I'd like to point something out before this chapter posts:
In this chapter, Stan uses Mystic Box. However, he uses the anime version of Mystic Box, not the real version. I know the real version does not work this way.
On with the chapter.
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When I dueled Tyson, it was a terror.
Not just because he was the product of an unholy alliance between an evil sorceress and a demon, but because he used fire as a weapon. Fire can be deadly if used wrong. It burns. It destroys. It makes life unpleasant.
Now I'm watching Stan duel someone who shares Tyson's tastes. She seems much more friendly than he was, and she doesn't want to drag him to his doom…
But her Monsters and other cards are no less serious in nature. And I hope that Stan can handle them.
Because like I said, fire is a serious business…
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CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
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Flames of Passion
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At the breakfast table the next morning, three forks went simultaneously for the last Belgian waffle.
"I want it!" shouted Francesca.
"Come on guys…" sighed Stan. "I'm the one who had to go up against tall, dark, and gruesome last night…"
Andy and Francesca looked at each other.
"He has a point, Fran," said Andy with a shrug.
Stan took the waffle and poured syrup on it.
"So where are we off to after breakfast?" asked Fran.
"The next town is called Poshley Heights," said Andy, studying the map.
"After dueling that Fiend, I'm in the mood for a normal duel for a change," muttered Stan. "Anything to get a fifth Crystal Card…"
"You know guys," mentioned Andy, "we learned something important yesterday during Francesca's duel with Maria…"
"What's that?" asked Stan, with his mouth full.
"Well," answered Andy, "at first I thought the Queen would try every dirty trick in the book to defeat us. But it turns out she's forbidden from playing any way but fair. That might give us an edge…"
"Don't be so sure…" muttered Francesca.
"Pardon?" asked Andy.
"If you know the rules too well," answered Fran, "you find loopholes and ways to bend them. There are many fair ways to manipulate the rules to meet your ends. And the Queen is probably a master at doing just that."
They were silent for a few seconds.
And then the door to the inn opened and she entered.
It was a young, sixteen-year-old girl, with long, light brown hair and hazel eyes. She wore a revealing halter top and a short skirt. She was tall and skinny, with very long legs.
A Duel Disk was on her arm.
"Hey folks!" she shouted. "Who's ready to par-tey?"
She strode around the tables.
"Start the party, folks, because Lyn Rykern is here, and she's ready to play!" she announced.
Everyone turned to her.
"Aw, why all the gloomy gusses?" she asked. "Anyone want to take on the meanest Monsters this side of Clash of the Titans? I guarantee you, they'll shock your frowns into smiles!"
"Talk about bubbly," muttered Francesca.
"Maybe this could be a big ticket…" muttered Stan. "And she does seem more pleasant than The End of Anubis…"
He called over.
"Yo!" he called. "Lyn, was it?"
"Yeah, sweetie?" she asked.
"So," asked Stan, nervously, "you having any luck so far?"
Lyn giggled and took out five Crystal Cards.
Nuts, she's one ahead of me… thought Stan.
"Well," thought Stan, "I'll take you up on that offer… Just don't expect an easy duel…"
"Wouldn't think about it cupcake!" she giggled. "Meet me on the beach next to that big ship in twenty minutes!"
Francesca shuddered. She wanted to duel next to Maria's ship. Lovely…
Lyn bent over and stroked Stan on the cheek.
"Just be careful," she whispered. "Most men find me too hot to handle… In more ways than one."
She slowly walked out of the restaurant…
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Speaking of said ship…
In Maria's private quarters on The Sea Witch, Lord Crump was snoozing on a cot…
Then his cell phone rang. He grumbled and answered it.
"WAKE UP STUPID!" shouted a voice on the other end.
"Uhm, your excellence!" sputtered Crump. "I'm awake!"
"Well stay awake!" shouted the Queen. "Stan has just accepted a challenge, and I want you to watch.
"These kids have more to them than we first thought. Stan actually used Sorcerer of Dark Magic to help him defeat The End of Anubis!"
"Sorcerer of Dark Magic?" gasped Crump. "Where'd he get a card that rare?"
"I can't read minds, Crump," grumbled the Queen. "If I could, I likely wouldn't be in this mess to begin with. We need to know all that we can about these kids so that, hopefully, the rest of our henchmen can handle them."
"If you're so damn powerful why don't you duel them yourself…" said Crump, under his breath.
"WHAT WAS THAT?" shouted the Queen.
"Nothing!" pleaded Crump. "I'll watch for them…"
"Make sure you do…" warned the Queen.
She hung up.
"Pushy, egotistical, bitch…" muttered Crump.
His cell phone rang again.
He answered it…
A bolt of electricity struck him, knocking him down!
"I heard that!" growled the Queen's voice.
"I'm sorry…" squeaked Crump.
"Well say anything like that again," she responded, "and you'll know what 'sorry' means!"
She hung up again.
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Stan shuffled his deck as he and his two friends walked down to the beach Lyn was waiting, shuffling her own.
"I love the beach," she mused. "So peaceful… serene…"
"So," asked Stan, "how long have you been into Duel Monsters?"
"A long time," she replied. "I always wanted to be a Duel Monsters champion, and this tournament is my first big break!"
She loaded her deck into her disk.
"So let's stop beating around the bush, and have at it, 'kay?" she said with a smile. "My deck is really going to warm you up?"
Warm me up? thought Stan.
The holo-imagers shot out of the Disks, and they flipped into position. The Life Point meters both set to 8,000.
"Ladies first…" said Stan, drawing his first five cards.
"Why thanks," giggled Lyn, drawing six.
She almost let out a squeal.
This hand rocks! she thought. I have just what I need for a great combo!
"I'll place a Monster facedown in Defense Mode, and end my turn," she announced.
She placed a card on her Disk, and the facedown card appeared.
Stan drew and looked at his hand.
"Okay…" he said, considering. "I'll summon Skilled Dark Magician in Attack Mode."
He put the card down, and the black-robed mage appeared. (1,900/1,700)
She put a defensive Monster down, he thought. It could have a high Defense or a nasty flip-effect, but from what I've seen of her so far, she's bluffing…
"Skilled Dark Magician, attack!" he shouted.
The Magician cast forth his dark spell. A creature that looked like a flaming shadow appeared on the card, and was blown away.
Lyn chuckled.
"Thank you!" she laughed. "You just destroyed a Monster called The Thing In The Crater! And when it's destroyed in battle, I get to Special Summon any Pyro Monster from my hand!"
She placed a card down.
"So now I'll summon my Molten Zombie!"
A hulking form arose. It was a semisolid humanoid mass made entirely of lava, dripping the magma over the sand. (1,600/400)
"Fine," sighed Stan. "It's your turn."
Lyn made another draw.
She switched cards on her Disk.
"Now I'll sacrifice Molten Zombie to summon Mr. Volcano!" she exclaimed.
Molten Zombie shrunk into a ball of fire, and the ball grew into a sorcerer in colorful clothes and red hair, with flames covering his hands. (2,100/1,300)
"Mr. Volcano," she ordered, "attack Skilled Dark Magician with volcanic blast!"
Mr. Volcano shot forth a blast of fire, incinerating Skilled Dark Magician!
Stan's Life Points fell to 7,800.
"Wow," exclaimed Andy. "Bubbly she may be, but this chick is actually pretty good."
"Yeah…" muttered Francesca. "But don't count Stan out yet…"
"Okay," continued Lyn, "I'll set one card facedown."
She threw a card into a slot, and it appeared behind Mr. Volcano. She waved her hand to signify the end of her turn.
Stan drew.
"I summon Goombella the Scholar in Defense Mode!" he exclaimed.
Goombella appeared, and hopped on his shoulder. (500/2,000)
"Huh?" asked Lyn. "Cute!"
Goombella grinned.
"Cute and helpful," replied Stan. "Because now I can see the top four cards on my deck and rearrange them any way I want!"
The four cards on the top of his deck floated off.
Aw, man, he thought. None of these are all that good…
He only made one adjustment, and they floated back.
"I'll place one card facedown, and that will be all."
He fit a card into a slot, and it appeared.
Lyn drew.
"Well, sorry Goombella," she said, "but… Mr. Volcano, attack!"
The Pyro cast forth his fiery spell…
"Activate Spellbinding Circle!" shouted Stan.
The fire was blocked, and Mr. Volcano was trapped in the pentagram! His Attack fell to 1,400.
Lyn gave a slight grin…
"Okay, your move…" she said slowly.
Stan drew.
Something's wrong, he thought. Lyn doesn't seem the least bit worried…
He paused.
Her facedown card! What does it do?
He paused again.
Well, if it's a Mirror Force, Goombella is in Defense Mode…
"I summon Neo the Magic Swordsman in Attack Mode!" he shouted, placing a card facedown.
Neo appeared, swinging his magical sword.
"Neo, attack Mr. Volcano with your enchanted blade!"
Neo's sword glowed, and he lashed forward, smiting the Pyro with enchanted energy! Mr. Volcano was vaporized.
Lyn's Life Points went down to 7,700…
And then a bonfire erupted around Stan! He screamed!
His Life Points fell to 7,300.
"What happened?" he asked.
Lyn pointed to her Trap Card.
"It's called Backfire," she said. "Now, every time you destroy one of my Fire Monsters, you'll lose 500 Life Points! Neat Trap Card huh?"
"Yeah…" muttered Stan. "Neat…"
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Up on the ship's deck, Crump was watching.
Heh, he thought. Just looking at her hand, I think this Lyn gal has a better strategy than Tyson did! I know just what she's gonna do on her next move…
Look out Stan… Pretty soon, even your strongest Monsters aren't going to be able to protect you…
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Francesca saw something out of the corner of her eye.
She turned her face, and saw Crump.
"Don't look now," she whispered to Andy, "but that little creep is spying on us again."
"I say we go up there and shake him until he tells us what he's up to…" muttered Andy.
"Well, Stan can't stop the duel or he'll forfeit," sighed Francesca. "We'll have to wait. But as soon as it's over, we get that little sneak…"
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"Can it be? My turn?" giggled Lyn.
She drew, and then took two cards from her hand.
"I'll place this card facedown…" she said, slapping a card into a slot.
Another card appeared facedown.
"Then I'll summon this little guy in Attack Mode… Raging Flame Sprite!"
She put a card down, and a tiny elflike fairy appeared. It was dressed in brown clothing and a pointed hat, carried a short wooden club, and was surrounded by flickering flames. (100/200)
"HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!" laughed Stan. "I'm supposed to be scared of that? Your little fairy only has one hundred Attack Points!"
"Don't judge a Monster by its cover, Stan!" chuckled Lyn. "Raging Flame Sprite is more powerful than it appears. First, it possesses the ability to hop over all of your Monsters and attack you directly!
"Raging Flame Sprite, attack with pixie fire shot!"
The Sprite let out a laugh and flew towards Stan! It shot a tiny fireball, hitting him in the face!
Stan's Life Points fell down to 7,200.
"Humph, I barely felt a thing!" scoffed Stan.
"And there's more!" continued Lyn. "Every time Raging Flame Sprite succeeds in attacking you, it gains 1,000 Attack Points!"
The Sprite's Attack rose to 1,100.
"I end my turn," she said.
"Yeah?" said Stan, drawing, "well it's still pretty weak…"
He threw a card down.
"I summon The Illusory Gentleman in Attack Mode!" he exclaimed.
The cyclopsed, gentleman Spellcaster appeared, brandishing his cane. (1,500/1,600)
"Gentleman, attack her raging Flame Sprite!" he shouted.
The Illusory Gentleman started to cast his spell…
"Here I come, Lyn," threatened Stan, "ready or not!"
The Gentleman shot forth his colorful spell…
"ACTIVATE WABOKU!" shouted Lyn, as her Trap lifted.
The three priestesses sprang up, and the spell was halted.
Andy groaned.
"She was ready…" he sighed.
"Ugh…" sighed Stan. "I end my turn."
"Splendid," laughed Lyn, drawing. "Raging Flame Sprite, attack Stan again!"
The Sprite leapt up with a laugh, and this time shot forth a larger ball of flame, hitting Stan in the face again!"
Stan clutched his eyes…
That hurt…
His Life Points fell to 6,100.
And as he watched, Raging Flame Sprite's Attack Score grew to 2,100.
"Your move!" laughed Lyn.
This is serious, thought Stan. I know what my next two draws will be, and the next won't be a Monster strong enough to defeat it… And the card after that will be no help either…
He drew. He chose another card.
This will be a risk, but I have to take it…
"I play the Magic Card… Clock Out!" he shouted.
He placed the card in the slot, and the huge grandfather clock appeared.
"Clock Out?" asked Lyn.
"Yes," said Stan. "I'm giving up 1,000 of my Life Points…"
His Life Points fell to 5,100, and the hand on the clock started to spin…
"…and whatever number this hand stops on is the number of your turns that you can't attack!"
"So you're putting this all up to chance?" asked Lyn, with a pout.
"Yeah!" replied Stan. "You have a problem with that?"
The pointer slowed… and landed on the three.
Not the best, he thought, but it will buy me some time.
"I'll end my turn there," said Stan.
"Whatever you say sweetie…" giggled Lyn.
She drew.
This will be good for insurance… she thought.
"Okay Stan," she said, "I'm summoning a new Monster, but first I have to remove one Fire Monster in my Graveyard from play…"
She hit a command on her Disk.
"And since I don't need The Thing In The Crater anymore, I'll remove that…"
The card slipped out of her slot, and she transferred it to the removal slot.
"So now I summon Inferno in Defense Mode."
The creature that appeared could only be described with one word – fire. It was a living bonfire, with two flaming blue points that suggested eyes. (1,100/1,900)
"Boy this duel is heating up…" muttered Andy.
"You had to say it…" sighed Francesca.
"I'll turn it back over to you," said Lyn.
The clock ticked down to two.
Stan drew.
"I choose to pass this turn," he said.
Lyn drew.
"Well, two can play at that game…" she said. "I'll pass as well."
The clock ticked down to one.
Stan paused.
Okay, he thought. This next draw is the first one I don't know about… If it or the next draw isn't something that can get rid of her Raging Flame Sprite, it will hit me for 2,100 points of damage when she can attack again… and then grow too powerful for me to stop…
Come on deck, show me some love…
He drew… the card glowed in the pale morning light…
"I sacrifice Goombella…" he started.
Goombella vanished.
"…AND the Illusory Gentleman…" he continued.
The Illusory Gentleman vanished.
He threw the card down.
"…to summon the mighty Buster Blader!"
The enormous, armored Warrior arose, brandishing his mighty sword! (2,600/2,300)
Lyn gasped!
"Buster Blader?" she said with a shudder. "I've never seen him before!"
"Well then…" said Stan with a smile. "Lyn, Buster Blader, Buster Blader, Lyn. Now it's time for your Sprite to meet him! Attack!"
Buster Blader raised his mighty sword, and charged. Raging Flame Sprite squeaked in fear and tried to flee, but it was cut down.
Lyn's Life Points fell to 7,300.
"Now then…" said Stan.
He screamed as another bonfire surrounded him.
"Oh yeah," muttered Lyn. "I almost forgot about the Backfire Trap… But is it true that he gains 500 Attack points for every Dragon your opponent has used?"
"More or less…" gasped Stan, as his Life Points fell to 4,600.
"Wow, I have a million questions…" muttered Lyn.
"Well, I don't have time to answer a million questions," muttered Stan. "We're in the middle of a duel here… And I think it's your turn."
"Oh right…" said Lyn, drawing.
She looked at the card, and gave a slight smirk.
"I'll place a card facedown, and that's my turn," she said.
A card materialized next to Backfire.
Stan drew.
Just what I needed… he thought.
"Say goodbye to your Backfire," he shouted. "I play Mystical Space Typhoon!"
The whirlwind gusted forth, shattering the Trap Card.
"Now, Buster Blader, attack her Inferno!"
Buster Blader leapt forward, and brought his sword down on the blazing creature! The flames scattered!
And then Buster Blader groaned… He shattered!
"I did it!" shouted Lyn in delight. "I defeated the greatest Warrior in Duel Monsters!"
"What?" stammered Stan. "What happened…"
Then he noticed that Lyn had triggered a Trap.
"When you destroyed my Inferno, you triggered a Trap called Michizure!" she laughed. "It activates when one of my Monsters is destroyed, and destroys one of yours!"
Stan stood dumbfounded.
"Sheesh!" gasped Francesca. "That was a smart move!"
"My move isn't done yet, Lyn!" exclaimed Fran. "Because now that you have absolutely nothing to protect you… Neo, attack her directly!"
Lyn wailed as Neo charged forward and slashed at her with his sword. She fell to her knees.
Her Life Points fell to 5,600.
She gasped for breath…
"Are you… Are you all right?" asked Stan, somewhat worried.
She looked so fragile…
"Heh, heh, never better, Stan!" she chuckled. "I love to get dirty! You're my kind of guy!"
She blew him a kiss.
"Um, Fran?" muttered Andy. "Is it legal to flirt with your opponent in the middle of a duel?"
"Well, uhm… I never heard of a rule against it…" muttered Fran. "I don't think I can ever remember it happening…"
She paused.
"Although, come to think of it, I heard a story of two students in my school who were seniors when I was a freshmen. They were both duelists who dueled each other a lot, and eventually, he fell in love with her because of her skill… I think they're married now…"
Andy sighed.
"You think something like that could ever happen again?" he asked.
Fran looked at Andy.
She didn't answer…
"My move, cupcake…" said Lyn, drawing.
Stan rolled his eyes. He was really glad Colette wasn't here to see this…
"Wow!" said Lyn.
"I think she got a good draw…" muttered Andy.
"You bet I did!" exclaimed Lyn. "I got this incredibly rare card from winning a tournament! It was worth it…"
She threw the card down.
"Blaze Magician, in Attack Mode!"
A flame erupted on the field, and a fiery female form arose. She could best be described as a more elegant Magician of Faith although her kimono was red with yellow fire designs on it. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail, but it was bright red. She waved her hands and a scepter appeared in it, topped with a glowing sun on the end of it. (1,900/1,400)
Blaze Magician? thought Stan. Well this is new…
"Blaze Magician, attack Neo with fiery blaze!"
The Spellcaster waved her staff and shot forth a stream of flame, blowing the Magic Swordsman to pixels!
Stan's Life Points fell to 4,400.
"Your move," said Lyn, with a smile.
And Blaze Magician's special effects will come in handy, she thought.
Stan drew.
"All right!" he exclaimed.
Stan chose another card.
"I'll summon Mystical Elf in Defense Mode," he said.
He put the card down. The holy elf appeared, chanting her mantra. (800/2,000)
"Now I play the Magic Card… Sweet Treat!" he exclaimed.
"YES!" exclaimed Andy.
Stan placed it into a slot.
"Sweet Treat?" said Lyn, with her eyes narrowing. "I don't like the sound of that… Blaze Magician, go!"
Blaze Magician shot forth a blast of flames, and as the Magic Card appeared, it was burned up!
"WHAT?" shouted Stan. "Your Blaze Magician can negate Magic Cards?"
Lyn held up her Inferno card.
"I have to remove a Fire Monster from My Graveyard to do so, but it's worth the price!" she said, slipping it into the removal slot.
Stan grumbled.
"I'll end my turn," he said.
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Crump dialed his cell phone.
"Your excellence," he said. "were you watching?"
"Yes Crump," responded the Queen, "and I must say, I'm very pleased…"
She paused.
"Up until this point, I feared that the Enchanted Cards might well be unstoppable – but they aren't. It may be true that only the forces of… ugh… Good can use them. But they still have to follow all the rules for Duel Monsters concerning card effects. If Blaze Magician can halt Sweet Treat from working, Magic Jammer can as well, and Art Attack can be foiled by Heavy Storm…
"This is vital information indeed…"
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"Now it's my move…" said Lyn with a smile.
She made a draw, and chose another card from her hand.
"I summon Flame Dancer in Attack Mode!"
She put a card down, and a weird-looking creature with one eye and flames coming out of a pipe on its head appeared in a burst of flame. It was carrying two torches. (550/450)
"Why would you summon a Monster so weak?" asked Stan.
"All because of Blaze Magician's other ability!" said Lyn with a big smile. "When she's on the field, all of my Pyro Monsters have their Attack Score raised to 1,900!"
Flame Dancer's score rose to (1,900/450)
"But since I can't get by your Elf yet, I'll turn it over to you, honey."
Stan sighed as he drew.
What kind of crazy duel is this? he thought.
He looked at his card.
Oh yeah… he thought.
"I sacrifice Mystical Elf to summon Chaos Command Magician!" he exclaimed.
Mystical Elf vanished in a beam of light, and the Spellcaster with shiny black robes appeared in a flash! (2,400/1,900)
"Chaos Command Magician, attack her Blaze Magician with chaos blast!"
The chaos mage fired his scepter, and Blaze Magician screamed… she vanished in a puff of smoke.
Lyn's Life Points fell to 5,100.
"And without her, your Flame Dancer loses its big bonus," said Stan with a grin. "It's your move…"
Lyn sighed. She drew.
"I'll place this card facedown," she said, placing it into a slot. "And I'll move Flame Dancer into Defense Mode."
A facedown card appeared, and Flame Dancer covered itself with its torches.
"Your move," she sighed.
Stan drew.
Pixie Knight… he thought. She may come in handy…
"I'll summon Pixie Knight in Defense Mode…" he said.
He placed the card down, and the fairy Spellcaster appeared, shyly hiding behind her gossamer wings. (1,300/200)
"Chaos Command Magician, attack Flame Dancer!" he shouted.
Chaos Command Magician aimed…
"I activate Shadow Spell!" shouted Lyn!
Chaos Command Magician gasped, as chains erupted from the ground, binding his wrists and ankles! His Attack Score fell to 1,700.
Lyn giggled.
"Gee Stan, I didn't know your Monsters were into that kind of kinky stuff!" she laughed.
This is demented… thought Stan.
"Man, the way she talks, it almost like she and Stan are on a date rather than dueling…" muttered Andy.
"Maybe that's how she looks at it…" muttered Francesca.
"Huh?" asked Andy.
"You know the old saying, 'You don't know a man until you've walked a mile in his shoes'?" asked Francesca. "Everyone is unique. Everyone has their own outlook. Not everyone sees the game of Duel Monsters as a bloodthirsty, violent spectacle. Maybe Lyn has found some sort of romantic side of it, and by dueling it brings her sensual pleasure… her own form of libido.
"After all, conquest in battle and conquest of the heart are just two types on conflicts – many old-school religions put love and war in the same category…
"That's probably why her deck is full of Fire Monsters. Passion is always described as hot, and that may be what fuels her own energy."
"Your awfully smart, Fran," sighed Andy.
"I do what I have to," shrugged Francesca.
"My move now…" said Lyn.
She drew.
"Yes!" she said.
She spun around.
"All right!"
She threw a card on her Disk.
"I summon Hand of Nephthys!" she shouted.
A whirlwind appeared on the field, and a young priestess in Egyptian royal clothing appeared, folding her arms in a praying position. (600/600)
"Huh?" asked Stan. "That… doesn't look so formidable…"
A card slipped out of Lyn's deck.
"She won't be staying for long, Stan!" she laughed. "Now I can sacrifice her and one other Monster to summon my favorite Monster!"
She placed a card down.
"So, I sacrifice Hand of Nephthys and Flame Dancer…"
The two Monsters were consumed in fire…
And enormous bonfire started to erupt.
"…to summon a great beast that was spawned before mankind even discovered fire! Behold… Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys!"
An enormous bird with golden, metallic skin, burning with flames all over its body arose out of the flames! It gave a great screech, and Chaos Command Magician and Pixie Knight shook in fear! (2,400/1,600)
"Go, my great Phoenix!" she shouted. "Attack Chaos Command Magician with divine flames!"
The Sacred Phoenix exhaled a blast of burning fire, blowing Chaos Command Magician to ashes!
Stan's Life Points fell to 3,700.
"Oh geeze," muttered Francesca. "Stan may be in trouble…"
"That thing is… amazing…" gasped Andy.
"I remember hearing about Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys," pondered Fran. "It has an effect of some sort… but what?"
Stan shakily drew…
All right! he thought. Dark Magician Girl! Now I can use the card I've been saving for a special occasion!
He switched cards on his Disk.
"I sacrifice Pixie Knight to summon Dark Magician Girl!" he exclaimed. "In Attack Mode!"
Pixie Knight vanished, and a magical circle appeared out of the ground. Dark Magician Girl spun out and struck a pose. (2,000/1,700)
"Tee hee," chuckled Lyn, as the Phoenix alighted in front of her. "Sorry, Stan, but she comes up 400 Attack points too short!"
"Let me show you a little magic trick…" said Stan, placing a card into a slot.
The card showed itself.
"It's called Mystic Box…" explained Stan. "For this trick, Dark Magician Girl needs a volunteer, and…"
"My Phoenix volunteers!" interrupted Lyn.
Stan gave her a strange look.
"Fine," he answered. "Not that she was going to give it a choice. Now watch… stage one…"
A tall black cabinet covered with question marks enclosed Dark Magician Girl.
Then another cabinet magically formed around Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys.
"How'd it fit in there?" asked Andy.
"Don't ask me," said Francesca with a shrug.
"Now stage two!" shouted Stan, throwing his hand forward.
Then, a rain of swords fell from the sky, all of them piercing the cabinet that Dark Magician Girl had entered!
"Wha?" said Lyn, startled. "You skewered your own Dark Magician Girl?"
"Not exactly!" said Stan, with a smile.
A door on the cabinet in front of Lyn opened, and Dark Magician Girl stepped out!
"And as for your Phoenix…" said Stan.
The other cabinet vanished, revealing the Phoenix impaled by the blades! It shattered into pixels!
And that was only half of Lyn's problem. Dark Magician Girl was standing right in front of her!
"Dark Magician Girl…" said Stan.
"Uhm…" muttered Lyn.
Dark Magician Girl grinned. She gleefully pressed her scepter against Lyn's exposed naval…
"Wait…" squeaked Lyn.
Then she screamed as the Spellcaster's dark spell hit her from point-blank range! Dark Magician Girl laughed as Lyn landed on her behind.
Her Life Points fell down to 3,100.
Lyn looked up in time to see the Spellcaster give her a wink before floating back to Stan's side.
"And that's my turn, Lyn," said Stan. "So, do you have any more new tricks?"
"No…" said Lyn, with a smirk.
She got up and drew.
"…just an old one…"
And then, flames surrounded her, and Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys arose from behind! It screeched louder than before!
"WHAT?" screamed Stan. "But I destroyed it!"
Lyn chuckled.
"Don't you know the legend of the Phoenix, Stan?" she said, grinning wickedly. "It can't die! It can't even die of old age! It is said that every ten thousand years, this creature immolates itself, and from the ashes a new Phoenix rises!
"In game terms Stan, the only way Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys will stay in the Graveyard is if it's sent there via battle. If you send it there any other way, like the Magic Card you used, it will just come back on my next turn!"
"Good lord…" gasped Andy. "It's a flaming, winged Vampire Lord!"
"Sacred Phoenix," shouted Lyn, "attack Dark Magician Girl with divine flames!"
Sacred Phoenix screeched… Dark Magician Girl drew back in fear…
The blast of flames incinerated the Spellcaster.
Stan's Life Points fell to 3,300.
Lyn waved her hand to signal the end of her turn.
Okay, thought Stan, drawing. Now I'm running out of ideas.
The card was Magician of Faith.
Maybe I can get my Sweet Treat card back with this… he thought.
"Defense Mode!" he shouted, placing the card facedown.
The card appeared.
"Your move…" he said.
Lyn drew.
"Well, why don't I just take care of that, sweetie?" she said.
She threw a card into a slot.
"Nobleman of Crossout!"
Stan gasped, as the knight with his sword appeared and stabbed into the card. Magician of Faith appeared and shattered!
"Nice try…" chuckled Lyn. "Oh Phoenix? Give Stan a kiss for me, will you?"
Sacred Phoenix screeched, and blasted its flames, engulfing Stan in an inferno! He screamed and fell on his back.
His Life Points plummeted to 900.
"Stan!" yelled Andy. "Get up!"
Stan slowly pulled himself to his feet.
Gotta… focus… he thought. It's just a Monster… You've beaten tougher Monsters than this…
Heck, you just beat Exodia! There's got to be something I can draw that will beat this thing…
He drew.
"I play… Graceful Charity!"
He plugged the card into the slot.
The angel flew out, and handed him three cards.
Stan looked at them.
"Oh… no…" he groaned.
"Disappointed with your draws, honey?" asked Lyn.
Stan glumly handed the angel two cards, and she flew into the discard slot.
"No Lyn," sighed Stan. "I got the best draws I could hope for. These cards will enable me to perform a combo that I've only done twice since I started dueling…"
"So why are you upset?" asked Lyn.
"Cause, you're gonna hate me…" sighed Stan.
"No I won't!" pouted Lyn.
"I'm serious!" said Stan. "The first guy I used this on called me a cheating bastard, and the second guy made vulgar crank calls to my house until I found out it was him and reported him!"
Lyn paused.
"Well they must have been really mature," she chuckled, sarcastically. "Show me. I promise not to hate you…"
"Promise?" asked Stan.
"Hey, I might even like it!" laughed Lyn.
Stan sighed again.
"Okay…" he said. "But don't say I didn't warn you. It all comes down to the three Magic Cards I just drew…"
He fit a card into a slot.
"First, Monster Reborn!"
The holy ankh appeared, and Dark Magician Girl reappeared. (2,000/1,700)
"Now then," continued Stan, "the second one… I play The Sage's Stone, which allows Dark Magician Girl to summon Dark Magician from my deck!"
He played the card, and the powerful Dark Magician arose! (2,500/2,100)
Lyn drew back.
"The third one," continued Stan, playing another one, "Dedication Through Light And Darkness, which allows me to sacrifice Dark Magician for Dark Magician of Chaos from my deck!"
Dark Magician vanished, and the even stronger Dark Magician of Chaos arose in his place! (2,800/2,600)
"And finally…" said Stan.
A card flew out of his discard slot.
"…when Dark Magician of Chaos is summoned, I get to retrieve on Magic Card from my Graveyard! I chose… Monster Reborn!"
He played the card.
"And I'll bring Dark Magician back!"
Dark Magician returned.
The three sorcerers stared down Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys…
"YIII!" screamed Francesca. "Stan managed to summon all three of his Dark Magicians in one turn!"
"Holy shi – itake mushrooms!" yelled Andy. "I've never seen anyone do that!" exclaimed Andy.
Lyn looked at the three Spellcasters in front of her…
And then she smiled, and closed her eyes. She stretched out her arms…
"Dark Magician of Chaos!" shouted Stan. "Attack her Sacred Phoenix with chaos scepter blast!"
Dark Magician of Chaos thrust his staff forward and cast a mighty spell. Sacred Phoenix screamed as it was blown to pieces!
Stan checked Lyn's score…
It was at 2,900. He had no choice. He had to attack with both of his other Spellcasters.
"Dark Magician… Dark Magician Girl…" he ordered. "Double dark magic attack!"
The Dark Magician and his apprentice put their staffs together and fired forth an entwining beam of energy straight at Lyn. She didn't flinch as the powerful blast hit her, although she did strain a little…
And then, she collapsed.
As her Life Points were reduced to zero, the holograms shut down. Stan ran over to her.
"LYN!" he shouted. "Are you all right?"
"Heh, heh, heh…" chuckled Lyn.
"That was a blast!" she shouted. "That was the best duel ever!"
She reached up and kissed Stan on the cheek.
"Thank you so much!" she giggled.
"Well, at least she isn't a sore loser," muttered Andy. "Stan, you finish here, Francesca and I have to handle something…"
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Meanwhile, Crump was cowering in fear behind a stack of barrels on the ship.
All three of them in one turn? he thought. Oh, this is too much! These kids are like super-duelists! What are we going to do?
"Hey, creep!" shouted a voice.
He looked up, and saw Andy and Francesca boarding the ship.
"You want to spy on us, buddy?" asked Francesca. "Well we want some answers!"
Crump gulped.
"No!" he gulped. "Stay away!"
They closed in on him. He reached for the Duel Disk on his back.
"Don't hurt, me, okay?" he pleaded. "My take-home's less than twenty-five hundred!"
"You're overpaid!" scowled Andy.
Crump flicked the Duel Disk into position.
"Give us a break…" said Francesca.
Crump threw a Dimensionhole card into a slot, and a vortex appeared. He vanished into it.
Andy and Francesca stood dumbfounded.
"Well, that was weird," said Andy.
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"Well, I lost," said Lyn, with a smile. "So I guess I owe you this…"
She handed Stan a Crystal Card.
"Keep it safe cutie," she said. "You're sure to get to the Thousand Year Door with your strategy."
"I intend to," said Stan. "And as soon as my friends finish what they were doing, we're heading for Poshley Heights."
"Ooh," giggled Lyn. "I heard that all the rich folk on Monster Island hang out there! Have a good time! As for me, I'm staying in Keelhaul Key for awhile. Maybe I can get another duel in around here. Ta, ta!"
Andy looked at the Crystal Card.
"Five down, two to go…" he muttered.
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BLAZE MAGICIAN (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Spellcaster/Effect
Attribute: Fire
Level: 4
ATK: 1,900
DEF: 1,400
Card Description: When this Monster is face-up on the field, the base ATK of any PYRO-Type Monster you summon becomes 1,900. Also, you can remove one FIRE-Attribute Monster in your Graveyard from play to negate the activation of a Magic Card and destroy it.
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Coming up next:
The road to Poshley Heights is well-maintained, but long, and on the way, the team meets a new character, with a very unique deck! Don't miss a chapter entitled "Relics of Ancient Times", coming soon.