As much as I admire the members of the Trinity, I don't agree with all of them in their tastes. Joey Wheeler is an example. He had a lot of cards that relied on luck and chance… Dice rolls, coin flips, and simply trying to guess from hidden possibilities.
I'd never choose to rely that much on luck. According to the laws of probability, a coin flip always has a fifty percent chance of being called right. Not the best odds. Dice rolls are random as well, their outcomes always tricky.
As you can probably guess, I'd never make a habit of coming to a place like this. But now it's necessary. And I'm facing a formidable foe…
I have to hope my luck is better than hers, because if it isn't, our quest will have hit a dead end.
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CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
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Gamble
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Sunday, October 25th, 2106, 9:10 AM
The next morning, after having slept off a night of dancing and sugary sweets, the three friends were sitting at the Spring of Rebirth at the Ra Dorm's promenade.
"So," asked Russell, "how the heck are we going to get to Rye?"
"I called a taxi shuttle service," answered Jason. "They said that they could take us from Manhattan to the casino for one-hundred and fifty dollars. One way."
"Three hundred dollars round trip?" gasped Trisha. "I am not gonna be the one to explain to my folks why I spent a hundred bucks to go to a casino!"
"My parents warned me about casinos," grumbled Russell. "They hate gambling. They didn't even like state lotteries."
"Who wants to go to a casino?" asked a voice.
They turned around and saw Ansel, dressed in his casual clothes.
"Uh, hi Ansel," said Jason. "We heard about a casino in Rye where you can duel and wager money."
"Briarwood?" answered Ansel. "Hey, my folks love that place.
"Tell you what, I have nothing to do today… I'll drive you there."
"You have a car?" asked Jason.
Ansel held up a set of keys.
"My folks are in Aruba for the week," he said. "It's a business trip for dad, and a free vacation for mom. Anyway, mom lent me her wheels…"
His eyes narrowed.
"Just don't eat in it, drink in it, or smoke in it," he warned, "or she'll be madder than that Berserk Gorilla my last opponent used."
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Even in the year 2106, Cadillac was the favored brand of car for those who could afford it…
And for those who wanted to look sharp and had enough money, the Cadillac Platinum Plexus was one of the best cars out there. In these times, the best cars didn't even use gasoline, as electric engines had been perfected fifty years ago, and this one got great mileage and made almost no noise. It had excellent control, had many options… And best yet, it was made for comfort. The seats were relaxing, with plenty of leg room.
"So," asked Ansel, as they drove onto the highway, "why the sudden interest in betting on dueling?"
"Let's just say it's a long story, Ansel," said Jason. "It's just something we have to do. I don't know how we can repay you for taking us… This means a lot."
"Tell you what," answered Ansel, "if you win any money gambling, you spend some of it on the place's buffet, your treat. I like the food in these places.
"Just sit back and relax. You like music?"
He placed music disk into a slot on the dashboard, and an old song came on.
A long, long time ago,
I can still remember,
When that music used to make me smile…
And I knew if I had that chance,
I could make those people dance,
And maybe they'd be happy for a while…
But February made me shiver,
With every paper I'd deliver,
Bad news on the doorstep,
I couldn't take one more step…
I can't remember if I cried
When I read about his widowed bride,
But something touched me deep inside…
The day… the music… died…
A tear fell down Russell's cheek.
"I love that song…" he said.
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Cassius lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
Something wasn't right…
He looked at the wall. The portrait of his father was there.
When the heck did I put THAT back up? he thought.
He stared at it.
"Bee in your bonnet, son?" said his father's voice.
"If you must know," growled Cassius. "I'm planning to duel Russell again, and I don't think he's going to fall for the same trick twice."
"Then form a new strategy," said the voice. "One that is foolproof…"
"And you'd be an expert in foolproof strategies?" he asked. "Once he gets Hermos out, he can't be stopped."
"Well…" said his father's voice. "Perhaps you could find a way to keep him from using Hermos."
Cassius looked at him.
"Keep him from using Hermos…" he thought. "Hermos can merge with any Monster to form an Equip Spell Card…"
He considered.
"Cursed Seal of the Forbidden Spell might work…"
"Are you certain that Hermos is a Spell?" asked his father. "No green border on the card, you know. I don't think he fits into any category."
"Prohibition then?" muttered Cassius.
"Too fragile," said his father. "One Mystical Space Typhoon and you're in trouble.
"But… I do know that any card Hermos creates counts as a Spell."
There was a pause.
"Good gracious, son, look at your cards!" shouted the voice. "The answer is right in front of you."
Cassius took out his cards and leafed through them.
Then he stood up.
"Dad…" he muttered. "You are a clever bastard…"
He took the portrait off the wall.
"I'm glad you're dead!"
He threw the painting under his bed again.
"Oh, that was a good one," he said with a laugh. "I'm glad you're dead… But he did have a good idea… Next time I see Russell…
"Hermos is going out first…"
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It was only noon when the four students walked into the main casino of Briarwood, but the place was bustling.
They looked around. Like Dark Magician Girl said, a few of the dealers and some of the waitresses did indeed have Disks on their arms.
This was going to be tricky.
Ansel motioned to one of the waitresses.
"Could I get a bottled water, please?" he asked.
"Guys," said Jason, as they walked over to the counter. "How much cash can you spare?"
Russell took out his wallet.
"Fourteen dollars," he said.
"Eight dollars," said Trisha, taking money out of her purse.
"And I have eight too," said Jason.
Russell let out a sigh.
"Well, since I'm putting in the most," said Russell, "I'd best be the one who duels.
"I don't like it, but maybe I can humiliate these high rollers."
That seemed to make sense, so they gave Russell the money. He walked up to the changer on the counter.
"Thirty dollars in chips, please," he said.
The changer took the money, and handed him a cup full of plastic chips.
"Going to try your luck at craps?" he asked.
"No," said Russell. "I was interested in dueling."
"Oh…" said the changer.
He turned aside.
"Lou!" he called.
A short man hurried up. He was wearing a formal vest and suit and pants, and a green bookie's visor. He looked about in his late fifties, with a bulbous nose and small eyes.
"Lou," said the changer. "One of these kids wants to duel one of our duelists."
"Oh?" said the man. He turned to them.
"Well kids," he said, "I'm in charge of that. Anyone in particular?"
"I want your best duelist," said Russell. "And when I say best, I mean best. Period."
Lou slowly took a large cigar out of his pocket, and bit off the end.
"Really?" he said, lighting it. "I warn you, our best duelist has thirty-to-one odds."
"Call me a sucker for a challenge," answered Russell.
"Well then," said Lou, with a smirk, "I guess if you want to blow some money, you might as well do it style…"
He chuckled.
"Heh, heh… This way."
While they were doing that, the waitress handed Ansel his water, and he gave her a five-spot. He quickly ran to join them.
Lou led them to the blackjack tables, where one was dominated by an impressive dealer.
It was a woman, blonde, blue-eyed, and busty, with hair that was bobbed in "roaring twenties" style, wearing a low-cut casino-style outfit.
She currently had a ten revealed on the table.
She grinned as she revealed the other one, showing it to be another ten. The players groaned and tossed the cards down.
"Frenchie!" said Lou. "Enough of that for now. Someone here wants to duel you."
Frenchie gave them a sweet smile and walked up to them.
"Well, that's my job," she said, taking a deck of cards. "Who's the one who wants to duel my Casino Deck?"
Casino Deck? thought Trisha.
"That would be me…" said Russell, his eyes narrowing.
"Mmm, okay handsome," she purred. "Then place your wager. As Lou no doubt told you, I'm thirty-to-one."
"I bet thirty dollars," said Russell, placing the chips on the table beside him. "And also…"
He paused.
"The loser must tell the winner his or her darkest secret."
Everyone looked surprised.
"Well!" exclaimed Frenchie. "That's certainly new! And I love trying new things…
"So, you wager thirty dollars, and your darkest secret. I'm game with that…"
Lou motioned to another waitress.
"Get these kids some drinks…" he muttered.
Frenchie looked at him intently as she placed her Disk on her arm. She was all smiles on the outside, but her heart sank into gloom…
I knew this would happen eventually… she thought. The guy in the cloak told me it would. Of all the dealers in all the casinos in all the world…
Why did it have to happen to me?
Russell took a toothpick from his pocket.
He glared at her as his teeth clenched on it…
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"Hey everyone!" shouted someone at the slots. "Frenchie is dueling!"
That seemed to elicit a big reaction so a lot of folks left what they were doing, and gathered around the open space where Frenchie and Russell faced each other.
"Since I'm one who lives by chance most of the time, hon," said Frenchie, "we'll let a toss of the coin decide who goes first."
She held up a gold coin that had the image of the Eye of Wdjat on the front.
"This is heads…"
She turned it around, revealing a side with a circle.
"…this is tails."
She tossed it.
"Call it!"
"Heads!" shouted Russell.
The coin fell to the ground.
It was tails.
"Then I'll make the first move," said Frenchie with a grin, as their Disks activated.
"Very well," said Russell, drawing five cards. "Ready… battle!"
"I like your style…" she purred.
(Russell: 8,000) -------------------- (Frenchie: 8,000)
Russell looked at his cards.
What luck, he thought. I drew Freed on my opening hand!
"Okay, hon," said Frenchie, drawing her first card. "As they say in this business, it's time to ante up!"
She played a card. It showed the image of a fiendish, cloaked hand holding a Skull Servant card.
"And that's exactly the name of the Spell Card I'm throwing at you, Ante!"
The card appeared.
"Okay… how does that work?" asked Russell.
"Each of us chooses one card from their hand," explained Frenchie, "and the one whose card has the least number of stars has to discard it, and gets blasted for 1,000 points of damage. Spells and Traps count as zero stars. Got it?"
Russell paused.
He nervously took Freed from his hand. Frenchie took a card from hers.
They showed them to each other.
Russell groaned. Her Monster had six stars, one more than Freed had. (It was called "Maximum Six"; Russell was certain he had seen it somewhere before, but where?)
"Ha, ha!" laughed Frenchie. "Looks like we found something you're bad at!"
The Ante card glowed, and shot a beam of light, hitting Russell! He groaned again.
He slowly discarded Freed.
(R: 7,000) -------------------- (F: 8,000)
"Nuts," said Trisha. "That's not good. Losing one of his most powerful cards might cost him."
"Continuing my turn," said Frenchie, "I'll summon a big guy named Abare Ushioni in Attack Mode."
She played a card, and in a flash of light, a large, very angry-looking bull with a red hide and strange symbols on its skin appeared. It had three glaring eyes and sharp teeth. It growled and then swished its tail. (1,200/1,200)
"Holy cow…" muttered Ansel.
"You had to say it…" replied Trisha.
"Now, I activate his effect," said Frenchie, taking another coin. "I toss a coin and call it. If I call right, you lose 1,000 Life Points. If I call wrong, I lose 1,000 Life Points.
"Exciting, isn't it?"
"Don't worry, Russell!" shouted Jason. "You have a fifty-fifty chance!"
"That may be true," said Frenchie, "but of all my cards, I've had the most luck with this guy… I've never lost the toss on this Monster."
"Never?" asked Russell. "I find that hard to believe…"
"Heads!" shouted Frenchie, tossing the coin.
She caught it and flipped it on her wrist.
Russell groaned again. It was heads…
"And it seems my perfect record with him still stands!" laughed Frenchie.
Abare Ushioni's three eyes glowed, and it shot three rays at Russell. He cringed as they hit him.
"I'll place one card facedown, and end my turn," said Frenchie.
A facedown card appeared.
(R: 6,000) -------------------- (F: 8,000)
"About time!" said Russell, drawing.
That oversized hamburger is rather weak, he thought, looking over his cards. That facedown is likely a Trap to protect it. But if I don't attack, she might sacrifice it to summon that six star Monster she has.
I have to risk it.
"I summon… Obnoxious Celtic Guardian!" he shouted.
He played the card, and the elven Warrior appeared, holding aloft his sword. (1,400/1,200)
"Turn that bull into prime rib!" he shouted. "Silver blade slash!"
Obnoxious Celtic Guardian charged…
"I activate my Trap," exclaimed Frenchie. "Go… Fairy Box!"
Her facedown card lifted, and a colorful box resembling a whack-a-mole appeared. Loony music started to play, as cylinders with stars on them popped in and out of the top.
"What the heck?" asked Russell.
"Ever play whack-a-mole?" asked Frenchie. "This might not look impressive, but it can be deadly.
"Now I get to toss a coin again, and if I'm right, your Warrior's Attack Score will be reduced to zero!"
She tossed the coin.
"Tails!"
She grabbed it and flipped it on her hand.
It was tails.
Abare Ushioni growled, and slammed its horns into the Guardian. He shattered.
"Wow… This gal has pretty good luck," said Ansel.
(R: 4,800) -------------------- (F: 8,000)
"By the way," said Frenchie, casually tossing the coin, "I can use the effect of Fairy Box each time you attack, so long as I pay 500 Life Points each turn."
"I can't do anything else," said Russell. "It's your move."
Frenchie drew a card.
She grinned.
"First I'll pay 500 Life Points to keep my Fairy Box for now," she said.
"Next, I'll play an incredibly rare Continuous Spell Card," she continued. "It's called Lethal Stakes."
She played the card, and it appeared. It showed an ominous picture of Sand Gambler and Goddess Whim playing blackjack, with Terrorking Archfiend as the dealer.
"Let me explain how this complex Spell works, hon," she said. "On each of our turns, before we begin our Battle Phases, we can wager our Life Points, in increments of 100. If we successfully damage our opponent more than the amount we wagered, we gain Life Points equal to the wager. If we do less, we lose Life Points equal to the wager.
"Got it?"
"Yeah…" said Russell. "It… sounds interesting, I guess..."
Frenchie held the coin up.
"Well," she said, "I could use Abare Ushioni's effect again…"
She tossed the coin casually, and then grabbed it.
"But while my record with him is perfect, a clever gambler knows never to take risks when she doesn't have to, and right now, I really don't have to. That's the first rule of gambling.
"So, I'll wager 1,100 Life Points on Lethal Stakes, and unless you have a Kuriboh in your hand, that's a wager I can't lose!"
Eleven glowing blue chips fell in front of her.
"Abare Ushioni, attack Russell directly!
"Pamplona pound!"
Abare Ushioni snorted and steam shot from its nostrils. It charged and rammed into Russell's stomach! He struggled to keep his footing.
"Looks like I won that wager, hon," she said.
The glowing chips were absorbed into her body, and she glowed.
Russell groaned and clutched his stomach.
(R: 3,600) -------------------- (F: 8,600)
"Russell's in trouble…" moaned Trisha.
"He passed 'trouble' last turn," said Jason. "He's getting to the point where it becomes overwhelming."
"To complete my turn," said Frenchie, "I'll play another Continuous Spell Card. It's called Dangerous Machine Type-6."
She played the card, and with a rumble and a blast of sparks, a large and frightening machine rose up behind her. It looked like some sort of cross between a clock and an electric generator, with the letters one through six on its face. Sparks flew from it, as if it was ready to explode.
"That does look dangerous," said Trisha.
"One guy I dueled used this card against me once…" said Ansel. "On every one of her Standby Phases, it will choose a number between one and six at random, and depending on the number, it could hurt or help either duelist."
Russell drew a card.
Attacking it with that Fairy Box in play is too risky, he thought. I'll defend for now…
"I place one card facedown," he said, "and then summon Axe Raider in Defense Mode."
A facedown card appeared, and Axe Raider appeared, kneeling and holding his weapon in his lap. (1,700/1,150)
"That's all I can do."
Frenchie drew a card.
All the eyes in the room turned to the Dangerous Machine, as its numbers started to glow. Finally, the number one lit up red.
Frenchie frowned.
"Eh, that's means I have to discard a card…" she muttered.
A card in her hand glowed, and she discarded it (it was Goddess of Whim).
"Well, at least we know it's possible for her to miss…" said Jason with a shrug.
"I'll neglect to pay for Fairy Box, so it's destroyed," continued Frenchie.
The Fairy Box burst into pixels.
"Next," she said, "I'll sacrifice Abare Ushioni to summon someone better…"
The large bull vanished.
"I summon Maximum Six!"
A large, hulking creature appeared on her side of the field. It was a ten-foot-tall, muscular ogre with purple skin, blonde hair tied in a long ponytail, and six arms, each with huge biceps. The Roman Numeral for six was tattooed on his chest. His only clothing was a loincloth. He stood up erect and proudly flexed his muscles. (1,900/1,600)
"When you play poker," said Frenchie, "you have to worry about cheaters who hide cards up their sleeves. I wouldn't want to play cards with this guy… He has six sleeves!"
Lou groaned.
"That joke was funny for about two minutes," he said. "Frenchie, try getting a new one, okay?"
Frenchie seemingly ignored the remark. She continued:
"But I love him anyway, because when he's summoned…"
Her hand glowed, and a large die formed in it.
"…I get to roll one die, multiply its result by 200, and add it to his Attack Score."
She threw the die, and it rolled…
It came up a three.
"Not bad," said Frenchie, as Maximum Six's Attack rose to 2,500.
"Since you're defending, I won't bother making a wager. Maximum Six, attack with sextuple slugging!"
Maximum Six leapt forward, and clobbered Axe Raider with all six fists, and he shattered.
"Don't worry, Russell!" shouted Jason. "She only has one card left in her hand! You can come back!"
"That's rubbish," replied Frenchie. "I'll place that last card facedown, and end my turn."
She placed the card in her Disk, and it appeared.
Russell drew.
"I activate my Trap Card!" exclaimed Frenchie.
Her facedown card lifted.
"Fire Darts!"
"Okay, this one I don't know about," said Ansel.
A flame appeared in Frenchie's right hand, and then a fiery crossbow appeared in it.
"What?" asked Russell.
"Fire Darts can only be activated when I have no cards in my hand," said Frenchie. "When I activate it, I roll three dice, and the number I get… Well, that's how many arrows this thing gets.
"Each shot costs you 100 Life Points, so hope I roll low."
Three dice flew forward.
One came up five, the second one six, and the third one five.
Russell groaned as Frenchie aimed the weapon at him.
Can my luck get any worse? he thought.
Frenchie pulled the trigger, and a series of fiery blasts shot at Russell, striking him in the chest!
(R: 2,000) -------------------- (F: 8,600)
The crossbow vanished in a burst of flame.
"It's still my move, Frenchie," he stated, holding his chest.
He placed a card on his Disk.
"Command Knight in Defense Mode!"
Command Knight appeared, crouching in Defense. (1,200/1,900) – (1,600/1,900)
"That ends my turn…" he said.
Frenchie drew a card. The Dangerous Machine whirred again…
It landed on the three.
"That means I get to draw one card," she said, drawing.
She looked at it.
"I'll place it facedown…"
Another facedown card appeared.
"…and then I'll attack with Maximum Six!"
The ogre rushed forward, and flattened Command Knight.
"Your move…"
Russell drew.
"I play Pot of Greed…" he said, playing it.
The jar appeared, and he drew two cards.
Finally… he thought, looking at them.
"Thanks a bunch!" laughed Frenchie. "Since you did that, I can activate the Trap I put down last turn.
"This one's name says it all… Gamble!"
Her Trap lifted, showing the image of a hand tossing a coin over a table with cards scattered on it.
"Uh oh…" said Ansel. "I know about this one too. It can only be used when your opponent has six or more cards in his hand, and you have two or less. She flips a coin again, and if she calls it right, she gets to draw until she has five."
"And if she calls it wrong?" asked Russell.
"Her next turn is skipped," replied Ansel.
"Will you shut up?" groaned Russell. "I knew what it did, okay?"
Frenchie produced another coin.
"It's heads!" she shouted, tossing it.
She caught the coin on her wrist.
Russell slapped his forehead in frustration… It was heads.
Frenchie grinned, and drew four cards.
"You know something, Frenchie?" he asked, getting annoyed. "I'm starting to think you could make more money by just patronizing these places rather than working here."
"Been there, done that," replied Frenchie, looking over her new hand. "Being a card shark was fun for a while, but no one can live on gambling alone. No matter how lucky you are at games of chance, you still need the one thing that's reliable… A paycheck.
"And these places can afford to pay their dealers very well… Plus I get free medical and dental."
"Indeed," said Russell, scowling. "Well, you obviously thought that with 2,500 Attack Points, Maximum Six could have protected you if you had missed on that Gamble card. You were wrong. Let me show you a little trick that all Warrior duelists know.
"I play Premature Burial, to bring back the guy I discarded when you played Ante…"
He played the card.
"Freed the Matchless General!"
General Freed appeared, bravely facing Maximum Six. (2,300/1,700)
"Of course," continued Russell, "any Equip Card that is Equipped to Freed is destroyed…"
Premature Burial shattered.
"…however, due to the technicality of that effect, Freed is not destroyed, so except for it costing me 800 Life Points, Premature Burial is like Monster Reborn for Freed.
"Next, I'll summon Warrior Dai Grepher in Attack Mode…"
He played a card, and Grepher appeared, holding aloft his sword. (1,700/1,600)
"And now I'll use your Lethal Stakes card and wager 600 Life Points, which is the maximum that I can."
Six of the glowing chips appeared next to him.
"What?" laughed Frenchie. "But he can't even defeat Maximum Six!"
"Forget about my facedown card?" asked Russell.
His facedown card lifted.
"The Trap Card, Reinforcements. This will raise Freed's Attack Score to 2,800!"
Freed glowed, and his Attack Score went up.
"Freed, attack Maximum Six!" he shouted. "Blade of the battle-scarred!"
Freed leapt up, and slashed his sword across Maximum Six's chest. The ogre doubled over in pain, and let out a groan, and then shattered into pixels.
"And now…" continued Russell, "Warrior Dai Grepher attacks you directly! Go! Steel blade slash!"
Frenchie shrieked as Grepher slashed at her with his blade. She stumbled backwards and fell on her tuckus.
"Looks like I won my wager," said Russell. "Bad luck for you."
The chips were absorbed into him, and he glowed.
"And it's good luck that I didn't miss that coin toss," she muttered, getting up.
(R: 1,800) -------------------- (F: 6,600)
"Well, Russell just got a shot at her," said Trisha. "And he has Freed on the field."
"But she's still in the lead," added Jason. "Way in the lead."
Frenchie drew a card. The Dangerous Machine shook again, and this time landed on the two.
"Ha, ha!" laughed Frenchie. "That means you discard one card!"
A card in Russell's hand glowed. He frowned, and discarded Big Shield Gardna.
"Now then," said Frenchie, "I'll summon the Sand Gambler in Attack Mode."
In a shimmering light, a new Monster appeared. He looked like a handsome gentleman in an old fashioned suit, with a pencil-thin moustache. He placed his left hand in his pocket and started to casually toss a coin with his right hand. He smirked at the two Warriors. (300/1,600)
"Oh no…" muttered Ansel.
"What?" asked Russell. "I have a feeling you're gonna tell us?"
"This creature can be very dangerous if her luck holds out…" muttered Ansel.
"Well, what?" asked Trisha.
"She tosses a coin… this time, three times," answered Ansel. "If she gets three heads, all of Russell's Monsters are destroyed. But three tails, and all of her Monsters are destroyed."
"So here we go!" said Frenchie, tossing her coin.
She caught it and slapped it on her wrist.
Heads.
She tossed it, caught it and slapped it again.
Heads.
"Third time's the charm…" she said, tossing it.
She slapped it on her wrist once more.
She frowned.
Tails.
Sand Gambler put his hand on his chin and shook his head…
"In that case," said Frenchie, "I'll place one card facedown, and end my turn."
A facedown card appeared.
Russell drew a card.
Talk about a bad hand, he thought. That facedown card worries me. If I make a wager, and it's something that can block my attack, I'll be in dangerous waters…
He paused.
Man, she has a poker face!
"I wager 900 of my Life Points on Lethal Stakes," he said. "Grepher, attack Sand Gambler!"
Grepher raised his sword. Nine of the blue chips appeared next to Russell.
"I activate my Trap!" exclaimed Frenchie, as her Trap Card lifted. "Hallowed Life Barrier."
Three figures, looking somewhat like the Waboku priestesses, but clothed in purple, appeared and surrounded Frenchie. She glowed with soft light.
"Now, for the cost of only one card…"
She discarded a card.
"All damage dealt to me this round is reduced to zero."
Grepher's sword slammed into Sand Gambler, blasting him away, but it didn't hurt Frenchie at all.
Russell shook his head.
"I have no choice…" he said. "I have to end my turn."
"And you lost that wager, hon…" said Frenchie.
The chips in front of Russell exploded, and he cringed.
"Know why?" asked Frenchie. "Because you forgot the first rule of gambling that I told you before… Never take risks when you don't have to."
(R: 900) -------------------- (F: 6,600)
This is madness! thought Russell.
I have to win this duel to find the Dark Messiah, and such
important information is being left to chance? To random rolls and
tosses? This isn't how it should be! This isn't how it
should be at all. Such vital information shouldn't be wagered on
against your luck…
Frenchie drew a card.
The Dangerous Machine spun again, and sparked even more. It landed on a four.
Frenchie frowned.
"That means you get to draw one card," she said.
Russell drew a card.
Gilford the Legend, he thought.
"Now I'll play my own Pot of Greed," said Frenchie.
She played the card, and drew two cards.
"And now…" she said, "I'll play another copy of Ante!"
She played the card. Trisha and Jason gulped.
"You remember how this works, right?" she asked.
"Indeed," said Russell. "And if I lose, I'm toast."
"Exactly," said Frenchie, with a smile.
They both chose cards.
Frenchie held up a six-star Blowback Dragon.
Russell grinned and flipped Gilford the Legend around.
"Eight stars?" gasped Frenchie.
She shrieked as she was shocked by energy from the card.
She grunted, and discarded the card.
"Your luck's starting to run out," muttered Russell.
But personally, he knew that that had been one of the closest calls ever. If the Dangerous Machine hadn't landed on four, he wouldn't have gotten a free draw, and Gilford wouldn't have been in his hand…
And the only other Monster he had right now was Warrior Lady of the Wasteland – she had only four stars.
He trembled.
(R: 900) -------------------- (F: 5,600)
"We'll see," she said. "I summon Slate Warrior in Attack Mode."
She played the card, and the alien-looking Fiend with a blank face and a gold breastplate appeared. (1,900/400)"Next, I'll play a Spell Card," she said, "Graceful Dice!"
She played the card, and a small teddy bear with wings holding a die appeared. It tossed the die. It rolled.
It came up a five.
Slate Warrior's stats rose to (2,400/900).
"My luck hasn't run out yet, hon," said Frenchie. "Slate Warrior, attack the General with fist of slate!"
Slate Warrior flew forward and punched Freed in the face. He groaned, and then shattered.
"I end my turn…"
(R: 800) -------------------- (F: 5,600)
Slate Warrior's Attack fell back to 1,900.
"Crud," said Trisha. "Russell lost Freed again, and now Frenchie has a 1,900-Attack Point beatstick on the field."
"Even worse," said Jason, "if he does manage to destroy Slate Warrior, the Monster who does so will be weakened."
Russell paused.
I have Gilford the Legend, he thought. But he can't be Special Summoned, and I'd have to trade two Monsters for him. I'd better get a good draw.
He drew.
He looked at the card strangely. It had been a long time since he actually had used it. For some reason, he rarely ever drew it.
"I shift Grepher into Defense Mode," he said.
Grepher knelt in Defense.
"And then, I'll place another Monster in Defense Mode."
A facedown Monster appeared.
"That will end my turn," he said.
Frenchie drew, and the Dangerous Machine started to whir again.
It landed on a six.
"Oh no…" muttered Frenchie. "Not THAT one!"
The Dangerous Machine Type-6 started to spark and shake…
Then it exploded in a fiery burst!
"Well… So much for that…" she said with a sigh.
She played a card.
"I play… Roll of Fate," she said. "Now I get to roll a die again…"
A white die appeared in her hand. She threw it.
It landed on the five.
"Perfect," she said. "Now I get to draw five cards…"
She drew five times.
"Of course, now I have to remove the next five cards from my deck from play."
She took the next five, and placed them in the Removed From Play slot in her Disk.
"Well, hon," she said, "it's been a great duel… So great, that I'm going to end it on a high note that I don't often do…
"I'm going to finish you off with my strongest Monster…"
She paused.
"Some say that gambling is a sin…" she said, softly. "Except, of course, when churches hold fund raisers with casino themes…"
A lot of people laughed at that remark.
"Is it any wonder then," she asked, "that the Monster that represents the greatest gamble of all is a Fiend?"
"What are you up to?" asked Russell, narrowing his eyes.
Frenchie played a card.
"I play the Ritual Spell Card, Contract With The Dark Master!" she exclaimed.
Everyone gasped…
"Now, I'll sacrifice Slate Warrior and another Monster…"
A Roulette Barrel appeared on the field. Both Monsters were shrouded in dark flames and slowly consumed…
A cocoon made from dark, wiry ribbons formed on the field. It started to swell…
"…and I summon… Dark Master Zorc!"
The lights dimmed in the whole room… The cocoon burst.
A shadowy shape rose up. It looked like a cross between a Fiend and a Zombie, with black skin, and wiry hair. It bore wicked claws, and its eyes glowed red… It seemed to be creating the darkness rather than simply residing in it.
A haunting laughter echoed through the whole hall. (2,700/1,500)
Lou looked incredibly nervous. He slowly downed the glass of scotch he was holding.
"Where'd she get that card?" gasped Trisha.
"Bought it with her Christmas bonus," muttered Lou. "Last year. We can afford to give out pretty big bonuses. I don't like it when my duelists lose, but…"
He gulped.
"…that guy even creeps me out. And you're talking to someone who was in the service during the war…
"It's kind of like that thing was once real… In one way or another… I know it doesn't make sense, but…"
"Kinda defeats the purpose of Christmas…" muttered Trisha.
"Let me explain how Zorc works," said Frenchie, as she waved her hand.
A black die appeared in her hand.
"I roll one die… And on a roll of one or two, he can wipe out all your Monsters. Three or four, and he can destroy one. A six, and all my Monsters are destroyed."
"The odds are way in her favor…" muttered Trisha.
"Russian roulette…" mumbled Ansel.
"What?" asked Trisha.
"It's like Russian roulette," he answered. "Her chances of losing are slim, but if she does lose, she's dead."
"Guys…" said Jason, "perhaps you don't realize it… Zorc has 2,700 Attack Points, and Russell has only 800 Life Points left! If he has to take a direct attack from that thing, he loses!"
All will have been for naught… thought Russell, looking at the hideous creature. All we've worked for depends… On the roll of a die…
Frenchie tossed the die… It rolled.
It landed on a five.
Okay… muttered Russell. So I survive for one more turn.
"Zorc, wipe out Grepher!" she commanded.
Zorc simply raised his hand, and Grepher winced in pain.
Then he was simply consumed in dark flames! Everyone watched in horror as he was immolated from the inside out!
"Now, attack his facedown Monster!"
Zorc breathed black flames at the facedown Monster…
Warrior Lady of the Wasteland appeared on the card. She shrieked before she was incinerated.
"Heh, heh," said Russell. "Since you destroyed Warrior Lady of the Wasteland, her effect activates, and I get to summon an Earth Warrior with 1,500 Attack points or less from my deck. Go, Hero Kid!"
One Hero Kid leapt up and did a somersault. (300/600)
"And since he was Special Summoned," continued Russell, "here come two more."
The Kid's two brothers appeared next to him, crouching in Defense Mode.
"And what are they going to do?" asked Frenchie. "I'll end my turn."
Russell drew a card.
A Trap Card… A very common one.
Then he looked at the evil creature in front of him…
"Okay…" he said. "I'll move the Hero Kid who's in Attack Mode, to Defense Mode…"
The standing Hero Kid knelt.
"And then, I'll place three cards facedown."
He threw three cards into his Disk, and they appeared, one behind each Kid.
"And I'll end my turn…"
Let's hope that for this roll, my luck is better than hers… he thought. Let's hope it holds out one more time…
Frenchie drew a card.
The die formed in her hand again. She threw it…
It landed on a four.
Zorc raised his hand, and one of the Hero Kids burst into flames.
"Zorc, take another one out!" she shouted.
Zorc shot forth dark flames again.
"I activate… Negate Attack!" said Russell.
His facedown card lifted, and the flames stopped short.
"All right, fine," said Frenchie. "But this duel will be over soon…"
"I agree," said Russell, drawing a card. "Prepare to eat the floor.
"I activate Call of the Haunted, to bring back Freed."
Another facedown card lifted, and Freed reappeared. (2,300/1,700)
"Now, Monster Reborn, to bring back Axe Raider."
He played the card, and Axe Raider appeared on the ankh. (1,700/1,150)
"Next, I'll Equip him with Fusion Sword Murasame Blade…"
He played the card. Axe Raider's axe vanished, and the powerful blade appeared in his hands. His Attack went up to 2,500.
"Finally, I'll sacrifice my two Hero Kids to summon Gilford the Legend!"
The two Kids vanished, and Gilford arose, holding his huge sword. (2,600/2,000)
"Neither of them are strong enough," said Frenchie. "You should have Equipped that Sword to Gilford!"
"We'll see," said Russell. "I activate my last Trap…
"Go, Miracle Kids!"
The Trap Card lifted.
"Now, for each Hero Kid in my Graveyard, your Monster loses 400 Attack Points."
The ghosts of the three Kids flew out of the card laughing, and flew at Zorc! The Fiend lord roared in rage, and tried to swat them aside, but they clung to him and glowed with bright energy! The demon groaned, and his Attack fell to 1,500.
"Good lord…" muttered Lou. "Dark Master Zorc… taken down by kids?"
"Freed, destroy Dark Master Zorc!" shouted Russell.
Freed leapt forward, and with one swipe of his sword, cleaved the Fiend in half. The remains shattered. The spirits of the three Kids flew away, laughing heartily.
"Axe Raider, Gilford, attack directly! Combination attack!
"Smash her good!"
Frenchie screamed as the two Warriors charged at her! They slammed their swords into her and she was thrown backwards!
(R: 800) -------------------- (F: 0)
"Cease fire…" muttered Russell.
Frenchie groaned. The darkness started to clear up.
Lou wasn't so happy either.
"Ho boy," he muttered, motioning to a girl who was a carrying a tray of chips. "Serves her right for using that awful card… I really should tell her to get rid of it…
"Let's see… Thirty-to-one odds, thirty dollars wagered…"
He went up to Russell and handed him nine golden chips.
"Don't lose those," he warned. "Each is a one-hundred dollar chip. If you want to test your luck any more, you can exchange them for some smaller ones."
"No," said Russell, "we're going to cash in. But I think Frenchie owes us something else."
Frenchie got up.
"I know…" she muttered. "My darkest secret…"
"Hey," said Russell, "no hard feelings. It was a good duel. At least it didn't backfire on you like most Gamble Decks tend to do. Once we cash in our chips, we're going to go to the buffet. Why don't you join us, and you can tell us there?"
"Well…" muttered Frenchie. "I could use some strong coffee…
"Lou, I'll be taking my lunch break."
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Despite all the great amount of food that was available in the buffet restaurant, Frenchie seemed content with a simple cup of black coffee.
"It's strange that you should want to know my darkest secret," she said. "You see, the one who told this told me that I shouldn't tell until someone challenged me for it.
"I guess now is the time."
She motioned for the waitress with the coffee pot.
"Are you sure you don't want anything else?" asked Trisha. "We have everything here."
"You're very kind, but no," she said. "You see, it all happened about three months ago. My boyfriend and I were drifting apart. I just know he was cheating on me.
"He was a duelist too, but even though I have a powerful Fiend in my deck, I never liked his cards. He played a Dark World Deck, full of… hideous creatures."
"I played against a guy who used Dark World Fiends once," said Ansel. "I agree with you… They are butt-ugly. And all of their powers are activated when they're discarded. A Hand Control Deck's worst nightmare."
"You can already tell that a lot of cards in my deck would have benefited him even if he lost the roll…" continued Frenchie. "Ante, the Dangerous Machine… With Dark World Fiends, making your opponent discard is NOT a good idea.
"One night, he called me, saying he wanted to apologize. He invited me to our special spot for a friendly duel, promising me an unforgettable night afterwards… I saw no harm in that…
"A part of me wanted to believe that he was sincere… That we could start over… That we would be happy again…"
A tear fell down her cheek.
"But a few rounds into the duel, he played a horrible Field Spell…"
Her hand shook as she sipped the coffee.
"The Seal of Orichalcos…" said Jason with a growl. "That was shortly before we came across it. They must have been doing test runs of some sort…"
"Maybe those slimes we've been tangling with want their recruits to prove loyalty," added Trisha. "How else can you prove it by taking the soul of your girlfriend?"
"Before I knew it," continued Frenchie, "I was dueling for the worst stakes ever. My deck relies so much on luck, and I had to pray that it held out. I didn't dare use Ante or the Dangerous Machine this time, and it seemed that those cards were in my hand for the longest time, completely useless…
"My Life Points were in triple digits, and he used Card Destruction to summon four of his Fiends. My only Defense was my Abare Ushioni in Defense Mode, and my Fairy Box. I won the first toss, and fortunately, his Life Points were too low for him to risk attacking with his others. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough Life Points to keep the Fairy Box for more than that round.
"My only chance was Abare Ushioni's effect… I made the toss…
"…and I won…"
She paused. She removed the Abare Ushioni card from her deck, and looked at it for a minute.
"Strange…" she said. "You know, I was scared to make the toss at first… I had never missed with him, but I knew there was a first time for everything. If I missed this time, I would have been the final time. But then… Someone urged me, telling me that I wouldn't miss. I could have almost sworn that the urging was coming from the card itself… As if the Monster himself was telling me not to give up…"
She put the card back.
"I must have cried for an hour after it was over," she continued. "But then, out of the darkness, a man came to comfort me… A strange old man… I never got his name, but I'll never forget his face.
"He reminded me of Gandhi, only not as gaunt. He wore a fancy robe that was all black with a red sash.
"His soothing words calmed me down, and he told me that I wouldn't face that horrible card again. But others, unfortunately, would. He told me he was the leader of a special sect who resided in a secret monastery, located deep under the city…
"At the right time, he would unleash the holy power of the Dark Messiah, and the Orichalcos would be defeated."
"What else did he say?" asked Jason, getting excited. "How do we get to this monastery?"
Frenchie paused.
"He told me," she continued, "that the path would be open to the ones chosen by the Dragons once the current Swordsmen were utterly defeated.
"Once that happened, Timaeus, Critias, and Hermos could reveal an entrance to a series of abandoned sewers from Grand Central Station. From there, the monastery would be easy to find by the ones holding those cards."
She sighed.
"I'm afraid that's all I know…" she muttered.
"Thank you," said Trisha. "You've given us more than enough."
As Frenchie left, they looked at each other.
"The first step is obvious," said Russell, clenching his fist. "We have to hunt down those three goons and take them out. Take them out hard! Show them as much mercy as they've shown us and who knows who else."
"We'll go to class for now," said Jason, "and assuming they don't come for us, we'll start looking for them on Friday afternoon."
Ansel had been listening to this whole thing mostly in silence.
"Is there anything I can do?" he asked.
"If you know any good prayers," replied Trisha, "say some for us…"
She raised her glass of soda.
"Here's to the utter defeat of the Orichalcos," she said.
They clinked their glasses together.
Russell looked through the money he had won.
"The bill for this food will be about sixty dollars," he said. "That leaves two-hundred and eighty for each of us. I suggest we spend it on strengthening our decks…"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
As the car started to drive back to New York City, thunder rolled.
"Uh oh…" said Ansel. "Rain. We've been getting so much lately…"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
At ten o'clock that night, Raphael and Valon waited outside the Ra Dorm.
Alister slowly walked out, with a disappointed expression on his face.
"Any luck?" asked Valon.
"No…" muttered Alister, sitting down. "I wasn't able to communicate with her, and try as I might, I couldn't do it with my cards again. I think that each of us are only allowed to give a gift once…"
"Swell…" muttered Raphael. "That leaves you and me, Valon. One of us will have to give one of them their deck…"
"Hold the phone, guys," said Alister. "Both of you have strategies that are… hard to use, to say the least."
Raphael and Valon looked at each other. They couldn't deny that.
"Then it all comes down to whoever's strategy is less hard," said Raphael. "And I hate to say it, but I don't think it's mine…"
"True…" muttered Alister. "Your whole strategy depended on never sending a Monster to the Graveyard, and you were the only duelist in history who could do that."
"I know," answered Raphael. "I really don't think any of these kids can manage that."
"And your Guardians are hard enough to summon to begin with," said Valon.
He took his deck out and leafed though it.
"It's up to me then…"
Sunday, October 25th, 2106, 10:17 PM
0
0
0
LETHAL STAKES (Spell Card)
Card Specs
Type:
Spell/Continuous
Attribute: -
Level: -
ATK:
-
DEF: -
Image: Sand Gambler and Goddess of Whim playing blackjack with Terrorking Archfiend as the dealer. They're using blue lights rather than chips.
Card Description: During each player's Battle Phase, they may declare an increment of 100. If during that Battle Phase they deal damage to their opponent's Life Points totaling more than the declared number, they gain Life Points equal to the declared number. If they deal damage to their opponent's Life Points totaling less than the declared number, they lose Life Points equal to the declared number. The declared number must be at least 100 and cannot be greater than double the declaring player's current Life Points.
Note: "Lethal Stakes" was created by Man Called True for his fanfic "Yu-Gi-Oh! Tilting the Balance". All creative credit goes to him.
0
0
0
MAXIMUM SIX (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type:
Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 6
ATK:
1,900
DEF: 1,600
Card Description: When this card is successfully Tribute Summoned, roll one die. Multiply the result by 200, and add the result to this card's ATK for as long as it is face-up on the field.
0
0
0
DANGEROUS MACHINE TYPE-6 (Spell Card)
Card Specs
Type:
Spell/Continuous
Attribute: -
Level: -
ATK:
-
DEF: -
Image: A machine looking vaguely like a clock, with six numbers on its face, sparkling with electricity.
Card Description: During each of your Standby Phases, roll one die. Activate one of the following effects according to the result of the roll: 1 – Discard one card from your hand at random. 2 – Your opponent discards one card from his hand at random. 3 – Draw one card. 4 – Your opponent draws one card. 5 – Destroy one opposing Monster. 6 – This card is destroyed.
Note: "Maximum Six" and "Dangerous Machine Type-6" are Japanese promotional cards that have not yet been released in the United States. Both were used by Joey in the multi-part anime episode "Down in Flames".
0
0
0
ROLL OF FATE (Spell Card)
Card Specs
Type:
Spell
Attribute: -
Level: -
ATK: -
DEF:
-
Image: A beautiful woman's portrait on the right, and a dark-haired man's portrait with his eyes closed on the left. A die separates the two portraits.
Card Description: Roll one die. Draw a number of cards equal to the result of the roll. Then, remove from play the same number of cards from the top of your deck.
Note: "Roll of Fate" was used by Joey in the multi-part anime episode "Down in Flames". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
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0
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Frenchie's Casino Deck
Frenchie has lived in a world of card sharks and high rollers for a long time, first as a gambler and later as a blackjack dealer. She's had tremendous success in games of chance of all types, so as a duelist, it would make sense that cards dependent on luck and risk would populate her deck.
Frenchie has a few average beatsticks, like Slate Warrior and Gemini Elf (good to combo with Graceful Dice and Skull Dice) but most of her Monsters are ones whose effects are activated with coin tosses and dice rolls. Abare Ushioni is one of her favorites, because she can honestly say she has NEVER lost the toss with this Monster. Most don't believe her when she claims this, but it is actually true. Despite this, she doesn't think she is invincible, and as she said, she won't take risks when she doesn't have to.
Many more Monsters fill in the gaps. Dice Jar, Roulette Barrel, Maximum Six, Blowback Dragon, Sand Gambler, Time Wizard, and Goddess of Whim are all prevalent in her deck. She also keeps quite a few gambling-inspired Spells and Traps, including two copies of Ante and one each of Sixth Sense, Fire Darts, Fairy Box, and Gamble.
Dark Master Zorc doesn't see much use. As useful as this card is, she would agree with Ansel that it's too much like Russian roulette, a gamble that even she would never take.
Surprisingly, Frenchie's deck does not contain any copies of Second Coin Toss or Dice Re-Roll. In real gambling, a player is NOT allowed a second chance when he loses, and she feels that these two cards are cheating. Perhaps Frenchie simply considers herself a gambler first and a duelist second, which is why she has set such restrictive rules for herself.
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Coming up next…
Russell finds Cassius and demands a rematch, which Cassius is all too happy to give him. But the outback outlaw has switched tactics, and won't go down as easy this time. And his plan to cripple Hermos is one that has spelled doom for many duelists.
The next arc starts in a chapter called "Magic Jammer", coming soon.