A year ago, I babysat my little cousin, and on a whim, I took her to see a movie called The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girl. The movie had three protagonists, Shark Boy, Lava Girl, and the dreamer who had created them.
Lava Girl was the character I found the most interesting, which is odd, because the characters in children's movies usually don't have much substance. She had a bit of an identity crisis. She was a creature of fire, and couldn't touch anything without it burning. She was dismayed, and thought that because she was made of fire, she had to be a creature of evil and destruction.
But the hero of the movie proved her wrong. What she truly was… was a creature of Light.
In most cases, fire does indeed come side-by-side with light. Up to this point, I've never heard of a fire that didn't create light…
Up to this point, that is…
My mind has changed, because a fire is trying to consume my very flesh, and it isn't light, it's very dark.
In the depths of the Shadow Queen's palace, rules of nature can change on a whim…
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CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
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Shadow Flames
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As Stan, Andy, and Francesca walked down the cave-like passage, they started to sweat…
It was getting hot.
They entered a room lit by a bright red glow. And then they saw the source…
They were in a volcanic cave. To their left was a large pool of lava, being fed by a lava flow coming from the ceiling.
"This can only mean one thing…" muttered Andy.
He spoke up.
"Tyson? Are you in here?"
There was no response for a minute or two…
Then a form burst out of the lava! A figure crawled out of it…
Tyson stood upright, and lava dripped from his clothing, which they guessed was enchanted in some way.
"Boy, I was getting pruned…" he chuckled. "Nothing like bathing in boiling magma… It does wonders for my skin… Care to try?"
"Tyson, I find you no more funny than last time," stated Andy. "And back then, I found you as funny as a canker sore…"
Tyson smirked.
"You and Francesca must think you're so special," he sighed. "Being able to defeat Melissa and Kurtis in Shadow Games… Well, let me tell you something; Even if by some miracle you do away with all of us, you may never sleep soundly again…"
"I don't follow," answered Francesca.
Tyson stepped out of the pool, and his footsteps melted the stone floor…
"Once you've experienced the Shadows, you're a changed duelist," remarked Tyson. "Two things can happen to you now…
"Either the darkness will overcome you as you try to hide in your beds, and you'll be reduced to quivering wrecks…
"Or, you'll become stronger as a result – but that might not occur for a while. When we started, we all had nightmares for months before we got used to it."
"Not that I intend to let you go, Stan," he added. "You and I are going to duel, and you won't be as fortunate as your two friends!"
"If we must, we simply must," stated Stan. "But you won't scare me, Tyson…"
Tyson's body burst into an aura of flames!
"Step a little closer and say that!" he laughed.
"You're still not scaring me," sighed Stan. "I've had scarier birthday parties…"
"Fine," said Tyson, as his fiery Duel Disk appeared on his arm. "Scaring you isn't my job. That's for the beasts in my deck!"
He took a card from his deck.
"And my Deckmaster is a force to be reckoned with," he stated. "Meet Mr. Volcano!"
A fiery wizard in a suit and cape appeared.
"And just what does he do?" asked Stan.
"There's no rule that says I have to tell you!" exclaimed Tyson. "Now choose yours!"
Stan pulled out his deck…
"Stan!" cried a voice. "Let me out this time!"
"Goombella?" muttered Stan.
He looked at Goombella's card.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
Goombella smiled.
"All right then," he said. "I choose Goombella the Scholar!"
He held the card aloft, and the sassy Goomba perched on his shoulder.
"Hey, wait!" laughed Tyson. "Some trash just blew into here! Oh wait, that's just your Monster… Looks like we've got fungus among us!"
Goombella gave him a dirty look, and then turned to Stan.
"Stan," she whispered into his ear. "Listen closely. My Deckmaster Ability is very powerful…"
"I'm listening," answered Stan.
She quickly whispered into his ear.
"Got it?" she asked.
"Got it!" answered Stan.
"All right Tyson," he exclaimed. "It's time to duel!"
The scores set to 8,000…
And then the lights in the room dimmed.
"Uh oh…" muttered Francesca.
"You'll find this duel much less pleasant than your two friends found theirs, Stan," said Tyson, waving his hand.
And then Stan gasped in fear…
He was on fire!
Well, sort of. Surrounding him was an aura of black flames of some sort. His skin tingled.
He noticed that the same aura was around Tyson.
"What's going on, Tyson?" he demanded.
"Ever get mad and tell a person to burn in Hell, Stan?" chuckled Tyson. "Well, I'm going to send you to a Hell, and you'll burn there!
"These are Shadow Flames… A special type of fire found in the darkest voids. It doesn't hurt much now, as you can feel, but as you lose Life Points, it will get hotter, and more intense…
"The loser of this duel will be trapped in a virtual inferno forever!"
"You're mad…" muttered Stan.
"Do I look angry to you?" asked Tyson. "Do I? Actually, I'm quite happy…"
He drew his first hand.
"And I'll place a Monster in Defense Mode…" he stated.
A fiery little creature appeared…
"Flame Dancer!"
The creature was a little imp with one eye, and flames shooting out of a spout in its head. (550/450)
"HA, HA, HA!" laughed Stan. "What's the matter, Tyson, have a bad first hand?"
Tyson didn't respond.
"Why'd you even put that little thing in your deck in the first place?" he asked.
No response.
"Have it your way…" muttered Stan, drawing a card.
He looked over his hand.
"I'll fight fire with fire!" he shouted. "And I'll summon Blast Magician in Attack Mode!"
"He put the card down, and a bonfire erupted on his side of the field. The flaming magician arose! (1,400/1,900)
"Attack Flame Dancer!" shouted Stan. "Blast attack!"
Blast Magician shot forth a stream of flame from his staff, obliterating the imp.
"So now what, Tyson?"
"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…" chuckled Tyson.
He drew a card and looked at it.
"Fight fire with fire, Stan?" he chuckled. "That's an old saying, but it's a half-baked idea. The truth is, trying to fight fire with fire usually only makes the fire worse!
"See, the reason I put that weak Monster out on the field was so you wouldn't waste a strong one to destroy it… But this is even better than I anticipated!"
He placed a card down…
And a great flame erupted in front of him! A gargoyle-like Fiend with bat-like wings, a flaming mane, and a fiery sword appeared! (1,000/1,000)
"What the Hell is that?" gasped Stan.
"Good choice of words," chuckled Tyson. "He's called a Gorlag. And he might not look like much, but he gains 500 extra Attack Points for all Fire Monsters on the field. That includes Blast Magician, so thank you so much, you fool!"
"So, he has 1,500 Attack Points?" asked Stan.
Tyson chuckled.
"I said ALL Fire Monsters," he answered, "and Gorlag is one too!"
(2,000/1,000)
"Gorlag…" he shouted, "attack Blast Magician with infernal blade!"
The demon roared, and flew forward, striking Blast Magician with its sword! The Fire mage was burned up.
Stan cringed, as his Life Points fell to 7,600.
"And now let me show you Gorlag's other great ability…" chuckled Tyson, snapping his fingers.
Another flame spouted up, and Blast Magician appeared next to Gorlag!
"You summoned him on your side?" gasped Stan.
"Uh huh," answered Tyson. "Any Monster that Gorlag destroys is reborn as my slave. Of course, Blast Magician lost his effect, so feel free to use all the Magic Cards you want, not that it will help…"
"All right!" stated Stan. "My move!"
He drew a card.
Nuts, thought Stan. Only one Monster that I can summon… she'll have to do for now…
"I summon Ebon Magician Curran in Defense Mode!" he exclaimed.
He put the card down, and Curran appeared, shielding herself. (1,200/0)
"Putting a Monster in Defense Mode, Stan?" chuckled Tyson. "Well, that would be great, except that Curran's Defense has a grand total of zero!"
He made a draw.
He looked at the two Monsters in his hand.
Plan B is ready should Plan A fail, thought Tyson. And little does Stan know, I have a Plan C and a Plan D after that. Because unlike that stupid Melissa and Kurtis, I'm far from a one-hit wonder. I have several contingency plans should my initial one turn out to be a dud.
"Gorlag, destroy Curran!" shouted Tyson.
Gorlag flew forward. Curran screamed…
The Fiend swung his sword, and she was blown apart.
"Blast Magician, attack Stan directly!" shouted Tyson.
Blast Magician pointed his staff, and shot forth a blast of fire! Stan cringed as he was struck, and his Life Points fell to 6,000.
Even worse, the Shadow Flames around him started burning fiercer! His skin started to throb, and it got hotter.
"If you can't stand the heat," chuckled Tyson, "stay out of the kitchen. And you know what happens next…"
Another bonfire appeared, and Curran appeared on Tyson's side.
"And now," chuckled Tyson, "Gorlag is even stronger!"
Gorlag increased in size, and his Attack grew to 2,500!
"Hold it!" shouted Stan. "Curran isn't a Fire Monster!"
"Oops!" remarked Tyson. "Forgot to mention. Any Monster I enslave with Gorlag's effect has its Attribute changed.
"Anyway, make your move…"
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"End," asked the Amazon, "does that thing's strength have any limit?"
"The only limit," sighed End, "is the number of Fire Monsters that could conceivably be on both sides of the field at one time…"
He sighed.
"Gorlags aren't very popular with other Fiends," he remarked. "Archfiends aside, most Fiends are Dark, and they make fun of those who don't conform. And Gorlags have it worse off, because other Types, including Pyros and Fire Monsters of other Types, don't like Fiends much…"
"I wonder why…" said Peten, sarcastically.
End ignored the wisecrack.
"And as you can see," he continued, "their base power isn't much. So they can only be handled if you know how to use them right."
"And Tyson clearly does," sighed the Amazon. "Super…"
"Ah, who cares?" snarled End.
The Amazon grabbed him by the collar.
"Need I remind you?" she snarled. "These three kids are our ticket home! We've got to think positively!"
The Fiend glared at her.
"Think positively," he sighed. "Well, I'll try anything once…"
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"Now what?" said Andy. "With every Monster that thing strikes down, it gets stronger! Stan's really in hot water!"
"Bad choice of words, Andy…" muttered Francesca.
Stan drew a card.
Nothing good, he thought. Unless…
"All right Tyson," he stated, "I'm using my Deckmaster's ability!"
"Do tell…" chuckled Tyson.
Stan removed his deck.
"It's called Tattletale, and here's how it works," stated Stan. "I can return as many cards as I want back to my deck, reshuffle, and the draw the same number, plus one. And I'm going to return all six to my deck!"
He placed his cards back in his deck, and Goombella closed her eyes. She glowed…
Stan's cards all floated out in front of him, and then flew in a chaotic pattern, eventually rebuilding into a deck again. Stan held up his Disk, and it slid back into the tray. Then seven cards flew out.
"The downside to this move is, I have to let you do the same if you so choose," continued Stan.
Tyson chuckled.
"Fine," he said. "I'll do the same with four of my cards…"
He added four cards to his deck, and Goombella glowed again. The same thing happened…
Five cards flew out of Tyson's reshuffled deck.
Stan looked at his cards.
Good… he thought.
"Now," stated Stan. "I'll summon Magician's Valkyria in Attack Mode!"
He placed a card down, and the attractive brunette Spellcaster appeared. (1,600/1,800)
"What good will she do?" laughed Tyson. "I'll just add her to my collection too!"
"You aren't going to get a chance, pal," stated Stan, "once I play this… Shrink!"
He played the card, and Gorlag bellowed! He shrank down to half his size, and his Attack Score fell to 1,250.
"Valkyria, destroy him!" shouted Stan.
Valkyria aimed her scepter and fired, blowing the Fiend to pixels!
And then, both Blast Magician and Ebon Magician Curran burst into pixels as well!
"Figured that might happen…" muttered Stan.
Tyson's Life Points slipped to 7,650.
"Clever…" he stated. "But I'm just getting started…"
"Your move now," dared Stan.
Tyson made a draw.
"I'll place a card facedown," he stated.
A facedown card materialized.
"And then I'll summon Flame Ruler in Defense Mode…"
He placed a card on his Disk, and a tall, bearded man, awash with flames appeared. He knelt in Defense. (1,500/1,600)
"And that will be my turn," said Tyson with a grin.
"Oo-kay…" said Stan, as he slowly drew.
He turned the card on his Disk, and Magician's Valkyria moved into Defense Mode…
Then he fit three cards into slots, and they appeared behind Valkyria.
I know his plan, he thought. He set it all out in front of me…
If he sacrifices Flame Ruler for a Fire Monster, it counts as two Monsters. So he plans to sacrifice it to summon Fire Queen…
…which will let him Special Summon Fire King…
which will let him use his Volcano Palace Field Card!
But now, I'm prepared…
As soon as Fire Queen appears, I'll activate my first facedown card, A Rival Appears! to summon my eight-star Dark Magician of Chaos from my hand…
Then, as soon as he plays Volcano Palace, my facedown Dust Tornado will reduce it to rubble!
Now, he can't attack Dark Magician of Chaos when Magician's Valkyria is there, and Fire Queen won't be strong enough for him, so he'll attack Valkyria with Fire Queen…
And then, when he attacks Dark Magician of Chaos with Fire King, I'll spring my Spellbinding Circle! Then I'll pick both of them off…
"It's your move," he said.
"Fine," said Tyson, making a draw.
He switched cards.
"I'll sacrifice Flame Ruler…"
Flame Ruler erupted into a huge bonfire…
And then the bonfire grew…
The creature that appeared wasn't the sexy, armored, female Warrior of Fire, but a hideous demonic figure made of flames! (2,700/1,600)
"That's not Fire Queen!" shouted Stan.
"No," chuckled Tyson. "It's a Pyro called Infernal Flame Emperor!"
The huge, blazing creature glared at Stan.
"A useful rule about engaging the enemy, Stan," chuckled Tyson. "Always keep them guessing!"
That's a nine-star Monster! thought Stan, in panic. A Rival Appears! is useless!
"Now watch his great effect!" exclaimed Tyson. "When he's summoned, I can remove Fire Monsters in my Graveyard from play, and destroy Magic and Trap Cards! So I'll remove the three I have…"
Three cards fell out of his discard slot…
Infernal Flame Emperor pointed, and Stan's three facedown cards burst into flame!
"Not so fast, Tyson!" shouted Stan. "By destroying my Dust Tornado, you activated it!"
The Tornado blew across the field, shattering Tyson's facedown card!
"Humph," said Tyson with a shrug. "Like I really need that Shadow Spell anymore. Infernal Flame Emperor, attack Magician's Valkyria with infernal inferno!"
The Emperor blaster forth a wave of flame, and Magician's Valkyria let out a bloodcurdling scream before she shattered.
"Lucky for you, she was in Defense Mode," laughed Tyson. "Well, I place another card facedown, and call it a turn…"
He fit a card into a slot, and it appeared.
Could this be his Soul Card? thought Stan, making a draw. I'm not sure… That Monster is powerful, but I don't think it suggests Greed… More like Wrath… And if Gorlag was his Soul Card, he likely wouldn't have removed it from play…
He looked at the card he had drawn.
"I play Pot of Greed!" he exclaimed.
He played the card, and the jar handed him two cards.
All right… he thought, looking at them.
"I summon Watapon!" he stated, placing a card down.
The tiny, puffball of a Monster appeared. (200/300)
Tyson raised an eyebrow…
"And since I drew Watapon using Pot of Greed," continued Stan, "I can now sacrifice it to summon Neo Aqua Madoor, in Defense Mode!"
He switched cards on his Disk, and the huge, icy Spellcaster emerged, surrounded by a protective blizzard of frost. (1,200/3,000)
"Clever," chuckled Tyson. "But let me tell you one thing… Fire melts ice!"
"Just make your move, okay?" snarled Stan.
"I'll move alright," chuckled Tyson, making a draw. "First I'll summon Molten Zombie…"
He put a card down, and the thick, gloppy Pyro appeared with a low moan. (1,600/300)
"However," continued Tyson, "I only summoned him so I could use my facedown card… Spiritual Fire Art – Kurenai!"
His facedown card lifted, and a young girl emerged onto his side of the field. She had fiery red hair that fell to her knees, and wore a revealing girdle, covered by a grey cloak. She carried a staff tipped with a flame.
"Huh?" asked Stan.
"Meet Hiita the Fire Charmer!" laughed Tyson. "She's even more skilled at controlling the element of Fire than I am! And she knows a powerful spell called Kurenai!
"By sacrificing one Fire Monster, she can blast your Life Points for the amount equal to the Attack Score of the Monster that I'm sacrificing… So goodbye Molten Zombie!"
Molten Zombie vanished into pixels, and Hiita aimed her staff at Stan…
A stream of flames shot forth, and he screamed!
He fell to his knees, and his Life Points fell to 4,400.
The Shadow Flames on his skin started to burn with even more intensity…
Can you feel it Stan? thought Tyson. Well, I sure can… the pain you're feeling isn't just burning you…
Just like my father's style, the Shadow Flames I can inflict upon someone will not only be agonizing, but they help me immensely. When I duel my next victim, I'll be even stronger, because you'll be feeding me with energy like fuel that can't be consumed, just as all the past ones are doing for me right now…
That's another rule common to all Shadow Games that I didn't mention, Stan. With each victim claimed, one gets better and stronger, until he's truly unbeatable.
Heck, who knows? Maybe once mom gets what she wants and we've done away with all opposition, I'll add Leopold, Maria, and Vladimir to the fire too…
He chuckled.
And why stop there?
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"This isn't good people…" muttered Peten.
"Tell me about it," sighed the Amazon. "Tyson hasn't lost control of this for even a second…"
"Weren't you the one who told me a minute ago to think positive?" asked End. "Stan has one of his Enchanted Cards in his hand…"
"Yeah," replied the Amazon. "Only problem is, using it might be risky…"
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"Stan!" shouted Francesca. "Get up! You can still beat him!"
"That's a lot… easier said… than done…" muttered Stan.
He pulled himself to his feet.
He drew a card.
"Mystical Elf in Defense Mode…" he stated, playing a card.
Mystical Elf appeared, kneeling in her meditative state. (800/2,000)
"Don't know when to quit, do you?" chuckled Tyson, drawing a card.
He grinned.
He flicked open his Field Slot.
"I play… Molten Destruction!" he shouted, placing the card into it.
What happened next fit the description of the card perfectly – it was destruction. The center of the arena exploded as a burst of lava erupted onto the field! Within seconds, The two of them were standing amid a boiling magma pool!
"Intimidating, isn't it?" chuckled Tyson, as Infernal Flame Emperor rose to (3,200/1,200). "And now I'll summon Great Angus in Attack Mode!"
He placed a card down, and a furious creature burst out of the lava! It was a beast with the head of a boar, with enormous tusks! (1,800/600) –) (2,300/200)
"Infernal Flame Emperor, melt his Madoor!" shouted Tyson.
The Emperor blasted forth his flame, and Neo Aqua Madoor shattered.
"Great Angus, attack Mystical Elf!"
Great Angus breathed forth a blast of fire, and Mystical Elf was burned up!
"So now what Stan?" asked Tyson. "Pardon the cliché expression, but you've got nowhere to go but up in smoke!"
"I don't think I'll pardon the expression…" muttered Stan.
He drew a card.
"I play Graceful Charity!" he shouted.
He played the card, and the angel flew out of his deck, handing him three cards.
He looked at the six cards he now had.
Well, he thought, what have I got to lose?
He handed her two cards, and she flew into his discard slot.
"I'll summon… Silent Magician LV 4 in Attack Mode!" he stated.
He placed the card down, and the young child-mage appeared, holding her staff aloft. (1,000/1,000)
"Huh?" asked Francesca. "Stan still has her in his deck?"
"I'm just as surprised…" muttered Tyson.
Stan shrugged.
"I haven't used her since I dueled your brother Leopold," he replied. "For some reason, I just never drew her, or was able to use her effectively. But now, let's try her out again! I play… Clock Out!"
He played the card, and his Life Points fell to 3,400.
He started to sweat as the clock appeared and started to spin…
It landed on the three.
"HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!" laughed Tyson. "Nice try, Stan, but not nice enough!"
He chuckled slowly.
"I know her power… She gains 500 Attack Points each time I draw a card… That Magic Card will keep me from attacking her for three turns…
"Unfortunately, you'll need to keep me from attacking for four of my turns before she's strong enough to defeat Infernal Flame Emperor! And unlike my dumb brother, I am NOT dumb enough to do anything that will make me draw outside of my Draw Phase!"
"We'll soon see," muttered Stan. "It's your move…"
Tyson drew a card, and Silent Magician glowed. Her Attack rose to 1,500.
"So, I can't attack, huh?" he asked. "I'll just pass the time by summoning a few more Monsters… Blazing Inpachi, in Attack Mode."
He placed a card down, and the burning tree-man appeared. (1,850/0) –) (2,350/0)
"Well, that's enough for me for now," chuckled Tyson.
Stan drew a card.
Good, he thought. Just who I needed.
"I summon White Magician Pikeru in Attack Mode!" he exclaimed.
He put a card down, and Pikeru appeared in a flash of light.
Infernal Flame Emperor growled, and Pikeru drew back in fear.
"Stay calm," assured Stan. "He can't hurt you right now…"
"He'll be able to soon enough," laughed Tyson.
He drew, and looked at the card. Silent Magician rose to 2,000 Attack.
"Darkfire Soldier #1, in Attack Mode," he stated.
He put the card down, and the bare-chested, flaming soldier with his curved sword appeared. (1,700/1,150) –) (2,200/750)
"One turn to go!" he warned.
Stan drew a card, and Pikeru cast her healing spell. His Life Points went up to 4,200.
"I'll place a Monster facedown in Defense and that will be all," he stated.
He put a card on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.
"Well, let's see what else I've got," laughed Tyson.
He drew, and Silent Magician went up to 2,500 Attack.
"Well, I'll summon Darkfire Soldier #2 this time!" he laughed.
He put a card down, and a fifth Monster appeared on his side, this one a fiery ronin with two blazing katana. (1,700/1,000) – (2,300/600)
"On my next round, I'll be free to attack," chuckled Tyson, "so your little girl will be going down…"
The clock vanished.
"We'll soon see," said Stan, making a draw.
Pikeru cast her spell again, and Stan's Life Points went up to 5,400.
"I'll flip my facedown Monster into Attack Mode!" he shouted. "Magician of Faith!"
The card flipped up, and Magician of Faith appeared. (300/400)
A card slipped out of his discard slot.
"I'll use her to retrieve my Pot of Greed and play it again!"
He played the card, and the jar handed him two more cards.
"Good!" he said, looking at them. "Now I'll sacrifice her…"
Magician of Faith shattered into pixels.
"…and I'll summon Chaos Command Magician!"
The powerful Spellcaster of Light arose! (2,400/1,900)
"Chaos Command Magician," shouted Stan, "attack Darkfire Soldier #2 with chaos blast!"
The sorcerer pointed his staff and shot forth his multicolored spell, blowing the fiery ronin to shards!
Tyson's Life Points fell to 7,550.
"Big deal!" he mocked. "When it's my turn, it's curtains for your Silent Magician!"
"You really think so?" asked Stan. "It's still my turn…"
He played a card.
"I play Card Destruction!"
Tyson gasped.
"Now we must each fold our hands and draw an equal number," continued Stan. "And just watch…"
Tyson growled. They each discarded their hands and drew new cards.
"And since that counts as drawing cards," laughed Stan, "Silent Magician gains a boost!"
Silent Magician grew to 3,000 Attack!
"Now it's your turn," stated Stan. "And after you draw, Silent Magician will grow to 3,500 Attack Points, and she'll be stronger than Infernal Flame Emperor!"
"Curse you, Stan…" muttered Tyson, making a draw.
Sure enough, Silent Magician rose to 3,500 Attack.
He looked at the card he had just drawn.
He turned the cards on his Disk.
"I'll move all my Monsters to Defense Mode…"
The four Monsters knelt in Defense.
"And I'll place two cards facedown too…"
He played the cards, and they appeared behind his Monsters.
"Looks like Tyson is running scared!" laughed Francesca.
"Indeed!" laughed Stan, drawing a card.
Pikeru cast her spell again, and his Life Points went up to 6,600.
"Now that Silent Magician LV 4 has grown as powerful as she can," he stated, "I can sacrifice her to summon her big sister, Silent Magician LV 8!"
Silent Magician started to grow, transforming into a tall, adult version of herself. (3,500/1,200)
"And don't try using Magic Cards on her, because they won't work!" he added.
"And that's not all. I'll also summon… Skilled White Magician!"
He put another card down, and the robed Magician of Light appeared. (1,700/1,900)
"Silent Magician, wipe out Infernal Flame Emperor with solar beam!"
Silent Magician cast a mighty spell, and the huge Pyro howled! It exploded into pixels!
"Pikeru, take out that Inpachi!" shouted Stan. "Sparkle blast!"
Pikeru cast her white magic, and Blazing Inpachi burst into an explosion of fiery logs.
"Chaos Command Magician, destroy Darkfire Soldier!"
The Chaos Mage cast his spell, and Darkfire Soldier was blasted out of existence!
"Skilled White Magician, take out the last one! White magic attack!"
Skilled White Magician fired a beam of light at Great Angus! The Beast howled and burst into flames!
Nothing was left on Tyson's side but burning embers…
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"Go, Stan, GO!" shouted the Amazon. "Teach that firebug not to play with matches!"
"Will you lower your voice?" snarled End.
"Aren't you ever happy?" asked Peten. "Stan's got him cold! Nothing he might summon could be a match for that Silent Magician!"
"I'm suspicious," growled End. "I have a sneaking suspicion that Tyson is saving his best cards for last.
"After all…
"His Deckmaster has done nothing but stand there so far…"
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"Well, Tyson, what now?" asked Stan. "I've got four Monsters on my side on the field, and you've got nothing except two facedown cards that I'm pretty sure were just a bluffs!"
"We'll soon see about that, Stan…" he snarled.
He made a draw…
And then he laughed like a maniac!
"Um, that might be a good card…" muttered Andy.
"It's a great one!" laughed Tyson. "But first I'm going to use my Deckmaster ability…"
Mr. Volcano started to glow with fire…
"Volcanic Eruption!" laughed Tyson. "Once per duel, I can summon up to five Fire Monsters from the Graveyard in Defense Mode, on the condition that they stay in Defense Mode!
"BUT, I'm only going to summon four…"
Four flames erupted out of the lava. Both Darkfire Soldiers, Great Angus, and Molten Zombie appeared, crouching in Defense.
"And by the way," chuckled Tyson. "When Molten Zombie is Special Summoned from the Graveyard, I get to draw one card…"
A card flew off of his deck.
"Yeah, what are you going to do with them all?" asked Stan. "Your Field Card makes their Defenses weak, if not nonexistent."
Tyson laughed, and then put another card down.
"I summon Ultimate Baseball Kid in Attack Mode!"
A small form leapt out of the lava with a yelp! It was a little boy wearing a fiery-red little-league outfit and a batter's helmet, holding a metal bat studded with spikes. (500/1,000) –) (1,000/600)
"Sure, he may not look like much," added Tyson, "but he gains 1,000 extra Attack Points for every Fire Monster on the field, other than himself."
(5,000/600)
"Five-thousand Attack Points!" gasped Francesca.
"AND it gets worse!" laughed Tyson. "I'll also activate my Trap…"
One of his cards lifted.
"It's called Line Drive!" he announced. "On the round this Trap is activated, my Ultimate Baseball Kid can hit a shot past your Monsters and strike you directly! Sure, I have to cut my Life Points in half to do it…"
His Life Points fell to 3,825.
"…but this ballgame is over…"
Stan started to sweat…
"Think again, Tyson…" he snarled. "I'll still have 1,600 Life Points left!"
Tyson chuckled.
"Have you forgotten about the Shadow Flames that are trying their hardest to burn away at your skin, Stan?" he mocked. "When this blow hits, you'll likely be burned to ashes!
"Ultimate Baseball Kid! Bat him out of the park with home run slammer!"
A ball of flame appeared in the Kid's hand… He tossed it into the air, and walloped it with his bat! Stan's four Spellcasters dove for cover and it plowed into him!
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Stan could hear faint screams in the distance – he vaguely recognized them as Andy and Francesca. But right now, all he could feel right now was that intense burning feeling.
He was being burned alive…
Help… he thought in panic. Someone help…
"STAN!" shouted a voice in his ear.
"G-Goombella?" he responded.
"You have to draw a card, Stan!" she begged. "Pikeru is on the field… but she can't heal you unless you draw a card! Please, you have to get up! Don't let that bastard win!"
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"Stan, please get up!" shouted Francesca, in tears.
"Save it, Francesca," laughed Tyson, "stronger duelists than him have…"
Stan's arm moved towards his Disk.
"That's… impossible…" gasped Tyson.
Stan yanked a card out of the deck tray…
Pikeru cast her spell, and energy flowed into Stan. His Life Points went up to 3,200.
Stan slowly picked up his cards and glared at Tyson.
"Tyson…" he growled. "Your batter's hit was foul… Which means strike one…"
"You are tough," snarled Tyson, "well, let's see how well you handle this…"
His other facedown card lifted.
"I activate Fires of Vesuvius! For as long as this Continuous Trap is in place, each of us is only allowed to attack with whatever Monster is currently our strongest! So you can't weaken my Ultimate Baseball Kid by taking out my other four Monsters! At least you can't do it in one round!"
"I'll end by placing one more card facedown," he stated.
A new facedown card appeared.
"We'll soon see…" muttered Stan. "I'm using my Deckmaster ability again…"
He put his three cards back into his deck, and Goombella glowed again. Once again, the cards in his deck rearranged themselves, and when they were done, four cards floated out.
"Don't forget," chuckled Tyson, "I get the same benefit!"
He returned three of his cards to his deck, and Goombella glowed again. The same happened to his deck, and he drew four cards.
Stan fit a card into a slot. A facedown card appeared in front of him.
"That will do it for me," he snarled.
Tyson looked at him with surprise.
He drew a card.
"Ultimate Baseball Kid, take out Pikeru!" he shouted.
The batter produced another flaming baseball… Pikeru squeaked in fear…
"Activate Negate Attack!" shouted Stan.
His Trap Card lifted, and Ultimate Baseball Kid's baseball hit against an invisible barrier.
"Foul ball again…" mumbled Stan. "So that's strike two against him…"
"Aren't we funny!" growled Tyson. "This isn't fun anymore, Stan. So make your move…"
Stan drew a card, and Pikeru raised his Life Points to 4,800.
The feeling was starting to come back.
"So, I can only attack with my strongest Monster, huh?" asked Stan. "Well, I see no problem with THAT!"
He played a Magic Card.
"I play Diffusion-Wave Motion!"
"WHAT?" shouted Tyson.
Stan's Life Points fell to 3,800.
"Now a Spellcaster on my side of seven stars or more, like Silent Magician, can attack every Monster on your side of the field!" shouted Stan. "And once your four defensive Monsters are gone, your Kid will be weak!
"Silent Magician, ultimate solar blast!"
Silent Magician aimed her staff, and shot forth four blazing beams, eradicating Molten Zombie, Blazing Inpachi, and both Darkfire Soldiers!
Ultimate Baseball Kid looked on in fright as his Attack Points plummeted to 1,000…
Silent Magician aimed her staff at him and fired! He screamed and was blown to pieces!
"Strike three," said Stan with a smile. "He's out!"
Tyson grunted, as his Life Points plummeted to 1,325.
"This ballgame isn't over yet, Tyson," said Stan. "We're going into extra innings, and I assure you, your winning streak in Shadow Games is about to end!
"Make your move…"
Tyson made a few low gasps… it was hard to say whether they were of pain, anger, or both…
For the first time in his life, the heat was a little too much, even for him…
He drew a card.
"I play the Trap Card… Forge of Hephaestus!" he shouted, as his facedown card lifted. "Now, both of us must take whatever Monster in our deck or Graveyard has the highest base Attack Score and add it to our respective hands!"
Stan looked at him in surprise. A card slipped out of his discard slot, that he had discarded with Card Destruction…
Sorcerer of Dark Magic.
"Now then…" continued Tyson, playing a card. "I play Silent Doom! Now I can bring back a Monster from my Graveyard in Defense Mode… And I'll use it to bring back Darkfire Soldier #2!"
Darkfire Soldier #2 appeared, kneeling in Defense Mode. (1,700/1,100) –) (2,300/700)
"Want to know what I'm up to?" asked Tyson. "To summon my most powerful Monster, I have to sacrifice a Monster with 2,000 Attack Points or more, and discard the rest of the cards in my hand!"
He switched cards on his Disk, and discarded the rest of his cards.
"Arise!" he shouted. "Come forth, Infernal Incinerator!"
A huge, fiery explosion rocked the arena! An enormous creature emerged, resembling a multi-legged beetle of some sort with an enormous, fiendish face! (2,800/1,800)
"Adorable, isn't he?" asked Tyson. "And he's powerful, too… Not only does he gain 500 Attack Points from my Field Card, but he gains 200 more from each Monster you have on your side of the field! Of course, he'd lose 500 for every other Monster I had… But I don't see a problem with that right now, cause he's enough!"
(4,100/1,400)
"Infernal Incinerator, roast Pikeru with infernal blast!"
The great beast roared, and Pikeru screamed!
Stan could do nothing but watch… The Fiend shot forth a blast of Hellfire and Pikeru was blown away.
Stan's Life Points fell to 900...
The Shadow Flames around him grew more intense, but somehow, Stan didn't care. They didn't seem to hurt as much as they did before.
"Is that your move, you monster?" asked Stan.
"Still think you can win, Stan?" chuckled Tyson. "Please. I've been watching you duel, and I know your deck! I know you don't have a single Monster that can stand up to this!"
"It isn't how strong your cards are," stated Stan. "It's what you do with them!"
He looked at Infernal Incinerator.
And I think this thing might be the key to beating him, he thought. Infernal Incinerator is a Monster that steals power from others, and can't share… Can any Monster further embody Greed?
But he wasn't far off… I don't have much that can defeat that thing… Let's see…
He looked at his cards.
I have Sorcerer of Dark Magic, Dark Magician, Dark Magician Girl, and Polymerization… None of them are really useful in this situation…
He drew a card.
Huh, he thought.
He remembered the last time he had used this card… It had helped him defeat Kurtis at the Great Tree, so very long ago, it seemed…
A plan started to form…
"Okay Tyson, I sacrifice Chaos Command Magician, and Skilled White Magician…"
The two Spellcasters vanished.
"To summon Dark Magician!"
Dark Magician appeared! (2,500/2,100)
"Heh, heh," chuckled Tyson. "Your favorite Monster, huh? Can't wait to barbecue him!"
"You won't get a chance to, Tyson!" answered Stan. "Because now I'm going to sacrifice him and my Silent Magician to Special Summon my most powerful Spellcaster, who you so graciously let me have with your Trap Card…"
Dark Magician and Silent Magician stood back to back…
"Both of you," ordered Stan, as they vanished, "step aside and make room for… Sorcerer of Dark Magic!"
An aura of ultimate darkness appeared on Stan's side of the field, and the most powerful Dark Spellcaster in Duel Monsters appeared out of the aura! (3,200/2,800)
"And…" added Stan, "now that I have only one Monster on my side of the field, your Infernal Incinerator's power is greatly reduced."
The Fiend fell to 3,500 Attack.
"Big deal!" laughed Tyson. "He's still stronger than your Sorcerer!"
"Really?" chuckled Stan. "Remember back when you said that fighting fire with fire only made a fire worse? I'd like to challenge that theory…"
He fit a card into his Disk.
"I play Scroll of Bewitchment!"
The reams of a mystical scroll encircled Sorcerer of Dark Magic, and he glowed…
His robes turned fiery red!
"What's happening?" gasped Tyson.
"This Equip Card lets me change the Attribute of the Equipped Monster," replied Stan. "So I'm changing his Attribute from Dark, to Fire!"
Tyson looked dumbfounded.
"What good will THAT do you?" he asked.
"Think about it," answered Stan. "It'll hit you in a minute…"
Tyson's eyes opened wide…
"If he's a Fire Monster…" he gasped, "he gets powered up by Molten Destruction!"
"Bingo!" laughed Stan. "Give the man a cigar!"
The Sorcerer's stats changed to (3,700/2,400).
"Eee…" stammered Tyson.
"All right!" shouted Stan. "Sorcerer of Fire Magic, quench Infernal Incinerator's fire with celestial fire blast!"
The Sorcerer shot forth a blaze of flame from his staff, and Infernal Incinerator howled! It burst in a deafening explosion!
Tyson gasped…
His Life Points fell to 1,125…
"Well Tyson, I'm ending my turn," said Stan, "and since you discarded your whole hand to summon that thing, I think your fire is about… to go out…"
Tyson's hand shook as he drew a card…
"Uh, let's see here..." he muttered.
He looked at it.
"One card… facedown…" he stammered as the card appeared.
He was clearly in great pain… Stan almost felt sorry for him...
He drew a card…
…almost.
"Sorcerer, attack him directly!" he shouted.
"Activate… Ring of Destruction!" shouted Tyson.
His Trap Card lifted.
"I may lose, Stan," he yelled, "but I'll drag you to the Shadow Realm with me!"
And then the card shattered…
"Idiot," said Stan. "My Sorcerer can negate and destroy your Traps! Now where were we?"
The Sorcerer blasted Tyson in the chest, and he screamed…
The Shadow Flames around him started to burn fiercer, and he laughed, not like he was before, but more like a madman…
Eventually, the black flames seemed to consume him, and both they and he dissipated.
Stan took some deep breaths, as the Shadow Flames around him vanished. Slowly, energy started coming back to him…
"Stan!" shouted Francesca.
The lava in the cavern vanished, leaving a cold, stone floor.
"You okay?" asked Fran.
Stan looked at where his opponent had been.
"Play with fire," he mused, "you get burned…"
He sat on the floor.
"How much longer can we keep this up?" he asked.
"We have to try," urged Andy. "We can't turn back at this point…"
Stan sighed.
"I know…" he muttered. "But how much more intense is it going to get before this nightmare is over?"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Merlee was walking through Petal Meadows again.
He gestured, and the Infernal Incinerator card appeared in his hand.
Don't give up, children, I beg you, he thought.
You are halfway through the gauntlet, and by now you have proven yourselves adequately. The remaining Spawn are starting to get nervous, and even the Queen is starting to become afraid.
Don't give up. Soon, you can rest, and prepare for what is to come…
0
0
0
GORLAG (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Fiend/Effect
Attribute: Fire
Level: 4
ATK: 1,000
DEF: 1,000
Card Description: This Monster gains 500 ATK for ever Fire-Attribute Monster on the field. When this Monster destroys an opposing Monster, Special Summon the destroyed Monster to your side of the field during your next Main Phase. Monsters Special Summoned by this effect have their Attribute changed to Fire, and cannot use any Effects.
Note: "Gorlag" was used by Alister in the anime episode "Deja Duel! (Part Two)". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0
0
0
SILENT DOOM (Magic Card)
Card Specs
Type: Magic
Attribute: -
Level: -
ATK: -
DEF: -
Card Description: Image of a hand with a glowing orb on the palm. Select one Normal Monster in your Graveyard and Special Summon it to the field in face-up Defense Position. The selected monster cannot declare an attack for as long as it remains face-up on the field.
Note: "Silent Doom" is a Japanese card that has not yet been released in the United States. It was used many times in the anime, first by Kaiba in "A Duel With Destiny".
0
0
0
FIRES OF VESUVIUS (Trap Card)
Card Specs
Type: Trap/Continuous
Attribute: -
Level: -
ATK: -
DEF: -
Card Description: Image of a volcano with a lava flow cascading down the mountain. So long as this card is active, both players can only attack with the Monster on their side of the field that has the highest current ATK. If one player has two Monsters with the same ATK that are higher than all others, he can only attack with one of them.
0
0
0
FORGE OF HEPHAESTUS (Trap Card)
Card Specs
Type: Trap
Attribute: -
Level: -
ATK: -
DEF: -
Card Description: Image of a powerful blacksmith striking a sword on an anvil with a hammer. Both players move the Monster in their deck or Graveyard which currently has the highest base ATK to their hand, and then shuffles their decks.
0
0
0
LINE DRIVE (Trap Card)
Card Specs
Type: Trap
Attribute: -
Level: -
ATK: -
DEF: -
Card Description: Image of Ultimate Baseball Kid hitting a flaming baseball over a centerfield wall. This card can only be activated when you have at least one "Ultimate Baseball Kid" face-up on the field. Pay half your Life Points. During the round this card is activated, all "Ultimate Baseball Kids" can attack your opponent directly.
0
0
0
"Goombella the Scholar": Spellcaster/Earth, Level 4, (500/2,000)
Deckmaster SA: "Tattletale": Once per turn, you can return any number of cards in your hand to your deck, reshuffle your deck, and draw as many cards as you returned to your deck, plus one. If you use this ability, your opponent may do the same.
0
0
0
"Mr. Volcano": Pyro/Fire, Level 6, (2,100/1,300)
Deckmaster SA: "Volcanic Eruption": Once per duel, you can Special Summon up to five Fire-Attribute Monsters from your Graveyard in face-up Defense Position. Monsters Special Summoned in this manner cannot be switched out of Defense Position except via the use of Magic Cards, Trap Cards, or Monster effects.
0
0
0
The team comes to Leopold's domicile, and the prideful Spawn has never given up his claim that he's the best. Those wishing to see another Dinosaur based duel will be disappointed, because that deck was just Leopold's practice deck!
See his true deck, and a greater power, once Andy takes him on in a chapter called "Forbidden Forest" coming up next.
