Yu-Gi-Oh! The Thousand-Year Door (Act One)

[Dark Sage]

Let me clear this up...

I mean currently illegal, for anyone who hasn't responded yet. I had to make a ruling for three people who answered with two responses and rendered their answer null, and I only did that because it wouldn't have made a difference.

So only the current banned list, not the new one.

- Brian

[Dark Sage]

We have our two winners! Every user character has replied, and the winners have been decided!

And now, here are the answers!



1. Assuming their ATK scores are at their original states, if “Dark Ruler Ha Des” battles “Getsu Fuhma”, what is the outcome of the battle?

Dark Ruler Ha Des will destroy Getsu Fuhma. Since Dark Ruler Ha Des negates the effect of any monster he destroys, Getsu Fuhma's effect will NOT activate, and he will remain on the field.


2. What happens if you try to use “Premature Burial” to revive “Freed the Matchless General” (be specific)?

The effect of Freed the Matchless General only applies if he is on the field. Since he is in the Graveyard when you target him with Premature Burial, you will be able to Special Summon him to the field. Then, his effect that negates any Magic Card that targets him (such as Premature Burial) will kick in and destroy Premature Burial. However, since Freed also negates the effects of any Magic Cards that target him, he will remain on the field, even Premature Burial was destroyed and sent to the Graveyard.


3. A duelist plays an Equip Spell Card to Special Summon “Shinato King of a Higher Plane” from his Graveyard, at the cost of 800 Life Points. The Spell Card he used was not “Premature Burial”. What was it?

Fulfillment of the Contract. At the cost of 800 Life Points, this Equip Spell Card, allows you to Special Summon any already-properly-summoned Ritual Monster from your Graveyard to the field. Should this Equip be destroyed, however, the Special Summoned monster is removed from the game.


4. If your opponent’s “Insect Knight” attacks your Attack Position “Gemini Elf” and you activate “Waboku”, and both have their original ATK, what is the outcome of the battle?

Gemini Elf will remain on the field, Insect Knight will be destroyed, and there will be no change in Life Points. Waboku negates ALL Battle Damage, both done to yourself and done to your monster. In essence, it prevents your monsters from being destroyed in battle and you from taking any Life Point damage in battle for one turn.


5. What is the effect of “Archfiend Marmot of Nefariousness”?

Nothing at all. It's not even a Fiend, it's a Beast with 400 ATK. However, it is an Archfiend, so you can summon Terrorking Archfiend and use cards such as Falling Down while it is on your side of the field.


6. Which one of the following Monsters can still use its effect(s) in “Necrovalley”?

C. Vampire Lord

Necrovalley negates cards that target any card (or cards) in the Gravyard, unless the card targets itself. Agido, even though it activates while in the Graveyard (which Necrovalley does NOT negate), it still targets a card other than itself that is in the Graveyard, and therefore is negated. Since both players are also forbidden from removing card in the Graveyards from play, Bazoo the Soul-Eater's effect will not activate. And, even though Fiber Jar targets things that are not in the Graveyard (cards in your hand and on your side of the field), it still also targets the cards in the Graveyard, therefore its entire effect will be negated. Vampire Lord, however, only targets itself, and nothing else. Therefore, Necrovalley will not hold it in the Graveyard.


7. As revealed in an earlier chapter, “Skill Drain” actually benefits many Monsters. Which of the following Monsters would keep its handicap?

D. The Unfriendly Amazon (Ironically)

Skill Drain only negates EFFECTS of cards. The only 'effect' the Unfriendly Amazon has is actually a COST: You must Tribute a monster on your side of the field each turn in order to keep it on the field. Skill Drain does NOT negate costs, therefore The Unfriendly Amazon is not a wise choice for a Skill Drain Deck.


8. A Monster which first appeared in “Ancient Sanctuary” has since appeared in the image of two other cards. The actual Monster is a one-star Dark Fiend with no effect. The next card it appeared on (in “Rise of Destiny”) is a Trap which helps you choose what your next draw will be. The next (from “The Lost Millennium”) is a Trap that you have to fool your opponent into destroying. Its name also appeared on another Monster Card from “Cybernetic Revolution”. Name the Monster.

Kozaky. The other cards refered to are, in order, Fruits of Kozaky's Studies, Kozaky's Self-Destruct Button, and Giant Kozaky.


9. Who was the first Amazoness to be released?

The first Amazon-related card that works with the rest of the Amazonesses released in Magician's Force is Amazon Archer, even though Amazoness is not in her name. (A lot of people guessed it was The Unfriendly Amazon. Weren't you listening to what Francesca said? Official rulings on that card say she is NOT an Amazoness.)


10. What happens when “Old Vindictive Magician” is flipped when there are no opposing Monsters on the field?

The effect text says "Destroy 1 monster on your opponent's side of the field". Therefore, nothing would happen. This is different from Man-Eater Bug's text, which simply says "Destroy 1 monster on the field". If Man-Eater BUg is the only monster on the field when it is flipped, then it will be forced to destroy itself (the effect is not optional). But, as I said, this is not the case for Old Vindictive Magician, due to the wording on the card.


11. When can one use only two Monsters as a Tribute to summon “Gilford the Lightning” and still enact his effect?

When one of the Tributed monsters is Kaiser Seahorse. Gilford the Lightning is a Light Attribute monster. If Kaiser Seahorse is Tributed to Tribute Summon a Light Attribute monster, then it counts as two monsters instead of one. Thus, you would need to sacrifice only 1 other monster to activate Gilford's Raigeki-like ability.


12. Which of the following cards has a picture of at least one Mokey Mokey on it?

C. “Human Wave Tactics”

There are at least 14.


13. What card in the game has the shortest name, in terms of number of letters/numbers in its name?

7

AST - EN091: Common
DR2 - EN204: Common
Continuous Spell
When there are 3 face-up "7" cards on your side of the field, draw 3 cards from your Deck. Then destroy all "7" cards. When this card is sent directly from the field to your Graveyard, increase your Life Points by 700 points.


14. Assuming their ATK scores are at their original states, if “Dark Magician of Chaos” battles “Ryu Kokki”, what happens to both Monsters? (Be complete.)

Both monster are destroyed and removed from play, and Ryu Kokki's owner loses 400 Life Points. Due to damage calculation, Dark Magician of Chaos will destroy Ryu Kokki, and Dark Magician of Chaos automatically removes any monster it destroys from play. Ryu Kokki, however, will destroy Dark Magician of Chaos due to its own effect, and Dark Magician of Chaos' effects states that, if it is removed from the field in any way, it is immediately removed from play.


15. A duelist has the three Ritual Monster Cards “Dokurorider”, “Dark Master – Zorc”, AND “The Masked Beast” in his deck, but he does not have the Spell Cards “Revival Of Dokurorider”, “Contract With The Dark Master”, or “Curse Of The Masked Beast”. Why?

Said duelist is intelligent and realizes that havin three different Ritual Spell Cards would be impractical. They realized that all three of the above Ritual Monsters are Dark Attribute monster, and therefore can be Ritual Summoned through a generic Ritual Card called Contract with the Abyss, which basically works as a Ritual Spell for any Dark Attribute monster (you still Tribute monsters whose Level Stars equal thhose of the monster you are trying to summon).


16. What Normal Monster has the following flavor text on its card:

[B]This wicked Beast-Warrior does every horrid thing imaginable and loves it! His axe bears the marks of his countless victims.

Vorse Raider.


17. A duelist has “The Legendary Fisherman” on the field. His opponent equips it with “Ekibyo Drakmord”. On his next turn, “The Legendary Fisherman’s” controller plays “Umi”. What happens to the Equip Card? (Be specific.)

The Equip Spell Card will remain equipped to The Legendary Fisherman, but it will no longer have any effect. The Legendary Fisherman does not negate and/or destroy Magic Cards; it simply remains unaffected by them. So Ekibyo Drakmord will not be destroyed, but just sit there, taking up space on your opponent's side of the field.


18. The situation: You have “Behemoth, King of All Animals” and “Berserk Gorilla” on your side of the field. Your opponent has “Terrorking Archfiend” and “The Dark Door” active. All Monsters have their original ATK. You cannot destroy “The Dark Door”. Given the rulings for all four cards, what is your best option?

Attack Terrorking Archfiend with Behemoth the King of All Animals and destroy it. The rulings state that Berserk Gorrila does not have to be the monster that attacks if The Dark Door is active. This way, you can keep both of your monsters on the field.


19. Which of the following Monsters cannot be affected by “Divine Wrath”?

C. Raging Flame Sprite

Divine Wrath, while powerful, has limitations. It can only work on effects that are not Continuous. Since both of Raging Flame Sprite's effects are considered to be Continuous, Divine Wrath cannot be chained to it (since there's technically nothing to chain to). As for the other monsters, it is perfectly acceptable to chain Divine Wrath in response to a monster that occurs in the Graveyard. True, a monster cannot be destroyed if it's already in the Graveyard (and, no, the monster is not removed from play), but Divine Wrath will prevent the effects of Dark Necrofear, Mystic Tomato, and Helpoemer, and in the case of Helpoemer, prevent it effect from happening during the next turns.


20. What is the most powerful Fusion Monster you can summon without using any cards other than the fusion material Monsters and the actual Fusion Monster? (Do not count “Elemental Energy” Monsters.)

Most people didn't get this one. I said "without using any cards other than the Monsters". That means no Polymerization, Fusion Gate, Summoner of Illusions, or Cyber Stein, to name a few. The only fusion Monsters that can be summoned without help from other cards are the ones formed by the XYZ Machines, (and they cannot be summoned using the usual cards for fusions), and without counting the ones in "Elemental Energy", as I said, the answer is XYZ Dragon Cannon.


BONUS QUESTION: In the Virtual Nightmare Arc, in the first five duels, one of the Big Five used a real card which is illegal for tournament play in the real world. Name the card. (It is not necessary to name who used it, but you might as well if you get it right.) Anime-only cards do not count, but the card I am thinking of is not necessarily one that has been released in America.

Only a few tried to answer this question. I was looking for "Imperial Order", used by Leichter. "Pot of Greed", used by Johnson, will qualify as of Saturday, but that answer is not correct because that card is not illegal yet. (To all those who guessed Pot of Greed, getting two extra points wouldn't have let you win anyway.)


Thanks to all who played and if you didn't win, your character might make a cameo soon.

And now to announce the two winners...

Well, why not we just present their favorite cards?

Who is the big winner? I'm not telling...

So, we'll see them in the Thousand Year Door...

- DS

[Pokemasterkatie]

4. If your opponent’s “Insect Knight” attacks your Attack Position “Gemini Elf” and you activate “Waboku”, and both have their original ATK, what is the outcome of the battle?

Gemini Elf will remain on the field, Insect Knight will be destroyed, and there will be no change in Life Points. Waboku negates ALL Battle Damage, both done to yourself and done to your monster. In essence, it prevents your monsters from being destroyed in battle and you from taking any Life Point damage in battle for one turn.

I only got the 'no LP damage' bit. I forgot how many Attack Points Insect Knight has, so I guessed 1900(same as Gemini Elf), so nothing would happen--a total draw.

EDIT: I think I realize my mistake now; as I forgot what happens when both monster have the same number of Attack Points(they BOTH get destroyed).@_@ Handy if someone actually tries a suicide mission.XD

8. A Monster which first appeared in “Ancient Sanctuary” has since appeared in the image of two other cards. The actual Monster is a one-star Dark Fiend with no effect. The next card it appeared on (in “Rise of Destiny”) is a Trap which helps you choose what your next draw will be. The next (from “The Lost Millennium”) is a Trap that you have to fool your opponent into destroying. Its name also appeared on another Monster Card from “Cybernetic Revolution”. Name the Monster.

Kozaky. The other cards refered to are, in order, Fruits of Kozaky's Studies, Kozaky's Self-Destruct Button, and Giant Kozaky.

I had almost thought it was another monster; but a quick check into the CR list got me the answer.

10. What happens when “Old Vindictive Magician” is flipped when there are no opposing Monsters on the field?

The effect text says "Destroy 1 monster on your opponent's side of the field". Therefore, nothing would happen. This is different from Man-Eater Bug's text, which simply says "Destroy 1 monster on the field". If Man-Eater Bug is the only monster on the field when it is flipped, then it will be forced to destroy itself (the effect is not optional). But, as I said, this is not the case for Old Vindictive Magician, due to the wording on the card.

Strange, because I thought the effect was the same as MEB...

11. When can one use only two Monsters as a Tribute to summon “Gilford the Lightning” and still enact his effect?

When one of the Tributed monsters is Kaiser Seahorse. Gilford the Lightning is a Light Attribute monster. If Kaiser Seahorse is Tributed to Tribute Summon a Light Attribute monster, then it counts as two monsters instead of one. Thus, you would need to sacrifice only 1 other monster to activate Gilford's Raigeki-like ability.

Like I said, this was the easiest for me to figure out.^_^

12. Which of the following cards has a picture of at least one Mokey Mokey on it?

C. “Human Wave Tactics”

There are at least 14.

Somehow; I guessed this quite easily...

16. What Normal Monster has the following flavor text on its card:

This wicked Beast-Warrior does every horrid thing imaginable and loves it! His axe bears the marks of his countless victims.

Vorse Raider.

I knew it was one of Kaiba's weaker monsters...took me three tries to find the correct answer.:p

20. What is the most powerful Fusion Monster you can summon without using any cards other than the fusion material Monsters and the actual Fusion Monster? (Do not count “Elemental Energy” Monsters.)

Most people didn't get this one. I said "without using any cards other than the Monsters". That means no Polymerization, Fusion Gate, Summoner of Illusions, or Cyber Stein, to name a few. The only fusion Monsters that can be summoned without help from other cards are the ones formed by the XYZ Machines, (and they cannot be summoned using the usual cards for fusions), and without counting the ones in "Elemental Energy", as I said, the answer is XYZ Dragon Cannon.

Once you said no Polymerization, the answer was quite simple(though it'll change a bit come EE). My first answer--Cyber End Dragon.:p

BONUS QUESTION: In the Virtual Nightmare Arc, in the first five duels, one of the Big Five used a real card which is illegal for tournament play in the real world. Name the card. (It is not necessary to name who used it, but you might as well if you get it right.) Anime-only cards do not count, but the card I am thinking of is not necessarily one that has been released in America.

Only a few tried to answer this question. I was looking for "Imperial Order", used by Leichter. "Pot of Greed", used by Johnson, will qualify as of Saturday, but that answer is not correct because that card is not illegal yet. (To all those who guessed Pot of Greed, getting two extra points wouldn't have let you win anyway.)

I was stupid to try and guess the answer...I thought it was Satellite Cannon(I thought you mentioned it was banned).X_x At least I got the right Big 5 member.

[The Blue Avenger]

Yep, definitely made a lot of stupid mistakes in this one... I looked at a rumored ban list as my source for the bonus (X_x) and didn't realize that the VWXYZ fusion was Elemental Energy - definitely thought that Elemental Energy was referring to Gate Guardian's components. Ah well.

Congratulations to the victors! That took a lot of knowledge.

[Zcade0]

hey, do the magnet warriors need a fusion thing or is valkerion not a fusion?

[Dark Sage]

Valkyrion is not a fusion. You sacrifice the three Magnet Warriors from your hand or the field to special summon it from your hand. The difference between it and the XYZs is, it doesn't go in the fusion deck. It goes in the actual deck.

Gate Guardian is also not a fusion. You must have the three Monsters on the field and Gate Guardian in your hand to summon it.

[Shuppet Master]

So the winning user characters are Drake and that guy who dueled Fran, the one with the Ancient Gear beasts. What was his name?

I was eager to win, but I completely screwed up because I didn't understand the questions properly. Had I been a little more careful, I wouldn't have scored so horribly. I might not have won, but I wouldn't have come off as a total newbie.

Brian, what's with the second cameos bit? I'm curious.

[Mystic_clown]

15. A duelist has the three Ritual Monster Cards “Dokurorider”, “Dark Master – Zorc”, AND “The Masked Beast” in his deck, but he does not have the Spell Cards “Revival Of Dokurorider”, “Contract With The Dark Master”, or “Curse Of The Masked Beast”. Why?

Said duelist is intelligent and realizes that havin three different Ritual Spell Cards would be impractical. They realized that all three of the above Ritual Monsters are Dark Attribute monster, and therefore can be Ritual Summoned through a generic Ritual Card called Contract with the Abyss, which basically works as a Ritual Spell for any Dark Attribute monster (you still Tribute monsters whose Level Stars equal thhose of the monster you are trying to summon).

Or, said duelist is incredably stupid and forgot to put the ritual spell cards in *laughs*

So the winning user characters are Drake and that guy who dueled Fran, the one with the Ancient Gear beasts. What was his name?

Wasn't it Brian or something?

4. If your opponent’s “Insect Knight” attacks your Attack Position “Gemini Elf” and you activate “Waboku”, and both have their original ATK, what is the outcome of the battle?

Gemini Elf will remain on the field, Insect Knight will be destroyed, and there will be no change in Life Points. Waboku negates ALL Battle Damage, both done to yourself and done to your monster. In essence, it prevents your monsters from being destroyed in battle and you from taking any Life Point damage in battle for one turn.

hmm, I didn't think Insect Knight would be destroyed. Then again, I've never seen a situation like that, ever!

[starjake]

15. A duelist has the three Ritual Monster Cards “Dokurorider”, “Dark Master – Zorc”, AND “The Masked Beast” in his deck, but he does not have the Spell Cards “Revival Of Dokurorider”, “Contract With The Dark Master”, or “Curse Of The Masked Beast”. Why?

Said duelist is intelligent and realizes that having three different Ritual Spell Cards would be impractical. They realized that all three of the above Ritual Monsters are Dark Attribute monsters, and therefore can be Ritual Summoned through a generic Ritual Card called Contract with the Abyss, which basically works as a Ritual Spell for any Dark Attribute monster (you still Tribute monsters whose Level Stars equal those of the monster you are trying to summon).

Or, said duelist is incredably stupid and forgot to put the ritual spell cards in *laughs*

Hey, don't be dissing the answers. I'm the one who wrote them. (With the exceptiong of #20, that's the one I didn't get).

Just thought I'd stop in while I had a minute and inform people of my continued existence. I have been continuing to read everyone's fics, but I haven't had the time to keep up with my own due to an incredibly busy schedule. But, never you fear, I haven't forgot about Virtual Disaster. It will once again rise from ashes of the back page. [/corny poetic stuff]

And, if my memory serves me correctly, the guy with who used a deck based on ancient history was named Kyle. Not entirely sure though

So, don't think of me as a stranger. Just a relative who lives far away and has little time to visit.

Cheers,
StarJake

[ssj4supernerd]

You know why I knew Vorse Raider out of my head.

Weel, Saturday I wanted to visit Pojo and watch the card reviews.The firt in line was Vorse Raider.Th e flavour text was right next to him.

Well, now that i'm stuck with 7 points, I need to rely a little bit less on my friend.I got to know more of Yu-Gi-Oh!!*goes studying*

[Dark Sage]

Your character's name is Kyle Stevens, Starjake.

And now that that's out of the way, the fanfic can get back on track!

I am proud to present the FINAL chapter of Act One!

But don't feel too bad - Act Two promises to be even better!

So enjoy...

- DS

[Dark Sage]

[I][B]Glitzville… The lights, the sights…

…and the fights…

The last time we were here, two big things happened. One, Fran was forced into a life-or-death duel with an assassin who happened to be her best friend who had been brainwashed. Yumi was cured, and Fran got her next Crystal Card.

The other thing was, I signed up for a dueling contest, not knowing it was a trap arranged by Tyson, the Shadow Spawn of Fire. I defeated him, mainly because he was an idiot, and I received my valuable Power Lift card as a reward.

I didn’t expect to come back to this city in the sky, but now I have to if I want to get into the Thousand Year Door with Stan and Francesca.

It’s time for Markova the Dragon Master to step into the ring again…

After all, as a great showman once said, always give the public what they want…

[size=3][B]CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE



Duelamania!

The Interdimensional Matter Transporter deposited them in the center of the bustling square of Glitzville. People were about, and vendors were busy as they ever were.

“Well,” said Andy, looking at his watch.

It was three-thirty.

“Let’s get to the Glitz Pit and see what the deal is. The two of you had to duel freaks of nature to earn your Crystal Stars, so logic assumes I’ll have to do the same…”

As they walked towards the largest building, Francesca spoke up.

“Say, I wonder if…” she started.

“FRAN!” shouted a familiar voice.

Francesca turned to see the smiling face of Yumi running up to greet them.

“So good to see you guys again!” laughed Yumi, hugging her.

“Great to see you too,” answered Fran. She eyed the Duel Disk on Yumi’s arm. “I do hope you’ve been taking our advice and staying away from dueling…”

“I learned my lesson,” replied Yumi, looking at the Disk nervously. “But I still keep this and my Ninja Deck close by in case the Queen’s goons come back to start something… Say…”

She pulled three Crystal Cards out of her pocket.

“I still have the three I had left after you beat me Fran! If any of you guys need another one we could…”

“That won’t be necessary, Yumi,” interrupted Andy. “We all have the required Cards, and I only need to compete for something called the Ruby Star…”

“Then we’re off to the Thousand Year Door,” continued Stan, “to teach the Queen a lesson for what she did to you.”

“We just need to speak to Jolene again,” said Andy. “I might have to duel in public again.”

“Well,” said Yumi, as they started to walk towards the auditorium, “Miss Jolene has been holding dueling competitions ever since I got here. I’ve been watching all the ones I could afford…”

She sighed.

“I just wish I could afford to see the big duels… Like the ones with Rawk Hawk…”

“You mentioned him the last time were here…” mentioned Stan. “Who is he?”

“The best duelist in Glitzville,” answered Yumi. “I’ve seen pictures of him…”

She chuckled.

“Picture Big Bird on steroids, and you’ve got an adequate likeness. But don’t make fun of his appearance to his face! I’ve heard rumors that this guy eats raw meat…

“…for breakfast…”

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

In her office, Miss Jolene was typing something on a laptop.

She was incredibly nervous. Word on the grapevine was that six contestants of the Monster Island Tournament had qualified, and she was paranoid that her usefulness would soon be outlived…

She typed a passage in the document she was composing.

To my cousin Trisha, I leave my collection of autographed sports memorabilia. I realize you never particularly wanted it, but Patrick does, and I do NOT want him to get his paws on it! He’d likely get tired of it and sell it all on eBay eventually anyway. Also…

“Miss Jolene?” said an aide.

She shrieked!

“Oh…” she gasped. “It’s you Roland…”

“Not that it’s any of my business…” sighed Roland, “but have you ever considered switching to decaf?”

“WHAT DO YOU WANT?” she shouted.

“Andy Markova here to see you…” he answered.

Jolene looked surprised.

She hit the “Save” command on her computer and turned it off.

“Send him in,” she said, closing it.

Two minutes later, the four teens walked into the office.

“Andy!” said Jolene, cheerily, getting up. “How are you? Come for an encore performance?”

“I don’t know…” muttered Andy. “Depends…”

Jolene looked at him strangely.

“My Disk told me to come here…” he continued. “I was supposed to speak to you about the Ruby Star…”

Jolene sighed. She slumped into her chair.

“Ironic…” she muttered. “It was you…”

“What?” asked Andy. “Are you my opponent?”

Jolene laughed.

“No,” she chuckled. “I’m just a novice. But I was told that someone would likely win seven Cards today, so I was to schedule my part of the Crystal Star competitions…”

She sighed.

“At seven o’clock tonight,” she continued, “the biggest duel in Glitzville since the Tournament started will be held in the Pit. In one corner, the holder of seven Crystal Cards, and in the other, Glitzville’s reigning champion…”

“Rawk Hawk?” asked Yumi.

Jolene nodded.

“It goes without saying that you have to win in order to get the Star,” sighed Jolene. “But after you beat Tyson, hey, I wouldn’t be too worried.

“Trust me, Rawk’s bark is worse than his bite, and so far he’s refused to duel anyone who might be an actual challenge…”

Her voice sank to a whisper.

“He’s afraid of losing… It would be the worst humiliation…”

“So, what can I expect?” asked Andy.

Jolene chuckled as she went to the closet.

“Well, I can’t tell you that much!” she laughed. “I can’t give away a duelist’s strategies.”

“Here,” she said, handing him a box. “I saved your costume and had it dry-cleaned…”

“Aw, not that thing again!” protested Andy. “I look ridiculous in it!”

“If you think that looks ridiculous, you should see Rawk,” chuckled Jolene. “Now, I’ll have room service bring dinner for you and your three friends to the Green Room. Remember, seven o’clock… this match is going to be sold out.”

“Come on, Lord of Dragons,” teased Francesca. “Best get your clothes off…”

“Quit it…” sighed Andy.

“Hey, I thought you looked good in spandex,” replied Fran.

As they left, Jolene slumped in her chair again.

If I was Pinocchio, my nose would be the size of a yardstick… she thought. Andy’s got his work cut out for him… And if he loses to Rawk…

She sighed.

But if he manages to win, maybe I can finally stop living like this…

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

Andy sighed as he looked at himself in the mirror of the Green Room.

“This is seriously messed up…” he mumbled.

“I told you,” giggled Francesca. “You look cute…”

“Do you have any idea how much this cape weighs?” asked Andy, sarcastically. “And this stupid helmet cuts off half of my line of sight! How on earth is anybody supposed to command dragons in this getup?

“Besides, I don’t think you’d find it very cute if someone was making you dress up like one of your Amazons… Don’t they have any decency anyway? They look like something from a Sports Illustrated swimsuit special!”

“I wouldn’t dress like them,” muttered Francesca. “But they’re strong women, Andy, and they dress however they want.

“Besides, some say that the reason for their skimpy clothing is to stun male enemies with their beauty so they can get in the first strike.”

Andy shrugged.

“Touché,” he sighed.

“Hey, relax, Andy…” said Stan, who was sitting at a table laden with food. “Have a bite to eat – there’s no sense in going in there in an empty stomach…”

“Not very hungry…” muttered Andy.

At that point, Roland came to the door.

“Stan, Francesca, Yumi,” he said. “I can show you to your seats now – we got good ones in the front row.”

“Well, break a leg, Andy!” said Yumi, as the three of them left.

Andy started to shuffle his deck…

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

As the hands on their watches neared seven o’clock, it was clear to Stan, Francesca, and Yumi that Jolene wasn’t lying.

The Glitz Pit was crowded even more than last time. Clearly, discount tickets had been given out for this match, and they had been eagerly bought up.

“Yumi,” asked Francesca, “do you know anything about Rawk Hawk’s dueling strategy?”

“I asked a guy who saw him duel,” answered Yumi. “The guy said he uses a Beastdown Deck.”

“Don’t you mean a ‘Beatdown Deck’?” asked Stan.

“That’s exactly what I asked the guy,” replied Yumi. “But he told me, ‘If I had meant Beatdown, I would have said Beatdown’.”

“Odd…” muttered Francesca.

Music started to play from an electric organ above the seats, and Jolene appeared in the huge, circular ring.

“Ladies and gentlemen!” she announced. “Tonight we present a special event! One of the greatest contestants of the Monster Island Tournament, versus the Glitz Pit’s reigning champion!”

The crowd cheered.

“Introducing the challenger,” she continued, “hailing from Florida, a young man with a full seven Crystal Cards on his person… making his triumphant return to the ring… MARKOVA THE DRAGON MASTER!”

As Andy walked up to the ring, a few people cheered, but not as many as he’d have liked. It was clear he wasn’t exactly the favorite here this time…

“And now,” continued Jolene, “introducing the Glitz Pit’s undefeated, uncontested champion, the one, the only… RAWK HAWK!”

Ominous music played and the lights dimmed, as Andy’s opponent entered from the opposite side of the arena…

This was a sight Andy would not soon forget. Yumi’s description of “Big Bird on steroids” was somewhat accurate, but this guy was even more intimidating than that. He stood a full seven feet tall, and was as muscular as a pro wrestler. His face and visage resembled that of a golden eagle – it was difficult to tell whether this was his true face or some costume. His skin seemed to be covered in a fine coating of golden feathers, and his head sported a huge plume of gold. His dress was limited to trunks, a belt, large collar, boots, armbands (all of those gold), and a silver headband. He wore a Duel Disk which also seemed to be made of gold.

He got up on the ring and looked at Andy.

And then he chuckled.

“Lookee here,” he mocked. “The Lord of Dragons… I hope your dueling is better than your fashion sense, meatball!”

“I must be doing something right,” answered Andy.

“Yeah, right,” laughed Rawk. “I’m gonna take you down in three rounds!”

“Assuming a lug like you can count that high!” snapped Andy back. “You’re nothing but a muscle-bound moron.”

The crowd gasped.

“HEY!” shouted Rawk, clenching his fist. “Don’t call me names! I hate it when people call me names!”

“Oh, is that so?” chuckled Andy. “Then you’re also an ugly birdbrain.”

“That’s it!” shouted Rawk, walking up to him. “I’m gonna take this Disk and stick it where the sun don’t…”

“Rawk, please!” cautioned Jolene. “Take your aggression out in the duel!”

Rawk calmed down a little.

“Fine,” he scowled. “I eat pieces of garbage like guy this for lunch!”

“You eat pieces of garbage for lunch?” asked Andy.

The crowd laughed. Rawk stared at him.

“What’s the matter?” asked Andy. “Upset because you’ve finally found an opponent who isn’t afraid of you?”

Rawk was about to answer, but then a voice sounded in his head.

”Rawk Hawk,” said the Shadow Queen’s voice. ”Listen to me carefully…”

”Boss lady?” answered Rawk.

”Yes,” replied the Queen. ”Here’s an incentive… Defeat Andy, and you’re getting a big raise. Lose, and I’m docking your pay!”

”Don’t worry,” answered Rawk. ”I’ll defeat this meatball…”

”And here’s a word of encouragement,” continued the Queen.

”Yeah?” he answered.

”Don’t do anything stupid!” she snapped.

Rawk started to shuffle his deck, and Andy did the same.

“All right!” shouted the champion, loading his deck into his Disk. “This is starting now, Markova! Prepare to be RAAAAAAAWWWWKED!”

The Disks flipped into position, and the Life Point counters rose to 8,000, both on the Disks and on screens all around the arena. As the holo-imagers on the sides of the ring blazed, the crowd cheered.

Good luck Andy, thought Francesca.

“You make the first move, meatball!” dared Rawk, drawing five cards.

“Whatever you say, pal,” answered Andy, drawing six.

His opening hand wasn’t as good as the one he had when he faced Gerald, but he did have a few good ones…

“I’ll summon Twin-Headed Behemoth in Attack Mode,” he stated.

He placed a card down, and the two-headed Dragon of Wind appeared, making a double roar. (1,500/1,200)

“Interesting…” chuckled Rawk.

He placed a card down.

“I’ll set one Monster facedown in Defense Mode, and that will be my turn,” he declared.

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

“Your move, meatball,” he chuckled.

Andy made a draw.

A Monster facedown, he thought. It could be stronger than my Behemoth, but if what I’ve seen of this guy is any indication, he’s bluffing…

“Twin Headed Behemoth, attack his facedown Monster!” he shouted.

The Dragon shot forth a blast of flames…

And a form appeared on the card. It was a short, scrappy kangaroo with green fur, a purple jacket, and red boxing gloves and sneakers. (1,500/1,700)

As Behemoth’s flames shot towards the creature, it threw its fist forward in a thundering blow! Twin-Headed Behemoth was blown to bits!

“What?” gasped Andy.

“I believe in Australia the saying is, ‘g’day mate’!” chuckled Rawk. “That was a Des Kangaroo, and since its Defense was stronger than your Dragon’s Attack, you not only lose 200 Life Points, but your Dragon is destroyed!”

Andy’s Life Points fell to 7,800.

“Yeah, well, he’s not staying destroyed,” muttered Andy.

Twin-Headed Behemoth returned. (1,000/1,200)

“I’ll end my turn by summoning Koumori Dragon in Defense Mode,” he stated.

He put a card down, and the small, winged, Dragon of Darkness appeared, folding its wings. (1,500/1,200)

Rawk chuckled as he made a draw.

“Lovely,” he said, “but this is gonna be a pretty dull duel is we only play stuff in Defense Mode!”

He slid a card into a slot.

“First I’ll play this Magic Card… the lethal Poison Fangs!”

The Magic Card appeared on his side of the field.

“Now, whenever a Beast damages your Life Points, you’ll lose an additional 500 Life Points!”

“Oh great…” muttered Andy.

“Now I’ll summon… Mad Dog of Darkness!” laughed Rawk, placing a card down.

A savage dog with orange skin, huge fangs, and demonic horns appeared. (1,900/1,400)

“Now, I’ll just shift Des Kangaroo into Attack Mode…” he continued, turning his card.

Des Kangaroo hopped up and put up his dukes.

“Mad Dog of Darkness, take down his Behemoth with rabid bite attack!”

The Beast leapt forward and seized Twin-Headed Behemoth by the left neck with its fangs! The Dragon roared and then shattered.

Andy’s Life Points fell to 7,100. Then the Poison Fangs card glowed, and they dropped to 6,600.

“Des Kangaroo!” ordered Rawk. “Attack his other Dragon with destruction punch!”

Des Kangaroo charged fist-first, slamming his glove into Koumori Dragon and blowing it into shards!

The crowd let out a cheer.

“And that’s my move…” he said with a chuckle.

Be careful, Andy… thought Stan.

From the look of things, Rawk Hawk’s “Beastdown Deck” is relying on powerful Beasts and Beast-Warriors. But while it’s true that these Monsters are powerful, they’re… unsubtle.

A good strategy could possibly defeat them…

Andy drew.

“Well look at this, birdface!” he exclaimed. “It’s a good friend of mine… called Cave Dragon!”

He placed the card down, and the huge, aged Dragon appeared. (2,000/100)

Rawk scowled.

“Since it can’t attack when it’s alone, that will be my turn,” continued Andy. “It’s your move, leadhead.”

“I told you,” shouted Rawk, making a draw, ”quit callin’ me names!”

He looked at his card.

“I’ll move Des Kangaroo and Mad Dog of Darkness to Defense Mode, and that will end my turn,” he said, turning the cards.

Des Kangaroo raised its gloves defensively, and Mad Dog of Darkness sat.



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“Great,” said Andy, drawing.

He placed a card down.

“I’ll summon my Luster Dragon #1 in Attack Mode!” he chuckled.

The beautiful Dragon made of sapphire appeared, sparkling in the light. (1,900/1,600)

“Now to get rid of your Magic Card,” he continued. “I’ll play Stamping Destruction!”

He threw the card into a slot, and Cave Dragon stomped his foot down! A shockwave smashed the Poison Fangs card to pieces and threw its owner down!

“No way!” shouted Rawk Hawk as his Life Points fell to 7,500. “You actually hurt me!”

“And I’m just getting started!” shouted Andy, clenching his fist. “Cave Dragon, attack his Mad Dog of Darkness with noxious gust!”

Cave Dragon belched forth a blast of poison gas, blowing the Mad Dog away.

“Luster Dragon, send that Kangaroo back to Australia with sapphire flash blast!”

Luster Dragon blasted forth a beam of brilliant blue energy, and Des Kangaroo was blasted into shards.

The audience was silenced.

“Your move,” said Andy, with a grin.

“You’ll pay for that, meatball!” cursed Rawk, drawing.

He looked at his card. A slight grin formed on his beak.

He placed a card into a slot, and the facedown card appeared in front of him.

“That’s my turn,” he said.

Murmurs broke out among the crowd.

“No Monsters?” asked Andy. “Come on! I dare you to tell me that’s not a Trap Card!”

“Okay, it’s not a Trap Card,” answered Rawk, staring at him.

Andy made a draw.

He’s obviously lying, he thought. but I don’t have to summon anything right away…

Rawk stared at him.

Attack me, Markova… he thought. I’ll bet you don’t even have the guts…

Andy stared back.

“Cave Dragon, Luster Dragon!” he shouted. “Attack him directly!”

So he does have the guts… thought Rawk.

The two Dragons prepared to fire their attacks…

Rawk hit his Disk.

“I activate Scapegoat!” he shouted.

The Quickplay Magic Card lifted, and four colored sheep appeared. The blasts from the two Dragons vaporized two of them.

“I told ya it wasn’t a Trap,” chuckled Rawk. “For a minute there, I thought that you thought I was a liar!”

“Yeah, that was pretty much what I thought!” answered Andy. “Make your move.”

Rawk made his draw.

He looked at the Magic Card.

Perfect, he thought. This is just what I needed…

He placed another card on his Disk.

“I summon a Beast known as Berserk Gorilla!” he shouted.

A huge, very angry-looking gorilla appeared. Its fur was fiery red, and steam poured from its nostrils. (2,000/1,000)

“What?” said Andy. “That was a poor move, pal! I know that thing’s weakness… It has to attack every round it’s able to. You might be able to take out my Luster Dragon, but when you have to attack my Cave Dragon with it, both of them will be destroyed!”

“Actually,” snickered Rawk, “I’ll going after your Cave Dragon first, as soon as I play this Magic Card…”

He slid a card into a slot.

“It’s called The Big March of Animals!”

Andy looked dumbfounded.

“What does that do?” he asked.

“For every Beast I have on the field,” explained Rawk, “each one of them gains 200 Attack Points for one round. Since I have the Gorilla and two Scapegoats, that’s a 600-point increase!”

Berserk Gorilla’s Attack rose to 2,600.

“Go Berserk Gorilla!” shouted Rawk. “Wipe out his Cave Dragon with blazing berserk breath!”

Berserk Gorilla breathed forth a wave of flame, and Cave Dragon exploded!

Andy’s Life Points fell to 6,000.

The crowd cheered again.

“Go on, meatball!” laughed Rawk.

Got to take out King Kong there… thought Andy.

He made a draw.

Or better yet…

He placed a card down on his Disk.

“I’ll summon Warrior Dai Grepher in Attack Mode!” he shouted.

The mighty Warrior in black leather armor holding his steel sword appeared. (1,700/1,600)

“You think that scares me?” laughed Rawk. “My Gorilla is stronger than both your Monsters!”

“I know,” chuckled Andy, placing a card into his Disk. “So why don’t I just take it from you? I play Snatch Steal!”

Rawk gasped as the card revealed itself, and the sneaky bandit appeared. He dove into Berserk Gorilla’s body, and the Beast vanished, only to reappear on Andy’s side.

“Warrior Dai Grepher, Luster Dragon, wipe out his Scapegoats!” shouted Andy.

Grepher sliced one of the two remaining tokens in half! Luster Dragon blasted its breath weapon and vaporized the last!

“Berserk Gorilla, attack directly!” shouted Andy.

Rawk Hawk screamed as his own Monster’s burning breath plowed into him, knocking him back five feet!

His Life Points tumbled to 5,500.

The crowd was silenced for a minute…

And then they cheered!

“YES!” shouted Francesca. “Go Andy!”

“I knew he’d find a way to beat those beastly bullies!” cheered Yumi.

Rawk groaned… He got up.

“That has to be the first time anyone has dared hit me with a direct attack!” he cursed.

Andy smiled and closed his eyes.

“It won’t be the last, fellah,” he said. “I have a feeling you’ve ruled this arena through fear since you arrived, through use of scary Monsters and brutal methods. And by doing so, no one has had the courage to actually put up a decent fight against you…

“But once I defeat you, I have a feeling that more competent duelists will have the courage to stand up to you, and your record will sink until you’re in the minor leagues!”

“We’ll see about that!” cursed Rawk. “You haven’t seen an inkling of what waits in my deck! And it’s my move!”

He drew.

Darn… he thought.

“You may have blasted me for 2,000 Life Points,” he gloated, “but since you have Snatch Steal in effect, I gain 1,000 back!”

His Life Points went up to 6,500.

“Now,” he continued, “I’ll play Stray Lambs!”

He fit a Magic Card into a slot, and two Lamb Tokens appeared.

“That’s my turn…” he said, nervously.

Andy drew.

Yes! he thought. Just the card I needed…

“Well Rawk,” he said, offhand, “since I don’t feel like you giving you any more Life Points, I’m moving this Gorilla into Defense Mode…”

Berserk Gorilla knelt.

“…which, as you probably know, destroys it.”

The Gorilla shattered.

“Now I’ll use Polymerization!”

He slid the Magic Card into a slot.

“This will fuse Warrior Dai Grepher with my Spirit Ryu!” he chuckled.

Spirit Ryu appeared on the field, and it and Grepher were both drawn into the portal.

“And together they form a draconic Warrior feared by humans and Dragons alike, one by the name of… Ryu Senshi!”

The tall, armored form of Ryu Senshi leapt out of the portal, holding his silver sword aloft! (2,000/1,200)

“The rules state that Fusion Monsters have to wait one turn before attacking!” snapped Rawk.

“I know that!” sighed Andy. “What do you take me for, an idiot? Luster Dragon, wipe out one of his Lambs!”

Luster Dragon blasted forth his breath, and one of the tokens was vaporized.

Andy chuckled.

“You know Rawk,” he said, “Dragons are notorious for preying on livestock…”

“Big whoop!” answered Rawk.

“Aw, make your move,” sighed Andy.

Rawk drew.

“I’ll play my Pot of Greed!” shouted Rawk, throwing a card into a slot, “and I’m sure everyone knows what THAT does!”

The Pot handed him two more cards.

He laughed.

And then he laughed harder!

“Want to let me in on the joke, meathead?” asked Andy.

“Stop calling me names!” shouted Rawk. “But I’ll gladly ‘let you in on it’! First, I’ll play Premature Burial, which I’ll use to bring my Des Kangaroo back from the Graveyard!”

He fit the card into the slot, his Life Points fell to 5,700, and Des Kangaroo reappeared.

“And now,” he said, taking a few steps back, “I’ll sacrifice Des Kangaroo and my other Stray Lamb to summon a Beast so savage, it will bring you to your knees!”

He placed a card down, and Des Kangaroo and the token vanished.

A huge form started to take shape…

The creature was beyond belief. It was ten feet tall, twenty feet long, and resembled a bison in shape, but far more feral. Its muscular body had purple skin, and its paws were clawed. Its head had horns, sharp teeth dripping with saliva, and glowing eyes. It had a mane of thick, purple hair, and a huge tail. (2,700/1,500)

“Meet [I]Behemoth the King of All Animals!” shouted Rawk.

(2,700/1,500)

“And,” continued Rawk, “by summoning it, I get to retrieve one Beast from my Graveyard for each Monster I sacrificed to summon it!”

Two cards flew out of his discard slot.

He looked at his Mad Dog of Darkness and Berserk Gorilla.

I’ll save these guys for my BIG surprise, he thought.

“Now my Behemoth,” he shouted, “trample his Luster Dragon!”

The King of All Animals charged forward, striking Luster Dragon and smashing it to pieces!

As Andy’s Life Points fell to 5,200, the crowd cheered again.

“Has it sunk in wimp?” asked Rawk. “I can’t be beaten!”

Andy drew.

“I beg to differ, pal,” he said with a grin. “I just drew a Monster that will destroy your Behemoth!”

“And just how do you plan on doing that?” chuckled Rawk.

“First I’ll take a page from your playbook,” answered Andy. “I’ll play my own Premature Burial, using it to bring back Twin-Headed Behemoth…”

He played the card, and his Life Points dipped to 4,400 as his two-headed Dragon arose.

“Next,” continued Andy, taking another card from his hand, “I’ll sacrifice my Behemoth to summon a Dragon called Des Volstgalph!”

Twin-Headed Behemoth shattered, and Des Volstgalph appeared with a roar! (2,200/1,700)

“What good will that do you?” laughed Rawk. “It’s 500 Attack Points weaker than my Monster!”

“I’m also playing this!” added Andy, placing a card into a slot. “Scorching Ruin! This Magic Card will not only raise the Attack Score of any Dragon by 1,000 for one round, but it will raise Des Volstgalph’s Attack by another 200 because I’m playing a Magic Card!”

Des Volstgalph roared again, as its Attack rose to 3,400!

“Des Volstgalph!” shouted Andy. “Show him that animals are no match for the supernatural fury of Dragons!”

Des Volstgalph blasted its fired breath, and Behemoth the King of All Animals roared before it was blasted to bits!

Rawk stared in disbelief as his Life Points went down to 5,000.

“And when Des Volstgalph destroys a Monster, you lose 500 more Life Points!” laughed Andy.

Rawk growled as his Life Points fell further, to 4,500.

“And now, heeeeere’s Ryu Senshi!” shouted Andy. “Go! Attack directly with dragon soulsword!”

Ryu Senshi raised his sword aloft, and a flaming, dragon-like form appeared behind him! He charged, and smote the brute with his sword, knocking him over!

Rawk Hawk fell over and his Life Points dove to 2,500.

The crowd’s applause was now deafening!

“Yes!” shouted Francesca. “Andy’s just taken a huge lead!”

Des Volstgalph’s Attack returned to its original level.

Rawk Hawk was now clearly angry…

He pulled himself up, and drew the card from the top of his deck…

“Markova…” he growled. “You low-down, underhanded, two-bit, dirty… thug…

“But enough with the compliments…

“I’m gonna take you down, and I’m gonna take you down hard!”

He fit a card into a slot.

“I play Cost Down!” he exclaimed. “I’ll just discard this…”

He discarded a card.

“…and now my favorite Monster is downgraded from six-star to four-star!”

He placed a card on his Disk.

“Say hello… to Manticore of Darkness!”

A huge creature appeared with a bellowing roar. It had the muscular, bipedal body of a lion, wings of a huge, black bird, and a snaky tail. (2,300/1,000)

“Now I’ll play this Magic Card,” he chuckled, placing a card in a slot. “Predator and Prey! When this card is played and a Beast, Winged Beast, or Beast-Warrior like my Manticore attacks, I gain Life Points equal to the Attack Score of the Monster it destroys!”

This guy must be really stupid, thought Andy. He obviously doesn’t realize that by playing two Magic Cards, he’s brought Des Volstgalph’s Attack Score up to 2,600, and that’s stronger than his Manticore…

“Manticore of Darkness,” shouted Rawk, “attack Ryu Senshi with hellfire blast!”

The Manticore blasted a stream of fire from its jowls, incinerating the Dragon Warrior!

Andy cringed as his Life Points fell to 4,100.

Even worse, Rawk’s Life Points rose to 4,500.

So maybe he isn’t stupid… thought Andy.

“Oh great…” muttered Stan. “This is trouble…”

“Huh?” asked Yumi. “That Manticore is strong, but it isn’t unbeatable…”

“It just might be, Yumi,” responded Stan. “If a duelist knows how to play Manticore of Darkness right, that Monster could well be…”

He gulped.

“…immortal…”

Andy drew one card.

He gave it a look.

“I’ll place one card facedown,” he said, “and move Des Volstgalph into Defense Mode.”

The card materialized, and Des Volstgalph lowered and folded its wings.

“That the best you could do?” chuckled Rawk, drawing a card.

He looked at the card.

Well, THIS will certainly be good for my ultimate combo… he thought.

He added it to his hand, and placed another card down.

“I’ll summon back an old friend,” he chuckled. “You remember Berserk Gorilla, dontcha?”

Berserk Gorilla reappeared, even angrier than before. (2,000/1,000)

“Berserk Gorilla, attack his…” he started.

“Activate Threatening Roar!” shouted Andy.

His Trap Card lifted, and the great beast appeared behind him, letting out a bellowing roar! Manticore of Darkness and Berserk Gorilla cringed…

“All right, fine,” muttered Rawk. “It’s your move.”

Andy made a draw. Then he placed a card into a slot.

“I play Sweet Feast!” he shouted.

“Eh?” said Rawk, dumbfounded, as the bountiful cornucopia appeared over Andy.

“Now, since your strongest Monster has six stars,” continued Andy, “I gain six thousand Life Points!”

His Life Points skyrocketed to 10,100!

The crowd let out a cheer!

“And I also get to draw six cards!” continued Andy.

The six cards flew off of his deck, and he took them.

“Clever,” muttered Rawk. “Too bad you aren’t an Exodia duelist.”

Well, since I played that card, I can’t play any other cards this turn,” said Andy, “so, since I have seven cards in my hand now, I’ll discard this card…”

He discarded his Wingbeat of Giant Dragon.

“…and end my turn.”

“I really don’t care!” shouted Rawk, drawing.



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



This Trap Card will be good for later, he thought, adding it to his hand.

“Berserk Gorilla, destroy his Des Volstgalph!” he shouted.

Berserk Gorilla blasted forth his fiery breath, and Des Volstgalph was blown to pieces.

“Manticore of Darkness, attack him directly! Hellfire blast!”

Andy cringed as the Monster’s flames covered him…

He gasped as his Life Points sank to 7,800, and the crowd started to cheer again.

“Feeling the heat yet, meatball?” mocked Rawk.

“It’s my move now, pal,” said Andy, drawing a card, and I’m going to wipe your Manticore out!”

“Yeah, how?” laughed Rawk.

“First I’ll play Monster Reborn!” shouted Andy, throwing a card into a slot.

Once again, Twin-Headed Behemoth appeared on the field.

“And now,” said Andy, switching cards, “I’ll sacrifice him again, to summon Luster Dragon #2!”

He put a card down, and the Behemoth shattered. In its place rose the huge Dragon with emerald scales. (2,400/1,900)

“Oh, another Dragon… I’m so scared…” mocked Rawk, sarcastically.

“In case you didn’t notice,” sneered Andy, “my Dragon is 100 Attack Points stronger than your Manticore. The first rule of Duel Monsters is, the Monster with the lower score loses!”

“Then attack!” laughed Rawk. “I dare ya!”

Andy paused. Doubt started to form.

Could that Manticore have some sort of special effect that might let it resist attacks? he thought. Maybe I should be careful…

“I double dare you!” mocked Rawk.

Andy’s eyes narrowed.

No way this guy was going to double dare him and get away with it…

“Luster Dragon, attack his Manticore with emerald flash blast!” he shouted.

Luster Dragon breathed forth a stream of green energy, blowing Manticore of Darkness into pixels!

Rawk chuckled as his Life Points fell to 4,400.

“Impressive…” he said. “But, unfortunately, pointless, due to Manticore of Darkness’s special effect!”

“What effect?” snarled Andy. “I just sent it to the Graveyard.”

“That’s the whole point!” cackled Rawk. “When Manticore of Darkness is sent to the Graveyard by any means, I can send one Beast, Beast-Warrior, or Winged Beast on the field or in my hand to the Graveyard to bring it back!

“So watch this nifty trick…”

He took a card from his hand and discarded it.

“First I’ll discard my second Manticore of Darkness, which will bring back the first…”

Manticore of Darkness reappeared in an explosion of flames!

“Next…” continued Rawk, “I’ll sacrifice the Berserk Gorilla I have on the field…”

Berserk Gorilla shattered.

“…which will summon to the field the Manticore I just discarded!”

A second Manticore of Darkness appeared beside the first in another explosion!

(2,300/1,000 x2)

“What did I tell you…” muttered Stan. “Practically immortal…”

“Don’t give up, Andy!” shouted Fran.

“All right,” snarled Andy. “I end my turn…”

Rawk drew.

Vorse Raider… he thought. I’ll just keep it and Mad Dog of Darkness in my hand in case he finds a way to destroy the Manticores again…

“I don’t know how you intend to defeat my Dragon with those two monstrosities…” stated Andy.

“I’ll show you how!” chuckled Rawk, flicking his Field slot open. “I play the Forest Field Magic Card!”

He inserted the card, and all of a sudden, trees and shrubs sprouted all around the ring!

“This Field Card ups the Attack and Defense of all Beasts and Beast-Warriors by 200 points!” exclaimed Rawk. “That’s just enough for them to put a hurt on you!”

(2,500/1,200 x2)

“Why Forest?” asked Andy. “Why not Gaia Power?”

“Because Manticore of Darkness is a Fire Monster, stupid!” snapped Rawk. “That would make Gaia Power pretty useless in this situation, wouldn’t it?

“A lot of my Monsters are Earth, but some of them are Fire, and others are Dark, so an Attribute-based Field doesn’t cut it. But all of them get a boost from the Forest!

“But enough chit-chat! Manticore #1, attack his Luster Dragon!”

The first Manticore blasted forth a blaze of flame, and Luster Dragon was incinerated.

“Manticore #2, your turn!” shouted Rawk. “Attack him directly!”

The second Manticore blasted forth his wave of fire, and Andy was knocked down, his cards scattering all over the place!

His Life Points had plummeted to 5,200.

Andy groaned. He slowly got up and gathered his cards…

“Summon whatever you like,” laughed Rawk. “Next round, you’ll be overwhelmed!

“I’ll place one card facedown, and that will end my turn…”

He slid one of his three cards into a slot, and it appeared behind his Manticores.

I’ve already got a strategy on the off chance he manages to summon something stronger than my Manticores, he thought evilly. As soon as he declares an attack, I’ll activate my Malevolent Catastrophe Trap, which will destroy every Monster on the field! Then I’ll discard Vorse Raider and Mad Dog of Darkness to revive my two Manticores, and attack directly, bringing him down to a mere 200 Life Points. After that, he’ll never summon anything strong enough to keep me from finishing him off…

Andy looked at his current hand of five cards…

Let’s see… he thought. Red Eyes, Lord of Dragons, Divine Dragon Ragnarok, Super Rejuvenation, and…

He shuddered at the sight of the last card…

He really didn’t want to use that card!

He paused before making his draw…

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

In his mind, he was falling through a void of stars. The card that he was afraid of was in front of him, larger than life…

Then, Koops and Bobbery appeared to either side of him.

“Andy!” snapped Bobbery. “Those Manticores are dangerous, lad! They’ll just keep coming back no matter what you do! If you want to win this duel, you must use that card!”

“Cut him some slack, Bobbery!” gulped Koops. “When the Three Heroes used that spell for the first time, I nearly soiled my shell!”

“What if it backfires, guys?” asked Andy. “I have no idea what his facedown card is! If it’s Hallowed Life Barrier or Barrel Behind the Door, I’ve had it!”

“You’ve got to believe, lad,” assured Bobbery. “You said it yourself – once you defeat Rawk Hawk, he won’t be able to rule by fear any more!”

“I have to admit, Bobbery is right…” muttered Koops. “That card is your only chance to win the duel… No matter how scary it is…”

Andy reached out and touched the card…

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

They’re right… thought Andy. This card is the only way to win… I have to use it…

The only problem is, I can’t… not without two more specific cards…

He reached for his deck.

C’mon Heart of the Cards, show me some love…

He drew.

“And my card is Pot of Greed!” he shouted, playing the card.

The Pot handed him two more cards.

Andy almost squealed with delight upon seeing them, but he caught himself.

“Okay Rawk, it ends NOW!” he shouted.

He placed a Magic Card into a slot.

“I play… Fusion Recovery!” he shouted. “This card lets me take one fusion material Monster and one Polymerization card from my Graveyard and add them to my hand!”

Polymerization and Warrior Dai Grepher slid out of his discard slot, and flew into his hand.

“Now I summon… Lord of Dragons!”

He placed the card down, and a Spellcaster dressed exactly like him appeared, striking a pose. (1,200/1,100)

“I’m not impressed…” muttered Rawk.

“Just wait!” chuckled Andy. “Now I’ll use this accessory card… The Flute of Summoning Dragons!”

He placed a card in a slot, and the trumpet-like flute appeared in Lord of Dragons’s hand.

“All right Lord of Dragons,” ordered Andy, “hows about playing some corn on that old brass horn?”

Lord of Dragons put the flute to his lips, and played a haunting melody.

“Having done that,” continued Andy, “I can now summon two Dragons from my hand!”

He put two cards down.

“So meet Red Eyes Black Dragon, and Divine Dragon Ragnarok!”

First, the mighty Red Eyes appeared. (2,400/2,000) Then the wispy, smoky Divine Dragon Ragnarok appeared next to him. (1,500/1,000)

“I’m still not impressed!” mocked Rawk.

“Not done!” continued Andy. “Now I’ll play Polymerization! This will fuse Lord of Dragons and Ragnarok together!”

The portal opened, and the Spellcaster and the Dragon were drawn through it.

The portal flashed with energy, and the huge form of King Dragun emerged from it! (2,400/1,100)

The two powerful Dragons turned to each other. They nodded and roared.

“Heh, heh…” chuckled Rawk. “HA, HA, HA, HA, HA! Good effort, Markova! Not many duelists can summon two seven-star Monsters in a single turn! But you wasted your time! Both of your Dragons are weaker than my Monsters by 100 points!”

“Indeed,” said Andy. “So I’ll place one card facedown, and end my turn…”

He fit a card into a slot, and it appeared behind the two Dragons.

Rawk drew.

Heh, heh, Battle Ox, he thought. Now I have three cards that I can discard…

“I’m activating a Trap!” shouted Andy.

His card lifted.

“The almighty [B]Supernova!”

Stan and Francesca got up in shock.

“Supernova?” gulped Stan.

“He’s actually using that?” gasped Fran.

The card revealed itself, bearing the image of Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon being blasted by burning energy from the heavens…

“This Trap Card doesn’t actually involve the explosion of a very large star in which the star may reach a maximum intrinsic luminosity one billion times that of the sun,” explained Andy, “but it’s powerful nonetheless! Using this card is all… or… nothing!

“In order to activate Supernova, I have to have at least two Monsters on the field, and they all have to have the same Type, Attribute, and star level. As you can clearly see, both Red Eyes and King Dragun are Dark-Attribute, Dragon-Type, and have seven stars!”

A blinding light started to appear above the arena…

“And then, I have to give up most of my Life Points!” continued Andy. “I have to spend all of them but one!”

The crowd gasped, as his Life Point counter fell to 1.

“And in exchange for all that, I get to destroy one Monster for every Monster I have that qualifies!”

The light got brighter!

“Big deal!” laughed Rawk. “I still have enough cards to discard to bring them back!”

“Oh really?” replied Andy. “You also lose Life Points equal to the current Attack Scores of the Monsters this card destroys, meaning that you’ll now lose 5,000 Life Points!”

Rawk gasped, as two burning beams of light blasted down from above! The two Manticores howled and exploded in a furious lightshow, and Rawk was thrown off his feet!

His Life Points plummeted to zero, and he was out cold!

“Phew!” gasped Andy.

The crowd let out a thunderous applause! Jolene came up to the ring.

“And the winner is…” she announced, “Markova the Dragon Master!”

The crowd cheered again.

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

Andy envisioned himself in the void of stars again, and again, Koops and Bobbery were in front of him.

“All right Andy!” cheered Koops. “Way to put that bully in his place!”

“You did it lad,” chuckled Bobbery. “You used the Three Heroes’ most powerful spell like a pro… Even they were scared to use Supernova! In fact, I believe that was the spell that finally brought the Shadow Queen to her knees…”

“I might not have dared try…” sighed Andy, “but you guys talked me into it…”

“Well, now you, Stan, and Francesca are finally going to be going to the Thousand Year Door,” said Koops, “and the two of us will be right beside you, just like always!”

“Count on it, mate!” answered Bobbery. “Believe in your Heart, and we’ll never be more than a draw away…”

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

Andy opened his eyes to see Rawk Hawk being helped off the field in a daze, and everyone in the arena shouting his name. Jolene lifted his arm into the air.

“May I present the new champion of the Glitz Pit,” she announced, “Markova the Dragon Master!”

This was indeed a little embarrassing, but it was nice to have the spotlight for a while…

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

One hour later, the uncomfortable Lord of Dragons costume was just an unpleasant memory, and the team was back in Jolene’s office.

Jolene handed Andy a glowing, red star made of crystal.

“Here it is, Andy,” she said, “the Ruby Star. Take good care of it…”

She paused. Her voice sank to a whisper.

“And promise me that you’ll defeat the Shadow Queen,” she said with her voice in a tremble. “Don’t let her hurt anyone else…”

Andy gave her a look before they left the office.

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

The four teens walked out into the night air.

“Well that was…” started Andy.

“Well done, kids!” laughed a voice.

They all looked up. It was Merlee.

“Hey, Merlee,” said Stan. “Well, we made it… We’re ready to take on the Thousand Year Door!”

“Perhaps,” said Merlee. “And I’m here to take you back to Rogueport. You can spend the night there, and maybe you can get some help tomorrow morning.”

“Eh?” asked Francesca.

“All will be revealed tomorrow,” replied Merlee. “But let’s get going – it’s late, and I’m sure you’re all exhausted.”

“Don’t worry about me,” said Yumi. “I’ll just stay in Glitzville and keep myself occupied.

“You were right Andy… Now that you stood up to Rawk, I have a feeling he’s going to be facing some tougher challenges.

“Have fun storming the palace!”

“Be careful, Yumi,” answered Fran. “Remember what I said…”

Merlee waved his arm, and a glowing portal appeared.

He stepped through it, and the three teens followed.

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

The Shadow Queen was keeping a close eye on a duel in progress.

Finally, the finishing blow landed, and another of her henchmen went down.

“Grodus…” she said.

“Yes my Queen?” answered the council member.

“The eight finalists have been decided. Tomorrow I have no doubt that the Palace of Shadow will begin to receive visitors…

“Stan, Andy, and Francesca will be among them.

“It is time to enact the next part of our plans. We’ll run our guests through the gauntlet and see how well they fare…

“And if all else fails, the tournament finals will be a pleasure to conduct…



PREDATOR AND PREY (Magic Card)

Card Specs

Type: Magic
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Card Description: Image of a Leogun pouncing on a Mystical Sheep. You can activate this card before declaring an attack on an opposing Monster using a BEAST-, BEAST-WARRIOR-, or WINGED BEAST-Type Monster. If the attack is successful, add the base Attack Score of the attacked Monster to your Life Points.



MALEVOLENT CATASTROPHE (Trap Card)

Card Specs

Type: Trap
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Card Description: Image of fiendish creatures flying in a dark hurricane. This card can be activated when your opponent declares an attack. Destroy all Monsters on the field.

Note: “Malevolent Catastrophe” was used by Marik in the multi-part anime episode “The Darkness Returns”, and was later made into a real card for the Japanese Marik Structure Deck. It has not yet been released in the United States.



SUPERNOVA (Trap Card)

Card Specs

Type: Trap
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Card Description: Image of Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon being blasted by burning energy from the heavens. You can activate this Trap when at least two Monsters (not including Tokens) with the same Type, Attribute, and star level are on your side of the field. These Monsters cannot attack during the turn you activate this card. Reduce your Life Points to 1. Destroy one opposing Monster for every such Monster on your side of the field. Your opponent takes damage equal to the total current Attack Scores of the destroyed Monsters.



[B][I]Coming up next:

Act One is over! But this fanfic is only half done!

Next chapter, after a brief interlude in Rogueport, Stan, Andy, and Francesca travel to seek the destination they’ve been yearning for so long! But it’s going to be a long road ahead, for the Palace of Shadows holds many hazards!

And wait until you learn the new dueling rules that will be in place!

In Act Two, the Monsters will be fiercer, the Magic will be trickier, the Traps will be deadlier, the dangers will be like nothing you ever saw before!

And what Yu-Gi-Oh fic would be complete without a few Shadow Games? We’ll be getting to those…

Don’t miss the first chapter of Act Two, “False Start”, coming soon…

[Master of Paradox]

I still kind of wish Rawk Hawk had a Hispanic accent, just to go with his animal mask... But that's neither here nor there.

I'd lost track of what deck types you'd used, so the Beast deck caught me off-guard. It's much lighter on the created cards than Toro's from "Mandate", so I'm impressed. The duel itself moved at a good pace, without any obvious stupidity from either side (my bugbear).

Now, you'd told me about Supernova before (when I was skeptical about this story), and it intrigued me. But now, seeing it in action, I respect it. It's tricky enough and powerful enough to live up to its namesake (which - I hate to say - wasn't worth using in PM: TYD).

And so Act One draws to a close. In the end, it had its low points (I still won't forgive Raven), but it held to the standards set by "Mandate of Heaven". Let's see if Act Two was worth the hype.

[Silencer]

Yeay my character is coming back. Now it seems I tied with the other guy so the winner is decided with somekind of special formula DS came up with, he knows who is number one but I don't... I have this strange feeling the formula has something to do with the numbers you use in the Yu-gi-oh GBA/DS games to get the cards.

Great chapter. Raven is probably gonna make it to the door to so now I'm wondering who the other 2 will be.

[Shuppet Master]

That was an aeesome duel to end Act One. Are you going to make a new thread for Act Two?

Anyways, I'm sorry my character didn't get in, but then the promise of at least a walk-on role is fine by me. I'm not into the spotlight, nor would I like to think of what would happen if Cyrus ended up in a Shadow Game and lost! Good luck to Drake and Kyle in the Palace of Shadows.

I had a feeling that Rawk Hawk used a beatdown deck, but a Beastdown was a new thing. And that Supernova card is indeed the strongest of the Enchanted Cards, and also the most risky - if Rawk had a Kuriboh in his hand, it would have been over for Andy(of course, he didn't since Kuriboh is a fiend).

Anyways, something tells me that Andy will try Supernova again in the finals and lose(maybe in the final match, I can't spoil what happens though). You'll be quite surprised by the new system of rules!

Keep it up, Brian! I'm rooting for you!

[Dark Sage]

I have a serious announcement to make. I've been making a serious error in dealing with two cards that one of my key characters uses - White Magician Pikeru, and Ebon Magician Curran.

I thought that their effect applied to all Monsters on the field. I was wrong - Pikeru's effect applies to Monsters on your side only, and Curran's to Monsters on your opponent's side only.

It's too late to change every instance of their use. But from now on, they will conform to the correct rules.

- DS

[Master of Paradox]

This, friends, is why you should always confirm the effect of a card you're using before the story begins. As anyone who's read "Lady of Dragons" knows, Eric and I have trouble with card rulings...

I can recall thinking, for the longest time, that "Dark Snake Syndrome" only affected the opponent. Then, just before I began writing Chapter Five of "Lady of Dragons" (where the villain Hasker uses that card), I actually read the card. The next hour or so was spent scrambling to rework the planned duel...

[starjake]

That was a fantastic chapter! I really enjoyed Rawk Hawk's tactics, and he portrayed in a way that made him very easy to dislike. Kudos!

It's a shame that Supernova is restricted to this story alone. That Supernova card would fit perfectly in Jake's deck, since he frequently has multiple Fire/Pyro/4 stars monsters out on the field at once (and, if you think about it, 'Supernova' is a pretty fire-related term, since, as Andy mentioned, it refers to a sun).

Ah well, such is life. Good job, and I can't wait to see these new rules in action!

[goldenzigzagoon]

great duel, my Friend runs a fire deck and always uses manticore of darkness. He has 3 of them. I feel like pulling my hair out everytime he revives it. Anyway I'm new to fanfiction. How do you make a new fanfiction? I know about the new topic thing but what do you put in the larger bubble thing? you can tell I'm a new to this but everyone is at some point

[Dark Sage]

He uses three Manticore of Darkness cards?

Pal, that's an illegal deck. Manticore of Darkness is semi-restricted. You are only allowed to have two in your deck and side deck combined.

But anyway, you start a new fanfic by hitting "New Topic" on the fanfiction boards. I'm not sure what you mean by size bubble.

[Dark Sage]

I have an announcement to make, everybody...

(Don't worry, it's nothing bad...)

Tomorrow evening, I will post the first chapter of Act Two...

But NOT on this post.

These two acts are so big in themselves, that I am going to start a separate thread for Act Two, and archive this one.

So, if you have any more comments to make on Act One, make them now. Act Two will start at arounf 5PM tomorrow evening!

- SM

[Pokemasterkatie]

Wow...I kinda thought you were going to do this...it's either that I'm psychic, or it's that mark instinct in me.:p Well, I hope Act II will be as great(if not greater) than Act I. Keep up the good work, DS-san!

[Shuppet Master]

Actually, I suggested this to him. When he said he would start the second Act on this thread, I said "Why even bother making two acts then?" and he realized that, if you are going to split a fanfic up into volumes, you should put them on seperate threads to seperate them.

My closing comment is this: Act One was awesome and I hope that Act Two is just as killer. (Of course, I know something about the new rules in Act Two, so I'm a bit ahead of you other guys. )

[Dark Sage]

I'd just like to announce that Act Two is now up on a separate thread, with the next chapter.

So log onto there, and enjoy!

- DS

[Gavin Luper]

Kindly offering to move this into the archive when you are ready for it to be moved, Dark Sage.

EDIT: Moved and locked - if you need this unlocked for any reason, PM me.

Cheers!