I'm a fast learner… Twice now, I've witnessed the use of a powerful Field Spell Card called The Seal of Orichalcos. Here's what I know, aside from the fact that it cheats:

Whoever plays it can use more than five Monsters at once. His Monsters gain 500 Attack Points and become Dark Monsters. The card itself cannot be destroyed by standard methods…

And it gets creepier. The card has magical powers. Once it's used, no-one can enter the arena, and the two duelists cannot leave until the duel is over. Even worse, if what the users say is right, the loser of a duel in which it is used loses his soul. To what or who, I don't know. The only way both duelists can escape unscathed, as far as I know, is if the duel ends in a draw.

I'm going on a rescue mission, and I just know the danger of this evil card will be a threat…

But strangely, I'm sensing a great power… It's as if someone is whispering in my ear, like a voice beckoning from the shadows. It's something good, telling me to have courage, and to face this evil.

Who is this person? Why won't he show himself?

Whoever you are, show yourself before it's too late!

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CHAPTER TEN

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Vengeful Bog Spirit

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Monday, September 13th, 2106, 4:15 PM

Sersei was feeling pretty confident right now.

She still had all her Life Points, and had brought her opponent down to half of his. The mountains of Harpie's Hunting Ground were surrounding her, and four Monsters were on her side of the field: Harpie Lady 1, Harpie Lady 2, Cyber Harpie Lady, and Harpie's Baby Pet Dragon.

Her opponent only had one Monster on his side of the field in Defense Mode, and it was a pathetic little thing…

…only problem was, she had used all four of her attacks and her Dragon's effect on it, and it had simply refused to stay dead.

"Give it up, pal," she said. "You can't stay hidden behind your little shield forever…"

The hooded stranger drew a card.

"I don't intend to…" he said.

"Draw a good Monster?" asked Sersei, in a bored voice. "Well fine… Don't forget, you're only allowed to attack my Dragon…"

Five minutes later, a scream that was half from pain and half from complete panic echoed over the Obelisk complex…

…it clearly belonged to Sersei…

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One hour later…

Jason, Trisha, and Russell weren't saying a word as they sat in the library pouring over books.

"So…" said Russell at last. "Think Dr. Artemis can get your brother to talk?"

"Please…" answered Trisha. "She could have gotten Don Carmelli's right-hand man to talk."

If you knew anything about Don Carmelli, you knew that this was likely an exaggeration. Carmelli was the ruler of organized crime in New York City about fifteen years ago. He was into everything; drug dealing, protection, gambling, prostitution, loan sharking, contracts for hire… everything that organized crime did.

Carmelli was eventually caught, along with many of his lieutenants. The trial was a long one, and he was eventually convicted of ordering five murders and other minor charges. He was now serving five consecutive life sentences, and would likely never see daylight again.

But if the prosecution had convicted him on twenty-seven other murders, some of which were more serious, he likely would have gotten the death penalty. However, not many people were willing to testify against him. Carmelli was so influential and so feared, very few figures in organized crime circles would turn against him, not even in exchange for pardons and protection.

Of course, Dr. Artemis was a woman to be feared too. You didn't want to get on her bad side. Rumors were that once, a disgruntled student had tried to punch her, and she responded by holding him in a lock until security arrived. And she was likely capable of scaring the information out of Patrick.

"Conrad? Moise? Majors?" said a voice.

They looked up and saw the librarian.

"Sorry to disturb you," he said, "but the Chancellor wants to see you… In the infirmary."

They all looked at each other.

"Infirmary?" asked Trisha. "I only have a slight cough…"

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The three students walked into the medical ward, where Dr. Artemis was sitting by a bed, her brow furrowed with worry.

They were shocked to see Sersei lying in it, apparently unconscious.

"Sersei?" said Trisha, surprised. "Dr. Artemis, what happened to her?"

"Her body is alive," said Artemis, sadly, "but Sersei is somewhere else. Someone lured her into an Orichalcos duel…

"…and she clearly lost…"

"No…" whispered Jason.

"Even worse…" continued Artemis, "whoever did this is having the gall to hold her soul for ransom! This was pinned to her blazer when we found her…"

She handed Jason a sheet of paper. It was a hand-written letter, written in red ink.

To Dr. Artemis,

We have taken the soul of this student, but we are merely keeping her in storage for now. Whether she stays that way and is able to return to her body is up to you.

We are willing to trade her for Patrick Moise's safe return.

At midnight tonight, bring him to the World of Enchantment Aquarium, where we will make the switch. You had best bring Sersei too, to ensure a safe transfer. To make the switch, send the three students who encountered the Orichalcos first.

One warning. At any time, Sersei's soul can be sacrificed to dark forces. If we see anyone except them, or they refuse to come, she will be lost forever.

We await their arrival.

- The Three Swordsmen of Orichalcos

"Certainly, someone doesn't want him talking…" muttered Artemis.

"What are we going to do?" asked Jason.

Artemis paused.

"Sersei is no doubt languishing in some dark prison," she answered, "crying her eyes out, pleading for release… We can't allow her to suffer. We have no choice… As much as I hate letting Patrick go, the safety of a more respectable student is more important…"

She tossed Jason a set of keys.

"Take the van, get there fast, but don't get a speeding ticket…"

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The Bronx.

Not far from Yankee Stadium was the World of Enchantment Aquarium, a menagerie that could be thrilling for some people, and scary for others. You see, the main attraction at this aquarium was the walk-in shark tank.

Well, you didn't actually walk into it. However, the tank was constructed in a shape that let you walk into a large chamber where the tank surrounded you on all sides and above. There, you were surrounded by some of the most vicious looking sharks, skates, and rays. There were no great whites (such fish could not be kept with other fish) but there were plenty of other fish who might eat you up if were on their side of the thick, shatterproof glass.

A van pulled up to the aquarium doors.

Russell and Trisha came out of the side door, with Russell carrying Sersei.

"Man, Sersei, you gotta watch the cheesecake…" moaned Russell.

Jason paused.

Strange… he thought.

Ever since we left the school, it's like there's been a presence… something trying to whisper in my ear… But whoever it is, I can't hear what he's saying!

Not exactly anyway… But I can tell he's trying to encourage me… Calm my fears…

As Jason came out of the driver's seat, Trisha opened the back, where Patrick was sitting, his hands cuffed behind him.

"Out," ordered his sister.

"Uh, sis?" said Patrick, nervously. "I don't suppose it's too late to cut a plea deal with Dr. Artemis?"

Trisha raised her hand as if to hit him…

But then she lowered it.

"Why?" she asked. "Afraid what your boss is going to do to you? Patrick, I thought you had betrayed me when I found out you were a cheater, but now that I know you've turned truly evil, it's more than a betrayal, it's a blight on our family's name. I'd clock you over the head with this Duel Disk, but I won't…

"You're such a slime, I won't sink to your level. Now OUT!"

Patrick hung his head, and walked out.

"Get moving!" said Trisha, pushing him towards the doors of the aquarium.

The front doors opened, and the lights came on.

"We're here!" said Jason.

"Good…" said Cassius's voice over a loud speaker. "Come to the shark chamber, and we can conduct our business with a minimum of fuss…"

They walked through the aquarium, past tanks containing crabs, squid, octopi, and fish of all varieties, until they came to the corridor leading to the shark chamber.

As they entered the tunnel made of glass, they shivered. The vicious sharks, skates, and rays swam around and over them, bearing sharp teeth.

They entered a circular, one-hundred-foot wide chamber, with glass walls, with the deadly fish behind them. Another corridor was opposite theirs.

As they entered, Cassius, Cleo, and Sebastian entered from the other corridor.

"Long time no see," said Cassius.

"Cut the formalities," said Jason. "We have the guy you want, now let Sersei's soul go."

"Don't talk to me!" protested Cassius. "Talk to the guy who took it."

Cleo turned around.

"Alphonse, get in here," she called.

A short man in a dark robe walked in.

He lowered his hood, and the three teens drew back in surprise. The man was clearly an albino – his skin and short hair were chalk-white, and his eyes were pink, indicating a complete lack of pigment. He was portly and had a bulbous nose.

"And who, pray tell, are you?" asked Jason.

"Like Cleo said," said the albino, in a raspy voice, "my name is Alphonse, and some folks call me… King of the Swamp!

"My card…"

He held up a Duel Monsters card…

It was King of the Swamp, all right.

"King of the Swamp?" replied Jason, sarcastically. "I'd say it's a safe bet that no one has ever challenged you for that title."

Alphonse frowned.

"I find it hard to believe that Sersei lost to someone like you…" continued Jason.

"Looks can be deceptive, Jason," said Alphonse, placing the card back in his robe. "You see a man in front of you who doesn't look like much of a threat… Short and slightly overweight… But in my line of work, assassins such as myself pride ourselves on being deceptive… Sersei also doubted my abilities until it was too late."

"Enough!" shouted Jason. "We came for Sersei…"

Alphonse raised a Seal of Orichalcos card. Imprinted on it was Sersei's picture, her face contorted in horror.

"Simply send Patrick over here, and she's yours…" said Alphonse with a grin, waving the card.

Trisha glared at Patrick.

"We're waiting…" said Alphonse.

"You lucked out, bro," she said. "But here's something to think about – if you ever show up at the school again, I'm going to tie you to a pole, and then Russell, Jason, and I are going to attack you with every Monster in our decks before we give you to Artemis. Is that clear?"

"Uh yeah…" he stammered. "C-clear… crystal clear!"

"Now BEAT IT!" she shouted, kicking him.

He stumbled towards the Three Swordsmen.

"Well," said Alphonse with a shrug, "a deal's a deal…"

He waved his hand over the card, and Sersei's image vanished…

Sersei slowly opened her eyes…

"Whu…" she said. "Guh… Galuh…"

"Sersei?" said Russell.

"Muh… Bahguh…" she said.

"Heh, heh," said Alphonse. "The prison of the Orichalcos is a very traumatic experience. She likely won't be able to talk for a little while…"

"Take it easy…" said Russell, stroking her head.

"Oh, and she also probably shouldn't go swimming for at least an hour!" laughed Alphonse. "HA, HA, HA, HA!"

Jason walked up to the albino, his face twisted with rage…

"You know something, buddy?" he said. "I don't find you the least bit funny…"

"Really?" answered Alphonse. "Well, my ex-wife thinks I'm hilarious. Of course, the judge told her she isn't allowed to come within a hundred and fifty feet of me…"

"How'd you like to duel someone who can fight back?" dared Jason.

Jason, no! thought Sersei. He's good!

"Heh, heh, heh…" laughed Alphonse. "You're certainly very brave, kid…"

He looked him in the eye.

"You'll find me much more formidable than Fang or Patrick were," he said. "It was of utmost importance that we recover this guy. Do you think my boss would have sent one of his penny-ante duelists to take a hostage from the Obelisk Blue dorm? I'm the cream of the crop!"

"I can still beat you…" said Jason.

"You're serious, aren't you?" said Alphonse with a grin. "Ha! I'll fix you just like I did Sersei…"

And fortunately, thought the albino, since Sersei can't possibly talk to him for a good half-hour, there's no way she can warn him about what my strategy entails…

"We'll soon see about that…" cursed Jason.

He gave the thug a shove, and he stepped backwards.

"All right, fine," said Alphonse. "But remember, you asked for it…"

"Jason, please!" shouted Trisha. "He has that awful card!"

"I'm not gonna lose…" said Jason. "I don't know why I think that, but a little voice inside me is telling me…

"I'm not gonna lose…"

"Heh, heh…" said Alphonse. "You know you're going crazy when you start listening to little voices inside your head. When you do that, it's time to get on the water wagon."

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Jason and Alphonse stared at each other.

"This ought to be good…" said Sebastian.

"You think you could undo these handcuffs?" asked Patrick. "This isn't very comfortable…"

"Pat, you're in enough trouble," answered Sebastian. "So shaddup!"

"Guh… buh…" said Sersei, desperately trying to put a sentence together.

"Don't try to talk…" said Russell in a comforting voice.

Alphonse's wicked-looking Disk activated.

"Let's start," said Jason. "Disk away!"

His own Disk activated.

(Jason: 8,000)--------------------(Alphonse: 8,000)

They both drew their top five cards.

"Me first!" shouted Alphonse, drawing his first card.

Heh, heh, he thought, looking at his six cards. If only this fool knew that the Seal was now in my opening hand. Unfortunately, due to the… limitations on the Monster that makes up a key part of my strategy, I can't play it right now…

He placed a card on his Disk.

"I will play… Graceful Charity," he said, playing a card.

The angel appeared in front of him, and he drew three cards. Quickly, he discarded two of them.

"Next, I'll play this Monster in Defense Mode… Treeborn Frog."

A frog the size of a large dog with feathered wings and a halo appeared. It shielded itself in Defense. (100/100)

"Well, that's a pathetic excuse for a Monster…" said Russell.

"That will be enough for now…" said Alphonse.

Jason drew a card.

Only one Monster, he thought, looking at his hand. He only has 500 Attack Points, but that's higher than 100.

"I summon Peten the Dark Clown in Attack Mode," he stated.

He played the card, and Peten appeared, casually palming a dagger. (500/1,200)

"Don't let his smile or loud clothing fool you," he said. "He means business. Peten, turn that thing into frog's legs!"

Peten vanished into darkness…

…and then reappeared behind Treeborn Frog, driving his dagger into it! The amphibian shattered.

Peten vanished again and reappeared in front of Jason.

"Not bad…" said Alphonse, drawing a card.

He added it to his hand.

"I activate Treeborn Frog's special ability," he said. "Since I have no Spells, Traps, or other Treeborn Frogs on my side of the field, I can Special Summon it from the Graveyard. Defense Mode!"

In a burst of light, the Frog returned.

"Now I play a Spell Card…" he said, playing a card.

A card appeared, showing the image of rotting skeletons bursting out of the ground.

"Since my Frog was Special Summoned, I can now play Inferno Reckless Summon," he continued. "Now I can summon in Attack Mode all Monsters in my hand, deck, and Graveyard that have the same name as the one I just Special Summoned. And then, you can do the same with a Monster you have on the field."

Two more Treeborn Frogs appeared. (100/100 x3)

Jason looked at him strangely, and went for his deck.

"Fine," he said. "Here come two more Petens!"

Two more Dark Clowns appeared on Jason's side.

Be careful, Jason! thought Sersei. This is exactly how he defeated me!

I thought he was crazy letting me summon all three of my Harpies at once…

But his ultimate strategy wiped me out!

"Now I'll place one card facedown, and that will be all…" he said.

"My move!" said Jason, drawing a card.

There we go… he said.

"I summon Battle Ox in Attack Mode," he exclaimed.

He threw a card down, and the axe-wielding minotaur appeared. (1,700/1,000)

"I activate my Trap Card!" shouted Alphonse.

His Trap lifted.

"It's called 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 every Monster on the field," he explained, "and I see seven of them."

(J: 8,000) -------------------- (A: 10,100)

Jason grimaced.

"Petens… take out his Frogs!"

The Clowns leapt forward, and skewered the Treeborn Frogs.

"Battle Ox, attack…" he started.

"Not so fast, Jason!" shouted Alphonse. "I can even activate Treeborn Frog's effect on your turn."

Treeborn Frog appeared again, crouching in Defense Mode.

"So your Battle Ox will have to attack it instead attacking directly…" he said with a grin. "So long as I can activate his effect, your Monsters simply can't get to me!"

Nuts, thought Jason. There were plenty of Enraged Battle Oxes in the card store, Jason, but no, you had to go for that good, old-fashioned charm…

Battle Ox charged forward and cleaved the Frog in half.

(J: 8,000) -------------------- (A: 9,300)

"It's my turn…" said Alphonse, drawing.

"First I'll use Treeborn Frog's ability again…"

Treeborn Frog appeared again, once more in Defense Mode.

"Next, I'll play Premature Burial, to summon a Monster that I discarded with Graceful Charity – a little guy called a T.A.D.P.O.L.E."

He played the card. A Monster appeared that was, more or less, a tadpole. (0/0)

"And next I'll play… another copy of Inferno Reckless Summon."

He played the card, and two more T.A.D.P.O.L.E.s appeared.

"Well, I don't have any more Battle Oxes," said Jason. "But that was really smart… putting three Monsters with zero Attack Points in Attack Mode…"

If only you knew… thought Alphonse.

"By the way…" said Alphonse. "If you want to know what T.A.D.P.O.L.E. stands for, it's: This Aquatic Denizen Prepares Overwhelmingly Large Encounter."

Jason drew a card.

He smirked…

"First I'll place a Monster in Defense Mode…" he said.

He played a card, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"Battle Ox, take down one of the T.A.D.P.O.L.E.s!" he shouted.

Battle Ox sliced the larva in two.

"Petens, take out the others!"

The Clowns destroyed the Treeborn Frog and the other two T.A.D.P.O.L.E.s.

(J: 8,000) -------------------- (A: 5,800)

"So now what?" asked Jason.

Alphonse drew a card.

"I play my Pot of Greed," he exclaimed.

He played the card, and drew two more cards.

"I'm activating Treeborn Frog's ability again…" he said.

Treeborn Frog appeared again.

"Again?" said Trisha in disgust.

"Yes, but this will be the final time," said Alphonse, taking another card. "Because from this point on, activating its effect will be impossible. See, its effect cannot be used if a Spell or Trap Card is active on my side of the field…

"And I'm going to play one… I play…"

He threw a card into his Field Slot.

"…The Seal of Orichalcos!"

No… thought Sersei. Jason…

Darkness descended on the room, and the cursed pentagram appeared around them! Alphonse's eyes glowed, and the Seal appeared on his forehead.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…." he cackled. "You're through!"

Treeborn Frog's eyes glowed, and it rose to 600 Attack.

The sharks in the tank started swimming around excitedly, as if they were anxious to feast on whoever fell… The Orichalcos didn't reach into the tank, but it seemed to corrupt even them.

"Pay attention, Patrick," said Sebastian. "You'll see how this is supposed to be done."

"Time to get serious," said Alphonse in an evil voice. "I sacrifice Treeborn Frog, to summon something better… Des Frog!"

Treeborn Frog vanished. A much larger frog appeared, and its eyes glowed as the seal branded on its head. (1,900/0) –) (2,400/0)

"And that's not all," continued Alphonse. "When I summon a Des Frog via sacrifice, I can summon another one from my deck, for each T.A.D.P.O.L.E. I have in my Graveyard. Technically, I could summon four of them, if I were allowed to have four copies in my deck, but since I can't…"

Two more Des Frogs appeared, and they fell under the spell of the Seal as well.

"Scared?" asked Alphonse.

"No," said Jason, crossing his arms.

"Humph," said Alphonse. "Well, my Frogs are plenty strong enough to take out your Monsters, but with the Spell Card I'm holding, I don't need to…"

He played the card.

"It's called Des Croaking!" he laughed. "It can only be played when three Des Frogs are on my side of the field, and when that happens…"

The three Frogs let out a loud bellow! The three Dark Clowns and Battle Ox cringed, and then they and Jason's facedown Monster shattered!

"…I can wipe out every card on your side of the field! Scared now?"

"No," repeated Jason, calmly.

Alphonse gave him a funny look.

"Well, I'll bet you'll be scared after I play my next Spell Card," he said, fitting a card into his Disk.

"I Equip my central Des Frog with Chthonian Alliance. This Equip Spell Card increases the Attack Score of the Equipped Monster by 800 for every other Monster on the field who has the same name. Do the math…"

"Hold on…" said Russell. "Two other Des Frogs… 800 points for each… Plus 2,400…"

The Des Frog in the center rose to an Attack of 4,000!

Trisha quickly counted.

"He can deal 8,800 points of damage this round!" she screamed.

"And Jason is completely defenseless!" shouted Russell.

No… thought Sersei. This is my fault…

"Now, my Des Frogs…" said Alphonse, raising his arm.

Jason crossed his arms and glared at him.

Alphonse paused.

Okay, something is seriously wrong here… thought Alphonse. He doesn't have a single card on his side of the field, I have enough firepower to win this duel, the Seal of Orichalcos will consume the loser, and he doesn't seem the least bit worried…

What is going on?

"Well?" asked Jason. "Are you going to attack?

"Or are you going to end your turn?"

"I didn't say that!" shouted Alphonse, getting nervous.

"Des Frogs, attack him directly! Resounding ribbit!"

The three Frogs let out three waves of destructive sound, hitting Jason squarely…

He didn't even flinch.

(J: 8,000) -------------------- (A: 5,800)

"Heh, heh…" said Jason with a smirk.

"What in the name of…" said Russell.

"Surprised?" asked Jason.

"Actually, no," answered Alphonse. "I kind of suspected you had some sort of secret strategy. Care to tell me what the Hell it was?"

"Remember that facedown Defense Mode Monster that I had on the field?" he said. "The one that was destroyed by Des Croaking? Well, despite what you may have thought, I saw a Des Frog combo coming from a mile away, 'King of the Swamp'. So I put that little guy on the field to protect myself…"

An image of a small, furry creature with wings appeared behind him.

"Winged Kuriboh?" said Alphonse, startled.

"Right," said Jason. "On the round where this guy is destroyed…"

"You can no longer take damage from a battle…" muttered Alphonse.

"Someone's done his homework," said Jason, as the little Fairy vanished.

"Okay, heart, resume beating…" said Trisha.

"You ever hear Alphonse," continued Jason, "that sometimes small creatures can be the solution while fighting large ones? David and Goliath. Take Winged Kuriboh. He may be small, but his power can't be denied…

"Rumor had it that one of these creatures was Jaden Yuki's spirit guide…"

"Ha!" laughed Alphonse. "Personally, if I was a guy like him and that were true, I'd have traded it in for a stronger spirit guide!"

Jason glared at him.

"Well fine," said Alphonse. "You're hardly Jaden Yuki, and he may have defeated a deck like mine at one point, but you won't be so lucky… You survived one round. You won't be so lucky on the next round.

"I end my turn."

Jason drew a card.

"I play Mystical Space Typhoon!" he said, playing a card. "Say goodbye to your Chthonian Alliance!"

The whirlwind shot forward and shattered the Equip Card, and the Frog's Attack went back down to 2,400.

"Now, since there are no Monsters on my side of the field, I'll summon Cyber Dragon in Attack Mode!"

He played the card, and the huge, mechanical serpent burst out of the ground. (2,100/1,600)

"Now," said Jason, "I want to try an experiment…"

"An experiment?" replied Alphonse.

"Yes," said Jason. "I know that The Seal of Orichalcos can't be destroyed, but what if I were to get rid of it with a card that didn't destroy it?"

"Get rid of it with a card that didn't destroy it?" asked Alphonse. "What the blazes are you talking about?"

Jason showed him a card in his hand.

"Giant Trunade?" gasped Alphonse.

Everyone else in the room looked very surprised.

"I'm betting that you don't even know what would happen to the Seal if I played Giant Trunade!" said Jason, with a smile.

"Come to think of it, neither do I!" said Cassius.

"Looks like we're gonna find out!" said Sebastian, nervously.

"I play Giant Trunade!" shouted Jason.

The card appeared, and a furious wind whipped across the field…

It slowly died down.

"Aw… shoot… my monkey…" muttered Jason.

Unfortunately, the Spell Card had done nothing…

The Seal of Orichalcos was still in place.

"Heh, heh," said Cassius. "You learn something new every day!"

Jason looked at another card in his hand – D.D. Designator…

So much for that plan… he thought.

"I'll end with a facedown card…" he grumbled, playing a card.

A facedown card appeared.

Alphonse paused.

That facedown card worries me, he thought. It's likely some Monster-destroying Trap…

He looked at his hand.

No other Des Croakings in my hand... I have Monster Reborn, but if that card is Mirror Force, I can only use it to revive one Monster…

He drew a card.

Heh, heh… Yes… I can only use it to retrieve ONE Monster! Fortunately, with this little card, one Monster is all I need…

He played the card.

"I play Polymerization!" he shouted.

"Huh?" asked Jason. "What are you going to fuse?"

"Why, all three of my Des Frogs, of course," laughed Alphonse.

The three Frogs swirled together into a murky blur, and grew into a huge shape…

"Together they form the mighty D.3.S. Frog!" he shouted. "D… times three!"

A huge, hulking form appeared on the field. Jason had seen a lot of classic movies, and this creature seemed to be a cross between a twenty-foot-tall toad and Jabba the Hut.

(2,500/2,000)

"Heh, heh…" said Alphonse. "Not only does this guy gain a 500-point boost to his Attack from the Orichalcos, but he gains 500 more for Ieach/I Treeborn Frog in my Graveyard. And I've got three of them there!"

(4,500/2,000)

"That thing's as strong as Kaiba's Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!" gasped Russell, in shock.

"D.3.S. Frog…" commanded Alphonse. "Attack Cyber Dragon with colossal croak!"

D.3.S. Frog let loose a huge belch that shook the whole arena…

"I don't think so!" said Jason. "I activate my Trap… Attack Reflector Unit!"

His Trap Card lifted.

"This Trap lets me sacrifice my Cyber Dragon for an upgrade… Known as Cyber Barrier Dragon."

Cyber Dragon transformed into a bulkier serpent, with a large metal collar around its neck. (800/2,800)

"And so long as I keep it in Attack Mode, it can negate one attack per round, so your Frog's colossal croak won't be so colossal!"

Cyber Barrier Dragon's collar glowed, and a force field formed around it, blocking the attack.

"Clever…" said Alphonse. "You are persistent… But you'll still find it difficult to defeat my beast."

"Come on, Jason!" shouted Trisha. "Don't you have Smashing Ground in that deck of yours?"

Jason drew.

"If I did, don't you think I would have used it by now?" he said, annoyed.

He looked at the card he had just drawn.

Monster Reborn… he thought. A fat lot of good that does. Any Monster I could summon from either Graveyard would be no good against D.3.S. Frog… I'd best save it for later…

"I'll pass for this turn…" he said.

"Very well…" said Alphonse, drawing a card.

He looked at it.

"Well," he said, "your Cyber Barrier Dragon is quite a Monster… It can negate one attack, no matter how powerful… But can it do so twice in the same turn?"

He played a card.

"I think not… I summon Beelze Frog in Attack Mode."

A new frog Monster appeared. It was as big as Des Frog, but it had red and black skin, and small, batlike wings on its back. (1,200/800)

"Now let me explain how this guy works," said Alphonse. "In addition to the bonus from the Orichalcos, he gains 300 extra Attack Points for every T.A.D.P.O.L.E. in my Graveyard, and again, I have three. Considering that this is only a three-star Monster, that's pretty powerful, wouldn't you say?"

(2,600/800)

"Beelze Frog, attack Cyber Barrier Dragon with frog-fire!"

Beelze Frog shot a blast of flame from its mouth! The force field sprang up, and the attack was deflected.

"And now, my D.3.S. Frog will finish what he started…"

D.3.S. Frog let out his colossal croak, and the force field shattered. Cyber Barrier Dragon exploded! Jason shielded himself from the debris.

(J: 4,300) -------------------- (A: 5,800)

"Face it, Jason," said Alphonse, smugly, "while you've held out longer than most of my opponents, you're finished. Even if by some miracle you find a way to destroy D.3.S. Frog, he won't stay in the Graveyard for long... For all you know, I've got plenty of ways to use him again."

Does he mean Monster Reborn? thought Jason.

He paused.

I could get rid of that card with D.D. Designator…

No, it would be too risky! If that isn't what he's talking about, I'd lose a card from MY hand!

"Why not just give up?" continued Alphonse. "I'll be merciful and quick…"

"Never…" said Jason. "I'm not finished yet…"

But the truth is… he thought, as he reached for his Disk, …maybe I am. His strategy is too well thought out, and his cards are too powerful. I don't know what I'm gonna do, bearing a miracle…

"Why do they always want to do it the hard way…" mumbled Alphonse.

Jason's hand slowly reached for his deck…

His vision started to blur…

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It was like waking up in another place. Jason had been transported from the cursed arena, from the aquarium, and into…

"A swamp?" he said. "Where am I?"

"You're on sacred ground," said a gruff, deep voice.

He spun around.

Vorse Raider was in front of him!

"Vorse Raider?" he said in surprise. "Did you bring me here?"

"Indeed," said the Beast-Warrior. "The master thought I should be the one to summon you, seeing as we share a bond…"

"Bond?" asked Jason.

"Don't you remember?" asked Vorse Raider. "When you built your deck, I was the first Monster that went into it. I was with you from the beginning, and I hope to be there until the end."

"Yeah, well, I hate to say this," said Jason, "but the 'end', as you put it, is going to be in a few minutes… Even if I draw Brain Control, D.3.S. Frog will have only 2,500 Attack Points on my side, and that's less than Beelze Frog."

"True, your chances of winning this duel are slim," said Vorse Raider. "That is why the master told me to summon you."

"Who's this master?" asked Jason.

"It isn't my place to say," said Vorse Raider. "He will explain himself. Come…"

Jason followed the Beast-Warrior through the thick swamp, and after a short distance, they came to an elaborate shrine, completely free of the mud and vegetation of the odd swamplands.

Vorse Raider knelt.

"Lord Timaeus!" he announced. "I have brought him!"

As he bowed his head, an intimidating figure walked forward. It was a noble-looking knight in emerald-green armor, wearing a cape and a sword at his hip.

The knight looked over Jason carefully.

"Yes…" he said. "He is the one…"

"Me?" said Jason. "Who am I? Who are you?"

"I am Timaeus," said the knight. "Listen closely Jason, for there is much to be said, and time is limited.

"One hundred years ago, my two brothers and I bonded ourselves with three great duelists to combat the Orichalcos. We succeeded, and we thought that the evil had been banished forever.

"But as you no doubt know, that evil did not die. It has returned in a new shape.

"We must intervene once more. But this time, the Orichalcos is stronger. We must bond with new duelists, to help bring forth the only one who can truly destroy it…

"…the one known as the Dark Messiah."

"Dark Messiah?" asked Jason. "Where can we find him?"

Timaeus shook his head.

"We do not know," he said. "But once I and my brothers gain power again, the answer will come.

"Jason, if you will accept my power, you will become a potent weapon against the evil force. But I warn you… If you accept, there is no turning back…"

Jason paused.

"Do it," he said. "I accept…"

Timaeus drew his sword.

"Then kneel, duelist…" he said.

Jason knelt.

The knight held his sword high.

"From this point on," he said, "I grant you, Jason Conrad, the power of Timaeus!"

He struck Jason's shoulder with the blade, and energy coursed through him!

"Arise!"

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Jason drew a card…

He looked at it, and his eyes narrowed.

"This has got to be the longest move in creation!" complained Alphonse. "Just move so I can finish this and take your soul."

"I'm terribly sorry, Alphonse," said Jason, "but my soul already belongs to someone else, and he's much better than you…

"In fact, I'd like to introduce you to him…"

He took a card from his hand.

"I play Monster Reborn!" he exclaimed, playing a card. "And I'll use it to revive a Monster from your Graveyard!"

A Des Frog appeared in front of him. (1,900/0)

"HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!" laughed Alphonse. "Why the heck did your do that? It can't hurt my two Monsters!"

"We'll see about that," said Jason. "I play…"

He threw a card on his Disk.

"The Eye of Timaeus!"

The whole room started to shake. The sharks in the tank swum away in fear!

"What's happening?" asked Cleo.

"That's what I wanna know!" shouted Sebastian.

From out of nowhere, a huge, emerald-green dragon, as big as D.3.S. Frog, appeared, and spread its wings! It let out a great roar!

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In his penthouse apartment, Fortunado drew back in surprise.

"WHAT?" he shouted. "Hey! This isn't in the script!"

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"Timaeus!" shouted Jason, raising his hand. "Combine yourself with Des Frog to form the Amphibian Dragon!"

The huge Dragon and the Des Frog swirled together into a blur, and in a flash of light, a new Dragon appeared! It had smooth skin, membranous wings, and a toad-like face. Its feet were a cross between claws and flippers. (2,500/2,500)

"Ha, ha, ha," laughed Alphonse. "Quite dramatic for a failure! Your Monster only has 2,500 Attack Points! My Frogs will crush it!"

"They won't want to anymore!" answered Jason. "Amphibian Dragon is the God of Frogs, so all frogs obey him without question.

"And now he's telling D.3.S. Frog and Beelze Frog to reject the evil of the Orichalcos and the one who's using it!"

Both of Alphonse's Monsters vanished…

And then reappeared on Jason's side!

"WHAT?" screamed Alphonse.

"In game terms, Alphonse," said Jason. "This Monster has the power to take control of any and all Monsters that have the word 'Frog' in their names. Of course, I'm not using the Orichalcos and I have no Treeborn Frogs and T.A.D.P.O.L.E.s in my Graveyard…"

D.3.S. Frog fell to 2,500 Attack and Beelze Frog fell to 1,200.

"But this is more than enough! So now, Mr. King of the Swamp, you're about to be royally crowned, and not in a good way!

"This is for Sersei…

"D.3.S. Frog, attack with colossal croak!"

Alphonse screamed as the huge toad let loose a huge bellow, and he was thrown against the wall of the Seal.

"Beelze Frog, attack with frog fire!"

Beelze Frog blasted its fiery breath at Alphonse, and he screamed again…

"And now, Amphibian Dragon, attack with mire shockwave!"

Amphibian Dragon opened its jaws and shot a blast of energy rings at the King of the Swamp!

He groaned, and fell to his knees.

(J: 4,300) -------------------- (A: 0)

"Boo-ya…" muttered Jason.

The Seal of Orichalcos started to glow, and then started to shrink… Alphonse let out an unholy scream...

"What do we do now?" asked Patrick in fear.

"What a silly question," said Cassius. "We run in panic!"

As Alphonse collapsed, the Swordsmen and the liberated prisoner fled the way they came.

Amphibian Dragon and the two frog-Monsters vanished.

Trisha, Russell, and Sersei were speechless, and more than a little afraid. Jason looked at the strange card on his Disk.

"Thank you, Timaeus," he said. "I promise to do you proud…"

"Jason…" said Trisha. "That was amazing… When did you put that… card in your deck?"

"Well, it's a… kind of a long story, Trisha…" he said.

And yet, it's incomplete, he thought, looking at The Eye of Timaeus.

That knight mentioned his two brothers… logic states that they'll show up eventually.

And now I have to find the Dark Messiah, whoever he is… But I have no idea where to start looking.

He could be anywhere…

He could be anyone…

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So… thought Fortunado, reclining on a chair.

Alphonse has been defeated, and Timaeus has emerged…

Well, at least one mystery has been revealed… The Seal is even stronger than was previously believed…

When Wheeler faced Mai in an Orichalcos duel, he believed that he could foil her plans by playing his Fiber Jar, forcing them both to restart the whole duel…

Could a Fiber Jar have defeated the Seal? He never found out, because Mai countered its effect with her Trap Card.

Now it seems clear that even if she hadn't used her Harpie's Feather Storm, it would have failed. The Seal cannot be removed from the field until the duel ends…

And as for Timaeus…

Perhaps I can benefit from this…

Tuesday, September 14th, 2106, 1:07 AM

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THE EYE OF TIMAEUS (Special Card)

Card Specs

Type: Special
Attribute: -
Level: -
ATK: -
DEF: -

Image: A powerful dragon with emerald-green scales.

Card Description: This card can fuse with any Monster Card to form a new Monster of incredible power.

Note: "The Eye of Timaeus" first appeared in the anime episode "Legend of the Dragons". It was one of the main focuses of the "Waking the Dragons".

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AMPHIBIAN DRAGON (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Dragon/Effect
Attribute: Water
Level: 7
ATK: 2,500
DEF: 2,500

Card Description: This divine being is the God of Frogs. All amphibians obey him without question. This Monster is descended by activating "The Eye of Timaeus" and offering one "Des Frog" as a Tribute. When this Monster is summoned, you can take control of any or all opposing Monsters that have the word "Frog" in their names.

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Alphonse's Swamp Deck

Alphonse is a guy who likes to end things quickly with a minimum of fuss. The fact that he also was well acquainted to swamplands helped with his strategy.

As a minion of Orichalcos, Alphonse's strategy is a lethal one that consists mostly of frog Monsters, based on an animal commonly seen in the swamp. Using Des Frogs in combination with the Seal and Des Croaking, he often manages to achieve an OTK after a few rounds. His habit of summoning all his Treeborn Frogs and T.A.D.P.O.L.E.s using Inferno Reckless Summon often costs him some Life Points, but so long as he wins in the end, he doesn't care. Besides, Treeborn Frog's effect makes for an unbeatable shield from direct attacks (if used right) and due to the limitation on Treeborn Frog's effect, he can't actually use the Seal until he's ready to bring out the Des Frogs. If he's lucky enough to have his copy of Chthonian Alliance when he prepares to attack, an OTK is almost a guarantee.

His D.3.S. Frog and Beelze Frogs don't see much use. He only uses them if his Des Croaking combo fails. If an opponent chains Waboku to Des Croaking, D.3.S. Frog might be necessary, and if someone destroys one of his Des Frogs with Bottomless Trap Hole, Beelze Frog becomes an essential. Even better, because the strength of both these Monsters depend on the Monsters in HIS Graveyard, his opponent can't gain an advantage by brainwashing them.

If Alphonse recovers from his current situation, his strategy likely won't change. After all, as of right now, Jason is the only one capable of summoning Amphibian Dragon.

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You all were probably expecting that someone with Jason's tastes would have been chosen by Critias rather than Timaeus. Well, Timaeus had his reasons, and I can't reveal them right now.

But while Timaeus has been released, but much more remains to be done.

I the meantime, next chapter, a new student appears, and I guarantee, you have never seen a duelist quite like this one! Russell duels again when an innocent soul is on the line from a threat other than the Orichalcos! Don't miss "Physical Double", coming soon.