliked.

Pros:
- Chelsea has fantastic potential. A vampire/immortal deck is rather unprecidented for a major character who isn't Camula or Dark Marik/Dark Malik. Great nod to the canon explaination of the near extinction of the vampires.

- Ren I'm curious about, as we got hints as to Yumi, Sam, and Chelsea's characters, but not much to base what Ren's about, other than he has a guitar and likes to be in the know with his currency exchange rates.

- From the previews and hints made, your major villain for Sorcerer Kings has the potential to be a great villain, and something that's *never* been done in the fandom as far as I know. Only time will tell.

- Love how Ren keeps asking "How much is that in Yen?". Not something that should be used constantly, unless you plan to, but a great quip where it was used, regardless.

- As Hinoryu said, Sam is a great mixture of her great-uncle's awesome with a silliness only more normal childhoods bring.

Cons:
- What are people with non-Japanese names, ignoring the Arachnes, doing in Japan? Not a biggy, just... I'm picky. Though, Yumi's friends having English names are understandable, due to the wealth of the three families from their rampant escapades in tournaments in the past.

- Not so much a con, but curious, what were the European Ghosts tagging along with Chelsea doing in Japan? Or is this a plot point you're saving? It's a great angle with the ghosts, just curious.

- Zerato and Sanctuary seems a little overdone, but it refrences the end of Mandate in a neat way, so it honestly balances out in the end.

Random Commentary:
- I am curious, what *kind* of deck WOULD a Cowboy use? I have a few ideas, but I'll end up being surprised in the end.

- The Kaibas and even those related to the Kaibas without the Kaiba name, poor guys, they can't ever seem to have a tournament without somebody hacking into their tournament or using it for some dastardly scheme in the end.

- Trial deck? Hmm. Few ideas what that could be. But politeness to the author suggests I not say what it is until after it's revealled.

I am excited to see this fic, and love to see your work. Hope I haven't been too rude.

[ssj4supernerd]

Nice. I like how Yumi's a bit more...arrogant than the previous mains, which is good. One thing: Didn't you say, at the end of The Mandate of Heaven, Yugi Jr. became Master of Games?

[Dark Sage]

Since you are a new reader, I will address your concerns.

- Chelsea has fantastic potential. A vampire/immortal deck is rather unprecidented for a major character who isn't Camula or Dark Marik/Dark Malik. Great nod to the canon explaination of the near extinction of the vampires.

Yes, I'm having a lot of fun with Chelsea. I tried to break the mold with her on what a heroine duelist should use.

- Ren I'm curious about, as we got hints as to Yumi, Sam, and Chelsea's characters, but not much to base what Ren's about, other than he has a guitar and likes to be in the know with his currency exchange rates.

Sorry I didn't introduce more of Ren, but he'll develop further as the fic progresses. I won't say much now, but he'll have a character of his own.

- From the previews and hints made, your major villain for Sorcerer Kings has the potential to be a great villain, and something that's *never* been done in the fandom as far as I know. Only time will tell.

Mmm. I did a lot of work on this villain. More I can't say. I'll keep quiet until he appears, which will happen gradually.

- Love how Ren keeps asking "How much is that in Yen?". Not something that should be used constantly, unless you plan to, but a great quip where it was used, regardless.

Don't worry, I don't intend to use that joke again.

- As Hinoryu said, Sam is a great mixture of her great-uncle's awesome with a silliness only more normal childhoods bring.

Combining your remark with Hinoryu, you'll all see just how much of a badass Sam can be. Trust me, she still has Kaiba's blood in her, and it will show.

- What are people with non-Japanese names, ignoring the Arachnes, doing in Japan? Not a biggy, just... I'm picky. Though, Yumi's friends having English names are understandable, due to the wealth of the three families from their rampant escapades in tournaments in the past.

I have a good reason - I can't remember Japanese names very well. Basically, I used English-sounding names so I could write better and not get them mixed up.

- Not so much a con, but curious, what were the European Ghosts tagging along with Chelsea doing in Japan? Or is this a plot point you're saving? It's a great angle with the ghosts, just curious.

Chelsea's "fan club" will include ghosts of all nationalities, including a few Japanese ones. Why they've all been drawn to Japan depends on the individual ghost. Chelsea knows that no ghost wants to be on Earth - being one is a curse, and they can be complicated.

- Zerato and Sanctuary seems a little overdone, but it refrences the end of Mandate in a neat way, so it honestly balances out in the end.

I know, but it was just there for an introduction. Zerato certainly won't appear again.

- I am curious, what *kind* of deck WOULD a Cowboy use? I have a few ideas, but I'll end up being surprised in the end.

Wait for next chapter. You're sure to be surprised.

- The Kaibas and even those related to the Kaibas without the Kaiba name, poor guys, they can't ever seem to have a tournament without somebody hacking into their tournament or using it for some dastardly scheme in the end.

Well, Kaiba himself was to blame the first time. He let the Rare Hunters into Battle City on purpose. I can say right now, Sheena will not be as tolerant.

- Trial deck? Hmm. Few ideas what that could be. But politeness to the author suggests I not say what it is until after it's revealled.

Tie me down and torture me with branding irons if you want. This is one secret that you will NEVER get out of me.

Keep reading.

- DS

[starjake]

Tie me down and torture me with branding irons if you want. This is one secret that you will NEVER get out of me.

Keep reading.

Perhaps this is just a personal nitpick of mine, but every time you say something like that (which is pretty often, I find), it makes me want to read the story less, not more.

Onto the story itself...your goadings aside, I want to continue reading. You've definitely made several distinct characters (I'm thinking of Samantha and Yumi in particular; you've also differentiated Chelsea and Ren with their little quirks). I was wondering how you were going to incorperate the Kaiba/Moto rivalry; having a Moto without a Kaiba to be his/her rival just seems...incomplete. Kudos.

I see you borrowed from the Amanda Jikarn character from Dark Messiah by not having Samantha use a Deck that 'fits' her; not a bad thing to borrow. It's still possible to win without your 'own' Deck (as Amanda, Samantha, and my own real-life experiences have proven). I wonder what this new deck, oce it finally rears its head, will be like - obviously she can't use Seto's infamous trio, but perhaps some of his other cards will have woven their way into her Deck...or perhaps her mother's love of Insects will have influenced her decision. I suppose only time - and more chapters - will tell.

I'm still a little wary though; I've been reading through some of your old fics, and they all have one thing in common: they start out great and tend to grow a bit stale as time passes. The fact that this story seems to have started off the same way as your others have worries me further; I dearly hope that this fic breaks tradition. I'm looking forward to another slew of villains, heroes (hopefully all with different personalities...), and interesting deck themes and duels.

Until next chapter, this is StarJake, signing off.

[Dark Sage]

A small note:

In this chapter, a duelist uses two copies of a card that, as of the last Forbidden/Limited list, is Limited.

The outline for this chapter was written before I knew about this. Anyway, in a reality where Pot of Greed and Monster Reborn are legal, it isn’t much of a stretch for this card to be Semi-Limited or not Limited at all. Besides, cards come on and off the list with increasing frequency. So no one bring it up if you notice it.

CHAPTER TWO



The First Duel!



Princess of Games!

Dreams are fickle things. They come and go, and they are fleeting in our waking hours…

For the dreamers that night, everyone in Duelatopia who dreamed them dreamed of glory. Visions from their fantasies played out in their heads.

In a hotel down the street, Samantha Arachne dreamed of wandering through the dark caves of the Underworld, clothed in a dark dress and a golden crown. Vicious demons crawled from the shadows; she pointed, and they all fell on their knees before her…

In the adjoining room, Erik Matell dreamed of the French Revolution. Cannons blasted, muskets blazed… Soldiers marched to battle…

Chelsea Ramset dreamed herself in a creepy castle, dressed in an Elizabethan era dress. She held a mallet in one hand and a wooden stake in the other… A golden cross was around her neck, and a garlic chain was tied to her belt. She looked around nervously at the shadows…

Ren Marris dreamed of flying, but not via his own power. He dreamt he rode a winged dragon as a mount, soaring over the countryside. He felt the wind in his face, and the rush of air around him…

And as for Yumi…

She dreamed herself in the days of ancient Egypt, witnessing the original contests that had inspired Duel Monsters.

All seemed to be quiet…

And it was for now…

In another hotel on the strip, in the penthouse suite (available only by special request, and not for free), one man didn’t dream. He couldn’t, because he did not sleep. A side effect of something he had been doing to himself for years.

He hated doing it, because the unnatural insomnia made him bitter and cold. He could be friendly and courteous to others if he wanted to be, but it would always be an act. He wanted to stop doing what he did to himself, and if his plans worked, he could. Then he’d be free to sleep again… And he could freely dream…

As he looked out onto the island, two teenagers, one boy and one girl, stood behind him. They were still able to sleep, and they would shortly. But a few last-minute details had to be discussed first.

“Is everyone out there?” asked the man, turning towards them.

“Uh huh,” said the boy. “Everyone’s ready to start looking. It’s gonna be just like a big scavenger hunt.”

“Mmm…” said the man, rubbing his chin. “But to start a scavenger hunt, one needs a list… And finding one before our ‘friends’ do will be the first step.”

* * * * * * * * * *

It was six-thirty AM the next day, the first day of the competition.

In the very center of Duelatopia, not far from each other, were two huge buildings. Both were off limits to guests – one would open its doors eventually, but the other was for staff only.

The one that would open was the grand Coliseum where the finals would be held. A small army of Centurions patrolled the outskirts, making sure that its secrets remained hidden for now.

But even more of these soldiers patrolled the other building, which no guest would ever enter. The enormous holographic projection tower, the power source for every duel that would take place on the island, loomed over the skyline.

Inside, amid monitors and mainframes walked a woman who looked to be in her early forties. Dr. Cassandra Chang, D.Eng (Doctor of Engineering) had been with Duelatopia from day one, and had no intention of slowing down just yet. She had been here since four AM, and was going to make certain that the Tower started transmitting at seven.

Not one second later. Come Hell or high water.

A technician came up to her.

“That was the last dry run,” he said. “We’re all set to go. There’s no chance of an error.”

“There’s always some chance…” replied Chang. “A wise man once said, the only absolute in life is that there are no absolutes.”

“Okay…” said the technician, nervously. “There’s about a 0.01% chance of an error.”

Chang looked at the clock, which read six thirty-three and forty seconds.

She typed something into the mainframe, and took a key from around her neck. She fit the key into a slot.

When the clock ticked to six thirty-four, she turned the key, and the numbers 26:00:00 appeared on the screen.

A countdown began, right down to the tenths of the seconds…

* * * * * * * * * *

Ren yawned.

“I know you wanted to get an early start, Yumi…” he said, as he looked over the outdoor café that was in front of the hotel, “but this is pretty early…”

Yumi sipped her orange juice.

“It’s in my blood, I guess,” she said. “In Battle City, grandpa’s duel with that cheating Rare Hunter was the first duel of the tournament. It was quite a duel… See…”

“We saw the tape, Yumi,” chuckled Chelsea. “Your grandpa was quite the duelist. I guess that whole Heart of the Cards thing wasn’t just fluff…”

Yumi sighed. She took out her deck.

“I dunno, guys…” she said. “I don’t share his sentiments exactly on that point… I mean, faith is a good part of it, sure…

“But there are other factors as well… Skill, strategy, smarts, good deck construction… Knowing what card to use at what time… And a little luck never hurt anyway.”

She looked at Dark Magician Girl again.

“And my dad always told me to remember a key rule about dueling… It’s never over until the last card is played! In other words, don’t give up.

“You know, sometimes I’ve considered adding a second Dark Magician to this deck to increase her potential… But… It isn’t her powers that make me want to keep her… It’s something deeper.

“You ever get so close to a card that it stands out? Something that makes you favor it among all others?”

“Well…” said Ren, looking at his own deck, “right now, it’s hard to say…”

“Howdy folks,” said a voice.

They looked up, and saw that the greeting had come from a young man, about nineteen or so. He was dressed in a leather duster and jeans, and a white cowboy hat. A Duel Disk was on his arm.

“You’re Yumi Mouto, right?” he asked, tipping his hat.

“I am, and you are?” she replied.

“Hector Dupree,” he replied. “Call me Heck, everyone does. And ah must say, as far as your family is concerned, ah’m a big fan.”

He sat down.

“Really?” said Yumi. “So the Moutos are well known even in Texas…”

“Montana, actually,” said Heck. “Ah gotta tell ya, in that place, when you mind cattle for your folks, bein’ a duelist is hard. Not many places to get cards, and even fewer places to compete. But look at me, ah was able to win what tournaments ah got into. Won last year in Kaibaland Seattle’s West Coast Tournament.”

Yumi smirked a little. She had never been to Kaibaland Seattle, but she knew about it. Until it opened five years ago, Seattle was known for two things – Starbucks and the Space Needle. The new addition was quite welcome.

“I guess you need something to do when you have to watch a group of cows,” replied Yumi.

“Herd,” corrected Heck.

“What?” asked Yumi.

“It’s herd,” said Heck. “Herd of cows.”

“Well, sure I’ve heard of cows!” laughed Yumi. “Hasn’t everyone?”

Ren and Chelsea laughed.

“Eh, ah walked right into that one…” muttered Heck.

He looked at her.

“You are feisty…” he said. “Ah gotta wonder if you’re as good as your folks were…”

“Is that a challenge?” asked Yumi, with a sinister grin.

Heck sighed.

He took off his glove and then tapped Yumi on the cheek with it.

“You’re on!” she said with a laugh. “Let it be known that it is now ten minutes to seven…”

* * * * * * * * * *

As the clock slowly inched towards seven, Yumi and Heck stood with their backs to each other, shuffling.

“So, what sort of deck does a cowboy use?” asked Ren.

“Dunno…” muttered Chelsea. “Beasts? Frankly, I have no clue…”

Yumi and Heck stared at each other…

* * * * * * * * * *

In the Tower, the countdown read 01:02:43.

Then 00:32:19…

Finally, it hit 00:00:00, and the zeroes turned blue.

”Holographic projection tower operational,” said a computerized voice. ”Now transmitting.”

* * * * * * * * * *

Yumi and Heck loaded their decks into their Disks, and with a whir, the crescent trays extended.

“Game on!” they both said at once.

The Puzzle around Yumi neck started to glow, and in a blinding flash of light, a change started to occur… After a few seconds, she had grown about half a head, and appeared a little older, with sharper features, longer, fuller hair, and a more serious expression.

“All right…” she said, in a deeper, huskier voice. “I’ll let you make the first move. I wouldn’t want to hog the spotlight, after all…”

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

“All right, little lady…” said Heck, drawing his first card. “Let’s see what we have here…”

He looked over the cards in his hand.

“Think ah’ll place this in Defense Mode, and that will be my turn for now.”

He placed a card on his Disk, and a hidden Monster appeared.

Yumi drew one card, and looked over her own hand.

Not the worst… she thought. But not the best either… But I can fix that…

She chose a card from her hand.

“I play my Graceful Charity,” she said, playing the card.

In an aura of light, a lovely angel appeared above her. Her feathers fell on Yumi’s deck, and she drew three cards.

Yumi looked over the eight cards in her hand. Then she discarded two of them.

“I summon my Magician’s Valkyria in Attack Mode,” she said.

In a flash of light, a tall, female figure appeared. She looked like Dark Magician Girl at first glance, but was brunette instead of blonde, and had a fancier dress, hat, and scepter.

She looked at Heck, and her eyes narrowed… (1,600/1,800)

“Valkyria, attack!” she shouted. “Light beam blast!”

Valkyria gave a stern look and cast an eldritch spell. She shot a blast of pure light at the facedown card…

A young man in a white toga with feathered wings appeared crouching on the card. He was blown to pixilated remains.

“Uh oh…” muttered Ren.

“Heh…” said Heck, taking his deck. “Thanks a bunch, Yumi. When Shining Angel bites the dust in a battle, ah get to bring out any Light Monster from my deck that ah want, so long as it has 1,500 Attack Points or less.”

He looked through his deck.

“Now let’s see… ah think Y-Dragon Head should do…”

He placed a card on his Disk, and a red, shiny Machine that looked like a dragon with large wings and a beak materialized in a flash of light. (1,500/1,600)

“Terrific…” said Ren. “I think now we know what kind of deck he’s playing…”

Yumi looked at her cards.

She fit a card into her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

“That’s all I can do,” she said. “It’s your move…”

Heck drew a card.

“First, ah’ll play a Spell Card,” he said. “It’s called Frontline Base…”

He played a card, showing the image of a dark knight riding a flying dragon.

“Don’t you have one of those in your deck?” asked Chelsea.

“Yeah…” answered Ren. “It’s a Continuous Spell that will let him Special Summon a low-level Union Monster from his hand every round. And now I’m really sure I know how his deck works…”

“Now another Spell Card,” continued Heck, placing another card in his Disk. “Soul Absorption. This neat accessory gives me five Cs worth of Life Points every time a card is removed from play. And with my deck, that happens rather often.

“Next, I summon X-Head Cannon…”

He played a card, and a blue robot with a helmet-like head, clawed arms, twin lasers on its shoulders, and no legs materialized. (1,800/1,500)

“And finally, thanks to Frontline Base, I can summon Z-Metal Tank.”

A third Machine materialized, this one a yellow caterpillar tank with one optic lens, thick treads, and no arms. (1,500/1,300)

“And now…” he said with a grin, “ah’ll bring them all together!”

Y-Dragon Head folded its wings and fused to the top of Z-Metal Tank with a whir and a clank. Then X-Head Cannon changed shape and bonded to the top of both of them, shooting steam from where they connected.

“Forming the XYZ-Dragon Cannon,” he said.

(2,800/2,600)

Yumi stepped back nervously… Magician’s Valkyria looked a little nervous as well.

Then three globes of golden light flew into Heck, and he glowed.

“And since ah removed three cards from play to summon it,” he said, “ah get a boost from Soul Absorption.”

He held up another card. It was a Sangan.

“And its ability is pretty nifty too,” he continued. “Ah just gotta ditch one card and ah can send one card on the field packing.”

He discarded the Sangan, and Magician’s Valkyria was blasted into bits.

“You’re wide open!” he shouted. “XYZ, attack her directly! De-fission lasers!”

The Machine aimed its guns…

“Watch out Yumi!” screamed Ren and Chelsea.

With a roar, the Machine blasted its cannons. Yumi shielded herself and grit her teeth as an explosion ripped through her…

(Y: 5,200) -------------------- (H: 9,500)

“Good lord!” shouted Ren.

“She just got nailed!” shouted Chelsea.

Yumi gasped for breath and staggered a bit…

“Gee, Yumi…” said Heck, “ah’m kinda disappointed… ah’m guessing that the apple sorta fell pretty far from the tree this time, if you know what ah mean…”

“Oh, don’t worry…” said Yumi, with a grin. “I think I’m just about ready to get my second wind…

“And as my grandpa used to say… When I see a powerful Monster… I get excited…”

She drew a card.

She looked over the ones in her hand.

This might work… she thought, but it’s going to take a lot of luck and perfect timing…

And I think I might know what he’ll likely do next…

She took Blast Magician from her hand.

“I set one Monster in Defense Mode, and toss one card facedown,” she said.

The facedown Monster appeared, and a facedown cards appeared next to the first.

“End turn…” she said.

Heck drew a card. He looked at it.

“Ah play… Pot of Greed…” he said.

He played the card, and the jar appeared in front of him.

He drew two cards.

“Next, ah play D.D. Treasure.”

He played a Spell Card, bearing the image of D.D. Warrior Lady opening a chest with a golden glow illuminating her face.

“And what does that do?” asked Yumi.

“Ah gotta play this during my Standby Phase,” he answered. “But at my End Phase, ah get to draw one card for each of my cards that ah removed from play this turn. So long as they were on the field when they were removed.

“Ready for more? Well, ah got more. Ah summon V-Tiger Jet.”

He played the card, and a Machine that looked like a cross between a jet plane and a robotic tiger appeared in a flash. (1,600/1,800)

“And now, thanks to Frontline Base, ah can summon W-Wing Catapult!”

He played his last card, and a blue, double-engine jet plane appeared. (1,300/1,500)

“He has the whole set!” exclaimed Ren.

“And now…” said Heck, “ah bring them together…”

V-Tiger Jet and W-Wing Catapult soared into the sky and combined in a flash of light, fusing into a larger Machine that was a combination of both.

“Meet my VW-Tiger Catapult,” he continued. (2,000/2,100)

“And now… Let’s take it even higher… The sky’s the limit!”

The two Machines in front of him burst into their component pieces…

Slowly, they all started to fuse together into a new shape…

…taking form into a giant, thirty-foot-tall robot that looked like a combination of all five Machines. It had weapons all over its thick, multicolored armor, and a grim expression on its face.

“It’s the VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon! The V-through-Z!”

(3,000/2,800)

“Impressed?”

“Frankly, no…” replied Yumi. “Where I come from, you really can’t turn on the TV or go to the movies without seeing a giant robot mecha every now and then… We pretty much invented the concept.”

Four more orbs of energy flew into Heck.

“Funny…” he said. “Don’t forget, I removed four more cards from play to create it, so I get two more Gs from Soul Absorption.”

(Yumi: 5,200) -------------------- (Heck: 11,500)

“Good grief!” shouted Chelsea. “As if he needed any more Life Points?”

“I think Yumi’s got bigger problems,” said Ren, nervously.

“Ah’m about to get 500 more,” said Heck. “Because now, due to one of V-to-Z’s effects, it can remove one of your cards from play.”

Yumi’s facedown Monster vanished.

“And now…” commanded Heck, “attack Yumi directly!”

VWXYZ’s weapons glowed.

“Hold it right there!” shouted Yumi.

One of her facedown cards lifted. It showed the image of a dark hero with a demonic mask flying out of a portal.

“Huh? A Trap?” said Heck, startled. “What is it?”

“It’s called A Hero Emerges,” said Yumi. “Now you have to choose a card from my hand. If it’s a Spell or Trap, it goes to the Graveyard. But if it’s a Monster, I get to Special Summon it right now.”

She held up her hand of cards, which currently consisted of three cards.

“All right, all right…” muttered Heck. “Far left…”

“Well…” said Yumi, taking the card. “You chose the main man himself!”

She placed the card on her Disk, and Dark Magician appeared, kneeling in Defense Mode. (2,500/2,100)

“Heh, heh…” chuckled Heck. “Your family’s signature Monster, huh? Well, you saved yourself some Life Points, but not all… Because my Cannon can switch the battle position of the Monster it attacks. So ah’ll switch your Magician to Attack Mode.”

Dark Magician stood up…

A grin appeared on his face, and Yumi grinned wickedly.

The Cannon prepared to fire…

“That’s just what I wanted you to do, Heck,” she said, as her other facedown card lifted. “Activate… Rush Recklessly!

“It gives 700 Attack Points to one Monster on the field, and I think I’ll give them to Dark Magician!”

Dark Magician glowed, and his Attack Score rose to 3,200…

The Cannon fired, and Dark Magician swatted the beam aside with his staff. The VWYZ Dragon Catapult Cannon sparked and explosions erupted all over its hull. Finally, it collapsed, and exploded into a burst of hot debris.

Heck shielded himself from the fiery scrap…

“Well, dagnabbit…” he said.

(Y: 5,200) -------------------- (H: 11,800)

* * * * * * * * * * *

Among the spectators who had gathered to watch, a figure was taking notes.

So… thought the figure, the apple hasn’t fallen too far after all…

I was wondering when Dark Magician would show up…

The figure looked at the two names that were already written on the notebook:

Obnoxious Celtic Guardian and Beta the Magnet Warrior.

The figure smirked as Dark Magician was written under then. That guy was pretty obvious…



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



Dark Magician glared at Heck…

“Well, ain’t that a fine how’d you do…” muttered Heck. “Anyway, my D.D. Treasure activates now… Since ah removed four cards from play that round, ah get four draws…”

He drew four cards.

“Which means your turn is over,” said Yumi, “so it’s my move…”

She drew a card.

“First, I summon Skilled Dark Magician,” she said, playing a card.

In a shadowy aura, a Spellcaster in a bulky black robe and a flat-topped skullcap, with three disks on his collar, holding a staff appeared. (1,900/1,700)

“Next…” she continued, “I play the Spell Card, Dedication Through Light And Darkness.”

She played the card, and dark tendrils emerged from it, enveloping Dark Magician.

“It lets me sacrifice my Dark Magician for someone better… the Dark Magician of Chaos!”

In a flash, the powerful chaos mage stepped out of the shadows. (2,800/2,600)

“And just by summoning him,” she continued, “I get to reclaim one Spell Card from my Graveyard.”

A card slipped out of her discard slot. She looked at it for a minute.

“And then…” she said, taking her last card, “I’ll play Monster Reborn, to bring back an old friend…”

She played the card, and the glowing ankh appeared. Dark Magician appeared on it. (2,500/2,100)

Heck gulped.

Yumi grinned.

“Skilled Dark Magician…” she said, “you’re up first. Attack directly!”

Skilled Dark Magician cast a powerful spell, and Heck staggered back as it hit him.

“Dark Magician of Chaos, scepter strike!”

The stronger mage spun his staff, and fired a more lethal spell, and Heck howled.

“Dark Magician… dark… magic… attack!”

Dark Magician cast his powerful incantation, and Heck fell on one knee. His hat fell off his head.

(Y: 5,200) -------------------- (H: 4,600)

“Whoa, that was intense!” shouted Chelsea.

“After an assault like that,” said Ren, “I’d wager his ten-gallon hat is feeling five gallons flat.”

“The apple fell far from the tree, huh?” asked Yumi.

Heck panted for breath.

He chuckled, and picked up his hat.

“Okay…” he muttered, putting it back on. “Guess you are pretty good… Well, ah like a challenge ah can sink my teeth into. No pain, no gain, ah always say…”

“Well, I’ll place this facedown, and end my turn,” said Yumi, fitting her card into her Disk.

Heck drew a card.

“That’s Rush Recklessly again, right?” he asked. “Ah ain’t dumb, Yumi…”

Yumi just glared at him.

He looked at what he had drawn.

“Okey-dokey…” he said. “Ah play this… Dimension Fusion. It might cost me two Gs, but now ah can bring back a bunch of Monsters that were removed from play.”

He played the card, and in five bursts of light, X-Head Cannon (1,800/1,500), Y-Dragon Head (1,500/1,600), Z-Metal Tank (1500/1,300), V-Tiger Jet (1,600/1,800), and W-Wing Catapult (1,300/1,500) reappeared.

“You’re forgetting,” said Yumi, “I also get to summon anything of mine that’s been removed from play. So I summon Blast Magician in Defense Mode.”

A mage in fiery red robes holding a scythe-like staff appeared. He crouched in defense. (1,400/1,700)

“Fine,” said Heck. “Now I’ll remove them from play to summon the bigger Machines again…”

The Machines combined, forming a second XYZ-Dragon Cannon (2,800/2,600) and a second VW-Tiger Catapult (2,000/2,100).

“Now I’ll combine the bigger ones into my biggest one again!”

The two of them shattered into pieces, and combined into the VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon again. (3,000/2,800)

“This is getting out of hand…” said Chelsea.

“And don’t forget…” said Heck, “Ah just removed seven cards from play again, and Soul Absorption is still there, so ah get back what I lost, plus 1,500 more…”

(Y: 5,200) -------------------- (H: 6,600)

“Now, I’ll Normal Summon a second X-Head Cannon…”

He played the card, and another of the tier-one Machines appeared. (1,800/1,500)

“Now ah’ll use my big gun’s effect to remove Dark Magician of Chaos from play…”

Dark Magician of Chaos vanished.

“You can activate Rush Recklessly if you want,” said Heck, “my Cannon can shift him into Defense Mode when you try it.

“Attack Dark Magician!”

The guns fired, and Dark Magician was blown to bits.

“Eh?” he asked. “No Rush Recklessly?”

“Nope,” said Yumi.

Heck shrugged.

“Now, X-Head Cannon, attack Blast Magician!”

X-Head Cannon fired, and Blast Magician was blown away.

“That’s all for me for now, so ah’ll turn it over ta you,” he said.

(Y: 4,700) -------------------- (H: 7,100)

“I don’t get it,” said Chelsea. “He should have removed Dark Magician from play.”

“Maybe he was planning to use another Dimension Fusion,” said Ren. “He realized that Dark Magician of Chaos would be removed from play either way by his own effect, so he didn’t want to give Yumi any more to summon.”

“True,” said Chelsea, “but he forgot all about Skilled Dark Magician…”

Ren looked, and saw that all three of the disks on Skilled Dark Magician’s collar were glowing.

“Oh yeah…” said Ren.

Yumi drew a card.

“I play my own Pot of Greed…” she said.

She played the card, and the evil-looking jar appeared in front of her. She drew two cards and it shattered.

She looked at the two cards.

“Now, since more than enough Spell Cards have been played, I’ll sacrifice Skilled Dark Magician to revive Dark Magician from my Graveyard.”

Skilled Dark Magician vanished in a burst of darkness, and Dark Magician appeared again. (2,500/2,100)

“Next I’ll summon… Injection Fairy Lily!”

She played the card, and a cute-looking nurse with wings holding a huge syringe appeared. (400/1,500)

“Hell-ooo!” she said with a big smile and a wave.

“Now, by paying 2,000 Life Points,” said Yumi, “I can raise her Attack Points by 3,000!”

Lily laughed, and rose to 3,400 Attack.

“Lily, take down that oversized scrap heap! Stabbing syringe strike!”

“Say ah!” laughed Lily.

The Spellcaster flew forward and hurled her syringe. The giant robot exploded in a second fiery blast.

“Dark Magician!” shouted Yumi. “Attack X-Head Cannon! Dark magic attack!”

Dark Magician fired a blast, and the Machine exploded.

“I end my turn,” she finally said.

(Y: 2,700) -------------------- (H: 6,400)

She looked at her last card. Then she looked at her facedown card.

Next round, I’ll have the best ending to my first duel that I could hope for, she thought.

Heck nervously drew.

He looked at his cards.

“First, ah’ll place a card facedown…” he said.

He fit a card into his Disk and a facedown card appeared.

“Now ah play a powerful Spell Card. It’s called Dimensional Destruction Cannon – STU…”

He fit the card into his Disk.

“Uhm, that stands for Super Thunder Unit, by the way.”

“I never heard of that card…” said Ren.

“It’s simple…” said Heck. “It lets me ignore the Special Summoning requirements for V-through-Z and Special Summon it from the Graveyard, so long as I Equip it with this card…”

In a flash of light, the VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon reappeared, and a HUGE cannon appeared on its left arm. (3,000/2,800)

“Of course…” continued Heck, “it loses it regular effects. But it gains a good new one – a trampling effect.

“So Yumi… I know that Lily can destroy it again, but if she does, it’s gonna cost you 2,000 more Life Points, and only cost me 400.

“V-through-Z…”

The giant cannon started to glow and take in energy…

“…attack Dark Magician!”

“Not so fast!” shouted Yumi.

Her facedown card lifted.

“I activate… Magical Dimension. Now since I have at least one Spellcaster on the field, I can sacrifice a Monster, such as Lily…”

Lily vanished.

“AND, I get to summon a Spellcaster from my hand… Come on out, Dark Magician Girl!”

In a flash of light, the young, nubile apprentice of Dark Magician appeared. She turned towards Dark Magician and they nodded to each other. (2,000/1,700)

“That’s what it was?” exclaimed Heck.

“Yep,” replied Yumi. “I put this in my Graveyard when I used Graceful Charity, and was able to get it back with my chaos mage’s effect.

“And as another effect of Magical Dimension, now I get to destroy one Monster,” she continued. “So say goodbye to your Cannon!”

The huge Cannon exploded again, reduced to shards of metal.

Heck grunted. He placed another card on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

Yumi drew a card.

Hmm… she thought, looking at the Trap Card.

“Ah activate this,” said Heck, as his Trap lifted. “It’s called Greed Pact. Now we both draw once.”

Yumi looked at him funny. She drew another card, and he drew one.

He grinned as he looked at the card.

Limiter Remover. All he needed was the right card to go with this…

“Ah always say, you can never have too much draw power in your deck,” he said.

Yumi placed the Trap Card in her Disk, and it appeared in front of her.

“Dark Magician…” she commanded, “attack the facedown Monster! Dark magic attack!”

Dark Magician cast his spell. Z-Metal Tank appeared on the card, and exploded.

“Dark Magician Girl, dark burning attack!”

Dark Magician Girl flew up to Heck. He cringed as she cast her own spell, striking him with black magic.

(Y: 2,700) -------------------- (H: 4,400)

“Yumi’s ahead on Monsters…” said Ren. “But Heck’s ahead on points. Anything could happen…”

“All right Yumi…” he muttered. “Ah guess it all comes down to one draw…”

He drew a card.

“Yes!” he laughed. “Ah knew my luck wouldn’t desert me!”

He played a card.

“Ah play my second Dimension Fusion! Now…”

Then, he was startled when the card shattered.

“What?” he said.

Then he noticed that Yumi had activated a Trap Card…

Spell Shield Type-8.

“Want to know how I was able to do that?” asked Yumi. “Well, I hate to say this, but… well… it was your fault. Your Greed Pact let me draw my Polymerization card, a Spell Card that I could discard to activate this, leaving you with nothing. And 2,000 Life Points less.”

Heck bowed his head.

“Then finish it…” he said.

“Right!” said Yumi, drawing a card. “Dark Magician, finish him off!”

Dark Magician cast his powerful spell, and Heck tumbled backwards…

(Y: 2,700) -------------------- (H: 0)

* * * * * * * * * *

In the main nerve center of Duelatopia (the “bridge”), Sheena Arachne watched the myriad of screens where duels were in progress.

“Close-up on screen two,” she said. “And five…”

“Miss Arachne?” said a worker manning a screen. “We have confirmation of the first victory… A duel won by Miss Yumi Mouto.”

Sheena smirked.

“Doesn’t surprise me,” she said. “She has a lot of her father in her.”

* * * * * * * * * *

Yumi grinned as she looked at her badge.

It slowly changed hue, from Orange, to Yellow.

The Pharaoh appeared next to her.

“We’re off to a good beginning, Yumi,” he said. “And so far, nothing sinister has loomed in front of us.”

“Indeed,” she said. “Hi five.”

They raised their hands, and exchanged a slap, which was rather hard, seeing as he was immaterial.

Yumi walked up to Ren and Chelsea.

“Well guys,” she said, “I’m going to take a break for a while. I’ll leave the next ones we come across to you two… but we’ll try to get a good lead in for the first day.”

As they left, the shadowy figure looked at the cards written in the notebook.

They were cards that you would assume a Mouto would use, but most of them, she hadn’t. The figure grinned, and then turned and walked away.

As the three friends wandered towards the heart of Duelatopia, Heck got up…

“Hey, pardners!” he shouted. “Wait up!”

* * * * * * * * * *

In a dimly lit room, a young woman sat at a table.

She was a dark beauty, with flowing raven hair, dressed in garments that suggested the old gypsies of East Europe.

She spread a deck of cards on a table, and then shuffled them. These weren’t Duel Monster cards, but the cards of the Tarot… older than Duel Monsters by many centuries. Some folks believed that Pegasus was inspired as much by the Tarot as he was by the Egyptians when creating Duel Monsters, but that could neither be confirmed or denied.

She rubbed her chin. She slowly lifted the top card off the deck and turned it over.

Its image depicted a young woman on a golden throne, dressed in a white toga and wearing a laurel crown. She held a scepter in one hand, and an orb in the other.

“The High Priestess…” she said. “The divine feminine. A holder of secrets and potential deep inside.

“Certainly, this is Yumi, but more remains to be revealed. Her potential is there, but it remains to be unlocked. And if what my ally says is true, that will happen soon.”

* * * * * * * * * *

Not far away, Sam was facing her own opponent.

She only had two facedown cards on her side, and her opponent had two Monsters that the first generation of her rival’s family liked to use – Alpha the Magnet Warrior and Beta the Magnet Warrior.

She stared him down as he drew a card.

“I’ve got you now, Samantha!” he shouted. “I summon Gamma the Magnet Warrior…”

The third Magnet Warrior appeared.

“…and then I sacrifice all three of them to summon Valkyrion the Magna Warrior!”

The three robots broke into pieces, and then fused into one giant Monster.

“Go ahead…” dared Sam. “Knock yourself out…”

“Attack directly!” shouted her opponent.

Valkyrion flew towards Sam, its sword held high…

Both of Sam’s facedown cards lifted, revealing a Ring of Destruction and a Ring of Defense.

The explosion blew Sam’s opponent off his feet, knocking him senseless.

“Uhm, you know…” said Sam with a grin, “to most people, that’s usually a figure of speech…”

Erik ran up and kissed her.

“You won, you won, you won!” he cheered.

“Yep,” she said, looking at her badge. “One down, five to go…

“You take the next one… I can’t hog all the fun…”

* * * * * * * * * *

“So why are you following us, Heck?” asked Chelsea.

“Hey, ah’m at Red now,” said Heck. “One more loss and ah’m history. So ah don’t want to get back on the saddle so quick…

“Maybe ah’ll just watch you guys for a while before trying again… Take a little break…

“After all, ah don’t want to get bumped out on the first day.”

Chelsea felt a strange chill in the air… She assumed one of her “fan club” was near…

She didn’t notice the small group of punk duelists watching her from behind the building down the block.


Having won her first victory, Yumi advances to Yellow status. Unbeknownst to her, Sam is also at Yellow, but their paths have yet to cross again. Likely, it’s only a matter of time.



D.D. TREASURE (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: D.D. Warrior Lady opening a treasure chest, with golden light from it illuminating her face.

Card Description: You may only play this card during your Standby Phase. During the End Phase of the same turn, draw one card for every card on your side of the field that was removed from play during this turn.



DIMENSIONAL DESTRUCTION CANNON – STU (Spell Card)

Equip Spell

Image: The VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon with a huge, glowing cannon on its arm.

Card Description: Select one “VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon” in your Graveyard. Special Summon it to your side of the field, disregarding its summoning requirements, and Equip it with this card. If this card leaves the field, the Equipped Monster is destroyed. The Equipped Monster’s effects are negated. When the Equipped Monster attacks with an ATK higher than the DEF of your opponent’s Defense Position Monster, inflict the difference as battle damage to your opponent’s Life Points.

Note: “Dimensional Destruction Cannon – STU” was first used by Chazz in a third-season episode of “Yu-Gi-Oh GX”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



GREED PACT (Trap Card)

Normal Trap

Image: Two hands in front of the Pot of Greed, handing cards towards each other.

Card Description: Both players draw one card from their respective decks.

Note: “Greed Pact” was first used by Aster in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “Ultimate Destiny”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



Ren: Watching that got my blood flowing! Now I’m ready to take this place by storm!

Chelsea: Hey guys, there’s a duel over there… And that duelist looks… pretty tough.

Ren: I’m not afraid of tough! Let me at ‘em! My cards are just waiting to burst out and fight!

Chelsea: Take it easy. We’ll see. Coming next: “Shadow Warriors; A Curious Duel”.

Yumi: As Ren’s destiny starts to begin where his father’s left off.

Chelsea: And who was that weird fortuneteller anyway?

Yumi: Somehow, I feel she’s the least of our worries…

[Shuppet Master]

I really enjoyed that chapter. I was a bit surprised to see the cowboy using an V-to-Z machine deck. Anyways, I knew Yumi would win.

Montana, huh? My sister moved there last year with her husband.

Great work, Brian, keep it up.

[Inferno_Dragon]

A Cowboy using Machines huh? I thought we should see the Deck we saw in Mandate of Heaven. I mean that's what I thought of a Cowboy Deck. But once again, you threw a curveball and surprised us. I can't wait for the next chapter.

[Hinoryu]

Since I use a VtoZ deck on occasion, or at least I did before my hard drive died out on me, I enjoyed this duel a lot. Seeing the Super Thunder Unit card appear made me laugh. And for some odd reason, Heck kept reminding me of Jim Crocodile Cook. Probably, it was the hat.

Also, let's see. Dragons in Ren's dream, and a Frontline Base in his deck. I'm gonna guess Ren's running Dark Sword the Dragon Knight, a la Manjoume in the newest GX episode. Though, since a cowboy with VtoZ came out of left field, I fully expect to be surprised by Ren's deck.

[jkBAKURA]

Hello again, sorry I'm late. The story is just getting started, so there isn't much to say yet.

Good first duel of the story. Like Mandate, you seem to have started off with Machines, though I don't think you've used an exclusive V-Z deck before. Your plan to use new themes has indeed begun.

I do have to say that my biggest worry with this story is that Yumi's deck will turn out as a rehash of Stan's from TYD. This chapter didn't do much to put me at ease, though Lilly is a nice addition. Too early to tell anyway.

While Chelsea and Yui's deck have had their themes confirmed, Ren we don't have locked. It's going to be interesting to see.

Darn, there just isn't a lot to talk about yet. Maybe next week will fix that.

[Mega Horny]

Interesting Premise -- I really liked it. Yugi's and his friends' kids' kids going to a tournament on a tropical island to duel in a Kaiba's tournament that has been secretly infiltrated by a seemingly innocent (and I use that term loosely) man Hell-bent on conquering the world. Sounds kinda like something out of Yugioh 3.0: Next of Kin. But I'm probably just imagining myself, Next of Kin was a horrendous fic.

[Neo Arkadia]

A few nibbles about the story's villain. The use of V to Z and use of Super Thunder Unit. Good times I do share jkBakura's fears about Yumi's deck, but I expect we'll see the differences between Yumi and Stan's deck besides Lily (I forget if she was in TYD) eventually, so no biggie.

And Hector "Heck" Dupree, at least a short term recurring character, looks to be fun. Though his last name kept making me think of Scott Dupre from Yu-Gi-Oh! R.

And I see, that most likely, our villain, somewhat like the ever amusing and wicked Shadow Queen, is doing his research on the main crew before striking.

Fun stuff. And I also like the use of the Tarot and the Yu-Gi-Oh! GX-esque previews.

Next chapter sounds quite interesting.

[starjake]

Well, Chazz would certainly enjoy Hector's deck choice. Yumi's deck does indeed seem to be a re-hash of Stan's, but judging an entire deck off of a single duel is not wise. And her deck does seem to be much more Spellcaster-focused than those of her ancestors (although, truth be told, Yugi's deck - Little Yugi - had almost nothing to do with Spellcasters; it was a Toy/Leveling deck, and the only Spellcaster cards were Silent Magician and Magician's Circle). I suppose only time will tell.

Until next chapter, then, this is StarJake, signing off.

[Dark Sage]

Yumi's deck is Spellcaster Beatdown. It's far more organized than anything any of her relatives ever had - they never seemed to have any real theme at all when you looked at the whole picture.

Yumi's deck does have a few things in common with Stan's, yes, but she does have a few things he didn't, and she doesn't have a few things he had.

With all of the major characters, I made an actual deck list AND side deck list which I will only change if they get new cards (which they likely will). I should also add that each of their decks is standard-size: forty cards.

You'll see more of Yumi's deck in upcoming duels. But for next chapter, it's Ren's turn.

[Dark Sage]

CHAPTER THREE



Shadow Warriors;



A Curious Duel

With Heck following them, mostly unwanted, the three of them delved further into the city. Chelsea had her camera out, and snapped photos of the landmarks and buildings with giddy interests.

Duels were happening all around them, but no opportunities were opening up yet. They’d just have to wait.

Eventually, they came within sight of a large courtyard in front of a huge building that seemed to be a library of some sort. Two sets of stairs led up to the cathedral-like building, on which was a mural depicting the robed Winged Beast known as Spirit of the Books.

“Hey, I know that building…” said Yumi. “I saw it on tape… It was where my mom dueled Clover.”

“Clover?” asked Heck. “Weird name…”

“She was a harlequin who played a Toon Deck,” answered Yumi. “She beat mom silly before she could make a comeback.”

“It’ll make a great photo shoot!” said Chelsea.

They all ran up to the courtyard…

…and they were surprised to see a duel in progress, or rather, one ending. A duelist screamed as a savage creature whom they couldn’t identify pounced and tackled him.

He fell to the floor, shivering, as the holograms vanished.

“Meow,” said a sultry female voice. “That’s what you get for making fun of my outfit, honey.”

They paused.

“I should have warned you,” said the voice, “corner a cat, get scratched.”

They all turned and looked at the victor… And they were surprised.

She was a tall woman with perfect curves, wearing a bodysuit made of black leather, the chest open to reveal a good deal of cleavage. She also wore a black domino mask, and some sort of headpiece with cat-like ears attached. A long, cat-like tail (hopefully part of the costume) grew out of her spine and lurked quietly behind her, and the ensemble was topped with black, fingerless gloves.

Her badge was hooked to her belt, and had just turned to Yellow.

She eyed Yumi and company, and then removed a water bottle from her belt and sipped from it.

“Does Batman know that Catwoman is loose?” asked Yumi.

“Cute,” said the strange woman, removing her cards from her Disk and reshuffling.

She grinned.

“I’m Felicia…”

Chelsea rubbed her chin.

“Felicia Summers?” she asked. “Sergeant Felicia Summers?”

“You’ve heard of me?” asked Felicia with a grin.

“Yeah, Chelsea, you’ve heard of her?” asked Yumi.

“Uh huh…” said Chelsea. “I saw this on some news magazine show. It’s a strange story. About five years ago, the U.S. Army started working on some sort of super soldier project, and she volunteered for a DNA splicing experiment. She had her genes spliced with those of… a mountain lion, I think…”

“It was a lynx, actually,” corrected Felicia.

“Yeah…” said Chelsea. “Anyway, it made her stronger and more agile… But the problem was, it messed with her mind. She started to think she was one.”

“Oh, please…” laughed Felicia. “You exaggerate…”

Then she started to lick the back of her hand.

The onlookers stepped backwards.

“Guys… she’s nuts!” whispered Yumi.

“Say what you will,” said Felicia, “but I got a medical discharge with full benefits, and a fortune from the contract I signed when I agreed to be a test subject. And if I was to become a predator…”

She shuffled her deck again and placed it in her Disk.

“…being a duelist helped a good deal. So who wants to be my next prey? Anyone?”

She purred, and her eyes narrowed…

“Don’t look at me…” said Heck. “Ah try to stay away from women who’re weirder than ah am.”

“I gotta duel this one!” shouted Ren.

Everyone looked at Ren.

Felicia looked at him closely.

“You sure?” she said, in a seductive tone. “I warn you, I only play with real men… No children allowed.”

“Oh, you’ve got it…” said Ren, shuffling his deck. “Gimme all you got.”

“Purr-fect!” said Felicia with a grin. “Consider Felicia Summers… curious!”

She grinned widely at Ren.

Ren stepped back nervously at that last remark…

She had fangs…

He removed his guitar from around his back.

“Chelsea, why don’t you hold on to this for now…” he said, handing it to her.

He knew that carrying the guitar during a duel was a good way to break it, especially if the duel got nasty.

And he had a feeling that this one would.

* * * * * * * * * *

The shadowy observer was watching from the shadows with a notebook again.

Hmmm, thought the observer. Ren’s father used a deck based on the Dark Scorpions… a truly difficult strategy to master. It will be interesting to see if Ren has adopted the same.

* * * * * * * * * *

Ren and Felicia stood apart from each other and eyed each other.

“So…” said Ren, “have you eaten?”

“Are you asking me out?” asked Felicia with a laugh.

“I don’t date outside my genus,” replied Ren.

They drew five cards from their decks.

“Game on!” they both said at once.

(Ren: 8,000) -------------------- (Felicia: 8,000)

“I like to consider myself a gentleman,” said Ren, “so ladies first… Even if the lady in question has claws…”

Felicia grinned, and drew a sixth card.

She looked over her hand.

Looks like he had bad luck when this black cat crossed his path… she thought.

She took a card from her hand.

“I play my Graceful Charity Spell Card,” she said, holding it up.

In a flash of light, an angel in a long, white gown appeared over her. Feathers fell from her wings and fell on her deck.

“I’m sure you know how this works…” she continued. “I can draw three cards, so long as I toss two…”

She made three draws, and looked over her hand.

She grinned, and slipped two cards into her discard slot.

“And now…” she exclaimed, “I summon my Panther Warrior in Attack Mode!”

With a roar, a humanoid cat-man in decorated armor holding a shield and a scimitar appeared. It snarled at Ren. (2,000/1,600)

“Lovely…” said Yumi. “My mom used that card. It isn’t easy to use. Felicia must be pretty good.”

“I’m done for now,” said Felicia. “You’d best not waste my time, because like I said, I only play with real men…

“My cats don’t like the taste of wimps.”

She grinned again, again flashing those white, pointed teeth…

Chelsea grunted a little and crossed her arms.

Ren glared at her as he drew.

Nuts… he thought, looking at his hand. No way I can take that guy down on my first turn. Better defend…

He placed a card on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

I’m more or less safe for now… he thought. Panther Warrior can’t attack unless she sacrifices another Monster, so she can’t attack me directly unless she’s willing to sacrifice a Monster with more than 1,500 Attack Points.

He waved his arm to signal the end of his turn.

“I know what you’re thinking…” said Felicia, drawing a card, “and you’re wrong… very wrong…”

She added the card to her hand.

“First, I play my Stray Lambs,” she said, playing a Spell Card. “This card lets me conjure up two Lamb Tokens.”

With two wisps of light, two smiling, white lambs with small horns appeared next to Panther Warrior. (0/0 x2)

“Next…” she continued, “I’ll give my Panther Warrior an Equip Spell… It’s called Path to Destiny.”

She played the card, and a strange Spell Card appeared behind Panther Warrior. It depicted two Samurai about to ambush each other from behind opposite ends of the corner of a building.

“Now…” she said with a grin, “I’ll give up one Lamb Token so my Panther can attack… And thanks to Path to Destiny, he can go right past your Monster and go right for you!”

One of the two lambs vanished.

“Hey, wait a minute…” said Ren.

Panther Warrior roared again, and slashed his scimitar downward, and a blade of energy slammed into Ren. He hollered and fell down on one knee.

(R: 6,000) -------------------- (F: 8,000)

“Ooh…” he moaned.

Felicia purred.

“My cats just love to play…” she said.

She fit another card into her Disk.

“I’ll place this facedown, and I’m done for now…”

A facedown card appeared.

“He’d better do something…” said Chelsea, “or she’ll just do that again on her next turn.”

“Well…” said Heck, “if he were smart, he’d take out that Lamb Token. Without it, Panther Warrior would just be dead weight.”

Ren drew a card.

Yeah, that’s what I’d do if I were smart… he thought.

He looked at the card.

But it would only be a temporary solution. I can get rid of the big problem right now…

“I switch my facedown Monster to Attack Mode,” he shouted. “Reveal… Dark Blade!”

The card flipped up, and a tall, dark Warrior appeared. He was clad from head to toe in black, steel armor that was studded with sharp spikes, and wore a black cape with red lining. He held two razor-sharp scimitars. (1,800/1,500)

“Heh, heh…” chuckled Felicia. “Dramatic, yes… But Panther Warrior has 200 more Attack Points.”

“Not for long…” said Ren, taking another card. “Next, I summon… Pitch-Dark Dragon.”

He played the card, and a new Monster arose in a dark shadow. It was small (for a Dragon), about ten feet tall, with black scales, wings, and a head that was a cross between a reptile and a wolf. (900/600)

“Big deal,” said Felicia. “He’s only half as strong as your Warrior.”

“It is a big deal,” said Ren. “Pitch-Dark Dragon is a very close friend of Dark Blade. You see, this guy is a Union Monster, that can Equip to Dark Blade just like an Equip Spell.”

Pitch-Dark Dragon crouched down, and Dark Blade leapt up, landing on his back perfectly. The Dragon reared up with his rider and roared.

“Whoo-wee!” shouted Heck. “Never saw anyone do a bareback mount that good!”

“And when riding Pitch-Dark Dragon,” continued Ren, “Dark Blade gets a trampling effect. He also gets a little bonus… of 400 points, for both attacking and defending.”

(2,200/1,900)

“All right, Dark Blade, take to the air!”

Pitch-Dark Dragon flapped his wings, and soared upwards with his rider.

“Attack Panther Warrior! Dragon dive-bomb!”

The duo swooped into the Beast-Warrior, and an explosion rocked Felicia’s side of the field. She shielded herself…

(R: 6,000) -------------------- (F: 7,800)

“So much for him,” said Ren, as Dark Blade and his mount alighted back on his side.

“True…” said Felicia, with a smile, “but thanks to my Trap Card, he leaves behind a parting gift…”

Her Trap Card lifted, showing the image of Panther Warrior on his knees, holding a broken sword, and glowing with a soft light.

“It’s called Miracle Moment,” she said. “I can only activate it when Panther Warrior is destroyed when he’s Equipped with Path to Destiny.

“And it lets me summon someone new from my deck…”

She whipped out her deck and shuffled through the cards with the speed of a blackjack dealer…

“Come on out, Bronze Warrior!”

In a flash of light, a tall figure emerged. It looked like a shaman of some sort, with tan skin, a bald head, and blacking under his eyes. He wore a cape and a colorful battle kilt. He held a double-bladed dagger in each hand. He uttered a war cry, and twirled the daggers dramatically. (500/1,800)

“Only 500 Attack Points?” asked Ren. “What’s the point?”

“Lots…” said Felicia, placing her deck back. “Is that your turn?”

Ren looked at the other cards in his hand.

“Yeah, I… guess so…” he muttered.

Better watch out… he thought. Low Attack Score usually means powerful effect.

“Then it’s my draw!” she exclaimed.

She drew. She looked at the Spell Card.

I’ll save this for later… she thought.

“Now, as for the point…” she said, taking her deck. “There are actually two points, each of which happen when Bronze Warrior is in Attack Mode. First, during each Standby Phase, I can take any Beast-Warrior from my deck that I want and add it to my hand…”

She spread her cards out and looked over them before choosing one.

“…like Nekogal #2 here.”

She put her deck back.

“And now I’ll sacrifice my other Lamb Token to summon her.”

The token vanished, and a tall, feline woman with claws, a tail, and whiskers, dressed in a violet bikini appeared. She crouched, as if ready to pounce. (1,900/2,000)

“And then there’s the second point,” she continued. “So long as he’s in Attack Mode, he gives all Beast-Warriors on my side of the field 400 more Attack Points.”

Bronze Warrior glowed, and Nekogal rose to (2,300/2,000)

“Not good…” muttered Ren.

“Nekogal…” commanded Felicia, “attack his Dark Blade! Cat scratch!”

Nekogal bore her fangs and pounced! She swiped with her claws, and Dark Blade leapt from Pitch-Dark Dragon…

The Dragon exploded, and Dark Blade rolled out of the way.

(R: 5,900) -------------------- (F: 7,800)

Dark Blade lifted himself up and glared at Nekogal. (1,800/1,500)

“What?” said Felicia. “He survived?”

“Now that there wasn’t a bad dismount either,” said Heck.

“Don’t you know how Union Monsters work?” asked Ren. “If a Monster is attacked while Equipped with one, only one of them bites the dust.”

Felicia hissed.

“Fine!” she scowled. “I’ll get him next time.”

Ren drew a card.

“Not gonna happen…” he said. “I’m going to sacrifice my Dark Blade for someone better… A catty lady of my own…”

Dark Blade vanished in a burst of shadowy energy.

“Come on out, Penumbral Soldier Lady!”

A far more attractive Warrior appeared. It was a lovely, leggy female, dressed in silver armor designed to form a midriff and shorts, gauntlets, boots, and a headband. She held a longsword in her right hand, and a very large shield in her left, on which was painted a crescent moon design. (2,100/1,400)

“Purr…” muttered Felicia. “She can’t beat Nekogal…”

“She could if your booster were dead!” laughed Ren. “Penumbral Soldier Lady, attack the Bronze Warrior! Shadow sword!”

Penumbral Soldier Lady leapt up, and her sword glowed with shadowy energy. She made a quick slice with her blade. Bronze Warrior howled, and then burst into triangles.

(R: 5,900) -------------------- (F: 6,200)

* * * * * * * * * *

Hmm… thought the onlooker, taking down notes.

It seems that Ren has rejected the Dark Scorpions in favor of a broader variety of Warriors of the Dark Attribute. A very unique theme to say the least.

I hope this duel continues for a bit longer… I’m anxious to see what else he has…

I wonder… Is his father’s prize card in his possession? It would certainly fit…

* * * * * * * * * *

Nekogal returned to her base Attack of 1,900.

“It’s your move, Felicia,” said Ren.

Felicia drew a card.

“First I’ll move Nekogal into Defense Mode…” she said.

Nekogal knelt down and shielded herself.

“Next…” she said, taking a new card, “I play Silent Doom. Now I can choose one Normal Monster from my Graveyard, and Special Summon it in Defense Mode.”

“Too bad you don’t have any in there,” replied Ren. “The only Monsters in your Graveyard are Panther Warrior and Bronze Warrior.”

“I played Graceful Charity, remember?” answered Felicia, playing the card. “So I have someone who fits the bill. I summon Nekogal #2’s little sister… Nekogal #1.”

A new Monster appeared on the field. She looked similar to the first Nekogal, but a little younger, and wearing a green bikini. She shielded herself in defense. (1,100/900)

“Now I’ll set another Monster in Defense Mode, and end my turn,” she continued.

A facedown Monster appeared.

Ren looked at his hand.

I have Penumbral Soldier Lady on the field, he thought, but nothing else in my hand is a Monster. Still, if I draw one that I can summon, I can take out both Nekogals – that new one has a weak Defense that almost all my Monsters can beat.

He drew a card.

Well, not the best, he thought, but he’ll do…

“I summon Chthonian Soldier in Attack Mode,” he said.

He played the card, and a new Warrior appeared in a shadowy aura. It was a hulking fighter, dressed in dull, black armor and a helmet, with a fierce scowl on his face and jagged teeth. He held a nasty, serrated sword. (1,200/1,400)

“Well, that sure don’t look friendly…” muttered Heck.

“There’s a story behind the Chthonian Soldiers…” answered Yumi. “Let’s just say, it’s complicated…”

“Chthonian Soldier, kill Nekogal #1!” shouted Ren. “Berserker blade!”

The Soldier swung his weapon and Nekogal #1 was blown to pieces.

“Penumbral Soldier Lady, your turn!” he shouted. “Take out Nekogal #2!”

The woman Warrior slashed at Nekogal, and she was smashed to bits.

“That will do it for my turn…” said Ren. “So now what?”

Felicia drew a card.

She smiled at Ren.

“Uh oh…” said Chelsea. “Now she’s grinning like a Cheshire Cat!”

“Indeed…” chuckled Felicia. “Let’s get busy. I Flip-Summon my facedown Monster. Presenting… Dark Cat With White Tail!”

The card flipped face up, and a small creature leapt up. It was a… dark cat with a white tail. (800/500)

“And it has a potent effect,” she continued. “When it’s flipped, two of your Monsters and one of mine return to our hands. So I’ll take it back, and you’ll take back your two Warriors.”

Penumbral Soldier Lady and Chthonian Soldier vanished. Then Dark Cat With White Tail vanished. The cards appeared in their hands.

“No…” gasped Chelsea. “He’s defenseless…”

“You got it…” purred Felicia. “Next, I’ll summon my Rescue Cat…”

She played a new card, and the Monster that appeared hardly looked formidable. It was a white, sweet-looking kitten wearing a hardhat on its head and a whistle around its neck. It meowed softly. (300/100)

Ren gave her the eye.

“You’re gonna attack me with THAT?” he asked, almost laughing.

“No, silly,” said Felicia, “I’m going to use her effect. Do your thing, sweetie!”

Rescue Cat bore its claws, and burrowed into the ground…



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“See, by sending Rescue Cat to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon two Beasts from my deck. They have to be Level Three or less, but that’s all I need right now.

“So let’s bring out Catnipped Kitty, and another Nekogal #1.”

Two new Monsters burst out the pit dug by Rescue Cat. The first was the familiar Nekogal #1. (1,100/900) The second Monster was a kitten that looked even more adorable than Rescue Cat, with purple fur covered with odd symbols. (0/500)

“What good are they?” asked Ren.

“They have their uses,” said Felicia. “But as a side effect of Rescue Cat, they’d be destroyed when I ended my turn. However, before that happens…”

She took a Spell Card from her hand.

“That’s a Ritual Card!” shouted Ren, stepping back.

“If there’s one thing ah’ve learned as a duelist,” said Heck, “it’s that Ritual Monsters are never good news…”

“That’s right!” laughed Felicia. “One that can bring out the King of Beasts. My War Lion Ritual! And it requires seven levels worth of Monsters as sacrifices. So now, I’ll sacrifice Nekogal #1, Catnipped Kitty, and Dark Cat With White Tail, to bring forth the mighty Super War Lion!”

Dark Cat appeared on the field, and then a fire consumed all three of the Monsters. The fire started to take shape, turning… catlike…

And then it formed into a large lion, with huge claws and fangs. Saliva dripped from its jaws… (2,300/2,100)

“Attack Ren directly!” shouted Felicia. “Predator pounce!”

Super War Lion roared, and leapt at Ren. Everyone gasped as it tackled him and raked its claws into his chest.

(R: 3,600) -------------------- (F: 6,200)

Ren got up and shook, half from pain and half from fear.

“Honey, give it up,” cooed Felicia. “This isn’t even my strongest Monster…”

“Fat chance…” said Ren.

He drew a card.

I might have a chance now… he thought.

“I place one card facedown…” he said.

He fit a card into his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

“Now I play… Magical Mallet. Now I can take any of the cards in my hand, reshuffle them into my deck, and draw the same number. And I’m gonna do that with all six of them.”

He placed his hand in his deck, reshuffled, and then drew six new cards.

Much better… he thought, looking at them.

“Time to really take things a step up,” he said. “I summon one of my favorites… Meet Getsu Fuhma!”

He threw the card on his Disk, and in a shower of lotus flowers, a lovely female Warrior appeared. She had flowing red hair, and wore a black, Japanese battle dress. She held a glowing blue katana. (1,700/1,200)

“Humph…” said Felicia. “She’ll be just more fun to feed to my Lion.”

“I don’t think so,” said Ren. “They say a Warrior is defined by the weapon she carries, so I Equip Getsu Fuhma with this… The Fusion Sword Murasame Blade.”

As he played the card, Getsu Fuhma’s sword vanished, and was replaced by a much more elaborate sword. (2,500/1,200)

Felicia hissed again…

“Getsu Fuhma, attack her Super War Lion!” shouted Ren. “Blade of Vengeance!”

Getsu Fuhma leapt up, and cleaved the huge Beast down the middle with her sword. The pieces were blasted into pixels.

(R: 3,600) -------------------- (F: 6,000)

Ren stared at Felicia.

“Your move…” he said.

Felicia drew a card.

“I play my Pot of Greed…” she said, playing it. “Now I’ll draw two cards…”

She made two draws.

“…both of which I’ll use… First, I’ll activate Premature Burial. I only have to give up 800 Life Points, and I get to bring back a Monster from my Graveyard.

“And I’ll bring back the other one I discarded when I played Graceful Charity. The Trojan Horse.”

The ground cracked, and burst open. A large, wooden horse emerged. It neighed, and bucked on its hind legs. (1,600/1,200)

“And now I’ll sacrifice it…” she continued. “And in case you didn’t know, when it’s sacrificed for an Earth Attribute Monster, it counts as two Monsters.”

The Trojan Horse vanished.

“So I summon… Nekogal #3.”

A new Beast-Warrior appeared. She looked similar to the previous two Nekogals, but her bikini was fiery red, and her claws were sharper. (2,300/2,500)

“Is that all?” asked Ren. “I activate my Trap Card…”

His facedown card lifted. It showed the image of three soldiers hiding below a ledge in the foreground while another fought a dragon in the background.

“It’s called Hidden Soldiers, and I can activate it as soon as you Normal Summon a Monster. Now I can Special Summon a low-level Dark Monster from my hand. And I’ve got one who’s so Dark, the word ‘Dark’ is in his name.

“I summon Zombyra the Dark.”

In a flash of energy, a dark vortex appeared, and a costumed superhero with a cape and a skull-like mask flew out. (2,100/500)

Yumi looked surprised. She took her deck, and looked through it until she found her A Hero Emerges card.

Well, she thought, I guess now I know who the hero is…

“It doesn’t matter…” said Felicia. “Because Nekogal #3 has a special ability. She gains 400 more Attack Points for every Monster in my Graveyard who happens to be named Nekogal. And I have three!”

Nekogal #3 glowed with energy… (3,500/2,500)

“I think this is her strongest Monster…” muttered Chelsea.

“Go!” shouted Felicia. “Devour Getsu Fuhma!”

Nekogal pounced, and made a swipe with her claws. Getsu Fuhma let out a cry, and then shattered.

(R: 2,600) -------------------- (F: 5,200)

Ren paused, and looked at his hand…

The Fiend Megacyber, his second Pitch-Dark Dragon, and his second Dark Blade.

He drew one card.

“I play my Pot of Greed,” he said, playing the card. “Now I draw twice…”

He drew twice, and looked at the cards.

He thought for a minute…

He placed a card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

“That’s all for my turn…” he said.

“REN!” screamed Chelsea. “You forgot to switch your Monster to Defense Mode!”

“He’s crazy!” shouted Heck.

Is he? thought Yumi.

“It’s his own fault,” said Felicia, drawing a card. “And he’s a fool…

“Time for someone new. I summon The All-Seeing White Tiger in Attack Mode.”

She played the card, and a large, white, Bengal tiger appeared next to Nekogal. (1,300/500)

“Nekogal, attack Zombyra the Dark!” she cried.

“I activate Rush Recklessly!” shouted Ren, as his facedown card lifted. “It gives Zombyra 700 more Attack Points.”

Zombyra rose to an Attack of 2,800.

“But not enough…” said Felicia, with a grin.

Nekogal leapt forward, and with one swipe, blasted Zombyra to shards.

“Tiger… attack him directly!”

The All-Seeing White Tiger let out a roar, and pounced, digging its claws into Ren’s chest. He toppled over and fell on his behind.

(R: 600) -------------------- (F: 5,200)

He slowly got up, with sweat pouring down his face.

“Am I fool, Felicia?” he asked. “Notice that I’m still standing…”

There was a long pause.

“Now I get it…” muttered Chelsea. “Zombyra the Dark had only 500 Defense Points. If he hadn’t been in Attack Mode with that Rush Recklessly, Felicia would have been able to destroy him with her Tiger, and then attack directly with Nekogal. Ren would have lost the duel.”

“Exactly,” said Yumi. “Ren is thinking on his feet.”

“Yeah, but he’s gonna need quite a good draw to get outta this…” replied Heck.

“It’s your move, honey,” said Felicia. “At least try to go out with some dignity…”

Ren looked at his deck.

Okay… he thought. Come on… Baby needs a new Duel Disk…

He drew a card.

YES!

He flipped open his Field Slot.

“I play… Mystic Plasma Zone!” he shouted, placing a card inside.

With a wave of energy, a shadowy dome of darkness covered the whole field.

“In this aura of absolute darkness,” he explained, “all Dark Monsters gain 500 Attack Points, at the cost of 400 Defense Points.

“And now, since you have two Monsters on the field and I have none, I can Special Summon this guy… I call forth my Fiend Megacyber!”

With a roar, a tall, hulking figure in bronze armor wearing a full helmet with blades on his gauntlets rose up, and struck a pose. (2,200/1,200) –> (2,700/800)

“Big deal…” said Felicia. “Even with that bonus, he still falls short of being able to defeat Nekogal…”

“I’m not done,” said Ren, holding up three more cards. “Remember when I combined Dark Blade and Pitch-Dark Dragon as a Union? Well, there’s another way to combine those two Monsters…

“I’ll show you… I use Polymerization, to fuse my second Dark Blade and my second Pitch-Dark Dragon.”

The Warrior and the Dragon appeared on the field. The Polymerization card appeared behind them, and they swirled into a dark vortex…

And then, Dark Blade flew out, flying on Pitch-Dark Dragon once again. (2,200/1,500) –> (2,700/1,100)

“Still not enough,” said Felicia.

“We’ll see about that,” said Ren. “Go, Dark Blade the Dragon Knight! Attack The All-Seeing White Tiger with mounted joust!”

Dark Blade flew forward on his steed, and slashed with his sword, blasting the Tiger to bits.

“And now we get to the best part,” said Ren. “When Dark Blade the Dragon Knight inflicts damage to your Life Points, I get to remove up to three Monsters in your Graveyard from play. So I’ll remove the three Nekogals who are powering up Nekogal #3.”

Nekogal #3 glowed with a dark aura, and was reduced to her base Attack of 2,300.

“Still my turn…” said Ren. “Fiend Megacyber, attack Nekogal #3! Mega-blades!”

The Fiend Megacyber held his gauntlets forward, and they flashed with light. He rushed forward and slashed at Nekogal with his blades. The Beast-Warrior screeched and shattered into bits.

(R: 600) -------------------- (F: 3,400)

“Whoa…” said Chelsea.

“Well, it ain’t over till it’s over…” said Yumi.

“Your move…” said Ren.

Felicia paused. She slowly drew a card.

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

“Not much else to do, huh?” asked Ren.

He drew a card.

“I play The Warrior Returning Alive,” he said, holding up the card. “Now I get to take one Warrior from my Graveyard, and add it to my hand.

“And I choose Zombyra the Dark, who I’m summoning now.”

In a dark vortex, Zombyra reappeared, more determined than ever. (2,100/500) –> (2,600/100)

“Zombyra…” ordered Ren, “attack with super-powered punch!”

The dark hero flew forward. Panther Warrior appeared on the card; Zombyra socked it, and it shattered into shards.

Zombyra’s Attack fell to 2,400, but he barely seemed to care.

“NOW it’s over…” said Yumi.

Felicia bowed her head…

“And now…” continued Ren. “Dark Blade the Dragon Knight, Fiend Megacyber, attack directly!”

The two Monsters rushed at Felicia, and she screamed as she was stabbed by two blades.

She fell on her back.

“Guess they don’t always land on their feet…” said Ren with a smile.

(R: 600) -------------------- (F: 0)

His three Monsters vanished, and the uncanny darkness faded away.

He looked at his badge. It slowly changed hue, to Yellow.

Felicia slowly got up.

“Need a hand?” asked Ren.

“Meow,” said Felicia, as he helped her up.

She looked at her own badge.

“Looks like I’m back where I started… But no biggie… I have eight lives left, and maybe we’ll meet again…

“Think I’ll go take a little catnap before I hit the streets again.

“And Ren… You’re pretty good. Trust me… We’re gonna duel again…”

And then she sped off with a series of mighty leaps.

“And he’ll beat you again!” shouted Chelsea, after her.

* * * * * * * * * *

Interesting… thought the observer.

Ren’s deck is well designed, and handles his odd strategy as best as it can. I think he is one whom we can expect a lot from.

Our only variable left to study is Chelsea. I have to wonder how the daughter of Peter Ramset has developed her own strategy. It should be interesting to say the least…

The figure faded into the shadows…

* * * * * * * * * *

The group was taking it easy on a park bench. Ren was sipping orange juice he had gotten from a vendor.

He took out his deck.

“Maybe now I can tell you that story behind the Chthonian Soldiers that Yumi mentioned…” he said.

“Forget them!” laughed Heck. “Ah wanna hear about that cool superhero you’ve got!”

“Zombyra the Dark?” asked Ren, looking through his deck.

He found the card.

“Actually, his story and that of the Chthonians is linked.

“See, a long time ago, a demon lord named Dark Master Zorc decided to extend his influence in the realm of mortals. He decided he needed an army.

“He told his fiendish sorcerers to start creating demonic warriors, ones that were relentless, merciless, and durable.

“The sorcerers created the Chthonians as grunts – foot soldiers who were loyal and disposable… Not very smart.

“They also created a squad of elite fighters. Ones who were stronger and smarter. Zombyra was one of them.

“But the sorcerer who created him did something different. He cast a hex on the newly created warrior that gave Zombyra emotions.

“Why did he do it? Well… He was kind of… funny that way.

“Zombyra served Zorc loyally for a long time, drawing on his master’s energy to fuel his dark power. But there was something different. You see, having emotions is a dangerous thing for someone in Zombyra’s line of work. He started to have a conscience. He started to have feelings. He began to be able to tell right from wrong. What Zorc was making him do, it was very wrong.

“Finally, one day, Zombyra killed an innocent man at Zorc’s order. He felt remorse… and anger… He deserted his master forever, swearing that he’d only use his abilities for good from that point on.

“The story doesn’t say what happened to that funny sorcerer.

“Anyway, without Zorc’s dark power, Zombyra would get weaker. This is illustrated by the fact that he loses 200 Attack Points after each attack he makes. Also, for his betrayal, Zorc cursed him so that he could never strike his true enemy. This is illustrated by the fact that he can’t make direct attacks.

“Still, he’s a welcome addition to my deck of Dark Warriors.”

“Well, I hope I get to duel soon,” said Chelsea.

“You get the next one, Chelsea, we promise,” said Yumi. “We want to see all the improvements you’ve made to your deck anyway.”

* * * * * * * * * *

“So do we!” laughed someone, who was watching with binoculars.

From a safe distance, the two punks who Ren had seen on the boat were watching. The older one (the one with the rainbow-colored Mohawk) was keeping an eye on the group, while the younger one (the one who had won the duel with the Blowback Dragon) was nearby. Another member was with their group – a girl who seemed about the same age as the second boy, dressed in similar punk attire.

“So what now, boss?” asked the younger teenager, in an accent that was clearly Australian.

“Well,” said the older punk, “the best bet is to try to get her away from the bigger group. But with all those Centurions snooping around, simply grabbing her is a big no-no.”

He handed him a small slip of paper.

“Use this,” he said. “It will make a good chip for a wager. Once you outduel her, I’ll take it from there.”

“It’s as good as done, mate…” said the boy. “She won’t know what hit her…”

* * * * * * * * * *

The strange fortuneteller sat at her table, pondering.

“Clearly, Yumi does not face the upcoming battle alone,” she said. “But what are the roles of her two companions?

“What of Ren?”

She lifted the top card off her deck and turned it over.

The image was that of a young man in colorful clothes, wandering towards the edge of a ravine under a starry sky. A small dog was at his feet, and he held an oaken quarterstaff over his shoulder.

“The Fool…” she muttered. “The sign of a true maverick, a wanderer and a thrill seeker with an eccentric lust for life.

“Ren is the energetic part of the team… Likely, he will be the part that will find light in the gloom. And his role in the conflict to come might well be that of one to provide morale…”

With his first victory, Ren advances to Yellow Status. And it seems a challenge is waiting for Chelsea too. It soon may be three for three, and it isn’t even time for lunch yet!




NEKOGAL #3 (Monster Card)

Card Specs
Type: Beast-Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 7
ATK: 2,300
DEF: 2,500
Card Description: This card gains 400 ATK for every Monster in your Graveyard with the word “Nekogal” in its name.

Note: “Nekogal #3” was created by Shuppet Master for his “Sister of Anansi” fic. Creative credit goes to him.



BRONZE WARRIOR (Monster Card)

Card Specs
Type: Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 4
ATK: 500
DEF: 1,800
Card Description: During your Standby Phase that this card is on your side of the field in Attack Position, you may search your deck for one Beast-Warrior-Type Monster and add it to your hand. If this card is on the field in Attack Position, increase the ATK of all Beast-Warrior Type Monsters on your side of the field by 400.



PATH TO DESTINY (Spell Card)

Equip Spell

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.



MIRACLE MOMENT (Trap Card)

Normal Trap

Image: Panther Warrior on his knees holding a broken sword, glowing with soft light.

Card Description: You can activate this card when a “Panther Warrior” on your side of the field that is Equipped with “Path to Destiny” is destroyed as a result of battle and sent to the Graveyard. Special Summon one “Bronze Warrior” from your hand or deck.

Note: “Bronze Warrior”, “Path to Destiny”, and “Miracle Moment” were used by Atticus in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “Pop Goes the Duel”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



SILENT DOOM (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: A hand with a glowing orb in the palm.

Card Description: Select one Normal Monster in your Graveyard and Special Summon it in face-up Defense Position. The battle position of this Monster cannot be switched, except with a card effect.

Note: “Silent Doom” is a Japanese card that has not yet been released in the United States.



Chelsea: I smell something, guys… Something like a pretty foul body odor…

Ren: Hey, I showered good this morning!

Chelsea: It isn’t you, Ren. I think I recognize this stench. I have a feeling this nice morning might turn unpleasant.

Yumi: Maybe, maybe not. Coming up next, “The Dark Lady; Supernatural Deck”.

As the legacy of Peter Ramset is unleashed.

[Inferno_Dragon]

This duel kinds of reminds me of Katnappe's ... I mean Kate Serias from Yu-Gi-Oh Junior: Sister of Anansi. So Ren's deck is based on more dark warriors than the Dark Scorpions. Interesting, but I am more interested in the adverseries that are following our heroes. So we get to see what deck the descendant of Peter Ramset uses.

Good chapter! Keep up the good work!

[jkBAKURA]

OK, not even five chapters into the story, and we're just getting silly. So much so, that I'm not even going to elaborate.

And just a thought, but why is the cat person instantly drawn to a Cat deck? There doesn't always have to be some occupational reason for a deck theme.

I've seen a High School wrestling champion who prefered Spellcasters, a precher's kid with a Raviel deck, and a video game computer nerd weilding Insects. Sometimes people just like a theme.

OK, this is. not meant as an attack, or even a complaint. It's just an observation that although there may be subtle preferences that influence a deck type, it doesn't have to be their whole life.

With that aside and looking at the chapter itself, I liked it. Several Cats such as Tiger Axe or Sleeping Lion were left out, but most of them aren't playable anyway. (Leo Wizard for example)

I liked the flavor of Dark Guys in armor with swords. It looks like a theme that will not get old quickly unlike, I fear, Yumi's might. That said, Zombyra felt oddly out of place. Maybe it's just cause he was featured so prominantly in Balance, but for some reason I found his appearance distracting.

So far though, between this and Mandate, it looks like you're using the same picture out of the coloring book, just different markers. Especially since we're essencially in the same location, different deck themes just aren't going to hold my attention if there's no story hook to keep me reading.

You have a good start, but I'm sorry there's just nothing new yet to make the story stand out.

Here's Hoping, JKB

[Hinoryu]

Hm. I gotta say, that cat deck seemed a lot more functional than my build of the same theme. I could never make it work; but then, I never included the Nekogals. They always looked more like insects than cats to me anyway.

That said, the whole cat fixation was... eh. It was okay, at first, but you sort of drove it into the ground by the end. By the time you got to the 'catnap' part, I was thankful that the barrage of cat puns was over. Cat people don't have to run a cat deck. For example, in my current side project, I have a cat-related person who runs Harpies.

As to Ren's deck, I'm just thinking 'booyah, I was right'. Well, sort of. A Dark Warrior deck should be fun to see in later chapters. Though we didn't get to hear the story behind the Hell Soldiers, I bet it'll be a fun one.

All in all, though, a good chapter. Can't wait for the next.

[Shuppet Master]

Katnappe was my idea, back when I liked Xiaolin Showdown, but Brian wanted to run with it. Hopefully we get to see her in the finals.

When I heard her name, I was expecting her with a mane of blue hair(yes, I was reminded of that Felicia from Darkstalkers - due to an unholy Sailor Moon author called Oscar; don't ask about his work), but this was really nice. Great way of employing the Captain America background in there. Poor C.A., he will be mourned.

What is it with you and exposed breasts anyways, Jason? First Shelob and now this! (Laughs a bit, then is glad not to be a girl. [just joking, Brian!])

Anyways, the whole deck theme was my idea, guys. I apologize for starting it. I'm sure that your point is well-taken, guys. I want to play an Elemental Hero deck, but I'm not a brave person myself. I think it was because I wanted to be a hero, but didn't want to risk my own life. Call it wish fulfillment.

Loved Ren's deck. Ren was the only character I didn't elaborate on in my story, but this was the sort of deck I had envisioned for him - Dark Warriors like his dad, but no Dark Scorpions.

[Neo Arkadia]

Well, I personally liked the chapter as far as the flow goes. It had a nice opening, a nice duel, it was nice that a card backstory was explained after a duel instead of during for once, and I'm enjoying the fortuneteller usage.

Though, if I remember, the Fool also has the possible meaning of infinite potential.

Felicia Summers, she was a curious character. Personally, I'd say that her name, nor her jokes, nor her deck, not the getup were problems. It just struck me as one of those "A little too much at once" issues.

Though as to the woman with cat getup and cat deck thing, she might just use the deck because it's expected. If she duels for a living, it would make sense. Pro Duelists in GX are notorious for emphasizing gimmicks, names, and deck themes (Matrie'd/Sommelier Parker, Mathematica, Howard X Miller, etc.). If she duels professionally, it could be a requirement for her job.

Though, I do like that Felicia might come back eventually. She has the potential to be a very interesting wild card later on.

As far as the decks go:

Felicia: Interesting reuse of Atticus's cards combined with a generic cat deck. Wimpy Aggro, I guess. Worked well for what was needed. And very very cool use of Rescue Cat outside of a OTK.

Ren: Since he's not limited to his father's deck type of Dark Scorpions and instead mostly relies on Dark Warriors and Dark Blade's Dark Dragons, Ren has the potential to not burn out, as jk said.

As for next chapter... My only comment: "When something stinks, it's usually the Butz."

[starjake]

it looks like you're using the same picture out of the coloring book, just different markers.

I love metaphor.

And this is a metaphor I'm forced to agree with. It's not that you've picked a bad picture to color...it's just sort of blah. Samantha seems to be the only character with any depth; everyone else seems rather one-dimensional. Ren is HAPPY, Yumi is The Leader Of The Group, and Chelsea...well, we haven't focused in on Chelsea yet, so I'll try and hold any thoughts I have on her. Then there's the setting; I have to keep reminding myself where this story is taking place. You have a tendency of mentioning the setting once and then ignoring it. Just because mortal peril is not involved does not mean your chapters should lack intensity.

Don't get me wrong; I don't think you're doing a bad job...I just don't think you're doing a good one, either.

[Dark Sage]

I'll make a few replies (and I will say that it is good to see so many people replying).

Felicia may have seemed a bit silly. However, she will serve a much more serious purpose later on. Also, I may never have specifically said that she was a pro, but if she is, yes, if Kabukid and Mathematica are any indication, the gimmic comes with the job description.

I never heard of this notorious author named Oscar. The name Felicia came from a member of Spider-Man's supporting cast named Felicia Hardy, the Black Cat. The name Felicia sounds like "feline" anyway.

I will work on the setting some more. There will be some vivid imagery whenever a duel happens where supernatural forces are involved in this fic. And trust me, Duelatopia has gotten bigger in nineteen years.

As for characters, there will be more development. I'm glad folks like Sam so much - I worked on her a lot.

Until next time...

- DS

[Mega Horny]

Well...Ren's deck didn't seem very organized, In my humble (A word which I use strongly) opinion, but I thought using the Nekogals was nice (especially using Nekogal #3 to combo with them.) How menacing. You might as well throw a Morinphen and maybe a Mystical Sheep #2.

until next time....

Next time? The time is now, and right now it's....

POP POP POP POP POP POP POP POP POP POP
Ten O' Clock, Bitch!

[starjake]

As for characters, there will be more development.

I'll reply to that quote with another.

You keep saying that, but you don't say how.

Granted, it was infinitely more funny when he said it (it's Nathan Lane; what can I say?), but the point still stands. You say that 'things will get better' rather frequently...and they do, it just takes forty chapters for it to happen. As Mega Horny said, the time is now (although that might not have been the intended use of his reference).

[Mega Horny]

That's exactly what I mean, actually. Your beginnings and endings are always lovely -- I only wish that one duel against the lackey using the umpteenth DES frog deck or whatever... could be a bit more 'spiced-up.'

[Shuppet Master]

I never heard of this notorious author named Oscar.

Thank goodness. Trust me, you don't want to read his stories. Let's just say his characters are sexual freaks and engage in love acts with cats. *shudders* I hope I didn't put any nightmarish images in your head.

[starjake]

I must congratulate you, SM...it takes quite a lot to disturb me, but you've accomplished the job admirably...

*sits in corner and cries*

[Dark Sage]

CHAPTER FOUR



The Dark Lady



Supernatural Deck

A short time later, the group was still on the bench… All except for Chelsea, who was trying hard to take a good picture of a nearby statue that depicted Kanan the Swordmistress.

Ren was strumming on his guitar, and singing a very old tune:

Trailer for sale or rent,
Rooms to let... fifty cents.
No phone, no pool, no pets,
I ain't got no cigarettes…
Ah, but… two hours of pushin' broom,
Buys an eight by twelve four-bit room.
I'm a man of means by no means…
King of the road.

“Y’know…” said Heck, “most people think Montana is a dull state, but we got our perks. Take Glacier National Park.

“It ain’t no Yellowstone or Yosemite, but it’s a great place if you like fishing, hiking, cross-country skiing, and other stuff that’ll get your blood flowing.

“An’ it’s got wildlife everywhere. A shutterbug like her would be in Heaven.

“In fact, ah was up there once, fishing for river trout, when a big, black bear came up, not a hundred feet away from me, to do some fishing of his own…”

“Weren’t you scared?” asked Ren.

“Scared?” asked Heck, almost laughing. “Pal, ah’m a duelist, ah’ve taken blows from things much scarier than some old bear. Besides, there’s a rule you have to remember about bears… If you don’t bother them, they won’t bother you. That, and always secure your food where they can’t get it.

“Anyway, ah caught two trout that day… He caught about five by the time ah decided to leave. Ah guess natural instinct is better than any old pole…”

They looked, and saw someone walk towards Chelsea.

“Uh oh…” said Ren.

He recognized that guy.

Chelsea had finally gotten the right angle for her picture when she was interrupted.

“G’day,” said a voice.

She put the camera down and looked at him.

“Did you say good day?” she asked, suspiciously.

“Naw, I said ‘g’day’, but close enough,” said the speaker.

It was the youth from the ship, the one with the sweatshirt, baggy jeans, and red bandana. His Disk registered Yellow already.

“Do I know you?” she asked, suspiciously.

“Naw,” he said, “but we have a friend in common…”

Yumi, Ren, and Heck walked up.

“Somehow I think that the word ‘friend’ doesn’t define him,” said Chelsea. “At least where I’m standing…”

“I’d love ta introduce you,” said the youth. “In fact, I wanna duel you, and make a little side wager. If I win, you come to see him – without them.”

He pointed to Yumi and Ren.

“Why would I make such a dumb bet?” asked Chelsea.

“I’ll ante up this,” said the youth. “I… uh… won it from the first loser I beat.”

He held up something that looked like a coupon.

“Free dinner at the Sizzling Sirloin?” asked Chelsea.

“Good for parties up to five,” said the youth. “It’s a steakhouse right in the middle of the Restaurant District. Interested?”

Chelsea paused…

“You’re working for Edan, aren’t you?” she asked, narrowing her eyes.

“I ain’t gonna confirm or deny that,” he replied.

“Edan?” asked Yumi. “Who the heck is Edan?”

“Tell you later,” answered Chelsea.

She hesitated. The thought of treating Ren and Yumi to a steakhouse and not having to use her trust fund was tempting… And even if she lost, she knew who this guy wanted her to meet – and it would be the same thing all over again…

“Chelsea, be careful…” said Ren.

“I’m being careful,” replied Chelsea. “Okay, I’ll take that bet… Uh, do you even have a name?”

“Mick…” said the youth.

This’ll be like takin’ candy from a joey… he thought.

* * * * * * * * * *

The shadowy onlooker watched once again, concealed between two buildings surrounding the courtyard.

Hmm…

Peter Ramset used an Archfiend Deck, a difficult strategy to master…

It will be refreshing to see whether his daughter has adopted the same strategy, or whether she has chosen something entirely different.

Will Chelsea seek to imitate her parent, or be an individual? We’ll soon find out…

* * * * * * * * * *

Chelsea stood apart from Mick and shuffled her deck. She glanced up at the large mural of Spirit of the Books on the building behind him. She often wondered if that Monster had a story behind it… Some sort of scholar in the world where Duel Monsters lived?

As she was doing so, a wisp appeared next to her, and a phantom appeared. It was a young woman, dressed in Geisha-style clothing of the feudal era of Japan.

“Lady Akemi?” whispered Chelsea. “You came too?”

The ghost nodded.

“I was bored, so I came to watch,” replied Akemi. “I think this should be interesting…”

“I warn you…” said Chelsea, “I can’t give you the play-by-play on how every rule works.”

“Oh, don’t worry…” said Akemi. “I’ve been researching this little game of yours for a while…”

Chelsea gave her a strange look.

“Chelsea, I’ve been haunting the Domino Library ever since it became a library,” said the Geisha. “I don’t have much to do but read.”

“You gonna talk to yourself all day, or are we gonna duel?” asked Mick.

Chelsea’s Disk activated.

“Bring it…” she said.

Mick’s Disk activated.

“Game on!” they both said.

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

“I insist, you go first…” said Mick.

“You’re too kind,” said Chelsea sarcastically, drawing her first card.

She looked over her opening hand.

“To start…” she said, “I’ll summon Vampire Lady in Attack Mode.”

She played the card, and with a haunting female laugh, a female vampire with green skin and hair, wearing a purple robe appeared. She smiled, revealing small fangs. (1,550/1,550)

“Be careful, because she’s hungry,” she said. “That’s all for my move…”

“Heh, heh…” said Mick, drawing a card. “Too bad…”

He opened his Field Slot.

“I play Mystic Plasma Zone.”

He played the card, and the same uncanny darkness that Ren had created covered the field like a dark fog.

“You gotta be kidding!” laughed Chelsea. “You do know that my Vampire Lady is a Dark Monster, right?”

Vampire Lady grinned, bearing fangs, and her stats changed to (2,050/1,150).

“All part of my plan…” said Mick, taking another card. “Now I’m gonna teach you how ta say ‘ouch’ in Australian!”

“Oh, please…” replied Chelsea, putting her hand on her hip. “I happen to know that that the Australian word for ‘ouch’ is also ‘ouch’. Furthermore…”

“I summon Drillago in Attack Mode!” interrupted Mick.

He played the card, and a weird Machine appeared. It looked like it was made entirely out of sharp drills and screws. (1,600/1,100) –> (2,100/700)

“What is THAT?” shouted Ren.

“It’s trouble…” answered Yumi.

“This guy not only looks cool,” said Mick, “but he can attack you directly if the only cards on your side of the field are Monsters with 1,600 Attack Points or more. And since I upped your vampire’s Attack Points, that’s all good.

“So… open wide!”

Drillago’s drills started to spin, and it flew forward. Chelsea screamed as it jammed its weapons into her chest.

Akemi caught her as she fell over…

“Thanks…” muttered Chelsea.

“Thanks?” said Mick, grinning. “What, you want me ta do that again?”

“These demons aren’t real, are they?” asked Akemi, getting scared.

“They’re illusions…” whispered Chelsea. “Phantasms… So no, not really. The pain they cause comes from the Disks. It’s rather hard to explain…”

(C: 5,900) -------------------- (M: 8,000)

Chelsea looked at her foe.

“Such a pretty smile…” she said, with a growl. “It’d be a shame if I knocked out some teeth…”

She drew a card.

Widespread Ruin… she thought. Might come in handy… But I can take out his demented drill now…

“I sacrifice Vampire Lady…” she said.

Vampire Lady vanished in a burst of shadow…

“To summon my Vampire Lord!”

In another burst of shadow, an older, male vampire appeared, dressed in an exotic costume and a cape. His eyes glowed with sinister light, and he smiled, also revealing fangs. (2,000/1,500) –> (2,500/1,100)

“Attack his Drillago!” she shouted. “Children of the night!”

Vampire Lord lifted his cloak, and a swarm of bats flew forward. Drillago sparked and exploded into scrap.

“And when Vampire Lord preys on a Monster, he preys on your deck too,” continued Chelsea. “I’m telling you to discard a Spell Card from it.”

Mick lifted an eyebrow.

He took his deck and leafed through it until he found a Polymerization card.

Don’t really need this… he thought, discarding it, since I’ve already got my other one in my hand…

“Continuing my turn…” said Chelsea, “I’ll place this facedown…”

She fit a card into her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

“And next, I’ll play my Book of Life Spell Card. It’s called the Book of Life because it gives life to creatures that didn’t have any to begin with. Of course, to give life to such creatures, you have to take some away, so I’m removing your Drillago from play to bring back Vampire Lady. Don’t want to mess with that thing again…”

Mick grunted as she played the card and Drillago fell out of his discard slot.

Vampire Lady reappeared next to Vampire Lord in a burst of energy. (1,550/1,550) –> (2,050/1,150)

“Bet you’re sorry you played that Field Spell now,” she said. “It’s your move…”

(C: 5,900) -------------------- (M: 7,600)

“She’s got him good!” laughed Ren. “He’s pushed into a corner!”

“Quiet…” said Yumi. “What do you want to do, jinx it?”

Mick drew a card.

“First let’s clear the air,” he said. “I play Heavy Storm.”

He played the card, and a fierce wind erupted around the arena. Chelsea braced herself, and Akemi held her kimono down. The darkness of Mystic Plasma Zone blew away, and Chelsea’s Trap Card lifted up and shattered.

“Widespread Ruin?” said Mick with a smirk. “Glad I got rid of it. Next I play Nightmare’s Steelcage.”

The ground erupted around Chelsea, Akemi, and the two vampires, and an iron cage studded with spikes formed, trapping them inside.

“This is creepy…” muttered Akemi.

“Don’t worry…” said Chelsea. “He can’t attack me any more than I can attack him… For two of my turns…”

“I can’t attack, sure,” said Mick, who apparently had overheard, “but I still can hurt you by summoning this – another Machine called Bowganian.”

He played a card, and a smallish Machine appeared. It was spherical, with its body shaped like a big eye. It had two mechanical arms one of which gripped a metal crossbow. (1,300/1,000)

“Cage or no cage, each time I start my turn, this thing will shoot 600 off of your Life Points.

“Next, I’ll play a Continuous Spell Card,” he said. “It’s called Dark Mechanic.”

A Spell Card appeared on his side of the field. It showed an ominous picture of a fiendish creature dressed as a mechanic, holding a wrench and wearing a tool belt.

“And what does that do?” asked Chelsea.

“Let’s just say…” said Mick, “that if you destroy any of my Machines, there’ll be consequences.

“I’ll end my turn at that.”

“Ah’ve seen a deck like this before…” said Heck. “He likely has all Machines of the Dark Attribute. The guy ah saw who used it called it an Infernal Technology Deck.”

“Swell…” muttered Ren. “I hope she can bust free before he manages to summon that Blowback Dragon… That thing is hard to stop.”

Chelsea drew a card.

“I summon Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower,” she said.

With a rumble, a tall column of bones and skulls rose out of the ground behind her. (400/1,500)

“It may not be the strongest Monster,” she said, “but it can’t be attacked so long as I have at least one other Zombie on my side of the field. And that will be all for me.”

The cage rusted over and started to chip.

“Then I draw!” said Mick with a laugh. “And Bowganian’s effect activates!”

Bowganian pointed its crossbow and shot a metal arrow at Chelsea. It turned into energy, flew right through the cage, and struck her in the chest. She gasped and doubled over in pain.

(C: 5,300) -------------------- (M: 7,600)

“Next, I’ll move it to Defense Mode…” he said.

Bowganian backed up and pointed the crossbow upward.

“And then I’ll summon one of my most useful Monsters. It’s called a Cyber Esper.”

He played a card, and a new Machine appeared. It looked like a thin, metallic, humanoid wasp of some sort, with four blade-like wings. Its shoulders were shrugged, and it bowed its head downwards. (1,200/1,800)

“Most useful?” said Chelsea. “It has 1,200 lousy Attack Points.”

“Maybe so…” said Mick, “but Attack Points ain’t everything.

“By the way, your friend over there wasn’t entirely right… This guy is a Fire Monster. But he still does the job…

“That’s enough for my turn for now…”

Chelsea drew again.

“Hold it,” said Mick. “So long as Cyber Esper is on the field, I get to see any card you draw. Now ain’t that useful?”

Chelsea growled and showed it to him. It was Monster Reincarnation.

“I’ll move my Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower to Defense Mode, just in case…” she said.

It was hard to see any difference in the Tower’s position, since it was a tower of bones, but it was now defending.

“And I’ll place this card facedown too…”

She fit a card into her Disk, and it appeared behind her Monsters.

She waved her hand. The Steelcage rusted over completely, and then shattered to bits.

“All right,” said Mick, drawing. “Time to take out your Vampire Lord. But first…”

Bowganian fired another shot, and Chelsea screamed.

“Now I play… Megamorph. And I’ll Equip it to your Vampire Lord.”

He played the card, and Vampire Lord held his chest and grimaced, as if in pain.

“Since I happen to have more Life Points than you,” continued Mick, “it cuts his Attack Points in half.”

Vampire Lord fell to an Attack of 1,000.

“Next…” he said. “I’ll summon my Card Trooper.”

With a series of beeps and whistles, a much cuter Machine rolled up in front of Mick. It looked like a cross between Robby the Robot and a toy tank, with two cannons, with wheels for locomotion. (400/400)

Chelsea raised an eyebrow.



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“Now I activate its effect,” said Mick, reaching for his deck. “By discarding up to three cards from the top of my deck, for one turn only, it gains 500 Attack Points for each.”

He took three cards off the top of his deck and looked at them.

He discarded a Battle Footballer, Rare Metalmorph, and Limiter Removal. Card Trooper rose to an Attack of 1,900.

“Attack her Vampire Lord!” he shouted. “Cosmic cannons!”

Card Trooper beeped and whirred. Then it blasted its guns, and Vampire Lord groaned before he was blown to pieces.

(C: 3,800) -------------------- (M: 7,600)

“Well…” said Mick with a chuckle. “My turn is over, so Card Trooper’s Attack Score goes back to 400. So, what are you gonna do now?”

Chelsea angrily drew a card…

She frowned again and turned it towards him.

“Ooh, Mirage of Nightmare…” said Mick. “Think it will do you any good?”

“Did you forget about this?” asked Chelsea, holding up Monster Reincarnation.

She played the card, and an ankh appeared on the field that looked somewhat like the one on Monster Reborn, but different.

“Now, I’ll toss one card…”

She slipped one card into her discard slot.

“…and Vampire Lord returns to my hand.”

A card came out of it.

“Now I’ll sacrifice Vampire Lady to summon him again.”

Vampire Lady vanished in a wave of shadow, and Vampire Lord reappeared. (2,000/1,500)

“Vampire Lord… Destroy his Bowganian!”

Vampire Lord shot forth his flurry of bats, and the Machine sparked and exploded.

“I was getting sick of that thing…” she muttered. “Next, I place one card facedown, and activate Mirage of Nightmare.”

She played the cards. A facedown card appeared, followed by the Spell Card.

“I end my turn…”

Mick grimaced and drew a card.

“Now my Mirage of Nightmare activates!” exclaimed Chelsea. “I get to draw until I have four cards…”

She made four draws.

“Take a look,” she said, turning them towards him. “You may be able to see them, but you can’t stop me from using them.”

They were Vampire Genesis, Blood Sucker, Call of the Mummy, and Ryu Kokki.

“On a side note,” she continued, “I’d also have to discard four cards when I started my turn. But now I activate Emergency Provisions, to get rid of the Mirage card before that becomes an issue. And I gain 1,000 Life Points to boot.”

One of her facedown cards lifted, and a huge mouth appeared and swallowed the Mirage card.

“You are one lucky bitch,” said Mick. “Still my turn… I move Cyber Esper and Card Trooper into Defense Mode…”

Cyber Esper knelt and shielded itself, and Card Trooper shielded itself with its cannon-arms.

(C: 4,800) -------------------- (M: 7,600)

“Your move, Goth-girl.”

“Don’t call me that…” said Chelsea, drawing a card.

“And this will be the last time,” she said, as she turned it towards him.

Another Vampire Lady… he thought. Pathetic…

Chelsea looked over the five cards in her hand.

“I remove Vampire Lord from play, to summon the Vampire Genesis!” she shouted.

Vampire Lord faded away, and in a burst of darkness, a huge creature rose up. He was a hulking, fiendish thing, ten feet tall and muscular, wearing a spiked harness and a thick cape studded with spikes. His large mouth had tusks, and its eyes glowed with a light that looked like burning embers. (3,000/2,100)

“And since I just Special Summoned a Zombie,” continued Chelsea, “the effect of Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower activates, and you lose the top two cards off your deck.”

The skulls on the Tower glowed with sinister light. Mick frowned and took the two cards off his deck.

Blimey! he thought. My Jinzo and Hex Sealed Fusion! She’s gonna pay for that…

He discarded them.

“Vampire Genesis, attack Cyber Esper!” shouted Chelsea. “Crimson shroud!”

Vampire Genesis burst into a cloud of blood-red vapor, and blew forward, blowing the Machine to atoms.

“Your move…” said Chelsea, as the vampire reformed on her side of the field.

Mick drew a card.

“I play my Pot of Greed,” he said, playing the card.

The wicked jar appeared, and he made two draws.

He smiled.

“My patience has paid off…” he said with a sinister grin. “I use Polymerization, to fuse together Barrel Dragon and Blowback Dragon!”

Two huge Machines made of dark metal appeared on the field… They were both drawn into a dark vortex…

“Oh no…” muttered Ren. “He can combine those into…”

“That’s right, mates!” laughed Mick, as the two Machines combined. “The incredible Gatling Dragon!”

With a whir and a rumble, a huge Machine on large wheels rolled onto the arena. It was hulking, standing ten feet tall, with an armored hull made of black plating, with three laser cannons on thick tentacles. It hummed a scary, menacing sound… (2,600/1,200)

“Man, if he gets more than one head with that thing’s effect,” said Ren, “Chelsea is in big trouble…”

“You do realize…” said Chelsea, “that if you run out of Monsters on my side of the field to destroy, it’s gonna have to destroy yours…”

“What do ya think my Card Trooper is for?” asked Mick. “There’s no way I can’t come out on top!

“Go! Triple toss!”

Three lights shot up, and then three coins fell to the ground. They started to spin…

The first one… Heads.

The second one… Heads.

The third one… Heads.

“Ah, well…” said Mick with a smirk. “At least I’ll be able to…”

“Go, Trap Card!” shouted Chelsea, as her Trap Card lifted. “Interdimensional Matter Transporter!”

A weird-looking device resembling a metal, futuristic Christmas tree appeared on her side. It shot out a beam of light, and Vampire Genesis vanished.

“Wh… what happened to him?” asked Mick. “When did you set that?”

“My Trap removed him from play until the End Phase,” said Chelsea, with a grin. “And as for your second question, I set it on the turn after you played Cyber Esper, so it was already in my hand, and you never saw me draw it.

“Well now… Your Gatling Dragon must destroy three Monsters, but Vampire Genesis is no longer a valid option.”

Mick seethed with anger…

Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower shattered to bits, then Mick’s Card Trooper was also blown to pieces, and finally, Gatling Dragon itself exploded in a fiery conflagration.

“Ugh…” he said. “Well… When Card Trooper is destroyed, I get to draw one card…”

He made a draw. He added the card to his hand.

“I end my turn…” he muttered.

The Interdimensional Matter Transporter glowed, and Vampire Genesis returned.

Chelsea drew one card. She looked at it for a minute.

“I summon… Blood Sucker!” she exclaimed.

In an explosion of dark energy, a bat-like humanoid with red skin and horns, with claws, talons, and wing-like protrusions on its arms appeared. (1,300/1,500)

“Now I attack directly with Vampire Genesis!”

Mick screamed as the crimson shroud flew into him, propelling him backwards.

He staggered up and held his head…

“Blood Sucker, you too…” said Chelsea. “Claw rend!”

Blood Sucker slashed at Mick with both his claws, and he screamed in pain.

“And when Blood Sucker damages your Life Points,” continued Chelsea, “you lose the top card from your deck.”

Mick took the top card from his deck. He growled when he realized what it was. He discarded it.

“Good show, Chelsea,” said Lady Akemi.

She took a fan out of her kimono and started to fan herself.

“Now finish him good. This uncultured rake is starting to get on my nerves.”

“Will do,” said Chelsea. “It’s your move, Mick…”

(C: 4,800) -------------------- (M: 3,300)

Mick drew a card.

“Heh, heh, heh…” he chuckled. “You are as good as E…”

He stopped short.

“Uh, forget I said that…” he quickly said.

“Now it’s time to show you what my Dark Mechanic can do…”

The card started to burn with black fire…

“See, every time one of my Machines was sent to the Graveyard, it gained one counter. Now I can remove it from play, and then Special Summon a Machine from my hand or deck that has an equal or less number of counters.

“Eight of my Machines have been sent to the Graveyard since I played it… But I’m only going to summon a Level Seven Machine… My best Monster…”

The Spell Card vanished.

A huge form started to materialize onto the field, burning with golden fire...

“Meet Emes the Infinity!” he shouted.

The creature that appeared on the field was both big and intimidating. It was built to resemble a creature in golden armor, with a serpentine, metal trunk in place of legs. It had four arms, holding a huge sword, a shield, a scepter, and a spear. (2,500/2,000)

“That guy can’t beat Vampire Genesis…” said Chelsea.

“Can he now?” asked Mick. “Well, maybe not yet. Emes, attack her Blood Sucker! Divine blade!”

Emes the Infinity charged forward, slashing at Blood Sucker with its sword. The Zombie was smashed to pieces.

“And by the way,” chuckled Mick. “Whenever he kills a Monster, Emes gains 700 Attack Points. So now he’s strong enough.”

Emes grew to an Attack of 3,200.

“I’ll end my turn there…”

(C: 3,600) -------------------- (M: 3,300)

Chelsea nervously drew.

“I move Vampire Genesis to Defense Mode…” she said with a gulp.

The huge Vampire knelt in Defense.

“Then I’ll set another Monster in Defense Mode…”

She played a card, and a facedown Monster appeared.

“Then I’ll set this facedown…”

She fit a card into her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

“I can’t do anything else…”

Mick drew a card. He looked at it for a second.

“Emes, destroy her Vampire Genesis!” he shouted.

Emes slithered forward, and slashed with its sword. Vampire Genesis howled, and then exploded.

“And once again, he gets stronger…”

(3,900/2,000)

“Does that thing have a limit?” asked Heck.

“Unfortunately, no…” answered Yumi. “Hence the term ‘Infinity’.”

“Don’t worry…” said Ren, nervously. “Chelsea will think of something…”

Chelsea’s hand shook as she drew a card.

“Come on, Chelsea,” muttered Ren, “think of something…”

Chelsea placed another card on her Disk, and another Monster appeared in Defense Mode.

She glared at him.

“I take it that means you want me to move…” said Mick.

He drew a card.

Then he laughed.

“I play the Spell Card, Double Attack!” he exclaimed. “Now I just have to discard a Monster who’s a higher Level than Emes, like my Perfect Machine King here…”

He discarded his last card.

“And Emes gets to attack twice! Emes, attack the Monster on the left!”

Emes charged. A werewolf wearing ragged trousers with broken shackles on his wrists appeared on the card. Emes’s sword struck it, and it was blown to bits.

“That was my Zombie Werewolf!” shouted Chelsea. “And when he’s destroyed in battle, I get to summon another one from my deck, with 500 more Attack Points. So I’ll put him in Defense Mode.”

In a burst of shadow, another Zombie Werewolf appeared, crouching in defense. (1,700/1,200)

“Big deal,” said Mick. “Emes, destroy the second one!”

Emes slashed with his sword, and the second Werewolf was destroyed.

“Close…” said Chelsea, “but I have three in my deck.”

In another burst of energy, a third Werewolf appeared, also in defense. (2,200/1,200)

Emes grew to an Attack of 5,300.

“You’re stalling, and it isn’t gonna help…” said Mick. “It’s your move.”

Chelsea drew.

Oh no! she thought, in panic. I have nothing to summon at all! Just my Ryu Kokki… Whether it’s him or Vampire Lady defending won’t make a difference against that thing… And if I sacrifice one of them to summon him in Defense Mode, he’d know which Monster has the higher Defense…

If he draws something that can beat a 1,200 Defense, I’ll be left defenseless! If Edan’s toadies are this good, how much better has he gotten?

“I have to pass…” she muttered.

“Don’t give up, Chelsea!” shouted Ren. “Do what Yumi would do!”

Do what Yumi would do? thought Chelsea. If I were Yumi, I’d have already drawn a card that would have saved me. My facedown card is only a bluff… This may be the last round I can defend…

Mick drew a card.

“Well, Chelsea…” he said, “It’s been fun, but this duel is over. I just drew Big Bang Shot!”

He showed her the card.

“And I’ll Equip it to Emes. It not only raises his Attack by 400, but it gives him a trampling effect to boot.”

Emes the Infinity roared, and rose to at Attack of 5,700…

Chelsea’s eyes opened wide.

My facedown card! she thought. Now it CAN save me!

“I activate my facedown card!” she shouted. “Go, Dust Tornado!”

Her Trap Card lifted, and a tornado flew across the field, and blasted the Big Bang Shot card to pieces.

“You obviously know…” said Chelsea, “that when Big Bang Shot is destroyed, the Monster it was Equipped to is removed from play…”

Emes the Infinity faded into a blur, and disappeared.

“Wha… buh… guh…” gasped Mick. “How… No one’s ever beaten it before…”

Ren and Yumi started to cheer.

“First time for everything…” laughed Chelsea. “And now, it’s my move!”

“I flip my facedown Monster into Attack Mode,” she said. “My second Vampire Lady.”

The card flipped up, and Vampire Lady appeared. (1,550/1,550)

“And then… I move Zombie Werewolf to Attack Mode too…”

Zombie Werewolf stood up, and howled…

“Ho boy…” muttered Mick. “This is gonna hurt…”

“Zombie Werewolf,” she ordered, “you’re up first. Terror claw!”

The werewolf flew forward and slashed at Mick with its talon.

Mick teetered, dizzy…

“Vampire Lady…” said Chelsea, “finish him off. Lunch time.”

Vampire Lady vanished, and Mick looked startled…

He was more startled as the vampire gently embraced him from behind. He tried to break free, but he was frozen in place…

Then Vampire Lady plunged her fangs into his jugular, and he moaned. His remaining Life Points started to fall…

“That’s it…” said Chelsea. “Drink up and savor it.”

Mick fell to his knees as Vampire Lady drank her fill. Finally, he fell to the ground with his face in the dirt as the vampire simply smiled.

(C: 3,600) -------------------- (M: 0)

“So, you won?” asked Akemi.

“Uh huh,” said Chelsea. “I love ending a duel with her. She always brings the end with a good show.”

The two Zombies slowly vanished.

She checked her badge, which was now at Yellow.

“Way to go, Chelsea!” shouted Ren, as Chelsea walked up to Mick.

Chelsea yanked the coupon away from Mick, who was just getting up.

“Next time Edan wants to deal with me,” she said through her teeth, “tell him he can come himself!”

Mick gave an ashamed look, and then ran off.

Chelsea looked at her friends.

“Come to think of it, it is lunch time,” she said. “How about some hamburgers?”



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



Well… thought the onlooker.

Chelsea has clearly decided not to build a deck of Fiends, but to instead go with a different creature of darkness – Zombies. The reason for the shift, I’m not sure, but she clearly has a reason.

She’s also a powerful woman who won’t be dominated, not by this Edan fellow or by anyone else. She’ll be someone to look out for, for certain…

Anyway…

The onlooker put the notebook in a dufflebag and took out a Duel Disk.

I can’t waste time here forever…

And then the spy turned and left, heading deeper into Duelatopia… Undoubtedly in search of a challenge.

* * * * * * * * * *

A short time later, the four of them were at a small, open-air restaurant called Hamburger Recipe. The place was dominated by a large mural of Hungry Burger, and the menu offered a great deal of finger-food. The burgers were big and had all the trimmings.

“So…” said Yumi, watching Chelsea pour ketchup on hers, “just who is this Edan character?”

Chelsea took a bite out of her hamburger and slowly chewed.

“Ever hear of underground dueling?” she asked.

“I know about those things…” said Ren. “Secret nightclubs in the slums of the cities, where brutal, painful duels are held for the patrons’ amusement. They’re little more than cockfights.”

“Edan is one of the participants,” answered Chelsea, “and he’s survived a long time in those places with his Rock Deck, but ever since he saw me, he’s had a demented crush on me.

“Of course, the reason he’s into underground dueling is because he’s not a nice guy. He was admitted to the Pro League, but he got kicked out after his first match.

“I was told about it. His opponent had only 1,000 Life Points left, and Edan was in the position to make a direct attack with his Granmarg and win.

“But he got an idea that he thought would make a true showstopper. He played Double Attack, discarding his Megarock Dragon so that Granmarg could attack twice, even though that was completely unnecessary.

“Instead of getting the cheers he expected, he was booed out of the arena. He had forgotten that this wasn’t professional wrestling. The ones in charge threw him out of the Pro League for such a cruel move.

“Underground dueling suited him better. In places like that, it pays to be brutal. Frankly, I don’t know why he’s here. I’m guessing he and that guy I just dueled used forged papers or something to get invited.

“He’s been trying to bring me into his fold for a long time, offering tempting wagers… But I’ve beaten him time and time again. Last time he tried using the Megarock Dragon, and I was even able to beat that. Blew it to pieces with my Widespread Ruin. He’s notorious for running right into Trap Cards. That’s his weakness.

“He’s never going to learn that you can’t force a woman to love you, no matter how hard you try…

“And now, thanks to him, we have dinner for free tonight!”

“Well…” said Heck, tossing his napkin and soda cup in the trash, “ah think ah’ll be leaving you guys. Ah’ve watched for long enough.”

“You sure you’re ready to try again, Heck?” asked Yumi. “You only have one more chance…”

“Ah can’t avoid it forever,” he replied. “Who knows… Maybe we’ll all meet up again before this is out.

“So ah’ll be seeing you around…”

He got up and strode off.

* * * * * * * * * *

The fortuneteller sat at her table. In front of her was The High Priestess in the center of the table, and The Fool to the left.

“Two members of the conflict have been revealed,” she said. “But there are more… What of Chelsea, I wonder?”

She took a card off her deck and turned it over, setting it to the right of The High Priestess.

It was a bizarre card. A beautiful maiden, dressed in a white dress, held a lion firmly around the neck with one arm, and held its mouth closed with the other. Despite her purity and fragile appearance, she was dominating this beast.

“Yes, The Strength…” said the fortuneteller. “A sign of unshakeable will that cannot be broken. Whatever enemy approaches, he will find Chelsea a difficult foe to dominate…”

She looked at the deck.

“More remains to be seen… But not just yet…”

* * * * * * * * * *

In another part of Duelatopia…

Two duelists stood apart. One was a twenty-year-old man with glasses and a short beard (no moustache), wearing a sweater and casual pants.

The other duelist was a sixteen-year-old with a boyish face, and golden-blonde hair. His arms were slightly muscular, and he wore a sweatshirt and jeans.

Both of them were at Orange status.

“You don’t know what you’re getting into, Nicholas was it?” said the older man. “I’ll have you begging for mercy in less than three rounds!”

“I came here to duel…” muttered the youth, in a clear British accent. “Not to listen to hot air.”

“Well, duel then,” said the older duelist. “Try not to embarrass yourself.”

The scores both set to 8,000, and Nicholas drew a sixth card.

“I’ll start by playing Pot of Greed…” he said.

He played the card, and drew twice.

“Now I set a Monster in Defense Mode, and I’ll take a break for now.”

A facedown Monster appeared.

The older duelist drew.

“I’ll place a Monster in Defense Mode as well…” he said, setting a card.

Another facedown Monster appeared.

“And now, I play Dimensional Fissure.”

As he played the card, the air behind him tore open, and a dark void opened up.

“Now, any Monster that would normally go to the Graveyards in removed from play.

“Your move again.”

Nicholas made a draw.

“First,” he said, “I’ll place three cards facedown on the field…”

He played three cards, and three facedown cards appeared.

“Next…” he said, “I’ll sacrifice my facedown Monster to summon Total Defense Shogun.”

He played the card, and the facedown card vanished, replaced by a burly Warrior in armor and a cape, holding a huge sword. (1,550/2,500)

“And when Shogun is summoned,” he continued, “he automatically moves into Defense Mode.”

Total Defense Shogun knelt in Defense.

“I could attack with him, despite him being in Defense Mode, but I think I’ll wait. It’s your move…”

The older duelist drew.

“Heh, heh…” he said. “First, I play Graceful Charity. I draw three cards, and discard two…”

He drew three cards, and looked them over. Then he pocketed two of them (clearly they were Monsters).

“Next…” he continued. “I flip-summon my Magician of Faith.”

The set Monster on the field rose up in Attack Mode, revealing the ponytailed Spellcaster in a tunic, holding a staff topped with a crescent moon. (300/400)

“I’ll use her effect to get Graceful Charity back…” he continued. “Then I play it again.”

He played the card, drew three cards, and pocketed two.

“Is this bloody combo of yours gonna take much longer?” asked Nicholas.

“Quiet!” he replied. “Never saw anyone so anxious to lose… And now I play… Dimension Fusion. I’ll pay 2,000 Life Points to summon the four Monsters I removed from play.”

In flashes of light, four Monsters appeared on his side of the field: Two Marauding Captains (1,200/400 x2), one D.D. Assailant (1,700/1,600), and one Command Knight (1,200/1,900).

“I get to bring back a Monster too…” said Nicholas. “Earthbound Spirit, in Defense Mode.”

A ghoulish creature made of soil crept partially out of the earth in front of Nicholas. (500/2,000)

“Whatever…” said his opponent, “Finally, since I haven’t Normal Summoned I’ll sacrifice Magician of Faith to summon Freed the Matchless General!”

He switched cards on his Disk. The Spellcaster vanished, and General Freed appeared. (2,300/1,700)

“I’d say I was impressed,” said Nicholas, “but frankly, I am not…”

“Oh?” said the duelist. “Let me explain a few things. Since I have two Marauding Captains on the field…”

“I know, a Captain Lock,” interrupted Nicholas. “I’m not dumb. And your Command Knight raises all their Attack Scores by 400. I’m still not impressed.”

“I’ll impress you…” said the duelist. “Freed, attack his Total Defense Shogun!”

Freed leapt at the Shogun.

“I activate The Reliable Guardian,” said Nicholas, as one of his facedown cards lifted. “It increases my Shogun’s already-formidable Defense by 700 for one round.”

The Shogun swatted Freed aside with a backhand, and the General fell backwards.

The duelist growled.

“D.D. Assailant, destroy Earthbound Spirit!”

Assailant slashed with her sword, destroying the Fiend.

He looked at another card in his hand.

Bottomless Trap Hole.

He fit it into his Disk, and it appeared facedown.

“So now what?” asked the duelist.

Nicholas drew.

He gave his opponent a sinister look.

“I play my own Graceful Charity…” he said.

He drew three cards, and then pocketed two of them.

“And now, I activate my other two facedown cards…”

Two minutes later, a scream echoed across that part of Duelatopia…

The overconfident duelist was lying on his back with his cards scattered, shivering and babbling incoherently. Nicholas shuffled his deck, his badge now at Yellow.

“I can’t envy the nightmares you’re gonna have tonight…” he said. “But try to get some sleep anyway…”

He turned and walked away.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Half an hour later, in yet another part of the city…

Two other duelists were facing each other. One was a twenty-year-old with black hair dyed with green streaks.

The other was a sixteen-year-old girl with honey-blonde hair tied in two long braids. She wore clothing that was simple, but seemed outdated.

Again, both of them were at Orange.

“Want a piece of this, Olga?” said the man.

“Just duel…” said the girl, again in an accent that was British. “I have no time for frivolities.”

The scores each set to 8,000. The older duelist drew a card.

“I start by playing… Card Destruction!” he said. “Now we must both fold our hands and draw new ones.”

Olga shrugged, and discarded her hand, and then drew five new cards.

“Next, I play the Field Spell Luminous Spark, which grants all Light Monsters 500 Attack Points in exchange for 400 Defense.”

He played the card, and a bright light surrounded the field.

“Now I summon, The Creator Incarnate.”

He played the card, and a tall man in golden armor and a helmet appeared. (1,600/1,500) –> (2,100/1,100)

“And now I sacrifice him… To Special Summon… The Creator!”

The Creator Incarnate vanished, and a giant monolith of a being made of bronze appeared. It seemed made of gleaming metal, and had a huge disk on its back. (2,300/3,000) –> (2,800/2,600)

“And now I discard one card to active its ability, and Special Summon Hyozanryu from my Graveyard.”

He discarded a card, and the huge, diamond Dragon appeared and roared. (2,100/2,800) –> (2,600/2,400)

“Heh, heh…” he said. “And next round I can summon someone who’s just as powerful. Your move…”

Olga drew a card.

“Two powerful Monsters in one turn, huh?” she asked. “Not bad, but I’ve seen better…

“I play this Spell Card…”

One minute later, another scream echoed over Duelatopia…

Olga’s opponent lay shaking on the ground, just as Nicholas’s opponent had. Olga shuffled her deck, and looked at her badge, which was now Yellow.

“Don’t think I’m harmless because I’m soft and cuddly!” she said with a smile.

She walked away.

Yumi, Ren, and Chelsea now have one victory apiece. But it seems some competition looms over the horizon. What lies ahead? What will the future hold?



ZOMBIE WEREWOLF (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Zombie/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 4
ATK: 1,200
DEF: 1,200

Card Description: When this card is destroyed as a result of battle and sent to the Graveyard, Special Summon one “Zombie Werewolf” from your hand or deck. The Special Summoned Monster’s base ATK becomes 500 more than the one that was destroyed to activate this effect.

Note: “Zombie Werewolf” was first used by Camula in the multi-part “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “Field of Screams”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



BLOOD SUCKER (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Zombie/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 4
ATK: 1,300
DEF: 1,500

Card Description: When this card damages your opponent’s Life Points as a result of battle, your opponent discards the top card from his deck.

Note: “Blood Sucker” is a Japanese card that has not yet been released in the United States.



DARK MECHANIC (Spell Card)

Continuous Spell

Image: A fiend dressed as a mechanic, holding a wrench and standing in a junkyard.

Card Description: Whenever one of your Machine-Type Monsters is sent to the Graveyard, put one Summon Counter on this card. During your Main Phase, you may remove this card from play, and Special Summon a Machine-Type Monster from your deck whose Level is equal to or less than the number of Summon Counters on this card. If you use this effect, you may not Normal Summon, Flip-Summon, or Special Summon another Monster during the same turn.



Ren: Duelatopia… What wonders do you have that are waiting for us to unlock?

Chelsea: It’s a city of a thousand treasures. So many things to find if you know where to look… So Yumi, ready to give it another go?

Yumi: You bet! I’m getting right back into the thick of things!

Ren: Next chapter, “Magic versus Mesozoic; Miracle Jurassic”. Tell me, Yumi, did your grandpa ever duel Rex Raptor?

Yumi: Not the one you’re thinking of… But I have a feeling this will be more challenging…

[Shuppet Master]

Looks like Yumi's going up against a Dino deck next chapter. I wonder if Tyranno Hassleberry will be mentioned. (Sorry if I spoiled anything, Brian. You don't have to confirm it.)

Loved seeing Chelsea duel, and those two incomplete duels where the opponents screamed as they lost interested me. I'm also curious about those two duelists, Nicholas and Olga. I have a feeling I know who their parents are, but that's just a wild guess. (Again, Brian, don't publicly confirm it.)

Great chapter, and I loved seeing that spirit, Lady Akemi.

[jkBAKURA]

Ok, I think I just figured out something while reading this chapter. I like Vampire decks, and I don't know why.

True not everything we've seen so far is Vampire related. Some examples being the Bone tower and the Werewolves. I just hope that you don't focus too hard on the Deck Destruction aspect. That was more Nathen's field of expertise.

On that note, if Chelsea has the card I think she does, that Matter Transporter is going to be used to combo with it quite a bit.

As for the opponent, you used a nice mix of machines that weren't used in your previous stories. (and there have been quite a few machines) The character didn't feel as artificial as the opponents up to this point.

As for the opponents, the second teaser reminds me of another one-turn shutout from the anime, and I'm almost positive Olga is carrying the same theme. (it's the name that gives it away)

For Nicholas, we know it has something to do with removing things from the game, but that two card combo... I'm going to be kicking myself when it shows up I know it.

I can safely say that Ren and Chelsea's chapters will be fun reads. Yumi's first duel fell flat, but here's a chance to spice things up.

See you next week for the Mesazoic Monsters vs. Mighty Magicians, Triassic Terrors vs. Talented Tricksters, Cretacious Carnivores vs. Cunning Casters, Jurassic Giants vs...

*KLONK!*