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DUEL TWENTY-FIVE
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Sinister Proposal
A Curse with a Cause
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"No hordlings," said Karl.
It was true. After walking down several hallways and going up three flights of stairs, the three Shadowchasers hadn't encountered even one more hordling.
"Maybe Ravel ran out of them," replied Dugan. "But let's not let our guard down…"
Then Karl turned, and saw that Nichole was crying.
"Nichole?" he said. "Are you okay?"
"I was…" said Nichole softly. "I was thinking about Marc…"
"Marc is gonna be fine, Nichole!" said Karl, with a reassuring tone. "The correction officers at the prison all say he's been a model inmate, and his lawyer can't think of a reason why he'd be turned down for parole."
"I know…" said Nichole, still with tears falling down her cheeks. "But sometimes I think of him, and…"
Then Dugan grabbed her by the shoulders.
"Snap out of it, Nichole!" he shouted. "Snap out of it!"
He started shaking her.
Nichole's tears vanished. She took some deep breaths.
"I'm fine!" she exclaimed.
"What?" said Karl.
Dugan looked at his watch. It was still set to Chicago time, but he had kept track of how long they had been here.
"It's only been eight hours, but it's starting," he said. "The wasting effect of the Grey Waste. That's what suddenly gave her a fit of depression…
"Okay people… If we can arrest Ravel, fine, but our primary goal now is to rescue Ben. We find him and get back to Earth before the wasting does us in…"
They looked in front of them. Before them was the same marble, crystal-inlaid stairway that Ben had walked up.
"Where do these stairs go?" asked Nichole.
Dugan peered up the staircase.
"They go up," he said. "But I think that's where we want to be."
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Half an hour earlier, Ben entered Ravel's Great Hall.
She didn't seem to be there at the moment. He looked around. Right in front of him was the display case.
He walked up to it and looked inside. Sitting on a cushion, covered by the glass dome, was a small cube, seemingly made of solid gold, six inches to each side, with a ruby the side of a grape on the top.
"Better not touch that, hon," said Ravel's voice. "It's dangerous."
Ben looked up, and saw Ravel on the balcony. She had traded in her prison uniform for a Victorian-style black dress, which although drab and stuffy, was well-made. It stood in stark contrast to Ravel's ugly face.
"What is it?" asked Ben, as Ravel started to walk down the stairs.
"The Bringer of Doom," chuckled Ravel. "An artifact of great power created during the Invoked Devastation.
"If you have spellcasting ability, all you have to do is push that gem on the top like a button, and boom! It explodes, vaporizing everything in a one-thousand foot radius. Then a portal opens, summoning anywhere from five-hundred to a thousand hordlings, who pour forth to kill and devour everything in their path."
Ben's hand tensed as he backed away from the display case. He was ready to lift his mace at a second's notice.
"Interesting..." he said. "How do you even know that it works? If activating it makes it explode, it can only be used once."
"Not true," replied Ravel. "It has been used many times in the past... By warlords, tyrants, and madmen when they know that defeat is inevitable... But the Bringer of Doom always reforms at a later date, often in another reality or world, ready to bring doom once again.
"But the important thing is, hon, we have some time alone..."
"You have a lot of explaining to do, Ravel," asked Ben. "What was this terrible crime I committed?"
"I asked you the same thing, hon," replied Ravel. "You were too ashamed to tell me. At the time, I figured I didn't need to know… But later, it all came together... I knew you were special, not like the others who came to challenge me.
"Do you know why I granted your request? The question I asked you was, 'What can change the nature of a man?'
"I was impressed when you answered, not because it was the answer I was looking for, but because it was the answer that you genuinely believed to be true. I knew then that I had found something I had sought for many years... An equal."
"An equal?" asked Ben.
"That's right…" said Ravel. "You see, long ago, when I was a child... Cegilune told me that my destiny was to rule the Wastes as a queen... Become a goddess who could someday possibly challenge Hades for the title of most powerful resident of this place. But not before I found someone to rule it with me who was an equal. A consort who was just as cunning, just as clever, and just as resourceful as I was.
"That's why I accepted her offer, and agreed to accept every challenge. That's why I bothered with so many greedy, pathetic lowlifes wanting the endless riches they thought they would get from me... I needed to find someone who could actually be a challenge...
"Of all the beings who came to me, you're one of only two that I ever had to grant a wish to. The other one... I knew right away that she couldn't even remotely be considered as the one.
"But you... You impressed me so much, I knew that you were the one that Cegilune meant when she made that prophecy. But curse my sloppy magic, I had no idea your memory would fade after coming back to life! You forgot who you were... You forgot who I was! You left, and I never saw you again.
"But you stopped forgetting! Don't you see, hon? You were the only one who ever came to me who didn't sicken me. We were meant to be together... Fate has decided it."
"Hold on..." said Ben. "Ravel, this is... This is insane! You want me to join you?"
"What?" asked Ravel. "Is it because I'm ugly? No problem..."
Then she glowed with a shadowy aura. Ben blinked, and Ravel had been replaced by a stunningly beautiful woman in flowing red hair with green eyes, flawless skin and curves in a low cut evening gown.
"My magic can make me take the form of any woman you desire," she said, in a husky, seductive voice. "You never have to see my true form again if you don't want to."
Ben was stunned for a minute. He didn't do anything as Ravel caressed his chin.
"And I can change this any time I want…" she continued. "I can become any woman you wish, hon. I can be Marilyn Monroe one day and then Bettie Page the next! I can fulfill any male fantasy. I can keep you happy forever.
"I don't owe Cegilune anything anymore, but I still have the power she gave me! I can reestablish my base... and you could share it with me... All the wealth... All the power..."
Then Ben came to his senses. He gave Ravel a shove and knocked her backwards.
"All the blood on my hands!" he shouted, as her eyes turned red again. "It's not because you're ugly, Ravel… Although that is a big part of it… It's because you're a merciless human trafficker.
"You can use illusions to make yourself beautiful, but inside, you'll always be rotten to the core.
"I want my mortality back… And you're gonna give it to me…"
Ravel smirked, and then shifted back to her true form.
"If you won't accept the will of Fate, hon…" she said, "I'll have to force it on you. I really didn't want to do this, but…"
Then Ben felt like his head was on fire. He fell to his knees, clutching his temples.
"What are you doing?" he shouted.
"I already did it," said Ravel. "When I stripped you of your mortality, I added something of my own… A spell that only hags know how to cast called a Dark Cob. It's implanted in your very soul.
"Jalal likely noticed that it amplified my powers when you're around… That was just a side effect. Its true effect is to let me dominate you at any time."
"You… you were going to double cross me from the start…" groaned Ben.
"I didn't want to!" protested Ravel. "Do you think I can cast a Dark Cob every day? I had to give up some of my own power, and ten slaves had to die in order for me to cast it. Hags only cast it on slaves that they absolutely can't let go.
"But I wanted you bad enough that I…"
Ben struggled, and stood up.
"Ten of your victims died for you to do this?" he screamed. "You beast!"
As he said that, he swung his mace, clocking Ravel upside the head. The night hag was knocked down, clearly not expecting that…
But she was much tougher than a human woman. She quickly got up, and looked at Ben, who was still struggling against the foul spell.
How?she thought. How is he resisting the Dark Cob? He…
Wait… That Duel Disk… It reeks of Law and Good… It's trying to protect him!
No, worse… It's trying to purge the Dark Cob from him…
I can't risk the possibility that it will succeed… I have to end this struggle by taking it from him…
And I know just how…
Then Ben stood up. The pain had vanished.
But as he looked around, he saw that all was not well… He was in a dark void. Darkness was to every side of him, as well as above and below.
Then Ravel appeared in front of him, wearing a Duel Disk of the same style as that of her henchmen on her left arm.
"Ravel, where are we?" asked Ben. "What's going on?"
"Seems you're more resilient than I thought, hon," she replied. "I never thought you could fight the Dark Cob like that…
"I'd love to see who wins this struggle, but it could take hours before one side gives. And it could end with one of us dead. That won't do, for two reasons.
"Self-preservation on my part is the obvious first reason. The second reason, if you died from the strain, there'd be no guarantee that you'd be reborn anywhere near this castle, or even anywhere near the Grey Wastes. I'm not going to risk losing you again.
"So here's what I'm willing to offer…
"Defeat me in this Shadow Duel, and I'll remove the Dark Cob… But lose, and relinquish the Duel Disk."
Ben looked at her hard.
"Well?" asked Ravel.
"I'm thinking about it…" replied Ben.
"Ben…" said Ravel. "If you refuse it's gonna be hours and hours of this…"
Then the pain started boring through his head again. Again, he tried to resist it, and Ravel strained to maintain it…
"All right, all right!" he shouted. "I accept!"
The pain stopped. He looked at his Duel Disk…
It had taken him this far with one deck after another… He had to hope it would outdo itself this time.
(Ben: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Ravel: 8,000)
"You certainly don't act like a lady," said Ben, "but I have to give you the first move anyway…"
"Why thank you," said Ravel, making a draw.
"I'll set this card…" she said.
A set Monster appeared in front of her.
"…and I'll end it for now…"
Have to be careful, said Ben, as he made a draw. This is one opponent I really don't trust…
He looked at his opening hand. He saw the general idea this time…
"I summon Queen's Knight!" he exclaimed.
In an aura of light, a beautiful woman clad in scarlet armor, which was decorated with playing card symbols – hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades – with long, golden hair down to her waist, appeared in front of Ben. She held a longsword and a shield shaped like an inverted triangle. (1,500 ATK)
"Hmm…" said Ravel.
"Attack her Monster!" shouted Ben. "Queen's saber slash!"
Queen's Knight made a swipe with her blade, and Dark Mimic LV1 appeared on the card. It was cut cleanly in half.
"Thanks again," said Ravel, making a draw.
Ben sighed.
"I'll set this," he said, as a facedown card appeared behind Queen's Knight, "and I end my turn…"
Ravel made a draw. She carefully looked at her hand of seven cards.
"Been awhile since I've been in a Shadow Duel…" she said with a grin. "I'm a little rusty…
"But it's all coming back… I summon Fortune Lady Light to the field."
In an aura of light, a young teenager dressed in a skimpy leotard and a yellow, tattered cloak, with blonde hair cut in bangs, appeared in front of Ravel. She carried a staff with a jewel on one end, and a curved blade on the other. Most disturbing, two bat-like wings were growing out of her temples.
"A Fortune Lady?" asked Ben.
"That's right," said Ravel. "A Fortune Lady's scores depend on her current Level. Light here starts out at Level 1, and she only gains 200 points per Level…"
(200 ATK)
"…but she won't be staying long…"
She played a card, and a Spell Card appeared.
"I activate Dimensionhole!"
A pulsating wormhole appeared behind Fortune Lady Light, and she was sucked through it.
"By banishing Light from the field," said Ravel, holding up a card, "I'm able to Special Summon a stronger Fortune Lady… Like Fortune Lady Dark!"
A similar Spellcaster appeared in Light's place. She wore the same leotard, but had a purple cloak, and her hair was black and worn long. She had a similar staff and the same bat-like wings growing out of her temples.
"Fortune Lady Dark gains 400 points per Level, and she starts at Level 5."
(2,000 ATK)
"Which means she can outmatch your Queen on her worst day! Attack! Dark curse!"
Dark's eyes glowed with pinpoints of light as she aimed her staff at Queen's Knight. Queen's Knight only gave her a dirty look…
Then Dark fired a blast of shadowy energy, and Queen's Knight shattered.
"So much for her…" said Ravel. "I'll set this facedown…"
A set card appeared in her Spell Zone.
"Then I'll play… Fortune's Future."
She played another Spell Card, and Fortune Lady Light's card appeared in her hand.
"I'll send this back to my deck, then reshuffle…"
The deck was reshuffled.
"…then make two draws…"
She drew twice.
"…and I end my turn…"
"And I activate this," said Ben.
His facedown card lifted up.
"Miracle's Wake. Now I can summon Queen's Knight back."
Queen's Knight appeared again, kneeling and holding her shield in front. (1,600 DEF)
(B: 7,500) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 8,000)
Ben made a draw.
He quickly set the card in his Disk, and a card appeared set in his Spell Zone.
"That's all for now," he said.
"On the run already?" asked Ravel, as she made a draw. "You make this too easy!
"During my Standby Phase, my Fortune Lady gains a Level, which means she gets stronger."
(2,400 ATK)
"And now she'll attack your Knight again!"
Fortune Lady Dark aimed her staff…
"Not so fast!" shouted Ben, as his facedown card lifted up.
"Ergh, a Trap!" cursed Ravel.
"Sakuretsu Armor!" exclaimed Ben.
"Never…" said Ravel, as her facedown card lifted up. "I activate Interdimensional Matter Transporter!"
A weird device vaguely shaped like a mechanical tree appeared behind Fortune Lady Dark. She vanished in a beam of energy.
"This removes her from the field until the end of the turn," she said. "So Dark escaped your Trap Card."
"But my Monster is safe," replied Ben, "and when Dark comes back, her scores will be reset to 2,000."
Ravel frowned, and set a card in her Disk. A new facedown card appeared in her Spell Zone.
She waved her hand. Fortune Lady Dark reappeared. (2,000 ATK)
"I draw!" shouted Ben, drawing a card.
"Then I move Queen's Knight into Attack Mode…"
Queen's Knight stood up, glaring angrily at Ravel and Dark. (1,500 ATK)
"Then, I summon King's Knight."
She played a card, and another Warrior appeared. He wore golden armor which, like his sister's, was decorated with playing card symbols. He wore a helmet shaped like a crown, and carried a sword and a round shield. (1,600 ATK)
"See Ravel? I have Queen's Knight and King's Knight. That means I get to call forth Jack's Knight…"
In an aura of light, the third of the siblings appeared. He was garbed in sapphire-blue armor, again covered with playing card symbols, had long, blonde hair, and carried a sword and a crest-shaped shield with a cross on it. (1,900 ATK)
"Impressive…" said Ravel.
"Next I play… Banner of Courage!" exclaimed Ben.
He played a card, and a Continuous Spell Card appeared on his side of the field.
"With this card in play, for my Battle Phase only, my Monsters gain 200 Attack Points.
"Jack's Knight, attack Fortune Lady Dark!"
Jack's Knight charged at the Spellcaster, his Attack Score rising to 2,100. He made a great swing, cleaving Dark in half at the middle.
"Activate Inherited Fortune!" shouted Ravel, as her Trap Card lifted up.
"What does that do?" asked Ben.
"You'll see…" said Ravel, with a sinister grin. "Next turn…"
Ben frowned.
"Queen's Knight, King's Knight…" he said. "Wipe that smile off her face…"
The two Knights rushed at Ravel. Strangely, she only cackled as their swords cut into her.
Ravel continued to chuckle as they backed off…
(B: 7,500) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 4,400)
"I didn't think you had it in you hon…" she said, slowly. "Seems I was wrong, and I'm glad…
"So many of the wimps who came to me were spineless losers who nearly wet their pants when they saw the hordlings. No-one was able to stand up to me like you are now…
"You have the heart of a warrior… It's all I hoped for!"
"Yes, I have the heart of a warrior!" replied Ben. "I may know the meaning bravery, but also of words like honor, loyalty, and justice. Those are words a slave trader like you only uses to manipulate people.
"Make your move…"
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At this moment, Dugan, Nichole, and Karl ran into the Great Hall.
"Whoa…" said Nichole.
In front of them was a huge dome of pure blackness. It crackled and pulsated with dark energy.
"Look familiar?" asked Dugan.
"Yeah…" said Karl. "This is the same setup that King Skuld was able to put together before Edgar took him down… I'd bet that Ravel is participating in a very serious Shadow Duel, and that she did not want any outside interference.
"And I hate to say it, but… The only person she could be dueling would have to be Ben…"
"So what do we do?" asked Dugan. "If this is like Skuld's arena, I don't think we can dispel it… Ben is on his own…"
Nichole clutched the symbol of St. Cuthbert around her neck.
"We have to do the only thing we can…" she said.
"What?" asked Karl. "Pray?"
"I hate to say it," said Dugan, "but that's about it…"
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"It's my move…" said Ravel, making a draw.
"Due to Inherited Fortune," she said, "because a Fortune Lady was destroyed last turn, I get to Special Summon two of them from my hand this turn.
"So… Say hello to Fortune Lady Earth and Fortune Lady Water!"
In a cloud of dust, a new Fortune Lady appeared, this one wearing a beige cloak with brown hair, and spectacles. Then there was a cloud of bubbles, and another one appeared kneeling in Defense Mode. This one wore blue, and had long, flowing, blue hair.
"Fortune Lady Earth has 400 points per level, and she starts at Level 6," said Ravel.
(2,400 ATK)
"While Water has 300 per Level, and starts at Level 4."
(1,200 DEF)
"Plus, because I Special Summoned Water while I had another Fortune Lady, I get to draw two cards…"
She made two draws. She chuckled as she looked at them.
"And it's time for someone new! I summon Catoblepas and the Witch of Fate!"
There was a dark aura, and a new Spellcaster appeared, one much older than the Fortune Ladies. It was an old hag wearing a witch's hat, holding a staff with a golden orb. She was sitting on a large creature that looked like a cross between a hippopotamus and a giant ram. (1,800 ATK)
"Seems I've evened the field," said Ravel. "But not for long… Fortune Lady Earth, attack Jack's Knight with Cursed Thorn!"
Earth twirled her staff over her head, and slammed it to the ground. Spikes erupted out of the ground, rushing towards Jack's Knight and blowing him to pieces.
"Now, my Witch of Fate will deal with your Queen's Knight…" she continued.
The Witch of Fate cackled, and cast a powerful whammy, blasting Queen's Knight to particles.
"There's something to be said for the systematic removal of the competition," said Ravel. "It's your move…"
(B: 6,700) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 4,400)
Ben held his chest. He heart was beating heavily. This duel was taking a toll on him.
He looked at his hand.
All I need is the right card… he thought.
He made a draw.
Got it!
He quickly played another one.
"I play Dark Factory of Mass Production!" he shouted.
"By playing this card, I get Queen's Knight and Jack's Knight back…"
He took the two cards from his discard slot.
"And now… I play Polymerization!"
He threw the card into his Duel Disk.
"I fuse together Queen's Knight, King's Knight, and Jack's Knight…"
The three Knights appeared, and then turned into three orbs of light. They combined into a spiral of energy.
"…to call forth a greater power… Come forth, Arcana Knight Joker!"
With a roar, a larger knight, shining with radiance leapt onto the field. His armor was an elaborate combination of silver and royal purple, still covered with playing card symbols, and he held a huge sword in his right hand. (3,800 ATK)
"I activate the effect of Catoblepas and the Witch of Fate!" shouted Ravel.
"Huh?" said Ben.
"That's right hon," said Ravel, with a chuckle. "I hate to ruin such an epic moment for you…"
Fortune Lady Dark slipped out of her discard slot.
"…but because I have a Monster in my Graveyard with an indeterminate Attack Score, I can remove her from play so that my Witch of Fate can destroy a Monster that you Special Summon…"
The Witch of Fate cackled, and fired a blast of dark energy at Joker. He grunted, and shattered into pixels.
Ben paused for a minute…
"It's still my turn, Ravel…" he said, slowly.
He took two cards from his hand.
"I'll set a facedown card…"
A set card appeared in front of him.
"Then, I'll play Axe of Despair…"
"Axe of Despair?" asked Ravel. "You have no Monsters to Equip it to…"
Then she was startled as it appeared in Fortune Lady Earth's hands. (3,400 ATK)
"I end my turn…" said Ben.
Ravel looked at Ben closely.
"Making my Monster stronger?" she asked. "Are you giving up? Have you accepted destiny?
"You might have…"
She made a draw.
"But then, I'm not stupid…
"During my Standby Phase, both my Fortune Ladies go up one Level…"
Fortune Lady Water's score rose to 1,500, while Earth's Attack Score rose to 3,800.
"And due to Fortune Lady Earth's effect, you lose 400 Life Points when her Level increases."
Ben groaned a little as a fiery aura hit him.
"Now, I move Water into Attack Mode…"
Fortune Lady Water stood up. (1,500 ATK)
"…and play the Spell Card, Storm of Ill-Fortune," continued Ravel, as she played a Spell Card. "I get to name any Spell or Trap I can think of, and if you trigger it, you take 3,000 points of damage.
"I'm going to name…"
She pointed to Ben's set card.
"…Magic Cylinder!
"Let's see if I'm right… Fortune Lady Earth, attack him directly with Cursed Thorn!"
Fortune Lady Earth slammed the Axe of Despair to the ground, and Ben screamed as the spikes bit into his flesh.
He took some deep breaths…
"Bitch…" he muttered.
(B: 2,500) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 4,400)
"No, Ravel…" he said through his pain. "You were definitely not right. Seems I outwitted you again…"
His facedown card lifted up.
"I activate Damage Gate!" he shouted. "Now I can Special Summon from my Graveyard a Monster with an Attack Score equal to or less than the damage I took…
"And you can't use your Witch of Fate's effect this time, because there are no Monsters in your Graveyard that fit the bill."
Arcana Knight Joker appeared again, and this time, he looked angry. (3,800 ATK)
Ravel looked upset.
"I can still play this Spell Card…" she said. "Activate, Sebek's Blessing!"
She played a Quickplay Spell, and the hideous form of the crocodile god Sebek appeared behind her.
"By using this, I gain Life Points equal to the amount you lost from that direct attack.
"And it's your move…"
(B: 2,500) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 8,200)
Ben drew a card.
Pot of Avarice? he thought. Darn… Not exactly the right time for that…
"I attack Fortune Lady Earth with Arcana Knight Joker!" he shouted.
Joker lifted his sword.
"And don't forget, due to Banner of Courage, he gets a small bonus…"
(4,000 ATK)
"…making him just strong enough. Go! Celestial blade!"
Joker leapt at the Spellcaster, and brought his sword down hard. Fortune Lady Earth was blown apart like a glass vase being hit with a crowbar.
"That's all I can do…" said Ben.
(B: 2,500) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 8,000)
Ravel grumbled as she made a draw.
"All right, hon," she said, "that Joker of yours definitely has got to go…
"Fortune Lady Water gains another Level and 300 more Attack Points…"
(1,800 ATK)
"But due to what I have to do next, I'm moving her to Defense Mode."
Water knelt, and held her staff in her lap. (1,800 DEF)
"It seems I have to take a risk here. This card can only be used during my first Main Phase…"
She played a Spell Card.
"It's called Uncertain Future. You get to draw once, but I get to Special Summon a Fortune Lady from my Graveyard…"
Fortune Lady Earth appeared in front of her, defending just like Water was. (2,400 DEF)
Ben made one draw.
"You see," she continued, "I know all about Joker's effect… I know that if you discard a Monster, he can negate a Monster effect aimed at him. But my two Fortune Ladies will be adequate shields next round if this doesn't work out."
Ben looked at the card he had drawn. It was Emergency Provisions. Neither of the cards in his hand was a Monster…
It seemed Ravel's plan was going to work…
"I summon Solitaire Magician," she said.
A new Spellcaster appeared, one that looked like she might be a kid sister of one of the Fortune Ladies. She was younger, but had a similar outfit and staff, and the same bat-like wings growing out of her temples. Her turquoise hair was in pigtails. (1,600 DEF)
"Now I use her effect," continued Ravel. "By reducing Fortune Lady Water's Level by three, I can destroy one of your Monsters."
Solitaire Magician grinned wickedly as she aimed her staff at Joker. Fortune Lady Water's scores fell to 900.
The Solitaire Magician blasted a beam of pure light, and Joker was vaporized.
"Anyway…" said Ravel. "I have to skip my Battle Phase this turn because I used Uncertain Future. Hence the name."
She looked at Ben hard.
"Just give up!" she with a sigh. "You defeated me by being smart once, but I've grown smarter since then, by thousands of years.
"I mean, just look! My Life Points are way ahead of yours, and I have four Monsters on the field. Seeing as you didn't use Joker's effect to save him, you obviously have none.
"Next round, my Spellcasters are all gonna plow into you!"
"Never…" said Ben.
"Suit yourself…" said Ravel.
She set two cards in her Disk, and two facedown cards appeared.
"I end my turn…"
Ben drew a card.
We'll soon see… he thought, as he looked at it.
"I set this card," he said, as he set Pot of Avarice into his Disk. "Then, I play Emergency Provisions to dispose of it and Banner of Courage, and gain 2,000 Life Points."
He played the Spell Card, and both of the other cards vanished. Ravel cackled.
"You only have one card left!" she laughed. "What could you possibly do with one card?"
Ben quickly played it.
"It's called Card of Reversal," he replied. "And because it's the only card I have, I now get to draw one card for each face-up card you have.
"I count five, four Monsters, and Storm of Ill-Fortune."
Ravel looked in disbelief as Ben made five draws.
All right… he thought, as he looked at them. Now I might have a chance…
"I play Re-Fusion!" he exclaimed, playing one of them. "By dropping 800 Life Points, I can bring Joker back to the field."
Arcana Knight Joker appeared again. (3,800 ATK)
"But he isn't staying," he continued. "Because next, I'm playing De-Fusion!"
He played another card, and Joker vanished. In his place, Queen's Knight (1,500 ATK), King's Knight (1,600 ATK), and Jack's Knight (1,900 ATK) appeared.
"Now to summon someone new! I sacrifice Queen's Knight, King's Knight, and Jack's Knight…"
The three knights turned into orbs of light. Thunder rumbled…
"No…" said Ravel. "It can't be…"
Then lightning flashed, and a Warrior just as big as Joker stepped forward…
Ravel stepped backwards as Gilford the Lightning glared at her. (2,800 ATK)
Ben said nothing. He turned to Gilford, and the powerful Warrior slowly drew his sword…
Ravel braced herself as lightning flashed, and then struck her side of the field, blowing her four Spellcasters to particles.
Then her Storm of Ill-Fortune shattered, unable to stay on the field without any Fortune Ladies.
"Attack directly!" shouted Ben. "Thunder blade!"
Ravel barely had time to react. Gilford moved with incredible speed for someone so big. She screamed as his electric-charged blade struck her, and she fell backwards, bouncing twice before landing on her back.
(B: 3,700) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 5,200)
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Outside the dome of Shadow energy, Ben's three allies watched.
And as they watched, a violent shudder shook the dark dome. It shook and undulated for a few seconds.
"Something just happened in there…" said Karl.
"Wait…" said Nichole.
She grinned.
"Ravel is maintaining this dome with her magic…" she said, excitedly. "For a few seconds there, she was having trouble doing so…
"That means she was just hurt…"
"Which means, Ben just got a good, solid hit against her!" added Dugan, catching on.
"People… It's far from over…"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
"Ow…" groaned Ravel.
"That… hurt…"
She paused before getting up.
"For the first time in centuries, someone has managed to hurt me…" she mused.
"I'll hurt you more if you persist," said Ben. "So are you willing to accept 'no' for an answer and give me my mortality back?"
Ravel laughed.
"No!" she cackled. "The fact that you managed to hurt me made me certain beyond a shadow of a doubt that you were the one I wanted. The one who is fated to rule beside me…"
"Ravel…" said Ben. "You may not see it, but this duel is a lost cause for you… Even if you win, even if you force me to be your consort, all I would be is another slave. I'd never truly love you, and I'd never be a willing companion. Deep down, it would still be master and unwilling servant. And that's not an arrangement of equality."
"Maybe not at first," said Ravel, "but in time, it will be…
"I activate my Trap…"
One of her facedown cards lifted up.
"Shock Draw lets me draw one card for every thousand points of damage I took. Rounded down, that's two cards."
She made two draws.
Ben sighed.
"I end my turn…" he said.
Ravel quickly made a draw.
She set a card, and it appeared in her Spell Zone next to the other one.
"Done," she said.
Ben looked at her.
"What?" she said. "Confused?"
Ben drew a card. He looked at it and the other two cards in his hand.
No Monsters… he thought. Just two Traps and my other Polymerization…
He set the two Trap Cards, and they appeared facedown.
"Gilford, attack…" he said.
"Not so fast, hon," said Ravel.
Her facedown card lifted up.
"It's both a Trap and a Monster," she said.
A mass of liquid silver ooze appeared in front of her.
"The impenetrable Metal Reflect Slime!"
The ooze grew, and formed into a hulking, vaguely humanoid shape made out of silvery slime. (3,000 DEF)
"If you think hiding behind a wall of snot is going to stop me for long…" said Ben.
But I don't need to keep it for "long", thought Ravel. Only long enough to summon my ultimate Spellcaster.
"My turn is over…" said Ben.
Ravel quickly made a draw.
"I summon Fortune Lady Fire!" she exclaimed.
A flame burst next to Metal Reflect Slime, and another Fortune Lady took shape from it. She wore a red cloak, and had bright red hair. (400 ATK)
"Now, I sacrifice Fortune Lady Fire and Metal Reflect Slime…"
The two Monsters burst into particles of light…
"…to summon the powerful Lady Misfortune!"
A beautiful woman took shape in front of Ravel. Ben quickly recognized her – she was the illusion that Ravel had taken before the duel to seduce him. However, she didn't look nearly as seductive now as she did then. She looked at Ben with a wicked smirk. (3,000 ATK)
"Three-thousand?" asked Ben, nervously.
"And I haven't gotten to the best part, said Ravel, as she played a Spell Card. "By Equipping her with Scroll of Bewitchment, I can change her Attribute from Dark to Fire."
Lady Misfortune's gown turned to fire engine red.
"Why did I do that, you ask?" she continued. "Because, once per round, I can choose one Monster, and Lady Misfortune gains an effect depending on the chosen Monster's Attribute.
"So, if I choose Lady Misfortune herself, who is now a Fire Monster, and she destroys a Monster by battle, you take damage equal to the destroyed Monster's Attack Score."
Lady Misfortune pointed at Gilford, and a shroud of flames covered her hand.
"I'm sorry about this Gilford…" said Ben.
One of his Trap Cards shot up.
"I activate Destruct Potion!" he shouted. "It destroys Gilford before your attack lands, and grants me 2,800 Life Points!"
Gilford the Lightning shattered.
"Fine!" said Ravel, now getting angry. "I'll attack you directly!"
Lady Misfortune shot a blast of flame from her hand, and Ben screamed as the flames burned into every pore. He fell on his behind.
(B: 3,500) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 5,200)
"Clever…" said Ravel. "You ended up only losing 200 Life Points instead of 3,000… But you're still losing.
"Make your move…"
Ben took some deep breaths. He stood up, and made a draw.
He quickly threw it on his Duel Disk, and a set Monster appeared.
He nodded.
"On the run again, hon?" asked Ravel, as she made a draw.
She looked at it. It was the Spell Card, Time Passage.
Can't use this now, she thought, looking at her facedown card, but I have one use for it…
The facedown card lifted up.
"Because it's my Standby Phase," she said, "I can activate Non Aggression Area. So I toss one card…"
She discarded Time Passage.
"And on your next turn, you aren't allowed to summon or set any Monsters!"
Ben made a scowl.
"All that's left is to destroy your last one," she continued. "Once again, I'll choose Lady Misfortune herself for her effect."
Lady Misfortune pointed at the set card, and a wave of flame shot towards it. Morphing Jar appeared on the card, and was burned to ashes.
"And I believe that Morphing Jar had 700 Attack Points…" she chuckled.
Ben discarded his last card, and they both made five draws.
(B: 2,800) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 5,200)
"It's your move…" she said. "Don't forget, no Monsters this turn…"
Ben growled, and made a draw.
"In that case, I pass…" he said.
Ravel chuckled as she made a draw. It was Call of the Haunted.
She smirked.
Better late than never… she thought.
"Six cards, and nothing you could do…" she said. "Sad, really…"
She played a Spell Card.
"I play Monster Reincarnation!"
She made a discard, and took Fortune Lady Water from her discard slot. Then she threw the card on her Disk, and Water appeared in a burst of bubbles. (1,200 ATK)
"Fortune Lady Water, attack him directly!" ordered Ravel. "Soaking chill!"
The Spellcaster twirled her staff, and shot a blast of freezing water at Ben. He grunted as it chilled him to the bone.
"Now to end this duel!" said Ravel.
Lady Misfortune formed an orb of blackness in her hands…
"I still have one Trap Card!" shouted Ben, as his last facedown card shot up. "Ground Capture!"
As Lady Misfortune threw her projectile, a huge hand made of rock and soil burst out of the ground in front of Ben.
"Huh?" said Ravel.
"This will cushion the blow," said Ben, "cutting the strength of your attack in half…"
The bolt of dark energy hit the hand, smashing through it and hitting Ben, but it had done its job and weakened the energy before it hit him.
Ben took some deep breaths.
(B: 100) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 5,200)
"I'm still in the duel, Ravel…" he said. "And Ground Capture has another effect… Because the damage I took was more than 500 points, I get to draw one card."
He made a draw.
"I'll set these…" said Ravel, as two facedown cards appeared, "and it's your move…"
She looked at the two set cards. The first was Torrential Tribute, which she would trigger if Ben brought back that annoying Arcana Knight Joker. The second was Call of the Haunted; even if Joker survived, she simply had to use it during his End Phase to bring back Fortune Lady Earth, and her effect would deplete the rest of his Life Points.
Ben looked at her. He looked at those two set cards. He wasn't fooled. He knew they were deadly.
He slowly drew a card.
He smirked at Ravel.
"Seems I'm going to throw a big monkey wrench in your plans, Ravel!" he said. "I play Giant Trunade!"
Ravel gasped as the Spell Card appeared, and her two set cards, along with Scroll of Bewitchment, were blown off the field.
"You're making me angry now…" she said with a growl. "Go ahead and bring Joker back, I'd love to destroy him again!"
"I'm not summoning Joker again…" said Ben, now calmer than he was before.
"First, because you have Monsters and I have none, I can Special Summon Level Warrior!"
There was a burst of stars, and a cowled, caped superhero in scarlet with golden stars on his mask and shirt appeared. (300 ATK)
"Because I summoned him that way, his Level becomes 4. Next, I summon the Tuner Monster, Chaos-End Master."
He played the card, and a new Warrior appeared. He looked like a cross between a Warrior and a resident of the Higher Plane, with gold design on his pure white outfit and feathered wings. (1,500 ATK)
"Now, I can Tune both of them together…"
The two Warriors leapt up, and soared into the darkness of the arena, dissolving into a cluster of stars…
"The clouds will darken and split, heralding the arrival of a fighter who can call forth the true power of the storm!"
(*3 + *4 = *7)
"Synchro Summon… Lightning Warrior!"
Thunder rolled, and lightning flashed, and a powerful, muscular Warrior landed in front of Ben. He wore silvery segmented armor with a red sash around his waist, had long, red hair, and eyes that crackled with electricity. (2,400 ATK)
"Interesting…" said Ravel. "But he's no match for Lady Misfortune…"
"I'll get to her later," said Ben, holding up a Spell Card. "Right now, it's her power I want.
"The Spell Card Riryoku will take half of her Attack Points, and give them to Lightning Warrior."
Lady Misfortune held her chest in shock as her Attack Score fell down to 1,500, and Lightning Warrior's rose to 3,900.
"Now, Lightning Warrior…" ordered Ben, "attack Fortune Lady Water with Lightning Punisher!"
Lightning Warrior pointed, and shot a blast of lightning at the Fortune Lady. Water screamed and her hair stood on end before she exploded into blue shards.
"ERGH!" gasped Ravel, holding her stomach.
(B: 100) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 2,500)
"That was a mistake, hon…" she said, through her teeth. "You should have destroyed Lady Misfortune when you had the chance… When your turn ends, Riryoku will wear off, and she'll destroy that Synchro and you along with it!"
"But my turn isn't over," replied Ben. "You see, when Lightning Warrior destroys your Monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard, you take 300 points of damage for each card in your hand."
Ravel stopped short. She realized that, due to his Giant Trunade, she had five cards in her hand.
Then she screamed as lightning struck again, striking her.
(B: 100) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 1,000)
"It's still not over…" she growled.
"But it will be in a minute," said Ben, as he played another Spell Card.
"I play Enemy Controller!
"I'll sacrifice Lightning Warrior, to take control of Lady Misfortune!"
Lightning Warrior turned into an orb of energy, which flew at Lady Misfortune, striking her. The Spellcaster gasped as she was pulled over to Ben's side of the field.
"This can't be happening!" shouted Ravel.
"Oh, but it is," said Ben. "Lady Misfortune… Finish her!"
Lady Misfortune blasted fire from her hands, and the night hag screamed and fell to her knees…
(B: 100) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 0)
Ben collapsed, exhausted, as the dome of dark shadow energy around them disintegrated.
"BEN!" yelled Nichole.
Ben felt Nichole's warm arms around him, slowly giving him back his strength.
"I'm okay…" he gasped. "I'm okay…"
He and the three Shadowchasers looked at the defeated night hag who was on her knees glaring at them. They all tensed…
No-one realized that there was someone else in the room. Up on the balcony, a man dressed completely in black, wearing a mask to conceal his face, was watching.
Ravel lost? he thought. Hmph… Either prison truly made her rusty, or my old friend has gotten even stronger than I thought he has.
No matter… Time to do what I came here to do…
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
CARD OF REVERSAL (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: Vorse Raider, KA-2 Des Scissors, Half Goblin, and Crawling Dragon all behind a Duel Monsters card.
Card Description: You can activate this card when you control no cards on the field and this is the only card in your hand. Draw 1 card for each face-up card your opponent controls.
Note: "Card of Reversal" was first used by Kenzan in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Taken by Storm (Part 2)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
GROUND CAPTURE (Trap Card)
Normal Trap
Image: A large hand with a glowing orb in the palm reaching out of the ground.
Card Description: Activate when your opponent declares an attack. Reduce the Battle Damage you take from the attack by half. If you take 500 or more points of damage from the attack, draw one card.
Note: "Ground Capture" was first used by Aki in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "Truth and Consequences (Part 2)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
STORM OF ILL-FORTUNE (Spell Card)
Continuous Spell
Image: An angry Fortune Lady Wind in the middle of a storm of chaotic energy.
Card Description: If you do not control at least 1 "Fortune Lady" Monster, destroy this card. When this card is activated, name 1 Spell or Trap Card. If your opponent activates the named Spell or Trap Card, destroy this card and inflict 3,000 points of damage to your opponent.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
UNCERTAIN FUTURE (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: Fortune Lady Light and Fortune Lady Fire cautiously approaching a glowing portal.
Card Description: Activate only during your Main Phase opponent draws 1 card. Special Summon 1 "Fortune Lady" Monster from your Graveyard. This round, you cannot conduct your Battle Phase.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
LADY MISFORTUNE (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Spellcaster/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 8
ATK: 3,000
DEF: 1,000
Card Description: This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card cannot be Special Summoned except by Tributing 2 Monsters, at least 1 of which must be a "Fortune Lady" Monster. Once per turn, select 1 face up Monster on the field. This card gains 1 of the following effects until the End Phase, depending on the Attribute of the selected Monster: FIRE: When this card destroys a Monster as a result of battle, inflict damage to the destroyed Monster's controller equal to the base ATK of the destroyed Monster. EARTH: Once per turn, you may destroy 1 Monster. This card cannot attack during the turn this effect is used. WIND: When this card destroys a Monster as a result of battle, destroy 1 Spell or Trap Card on the field. WATER: When this card destroys a Monster as a result of battle, draw 1 card.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Next:
Ben: I've defeated Ravel, but now what? Somehow, I doubt she will give me my mortality back even now.
This chapter of my story is almost over, but there may be another page or two left before turning to the next one…
"Unexpected Developments; The Lesser of Two Evils" is coming soon.