It's day three of the tournament, and a lot has happened. For one, we've learned that, possibly, a thousand-year-old wicked sorceress wants to kill us.
But we seem to avoided at least two of her attempts to strike at us (maybe more) and this has apparently attracted some attention. Someone has given us a permit to go to a special place in Arcadia that only the hoi polloi get to go to.
It seems like a good opportunity to duel and earn Crystal Cards, which is what we need to do… Still… I'm not sure if I can trust Meyers…
I mean, I love lobster ravioli, but if someone I barely knew offered me such an expensive dinner for free, would it be wise to take it?
00000
0000000000
DUEL ELEVEN
0000000000
Blind Spot Strike
0000000000
00000
At six AM the next morning, Crump crawled out of bed, his head pounding from a bad hangover.
One of these days, I'm going to get on the wagon and stay on it… he thought.
Then his cellphone rang. He groaned as he clutched his forehead.
Then he answered the phone.
"Hello?" he said weakly.
"Crump?" said the Shadow Queen's voice. "I have an assignment for you that's going to make you very happy…"
"I kind of doubt it…" groaned Crump.
"What?" she asked, sternly.
"Nothing…" he muttered.
"Look," she said. "Shower, get something into your stomach, and then get to the blimp port in the Boggly Woods by ten. You're going to Glitzville."
Crump's headache vanished.
"Glitzville!" he exclaimed. "Gee… You haven't let me go there since…"
"Since the incident with the popcorn machine, I know," said the Queen, with an annoyed tone in her voice. "And unless you want this to be your last trip, you're staying off the sauce this time, is that clear?"
"C-clear!" said Crump. "Crystal clear!"
"And don't get too excited," she said. "This trip is strictly for business. You're going there to watch those three kids again, same as before.
"Show your ID to the conductor and he'll let you on. Try to be presentable, okay? I'll give you further instructions once you're there. Do a decent job of it this time!
"Ten AM!"
She hung up.
0000000000
For a place that didn't allow fire, the inn at the Great Tree was a pretty warm place to sleep.
Andy slowly woke up as the morning sun started to peek through the window of the room he was sharing with Stan. As he did, he heard Stan groaning from the bed on the other side of the room.
Andy slowly looked. His vision was still blurry with sleep dust, but he saw Dreamsprite sitting by the side of Stan's bed, slowly massaging his temples…
Andy quickly sat up and rubbed his eyes. The Duel Spirit noticed she had been seen, and leapt out the window before Andy could see her clearly.
What the… thought Andy.
"Andy?" groaned Stan, as he slowly woke up. "I had the worst nightmare… I dreamed that the Harpie Lady Sisters were dominatrices, and I was their client…"
"I think someone may be playing games with us…" said Andy. "I think…"
Then he noticed that there was a note slipped under the door.
Andy got up, and picked it up. He read.
Good morning,
Once you've showered, come to the café on this floor. Someone wants to speak to the three of you, and I think it's good news.
- Ivan
"I hope it's good news…" said Stan. "First dibs on the shower…"
0000000000
They all doubted whether or not the news was truly good. Nonetheless, once they showered and met up with Francesca, they walked down to the café in question.
Ivan and Petuni were sitting at the main table, where a plate full of donuts and other breakfast pastries, along with a jug of orange juice was set up. And there was someone else there who they didn't expect to see.
"Sydney Meyers?" exclaimed Francesca, as they sat down.
"Hello, kids," said Sydney, in a voice that was both cheery and nervous at the same time. "Ivan here told me about the unfortunate incident that happened yesterday…"
"Unfortunate incident?" said Stan. "Try hostage crisis…"
"Yes…" muttered Sydney. "We can't thank you enough for helping get rid of that thug. Clearly the Shadow Queen is causing trouble, and we will get to the bottom of it…"
"So you're admitting that she is real?" asked Francesca.
"Unfortunately, yes," replied Sydney, "but we will stop these unprovoked attacks, I assure you.
"Anyway, to make up for what happened… Those envelops in front of you should suffice. You may have heard of a place in Arcadia that you need permission from the Parliament to go to?
"Well, I'm a member of the Parliament… There's your permission!"
They opened the envelopes and looked at them.
"Glitzville, huh?" said Andy. "Where is that exactly? We've heard it mentioned once or twice, but we can't find it on the map…"
"Well, to get to Glitzville today…" said Meyers. "I think you would have to go about five miles north of here, and then two miles up."
They looked at her with expressions that suggested that they thought she was crazy.
"No joke, kids!" she said. "Glitzville is a city that floats two miles above the ground! I'm afraid I can't tell you how they did it… Let's just say it's one of the many secrets we've been keeping from the world for so long."
"No wonder you guys don't let reporters come here…" said Stan.
"They ask too many questions," said Sydney. "The map does tell you where to catch the dirigible that will take you there. Those passes will ensure that they let you on…
"I'd love to stay and chat some more but… I've got a busy job, you know!"
She smiled sweetly, and got up. The three teenagers watched her as she walked out the door.
"You think she's working for the Shadow Queen?" whispered Andy to his two friends.
"Well, her story doesn't sound as fake as that wig she's wearing," said Francesca, "but I still don't know who to trust…"
She looked at the pass.
"Glitzville… Well… It's not every day that you get invited to a city in the sky…"
She looked at the map again.
"And if we don't do that, our alternative is a ten mile hike to… Twilight Town…"
They looked at each other.
"Glitzville," they all said at once.
0000000000
After bidding goodbye to Ivan and Petuni (and a lot of others who had come to see them off) the three of them packed up their Duel Disks and belongings, and walked off in the direction that Ivan was glad to point them in. After about a half-hour, the trees of the Boggly Woods started to thin.
Eventually, a sign on the side of the road said "Blimp Port Ahead", and they continued in that direction.
They quickly saw their goal: A large zeppelin, next to a small building, with a line of people already starting to form in front of it.
"Wow…" said Andy. "And I thought that Goodyear owned a monopoly on those things these days."
"Look at that line…" said Stan, as they walked up to it. "Seems the Parliament is already making good use of their executive authority…"
They got into line behind someone who took notice of them. They didn't know who he was, but he certainly recognized them.
Act natural, Crump, act natural… he thought.
He reached into his pocket, where he kept his cigarettes.
As he reached into the other one for a lighter, he was startled by Francesca's voice.
"Hey, buddy," she said.
"ACK!" he shouted. "DON'T!"
"Uh, you dropped this…" she said.
She handed him his wallet, which he had indeed dropped.
"Oh…" he said. "I knew that…"
He laughed nervously as he took it.
"Uh…" he said. "Think I'll go use the rest room…"
He rushed towards the small building.
"You sure you want to do that?" called Francesca after him. "You'll lose your place in line!"
"That's okay!" shouted Crump. "I like waiting in line!"
"Weird…" said Andy, as they watched him.
"Speaking of weird…" said Stan.
He casually glanced over his shoulder at the girl who had gotten into line behind them. She had a Duel Disk, so she was clearly a contestant, but her fashion sense was rather creepy.
She wore a low-cut, black leotard, along with matching gloves and boots. A long black cape with a hood completed the dark ensemble. Her eyes were blue, and not attractive-blue like Paul Newman's were… They were more like icy-cold-blue.
They looked at her for a minute. She frowned when she realized that they were looking at her.
"Take a picture," she said, a little annoyed. "It will last longer."
They quickly turned around.
Crump was watching from a distance. He nervously lit a cigarette. Then he coughed.
Think I'll wait for the boarding call… he thought.
0000000000
The Hindenburg disaster of 1937 had made passenger zeppelins taboo, and blimps were uncommon nowadays. They were relatively safe now… The balloons in modern blimps were filled with helium instead of volatile hydrogen, which was what caused the accident. Still, the superior speed and even greater safety of airplanes had made them rather obsolete, and there was no need for them to make a comeback.
Still, it was more comfortable inside this craft than any passenger airplane. The seats in the cabin were soft couches next to huge windows.
As Stan, Andy, and Francesca took their seats, they noticed the odd girl sitting across the aisle, by herself. They knew it was impolite to stare, but she was creeping them out.
"Attention passengers," said a voice over the loudspeaker. "We will be departing shortly. We will arrive in Glitzville after a half-hour flight. Enjoy your time there…"
The craft's engines hummed to life, and the large blimp slowly began to take off…
0000000000
The Shadow Queen watched as it did.
She dialed her cellphone.
"Crump?" she said into it. "Is everything going smoothly?"
"Yes, sire," replied Crump's voice. "I'm on the blimp."
"Good," said the Queen. "Now listen… There's a very good chance that one of them will be dueling shortly after arriving… You know what to do."
"Of course," said Crump. "And then maybe I can…"
"Forget it, Crump!" she snapped. "I saw you panic when they talked to you. For all your talk, you're nothing more than a coward. And if there's one thing I don't need, it's a duelist who'll run away screaming in the middle of a duel!"
"Hey!" shouted Crump. "I may have gotten a little nervous, but…"
"Shut it!" she shouted. "And hay is for horses."
She hung up. She let out an annoyed sigh.
Then she closed her eyes and concentrated.
"Lotus?" she said, using her mind's voice. "Can you hear me?"
There was a short pause, and then a response came.
"Yes, your majesty, I'm here," came the reply. "My early efforts have met with success… I've already increased my number of Crystal Cards to four."
"Not bad," replied the Queen. "But your true target is on her way… Remember the plan…
"Succeed, and you'll be richly rewarded.
"I'm sure you know the price for failure…"
0000000000
Slowly, the blimp approached its destination. The three teenagers could see Glitzville out of the window.
They didn't know whether to feel amazed or disgusted.
It looked like a city on a cloud, all right, but it was no Sanctuary in the Sky. The bright, gaudy, moving neon, which stood out even in the daytime, clearly indicated this as the red light district of Arcadia.
"A city of sin…" said Stan, "but suspended in the heavens… A place of contradictions if there ever was one…"
0000000000
The nerve of that witch! thought Crump, as the passengers on the blimp disembarked. I'm no coward!
Sure, maybe I ran and hid in the closet when Melissa summoned that Ritual Monster last month… What was it called? Reshef the Dark Being?
Why on earth is it called a "Dark Being" anyway if it's Light? Who's in charge of naming these dumb cards?
As he pondered this, the three teenagers he was supposed to be watching were walking through a large, rainbow-colored arch in front of him, flanked by two statues that looked like ball and chains that had faces with sharp teeth and googly eyes. (Fans of the Mario games knew that these things were called "Chain Chomps".)
"It's like a miniature Las Vegas…" said Andy.
"You can say that again…" said Stan. "With all the trimmings…"
A woman who wasn't very decently dressed was looking at him seductively. He did his best to ignore her.
"This place is loud in more ways than one," said Francesca.
"Hey there, contestants!" said a cheery voice.
The voice had come from a vendor at a hot dog cart.
"Care to try Glitzville's specialty?" he said, as he forked a hot dog into a bun. "I'll wager you won't find a better one this side of Frankfurt!"
"I'll take that bet!" said Francesca, with a sly smile. "I've been to Coney Island!
"Give me the works… Sauerkraut, mustard, the whole nine yards…"
As the vendor spread the toppings on the hot dog, two sparkling blue female eyes looked at Francesca from the shadows…
Francesca had to admit when she tasted the hot dog, it was outstanding…
"Guys, you gotta try these…" she said.
And then she let out a scream of pain. Something sharp had hit her in the left buttock.
"ALL RIGHT!" she shouted. "Who's the dead man?"
"Uh… Fran?" said Andy, with a look of incredible worry. "Stand… still…"
He reached down.
"Ow!" cursed Francesca, as Andy pulled the projectile out of her behind.
Andy held it up. It was a dart.
"Fran, this is serious…" he said. "Nine times out ten, when someone hits someone with a dart, he poisons it first!"
"Buddy," said Stan to the vendor, "is there a doctor around here?"
"Oh, there is…" said a voice. "But I doubt he can help your friend at this point…"
They spun around, and saw that it was a young girl – they assumed – dressed in full Ninja attire, complete with a mask.
"I'm gonna…" said Francesca.
"I recommend you keep your distance," said the Kunoichi. "That dart was indeed poisoned, with a toxin derived from the blue lotus flower. It's flowing through your veins at this moment, and will kill you in two hours."
"You…" said Francesca, with a look of fear in her eyes.
"Such plants are only found in the wilds of the Indian subcontinent, and humans cannot cultivate them," said the girl. "No doctor around here has the antidote… But…"
She reached a pouch on her belt and took out a small vial.
"I have it right here…"
"Give it to her, you…" said Andy, ready to pounce on the Ninja girl.
"Come one step close to me and I'll smash it on the ground!" said the girl, holding her other hand up.
Andy took a step back, and she put it back in her pouch.
"Who are you?" asked Francesca.
"I won't reveal my identity," she replied, "at least not yet, but for purposes of identification… I am Lotus…
"I am a contestant in the tournament just as you are…
"But I like more dangerous wagers than most… Care to duel, Francesca? In this duel, we each wager a Crystal Card… And our lives…"
Francesca looked at her.
"If I win, you'll give me the antidote?" she asked.
Lotus nodded.
"And I am at your mercy," she said. "But if I win, I let the poison take its course.
"We should have time for a duel… The poison will cause you no ill-effects until mere minutes before it kills you…"
Francesca sighed.
"I guess I have no choice…" she said.
As she activated her Disk, she didn't realize that the cloaked girl was watching with a sly smirk.
And to think I thought this was going to be a dull trip, she thought.
(Francesca: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Lotus: 8,000)
Okay, breathe, Francesca, breathe… thought Fran. Don't panic here…
That was very hard to do, however, seeing as Lotus's cold stare directed at her was one that could likely curdle milk.
She made her opening hand, and looked at the six cards: Moja, Sangan, Star Blast, Monoceros, Call of the Haunted, and Lock Cat.
No Tuner… she thought. But a way to get one…
She set Sangan on her Disk, and it appeared set in front of her.
"Done…" she said, quickly.
"My move…" said Lotus, drawing a card.
"Because you control a Monster and I control none," she said, I can Special Summon Earth Armor Ninja…"
The ground split, and a Ninja dressed in a dun-colored gi and mask with a katana strapped to his back leapt out of the ground, forming a fighting stance. (1,600 ATK)
"Next, the Spell Card, Armor Ninjitsu Art of Teleportation," she said, as a Spell Card appeared in front of her. "I can now Special Summon another Ninja from my hand with an Attack Score lower than the one on the field.
"Thus, I Special Summon Aqua Armor Ninja in Defense Mode."
There was a spout of water, and another Ninja appeared, dressed in blue. He knelt, as if ready to pounce. (1,600 DEF)
Ninjas… thought Francesca. Figures…
"Of course, because I used that Spell Card, neither Earth Armor Ninja nor Aqua Armor Ninja may attack this turn…" continued Lotus.
She played another card, and a third Ninja, this one shrouded in fire and wearing red, appeared. (1,700 ATK)
"But Flame Armor Ninja can! Destroy her Monster! Blazing Shinobi!"
Flame Armor Ninja dashed across the field, leaving a trail of flames in his wake. Sangan appeared on the card, and was cut down.
Francesca sighed, and took a card from her deck.
"I set one card face-down…" said Lotus, as she fit a card into her Disk.
A set card appeared in her Spell Zone.
"…and it is your move…"
"All right!" shouted Francesca. "I draw…"
She drew a card.
Nice… she thought.
"I'm removing this Spell Card from play," she said, as she held up Card from a Different Dimension. "By doing so, I can Special Summon Monoceros."
In a shower of golden motes, the strange hybrid steed appeared. (1,000 ATK)
"Next, the Tuner Monster, Elephun!"
The small, cute baby elephant appeared, and gave a little trumpet. (500 ATK)
No time for theatrics, she thought, as both Monsters turned into a cluster of shimmering stars. Have to end this thing fast…
(*2 + *3 = *5)
With a loud neigh, Thunder Unicorn leapt onto the field. (2,200 ATK)
She looked at Lotus strangely, and then looked confused. She neighed again, as if she was unsure…
"Due to Monoceros' effect," continued Francesca, "Elephun is now summoned back to the field in Defense Mode…"
The small pachyderm appeared again. (300 DEF)
"Next, I use Thunder Unicorn's effect," she continued, "and lower the Attack Score of one of your Monsters by 500 points…"
Flame Armor Ninja clutched his chest as sparks danced over his shoulders. (1,200 ATK)
"And now… Attack!"
Thunder Unicorn hesitated for a second, but she obeyed, and charged at Flame Armor Ninja, impaling him with her horn and blowing him into pixels.
"You've drawn first blood…" said Lotus. "But what really counts is who draws it last…"
"Yeah, uh-huh…" said Francesca, as she fit a card into her Disk.
A set card appeared in her Spell Zone.
"I end my turn…"
(F: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 7,000)
Lotus made a draw and looked at it.
"I summon Air Armor Ninja," she said.
A small cyclone appeared in front of her, and yet another Ninja, this one in green, appeared in front of her. (1,400 ATK)
"Seems she's got one for every Attribute…" said Andy.
"Indeed," said Lotus. "And that's a good thing… You'll see why once I play this Spell Card…"
She played the last card in her hand.
"Armor Ninja Art of Revival," she said, "which Special Summons my fallen Ninja from the Graveyard."
A series of glowing Kanji symbols appeared in front of her, and the fiery Flame Armor Ninja appeared again. (1,700 ATK)
"Now, I activate my Trap…" she said.
Her facedown card lifted up.
Stan gasped.
"Fuh-Rin-Ka-Zan?" he shouted.
"Yes…" said Lotus. "I have an Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water Monster under my control, so this Trap now gives me four options…
"I could destroy all your Monsters… But…
"I think I'll let you sweat a little longer, and choose the option that lets me draw two cards…"
She made two draws.
Francesca laughed nervously.
"Don't be so smug," said Lotus, as she narrowed her eyes. "This in no way protects you from an attack this turn… Especially considering what I just drew.
"By using Aqua Armor Ninja and Air Armor Ninja…"
The two Ninja turned into a spiraling vortex of energy.
"…I build the Overlay Network!"
As the two Ninja vanished, there was a loud cry, and another Ninja, this one dressed all in black, holding paired katana blades, leapt over the heads of the other two Ninja. (2,200 ATK)
"Oh no, that's Blade Armor Ninja!" shouted Stan.
"Don't tell me you have one?" asked Andy.
"No, but I saw it in a magazine…" said Stan. "It's really bad news!"
"All right, Francesca…" said Lotus, as she played one of the cards she had drawn. "I play the Riryoku Spell Card! This insidious Spell steals half of the Attack Points from one of your Monsters, and gives it to one of mine.
"Thus, I'll take half of Thunder Unicorn's Attack Points, and give them to Blade Armor Ninja!"
Thunder Unicorn moaned as her Score fell to 1,100, while Blade Armor Ninja's eyes glowed with green light and his rose to 3,300.
"Now, I use Blade Armor Ninja's effect," she continued, "and remove one Overlay Unit to give one of my Ninja the ability to attack twice this turn. That boon will go to Blade Armor Ninja himself.
"But before he does… Earth Armor Ninja, attack Elephun!"
The brown Ninja drew his katana, and made a quick slash, cutting the small Tuner in half.
"Next, Flame Armor Ninja will smite your Thunder Unicorn…" said Lotus.
The flaming Ninja rushed at Thunder Unicorn, and Francesca groaned a little as she was cut down.
"Blade Armor Ninja, attack directly!" shouted Lotus. "Move like thunder, strike like lightning!"
The Xyz made a rush at Francesca with his swords ready to strike…
"Activate Call of the Haunted!" shouted Francesca, as her facedown card lifted up.
Forgive me… she thought, as Thunder Unicorn appeared again. (2,200 ATK)
Blade Armor Ninja gave a look of annoyance and made a swift cut with his blade, blasting the Beast into pixels.
"And now for his second attack…" said Lotus.
Francesca screamed as the two sharp blades of cold steel cut across her chest. She fell over.
(F: 3,600) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 7,000)
"It's your move…" said Lotus.
"Everything is going according to plan, my Queen…" she said mentally.
"Excellent," replied the Shadow Queen's voice. "Don't forget to remove your mask once it's over…
"I want her to know exactly who defeated her…"
Francesca slowly got up. She held her chest.
She made a draw.
"All right, Kitana," she said. "Because I removed Card from a Different Dimension from play last turn, I get it back this turn, and we both make two draws."
She took the card from her pocket, and drew two cards as Lotus drew two.
Francesca looked at one of the two cards in shock.
"Good card?" asked Lotus.
Francesca smirked.
"You tell me!" she said.
She played a Spell Card, and it appeared in front of her.
"With Star Blast, I can pay 500 Life Points to downgrade the Level of this Monster from 5 to 4. That means I can summon her with no sacrifice…
"So let's have a standing ovation… For Madame Flurrie of the Fog!"
A cloud of purplish-pink smoke appeared in front of Francesca…
And then the cloud took shape, turning semi-humanoid and feminine. It still looked like a cloud, but had the shape of a well-endowed and rotund opera diva. She had dimples and a winning smile, with a great deal of lipstick on her lips. Her hair was full and neatly styled, and she wore a pearl necklace. She had no legs, the lower part of her body trailing off into wispy vapor. (1,800 ATK)
Stan, Andy, and Francesca felt the same feeling now that they did when Stan had summoned Goombella… The feeling of friendship coming from this creature, as if she was someone that they had known a long time ago that they had missed dearly…
"That doesn't seem very formidable…" said Lotus.
"Oh, there's more to Flurrie than you may think…" said Francesca.
She took two cards from her hand, Card from a Different Dimension and Lock Cat, and discarded both of them.
"…like a good set of lungs, for instance! Show her, Flurrie! Blow those Ninja away with your merciless Gale Force!"
Flurrie took a deep breath, and then blew, and her breath became a virtual hurricane. Flame Armor Ninja, Earth Armor Ninja, and Blade Armor Ninja all struggled against the terrible onslaught of wind, but were blown backwards, sent tumbling across the street, and finally smashed to pieces.
"All right!" shouted Andy. "Hot dogs are on me!"
"What happened?" demanded Lotus.
"By tossing two cards, I can use Flurrie's effect, and destroy all of your Monsters," said Francesca. "Of course, I can only do that once per duel, and I have to skip my Battle Phase this turn.
"But now that I have, this is a whole different duel! It's your move!"
"So you say…" said Lotus, with a hint of anger in her voice. "I draw one card…"
She made a draw.
She set a card in her Disk, and a set Monster appeared.
"Move…" she said.
"Oh, I'll move…" said Francesca.
She drew a card.
"I summon Sunlight Unicorn!" she shouted.
She played the card, and in an aura of light, the noble steed appeared. (1,800 ATK)
"Now, I use her effect…" she said.
She flipped the top card off of her deck.
"Read it and weep," she said, as she held it forward. "Megamorph!
"And by Equipping it to Flurrie with my Life Points lower than yours, her Attack Points are doubled."
Flurrie grunted and flexed her muscles… (3,600 ATK)
"Sunlight Unicorn, attack the set Monster!"
Sunlight Unicorn charged, and the Armed Ninja appeared on the set card. It was blown to pieces.
"Flip Effect activate!" shouted Lotus. "I now get to destroy one of your Spell Cards."
Megamorph shattered, and Flurrie fell to her base Attack Score of 1,800.
"That still won't protect you from Flurrie's direct attack," said Lotus.
Flurrie exhaled a powerful wind again, this time at Lotus…
"No, but Aqua Armor Ninja will," replied Lotus. "By removing him from play, your Monster's direct attack is blocked."
The blue Ninja appeared in front of Lotus, and Flurrie's blast hit him instead, blowing him to shards.
"I set one card facedown," said Francesca, as a set card appeared in her Spell Zone, "and I end my turn."
Lotus made a draw.
She looked at Francesca angrily.
Then she set a card, and a hidden Monster appeared in front of her.
"Make your move…" she growled.
Francesca drew a card. She looked at it.
"I use Sunlight Unicorn's effect again…" she said.
She looked at the top card on her deck. It was Uni-Horned Familiar.
"Well, this isn't an Equip Spell…" she said.
She placed the card on the bottom of her deck.
"…but fortunately, I drew one this turn… Synchro Boost!"
She played the card, and Flurrie glowed with soft light.
"It increases Flurrie's Level by 1 and her Attack Score by 500."
(2,300 ATK)
"And now, Sunlight Unicorn… Let's try this again…"
Sunlight Unicorn charged, and this time, Lady Ninja Yae appeared on the card. The Unicorn's horn struck, and the Ninja shattered.
Then Francesca's facedown card lifted up.
"Go, Beast Soul Swap!" she shouted. "I'll send Sunlight Unicorn back to my hand…"
The Unicorn vanished.
"…and then summon this charming fellow!"
Beast Striker appeared, hefting its large hammer. It looked at Lotus, and snorted. (1,850 ATK)
"Attack her directly!" ordered Francesca.
Beast Striker lunged at Lotus, and the Kunoichi grunted as the hammer hit her.
"Wait!" shouted Francesca. "Flurrie is feeling left out…"
Flurrie blew her powerful wind again.
"Ah, ah, AH!" screamed Lotus.
She fell over on her rump.
(F: 3,600) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 2,850)
"Your move…" said Francesca.
Lotus drew a card.
All right… she thought. I was hoping it wouldn't have to come to this… But…
"I summon Ninja Grandmaster Hanzo," she said.
She played the card, and a new Ninja, this one dressed all in black, with red Kanji symbols on his kneepads, shin-guards, chest, shoulder-pads, and mask, appeared, holding a long katana. (1,800 ATK)
"Simply by Normal Summoning him," continued Lotus, "I'm allowed to take any Trap Card I desire with the words 'Ninjitsu Art' in its name from my deck."
She took her deck from the Disk's deck holder, and quickly took a card from it. She reshuffled, and replaced the deck.
"I believe I will set that card, along with one other…"
She fit the cards into her Disk, and they flashed into view behind Hanzo.
"And I end my turn…"
"O…kay…" said Francesca, as she slowly drew a card.
"I summon Sunlight Unicorn again…" she said.
Once again, the magical steed appeared. (1,800 ATK)
"Next, I use her effect again…"
She picked up the top card from her deck. She almost gave a cry of delight when she saw what it was.
She played it immediately.
"I play United We Stand!" she shouted. "And I Equip it to Flurrie!"
Flurrie glowed with fiery energy.
"This makes her even stronger, giving her 800 more Attack Points times the number of Monsters I have!"
(4,700 ATK)
"I'm afraid I have to cut this short…" said Lotus.
One of her face-down cards lifted up.
"I activate… Ninjitsu Art of Super-Transformation!"
As the Trap activated, both Ninja Grandmaster Hanzo and Flurrie dissolved into particles of light.
"FLURRIE!" cried Francesca in horror.
"By sending my Ninja and one of your Monsters to the Graveyard," said Lotus, "I'm allowed to Special Summon a Dinosaur, Sea Serpent, or Dragon from my deck, so long as its Level doesn't exceed the combined Levels of those two Monsters…
"That means I can summon the most powerful Ninja in my deck…"
"Wait just a second…" said Stan. "You said 'Dinosaur, Sea Serpent, or Dragon'… Exactly what Ninja belongs in any of those groups?"
Lightning flashed…
"I think we're about to find out…" said Andy, as a look of fear crossed his face.
A huge oriental-style dragon made of pure light appeared behind Lotus…
Then it shrank, transforming into a mysterious-looking young woman with short hair in a white martial arts outfit. Her eyes glowed with mystical energy.
"Meet White Dragon Ninja…" said Lotus.
(2,700 ATK)
"She doesn't look so tough…" said Francesca, with her voice full of bile (losing Flurrie had hit her like a knife in the chest). "If that Trap Card is anything like the regular Ninjitsu Art of Transformation, all I have to do to get rid of her is get rid of the Trap Card."
"True, but that is much, much easier said than done," replied Lotus, "given White Dragon Ninja's own effect. So long as she's on the field, my Spell and Trap Cards can't be destroyed."
"No way…" said Andy.
"And to seal your fate…" said Lotus.
Her other facedown card lifted up.
"I activate Safe Zone, and Equip it to White Dragon Ninja. At the cost of making her unable to attack directly, this makes her nearly immortal."
"This is bad…" said Stan. "Playing Safe Zone is usually risky at best, because if it's destroyed, so is the Monster that it's Equipped to. But if White Dragon Ninja protects Lotus's Trap Cards from being destroyed… It may indeed make her immortal!"
"I… I move Beast Striker to Defense Mode, and I end my turn…" said Francesca.
Beast Striker knelt and held its hammer in its lap. (400 DEF)
"I draw one card…" said Lotus, as she drew a card.
"And I activate the Fuhma Shuriken Equip Spell! This makes my Ninja even stronger!"
She played the card, and White Dragon Ninja glowed with golden energy. (3,400 ATK)
"Destroy Sunlight Unicorn!" ordered Lotus. "Shimmering Blade Storm!"
White Dragon Ninja leapt upwards, and made a throwing motion downwards, sending a volley of glowing energy blades at Sunlight Unicorn. She howled in pain before being blasted into triangles. Francesca held her chest.
(F: 2,000) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 2,850)
"Still… here…" grunted Francesca.
"Not for long…" said Lotus. "It's your move…"
Francesca nervously drew a card.
How long had it been? How much longer did she have before the blue lotus poison in her bloodstream killed her?
She tried very hard to stop thinking about it as she set a card on her Disk, causing a hidden Monster appear next to Beast Striker.
"Your move…" she said.
Lotus made a draw. She put it aside.
"White Dragon Ninja…" she said. "Attack… Attack her hidden Monster."
The swarm of blades flew again, and Key Mouse appeared on the card right before it was blasted to pieces.
"I use Key Mouse's effect…" muttered Francesca.
Lock Cat slipped out of her discard slot, and she looked at it.
The other two cards in her hand were Awakening from Beyond and Moja.
I could summon Lightning Tricorn now… she thought. But then what? What good would she do me?
Is this the end?
0000000000
Francesca closed her eyes, and when she opened them, she was alone. The streets of Glitzville around her were deserted. Her opponent, Andy and Stan, and everyone who had been watching the duel was gone. So were her Beast Striker and Lotus's White Dragon Ninja.
"What?" she said.
"Francesca, darlin'," said a woman's voice that she had never heard before. "Don't tell me you're thinking of giving up?"
Francesca spun around, and to her great surprise, came eye to eye with Flurrie.
"Uh…" she said.
"The duel ain't over yet, girl," said the Duel Monster. "You only think it's hopeless…"
"You mean it isn't?" asked Francesca, trying to put aside how bizarre this was.
"You're only looking at the most obvious way out of this problem," said Flurrie. "Take it from a gal who's been there, the obvious way isn't always the only way, or even the best way."
"I don't understand…" said Francesca.
"I'll give you the best example I can think of, girl," said Flurrie. "I'll tell you how I and the Three Heroes met.
"You see, back then, I had a small place in the Boggly Woods, and they needed to get into the Great Tree. I mean, they really needed to get into that place. But it was too heavily guarded by the Shadow Queen's henchmen. Someone told them that someone knew where a secret entrance was… That 'someone' was yours truly.
"But… There was a problem… This…"
She pointed to the necklace she was wearing.
"Your necklace?" asked Francesca.
"Some crook had stolen it!" replied Flurrie. "And I was too ashamed to show my face without it. I locked myself in my house, and when they came, I refused to come out.
"They needed my help, and the obvious solution would have been to break the door down. I could never have stopped them. But they didn't do that! They actually found the ne'er-do-well who stole it and brought it back!
"I couldn't help but take a liking to them after that… I even kinda had a crush on Andy's ancestor! So I tagged along… And the rest is history."
She giggled a little.
"So…" said Francesca. "There may be a way around this that I can't see?"
"Attacking White Dragon Ninja will get you nowhere, even if you summon something stronger…" said Flurrie. "But draw your card… And the alternate solution will come to you…"
0000000000
Francesca opened her eyes again, and she was back among the crowds of Glitzville. The duel was still in progress.
She made her draw.
Monster Reborn.
What did she mean? she thought. What can I summon with this that can…
Then it came to her.
Of course!
She put it aside for the moment, and reached for Lock Cat.
"First, I summon Lock Cat," she said, as she played the card.
The sassy cat with the lock on its collar appeared in front of her. (1,200 ATK)
"By summoning it, I can Special Summon Key Mouse from my Graveyard…"
Key Mouse appeared, curled up in Defense Mode. (100 DEF)
"And now, I tune together Key Mouse, Lock Cat, and Beast Striker…"
Key Mouse flew into the air and the two other Beasts followed it… Lightning flashed…
"Thunder rolls! Lightning strikes! Combine to form a Beast that truly embodies the storm!"
(*2 + *1 + *5 = *8)
"I Synchro Summon… Lightning Tricorn!"
Lightning Tricorn leapt onto the field. It looked at Lotus… And then its features showed the same confused look that Thunder Unicorn had… (2,800 ATK)
"And is there a point to this?" asked Lotus.
"I'm getting to that," said Francesca, with a grin. "I play Awakening from Beyond!"
She played a Spell Card.
"It works kind of like Monster Reincarnation, but I don't have to discard a card… Rather, I have to let you draw two cards."
Lotus looked at her, and then drew twice.
"The important part is," said Francesca, as she took a card from her discard slot, "I've got Flurrie back."
"So?" replied Lotus. "I recall you saying that her effect could be used once. And even if you weren't being truthful, Safe Zone would protect my Ninja from it."
"That's not what I'm going to use her for…" said Francesca with a sly smirk.
"I play Monster Reborn!"
The holy symbol appeared, and the discard slot on Lotus's Disk glowed.
"I'll summon a Monster from your Graveyard…" said Francesca.
In a flash of light, Lady Ninja Yae appeared next to Lightning Tricorn. (1,100 ATK)
"And just how can she…" started Lotus.
Then her eyes opened wide in horror as she realized exactly how…
"Of course!" exclaimed Andy. "If Yae's controller discards a Wind Monster, she can blow all opposing Spell and Trap Cards off the field!"
"And Flurry is Wind!" added Stan, as Francesca discarded Flurrie's card.
Lady Ninja Yae's eyes glowed, and Ninjitsu Art of Super Transformation, Safe Zone, and Fuhma Shuriken all vanished, reappearing in Lotus's hand.
"White Dragon Ninja couldn't protect those cards from that," said Francesca. "And without Ninjitsu Art of Super-Transformation…"
White Dragon Ninja vanished in a flash of light.
"Now to end this duel," said Francesca. "Lady Ninja Yae… Attack Lotus directly!"
The female Ninja leapt at Lotus, and gave her a swift kick in the chops. Lotus grunted in pain.
"Lightning Tricorn, finish her off!" shouted Francesca.
The Synchro hesitated…
"Well?" shouted Francesca.
After a few tense seconds, Lightning Tricorn obeyed, charging at Lotus and stabbing her with her electrified horns. Lotus screamed…
(F: 2,000) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 0)
"You lose!" shouted Francesca. "Now cough up the antidote or I really WILL kill you!"
No… thought Lotus. The Queen…
Her hand quivered. She took the antidote out of the pouch.
I have one chance… she thought. If I smash it on the ground, maybe she'll forgive me…
But just as she about to, someone grabbed her hand, and then restrained her in a lock.
"Merlow?" shouted the three teenagers at once.
It was indeed Merlow. They hadn't seen where he had come from, but he was here. Lotus struggled, but he was too strong for her, and quickly wrenched the vial out of her hand.
"Drink it quickly, Francesca…" he said, as he handed it to her.
"Let go of me…" cursed Lotus, as Francesca quickly drank the liquid.
Then Merlow grabbed the mask, and tore it off her head. It was a young teenage girl about Francesca's age, with short, black hair and Japanese features.
Francesca nearly fell over in shock.
"Yuki?" she screamed.
"You know her?" asked Andy.
"Know her?" screamed Francesca. "I've known her since the first grade! She… she…"
"She's not herself right now…" said Merlow. "Look at me, Yuki…"
She tried not to, but he forced her.
"Light that pierced the darkness," he chanted, "dispel the evil fog of enchantment…"
The girl that they had called "Lotus" up to now slumped to the ground, holding her head.
"Merlow, why?" asked Francesca, almost in tears. "Why did Yuki attack me? How in the world did she learn to duel so well? She was only an amateur the last I checked…"
"It was the Shadow Queen's twisted idea of retribution…" said Merlow. "She wanted you to die thinking that your best friend had betrayed you…
"So she had Yuki kidnapped, and then magically brainwashed. The evil spell gave her skills she didn't have previously, including Duel Monsters…"
Yuki looked up, holding her head.
No wonder my Synchro Monsters seemed to recognize her, thought Francesca. Their senses must be more acute than the Monsters in my main deck.
"Fran…" said Yuki, somberly. "I…"
Then she stood up, nearly in panic.
"You gotta help me!" she screamed. "When the Queen calls me back…"
"Sit down, Yuki…" said Merlow. "I've got something that we can use to remedy that…"
0000000000
Meanwhile, Crump was watching.
Heh… he said. Totally diabolical…
Then his cellphone rang.
"Uh, yeah?" he said, answering it.
"Crump," said the Queen. "What's happening there?"
"Uh, you can't see?" asked Crump.
"Unfortunately, no," replied the Queen. "My stupid crystal ball went on the fritz right before Francesca struck the final blow, and my telepathic link to Lotus seems to have been broken as well."
"Uh…" said Crump. "Maybe that was what did it… Maybe the powerful direct attack kinda… Knocked it out of here, you think?"
There was a long pause.
"Actually, that might make sense…" she said. "Well… Keep me posted as to what they're doing from now on…
"If they show any interest in the Glitz Pit, call me right away…"
"Uh, yes ma'am…" said Crump.
0000000000
Meanwhile, Yuki was trying her hardest to hold still as Merlow used a special pen to draw a strange sigil on her forehead.
"Man…" said Andy. "I never believed that the Shadow Queen could sink so low as this…"
"I could believe it…" said Merlow. "I told you before… She'll do anything to escape… Betray anyone, commit any crime, no matter how vile or underhanded it may be…
"Okay, Yuki, you can move now…"
He gave her a mirror, and she looked at the strange design on her forehead.
"It's not very flattering, I know," said Merlow. "But so long as it's there, the Shadow Queen won't be able to re-establish her link."
"And I think the Shadow Spawn are too concerned with us to come after you," said Francesca, putting her hand on her shoulder.
"I could have killed you…" moaned Yuki.
"But you didn't," said Francesca. "At least it's over now…"
Yuki looked at her.
"No…" she said. "No it isn't…"
She reached into a pocket in the inside of her gi, and took out a Crystal Card.
"It was still an official tournament duel…" she said, "so I owe you this…"
Francesca closed her eyes.
"If I take it," she said, "do you promise to stay away from duels? I don't want this to turn into a rescue mission for us…"
Lotus nodded, and Francesca took the Card.
Stan came back with a cardboard tray full of hot dogs.
"So where do we go from here?" asked Andy, as he passed them out.
"Well…" said Merlow. "Why don't you try the Glitz Pit?"
"The Glitz Pit?" asked Andy.
"It's right behind you!" said Yuki, with a chuckle.
They turned around. Indeed, a large coliseum seemed to dominate the center of Glitzville.
"Before the tournament started, the Glitz Pit was used for boxing and wrestling," said Lotus. "People paid big money for the fights… Especially to see Rawk Hawk, the star attraction.
"Now it's all about Duel Monsters exhibitions, at least for now…"
They walked up to the front gates, and saw that a large poster had been erected.
ATTENTION!
Duelists Wanted!
Fame, Glory, and a Potent Prize
Open Duel Night in the Glitz Pit
The Champion Takes on All Challengers!
Inquire at back door, ask for Jolene.
"Ugh…" said Francesca. "I've made enough of a spectacle of myself in this place…"
"Hmm…" said Andy.
"Could be a good opportunity…" said Merlow.
0000000000
In an office inside the large coliseum, a woman dressed in a maroon business suit was on the phone. She wore glasses and her hair was in a ponytail.
"I dunno, Lou, it depends…" she said. "I'm a little worried about him lately…
"Well, no, he's taking to it pretty well… Maybe a little too well… And I don't want him to like it too much, because this thing is not going to last forever, you know?"
There was a knock on the door.
"Look, I'll call you back…"
She hung up.
"Come in," she said.
A man in a business suit came in.
"Miss Jolene," she said, "someone's here about the posted offer. Says his name is Andy Markova."
"Oh, do send him in!" said Jolene, brightening up.
She smiled nervously as Andy walked into the room, with Stan and Francesca behind him.
"Uh," said Andy.
"Say no more," said Jolene. "I'm so glad someone took us up on that offer… Not many folks are eager to do it…"
"Seriously?" said Andy.
"Well, the champion is rather intimidating," said Jolene. "Let's see the deck…"
"Uh…" said Andy.
"Come on…" said Jolene. "You won't be dueling me, and confidentiality is my middle name…"
Andy handed her the deck. She started to look through it.
"Hmm, Dragons, huh?" she said. "Not bad… Oh, nice one… Hmm… Never heard of that one…"
She handed the deck back.
"You'll do," she said, as she got up.
She opened a closet behind her, which seemed to contain a lot of boxes. After about a minute, she found the one she was looking for.
"Here we are!" she said, as she handed it to Andy. "Here's your costume!"
"Costume?" said Andy.
To say this came as a surprise was an understatement.
"Well, sure," said Jolene. "After all, if you're gonna lose, you might as well do it in style!"
There was a small tapping on the window. Jolene turned slightly, and almost jumped out of her skin.
Another Yata-Garasu was pecking on the window.
Then it flew away.
"Uh…" said Francesca. "Those things… Is there something about them that we should know about?"
"Uh, Louis, show them to the green room, will you!" stammered Jolene. "Showtime is at six o'clock, and you'll be the first challenger!"
As they left, Jolene slumped in her chair. Then the phone rang, as she expected it to.
She picked it up, but didn't say anything.
"I heard you got a challenger Jolene," said the Shadow Queen's voice. "Well… The fight card just changed. Give the champion the day off.
"Andy's new opponent will be there in an hour… I trust you know what to do…
"Or rather… What not to do…"
She hung up.
Jolene opened the drawer to her desk. She took out a photograph in a frame. It was a picture of her and a young man.
She held the photo to her chest, and tears welled in her eyes.
Then she put it back, and opened a false bottom in the desk drawer.
Fine, bitch… she said. Change Andy's opponent if you like…
But if Andy wins… I'M changing the prize that he gets…
0000000000
Andy looked at himself in the full-length mirror of the green room.
He felt like an idiot.
The costume he had been given made him look like Lord of Dragons, and despite the fact that it was his favorite card, he never thought that the admiration would go this far…
The cape was heavy, and the helmet left him with almost no peripheral vision.
"Man…" he said. "How do the folks in the pro leagues do this?"
"I think you look cute," said Francesca.
"Fran…" said Andy. "I do not want to look 'cute'!
"This is going to let me 'lose in style'? It's going to let me make a fool of myself!
"This was a bad idea…"
"Andy…" said Stan.
He opened the chamber on his Disk than contained his Extra Deck.
"Maybe this will help…"
He handed him the card.
"You're giving me one of your Xyzs?" gasped Andy.
"This is one of the cards that my uncle gave me," said Stan, "but it really doesn't work in my deck. It might work much better in yours.
"Give it a try, and you'll see…"
Andy looked at the card. He knew almost nothing about Xyz Monsters…
Still…
0000000000
Currently, there was no blimp at the entrance to Glitzville. The next one wasn't scheduled to arrive for an hour.
Thus, no-one was there to witness the newest arrival to the city.
A bonfire appeared on the landing pad, and slowly took the shape of a teenage boy…
"Ah, Glitzville…" he said. "The lights… The sights…
"…and the fights…"
0000000000
ARMOR NINJITSU ART OF TELEPORTATION (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: Flame Armor Ninja emerging from a portal in a misty place.
Card Description: Target 1 "Ninja" Monster you control. Special Summon (from your hand) a "Ninja" Monster with a lower ATK than the target. The target and the Special Summoned Monster cannot attack this turn.
0000000000
ARMOR NINJITSU ART OF REVIVAL (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: Lady Ninja Yae peeking into a misty hallway with piles of skulls strewn around.
Card Description: Target 1 "Ninja" Monster in your Graveyard. Special Summon the target.
Note: "Armor Ninjitsu Art of Teleportation" and "Armor Ninjitsu Art of Revival" were first used by Yamikawa in the multi-part "Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal" episode "Training Days". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0000000000
MADAME FLURRIE OF THE FOG (Monster Card)
Fairy/Wind/Effect/Level5/1,800ATK/1,200DEF
Effect: Discard 2 cards from your hand to destroy all Monsters your opponent controls. You must skip your Battle Phase on a turn when you use this effect. The effect of "Madame Flurrie of the Fog" can only be used once per duel per player.
0000000000
The true extent of the Shadow Queen's cruelty has been shown, and slowly but surely, the skepticism that her three targets had is fading. Francesca has gained a fifth Crystal Card, but is lucky she didn't lose her best friend in the process…
Next:
Andy: With all of Glitzville watching, another of the dreaded Shadow Spawn has decided to strike. Even worse, his powerful strategy resists the attacks of my strongest Monsters.
If I want to prove that I'm half the duelist that Stan and Francesca are, and if I truly have divine blood inside me, I have to do what they did and crush another of these demented siblings. Frankly, the more I hear about them, the more I don't like.
"Fiend Comedian" is coming soon.