Last time on Yu-Gi-Oh GX:
"Illusion Gate! Open your doors and accept my soul as a sacrifice and reveal Stratton's Reploid Beamwalker (ATK: 1900)!" Camula shouted as Dr. Stratton's two-legged robot reappeared on Camula's field, "And now my Reploid! Destroy your former master!" Dr. Stratton braced himself as the robot fired its red laser at him, taking out what was left of his life points.
"Dr. Stratton!" the students cried as his body went limp and hit the ground in a sickening thud. Everyone watched as the spirit key around his neck vanished, as did his body. A dark glow emanated from Camula's hand as the doll she held took on Dr. Stratton's looks.
"One down, six to go! I shall see you all tomorrow night," Camula said as she turned to leave.
"Hey! You're going to duel me now!" Lynn shouted as she tried to give chase, but was held fast by Alexis and Syrus.
"You can barely stand let alone duel Lynn! Better leave it to one of us!" Lucia told the blond as Zane stood up.
"And by us, you mean me and that's just fine," Zane frowned as he stared out into the lake. The clouds above began to swirl as a sinister-looking castle on an island appeared in the distance.
"Do you hear me Camula? I'm going to beat you for what you did to Dr. Stratton!" Zane shouted as the crescent moon rose over the castle, piercing the clouds.
Chapter Twenty-Five: Nightmare of Camula Part 2
"This is horrible," Alexis sighed. Having witnessed the defeat of Dr. Stratton, the group had been forced to retreat back to the infirmary. Jaden and Lynn were put back into bed as the others discussed their next move.
"We know Camula will appear tomorrow night and she's likely to be at that castle. All we really have to decide is who will duel her next," Lucia said as she counted off the facts on her fingers, "Obviously, this battle requires a woman's touch so I'll take her."
"I'm sorry Lucia," Bastion replied, "But I'm not convinced that you're the right person for the job. I should go."
"It doesn't matter who stays or goes! We need to remember what's important here and that's defeating Camula and saving Dr. Stratton," Alexis argued.
"And that's only going to happen if we work together," A male voice said. Everyone looked to the door and saw Commander Floyd standing there.
"Commander?"
"To defeat this Shadow Rider, we'll need a different tactic. The Illusion Gate card will let Camula easily beat anyone in a duel. Luckily, I have something that can counter it," Commander Floyd smiled as he pulled out a small PDA-like device, "This scrambler can disrupt the card's holographic unit, forcing it to deactivate."
"Are you sure it will work?" Syrus asked.
"Positive. I've tested this in real life conditions and it will work. The moment she plays Illusion Gate, I'll shut it down. This will give you the chance you need to beat her," the Hylian commander replied.
"Perfect. All we have to do now is decide who will duel," Bastion grinned, rubbing his hands together in anticipation, "Obviously, I'm the best man for the job."
"Think again brain boy! I'm dueling!" Lucia smirked.
"Who said you should duel? I've got more experience."
"But I'm the one who kicked your butt last week in that training match!"
"It was close!"
"There was a 2000 life point difference in our scores!"
"Was not!"
"Was too!"
"Was not!"
"Was too!"
"SHUT UP, BOTH OF YOU!" Alexis screamed, scaring everybody dead in their tracks, "Sorry, but you're acting like an old married couple."
"If you can't decide peaceably, I'll choose for you," Commander Floyd declared. The four key keepers looked at one another and nodded.
"Alright, you decide," Alexis offered.
"I've heard about your dueling tactics and it's in my opinion that Zane should take on Camula," the commander declared, looking to the Obelisk king, "Up for it?"
"Just so long as you have that scrambler ready, yeah, I'm up for it," Zane said.
"Sounds like you're nervous," Bastion commented.
"You would be too, if your opponent was using a super-powerful illegal card."
THE NEXT EVENING…
"What? What do you mean they took off without us?" Lynn asked. Zane and Commander Floyd had left to Camula's lakeside castle, leaving the other three key keepers alone to watch over Jaden, Lynn and Atticus.
"Sorry Lynn, but Commander Floyd insisted that the rest of us stay behind and watch you," Alexis smiled sheepishly.
"As long as Zane beats her and saves Stratton, it's cool!" Jaden smiled, sitting up in his bed, "Still, it is boring in here and I hate sitting around and doing nothing."
"With the way you sleep in class, that's a first!" Lynn grinned as everyone laughed at her joke. But Lynn became serious again as she stared out the window.
I just hope Zane is doing OK.
MEANWHILE, AT THE LAKE…
"Looks like she's expecting us," Commander Floyd noticed as a red carpet rolled out from the middle of the lake.
"At least it's the red carpet treatment," Dr. Crowler commented, "But I still can't figure out how you talked me into coming on this little fiasco."
"A fellow faculty member of yours is in trouble and you don't want to help? I was informed that you're quite heartless and only care about preserving the needs of yourself and the other Obelisk Blue students but the way you act is overkill," Commander Floyd said conversationally.
"I beg your pardon?" It was then Commander Floyd grabbed Crowler by the scruff of his blazer.
"Which is why I suggest you start turning over a new leaf if you value your career as a teacher!" the leader hissed. Dr. Crowler nodded, scared for his life.
"Let's go," Zane mumbled and the three men walked down the carpet to the castle gates, which were nothing more than a simple iron portcullis covering a hole in the wall. With a loud shriek, the gate opened up and the three stepped inside to see a large stone staircase lined with torches awaited them. Above them, hundreds of bats sat watching them.
"Come on, the sooner we get this done, the sooner we can get out of here," Commander Floyd cringed as the three adults climbed the stairs and arrived in a new room. This new room was a two-story ballroom, complete with an upper deck. Two balconies, without rails, sat above. On one of them was Camula.
"Ah right on time!" the Shadow Rider said, "So darling, are you ready to duel?" Zane nodded as he ran up a nearby staircase to the upper balcony. He quickly got in to position and activated his duel disk as Dr. Crowler and Commander Floyd took a spectator's view from the upper deck.
"Now let us review. If you win, you get Stratton's soul back and I'll be on my way. But if you lose, I get your soul, your spirit key, and I get to continue my quest to unlock the three Sacred Beasts," Camula informed her opponent.
"Go for it Zane! Show this witch how an Obelisk duels!" Dr. Crowler cheered. Zane nodded as both duelists drew five cards.
"Duel!"
"I like to lead," Camula smiled as she drew a card, "I summon Vampire Lady (DEF: 1550) in defense mode and then I'll end my turn with a facedown card." Zane raised an eyebrow in confusion as a purple-skinned copy of Camula appeared on her field.
"Really? Shame," Zane frowned as he snapped off the top card of his deck, "Because it won't be enough to protect you from what I have planned!" The two spectators gasped as he held up the card he drew.
"Playing Power Bond?" Camula asked, slightly disinterested.
"It allows me to fuse machine type monsters and I have the perfect three monsters in mind: My Cyber Dragons!" Zane continued as his three mechanical serpents appeared on the field, "Now unite and form the Cyber End Dragon (ATK: 4000)!"
"There they are!" A female voice cried out. Everyone looked down and saw Lucia, Syrus and Bastion running up the stairs to the upper deck.
"You were supposed to stay with the others!" Commander Floyd frowned as the dragons merged into the infamous three-headed Cyber Dragon.
"We wanted to show our support," Syrus argued. The commander sighed as his gaze settled back onto the field.
"What did we miss?" Lucia asked.
"Almost nothing. This is Zane's first turn." This caught Syrus by surprise.
That's weird. Zane usually likes to feel out an opponent before throwing Power Bond. It's almost like he's using it instead of playing it. The younger Truesdale wondered.
"My, I like your aggressiveness, but are you sure you can handle the risks?" Camula asked seductively.
"She's right. At the turns' end, Zane will take damage equal to Cyber End Dragon's original attack points and that's 4000," Lucia noticed.
"But that may be a risk he's willing to take because Power Bond doubles Cyber End Dragon's attack points (ATK: 4000 + 4000)," Bastion added.
"And even better. Cyber End Dragon still has his special ability. Even if Camula plays defense, Cyber End Dragon will still inflict damage to her if the monster destroys the opponent's in battle," Commander Floyd put in.
"8000 points?" Camula gasped.
"I don't think I'll have to worry about consequences after this turn! Now Cyber End Dragon, attack with super striding flames!" Zane commanded, punching the air ahead of him. Everyone watched as the three heads reared back and fired a stream of golden energy at Camula's sole monster.
"Sorry darling but I activate Red Ghost Moon! To play this, I must discard one zombie monster from my hand to the graveyard (Zombie Werewolf). Now your dragon's attack points are added directly to my life points and our little battle ends right here and now!" Camula explained as the flame attack broke apart and enshrouded her in a fiery red glow, "That's 8000 points combined with the 4000 I already have which makes a grand total of 12000 life points!"
"Wrong!" Zane challenged as he held up another card, "I activate the spell card De-Fusion, disassembling Cyber End Dragon and leaving you with nothing!" Everyone watched as the dragon split apart into three separate dragons (ATK: 2100).
"My points!" Camula hissed as her red aura vanished.
"I'll end with one facedown," Zane declared calmly, slotting in the last card he held. Camula drew a card and smiled
"I play Pot of Greed and draw two more cards! Then I'll sacrifice my Vampire Lady for Vampire Lord (ATK: 2000) and then I'll remove him from play in order to summon Vampire Genesis (ATK: 3000)!" The crowd gasped as Camula's most fearsome monster appeared on the field.
"Zane dear, precious. I promised you some fun and now we'll have it. Are you excited?" Camula asked, trying to seduce the blunette duelist. Zane however, refused to fall for her plan.
"Ugh! You're such a bore but maybe this will rouse you! Vampire Genesis attack!" Camula's vampire immediately turned to red mist and launched itself at Zane's field.
"As much fun as this is, I'm afraid I'm going to have end it with my facedown card," Zane interrupted, pressing a button his duel disk, "a trap known as Attack Reflector Unit!"
"A trap?" Camula gasped.
"One that's evolutionary! This trap lets me transform my Cyber Dragon into the Cyber Barrier Dragon (ATK: 800)!" Zane declared as his Cyber Dragon gained a new headdress-like device, "And when the Cyber Barrier Dragon is in attack mode, once per turn its special power lets me negate the attack of your monster!" Camula gasped as the dragon generated a green barrier that stopped Genesis' attack and returned it to solid form. Zane then drew a card to begin his turn.
"I play Pot of Greed and draw two more cards from my deck and one of them is the spell card Photon Generator Unit!" Zane declared, holding up one of his two cards, "This card lets me sacrifice my two remaining Cyber Dragons and bring out the Cyber Laser Dragon (ATK: 2400)!" Camula looked on as the two other dragons vanished and a much slimmer Cyber Dragon appeared, bearing a spiked tail.
"And this dragon has some real firepower! Once every turn, my Cyber Laser Dragon can destroy any monster on the field with attack or defense points equal to Laser Dragon's attack points!" Zane explained as the sides of the tail opened up and became a satellite.
"I bet you talk to all the girls like that," Camula said, sounding bored.
"No, just the ones I really don't like! Now Laser Dragon, let loose blue lightning lash!" Zane commanded as the tail laser fired, unleashing a beam at Vampire Genesis, taking him out, "And now wage your attack! Blue lightning blast!" Camula gasped in fear as the dragon opened up its mouth and fired its own energy beam at her (LP: 4000 -2400), injuring her. Zane held up a closed fist, not ready to end this duel.
"And don't forget Cyber Barrier Dragon! Attack with sonic shriek!" Zane continued as his barrier dragon began to cry out, sending out green sonic blasts at Camula, pushing her back into the wall behind her (LP: 1600 – 800).
"Now to complete my turn, I'll place a facedown," Zane finished, slotting in his last card.
"My my, now I see why you are the top duelist at Duel Academy, but know this," Camula groaned as she drew a card, "That you will not be permitted to win this duel which is why I play Illusion Gate!"
"Not if I can help it!" Commander Floyd as he held up the card jammer. He pressed one of the buttons on it and fired a beam directly at Camula's duel disk. The moment the beam hit, the hologram of the door began to vibrate.
"What is this?"
"I've locked your duel disk down and by doing so, your card's effect is cancelled," The commander explained as the door vanished in a shower of pixels, "It looks like you'll have to finish this duel without your card!" It was then Camula smiled.
"I forget the ignorance of a beating heart. Don't you know that my gate can't be destroyed?" This caught everyone by surprise as the door returned, "Your modern technology is powerless and because of my necklace, my gate can keep returning! Face it: You're about to lose because I'm destroying your monsters and bringing Cyber End Dragon (ATK: 4000) to my side!" The others watched as Zane's dragons vanished and his most powerful dragon returned, this time on Camula's field.
"And to think, all I have to do is sacrifice a soul to the Sacred Beasts should I still lose this duel," Camula smiled as a shadowy double emerged, "Thanks to my powers, I was able to find your weakness: Syrus!" It was then the double snatched Syrus. Everyone watched helplessly as a green energy flowed from Syrus and into Cyber End Dragon.
"If you even think about trying to win this duel, you'll only destroy your brother!" Camula grinned evilly. But before Zane could make a decision, a voice called out.
"I got your back Zane!" Everyone looked down and saw Alexis and Chumley running towards them, Lynn and Jaden in tow and Lynn's amulet was glowing brightly.
"Ancient evil! Be gone!" Lynn cried as her amulet fired a blast at Camula. Completely caught off guard, Camula was hit and purple energy flowed into Cyber End Dragon. At the same time, Syrus' energy flowed back into his body as the Camula doppelganger vanished.
"What have you done?" Camula demanded.
"I've switched your life energy with that of Sy's! Now if Zane destroys Cyber End Dragon, you'll be the one that disappears!" Lynn explained as she sagged weakly against Alexis.
"Foolish girl! All I have to do is offer up another soul and I'll be fine! Now who shall I pick?" It was then Jaden smiled. Chumley set him down, revealing the two amulet pieces Jaden wore around his neck. At the moment, the swinging parts combined and a golden flash lit the room, blinding everyone.
"What was that?" Dr. Crowler asked as everyone regained his or her sight.
"A flash of light won't help you!" Camula threatened as she tried to activate her necklace. To her dismay, it failed to power up. Meanwhile, the two necklace pieces had fused together, forming one amulet.
Thanks Atticus! We couldn't have done it with you! Jaden smiled.
"This game's over!" Zane declared as his trap card activated, "I use my facedown card, Call of the Haunted! With this, I can bring Cyber Laser Dragon (ATK: 2400) back from the graveyard!" Camula gasped as Zane's creature reemerged.
"And don't forget its ability! It can destroy any monster with more attack points than it once every turn," Zane warned as his dragon opened up its tail laser and fired a blast at Cyber End Dragon, destroying it. Camula's eyes went wide before rolling into the back of her head. Everyone watched as the Shadow Rider fell limply to the ground and was sucked into the Illusion Gate, leaving behind an unconscious Dr. Stratton, reverted back to normal.
"Dr. Stratton!" Lucia gasped as she and Bastion ran up to him. Each took an arm and lifted his body to his feet. It was then the castle began to shake.
"Uh oh! Time to go!" The two geniuses echoed as everyone made tracks for the exit. Everyone quickly tramped out the way they came and watched as the castle vanished in a swirl of smoke. The clouds above vanished as the blue night sky appeared.
BACK AT THE INFIRMARY…
"First off, I'm very disappointed in you two for disobeying orders. I told you to stay here and rest and you directly disobeyed me and came to Camula's castle," Commander Floyd frowned. His frown however quickly turned to a small smile.
"On the other hand, you two did save the day and so for that, I thank you." The two bed-ridden teens grinned as Atticus sat up.
"If you want to give anyone credit, thank Atticus. He told us how to beat Camula's powers," Lynn smiled, staring at the brunette duelist, "If it wasn't for him, Jaden and I wouldn't have been able to reverse her spells." Commander Floyd turned to the former Shadow Rider, a serious look on his face.
"Well then, perhaps our new friend can also tell us how to beat the other Shadow Riders?" Commander Floyd wondered. Atticus nodded.
"I'll tell you all that I know, even though he isn't much," the boy admitted as his sister took a seat next to him and wrapped an arm around his shoulder.
Alexis may have her brother back and Camula may be defeated, but this whole fiasco bought the Shadow Riders a spirit key. Even with Atticus' information, I doubt we'll get very far. I just hope whatever he has can help. Lynn thought as the others left the infirmary.
CHAPTER PREVIEW:
Lynn: Lucia and Bastion are an awesome tag team duo!
Zane: Bastion's calculated stratagems and Lucia's strength…
Alexis: They'll beat anyone easy!
Syrus: I hope so.
Chumley: Not luscious! Two Elemental Knights have appeared!
Bastion:We're on our own too.
Jaden: Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh GX Legacy of Lynn: The Darkest Winds!
Zane: The true test won't be to win, but to see who can work together the best.