A lot of questions came with the last chapter, like how the heck did I think up that riddle? And who are the other finalists?
Well, I confess, I got the riddle from a book of logic problems.
As for who the other finalists are, you'll find out one by one. Read on for now.
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Ever since we came to this island, the Shadow Queen has had a creep spy on us…
This weirdo in a funny suit has stayed just out sight, watching us, trying to learn about us, but never having the courage to face us. The one time Andy and Francesca caught him, he fled like a coward.
But it's strange – somehow he must have gotten a good deal braver, because right now, he's sought us out, and made a challenge to all three of us.
Well, I'm going to duel him now, as my first opponent in the Palace of Shadow.
I really don't think this Lord Crump guy is anything more than a lot of hot air. Heck, I doubt he's even a real lord.
At least, I hope he isn't anything more than hot air…
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CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
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Mage Versus Machine
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The three teens had to admit something…
For a Fiend, The Bistro Butcher made really great hamburgers.
They just really hoped that the beef he made them with came from a cow, and not a Battle Ox (which was a small possibility).
"Anything more I can get you kids?" asked the Fiend, as he wiped his counter with a rag.
"No, we're fine," answered Stan. "These are great, by the way…"
His mother had told him a simple tip about politeness – always compliment the chef, no matter what the food tasted like. He guessed that was especially true when the chef was a nasty-looking demon with a sharp hook for a hand.
He whispered to Andy.
"How do you suppose he can cook with only one hand?"
Andy shrugged.
"Thank you," replied the Butcher. "Well, leave your dishes, I'll clean up… And by the way Stan…"
"Yeah?" answered Stan.
"When you go out and duel that guy, be sure to kick his butt good," sneered the Butcher. "No one in this Palace likes him very much…"
"Really?" asked Stan.
"Yeah," snarled the Fiend. "Take this little cafeteria I have. I'm bound to cook for anyone who asks… But every time he comes in, he orders me around like I were some slave, eats like a hog, and leaves a big mess that I always have to clean up. If the Queen wouldn't punish me, I'd…"
He raised his big cleaver menacingly…
"Don't worry, pal," answered Stan, "I'll teach him a lesson…"
He wiped his mouth and got up.
He shuffled his deck again, and started for the door, his two friends followed.
Lord Crump was leaning against the wall of the large antechamber where the Queen had rescued them, near the door that they hadn't taken.
"Well, well," he snickered. "So, you're finally finished. Now we can start."
"I'm gonna take you down, fatso!" warned Stan.
"HA!" laughed his foe. "You're hardly a match for…"
He paused.
"…LORD CRUMP!"
"Crump?" chuckled Stan. "So that's your name? Figures. Well then, let's get started…"
His Disk flicked into position, and the holo-imagers shot out.
Crump repeated the trick, and the Life Point counters set to 8,000 apiece.
"Oh, I almost forgot!" chuckled Crump. "Before we start, according to the new rules, you have to choose a Deckmaster!"
Stan paused. He took his deck out of its tray.
"It can be any Monster in your deck, so choose well!" laughed Crump.
So many Monsters… thought Stan. And I have no idea what any of them can do as a Deckmaster… Who to choose…
And then a card flew out on its own!
"What?" exclaimed Stan.
The form of Vivian the Shadow Siren appeared beside him!
Crump laughed.
"Well, that's an interesting choice…" he chuckled.
"Wait!" protested Stan. "I didn't…"
Then Vivian's voice sounded in his head.
"Don't worry Stan!" she urged. "I can be a good Deckmaster! Honest! Just give me a chance!"
Stan paused.
"Okay, fine…" he replied, thinking out loud. "What's your ability?"
"Uhm, uh…" answered Vivian.
There was a long pause.
"I… I forgot…" she mused.
"You forgot?" shouted Stan out loud.
"Is there a problem?" laughed Crump.
"I just wanted to help!" sobbed Vivian.
"Vivian, don't cry, please!" sighed Stan.
"Crump, I have to make a change!" he demanded.
"Tough darts, Stan!" laughed Crump. "You know the rules! Once you chose a Deckmaster, you can't change it!"
Stan looked at Vivian.
"Well," he said, sort of annoyed. "Looks like we're stuck together. For now, try hard to remember!"
"Vivian the Shadow Siren is my Deckmaster!" announced Stan.
"And I'll gladly show you mine!" laughed Crump.
He held a card into the air, and a huge robot appeared behind him…
"Meet the mighty Machine King!" cackled Crump. "And I'll gladly tell you what its ability is. It's called Reserve Power! Every time I summon a Machine Monster, it will raise its Attack Score by one quarter of its Defense Score!"
"Man... That's powerful…" muttered Andy.
"Now, let's reshuffle and duel!" shouted Crump.
The two of them reshuffled their decks, and plugged them into the holders. They each drew five cards.
"Think Stan can beat this clown?" asked Francesca.
"Please…" muttered Andy. "This guy likely couldn't beat a preschooler…"
The Life Point counters each set to 8,000.
"Me first!" exclaimed Crump, drawing his first hand.
"My first card will be…"
He looked at the card.
"Graceful Charity!"
He played the card, and the angel flew out of the card, and handed him three cards.
And I know just what to discard… he thought, handing her two.
The angel flew into his discard slot with the two cards.
"And I'll play this Monster in Defense Mode…"
He placed a card down.
"Meet Cycroid!" he laughed.
A weird Monster that looked like a red bicycle with fists on its handlebars and an eye in the center of them appeared. (800/1,000) –) (1,050/1,000)
"HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!" laughed Stan. "That's a Monster? I've gotten better cards out of my store's discount bin!"
"This Monster is a special Machine," answered Crump, "known as a Vehicroid."
"I don't care what religion it is!" laughed Stan. "It's still weak!"
"It's your move…" muttered Crump.
"Is Crump serious?" asked Francesca. "That Monster is pathetic!"
"It must be part of a larger plan…" mentioned Francesca.
Stan made his draw.
"Good," urged Vivian, looking at his hand. "You have plenty that can fix his little red bicycle!"
"Let me show you a real Monster, Crump," warned Stan.
He placed a card on his Disk.
"I summon the mighty Magician's Valkyria!"
A light shone from above, and a Spellcaster appeared. She looked a little like Dark Magician Girl, but with a brighter, more ornate costume, and a fancier staff. (1,600/1,800)
"Valkyria!" shouted Stan. "Attack his Cycroid with bright rainbow blast!"
Valkyria aimed her staff and fired a stream of multicolored lights! Cycroid was blown into pixels.
"Now I'll place one card facedown, and that will end my turn," stated Stan.
He placed a card in a slot, and it appeared.
Crump chuckled as he drew.
"Good work, Stan," he said, "but Cycroid was merely a decoy to draw out one of your stronger Monsters…"
He looked at the card he had just drawn.
"First I'll play this Magic Card…" he said. "It's called… 7!"
He played the card. A spinning wheel like that in a slot machine, appeared above him, and the number seven appeared on it.
"And just what does your Magic Card do?" asked Stan, surprised.
"You'll see soon!" chuckled Crump. "And now I'll summon yet another Vehicroid… the mighty Patroid, in Attack Mode!"
He placed another card down, and another cartoonish Machine appeared. This one looked like a humanoid police car with arms and legs, eyes in place of headlights, and a patrolman's hat on its "head". (1,200/1,200) –) (1,500/1,200)
Crump chuckled.
"With this guy," he said, "I can see any one of your facedown cards once per turn! So, Patroid, show me what that facedown card is!"
Patroid produced a whistle and blew it! Stan's facedown card lifted, showing it to be Spellbinding Circle.
It went back down.
"Well, can't have that, can we?" snickered Crump. "So I'll just play Mystical Space Typhoon!"
He played the Magic Card, and Stan's Spellbinding Circle was shattered.
"Doesn't matter…" sneered Stan. "Your Patroid is still weaker than my Valkyria…"
"Not for long…" chuckled Crump, choosing another card. "Because I play Rush Recklessly! This will increase my Monster's Attack by 700 for one Battle Phase!"
He played the card, and Patroid's Attack shot up to 2,200.
"Patroid!" he shouted. "Attack his Spellcaster with long arm of the law!"
The Vehicroid's siren started to blare! It shot forward with its first and punched Valkyria, blowing her to bits!
Stan's Life Points fell to 7,400.
"Stay strong, Stan…" urged Vivian. "He just got a lucky start…"
"I hope so…" answered Stan.
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It was at this point that the Shadow Queen was in her throne room, and decided to check up on her victims (a catch-all term that she was now using to describe all eight of the finalists). As she activated her viewing globe, she was quite surprised to see Stan dueling Crump.
"Grodus!" she yelled. "Get in here!"
Sir Grodus materialized before her.
"Yes, your excellence?" he responded, bowing.
"I seem to recall telling Crump that he was not allowed to duel those kids…" snarled the Shadow Queen.
"Uhm…" muttered Grodus. "He seems to have disobeyed you, my liege. Trust me, I had nothing to do with this…"
The Queen stared at him. She would know if he were lying, and clearly he wasn't.
She rubbed her chin.
"You want me to go stop the duel and bring Crump here?" asked Grodus.
"No…" sighed the Queen. "Let him have his fun for now… This actually might be good for a few laughs…"
The Queen thought for a minute.
The way Crump is acting, there's no doubt in my mind, she thought. HE was the one who stole the Liquid Courage. The jerk. Didn't his mother ever tell him never to drink from strange bottles?
Well, once this duel is over, we're just going to have to have a little talk…
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"Who'd have ever thought that this blowhard would inflict the first wound?" muttered Andy.
"Don't worry," assured Francesca. "This duel is just starting."
Stan drew a card.
"I'll place two cards facedown on the field…" he stated.
He threw two cards into slots, and they materialized.
"Now I summon Gemini Elf in Attack Mode!" he shouted.
He placed the card down, and the two twin elves appeared. (1,900/900)
"Attack his Patroid!" yelled Stan.
The two elves shot forth bolts of lightning, blasting the Vehicroid into scrap!
Crump's Life Points fell to 7,600.
"Take a permanent vacation on the junk heap, pal…" mocked Stan.
"Very funny," snarled Crump. "Now it's my turn…"
He drew.
He chuckled.
"I summon one of my strongest Vehicroids!" he exclaimed. "The powerful Steamroid!"
He placed a card down, and a huge Machine appeared. This one looked like a humanoid steam locomotive with eyes and arms, rising up on its hind wheels. (1,800/1,800) –) (2,250/1,800)
Stan gasped!
"Oh, and by the way…" chuckled Crump. "You might be interested in knowing… Not only does my Deckmaster make this guy stronger than your elves, but Steamroid gains 500 extra Attack Points when it makes an attack!
"Steamroid, mow down his elves with freight train rush!"
The huge Vehicroid's Attack rose to 2,750; smoke shot out of its stack, and it charged forward, plowing into Gemini Elf! They screamed and were blasted into particles.
Stan's Life Points fell further, to 6,550.
"Vivian…" said Stan to the Spellcaster by his side. "His Deckmaster is giving him too much of an edge. Are you SURE you can't remember?"
"Not yet Stan…" answered Vivian, sadly. "But I can give advice… His Steamroid may look strong, but maybe it has a weakness…"
"A weakness…" muttered Stan. "Hmmm…"
"I end my turn," said Crump.
Steamroid's Attack went back to 2,250.
Stan drew.
"I play Card Destruction!" he said, playing the card.
Crump shrugged. The two of them discarded the two cards they each had, and drew two more new cards.
"And now…" stated Stan, "I activate one of my Trap Cards… Disgraceful Charity!"
His Trap lifted, and a form flew out of the card. It was a female Fiend with black skin and black feathered wings, dressed in a peasant's outfit. She flew above the arena.
"Huh?" whispered Francesca. "Marie the Fallen One?"
The demoness pointed at both duelists with her claws, and magical energy struck their Disks.
"Thanks to my friend Marie here," explained Stan, "we both get back the cards we just discarded!"
Marie vanished, and two cards slipped out their discard slots.
Crump chuckled.
"Clever," he said. "But to help yourself, you had to aid me as well!"
"Perhaps," answered Stan. "But now I have a theory about your Steamroid, and I'm gonna test it!"
He placed a card down.
"I summon Skilled Dark Magician in Attack Mode!" he shouted.
Skilled Dark Magician appeared, brandishing his staff.
"Ooh, clever!" mocked Crump. "Do you actually think it will work?"
"Skilled Dark Magician!" shouted Stan. "Attack his Steamroid!"
"Stan, NO!" screamed Andy.
"Are you crazy?" yelled Francesca.
Skilled Dark Magician fired his dark spell…
And to everyone's surprise, the Vehicroid blew up!
Crump's Life Points fell to 7,450.
"I thought so…" muttered Stan.
"Huh?" asked Andy. "But Skilled Dark Magician was weaker!"
"Oh! I get it!" exclaimed Francesca. "Steamroid gets a 500-point bonus to its Attack Score when it attacks… but to make up for that power, it takes a 500-point penalty when it's being attacked!"
"Congratulations…" said Crump, sarcastically. "You figured it out…"
He drew a card.
"Well, he chuckled, "since one was so good, I'll play a second 7 card!"
He fit a card into a slot, and another slot machine reel spun over his head. A second seven appeared next to the first.
"Two of those cards?" gasped Fran. "What's going to happen if he draws another one?"
""Wouldn't you like to know!" laughed Crump. "Now I'll summon this guy in Defense Mode – Gyroid!"
He put a card down, and a cartoonish blue helicopter with eyes and arms appeared, hovering in mid-air. (1,000/1,000) –) (1,250/1,000)
"And that's my turn…" he snarled.
Stan drew a card.
This little guy might help later… he thought.
"Skilled Dark Magician," he shouted, "attack that… helicopter thing!"
Skilled Dark Magician fired a bolt of energy from his staff… An explosion burst at the point of impact…
But when the dust cleared, Gyroid was still there!
"What?" gasped Stan. "But my Monster's Attack was greater than its Defense!"
"Doesn't matter!" laughed Crump. "Thanks to Gyroid's effect, you have to successfully attack it twice in one round to destroy it!"
Twice? thought Stan. What is it with these Vehicroids? How can I defeat Monsters with such weird powers?
Vivian touched his hand.
"Stan," she said. "I assure you, we will defeat these creatures. All machines have a weak point… Bugs and glitches. You simply have to find them…"
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At this point, the Shadow Queen realized something.
"Grodus…" she said. "I just noticed that Stan is using one of his Companion cards as his Deckmaster…"
"So?" responded Grodus.
"First of all," answered the Queen. "Those cards aren't in our database. Their Deckmaster abilities were probably infused by whoever created them, and might be very powerful.
"And I've been watching those kids duel… These Monster Cards are more than just cards – every time I've seen them play one, I've felt a living soul residing in each. It's as if those Companions have been brought back to life and sealed in cards.
"Since one of them is serving as Stan's Deckmaster, Crump might be in bigger trouble than he thinks…"
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"Can it be? My turn?" chuckled Crump, making a draw.
He chuckled as he looked at the card.
"I'm sure you'll remember this move, Stan!" he laughed turning the card on his Disk. "I'm switching Gyroid to Attack Mode…"
Gyroid prepared to attack…
"…and then using another Rush Recklessly!"
He threw another card into a slot.
"Gyroid, attack his Skilled Dark Magician with downward draft!"
Gyroid's Attack rose to 1,950, and its blade spun furiously! Skilled Dark Magician staggered against the windstorm, and he shattered!
Stan's Life Points slipped a little, to 6,500.
"And I'm not done!" laughed Crump. "I'm playing a Magic Card called Recycling Plant!"
He slammed a card into a slot.
"This clever card lets me fuse together one Machine Monster on the field with one in my Graveyard, with no Polymerization required!" explained Crump. "So I'll fuse together Gyroid and my destroyed Steamroid to summon Steam Gyroid, in Attack Mode!"
Steamroid appeared, and a portal resembling a giant gear flew into place behind them. The two Vehicroids were sucked through it…
And an enormous form trudged out! It looked, basically, like an evil combination of both Vehicroids, with a demonic face on the front, and the blades on it back spinning wildly. (2,200/1,600) –) (2,600/1,600)
"So," mocked Crump, "what do you think of my merged Machine?"
"Actually, I'm happy to see him!" exclaimed Stan.
"Huh?" replied Crump.
"By summoning that monstrosity," explained Stan, "you've enabled me to get the best use out of my Trap Card. I activate A Rival Appears!"
His Trap Card lifted, showing the image of White Magician Pikeru struggling with Ebon Magician Curran.
"Let me explain," said Stan with a grin. "By activating A Rival Appears, I can Special Summon from my hand any Monster who has the same number of stars as one of your Monsters. Since that thing has six stars, I can now summon this guy…"
He placed a card down.
"Meet my Cybernetic Magician!"
In a flash of light, a tall Spellcaster appeared. He was dressed in a pure silver coat with a mid-sized train, boots, and a peaked hat. He carried a silver punch-dagger. (2,400/1,000)
"Big deal!" laughed Crump. "Your fancy-pants Spellcaster is still weaker than my Machine!"
"We'll soon see," said Stan, "It's my move!"
He drew.
"Now I'm enacting Cybernetic Magician's effect," he said. "By discarding one card in my hand, he can change the Attack Score of any Monster on the field to 2,000 for one turn."
Crump laughed out loud.
"I see two things wrong with THAT!" he laughed. "One, you haven't got another Monster on the field! Two, even if you did, increasing one of your Monster's Attack Scores to 2,000 wouldn't be nearly enough!"
"You just don't get it do you?" sighed Stan.
Crump paused.
"I said that he can change a Monster's Attack Score to 2,000, not just increase it!" laughed Stan. "While he can indeed increase the Attack of one of my weak Monsters, he can also lower the Attack of one of my opponent's strong Monsters!"
Crump was startled!
"Simply put, Crump, if the Monster you had in front of you was Kaiba's Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, my Cybernetic Magician could still take it down.
"So I'll just discard this…"
He discarded one card, and Cybernetic Magician chanted. Steam Gyroid glowed, and its Attack fell to 2,000.
"Cybernetic Magician, destroy his Machine with cyber magic!"
Cybernetic Magician raised his dagger, and sparks of eldritch energy flowed from it! Steam Gyroid sparked and then erupted into a fierce explosion!
Crump shielded himself as his Life Points fell to 7,050.
"All right!" screamed Andy.
"Blow those Machines to smithereens!" shouted Francesca.
"Okay, now I'm angry…" muttered Crump, drawing a card.
He placed it down.
"I'm summoning Jetroid in Defense Mode," he stated.
Yet another Vehicroid appeared. This one looked like a cartoonish, red fighter jet plane with eyes on its cockpit and arms and legs. (1,200/1,800) –) (1,650/1,800)
"End turn," he said.
Stan sighed.
"Vivian, anything yet?" he asked. "I could sure use some help…"
"Sorry…" she moaned.
Her hands went to her eyes.
"Oh, I feel so useless!" she sobbed.
"What the heck is wrong with that Deckmaster of yours?" laughed Crump. "It seems to be throwing a hissy-fit!"
He laughed.
"Can it even do anything? Looks like you picked a real loser, Stan old chum!"
Now Vivian really started to cry.
"Vivian, calm down!" urged Stan. "You aren't a loser!"
"Yes I am!" she croaked. "I wanted to help you, but I can't do anything but stand here! I can't do anything right!"
"That's your sisters talking…" replied Stan.
Vivian suddenly stopped short.
"Now let's try to beat this creep," he said.
"I draw one card…" he said, making a draw.
"And also, remember that card I discarded to activate my Magician's effect? It was a little critter called Sinister Serpent. When it's sent to the Graveyard by any means, I can get it back at any time."
The card slipped out of his discard slot.
"Now then," he said, "Cybernetic Magician, attack his Jetroid!"
Cybernetic Magician took aim.
Crump chuckled.
"Sorry, Stan," he said, "but when Jetroid is attacked, I can activate any Trap Card from my hand that I want, and I want to activate my Shadow Spell!"
He threw a card into a slot, and a mass of chains bound Cybernetic Magician! His Attack dropped to 1,700.
Stan growled.
"I'll place a Monster facedown in Defense and end my turn," he said.
He put the card down, and the concealed Monster appeared.
Crump drew.
"HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!" he laughed.
"I think he got a good draw…" muttered Francesca.
"Look at this, Stan!" laughed Crump. "I just drew my third 7 card!"
He played the card, and another wheel spun, forming a third seven next to the other two.
"Now I can tell you what these cards do, Stan," he chuckled. "When one of them on the field is destroyed, I gain 700 Life Points…
"And when all three of them are on the field, I can destroy all three, not only gaining 2,100 Life Points, but drawing three cards in the process!"
The three cards shattered, and his Life Points went up to 9,150. Three cards flew off of his deck.
He chuckled again.
"Now then," he said, "to deal with your Monsters… I'll summon Drilloid in Attack Mode!"
He placed a card down, and a loud rumbling was heard. A new Vehicroid burst out of the ground, this one shaped like a drilling machine with eyes and an evil smile. Its arms had smaller drills in place of hands. (1,600/1,600) –) (2,000/1,600)
"I'll shift Jetroid into Attack Mode too!" he laughed, turning the card.
"Drilloid, drill the point home into Cybernetic Magician!" shouted Crump.
Drilloid's central drill spun rapidly, and it sped forward on its treads. It plunged its weapon into Cybernetic Magician and he shattered!
Stan's Life Points fell to 6,200.
"Ow…" muttered Francesca.
"That's gotta hurt…" mumbled Andy.
"Jetroid, destroy his facedown Monster with air strike!"
Jetroid launched a barrage of missiles at the facedown Monster! Sinister Serpent appeared on the card, and was blown to bits!
"And I'm not done!" laughed Crump. "Now I play the Magic Card… Peace Offering!"
He played a card, and a Magic Card showing Mystical Elf handing a fruit basket to an unseen receiver appeared.
"Huh?" asked Stan.
"This Magic Card lets me take any card from my hand and place it in your deck!" laughed Crump, holding a card aloft.
The card flew from his hand, and struck Stan's deck!
"What did you put in there, Crump?" demanded Stan. "A bomb?"
"I'm not telling!" laughed Crump. "I end my turn…"
"Stan, be careful!" warned Vivian. "That card that he planted in your deck must be part of some sort of strategy!"
"I know," answered Stan. "But what?"
He drew a card.
"Don't forget, I now get Sinister Serpent back," he said.
The card slipped out of his discard slot.
"And now I play… Pot of Greed!"
The evil jar appeared, and handed him two cards.
"Perfect," he thought.
"I'm summoning a Monster that a great duelist by the name of Aesop gave me," he stated. "I summon Watapon!"
He placed the card down, and the tiny, furry Fairy appeared. (200/300)
"HA!" laughed Crump. "That Monster is useless!"
"No it isn't," said Stan. "Since I drew Watapon using Pot of Greed, summoning it is considered a Special Summon.
"That means I can sacrifice it to summon this guy in Defense Mode…"
He switched cards on his Disk and Watapon vanished.
"Meet Neo Aqua Madoor!"
A blast of ice and snow hit Stan's side of the field, and the icy magician clothed in furs appeared. (1,200/3,000)
"He looks like a giant Eskimo!" sneered Crump.
"A giant Eskimo with 3,000 Defense Points!" laughed Stan. "You'll never get by him!"
"Oh, really?" laughed Crump, making a draw.
He added the card to his hand.
"Drilloid, attack his Madoor!" he shouted.
Stan gasped as Drilloid charged at Neo Aqua Madoor, drill first…
The Spellcaster groaned and shattered!
"Wha… Buh…" gasped Stan. "But his Defense was 1,000 points greater than that thing's Attack!"
Crump chuckled.
"Drilloid doesn't care if a Monster has a million Defense Points!" he laughed. "Due to its effect, whenever it attacks a Monster in Defense Mode, that Monster is destroyed automatically! And I don't even take any damage!
"Now where were we?
"Oh yes… You had nothing to protect you, and I was about to attack you with my Jetroid! Jetroid, attack!"
The Vehicroid fired a barrage of missiles at Stan, and he screamed as they exploded around him!
His Life Points fell to 4,550.
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"I wouldn't have believed this if I wasn't seeing it," mused the Queen. "Crump is actually doing a good job. Maybe that Liquid Courage actually gave him a lot of self-confidence as well…"
"So what should we do if he actually wins?" asked Grodus. "Will we still punish him?"
"Well, yeah…" muttered the Queen. "Breaking into my lab is a major no-no… But maybe I'll also give him a raise afterwards…"
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"All right horn-head…" growled Stan, "It's my draw…"
He drew.
Not bad, he thought.
"I'll play a Monster facedown in Defense Mode, and that will be all," he stated.
"You don't fool me, Stan!" laughed Crump, making a draw. "You have a lousy hand, so you just set your worthless Sinister Serpent again."
Stan stared at him.
Crump drew.
"Jetroid, attack his Monster!" shouted Crump.
Jetroid fired its missiles…
… and a bent old witchdoctor appeared on the card.
"Old Vindictive Magician?" shouted a shocked Crump.
"Yes!" exclaimed Stan with a smirk. "And since you flipped him, I can destroy any Monster on the field I choose, and I choose your Drilloid!"
Old Vindictive Magician cast his curse at Drilloid, and it shattered into pixels. Then the Magician crumbled into pixels himself.
Crump growled.
"It's your move…" he stated.
Stan drew.
"I place one card facedown…" he said.
He threw a card into a slot, and it materialized in front of him.
"And I'll summon Ebon Magician Curran in Defense Mode!" he stated.
Curran appeared, and shielded herself with her switch. (1,200/0)
"That ends my turn…" stated Stan.
"Defending with a Monster with zero Defense Points," chuckled Crump. "Real bright…"
He made a draw.
"I'll place my own card facedown," he stated.
He fit a card into a slot, and it appeared.
"Jetroid, destroy Curran!"
Jetroid fired its missiles…
"Hold it right there!" shouted Stan. "I activate… Draining Shield!"
His Trap Card lifted, and an invisible barrier formed around Curran, stopping the missiles.
"Not only did I halt your attack," sneered Stan, "but now I gain Life Points equal to that Monster's Attack Points!"
His Life Points went up to 6,200.
Crump growled.
"I can't take all the credit for adding this Trap to my deck," chuckled Stan. "I was inspired by a friend of yours – Vladimir, the Shadow Spawn of Darkness!"
"Friend?" shouted Crump, obviously offended. "The Spawn aren't my friends! They do nothing but boss me and the rest of the Queen's servants around!
"Those spoiled brats know that the only one they have to answer to is the Queen herself, and if she isn't around, their word is law! Do you have any idea what that brat Melissa did to me last month? She…"
"I'm not interested!" interrupted Stan.
But come to think of it, that explains a lot… he thought.
"Now it's my draw…"
He drew one card…
Curran cast her spell, and dark magic struck Crump! He groaned, and his Life Points slipped to 8,850.
Stan placed a card down.
"I'll summon Neo the Magic Swordsman in Attack Mode…" he exclaimed.
Neo appeared, holding his sword aloft.
"Now I'll…" he started.
"I'm activating a Trap!" laughed Crump. "Activate… Just Desserts!"
The Trap Card lifted.
Two ghostly hands flew forward from Crump's Disk and locked around Stan's neck! He gasped and fell to his knees!
"STAN!" screamed Francesca.
Stan's Life Points fell to 5,200.
Then Vivian reached down and offered him her hand.
"Stay strong…" she said. "If all I can do is encouragement, then that's what I'll do…"
Stan got up.
"As I was saying…" he snarled, "I'll shift Curran into Attack Mode…"
Curran got up and into attack stance.
Then Stan paused.
He remembered Jetroid's effect.
If Crump has a Trap Card in his hand, he can activate it when I declare an attack. This might be risky…
But I have to take the chance!
"Neo, attack his Jetroid!" he shouted.
Neo the Magic Swordsman leapt into the air and brought his blade down on the demented plane! It was blown into scrap!
"Curran, attack directly!" shouted Stan.
Curran cast forth a dark spell that plowed into Crump! He gasped and fell over.
His Life Points fell to 7,600.
"I'll end by placing this card facedown," said Stan, fitting a card into a slot.
The card appeared.
Crump snarled. He got up and drew.
"I'm done fooling around…" he cursed.
He took three cards from his hand.
"First I'll place two cards facedown…" he snarled.
Two cards appeared in front of him.
"Now I'll summon… X-Head Cannon!"
A far more deadly-looking Machine than anything he had summoned yet appeared. It was a blue robot with a helmeted head, two powerful arms, and two huge laser guns on its shoulders. Below its torso was a unit that looked like it meant to connect to something else. (1,800/1,500) –) (2,175/1,500)
"Oh… my… God…" gasped Francesca. "That's no Vehicroid… That's one of Kaiba's XYZ Machines!
"And that's trouble…"
"X-Head Cannon!" ordered Crump. "Attack Curran with de-fission ray!"
The two cannons on the metal Monster's shoulders glowed, and fired!
"I activate… Magic Cylinder!" shouted Stan.
"Eh?" said Crump, as the Trap Card lifted.
The two Cylinders appeared. One of them caught the blast, and the other shot it right into Crump! He howled and fell over!
His Life Points tumbled to 5,425.
He got up, gasping for air.
"Anything else?" asked Stan.
"No!" snarled Crump. "It's your move!"
Stan drew.
"Oh Crump?" said Stan with a smile. "Curran would like a word with you…"
Curran cast her dark spell again, and Crump staggered back. His Life Points fell to 5,125.
"Now, I'll place another card facedown," said Stan, throwing it into a slot, "and move both my Spellcasters into Defense Mode."
The facedown card appeared, and Neo and Curran shielded themselves.
"Make your move…" dared Stan.
Crump drew.
Excellent… he thought. My master plan is almost complete. Stan won't know what hit him!
"I summon Y-Dragon Head!" he shouted, throwing a card down.
Another frightening Machine, this one looking like a robotic dragon painted red with more guns, appeared in a flash. (1,500/1,600) –) (1,900/1,600)
"Say goodbye to your Monsters!" yelled Crump. "X-Head Cannon, attack Curran!"
X-Head Cannon fired…
"You never learn, do you?" chuckled Stan.
His Trap Card lifted, showing Dark Magician standing in front of a magical circle pointing a staff.
"Magician Selection?" gasped a startled Crump.
"This Trap Card not only protects a Spellcaster from an attack, but it deflects the attack to your weakest Monster!" laughed Stan.
The blast bounced off a shield and plowed into Y-Dragon Head, blowing it to pieces!
Crump seethed as his Life Points hit 4,850.
Okay, he thought. Exactly when did I lose control here?
"It's your move, you brat!" he cursed.
"Then I draw…" said Stan.
Curran cast her spell again, and Crump staggered back. His Life Points fell to 4,550.
"I play Graceful Charity!" he exclaimed.
He placed his card into the slot, and the angel flew out, handing him three cards.
Vivian looked over his shoulder as he looked at them.
"Let's see," he thought out loud, "Dark Magician, Negate Attack, and…"
He paused.
"Stan!" shouted Vivian. "That must be the card Crump planted in your deck!"
"But why?" replied Stan, reading the description. "If I use this, I could cripple him…"
He thought for a minute.
"I'll bet he intends to use Dimension Fusion or Return From the Different Dimension…
"But I'll be ready for him…
"First I'll summon Dark Magician, who's stronger than anything he's summoned so far. And I'll set Negate Attack, just in case. His plan will blow up in his face!"
"Stan, are you sure this is wise?" asked Vivian.
"Trust me…" answered Stan.
He handed two cards to the angel, and she flew into his discard slot.
"Okay Crump, get ready…" he said.
"First I'll place this facedown…" he said, fitting his Negate Attack into a slot.
"Now I'll sacrifice Neo and Curran to summon Dark Magician!"
The two Spellcasters vanished, and Dark Magician arose! (2,500/2,100)
"Now I'll play… this!" he shouted, throwing the card into a slot. "System Down!"
The card revealed itself.
"I'll pay 1,000 Life Points," he continued, as his Life Points fell to 4,200, "and in return, all Machines on your side of the field and in your Graveyard are removed from play!"
X-Head Cannon shattered, and several cards fell out of Crump's discard slot.
"Huh?" asked Francesca. "Why did Stan put that in his deck?"
"He… didn't…" muttered Andy. "Oh no…"
Crump transferred the cards to his Removed From Play slot. A smile crossed his face…
"Dark Magician…" ordered Stan, "attack him directly!"
Dark Magician aimed…
"Activate Waboku!" shouted Crump.
A Trap Card lifted, and the blast was halted.
"Your move then," snarled Stan.
"Heh, heh, heh," chuckled Crump, making a draw. "Heh, heh… HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA! I can't believe you fell for it!"
"Fell for what?" demanded Stan.
"This has been part of my plan all along!" laughed Crump. "All the pieces have fallen into place!
"I reveal my facedown card… Perpetual Motion Machine!"
The card lifted, showing a Magic Card with a wacky machine on it.
"Perpetual Motion Machine?" gasped Andy and Fran at the same time.
"A perpetual motion machine is believed to be impossible…" explained Crump. "And this card does something that is almost impossible. It lets me summon Monsters to the field that have been removed from play… with no cost at all!"
"That's ridiculous!" shouted Stan.
"But there are three conditions…" continued Crump. "I can only summon three… They have to be Machines… And they have to have 2,000 Attack Points or less.
"So first I'll bring back my X-Head Cannon!"
X-Head Cannon reappeared. (1,800/1,500) –) (2,175/1,500)
"Then I'll bring back Y-Dragon Head!"
Y-Dragon Head materialized. (1,500/1,600) –) (1,900/1,600)
"And finally…" he said with a wicked grin, "the last piece of my master plan… Z-Metal Tank!"
A large, yellow Machine on tank-treads with metal spokes appeared. (1,500/1,300) –) (1,825/1,300)
"Wait just a second!" shouted Stan. "I never sent your Z-Metal Tank to the Graveyard!"
"You're right!" laughed Crump. "I put it there myself on my first turn, when I played Graceful Charity, remember?
"And now, my metal Monsters… combine into XYZ-Dragon Cannon!"
Z-Metal Tank rolled to the center; Y-Dragon Head folded its winds and alighted on top of it; X-Head Cannon alighted on top of that, and the three Machines fused together in a burst of steam! (2,800/2,600) –) (3,450/2,600)
Crump chuckled as he lifted the last three cards in his hand.
"As you probably know, Stan, this Monster has the power to destroy any opposing card, so long as I discard one card from my hand!" he cackled. "So I'll get rid of your Dark Magician by discarding THIS!"
He threw a card into his discard slot, and the Machine fired its guns, vaporizing Dark Magician.
"And now, your facedown card!"
He discarded another card, and the Cannon blasted his Negate Attack card to bits!
"And now," said Crump, "for my moment of triumph…"
He slowly turned the last card in his hand around, showing it to Stan.
"LIMITER REMOVAL?" screamed Stan.
"That's right!" cackled Crump. "This will double my metal beast's Attack Score, which will be more than enough to finish you off!"
He threw it in a slot, and XYZ-Dragon Cannon glowed with purple fire! Its Attack went up to 6,900!
"NO!" screamed Andy.
"STAN!" shouted Francesca.
It's over… thought Stan, lowering his head. I guess I couldn't cut it where the real Dark Sorcerer could…
"XYZ-Dragon Cannon…" laughed Crump. "Prepare to fire…"
The Cannon aimed its guns at Stan. They glowed…
Stan closed his eyes…
"STAN!" screamed Vivian. "Discard the card you have in your hand!"
Stan's eyes opened wide!
"FIRE!" shouted Crump.
Hardly knowing what he was doing, Stan threw his last card into his discard slot…
As the horrible Machine fired, Vivian grabbed hold of Stan, and they both vanished into the shadows!
The blast from the XYZ-Dragon Cannon struck the ground where Stan had been standing, leaving a scorched burn twenty feet across!
"WHAT?" shouted Crump. "Where'd he go? You can't just dodge a direct attack!"
Stan and Vivian emerged from the shadows.
His Life Points were untouched.
"Whoa…" muttered Stan. "That was bizarre…"
"How?" sputtered Crump. "How did you survive?"
Stan chuckled.
"My Deckmaster saved me," he said. "She finally remembered what her ability was! If I'm about to be hit by a direct attack that would cause me to lose 2,000 Life Points or more, she can protect me from it, so long as I can discard one card!"
"All right!" shouted Andy.
"Hi five!" yelled Francesca.
"Thank you, Vivian," sighed Stan, giving her a thumb's up. "I would have lost if not for you…"
Vivian blushed and giggled.
"It can't be…" gasped Crump.
"Oh, it be all right," mocked Stan. "And now you be in serious trouble, Crump! Because in your effort to destroy me, you did something very foolish!"
"What do you mean?" snarled Crump, angrily.
"Well, because you used Limiter Removal, your mighty Machine will be destroyed as soon as you end your turn. And take a look at yourself – you used up every card in your hand to use its effect and double its power, meaning you'll be completely defenseless when it's my turn!"
Crump growled.
"Not quite…" he snarled. "I still have one Monster that I can summon… Machine King, I summon you to the field!"
Machine King trudged out to the center of the field. (2,200/2,000)
"I end my turn," said Crump.
XYZ-Dragon Cannon exploded into pixels.
"You summoned your Deckmaster?" laughed Stan. "That's even morefoolish!"
"Not quite," said Crump. "First of all, Machine King gains 100 extra Attack Points for every Machine on the field, itself included. Second, its Deckmaster ability still applies, and in case you didn't catch it the first time, it's a Machine itself."
(2,800/2,000)
"I truly doubt that you'll summon anything strong enough to defeat it…" mocked Crump.
"We'll see…" said Stan. "I draw one card…"
He drew.
"And since I discarded my old friend Sinister Serpent to activate Vivian's effect, he's back again…"
The card slid out of the discard slot.
"And this duel is over Crump!"
He showed him the card he had just drawn.
Monster Reborn.
"Ha!" mocked Crump. "And just what are you going to bring back with that?"
Stan fitted it into a slot, and the holy ankh appeared, glowing in mid-air…
Cybernetic Magician reappeared! (2,400/1,000)
"Oh… no…" gasped Crump.
"Remember how this guy works?" chuckled Stan.
He discarded his Sinister Serpent again, and Cybernetic Magician cast his spell. Machine King's Attack Score was lowered to 2,000.
"Cybernetic Magician…" ordered Stan, "destroy Machine King!"
The Magician raised his dagger, and shot forth his powerful blast! Machine King sparked and exploded!
Crump fell to his knees.
"Your Deckmaster is demolished," stated Stan. "I think that means you lose…"
Crump seethed in rage.
"I won't lose to you, Stan!" he shouted. "I demand a rematch! I…"
"There'll be no rematches Crump…" said the Shadow Queen's sinister voice. "You have some explaining to do…"
A dark portal opened, and he was sucked through it!
Stan sighed.
Vivian waved goodbye, and she vanished.
Stan removed the System Down card from his discard slot. With one swift motion, he tore it in half.
"Well guys," said Stan, as he reassembled his deck, "let's get moving…"
They headed for the other door.
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Fifteen minutes later, Crump was on his knees before the Shadow Queen.
She knew how to dispel the effects of the Liquid Courage, and she wanted him scared right now.
"Crump, I don't know what to say to you…" she scowled. "Breaking into my lab, stealing my potions, flagrantly disobeying me by challenging those kids…
"Up until now, the servant I hated the most was that handyman who smokes those nine-inch, Cuban cigars, but you've just beaten him!"
"Well, uh…" muttered Crump. "I almost won…"
"Oh, you 'almost' won…" sighed the Queen. "Well 'almost' only counts in horseshoes and nuclear strikes! And might I add, what was the first warning we gave you in the seminars on the Deckmaster system?"
"Uh…" muttered Crump.
He sighed.
"Summoning a Deckmaster is never a good idea…" he stuttered, with a nervous grin.
"Exactly…" sighed the Queen, flicking her Disk into position. "I wish I could say I was sorry for this, Crump…"
She placed a card into a slot.
"But the truth is, I never liked you much anyway…"
The Grave Arm burst out from the ground. Crump screamed and he was pulled under.
"Such a waste…" sighed the Queen. "Grodus!"
"Yes, my Queen?" asked Grodus.
"Is you-know-who in position?"
"She's ready," responded Grodus.
"Good," sighed the Queen. "We'd best have her duel Stan quickly…"
She got up and waved her hand over the viewing globe.
"The last time I tried something like this, my enspelled victim was freed… Likely because Francesca's Companion Monster dealt a direct attack in their duel. I still don't know quite how those cards work… But likely the inherent goodness inside Flurrie was what shocked my spell out of Yumi…
"So this time we'll be more careful. My slave has been instructed on the appearance and abilities of all three of Stan's Companions, and the instant he summons one, her top priority will be to send it to the Graveyard and keep it there.
"I won't lose my grip on this one so easily…"
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MAGICIAN'S VALKYRIA (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Spellcaster/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 4
ATK: 1,600
DEF: 1,800
Card Description: Just as Dark Magician Girl was educated by her famous teacher, this young sorceress became the student of Dark Magician Girl. So long as this Monster remains face-up on your side of the field, your opponent cannot select another SPELLCASTER-type Monster as an attack target.
Note: "Magician's Valkyria" is a Japanese promo card that has (unfortunately) not yet been released in the United States. It was first used by Yugi in Yu-Gi-Oh! The Movie: Pyramid of Light.
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DISGRACEFUL CHARITY (Trap Card)
Card Specs
Type: Trap
Attribute: -
Level: -
ATK: -
DEF: -
Card Description: Image of Marie the Fallen One's visage, with a card hovering between her two claws. Each player returns to his or her hand all cards that were discarded from their hands to the Graveyard by card effects during the current turn.
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0
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MAGICIAN SELECTION (Trap Card)
Card Specs
Type: Trap
Attribute: -
Level: -
ATK: -
DEF: -
Card Description: Image of Dark Magician casting a spell in front of a glowing magical circle. You can activate this card when you have a SPELLCASTER-Type Monster face-up on your side of the field and your opponent declares an attack. Redirect the attack towards the Monster on your opponent's side of the field with the lowest current ATK.
Note: "Disgraceful Charity" and "Magician Selection" were both used by Yugi in the multi-part anime episode "Clash in the Coliseum". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
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RECYCLING PLANT (Magic Card)
Card Specs
Type: Magic
Attribute: -
Level: -
ATK: -
DEF: -
Card Description: Image of a vast junkyard. Fuse one fusion material MACHINE-Type Monster in your Graveyard with one on the field to Special Summon the resulting Fusion Monster.
Note: "Recycling Plant" was used by Nezbitt in the two-part anime episode "Mechanical Mayhem". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
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PEACE OFFERING (Magic Card)
Card Specs
Type: Magic
Attribute: -
Level: -
ATK: -
DEF: -
Card Description: Image of Mystical Elf holding out a fruit basket to an unseen receiver. Take one card from your hand and place it in your opponent's deck without him seeing it. Then, your opponent shuffles his deck.
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PERPETUAL MOTION MACHINE (Magic Card)
Card Specs
Type: Magic
Attribute: -
Level: -
ATK: -
DEF: -
Card Description: Image of a crazy-looking machine without any apparent purpose. Special Summon up to three of your MACHINE-Type Monsters that have been removed from play whose base ATK does not exceed 2,000 apiece in face-up Attack Mode.
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"Machine King": Machine/Earth, Level 6, (2,200/2,000)
Deckmaster SA: "Reserve Power": Increase the base ATK of all MACHINE-Type Monsters you summon by one quarter of their base DEF.
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"Vivian the Shadow Siren": Spellcaster/Dark, Level 4, (1,800/1,000)
Deckmaster SA: "Vivian's Veil": When you are about to receive a direct attack that would cause a loss of 2,000 Life Points or more, you can discard one card from your hand to negate the attack.
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Coming up next:
One of Stan's old opponents returns! And if you haven't already guessed who it is, well, you have a short memory.
It's a chapter called "In Blackest Night," and it's coming up soon.
Warning: The next chapter contains some cards from the upcoming Jaden Duelist Pack, so don't say I didn't warn you. Do your homework. If you are by chance someone who dislikes "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" (if there are indeed such people) I recommend you skip this next chapter.