Joan says that Daala built Xanadu from her dreams. It's clear that she was a duelist.

And as we explore this cursed forest, bits and pieces of her dreams, and possibly nightmares, come to life.

We've stumbled across a treasure that the Realm Lord is trying to protect. Not gold and jewels, but stuff that, according to an old Manga, could grant great power. Maybe Daala was a fan of this old Manga, and dreamed this up.

Can this stuff grant us powers? Make us stronger? I'm betting it can…

But to get it, I'm going to have to defeat the guy guarding it. And I've never faced a duelist like this before.

But I'm more than willing to try.

Ready… DUEL.

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CHAPTER SIX

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Guarding the Garden

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"What has four wheels and flies?"

"What time is it when the clock strikes thirteen?"

"What sort of salute does an overachieving U.S. President get?"

Sheena sighed.

"This reminds me of how Batman always had to decipher the Riddler's dumb clues," she said.

Her two helpers looked at each other.

"You have a point there," said Nicholas.

"Pardon?" said Sheena.

"The Riddler always left these riddles for Batman that were never simple," said Nicholas. "He was crazy, but he was a genius at creating puzzles and conundrums. Quite often, there were riddles hidden within his riddles."

He thought for a minute.

"Hold on…" said Olga. "All three of these riddles have numbers in them. Four… thirteen… and if that answer you gave is right, twenty-two."

"Yeah…" said Sheena. "And maybe if we were to convert the numbers into letters in the English alphabet. Four is D, thirteen is M, and twenty-two is V…

"DMV…"

There was a pause.

It came to them all at the same time, seeing as English was the native language for all three of them.

"Department of Motor Vehicles!" they all said at once.

They paused again.

"I always knew that they were evil," muttered Nicholas. "They make you wait in line, give you bad service, the pictures they take of you are terrible… You should see the learner's permit they gave me in London…"

"Be serious!" said Olga. "What the heck could the DMV have to do with this?"

"Saki," said Sheena, with a frown.

"Who's that?" asked Nicholas.

"Saki Masato," said Sheena. "He was a computer programmer for me who used to tell everyone who'd listen that he got his start as a pencil-pusher at the DMV in Tokyo before his big break…

"He worked on the Dueltasia project. But for some reason, he quit two months ago. Didn't even give a reason – just gave me a two weeks notice. And he wasn't even eligible for early retirement yet. It puzzled me. Working at KaibaCorp is too good a job for you to just quit."

"Could he be working for Daala?" asked Olga.

Sheena thought for a long time.

"Maybe you two could find out," she said.

"It's against company policy to find people and shake them down for information, but without proof, that's what I need to do. And that's why I was willing to… employ you two.

"Saki's family are all lifetime members of Diners Club International, and his rich relatives pay the dues, so he can go to places to eat that most folks on his salary can't afford. He likes to spend evenings in pricy nightclubs. His favorite is the Jade Dragon. At eight, you two will likely find him there.

"Remember you two… If you're captured, I don't know you."

"Don't worry," said Olga, "those are actually better terms than what the European mob gives its members.

"Oh, and Sheena? While we're doing that, try to get a few hours of sleep. This has taken its toll on you. We can plainly see it."

Sheena sighed.

"My daughter is probably fighting for her life…" she said. "I might sleep… How soundly is another question entirely…"

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On a pathway deep in Tzimisce Woods, a strange-looking rabbit hopped onto the pathway. It looked like any other rabbit, except that its two front teeth were sharp daggers, and it had an eyepatch over one eye.

A blast of energy shot from ahead, and it was blown to pieces.

Magician's Valkyria and Getsu Fuhma floated down the path, followed by the five duelists, who were at this point taking no chances.

"A Blade Rabbit," muttered Chelsea. "Is there anything in this forest that isn't dangerous?"

"Not likely," said Ren.

"So who do you guys think the Realm Lord is?" asked Erik.

"Most likely a powerful and evil Duel Spirit who's also an Earth Monster," said Sam. "Maybe… a Dark Lucius LV8."

"I hope not!" said Ren. "I dueled someone once who used him… That guy is a tough customer."

Chelsea let out a long sigh. She sat down on a stump by the side of the road.

"Want to take a break, Chels?" asked Yumi.

"I miss them, Yumi," she said.

"Them?" asked Yumi. "Them who?"

"You know…" she muttered. "The ghosts that always hang around me… There aren't any in Xanadu, apparently…"

"Oh yeah…" said Yumi. "The old ghost whisperer thing…"

"Ever since the Midnight Caller helped me see their problems," said Chelsea, "they've been lining up for me to tell them the answers. They aren't in Domino for two days before some ghost who doesn't want to leave tells them, 'Go see Chelsea, she'll tell you what to do.'

"Never thought I'd miss them so much…"

Yumi sighed.

"Chels, my family deals with demons and cursed magic," she said, "but this is out of my league… At least we're helping… other Spirits. Even if they aren't dead ones."

Chelsea sighed. She got up.

"Problem is," she said, as they started to walk forward, "these Spirits can hurt you, unlike the ones I'm used too…"

There was no talk for about five minutes. Then Yumi stopped short.

"Guys," said Yumi, "I hear water up ahead. There's something up there…"

They slowly approached the end of the path and entered a very large clearing.

The source of the water was a large fountain in the center. It was a pool, in the center of which was a tall stone, on top of which was a statue of a woman with feathered wings. They recognized this – the Spring of Rebirth.

But that wasn't the most surprising thing in this clearing.

Around the edges were clusters of trees that looked like they belonged in a tropical region. They were small, each about eight feet tall, and each one bore odd fruits. They resembled all forms of tropical fruits, such as guavas, mangoes, kumquats, strawberries, and pomegranates.

However, they all had odd colors, and each had strange swirl designs on their skins.

"Fruit?" said Sam.

"Don't even think of touching them," warned Yumi. "I'd be wary of eating anything that grows in this cursed forest."

"You're damn right, you won't touch them," said a surly voice.

Everyone turned and saw a muscular figure who had stepped out from behind the Spring. It was an android in silvery armor, with a gear on his left shoulder, one on his back, and some sort of weapon mounted on his right shoulder.

"Gadget Soldier?" asked Ren.

"A Duel Spirit?" said Chelsea.

"You guys had better take a hike," said the Spirit. "This here is the Realm Lord's private orchard. No one is allowed to take the Devil's Fruit unless they have his okay, and I know you don't got it!"

"Devil's Fruit?" said Erik, surprised.

Gadget Soldier frowned at him.

"I probably shouldn't have told you that," he said. "But yeah. So you guys have a choice. You can get lost or try to take me down…"

He gestured, and an extension opened on his left arm with an audible sprong. It quickly unfolded into a Duel Disk.

"Why are you of all people guarding it?" asked Sam.

"Because he's a Machine," said Yumi.

"What does that have to do with it?" asked Sam.

"Machines don't eat organic food," said Yumi. "They have no use for fruit. You use them to guard it, and there's no danger of them stealing it for themselves."

Gadget Soldier nodded.

"Maybe we should just leave…" said Ren. "A bunch of fruit isn't worth a fight. It's not like any of us are desperate for smoothies."

"Uh, guys?" said Erik. "A word… Huddle…"

They all huddled.

"People," he said. "If this is truly Devil's Fruit, it may indeed be worth dueling him to get it. I read about this stuff in an online Manga collection."

"What does it do?" asked Sam.

"Well, it gives the one who eats it a superhuman ability," said Erik. "Not always a useful ability, but sometimes an incredibly useful one.

"Funny thing is… It was supposed to be incredibly rare and always found singly. There were never whole orchards of it."

"Erik," said Yumi. "You do realize that dueling this guy is taking a risk."

"One that we'll all have to take sometime," said Erik. "I'm more than willing to try if winning will give us an advantage over Daala. And frankly, we may need all the help we can get."

Yumi sighed.

She looked at the strange fruit trees. Since it was Devil's Fruit and not Demon's Fruit, she guessed it might help in the long run… And she figured it must be very potent if the Realm Lord was guarding it.

And it wasn't like it was the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge either.

"Okay, Erik," she said. "If you say so… Good luck…"

Erik stepped up to the Machine.

"Okay, Gadget Soldier," he said. "I accept your challenge."

"You just got on my bad side," growled the Soldier. "Prepare to lose!

"And send out your Deck Lord while you're at it. I might as well get something out of this…"

Erik's deck glowed…

Then, a bulky form appeared behind him. It looked like a stout man, made out of Legos.

"Blockman?" said Erik. "How come?"

"All of your more powerful Monsters decided they were better staying in the deck," said a gravely voice coming from Blockman. "But don't worry, I have a useful ability…"

He whispered it to Erik.

"No kidding?" he said.

"Okay pal, Blockman is my Deck Lord. What's yours?"

"Open your eyes, pal!" said Gadget Soldier. "I'm a Gadget Soldier! I'm both the duelist AND the Deck Lord. Double the threat."

"Works for me," said Erik. "Game on!"

(Erik: 8,000) -------------------- (Gadget Soldier: 8,000)

Be careful Erik, thought Sam. No duelist in his right mind would use Gadget Soldier these days… It's a plain vanilla Level Six Monster with less Attack Points than some Level Fours…

And if what Weevil said about useless Monsters having powerful Deck Lord abilities is true, this might be trouble…

"Here we go!" shouted Erik, making a draw.

He looked over his cards.

"I'm summoning this in Attack Mode," he said. "My Toy Tank."

He placed a card on his Disk, and the Monster that appeared was… a toy tank. It was a comical army tank, with a turnkey on top. (1,300/1,100)

"A new one, Erik?" asked Ren.

Erik nodded. Gadget Soldier looked at him funny.

"Heh, heh," chuckled the Machine. "A Toy Tank. Oh look, it's gonna attack me!"

That's it, thought Erik. Assume it's a weak Monster, pal… Go ahead and take the bait…

"That's all for me. Your move, Spectre Gadget."

"Very funny," said Gadget Soldier, drawing a card.

He played it, and it glowed with golden light.

"I play Graceful Charity," he said. "I'm sure everyone knows how this works. I get to draw three cards, so long as I toss two…"

He made three draws.

"And just 'cause I'm such a nice guy, I'll show you what I'm tossing."

He held two cards forward. They were Acrobat Monkey and Giant Soldier of Stone.

"I'd remember them, if I were you…"

He slipped them into his discard slot.

"Next up, I play a facedown, and summon Hunter Dragon."

A facedown card appeared in a burst of energy, and then a Dragon appeared in front of him. For a Dragon, it wasn't very big, but it was covered all over with sharp blades. (1,700/100)

"Question," said Gadget Soldier. "You've got a Hunter Dragon staring you in the face. What do you do?"

"I don't do anything," said Erik. "I've seen worse."

"Yeah?" said the Soldier. "Well it's about to go ballistic on your Toy Tank!"

Three slashing blades shot at the Toy Tank, and it exploded into shards. Erik cringed.

(E: 7,600) -------------------- (GS: 8,000)

"Thank you," said Erik, with a grin. "I activate Toy Tank's effect. When it gets trashed, I get to summon another Toy from my deck, so long as it's Level Four or less."

He went to reach for his deck, and was surprised when a card simply slipped out of it. He took it, and was surprised again to see that it was exactly what he had wanted.

How'd it know… he thought.

"Don't worry, Erik," said Blockman. "In Xanadu, a surprise lurks around every corner, but many of them make the duel easier."

"Right," said Erik. "I summon Toy Soldier!"

In a burst of energy, a small figure appeared. It was definitely a toy soldier, made of wood, dressed in the uniform of the soldiers of Revolution-eraFrance. He held a musket that was apparently a pop gun. (800/300)

"How cute," said Gadget Soldier. "I end my turn."

Erik drew a card.

"I activate my Toy Soldier's effect," he said.

"I love this part," said Chelsea, with a giggle.

"When one member of my mini-militia is on the field," said Erik, "I can summon all other members that I have in my deck. So here come two more!"

In two flashes of light, two more Soldiers appeared.

"That's hardly an improvement," said Gadget Soldier.

"I'm also playing a Spell Card," said Erik, holding up a card. "It's called Fife and Drum Corp."

As he played the card, music started to fill the air. A parade of Toy Soldiers marched into the clearing, playing drums and flutes.

"Don't you just love a parade?" asked Erik. "My Soldiers do, because this music doubles the Attack Scores of all my Monsters with Attack Scores that are 1,000 or less."

The three Soldiers glowed with energy. (1,600/300)

"Unless you can make one of them even stronger," said Gadget Soldier, "that still ain't gonna be enough."

"I'm not gonna make them stronger," said Erik. "I'm gonna make your Dragon weaker. I play Shrink!"

He played another card, and Hunter Dragon shrunk to half its size. (850/100)

"Toy Soldier number one," said Erik, "attack the Hunter Dragon!"

The first Toy Soldier aimed its musket and fired, blowing Hunter Dragon to pixels.

"You two… Attack directly!"

Gadget Soldier grunted as two more corks hit him in the chest.

"I suppose you think you're so hot?" he said.

"I try to be," said Erik. "My turn is over, so the scores of my Soldiers return to 800. It's your move."

(E: 7,600) -------------------- (GS: 4,050)

"Erik is winning!" cheered Sam.

"Don't celebrate so soon," said Gadget Soldier, drawing a card.

He played it.

"I play Desperado Manager. I can use this when I have at least one card in my hand. First, I get to draw two cards…"

He made two draws, and looked at them.

"Then I take three cards from my hand, and put them on top of my deck."

He chose three of his cards, and placed them on his deck.

"Next," he said, "I'll drop 800 Life Points to play Enchanting Fitting Room. This lets me look at the top four cards on my deck. And if any of them are Normal Monsters that are Level Three or less, I get to Special Summon them."

Yumi's eyes opened wide.

This guy is no rookie, she thought. He's guaranteed at least three Monsters, because he just put three on top of his deck!

A white curtain appeared in front of him, and four cards flew out. Three of them were Monster Cards, and one was Heavy Storm.

"Well, Heavy Storm doesn't fit the bill," said the Machine, as the Spell Card vanished, "but say hello to Mad Lobster, Jerry Beans Man, and Dragon Zombie!"

Three Monsters appeared in flashes of light. One was a huge lobster with a skull for a head. (1,700/1,000) Another was a green jelly bean with arms, legs, and a smiling face, holding a toy sword and shield. (1,750/0) The third was a rotting and decayed dragon, its yellowing rib bones sticking out of its flesh. (1,600/0)

"Ho boy…" said Erik.

"Before I attack, I'm gonna activate this," said Gadget Soldier, as his facedown card lifted up. "Gift of the Mystical Elf."

The gentle form of Mystical Elf appeared behind him, and cast a spell.

"Now I gain 300 Life Points for each Monster on the field. And I count six.

"Now… Dragon Zombie, noxious breath!"

Dragon Zombie shot a blast of toxic smoke from its jaws, and one Toy Soldier rotted and turned to dust.

"Jerry Beans Man, attack with Good 'n Plenty pummel!"

Jerry spit a barrage of candy from his mouth with the force of a machine gun, and another Soldier shattered.

"Mad Lobster, attack with vice grip!"

Mad Lobster grabbed the third Soldier in its pincer and squeezed, until it shattered.

"I throw one card facedown, and that's all!" he said with a chuckle.

A new facedown card materialized.

(E: 4,950) -------------------- (GS: 5,050)

Okay… thought Erik. Now when exactly did I lose the advantage here?

He had almost considered using his Deck Lord ability at that point. But he would have used up all of his limited uses if he saved all his Soldiers, and he would have given too much advantage to his opponent if he had.

And now he could get the most use out of something else.

Yumi looked at the three Monsters.

Odd, she thought. All of his Monsters seem to be Normal Level Threes. I can't shake the feeling that he's building up to something big…

Erik drew a card.

"I play Toy Memorial," he said, playing a Spell Card. "I have to skip my Battle Phase to play this, but I get to draw one card for each card in my Graveyard with the word 'Toy' in its name.

"I have four, three Toy Soldiers and Toy Tank."

He drew four cards. He looked them over.

"I'll summon Card Blocker."

He played the card, and a new toy Warrior appeared. He was dressed in blue armor with a rounded helmet, and carried a shield and a short sword. (400/400)

"And as soon as I summon him, he moves to Defense Mode."

Card Blocker knelt, pointed his sword down, and held his shield up.

"And I'll call it a turn."

"Was that the best you can do?" asked Gadget Soldier, drawing a card. "This is too easy…

"I activate my facedown card."

His facedown card lifted up, and a figure appeared on the field. It was the youth from the Heart of the Underdog card, holding a glowing light in his hands.

"It's called Common Charity. This lets me draw two cards."

He made two draws.

"Of course, if I don't want to lose my whole hand after I do that, I have to remove a Normal Monster in my hand from play. So I think I get rid of this one."

He held up a card – it was D.D. Trainer – and it vanished.

He looked over the two new cards.

"Now, I summon Clown Zombie."

A cackling laugh sounded over the field as he played the card. The Monster that appeared was a rotting, undead version of Crass Clown, balancing on a colored ball and holding a staff. (1,350/0)

"You're finished," said Gadget Soldier. "Clown Zombie, destroy his Card Blocker!"

Clown Zombie laughed, and bounced forward on its ball.

"Not so fast, rust-bucket!" said Erik, taking three cards off the top of his deck.

He quickly discarded them.

"Card Blocker has a special effect. For each of these discards, he gains 500 Defense Points."

Card Blocker glowed with energy. (500/1,900) As Clown Zombie tried to strike him, he struck back, and the Zombie tumbled backwards.

"You little punk!" shouted Gadget Soldier. "Now you really made me mad!"

(E: 4,950) -------------------- (GS: 4,500)

"You really need to find a way to relax, pal," said Chelsea. "Maybe you should try yoga or something."

"Hardy, har, har," said the Soldier. "I end my turn!"

Erik drew a card.

"Just what I needed…" he said.

He opened his Field Slot.

"I play ToyTown!"

There was a flash of light…

When they could see again, the orchard was gone. They were standing in the streets of a fairy tale town, with gingerbread houses and sugarplum trees. A castle was on a hill in the background, and a rainbow was in the sky.

"I don't even know what this Field Spell does," said Gadget Soldier, "and I already hate it."

"Well, it does three things," said Erik, "as far as Monsters with the word 'Toy' in their names are concerned. First, it increases their Attack Scores by 300. Second, it lets them dodge any targeting Trap Cards. Third, if one is destroyed outside of battle, I get to pull another one from my deck that has less Attack Points.

"So… I summon Toy Magician!"

In a burst of light, the plastic sorcerer that he had used against the Arlownay appeared, holding his glowing staff. (1,600/1,500) –) (1,900/1,500)

"Destroy his Clown Zombie!" shouted Erik. "Sparkle blast!"

Toy Magician shot a blast of glowing motes at the undead clown, and it burst into a cloud of dust.

"Punk…" said Gadget Soldier.

(E: 4,950) -------------------- (GS: 3,950)

"Your move," said Erik.

"Don't tell me what to do," said Gadget Soldier, drawing a card.

"I set a new Monster in Defense Mode, and move everyone else to Defense Mode."

A facedown Monster appeared. Mad Lobster shielded itself with its claws, and Jerry Beans Man just sat down. Dragon Zombie just collapsed in a heap.

"I may not be able to attack, but I'm still gonna get rid of that Card Blocker," he said. "I play Shield Crush!"

He played the card, and a blast of energy shot out of it, blowing Card Blocker to bits.

"Well, so much for that," muttered Erik.

"Your move," said the Machine.

Erik drew a card.

This might be useful, he thought, adding it to his hand.

"I summon a second Toy Magician," he said. "Double the pleasure!"

A second of the toy Spellcasters appeared. (1,600/1,500) –) (1,900/1,500)

"All right, attack his Mad Lobster and Jerry Beans Man!"

The two Magicians cast their spells, and the two Monsters burst into pixels.

This punk may not know it, thought Gadget Soldier, but the more of my Monsters he trashes, the deeper he's falling into my trap…

He looked at his deck.

Once I draw both the right cards, it's gonna be all over for him…

"My move," he said.

He drew a card, and looked at it.

"I set a facedown, and that'll be all."

A facedown card appeared.

Erik drew a card.

No problem, he thought. I have Mystical Space Typhoon right…

"Go, Trap Card!" shouted Gadget Soldier. "Threatening Roar!"

His facedown card lifted, and the intimidating form of Behemoth, the King of All Animals appeared behind him. It roared, and Erik staggered back.

"Afraid your attacks this round are called off," he said.

"Then I'll just end my turn…" muttered Erik.

Gadget Soldier drew a card.

"Okay, pal, I play Pot of Greed," he said.

The evil jar appeared, and he drew two cards.

"Heh, heh, perfect…" he said. "First, I flip my Sonic Duck into Attack Mode."

His facedown Monster flipped up, revealing a comical-looking green duck the size of a horse with a scarf around its neck and a pail on its head. (1,700/700)

"Now… I'm giving it something extra… The Equip Spell, Amulet of Ambition."

He played the card, and a glowing aura appeared around Sonic Duck's neck. It formed into a glowing amulet with an eye on the setting.

"I'll explain this as simply as I can," he said. "This can only be Equipped to Normal Monsters. And when the Equipped Monster battles a Monster that's a higher Level, the Equipped Monster gains 500 Attack Points times the difference.

"So…

"Sonic Duck, attack the Toy Magician on the right with supersonic dash!"

Sonic Duck squawked and sped towards Toy Magician in a blur. Its Attack Score rose to 2,200, just as it collided with the Spellcaster, blowing him to pieces.

"Wait a second," said Ren. "This means…"

"This means that the higher the Level of Erik's Monster, the stronger Sonic Duck will be," said Chelsea. "Even Erik's Puppet King would be outclassed… If he tried to attack with him…"

"Sonic Duck would gain 2,000 Attack Points," said Yumi. "And I don't think Erik even has a Level Three Monster that can beat these low-level beatsticks."

True… thought Erik. But I have something else…

"I'll move Dragon Zombie to Attack Mode while I'm at it," said Gadget Soldier, as Dragon Zombie picked itself up. "I'll set a Monster in Defense Mode, and end my turn."

He played his last card, and a facedown Monster appeared.

(E: 4,650) -------------------- (GS: 3,950)

He drew a card.

"I play Mystical Space Typhoon!" he shouted. "Say goodbye to that Amulet!"

He played the card, and the cyclone tore across the field, blowing the Amulet of Ambition off the Duck's neck.

"That was pointless," said Gadget Soldier. "That card has another effect. If it's destroyed, I get to put it on top of my deck, and I don't have to pay a dime."

He placed the card on the top of his deck.

Erik frowned. He looked at the card he had just drawn.

"I play… Symbol pf Heritage," he said. "Since I have three of the same Monster in my Graveyard, this Spell Card lets me bring one of them back to the field."

He played the card, and Toy Soldier appeared on the field. (800/300) – (1,100/300)

"Next," he said, "I play a powerful Spell called Crowning of the Emperor! This lets me sacrifice him…"

Toy Soldier saluted, and held his musket by his side. He vanished in a sparkle of light.

"Come on out, Toy Emperor!"

With a galloping of hooves, a mounted figure rode onto the field. It was another wooden soldier, this one dressed in Napoleon's military uniform, holding a saber and riding a wooden horse. His eyebrows were narrow, and his mouth was carved into a frown.(2,300/800) –) (2,600/800)

"First, Toy Magician, destroy his Sonic Duck!"

Toy Magician cast his spell, and Sonic Duck exploded in a burst of feathers.

"Second, I have a feeling I know what that set Monster is, seeing as you used up every card in your hand. Let's see if I'm right…

"Toy Emperor, attack his facedown Monster!"

Toy Emperor gave his mount a kick, and he galloped towards the facedown Monster. A ceramic jar appeared on the card, and a dark shadow with a mouth and one eye appeared out of it. It let out a cackling laugh before Toy Emperor slashed it to bits with his saber.

"Yep, I was right," said Erik. "Morphing Jar…"

He discarded the one card that was left in his hand, and drew five cards. Gadget Soldier simply drew five cards.

"And Toy Emperor has a powerful effect," said Erik. "Now I get to take any Trap Card from my deck that I want."

A card slid out of his deck. Erik gave a puzzled look, and took it.

It was the one he wanted again, all right. Xanadu had strange laws.

He placed it in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"That's all for me," he said.

(E: 4,650) -------------------- (GS: 3,750)

"Draw," said Gadget Soldier.

He drew a card.

"I Equip Amulet of Ambition on Dragon Zombie," he said.

The Amulet appeared on the Zombie's neck.

"Go, Dust Tornado!" shouted Erik.

His Trap Card flipped up, and the tornado tore across the field, blowing the Amulet to pieces.

"Talk about a dumb move," laughed Sam. "He told you he could search for any Trap Card… Every duelist and his brother uses Dust Tornado."

"Okay, change of plans!" growled the Machine. "It's about time I brought out my key player anyway…

"I use my Deck Lord ability, which I can do three times per duel total. I get to Special Summon any Normal Monster from my deck that I want. And I choose Summoned Skull."

In an explosion of lightning, Yugi Mouto's signature Fiend appeared on the field. There was no mistaking him… The horns, claws, and bony carapace. (2,500/1,200)

"Of course, there is a catch," said Gadget Soldier. "It can't attack, and it will be destroyed when I end my turn."

"Meaning you're gonna sacrifice him, right?" said Erik.

"Watch your mouth!" said Gadget Soldier. "I play the Ritual Spell Card, Synthesis Spell."

Summoned Skull vanished, and a cylindrical tank with a man inside, floating in liquid and hooked up to odd hoses and paraphernalia appeared.

"By sacrificing six Levels worth of Monsters, I can bring out the ultimate beast…"

The man inside the tank changed. He transformed into a more bestial shape…

Then he smashed his way out of the tank, and roared in anger.

Standing in front of Erik was a vicious-looking wolfman, with razor-sharp teeth and claws, dressed in ragged trousers, with odd wires on its chest. (2,400/1,800)

"Whoa," said Chelsea. "It looks like someone gave my Zombie Werewolf a makeover."

"This werewolf ain't a Zombie," said Gadget Soldier. "It's a Beast-Warrior called Lycanthrope, and it's about to go postal on your Toy Emperor!"

"Let him try!" laughed Erik. "My Field Spell makes my Emperor stronger!"

Gadget Soldier played another card.

"I Equip him with Ritual Weapon!" he shouted.

Lycanthrope's right wrist glowed, and a golden, glowing crossbow appeared on the back of its claw. (3,900/3,300)

Erik turned to Blockman.

"Now?" said Blockman.

"Now," said Erik, nodding.

"Attack his Toy Emperor!" shouted Gadget Soldier.

Lycanthrope howled. It pointed with its weapon, and a volley of sharp, glowing spires shot towards the toy monarch.

Erik cringed, but Toy Emperor stood fast.

(E: 3,650) -------------------- (GS: 3,750)

"My Emperor isn't ready to leave yet," said Erik. "I used my Deck Lord ability. I can also use it three times.

"You get to draw one card, but I can make any Toy Monster withstand any attack."

Gadget Soldier grinned as he drew a card.

"But you still lost Life Points," he said. "So Lycanthrope's effect activates, and you lose 200 Life Points for every Normal Monster in my Graveyard. In case anyone here lost count, I've goteight of them there."

Erik screamed as Lycanthrope's eyes glowed, and a fiery aura surrounded him. He fell to his knees.

(E: 2,050) -------------------- (GS: 3,750)

"Crud," said Ren. "And with that extra draw, he likely drew Amulet of Ambition again."

Gadget Soldier looked at the card he had drawn.

He's wrong, he thought. When I used my ability to bring out Summoned Skull, my deck was shuffled. What I actually drew was Frostosaurus, an incredibly powerful Level Six Monster.

He won't be dumb enough to keep his two Monsters in Attack Mode in order to attack my Dragon Zombie, so I'll easily be able to summon it next turn.

Erik looked at the field.

"Your move," said Gadget Soldier.

Let me think, thought Erik. If I attack Dragon Zombie with Toy Emperor, I'll be able to get Mirror Force from my Deck… But if he's somehow able to destroy it, I'm a gonner…

He drew a card. He looked at it.

Nope, I got a better idea… And to think Sam thought this card was a dumb idea…

He added it to his hand and chose another one.

"First I summon… My third Toy Magician!"

He played the card, and yet another of the plastic, colored mages appeared. (1,600/1,500)

"Eh?" said Gadget Soldier. "Attack Mode?"

"Now," said Erik. "I play Heavy Storm!"

He played the card, and a fierce wind tore across the field. ToyTown vanished, and the Ritual Weapon crumbled to dust.

"Big deal!" said Gadget Soldier. "You took out your own Field Spell, so he's still stronger than any of your Monsters.

"And even if you can make your Emperor stronger, you'd best make it count, because I have this."

He turned one of his two cards in his hand forward. It was Fulfillment of the Contract.

"Oh, but I am going to 'make it count', as you say," said Erik.

He placed a card in his Disk.

"I play… Autonomous Action Unit!"

"Say WHAT?" shouted Gadget Soldier.

"This card may cost me 1,500 Life Points," said Erik, as he glowed with red energy, "but it's worth every one to resurrect one of your Monsters and recruit him to my side."

A pair of space-age doors appeared on Erik's side of the field, and they opened with a burst of steam…

Summoned Skull stepped out, but he was different. Apparently, he had been reborn using cybernetics. His left arm and right leg were bionic, metal plating was on his chest, and a helmet covered the right half of his head, giving him a glowing red optic sensor for a right eye. An odd metal pack was strapped to his back. He glared at Gadget Soldier. (2,500/1,200)

"Oh, crap…" said Gadget Soldier.

"Summoned Skull…" ordered Erik, "atomize Lycanthrope with electromagnetic cyber lightning strike!"

Two protrusions resembling lasers unfolded from the pack on Summoned Skull's back, and twin volleys of lightning bolts shot from them, reducing Lycanthrope to a pile of ash.

"All right!" shouted Erik. "Toy Emperor, destroy Dragon Zombie!"

Toy Emperor charged at Dragon Zombie, and with one slash of his saber, the dragon corpse was ripped to shreds.

"Toy Magicians… Finish him off!"

Both Toy Magicians shot their sparkle blasts at the Machine. Gadget Soldier fell to his knees.

(E: 550) -------------------- (GS: 0)

Summoned Skull gave Gadget Soldier an angry look.

"Don't look at me like that!" he shouted to the Fiend. "Yeah, I lost, but keep in mind… You still couldn't beat me when you…"

Before he could say anything else, Blockman's eyes glowed. Gadget Soldier fell to his knees, and shattered into pixilated remains, that evaporated.

Blockman gave a thumb's up to Erik. He slowly vanished.

Summoned Skull turned to him. The Fiend smiled before he vanished as well.

"What was that all about?" asked Sam.

Yumi rubbed her chin.

"Maybe Summoned Skull was a Duel Spirit too, and he wasn't serving in Gadget Soldier's deck willingly," she said. "Maybe they dueled in the past, and Skull lost…"

"And he became Gadget Soldier's slave…" said Chelsea. "If Daala's men can enforce their will like that, I just want to overthrow her more…"

"Well, it seems that Skull is a free Monster now," said Erik.

He looked at the fruit trees.

"And the Devil's Fruit is ours."

"Erik, are you certain this stuff is safe?" asked Yumi. "There must be a reason why it's called Devil's Fruit and not Angel's Fruit."

"Well, in the Manga there is one known side effect," said Erik. "Hear this before you decide.

"Devil's Fruit was supposed to be the fruit of the Sea Devil, whatever that means. And whoever eats it… Well, that person will never be able to swim again.

"The sea itself rejects those who have eaten it. Thus, anyone who has eaten it is helpless in water. If we eat this, and then fall into a large body of water, we'd likely drown."

They all paused for a while.

"Heck with it," said Sam. "I never learned to swim anyway…"

"We'll just stay away from lakes and the beach," said Chelsea.

"Anything else we should know?" asked Yumi, nervously.

"Well…" muttered Erik, "there was a rather… ghoulish rumor that said that the powers inside them didn't like each other too much, and that if someone ate more than one, they'd war with each other, and kill the one who ate them. This was never proven, because no-one was known to be dumb enough to test it."

"Okay…" said Chelsea. "Good safety tip…"

"So, which ones do what?" asked Ren, looking at one of the trees.

"You never know until you eat it," said Erik. "The Manga said at various times that several catalogues of them existed, but none were ever actually seen."

Sam picked one. It was pear-shaped, and colored turquoise.

"Now there's a color found in nature," she said sarcastically.

"Maybe we should each choose a different one," said Yumi. "Then, the chances of at least one of us getting a useful one improve."

Eventually, they all picked one from a separate tree.

"Uhm, one final thing," said Erik. "I should warn you, these taste pretty bad…"

Ren bit into his. He made a face as he forced himself to swallow it.

"Ugh!" he gasped. "You weren't kidding!"

Chelsea cringed as she bit into hers. She swallowed hard.

"That tastes like moldy Play-Doh!" she shouted.

Sam took a bite of hers. She simply frowned.

"I've eaten worse," she said, tossing the rest of the fruit aside. "Not as bad as some of the stuff they serve at the Centurion's barracks at Duelatopia."

Erik bit into his. He cringed. He knew it was his idea, but that didn't make it any less disgusting.

Yumi looked long and hard at her piece. She wondered if she was feeling the same way as Alice felt after she had just arrived in Wonderland, and found a bottle with a label that read "Drink Me".

Secretly, she hoped that they all weren't being played for suckers.

She took a bite.

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Daala sighed as she watched something on a screen.

She had watched this duel so many times. Yugi Mouto Sr.'s victory over Marik in the final round of BattleCity.

Every time she watched it, she couldn't help but think what an egotistical idiot that Marik was.

Standing behind her was one of her chief enforcers, a Skull Knight. Everyone in Xanadu knew about him. With the exception of Daala herself, he was the best duelist in Daala's army.

"Question," she asked him. "What was Marik's problem?"

"Overconfidence?" he asked.

"No," she said, "it was…"

She stopped short.

"Actually, yes," she said. "That, and ego.

"He thought that Yugi couldn't have possibly beaten Ra without a God Card of his own. So, to defeat him, and prove with his over-inflated head that his God Card was superior, he attacked Obelisk instead of attacking Dark Magician Girl, who would have been the easier target.

"How little did he know that she was the one whom Yugi truly needed to defeat Ra. That mistake not only proved that his God Card wasn't superior, but it let Yugi prove that he was superior to all three of the God Cards!

"Anyway, there's a lesson in there somewhere, but I kinda forget what it is."

"I take it this is why you turned down the request to create a virtual version of Marik?" asked Skull Knight.

Daala nodded.

"Rule number one of amassing minions," she said. "Never try to recruit anyone who's stronger than you are. And rule number two, which pertains to this case, is never create anyone who's crazier than you are."

A beeper on the screen went off.

"Hmm," she said waving her arm.

The screen changed, and a scene of Yumi and company wandering through the forest came up.

"They're almost there…" she thought. "Maybe one more small hurdle…"

The screen changed, and a face appeared on it.

"They'll be there in about twenty minutes, give or take," she said. "Tell whoever is at the gates to challenge Ren. I want to see him at his full capacity."

"As you wish," said the figure.

She leaned back on the couch.

"Hopefully, we'll get what we want from Yumi soon," she said. "Then we won't need our friends any more… And we can take them out and any other annoyances with one swift stroke…"

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TOY SOLDIER (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 3
ATK: 800
DEF: 300

Card Description: If this card is face-up on your side of the field during your Standby Phase, you may Special Summon up to two "Toy Soldiers" from your hand or deck.

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TOY EMPEROR (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 6
ATK: 2,300
DEF: 800

Card Description: This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card must first be Special Summoned via the effect of "Crowning of the Emperor". When this card destroys an opposing Monster as a result of battle and sends it to the Graveyard, you may search your deck for one Trap Card and add it to your hand.

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FIFE AND DRUM CORP (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: A parade of Toy Soldiers with drums and fifes.

Card Description: During the turn you activate this card, the ATK of all Monsters on your side of the field whose ATK is 1,000 or less is doubled until the End Phase of the turn.

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0

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CROWNING OF THE EMPEROR (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: An elaborate crown, with a spotlight on it.

Card Description: Offer one "Toy Soldier" on your side of the field as a Tribute. Special Summon one "Toy Emperor" from your hand or deck.

Note: "Toy Soldier", "Toy Emperor", "Fife and Drum Corp", and "Crowning of the Emperor" were all first used by Bonaparte in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Dormitory Demolition". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.

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TOY MEMORIAL (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: A group of Toy Soldiers standing around a broken one of their own.

Card Description: Draw one card for every card in your Graveyard that has the word "Toy" in its name. You must skip your Battle Phase on a turn in which you use this card.

Note: "Toy Memorial" was created by Man Called True for his fanfic "Yu-Gi-Oh! Tilting the Balance". Creative credit goes to him.

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TOY TOWN (Spell Card)

Field Spell

Image: A colorful toy village with a toy castle on a hill overlooking it and a rainbow in the sky.

Card Description: Monsters with the word "Toy" in their names gain 300 Attack Points. Negate the effect of any Trap Card that specifically targets a Monster with the word "Toy" in its name and destroy it. If a Monster with the word "Toy" in its name is destroyed outside of battle, the owner may select one Monster from his deck with the word "Toy" in its name that has a lower base ATK than the destroyed card and add it to his hand.

Note: " ToyTown" first appeared in "Legend of the Sorcerer Kings".

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TOY MAGICIAN (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spellcaster/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 4
ATK: 1,600
DEF: 1,500

Card Description: This card can be treated as a Spell Card and set facedown into your Spell/Trap zone. When this card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard by the effect of an opponent's card while set in the Spell/Trap zone, Special Summon this card onto your field during the next End Phase. In addition, when this card is successfully Flip-Summoned, destroy a number of Spell and Trap cards up to the number of face-up "Toy Magicians" on the field.

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CARD BLOCKER (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 3
ATK: 400
DEF: 400

Card Description: When this card is successfully Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned, it is switched to face-up Defense Position. When a face-up Monster you control is targeted by an attack, you may switch the attack target to this card. When this card becomes the attack target, you may send up to three cards from the top of your deck to the Graveyard. For each card sent to the Graveyard in this manner, increase this card's DEF by 500 until the End Phase of the turn.

Note: "Toy Magician" and "Card Blocker" are Japanese cards that have not yet been released in the United States.

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TOY TANK (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Machine/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 4
ATK: 1,300
DEF: 1,100

Card Description: When this card is destroyed as a result of battle and sent to the Graveyard, you may search your deck for one Monster that is Level Four or less with the word "Toy" in its name, except for a "Toy Tank", and Special Summon it in Attack Position.

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DESPERADO MANAGER (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: A burly biker crackling with electricity, with a seedy agent standing behind him.

Card Description: You can activate this card when you have at least one card in your hand other than this card. Draw two cards from your deck. Then, choose three cards from your hand and place them on the top of your deck in any order.

Note: "Desperado Manager" was first used by Chazz in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Head in the Clouds (Part Two)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.

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Erik's Deck Lord: "Blockman": "Toy Blocker": Three times per duel, you may negate a "Toy" Monster's destruction as a result of battle (damage calculation still applies). If you use this effect, your opponent may draw one card. (Minor Power)

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Gadget Soldier's Deck Lord: "Simple Summons": Three times per duel, during your Main Phase, you may Special Summon a Normal Monster from your deck. The Special Summoned Monster cannot attack, and is destroyed during the End Phase of the round it is Special Summoned in this manner. (Intermediate Power)

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Coming up next:

Here's a question to think about: Did the elves in Lord of the Rings have pointed ears? Despite depictions in various media, Tolkien's descriptions never addressed that one way or another. But you can't deny one thing… Tolkien's elves were tough.

In the fantasy world of Xanadu, races from several dimensions come together, and one from an elven land stands in the heroes' path. To get into the Realm Lord's fortress, Ren must get past one of them and her legions of elven warriors.

Coming up next, "The Empress Elf". It sure isn't Galadriel.