He was in danger.
There was no other way to describe. At that moment, the boy known as Konami Kodo was facing death, for he had touched paradise – no matter how accidental, no matter how momentary, he had touched paradise.
If it had been any other time, with any other people, he might have been praised. This was not the case.
"G-G-G-Get your hands off me, creep!"
It was Yuma's voice – a delayed reaction.
Very delayed.
"Gah!" Konami cursed, staggering backward upon being chopped in the forehead. "What the hell, Yuma! It was an accident."
"Accident or not, doesn't change the fact that it happened." Blair said, reminding the boy as to her presence. A presence that was most unwelcome.
"Tch. What are you two doing here anyway? Don't you know it's dangerous?" Konami said, shaking his head in disbelief. "I even got separated from Jaden and Chumley-"
"H-Huh?" Yuma asked, effectively cutting Konami off. "Whaddya mean Jaden and Chumley? You mean… you came here with other people? Other people… who weren't me?!"
"Ugh, you make it sound like Bastion didn't do anything wrong when he came in here." Konami grunted.
"BASTION'S HERE TOO?!" Yuma asked cheerfully, eyes sparkling. "Great! That means the three of us can go on an adventure like the good ol' days-!"
"If by good ol' days you mean the time that we ran away from the Abandoned Dorm, then I'll have to politely refuse – besides, you still haven't answered my question. Neither of you have." Konami said, making it clear to the subtly retreating Blair that he hadn't forgotten about her.
"I-Isn't it obvious? I'm here for Zane!" Blair declared enthusiastically. "Your little blue-haired friend said he was going to explore this place with him, but he disappeared before I could tag along!"
"And it is a Pyramid, and that means Egyptians!" Yuma continued. "And Egyptians… means Shadow Games!"
Konami rolled his eyes at the pair's near-devout responses. Truly, the pair must have been seriously whacked in the head.
"Ugh…" Konami drawled, raising a hand to his forehead to relieve the coming headache, "It just had to be you two didn't it?"
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!" Blair asked furiously.
"Anyway, is it really alright for you to be here, Blair?" Konami continued, interrupting the girl's shout. "I mean, with you pretending to be a boy and all, something you've yet to explain to me – ah, that reminds me. Yuma didn't know about that little detail, did she?"
"Hm? What little detail?" Yuma said, tilting her head curiously.
Alongside Blair, Konami blanched at Yuma's apparent disinterest in their conversation. Was she really fit to be in that pyramid…?
"Anyway, look, look! There's a new hallway!" Yuma said, shooing the two into silence as she gestured toward another slender, dark trail.
Konami didn't know all the details, but it seemed his unannounced entry granted passage leading to a new area. It was… intriguing.
"Well then, I guess this is where we part ways." Konami said nonchalantly. "Since you two are going to head back now-"
"H-Huh?! But I haven't found my darling prince Zane yet!" Blair said, so loud that even Yuma could hear, and yet, the girl lacked any sort of acknowledgement toward her comment, instead focusing on…
"B-B-But… Shadow Games!"
"Like I said, it's too dangerous." Konami said, walking ahead of the group. "So, it'd be better if you two just-!"
A sharp pain tore through Konami's legs just then, and he crumpled to one knee.
"No way…! It still hasn't recovered…?"
Intense pain.
Intense pain shuddered through his right leg; through the tendon, and down into the very marrow of his bones. Had the damage he'd sustained from Camula's castle been that much…?
"Ah! Konami-kun?!" Yuma asked worriedly, running to him quickly. "What's wrong?!"
"Pain…! Can't move!" Konami hissed, gripping the offending appendage as he spoke. "Damn it…! And at such a time!"
"Looks like we're not the only ones who shouldn't be here then, huh?" Blair asked, unable to resist a sarcastic retort to the boy's earlier accusations. "How are you supposed to complete this dungeon if you can't even stand properly?"
"Well… earlier I had Chumley…" Konami admitted softly, averting his eyes from the pair in embarrassment.
"What?" Blair asked, the words being so soft she didn't hear him.
"I said, earlier on I had been carried by Chumley!" Konami shouted, nearly bursting the girl's eardrums. Blair reeled back in surprise at the volume, and Yuma pounded her fist in understanding.
"Oh! Piggyback!" she shouted. "Of course!"
With a swift motion she appeared before Konami, and violently swung the boy onto her back piggyback-style with incredible ease.
"W-W-Whoa! Yuma! What's the big idea?!" Konami shouted.
"Well… you can't move, right?" she asked. "So, it's only natural you have a friend like me carry out, right?! Besides, this way we all get what we want! No one gets left behind!" she said enthusiastically. "…or something."
"But like I said, it's too dangerous for you to be here-!"
"Beggars can't be choosers, Red Hat!" Blair cut in. "And nothing will stop me from finding my darling! Now, onward, my partners in love! Onward, as we solve the Puzzle of God!"
"What is this, Phi-Brain?" Konami drawled, and on Yuma's back, they marched deeper into oblivion.
Yu-Gi-Oh: Tag Force
Learning to Duel
Arc Five – Chapter Three
The Swift and the Strong
In another sector of the pyramid, Chumley was falling.
Unlike Konami, his slide had not come to an abrupt stop; instead, it swirled and span and looped endlessly, knocking the large Slifer back and forth as it carried him to its destination – a destination, that Chumley himself knew not.
"Oh man," he thought aloud, "if this keeps up much longer, I'm gonna barf up my Grilled Cheese!"
Fortunately, he managed to resist that urge, as no sooner did he finish speaking did the slide finally dip downward, opening another wall to reveal – a hallway?!
"That settles it!" Chumley shouted as he fell into the new hall. "I hate pyramids!"
His loud complaint echoed through the hall, accompanied by his short but pained grunt as he crashed onto the floor below. He rubbed his head gently to soothe the small ache, and glanced at his new surroundings.
"Aw man, another hallway? But I hate walking!"
"Who's there?!" another voice accompanied Chumley's own, and the large Slifer panicked as he quickly rose to his feet.
"N-No one!" he shouted, fearing another ghostly apparition that led to his being in the slide in the first place.
The sound of approaching footsteps stilled his heart, and as the sound grew loud, Chumley felt his whole body shiver in fear. Eventually, he just couldn't take it anymore, and he curled into a ball to defend himself – somehow.
"Huh? Chumley? What're you doing?"
The mention of his own name brought the Slifer pause. Blinking, he stared up from his safety ball to gaze into the confused, but familiar face of one Jaden Yuki.
"Jaden!" Chumley shouted eagerly, crawling and hugging the boy around the waist as quickly as he could. "You're alive!"
"Uh, well yeah Chumley! What else would I be? But what happened to you? And where's Konami? Wasn't he with you earlier?" Jaden asked awkwardly within the boy's grip.
Chumley released his arms after a moment to shake his head no. "No way. We got separated just a few minutes ago. Actually, it was right before I ran into you! But Jaden, you don't know how glad I am to see you! These traps are starting to grind on my nerves! There was even one that had a ghost in it!"
"Oh come on Chumley!" Jaden said eagerly, patting the boy on the back. "There's nothing to be afraid of! Besides, there's no such thing as ghosts! Sounds like another Grilled Cheese Dream to me!"
The annoyed grunt of Winged Kuriboh cut Jaden off, and the boy scratched his head sheepishly. "Well, Duel Monster Spirits don't really count as ghosts, do they? Cause if they do, then I guess you could say I've been being haunted for a while now! Ha!"
Chumley stared at Jaden curiously for several moments, before finally deciding to climb back to his feet. "Well, if you say so Jaden, but I'm pretty sure I know what I saw! A-Anyway, we should probably try and meet back up with Konami!"
"Yeah, I guess you're right about that! Poor guy can't even stand without you carrying him, huh Chumley?" Jaden snickered. "But first, how bout I show you this awesome door I came across! It's not too far back! I was staring at it just before I heard you crying!"
"Huh? A door? You don't mean… like a way out!" Chumley shouted furiously, grabbing Jaden by the collar.
"Huh? Well, it might be! I dunno Chumley!" Jaden said sheepishly, raising his hands to placate the boy.
Chumley nodded several times at Jaden's words, but it didn't seem as if he'd actually heard him. Releasing Jaden, the boy turned the direction Jaden had come from, and began to lead the way. "Right then! Let's go! I don't wanna stay in this spooky place for another second! Not even for Grilled Cheese!"
"Uh… but weren't you just talking about Konami-?" Jaden trailed off, only to share an exasperated sigh with Winged Kuriboh. "Oh well, we'll just have to make sure we double back and grab him ourselves, won't we Winged Kuriboh?"
The Duel Monster Spirit hummed in agreement, and with another hoot, trailed after Jaden as they gave chase to Chumley. As Jaden had said, the "strange door" was not that far from their initial location, and the strange markings that adorned its form definitely classified it as unique.
Symbols and Ancient Hieroglyphs were etched into its side from top to bottom, and in its center, a perfect eye of Anubis sat unmoving.
"Whoa… this is super 'licious." Chumley murmured.
"I know, right?" Jaden asked, joining Chumley after a moment. "It took forever to find it!"
"So, think it's a way to get outta here?" Chumley asked.
"…only one way to find out." Jaden murmured, and he pushed the doors open.
Or… tried to.
Unfortunately, no matter how hard he pushed or budged, the doors wouldn't move. Chumley watched for a moment, before frowning in discontent and joining Jaden. "Here! You're not pushing hard enough!" he grunted, struggling against the great stone doors alongside his fellow Slifer.
"I'm pushing as hard as I can, Chumley!"
"Well, it's not hard enough! Come on! We can do it! Just think about… about… about…!"
"Chowing down in the cafeteria?" Jaden asked. "Alright! Let's get our push on, Chumley!"
The two struggled for several more seconds, but to no avail. It seemed that even with the two of them, opening the doors would be no easy feat. Luckily, there were three.
Hovering between the two unseen, Winged Kuriboh sighed. It gazed at the slightly obscured Eye of Anubis settled between the two boy's bodies, and raised its clawed hand gently.
Then, with a simple touch, the eye began to glow – and the doors gave way.
"Whoa!"
"Look out!"
The sudden lack of weight against them prompted the two Slifers to crash to the floor, but not before tumbling into the room the doors had previously blocked off. Winged Kuriboh hooted once more as it flew in after them, returning to Jaden's side as the boy climbed back to his feet.
"Man, warn me next time." Jaden told his low-leveled mascot, shaking the headache from his mind. "Still, gotta hand it to ya Winged Kuriboh, you sure know how to give an assist!"
Chumley frowned as he climbed back to his feet, and he stared at Jaden strangely. "Winged Kuriboh? You alright there Jaden? That fall didn't knock a couple of screws loose or something did it?"
"Huh? What are you talking about Chumley? I'm fine!" Jaden said cheerfully, jumping around energetically. "Still, this room looks pretty awesome, doesn't it? Tons of treasure and ancient symbols – makes you wonder how long it took these pharaohs to get all this stuff!"
Winged Kuriboh hooted as the pair descended the golden steps into the main chamber, and Jaden turned his gaze back toward the small creature in confusion.
"Huh? You're saying we should get out of here? But this place doesn't look dangerous at all!" Jaden said.
"Then you haven't been paying attention!" a strong voice boomed from the other end of the chamber.
In a flourish of light, a dark-skinned man clad in long white robes appeared, bearing with him a grim expression.
"Huh? What's that light? Who's there?!" Jaden shouted, shielding his eyes alongside Chumley as the man began to approach.
"I am the Gravekeeper's Chief." The man revealed. "And you have traversed into the sacred tomb of Abidos the Third, whom I protect."
"Sounds good to me!" Chumley said quickly, lowering his arms as the light died down. "So how about you show us the way outta here, and we'll be sure to never both you again!"
"That is not possible." The Chief said forebodingly, and Jaden blinked in surprise.
"What's that you said?! Why not?!"
"Because you have tread into my domain, and you will be punished for it alongside your friend here."
Jaden opened his mouth to complain. "Oh come on! Can't we just pay a fine or something?"
"You cannot." The Chief said darkly.
"Oh yeah? Well then you can't keep us here!" Jaden shouted, only to find the exact opposite was true.
In seconds, a coffin rose from the ground and engulfed Chumley, binding him in bandages from neck to foot. The large boy cried out in surprise at the sudden ambush, and Jaden turned to him in surprise.
"What?! Chumley!"
"Of course, stranger, there is a way for both you and your friend to be pardoned, given, you can pass my challenge. So, what is your choice?"
"That depends!" Jaden said, eyes narrowing in outrage at the treatment of his friend. "What's the challenge?!"
The Gravekeeper's Chief smirked, and held up a Deck of Duel Monsters cards.
"A Duel? Now you're speaking my language!" Jaden said enthusiastically. "I'll accept your challenge, but only if you let Chumley go with me if I win, deal?!"
"So be it, if you win." The Chief agreed, a small smile playing at his lips.
"Heh, if it's for my friends, there's no "if" about it pal!" Jaden said, approaching the center of the chamber as he activated his Duel Disk.
"But if you don't," the Chief warned anyway, "you will be punished. You will be buried alive!"
Jaden's teeth chattered together in surprise and fear at the "punishment", and he nearly fell flat on his ass in shock. "Buried Alive?!" he shouted. "But then who will save Chumley?!"
The Chief chuckled. "Fear not, for your fat friend will be buried along with you!"
Jaden's eyes narrowed at the comment, and for once, he regained his serious demeanor in an instant. "Well then, I guess I'll just have to duel harder than ever, like never before!"
"Jaden!" Chumley shouted worriedly from the confines of his coffin. "Don't lose!"
"Don't worry Chumley, I won't!" Jaden replied, and he turned to face his opponent fiercely.
The Chief chuckled softly at the words, and he knelt down, grabbing an Ancient Egyptian Duel Disk from the many treasures piling the floor. "Very well. Then let the Challenge… begin!"
DUEL
JADEN VS GRAVEKEEPER'S CHIEF
JADEN – 4000 LP
CHIEF – 4000 LP
"Alright, Get Your Game On!" Jaden shouted, drawing his first five cards after shuffling his Deck.
"Get My Game On? What is this?! With what words do you speak?!" the Chief asked, confused.
"Sheesh! It's a figure of speech! You know, like slang?"
"Slang?!" the Chief shouted, outraged. "How dare you! Speaking to me with a rotten tongue like a filthy servant! My Turn, Draw!"
TURN ONE – CHIEF
"I'll place one card face-down in Defense Mode, thus ending my Turn!"
"And starting mine! Draw!" Jaden shouted, grabbing his own sixth card.
TURN TWO – JADEN
"I summon Elemental Hero Bubbleman!" Jaden shouted, placing one of his familiar heroes on the Duel Disk face-up.
In a shower of bubbles, the blue-clad warrior appeared, his white cape billowing behind him heroically.
Elemental Hero Bubbleman – (WATER/Warrior) – LV4 – (800/1200)
"And he's got some pop," Jaden explained, "because if I summon him while nothing else is out, then I'm allowed to draw two more cards from my Deck!" he grabbed the next two cards on the top of his Deck, and grinned. "Sweetness! Now I'll throw down a face-down and call it a Turn!"
"My move then, Draw." The Chief shouted, drawing his next card.
TURN THREE – CHIEF
"I summon… Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier!" he shouted, placing the card on his Duel Disk.
In a flash a dark robed version of the Chief appeared, looking stronger and leaner, and carrying a mighty spear between his arms.
Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier – (DARK/Spellcaster) – LV4 – (1500/1000)
"And I hope your Bubbleman provided you with two very good cards, because already he's outmatched in battle, and he's about to be outnumbered as well!"
"Uh oh." Jaden muttered.
The Chief smirked. "I now Flip Summon into Attack Mode… Gravekeeper's Guard!"
With a hulking cry the face-down card the Chief had played earlier flipped up, revealing a fat, bulky man armed with a fierce javelin.
Gravekeeper's Guard – (DARK/Spellcaster) – LV4 – (1000/1900)
"Of course, he has an effect, and it allows me to return any monster I choose to its owner's hand!" the Chief revealed, much to Jaden's surprise. "And the monster I choose is… Bubbleman!"
Waves of red energy pulsed from the Gravekeeper's Guard at the declaration, engulfing Bubbleman with their shining light and pushing him back into Jaden's hand. Jaden shielded his eyes after catching the card, the red light blinding even him as he was left defenseless.
"Uh oh, that's not good!" Chumley muttered from the sidelines.
"And it's about to get worse, because now that you are unguarded Jaden, I'll attack you directly!" the Chief shouted, throwing his hand forward to attack with both monsters.
The Guard and Spear Soldier both lunged forward with deadly accuracy, driving their respective weapons across Jaden's form in sharp, but nonlethal strikes. Jaden cursed as he felt the two blows go through him, and he clenched his eyes in pain.
"No way! I felt that!" he shouted, watching as the two monsters leapt back to the Chief's monster zones. "This is real!"
JADEN – 1500 LP
CHIEF – 4000 LP
"No duh it's real!" Chumley shouted. "Come on Jaden, kick it into gear!"
"Alright! Besides, I think I get it now!" Jaden shouted. "This Duel isn't just about my points, it's about my life too!"
"Yes." The Chief agreed. "And his. Don't forget, the moment your Life Points hit zero you will both be buried in this tomb… forever!"
"Guh…! It's my Turn! Draw!" Jaden shouted, grabbing his next card.
TURN FOUR – JADEN
"And I activate… the Spell Card – Polymerization!" Jaden shouted, raising his ace Spell to the sky as a swirling portal of magical energy emerged behind him. "The two cards I drew – Elemental Hero Avian and Burstinatrix combine to create…!"
The two heroes leapt into the portal at Jaden's behest, and a whirlwind of feathers and fire erupted from their union.
"Elemental Hero Flame Wingman!" Jaden shouted, and the portal exploded to reveal the muscular warrior Jaden relied on so often.
Elemental Hero Flame Wingman – (WIND/Warrior) – LV6 – (2100/1200)
"Did Bubbleman give me two very good cards? Well see for yourself!" Jaden grinned, clenching his fist eagerly. "Because from both of them came him, and… this next attack! Go Flame Wingman! Attack the Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier with your Skydive Scorcher!"
The Fusion Hero grunted in acknowledgment, but dared not defeat such a low-level opponent in such a way. Instead, he raised his dragon-shaped arm, and released a torrent of flaming breath so powerful that it burnt the DARK caster to naught but ash.
"But don't think you're out of the fire just yet!" Jaden continued heatedly. "Because when Flame Wingman destroys an opponent's monster, you take damage equal to the destroyed monster's Attack Points!"
Flame Wingman released a second wave of fire at the words, engulfing the Gravekeeper's Chief himself in its wave of all-consuming flame. The man cried out at the pain, raising his arms and Duel Disk to defend himself from the brunt of the blast to no avail.
JADEN – 1500 LP
CHIEF – 1900 LP
"Good job Jaden! Now just keep that up!" Chumley said.
"If I'm gonna get you outta there Chumley, I'll have to!" Jaden shouted. "I end my Turn! Now come on, make your move! The quicker you do, the quicker I can win this thing!"
"Or… the quicker you'll lose." The Chief retorted. "Draw!"
TURN FIVE – CHIEF
"I'll change my Gravekeeper's Guard to Defense Mode! Then I'll set one monster in Defense Mode as well, and end my Turn!"
"Then I guess that means you don't know the number one rule of Duel Monsters!" Jaden shouted. "A strong defense is a sweet offense! And who better to teach you the rules than Flame Wingman?! My Turn, Draw!"
TURN SIX – JADEN
"Now! Flame Wingman, attack his Gravekeeper's Guard! Inferno Rage!" Jaden roared, and again, his winged hero raised its arm to unleash its unstoppable hellfire.
Fire licked at the Guard's body, filling him with a heat like none other before finally vaporizing him as it did his predecessor. With a great cry, the man vanished from the Field entirely, leaving the Chief once again open to the Flame Wingman's powerful effect.
"Guh! Gah!" the Chief cried out, his own body consumed in the overwhelming sphere of fire as well.
JADEN – 1500 LP
CHIEF – 900 LP
"Oh yeah! I think that's good enough to make my Turn!" Jaden grinned, pumping his fist eagerly.
"Ngh… my move!" the Chief shouted, grabbing his next card.
TURN SEVEN – CHIEF
"And I'll start it with… Pot of Greed!" he shouted, revealing the grinning pot in his hand. "Now I can draw two cards from my Deck. And now I'll be using them… by summoning Gravekeeper's Assailant to the Field in Attack Mode!"
With a soft grunt, a woman garbed and masked in dark clothing appeared, wielding a curving dagger in her right hand.
Gravekeeper's Assailant – (DARK/Spellcaster) – LV4 – (1500/1500)
"And she will be joined by the mysticism of Gravekeeper's Curse!" the Chief continued, flipping his face-down monster over as well.
In a flash the card turned, revealing a glowing man with dreadlocks holding an Egyptian-like cane.
Gravekeeper's Curse – (DARK/Spellcaster) – LV3 – (800/800)
"And now I activate the effect of Gravekeeper's Curse!" the Chief shouted. "When he is flipped face-up, you take 500 points of damage to your Life Points!"
The Curse closed his eyes stoically as he tightened his grip on his cane, muttering several hushed words as a wicked green aura overtook him. In seconds Jaden found himself clutching his heart in pain, wincing as he felt his own Life Points drop further as a result.
JADEN – 1000 LP
CHIEF – 900 LP
"You'll… have to do better than that!" Jaden cursed finally, standing firm.
"Very well." The Chief replied, holding another card in his hand. "Perhaps this card will suffice! I cast the Field Spell – Necrovalley!" He slid the powerful card into his Field slot as he spoke, its magic transforming the room in which they stood into a deadly valley clouded with purple mist.
"Uh oh… that's not good!" Jaden muttered.
"As long as this card remains on the Field… the power of the Necrovalley will add 500 Attack and Defense Points to my monsters!" the Chief revealed.
"What?!" Jaden shouted, watching as the two monsters on the Chief's side of the Field fell into their natural habitat.
Gravekeeper's Assailant – (DARK/Spellcaster) – LV4 – (2000/2000)
Gravekeeper's Curse – (DARK/Spellcaster) – LV3 – (1300/1300)
"Gravekeeper's Assailant… attack Flame Wingman!" the Chief shouted then, surprising everyone.
"What?!" Chumley shouted in surprise.
"You got sand in your eyes or something?!" Jaden asked. "Can't you see Wingman still has more points?! So unless you got some sorta-"
"Special Ability?" the Chief asked, cutting Jaden off. "Why yes, the Assailant does actually. And it changes your monster into Defense Position when she attacks while Necrovalley is on the Field!"
A purple aura overtook the woman as Gravekeeper's Chief spoke. Her eyes suddenly glowed a powerful white, and the Flame Wingman fell to one knee, unable to resist the urge to defend himself from the woman's frightful appearance.
"Oh man!" Jaden shouted in surprise, only to be overcome with a smile seconds later. "Wow, it looks like you can really duel!"
"The best has yet to come!" the Chief warned, and he threw his hand forward. "Attack him!"
The Assailant leapt at his command immediately, slashing through the Flame Wingman with incredible ease. Jaden winced as his monster's golden remains showered over him, and he glanced back to the one monster the Chief still had to attack with.
"Hmph. Seems like this is the end!" the Chief declared. "Go, Gravekeeper's Curse! Attack him directly and end this Challenge!"
The young warlock raised his cane, prepared to do just that but Jaden was too fast.
"Fraid not!" he shouted, reaching for the lone card on his Duel Disk. "Because you see, I have a face-down, and it's a little thing I like to call – A Hero Emerges!"
"What?!" the Chief exclaimed, eyes widening at the revelation of the Trap. "What does that do?!"
"Simple. When a monster you control declares an attack, this card's effect will force you to choose one random card in my hand! Then, if the card you chose is a monster, I can Special Summon it to my side of the Field!" Jaden said with a grin. "Pretty cool huh?!"
"No! It's not cool!" the Chief shouted. "But I'll choose… the card on the right!"
"Heh… too bad for you!" Jaden shouted, grabbing the chosen card and raising it to the sky. "Because the card you chose was one of my favorites – The Elemental Hero Sparkman, and he's just dying to lighten this place up a little!"
He slapped the card onto his Duel Disk in Attack Position, and a blinding light engulfed the valley, filling it with the electrical air only a Sparkman could possess.
Elemental Hero Sparkman – (LIGHT/Warrior) – LV4 – (1600/1400)
The Chief scowled upon seeing its Attack Points, realizing that even with Necrovalley, his Curse was no match. Glowering as he lowered his Duel Disk, he muttered out several small words. "I end my Turn."
"Then it's time for me to start mine," Jaden shouted, "and win this Duel! Draw!"
TURN EIGHT – JADEN
"First things first, I think I'll get rid of your Valley with one of my own! A Valley I like to call the Field Spell – Fusion Gate!" Jaden shouted, revealing the green spell in his hand eagerly.
As he placed it into his own Field Slot, Necrovalley faded away, removing the powerful bonus the Gravekeepers had received from its presence.
Gravekeeper's Assailant – (DARK/Spellcaster) – LV4 – (1500/1500)
Gravekeeper's Curse – (DARK/Spellcaster) – LV3 – (800/800)
"Impossible! My Necrovalley!" The Chief shouted, glancing at the new Field in surprise. Endless portals circled the room, revealing with them infinite possibilities. Jaden smiled at them all, and he grabbed the next card in his hand enthusiastically, fully intending to make one of those possibilities a reality.
"Next, I'm activating another Spell! Monster Reborn! It allows me to bring back any monster from the Graveyard that I want, and the one I choose is – The Flame Wingman, in Attack Position!"
A pillar of fire leapt from the earth at Jaden's declaration, and with a grunting cry the green warrior appeared once more, flapping his wings powerfully before staring at the Assailant who'd defeated him with dishonorable tricks.
Elemental Hero Flame Wingman – (WIND/Warrior) – LV6 – (2100/1200)
"Oh no…" The Chief murmured.
"But he's not staying for long, because now I'm going to use him and Sparkman to activate Fusion Gate's Special Ability!" Jaden explained. "See, while Fusion Gate is face-up on the Field, I don't need to use the Spell Card Polymerization to combine monsters! Instead, I can just banish them from the game, and wham! One new hero to save the day! And by combining the Flame Wingman with Sparkman, you can be sure that this hero will shine unlike any other! So please, give a warm welcome to…!" Jaden raised his hand to the sky, and his two heroes disappeared into one of the many portals in the room.
"The Shining Flare Wingman!" Jaden roared, and an untouchable light shone down from the heavens, illuminating all it touched.
Slowly, a green man clad in shining white and gold armor descended from the portal, his wings sleek and chipper, far unlike the Flame Wingman's own. He grunted softly, before staring between the two Gravekeeper's who'd given him so much trouble earlier.
They were weak.
"Shining… Flare Wingman?!" the Chief muttered, staggering back in surprise.
"That's right! And the best part is, as the Shining Flare Wingman, not only does he keep the effects of Flame Wingman, but now he gets an additional 300 Attack Points for every Elemental Hero I have in the Graveyard! And while Flame Wingman and Sparkman don't get to join in this time – Avian and Burstinatrix do, which means my Wingman now gets an additional 600 Attack Points!"
The light illuminating from the being shone even brighter, and he pulsed his rippling muscles, preparing for the final assault.
Shining Flare Wingman – (LIGHT/Warrior) – LV8 – (3100/2100)
"No…! 3100 Attack Points?!"
"And they're all about to be used on you!" Jaden said fiercely. "Go, Shining Flare Wingman! Attack his Gravekeeper's Assailant with your Shining Scorcher!"
Raising his new, golden-clad arm, the Wingman shot forward at incredible speeds, grabbing the woman around the waist and piledriving her into the sky. Golden light encompassed the both of them as they fell back toward the earth, and with a heroic cry, the Wingman smashed the woman into the ground, obliterating not only the rest of the Chief's monsters in the process, but his Life Points as well.
JADEN – 1000 LP
CHIEF – 0 LP
"And that's game!" Jaden said, using his signature two-finger salute as his monsters and spells faded from the Field.
The Gravekeeper's Chief stood wide-eyed as he faced Jaden, his body sagging quietly as the room returned to its natural state. "So this is the power of the key-bearers… to be beaten not once, but twice…"
"Jaden! You did it!" Chumley shouted, racing to greet the boy as the bandages holding him in place fell away.
"Heh, I told you I would, didn't I?!" Jaden asked with a grin, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly.
"Indeed, and you stayed true to your promise." The Chief said, closing his eyes humbly and accepting defeat. "You… have won this Challenge, and with it, the right to continue onward, toward the true treasure of this tomb!"
The man approached the surprised pair quickly, and deposited what appeared to be half of a large pendant into Jaden's hands.
"Uh… what's this?" Jaden asked, glancing at the ornament in surprise.
"That, stranger, is a key to the pharaoh's tomb. With it, not only shall you and your friends gain access to the undefeated opponent who resides there, but you shall be protected from his dark powers as well!"
"Huh… wait, did you say undefeated?!" Jaden gasped, amazed at just what that meant.
"You mean there's someone even more powerful out there than this guy?!" Chumley asked.
"Of course." The Chief said, turning his back to the pair as he began his own march into darkness. "After all, I may be a Chief, but we too, are but humble servants to the Pharaoh."
He paused for a moment.
"Ah, but if it is treasure you seek, then I suggest you two get a move on, for you were not the first to accept and pass my Challenge. Another dressed like you, clad in yellow and accompanied by blue, made this trek. They too, received one of the keys. I wonder if they have yet to arrive?"
Before Jaden or Chumley could ask for clarification, he resumed his march into the darkness, never to be seen again.
"J-Jaden…" Chumley murmured. "Does that mean Bastion and the others came this way?!"
"I think so Chumley!" Jaden said, hearing Winged Kuriboh hoot above him. "And you know what that means!"
"Yeah!" Chumley nodded, in full agreement.
"It's time we caught up/got some Grilled Cheese!"
"Wait… what?!"
Chapter 53
END
As one Challenge ends… another begins! Bastion and the others faced the Gravekeeper and survived?! What then does this mean for Konami and his ilk? And what of the first squad who ventured into the pyramid? Where are they?! Perhaps you'll find out, in the next chapter of Yu-Gi-Oh Tag Force – Learning to Duel!
