Call me Ansel. Please don't ask me if I'm a basketball player, because I've heard that silly joke a thousand times. I'm just a student, a duelist, and a music-lover. Though it is true that disco died over a century ago, such classics appeal to me.
I didn't think I'd be dueling tonight. I just wanted to go out and get some fast food. But it seems some creepshow wants a piece of me now…
Well, better men than this weirdo have taken me on. He's just lit my fire…
…so let's dance.
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CHAPTER SIX
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Patrician of Darkness
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Friday, September 10th, 2106, 5:15 PM
Dinner in the Ra dining hall that evening was roast beef and mashed potatoes. Unfortunately, the beef wasn't the best. Rosa the chef was going to have a word with the Chancellor about the grade of food they had just gotten.
Russell, however, could have eaten anything that was edible. As his two friends sat trying their best to cut the tough meat, he sat going over his cards.
"Eanie, meanie, minie, moe, catch a Monster by the toe…" he muttered. "If he stinks… then let him go…"
He sighed.
"What's the matter Russ?" asked Jason.
"The big problem when you want to put a new card in your deck is deciding what to take out," replied Russell. "A deck only has limited room…"
"I hear you…" muttered Trisha, going to her side deck. "For a while I almost considered putting this guy in my deck…"
She showed him a Cyber Commander card.
"What good is that guy?" asked Jason, looking at it. "He's weak… and he not weak enough to use Machine Duplication."
"Well, he's a… good luck card," answered Trisha. "See, Joey Wheeler's best friend Tristan Taylor wasn't any good as a duelist, but this card was his favorite. Something about the image on the card… a tough-as-nails soldier with a diehard attitude…"
She put it back in her side deck.
"But I decided that luck was for guys like the real Joey, and not for me."
A student wandered in. The three friends took notice. This was the guy who would stand out anywhere.
He was very tall and wiry. He wore shiny white pants, and platform shoes that were about six inches tall, boosting his already considerable height even further. He also wore a long black scarf that hung down his back. His hair was black, and was a good-sized pompadour.
He passed by a student who was coming by with a tray.
"Hey buddy," chuckled the student, "how's the weather up there?"
The tall student frowned.
"Drafty…" he growled.
He passed by.
"Uh, Louis," called over Jason to the student who had made the joke. "Come over here, will you?"
"What's up?" asked Louis, putting his tray down.
"A word of advice," warned Jason. "Don't get on Ansel's bad side, because he makes a bad enemy…"
Trisha nodded.
"He's not the most pleasant person," she said. "He looks down on everyone, both literally and figuratively, but he has a lot of influence. His family, the Spraguses, are incredibly rich, and they're well known. They just love throwing their money around. They've donated to the school on more than a few occasions."
Jason nodded.
"They pushed Ansel into dueling at an early age, since it's a profitable and respectable profession. Even before he started coming here, he entered quite a few tournaments… He usually won…"
"Yeah…" interrupted Russell. "But no one is sure whether it's due entirely to his own skill or due partially to his parents' influence."
"Are you folks talking about me?" asked a voice.
They looked up, and saw Ansel looking at them.
"No, Ansel," protested Russell, "just rearranging my deck…"
Ansel scoffed.
"Well, the food here tonight stinks," he said, hoisting his knapsack over his shoulder. "I'm going to go eat off-campus…"
He turned to leave.
"Uh, Ansel?" said Jason, getting up. "That may not be a good idea… There are… some weird things happening around here, and…"
"Puh-lease!" answered Ansel. "I can take care of myself!"
The three students watched as he left.
"Maybe we'd better…" said Trisha.
They got up and started to follow him.
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Fortunado looked out the balcony of his penthouse apartment.
A shadowy figure stood behind him.
"Everything is ready," said a sinister voice. "The first of your operatives is set to go…"
"You sure this will work?" asked Fortunado. "I was kind of suspicious of this from the start."
"It worked like a charm," said the shadowy figure. "And I can assure you, the plan will be a success…"
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Ansel walked out of a hamburger joint a few miles from campus, sipping the remains of a shake.
"Blech!" he grunted, tossing it away. "I ordered strawberry, not smelly sneaker!"
He had changed out of the yellow blazer – that thing irritated him. His casual clothes were much more to his liking.
His shirt now consisted of a neck v-line cut down to mid-chest, and had a flared bottom and flared sleeves.
Disco may have been dead for a long time, but so was Latin, and that didn't stop schools from teaching it.
Well, he thought. The night is young… It's Friday night. Maybe there's something else for this party animal to do on a night like this…
He looked up at the full moon.
And it is a lovely night…
Then a cloud suddenly blew in, and eclipsed the moon…
Strange… he thought.
He looked around. Odd. Normally, this part of the city was bustling, but it was empty now…
An evil laugh sounded behind him…
"All right, who's there?" he said, turning around.
He turned face to face to see the person who had snuck up on him… And the man he saw was certainly worthy of notice. He was just as tall as Ansel was, but much broader. He was dressed entirely in black – a black overcoat, trousers, and a strange skullcap. The letters P and K were printed on his coat.
And his eyes… There was something wrong with his eyes…
"Wow," said Ansel. "And they say my clothes are loud!"
"What have we here?" said the stranger, not noticing the remark. "A young duelist trapped eternally in the 1970's? Well, I guess you'll do…"
"I'll do? Where did you escape from anyway?" asked Ansel.
The stranger chuckled evilly.
"That's a secret, duelist," he answered. "But I'm here to duel you. You may have heard of me… I am called Panik…"
"Sorry, never heard of him," responded Ansel. "And I have better things to do than mix it up with some loony with a bad hairdo. More like a hair-don't if you ask me…"
He turned to leave…
…only to see the strange figure back in front of him.
"I'm afraid you'll find getting away from me rather impossible," chuckled Panik. "I have all night… And I warn you, the deeper the darkness gets, the stronger my skills become…"
This guy is nuts… thought Ansel.
"All right, fine," he muttered. "If I must resort to a duel to get rid of you, I guess I simply must…"
He took his Disk out of his backpack and slipped it on his arm.
Panik grinned…
His left arm glowed, and the strange Duel Disk that Fang had used appeared on it…
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At that moment, Jason, Trisha, and Russell saw them.
"Oh no!" gasped Trisha. "He's about to start a duel… and that guy is using that creepy Disk that you went up against, Russell."
"We have to put a stop to this…" said Russell, as they started to run up.
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Unfortunately, Panik saw them.
I thought this might be a problem, he thought. Well, I can keep them from interfering…
He placed a Spell Card in his Disk.
A skull appeared in the air above the three students, a spooky laugh echoed above them, and a cage of dark swords surrounded them!
My Swords of Concealing Light will keep this fool from seeing or hearing them while I defeat him, he chuckled to himself.
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"What's going on?" shouted Trisha, pounding on the restraints. "ANSEL!"
"No good," sighed Jason. "Some sort of spell. We can't get to him, and he can't hear us…"
He looked closely at Ansel's opponent.
"You know, that guy looks familiar…"
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The Disks activated…
(Ansel: 8,000)--------------------(Panik: 8,000)
"All right!" shouted Ansel, making his first draw. "Here we go!"
He spun around on one foot, and struck a pose.
"Whoa-oh-oh, I'm on fire!" he sang.
"Uh… well…" muttered Panik. "He's clearly the most energetic duelist I've ever faced…"
Ansel took two cards from his hand.
"Look out!" he exclaimed.
"I place one card facedown on the field…"
He played the card, and a facedown card appeared.
"And next, I'll summon this gal in Attack Mode… Sonic Maid."
He placed a card on his Disk, and a beautiful woman in a dress appeared, holding a scythe shaped like a musical note. (1,200/900)
"HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!" laughed Panik. "You're actually playing Ithat/I?"
"I am…" replied Ansel. "Is that a problem?"
"Please…" laughed Panik. "That Monster is nothing but a fan card… No one actually uses her in a duel!"
Sonic Maid gave him a dirty look.
"Can you make your move so we can get done sometime before Duel Monsters becomes obsolete?" asked Ansel.
"Very well," chuckled Panik, drawing a card. "I'll also place a card facedown…"
A facedown card appeared in front of him.
"And now I'll summon a real Monster… Skull Knight #2!"
A fiendish knight in armor with a bare skull for a face, carrying a scimitar appeared. (1,000/1,000)
"What?" asked Ansel. "That isn't even as strong as my Monster."
"He'll soon be stronger," chuckled Panik, opening his Field Slot. "I play…"
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"NO!" screamed Jason. "He's going to use that horrible Field Card!"
"Ansel…" gasped Trisha.
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"I play…" exclaimed Panik.
He fit a card into the slot.
"Mystic Plasma Zone!"
An uncanny darkness started to exude from where he was standing, covering the entire field in a dark fog.
Sonic Maid shuddered in fear.
"Calm down…" whispered Ansel.
Panik grinned, and his eyes glowed.
"They say that before the world began, there was only primal darkness," he said. "Pure, living darkness that ruled before the coming of light. It was darker than the blackest midnight… darker than…"
"Save it!" scoffed Ansel. "You actually think I'm afraid of the dark? I got over that when I was ten."
"I isn't the dark you should be afraid of," laughed Panik. "It's the things that lurk in it, ready to strike! And in this aura of absolute darkness, all Dark Attribute Monsters gain 500 Attack Points in exchange for 400 Defense Points. Of course, I'm not the kind of guy who defends most of the time!"
Skull Knight #2 changed to (1,500/600)
"Skull Knight, attack his Maid!" shouted Panik.
The Fiend raised his scimitar, and flew forward with an evil grin.
"Hold it right there, Panik!" shouted Ansel. "You walked right into my Trap!"
His facedown card lifted.
"I activate… C-Minor!"
"C-Minor?" said Panik, startled. "What does that do?"
"As the name suggests, it's a Trap for "minor" Monsters, as in ones with no effects and who are three stars or less," said Ansel with a grin. "Since Sonic Maid was in Attack Mode, and you declared an attack, her Attack Score is doubled for one round."
Sonic Maid rose to 2,400 Attack.
"Counter attack!" shouted Ansel. "C-note slash!"
Sonic Maid twirled her scythe, and sliced the Fiend in two!
"Ergh!" shouted Panik.
(A: 8,000) -------------------- (P: 7,100)
"My move now," said Ansel with a grin, as Sonic Maid returned to her normal Attack Score.
He drew.
Perfect, he thought.
"Time to bring out one of my stars," he stated. "I'll change this solo to a duet by summoning another lovely lady… the Beautiful Headhuntress."
He placed a card down, and a young woman in an exotic hairstyle dressed in a kimono, carrying a large cleaver appeared. (1,600/800)
"And she is beautiful, isn't she?" he asked.
"But I'm not done. I'm playing Polymerization, to fuse my two ladies together!"
He played the card, and both Warriors swirled into a vortex of light…
"Presenting… Warrior of Tradition!"
A new Warrior appeared. She looked like Beautiful Headhuntress, but wore a red kimono, an even more exotic hairstyle, and had a larger cleaver. (1,900/1,700)
"If you think Warrior of Tradition looks pretty sharp, that's because she is!" said Ansel with a grin. "Especially because you have no Monsters to defend you!
"Warrior of Tradition, attack that creepshow directly! Kabuki slash!"
Warrior of Tradition leapt up into the air and brought her weapon down on Panik! He grunted as he staggered back.
(A: 8,000) -------------------- (P: 5,200)
"Humph," said Ansel. "You still think you can scare me? I've had scarier birthday parties!"
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"And to think we were worried about Ansel!" laughed Russell. "He's handling this guy like an expert."
"And you suggested he wouldn't have won those tournaments without his folks' influence," added Jason.
"I was just stating a rumor," protested Russell.
"Let's not count our chickens yet guys," said Trisha. "This weirdo likely has a lot more Monsters than that…"
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Panik's eyes glowed with a silvery light.
"Not bad…" he snickered. "But I've broken better duelists than you!"
He drew a card.
"I activate my facedown card, Call of the Haunted," he exclaimed, as his facedown card lifted. "And with only one Monster in my Graveyard, you likely know who's coming back…"
Skull Knight #2 crawled out of the ground… (1,000/1,000) –) (1,500/600)
"And now…" laughed Panik. "I'll sacrifice my Skull Knight… to summon one of my favorites…"
Skull Knight vanished.
"I call forth King of Yamimakai!"
A huge, hulking creature appeared. It was blocky and muscular, with huge claws, shark-like teeth, and no eyes. (2,000/1,530) –) (2,500/1,130)
"Heh, heh…" said Panik with a smirk. "This beast was born of darkness itself, so whatever created it saw no need to give it eyes."
The Fiend drooled…
"Gross…" said Ansel.
"And by the way," continued Panik, "you should know that when Skull Knight #2 is sacrificed to summon a Fiend-Type Monster, I'm allowed to Special Summon another Skull Knight #2 from my deck!"
Another Skull Knight #2 appeared. (1,000/1,000) –) (1,500/600)
"Not good…" muttered Ansel.
"King of Yamimakai…" ordered Panik.
The Fiend growled…
"…obliterate Warrior of Tradition with electro-shock attack!"
Lightning appeared in the demon's hands, and it shot forth a barrage of electric bolts! Warrior of Tradition screamed and shattered into pixels.
"Skull Knight, direct attack!" shouted Panik.
Skull Knight flew forward, and slashed at Ansel with his scimitar.
Ansel groaned…
(A: 5,900) -------------------- (P: 5,200)
That really hurt… he muttered. It's almost as if that was a real sword that hit me…
But that's impossible…
"All right," he said, holding his chest. "So maybe you aren't a total loser…"
He drew a card.
"I'm gonna play my Pot of Greed," he said, playing the card. "Now I get to draw two cards…"
He drew two.
"And now I'll play… Re-Fusion," he continued. "This card lets me revive a Fusion Monster from my Graveyard, so long as I pay 800 Life Points and Equip it with this card."
He played the card, and Warrior of Tradition reappeared. (1,900/1,700)
"Fool!" shouted Panik. "She'll just die again!"
"Will she?" asked Ansel. "I'm also Equipping her with Fusion Weapon."
He played another card.
"This Spell Card can only be Equipped to Fusion Monsters of six stars or less, but it gives them 1,500 Attack and Defense Points, and that's one groovy boost, if you know what I mean."
Warrior of Tradition's cleaver vanished, and a metal, trident-like weapon appeared on her right hand. She looked at it with delight. Her stats changed to (3,400/3,200).
"Well, not so groovy for your King of Yamimakai," he said. "Warrior of Tradition, take out that big Fiend. Trident blast!"
Warrior of Tradition shot an energy bolt from her weapon, and King of Yamimakai was blasted to pieces!
Panik growled.
(A: 5,100) -------------------- (P: 4,300)
"My draw…" growled Panik.
He drew a card.
"I'll move Skull Knight #2 to Defense Mode, and place another Monster in Defense Mode…" he said.
Skull Knight knelt and covered himself with his shield, and a facedown Monster appeared.
"And that will end my turn," he said.
Ansel drew a card.
"I'll place a Monster in Defense Mode too…" he said.
A facedown Monster appeared next to Warrior of Tradition.
"Warrior, kill the Skull Knight!"
Warrior of Tradition blasted her trident, and the Fiend was vaporized.
"Fine… my Life Points stay the same…" growled Panik.
He drew a card.
This guy is getting on my nerves, he thought. But eventually the true strength of my deck will be unleashed…
He fit a card into a slot and a facedown card appeared.
He waved his hand to signal the end of his turn.
Ansel drew a card.
All right, he thought. With this gal, it's only a matter of time before another of my stars shows up…
"I'll set yet another Monster facedown," he said, setting the card.
A facedown Monster appeared.
"And then I'll attack yours with Warrior of Tradition!"
Warrior of Tradition fired a blast…
A spooky grim reaper carrying a scythe appeared on the card and was blown away.
"Fool!" laughed Panik. "By destroying Emissary of the Afterlife, you've activated both my Trap, and its special effect…"
His Trap lifted.
"First, the Trap Option Hunter. Now I gain Life Points equal to that Monster's original Attack Score, which is 1,600."
(A: 5,100) -------------------- (P: 6,800)
"Also, when that Monster goes to the Graveyard, both players can pull a Normal Monster of three stars or less from their decks…"
He took a card from his deck.
"And I choose Ancient Brain."
"Very well…" chuckled Ansel, taking his own deck. "I'll pick a gal named Lady of Faith."
"It's my move now…" said Panik.
He drew a card.
"Heh, heh, heh," he chuckled.
"I just drew Mystical Space Typhoon," he laughed, fitting it into a slot. "Now I can destroy one Spell or Trap Card… Like your Re-Fusion!"
The cyclone blew across the field, and Re-Fusion shattered. Warrior of Tradition screamed and fell to her knees before she shattered as well.
"Next, I'll summon The Gross Ghost of Fled Dreams…" he chuckled. "And it's certain to give you nightmares!"
He played a card, and a small bed with a sleeper on it appeared…
A hideous ghost with a sword and shield floated out of the bed and howled! (1,300/1,800) –) (1,800/1,200)
"Attack the facedown Monster on the left!" shouted Panik. "Nightmare sword!"
The Ghost moaned, and struck the facedown card. A woman who looked similar to Sonic Maid, except dressed in a darker gown, appeared before she was struck down.
"Fine," muttered Ansel. "You may have destroyed Hibikime, but my deck is loaded with powerful Monsters ready to take you down."
He drew a card.
"I play the Spell Card… Fusion Sage," he said, playing the card. "Now I can take one Polymerization card from my deck."
He got what he wanted from his deck, reshuffled, and then replaced it.
"Next, I flip my facedown Monster into Attack Mode… Witch of the Black Forest."
A lady with dark hair in a long, black robe appeared. (1,100/1,200)
"And now I'll play the Polymerization I just got to fuse her with the Monster you so generously let me have… Lady of Faith."
A woman in holy clothing and a headdress with her hands clasped in prayer appeared next to the Witch… (1,100/800)
They faded into a blur of Light and Darkness…
"And together they create… Drum roll please…"
A flash of light pierced the darkness.
"The rip-roaring Musician King!"
A tall figure appeared where they had been. He was a guitarist with a wild hairstyle, dressed in slacks and no shirt, holding an electric guitar. (1,750/1,500)
"That's weak!" laughed Panik.
"You just worry about the two facedown cards I'm putting down, and then we'll see who's weak," said Ansel, placing two cards into slots.
Two facedown cards appeared.
Panik snickered...
"Do you really think you'll fool me with the same trick twice?" he asked. "I'm not stupid, Ansel."
"Maybe not," answered Ansel, "but being intelligent doesn't necessarily make you sane, ugly…"
Panik snarled.
"And speaking of ugly, have you looked in a reflective surface lately? I'll bet when you were born, the doctor slapped your mother!"
Panik was now very angry. He drew a card.
"You're a gutsy one, Ansel," he growled. "The only other person who had the gall to insult me was a much better duelist than you…"
He looked at the card.
Eh… he thought. This Monster is powerful, but he likely has a Trap waiting… Then again, there's nothing that says I have to attack with it…
He switched cards on his Disk.
"I sacrifice my Ghost to summon The Beast of Talwar!" he exclaimed.
The Gross Ghost of Fled Dreams shattered, and an intimidating form appeared. It was a muscular Fiend with green skin and short wings, holding two wicked blades. (2,400/2,150) –) (2,900/1,750)
"And I think I'll end my turn there…" he muttered.
"Playing conservatively, eh?" chuckled Ansel, making a draw. "Well, your Fiend is going down…
"I activate my Trap Card, Metalmorph."
His Trap Card lifted.
"It's a rare card," said Ansel, "which 'morphs' a Monster with metal. And I'll Equip it to Musician King."
Musician King's skin became metallic and shiny.
"And this lets me sacrifice him to summon an even stronger Spellcaster Monster from my deck…"
Energy surrounded Musician King, and he started to change.
"Meet Heavy Metal King!"
The creature that appeared resembled Musician King in outline, but his costume was much different – consisting of black leather, studded with spikes and chains, with a great deal of black and white face paint on his face. (2,050/1,700)
"HA, HA!" laughed Panik. "He's not nearly strong enough!"
"Oh?" asked Ansel. "Unlike his lesser counterpart, Heavy Metal King is a Dark Monster, so due to your own Field Card, he gets stronger."
(2,550/1,300)
"That's…" started Panik.
"Still not enough?" interrupted Ansel. "Well, I also have this…"
His other facedown lifted.
"Rush Recklessly. This gives him 700 more Attack Points for one turn."
Heavy Metal King's Attack rose to 3,250.
"Attack!" shouted Ansel. "Requiem blast!"
Heavy Metal King played a powerful note on his guitar… Beast of Talwar screamed and covered his ears before shattering.
(A: 5,100) -------------------- (P: 6,450)
"Oh, and Heavy Metal King has a special ability," said Ansel. "When he destroys a Monster, half of that Monster's base Attack is added to his Attack Score."
Heavy Metal King's Attack went down to 2,550, and then went up to 3,750.
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"That is one powerful Monster…" muttered Russell.
"Well, pay attention," answered Trisha.
"How come?" asked Russell.
"Don't forget, our first exam is in a couple of weeks, and for all we know, one of us might be paired against him."
Jason rubbed his chin.
Heavy Metal King is a strong Monster, yes, he thought. But I know he has a weakness. Let's just hope that Ansel's opponent doesn't know it.
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"So you've managed to summon a powerful Monster," snarled Panik. "You'll still lose in the end."
He drew a card.
"I place one Monster in Defense Mode, and that will end my turn," he stated.
Ansel drew.
"Heavy Metal King, take out his mystery Monster," he ordered.
Heavy Metal King blasted his song on his guitar…
A silly-looking Monster appeared on the card before being blasted to pulp.
"Mystic Tomato?" said Ansel, surprised, as Heavy Metal King's Attack rose to 4,450.
Panik smiled a smile that Ansel didn't like.
"Tomatoes are strange fruits, Ansel," he said, removing his deck, "and don't believe people who tell you they're vegetables. Everyone loves tomatoes… They're good for pasta, pizza, sandwiches, salad, and a lot of other things…
"But tomatoes have a darker side… One of the tomato plant's close relatives is the belladonna plant, which isn't as good to eat. This plant is so toxic, that it is nicknamed the deadly nightshade…
"And the Monster you just destroyed takes after its sinister relative, allowing me to now summon a Dark Monster from my deck, so long as it has 1,500 Attack Points or less.
"And I choose Tainted Wisdom!"
He placed a card down. A sinister-looking brain appeared in front of him. (1,250/800) –) (1,750/200)
Ansel looked at him.
"Make your move…" he growled.
Panik drew a card.
"Since you're so fond of Fusion Monsters," he said, "I'll play one of my own."
He played a card, and Polymerization appeared on the field.
"I'll fuse Tainted Wisdom with the Ancient Brain I got from my Emissary!"
Ancient Brain appeared on the field, and the two Fiends merged…
"If you thought Skull Knight #2 was a handful," chuckled Panik, "wait until you see the original Skull Knight!"
A hideous form rose up in front of Panik. It was a creature in armor, with a breastplate shaped like a skull, and a horned helmet. He also had a shield shaped like a skull, and a wicked sword. (2,650/2,250) – (3,150/1,850)
Skull Knight and Heavy Metal King stared at each other for a minute…
"Skull Knight!" shouted Panik, "silence the Heavy Metal King with skull sword swipe!"
Skull Knight flew forward, and with one slash of his sword, struck down the musician! The Heavy Metal King was blasted into shards.
"I hate heavy metal…" muttered Panik.
(A: 4,500) --------------------(P: 6,450)
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"I don't get it…" muttered Russell. "Ansel's Monster had over a thousand more Attack Points than that thing…"
"No he didn't," answered Jason. "Heavy Metal King has a weakness, and this guy did his homework.
"See, Heavy Metal King may gain Attack Points with each Monster he strikes down, but those bonuses only apply to when he's actually attacking. Any other time, like when the controller's opponent attacks, he loses that bonus. When Skull Knight attacked him, his Attack Score was only 2,550.
"And now Ansel is in trouble… That Monster was a NOMI, so he can't bring it back, and his opponent has something very strong on the field."
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"I'm not going to quit, pal!" shouted Ansel. "It'll be a cold day in Nashville when a Spragus looses to some square!"
He drew, and then placed a card on his Disk.
"Spirit of the Harp in Defense Mode."
Beautiful music started playing over the field, and a lovely woman in a golden robe appeared, seated at a harp. (800/2,000)
"Heh, heh," chuckled Panik. "You're hitting all the wrong notes!"
He drew a card.
"I summon the wicked Witch's Apprentice in Attack Mode."
He placed a card down, and a young woman in a witch's robe and hat, with feathered wings on her back, carrying a broomstick appeared.
"Now, in addition to the benefits of Mystic Plasma Zone," laughed Panik, "this Spellcaster will raise the Attack Score of all Dark Monsters on the field, including her own, by another 500."
(550/500) –) (1,550/100)
"Skull Knight, destroy his harpist!"
Spirit of the Harp screamed as the Knight made a savage slash, and she was obliterated.
"Witch's Apprentice, attack directly! Hexagram curse!"
Witch's Apprentice started to chant, and strange symbols appeared around her…
A magical circle appeared, and shot forward, striking Ansel!
ARGH! AH! screamed Ansel inside his mind. That really stings!
What kind of demented duel is this?
He caught some deep breaths…
(A: 2,950) -------------------- (P: 6,450)
"Play whatever you like!" mocked Panik. "You'll never summon anything strong enough to defeat Skull Knight!"
Ansel drew a card.
"Well, I can buy myself some time…" he answered. "Time to shed some light on this darkness…"
He played a card.
"I play… Swords of Revealing Light!"
Panik gasped as the cage of Swords crashed down on him and his two Monsters!
"ARGH!" shouted Panik. "I loathe that card!"
"Tough darts," chuckled Ansel. "Now I have three turns to find a way out of this, and when they're done, we'll see who's dancing in the dark!
"To complete my turn, I'll summon a Monster in Defense Mode. I summon… Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands."
A weird creature appeared on the field. Ten-thousand might have been exaggerating, but he sure had a LOT of hands. (1,400/1,000) –) (1,000/1,000)
"And now he'll lend me a hand," said Ansel, taking his deck. "Because he lets me search my deck for any Ritual Spell or Monster Card. And I've got a good one in mind…"
He got what he wanted and then shuffled his deck.
"And I'll turn it over to you…"
Panik drew a card.
Blasted Swords, thought Panik, drawing a card. I have to protect myself for now…
"I summon Versago the Destroyer in Defense Mode," he stated, playing a card.
A ghostly Fiend dressed in green wrappings with large, violet wings appeared. (1,100/900) –) (2,100/500)
"That all?" chuckled Ansel. "Your Field Card has a weakness – your Monsters now have great Attack, but they have pathetic Defense…"
He drew a card.
Bingo, he thought.
"I play a powerful Spell Card," he said. "Pot of Avarice."
A holographic projection of a goofy jar inlaid with jewels an a lolling tongue appeared.
Five cards slipped out of his discard slot.
"Now I can take five Monsters of any kind from my Graveyard, and reshuffle them into my deck…"
He shuffled the five cards into his deck.
"…and then draw two cards…"
He put the deck back, and drew two.
"Now I play… Heavy Storm!" he shouted.
He played the card, and a fierce wind blew through the whole arena! The Swords shattered, and the inky darkness of the Mystic Plasma Zone literally blew away!
All three of Panik's Monsters lost 500 Attack Points.
"That was the dumbest thing I've ever seen!" laughed Panik. "You destroyed my Field Card, but you destroyed the only thing keeping my Monsters at bay."
"Oh really?" asked Ansel, playing a card. "Well, how about this… I play Snatch Steal."
He played the card, and two ghostly hands reached out of it and grabbed Skull Knight!
"Eek…" muttered Panik.
"And now I'll play this Ritual Card," continued Ansel. "Commencement Dance."
He played the card, and a lovely dancer with blades on her wrists appeared and started to dance around Skull Knight.
"Now I have to sacrifice at least six stars worth of Monsters, and your Skull Knight is more than enough…"
The Spellcaster vanished, and the dancer started to change…
"Now the curtain will truly rise… Presenting the star of my show, Performance of Sword!"
The dancer transformed into a tall belly-dancer dressed in a bikini top and skirt, holding two long rapiers. (1,950/1,850)
"Ain't she a beauty?" asked Ansel. "And I'll give her even more moves with this… The Equip Card, Ritual Weapon."
He played a card. Performance of Sword's rapiers vanished, and were replaced by two much fancier blades.
"This Equip is just like Fusion Weapon, only it works on Ritual Monsters," he said. "In case you need reminding, it brings her Attack and Defense up by 1,500 apiece."
Her stats went up to (3,450/3,350).
"I'll switch Maju into Attack Mode too…" chuckled Ansel.
Panik just stared at him as Manju moved into Attack Mode.
"Performance of Sword, wipe out his Witch's Apprentice with Dance of Death!"
The Warrior started dancing and capering about… Witch's Apprentice dropped her broom and covered her head in fear before she was struck and blown into a million pieces.
"Manju, destroy Versago," shouted Ansel. "Thousand-fist pummel."
The strange Fairy flew towards Versago the destroyer and punched it with all of its hands, blowing it into shards.
"No Monsters left, pal," chuckled Ansel. "I'd say you're in big trouble…"
(A: 2,950) -------------------- (P: 4,050)
Panik smirked.
He drew a card.
"I'm in trouble, Ansel?" he asked. "Actually, I've already had a solution to this problem in my hand for quite a while…"
He played a card.
"I play Eternal Rest!"
Performance of Sword gasped!
Ghostly spirits flew from the Spell Card and started to fly around her…
"This Spell Card destroys all Monsters armed with Equip Spells, so all I can say to your dancer is, rest in peace!"
Performance of Sword screamed, and was consumed by the spirits.
"Next I'll play Revival of the Wicked," he said, playing a card. "This Equip lets me Special Summon a Fiend-Type Monster of five stars or less from my Graveyard, so I'll bring back King of Yamimakai."
King of Yamimakai arose again. (2,000/1,350)
"Destroy his Manju!" ordered Panik.
The demon shot forth his thunderbolts, and Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands was blown away.
(A: 2,350) -------------------- (P: 4,050)
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
"He can revive any Fiend of five stars or less and that's it?" asked Trisha. "That seems unfair!"
"Well, if memory serves me correctly," said Jason, "The resurrected Fiend is destroyed if the user does not discard one card during each of his Standby Phases. But he has two cards remaining in his hand, which might give him at least two turns…"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
"My draw!" shouted Ansel.
He drew and looked at the card.
"One Monster in Defense Mode, and that will be all…" he said.
Panik drew a card. Then he discarded one.
"I summon my third Skull Knight #2," he said with a laugh.
A third of the lesser Knights appeared. (1,000/1,000)
"King of Yamimakai, attack the facedown Monster."
The Fiend shot forth its lightning.
Magician of Faith appeared on the card, and was blown away.
"Yoink!" chuckled Ansel. "Now I get to retrieve one Spell Card from my Graveyard."
A card fell out of his discard slot and he took it.
"Too bad you can't play it," laughed Panik. "Skull Knight, attack directly!"
The Fiend flew forward and slashed across Ansel's chest. He screamed...
(A: 1,350) -------------------- (P: 4,050)
"I end my turn…" said Panik with a smile. "Soon, you'll be finished…"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
"These direct attacks seem to be hurting him a lot," said Russell. "I wonder why?"
"Maybe his Disk is set too high," suggested Trisha.
"I hope so," said Jason, "because if it isn't…"
He paused.
"What?" asked Trisha.
"Well," said Jason, "they say that when an attack hurts that much, it…"
He paused again.
"…I'll tell you later."
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Ansel looked at his deck, and at the two cards in his hand.
I just need one card, he thought. If I draw the card I need, I might beat this guy…
He drew a card.
"I play the card I got back from Magician of Faith," he exclaimed. "Polymerization! And this time, I'll fuse together two more glam girls… First, Hibikime."
A Warrior in a green dress holding a weapon similar to Sonic Maid's appeared. (1,450/1,000)
"And joining her in this duet… Queen's Double."
A smaller female Warrior in a violet robe with braided hair appeared. (350/300)
The two Monsters merged together in a swirl of light…
"Presenting… Empress Judge!"
A tall, stately woman in a judicial robe, holding a sword in one hand and a set of scales in the other appeared! (2,100/1,700)
"Empress Judge, attack the Skull Knight!" shouted Ansel. "Sword of judgment!"
Empress Judge rushed towards Skull Knight, and it was cut down!
Panik cringed
(A: 1,350) -------------------- (P: 3,050)
"That's my turn, spooky," chuckled Ansel. "Now you can either discard the only card you'll have to let that thing defend you, or you can choose not to, and leave yourself wide open."
Panik's hand shook as he drew a card.
Worthless… he thought.
He discarded it, and then turned the card on his Disk. King of Yamimakai crouched in Defense Mode.
"Thought you might," chuckled Ansel, drawing a card.
Trap Card, he thought.
"I'll place a card facedown…" he stated.
A facedown card appeared.
"…and then I'll attack with Empress Judge!"
Empress Judge slashed with her blade, and King of Yamimakai was vanquished.
"Well, your move, fellah," he said. "You'd best hope that your next draw is a Monster, or the curtain is going down… for you."
"I draw one card…" muttered Panik.
He made a slight grin as he looked at it.
I just drew my Night Assailant! he thought. I'll be able to eradicate his Empress Judge!
"I place a Monster facedown in Defense Mode…" he said, placing it on his Disk.
The facedown Monster appeared.
"Will you now?" chuckled Ansel. "I activate… Shadow of Eyes!"
Panik gasped as the Trap Card lifted. The shadowy assassin was flipped up and into Attack Mode! (200/500)
"A Night Assailant, huh?" asked Ansel. "What Fiend Deck would be complete without one?
"Well, since you have no more cards to play, I'll take my turn…"
He drew a card.
"And now, the closing number," he said, playing it. "I play an Equip called… Fulfillment of the Contract."
The card appeared.
"For a small admission fee of 800 Life Points," he continued, "this lets me bring one Ritual Monster back from the grave, so Performance of Sword is coming back for an encore."
The dancer rose again, flashing her blades. (1,950/1,850)
"Performance of Sword, take out that Night Assailant. Dance of Death!"
Performance of Sword danced towards the Fiend and gracefully struck it with her sword, blowing it to atoms.
"All right!" shouted Ansel. "Empress Judge, give this guy a queen-sized crowning! Attack directly!"
Panik screamed as the Warrior charged and struck with her sword. He fell to his knees.
(A: 550) -------------------- (P: 0)
And then the unexpected happened. Shadowy shapes started to rise, and he just vanished.
"Well…" muttered Ansel.
He took a comb from his pocket and started to comb his hair.
The Swords of Concealing Light faded.
"Ansel!" shouted Trisha.
"Well, hi guys," laughed Ansel. "How long were you watching?"
They were pleased he was in a good mood. It must have been from winning.
"Since the start," said Jason. "Who was that guy?"
"Some nutjob," chuckled Ansel. "He said his name was Panik. Totally square, right?"
"Panik?" asked Jason.
He searched his mind.
Then he compared the duelist he had just seen to someone else he had seen… On a DVD…
"Now I remember where I saw that guy before…" he said in a low voice.
"Huh?" asked Russell. "Where?"
Jason didn't reply for a minute.
"That guy looked pretty good," he said, "for someone who would have had to be about one-hundred and thirty years old…"
Friday, September 10th, 2106, 8:20 PM
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0
0
C-MINOR (Trap Card)
Card Specs
Type:
Trap
Attribute: -
Level: -
ATK: -
DEF:
-
Image: A musical scale with multicolored notes.
Card Description: You can activate this card when your opponent declares an attack against one of your Attack Position Normal Monsters that has three stars or less. Double the ATK of the Monster being attacked until the end phase of the round.
0
0
0
REVIVAL OF THE WICKED (Spell Card)
Card Specs
Type:
Spell/Equip
Attribute: -
Level: -
ATK:
-
DEF: -
Image: Dark Ruler Ha Des in a dark cemetery with fiendish spirits flying from the graves.
Card Description: Special Summon one FIEND-Type Monster of five stars or less from your Graveyard in face-up Attack Position and Equip it with this card. If this card is destroyed, remove the Equipped Monster from play. If you do not discard one card during each of your Standby Phases, this card is destroyed.
0
0
0
HEAVY METAL KING (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type:
Spellcaster/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 6
ATK:
2,050
DEF: 1,700
Card Description: This sinister creature combines music with black magic to strike down enemies. This Monster cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This Monster can only be Special Summoned from your hand or deck to your side of the field by offering one "Musician King" equipped with "Metalmorph" as a Tribute. When this Monster destroys an opposing Monster as a result of battle and sends it to the Graveyard, increase the ATK of this Monster by half the base ATK of the destroyed Monster. If this Monster is attacked by an opposing Monster, it is not considered to have these bonuses.
Note: "Heavy Metal King" was used by Johnny Stepps in the anime episode "Steppin' Out". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
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Ansel's Recreation Deck:
Ansel is a big fan of outdated music and dance styles… Some would say dead styles. Of course, a lot of people would say that you can't be rich without being eccentric. His dueling strategy mirrors his likes – a deck based on music and dancing.
Although Ansel calls it a "Recreation Deck", it is truly a Fusion and Ritual Deck. He has four major players that are his main offensive force, three of which are Fusions, and one which is a Ritual: Musician King, Empress Judge, Warrior of Tradition, and Performance of Sword. The Monsters in his deck are almost entirely the fusion material Monsters, as well as three Manjus to make the Ritual easier. Heavy Metal King is a fifth player that only shows his face rarely, as he isn't the easiest Monster to bring out. (And the rare card Metalmorph is a useful Trap to use on any Monster, not just Musician King.)
All four of the major players are six stars or less, so they can all benefit from Fusion Weapon, or in Performance of Sword's case, Ritual Weapon. In addition, Ansel has two copies each of Re-Fusion and Fulfillment of the Contract, as well as Spell Economics, which lets him use them for free.
Other spaces in his deck are interchangeable with his side deck. Traps such as Shadow of Eyes are used as the mood fits him.
At times when he knows he faces a serious opponent (he was not expecting one in this instance) Ansel has a second deck centered around a much more powerful dancer – Alexis Rhode's signature Monster, Cyber Blader. This second deck was actually the key to Ansel winning most of his major tournaments, but he doesn't use it for casual play. The fact is, Ansel has a soft spot for such a magnificent dancer, and whenever she is defeated during a duel, he is depressed for a long time. As a result, the Cyber Girl Deck is reserved for when he knows he needs someone powerful. (Ansel may have arrogance, but he has a lot of respect for his cards.)
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Well, that was interesting…
Was Panik an imposter? Or was he somehow reborn through the foul magic of the Orichalcos?
The question will go unanswered… For now.
Coming up next…
The weekend is upon the school, and with it comes a new user character, and Russell tries to help a student who may be in over his head. The chapter is called "Big Wave, Small Wave", and it's coming up next.