Who am I?
I know that I'm a duelist. I know that I'm the gym teacher for a school, and the headmaster for one of their dorms. I know that I used to be a boxer before I lost my arm and had to quit.
I know that I'm helping someone fight an incredible evil that's in this tower.
But like the Duel Spirit told me, nothing in this forest-like place has names. I can't remember my name, the name of the school, my title when I was a boxer, the name of the student who's leading this invasion, or the evil that I'm fighting, even though I can see them all in my mind quite clearly.
And this duelist I've met… She's in the same situation.
I feel sorry for her. But somehow… There's something familiar about her that I can't put my finger on. I know we've never met… But it feels like I met another… version of her.
Will a duel clear things up?
I can only try my best, and see…
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CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
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The Unhappy Girl
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Tuesday, November 10th, 2106, 7:15 PM
Twentieth floor.
Old Ben was a little more durable than his students, so he felt very little discomfort when the Transporter deposited him out on the floor.
But that couldn't prepare him for the surprise.
He seemed to be between two hedge walls. Grass was on the floor. He saw trees over both the walls, as if he was in the middle of some indoor forest.
"Fortunado has way too much free time on his hands," he said.
He looked down the hedge corridor, and saw what looked like a campfire. A campfire usually meant someone tending it, so he assumed his opponent was nearby.
He adjusted his Duel Bandoleer, and shuffled his deck as he walked towards the fire.
When he got there, he drew back in shock…
The hedge wall opened, revealing an entrance to a deep forest. But that wasn't what shocked him. Sitting on a rock and tending the fire was a creature that certainly wasn't a man. It seemed to be a humanoid mantis of some sort, wearing armor with a beige exoskeleton. A jagged sword was at his side. He was toasting a sausage on a wiener fork.
Being a duelist, Ben recognized what the creature was – it was an Insect Knight. But he never expected to see one having a wienie roast by a campfire.
Was this a Duel Spirit?
"Curiouser, and curiouser…" he muttered.
He paused.
"Why on earth did I say THAT?"
The Insect Knight looked at him.
"Oh," said the Monster, in a rude voice. "It's you."
"Uhm, excuse me… mister…" said Ben, "Uh, I mean creature… uhm… I'm looking for…"
"I know…" muttered the Insect Knight. "You're looking for a duelist. Well, I can't help you with that… I'm not that type of Spirit. You might find someone in there…"
He pointed to the entrance.
"…but I warn you, if you go in there, you might regret it…"
"What's in there?" asked Ben.
"It's called the Forest of Painful Memories," said the Spirit. "But you won't know that if you go inside. In there, nothing has names.
"Except for Duel Monsters. When I go in there, I know I'm an Insect Knight. But nothing else has names.
"But there should be a duelist in there if you look long enough… Of course, if you look for anything long enough, chances are you'll eventually find it."
"Then I have to look for one," said Ben.
"Don't say I didn't warn you…" grumbled the Spirit.
"Oh no…" answered Ben. "I'd never do that…"
The Insect Knight shrugged as he walked into the gate.
"None of my business anyway…" muttered the Insect.
"Eh…" growled Ben, as he walked in. "Of all the rude people I have ever met…"
He walked into the dense forest.
"No one has names?" he asked, as he started walking. "That's silly. My name is…"
He paused.
He paused for a long time.
"My name is…"
As hard as he tried, he couldn't remember. No trace of his name was in his head.
"Lovely…" he thought. "Let's hope I get it back when I leave…"
He looked around.
The place was downright creepy. Vines and thorny plants stood among the dark trees, which only cast a dim illumination. He didn't even know what was making the illumination that was coming down. He knew he was still indoors…
"Got to find someone…" he thought.
He heard the babbling of a stream up ahead.
As he walked towards the steam, he saw a rather-depressed looking girl bathing her feet in the water. She looked to be about eighteen or so… Her hair was long and blonde, and tied in a long ponytail. Her face had cute dimples, and she had large, violet eyes. She wore a shirt that she had tied into a halter (revealing a good deal of cleavage and her navel) and a pair of shorts made from jeans that had the legs cut off.
A standard-issue Duel Disk was by her side.
"Oh!" she said, looking up. "Hi…"
"Uhm, hullo…" said Ben. "Who are you?"
"I wish I knew…" said the girl (calling her a young woman just seemed… wrong). "I can't remember my name. I haven't been able to since I came in here."
"Yeah…" muttered Ben. "I'm, uh… kinda having the same problem…"
The girl paused.
"I, uh… I see you're a duelist," she said. "You know, a duel always helps me think. How about it? Maybe it will clear both our heads."
"Well…" said Ben.
He paused.
"Don't I know you?" he asked.
"I don't know…" she replied.
Ben looked at her. She certainly didn't seem like an evil Shadow Duelist. Somehow, he thought that he could trust her.
"Okay," he said with a smile. "A duel might be a good way to clear the air."
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Fortunado was more than a little confused when he looked at this scene. He scratched his chin.
He had built that forest using powerful cursed magic. This was the first time he had used it, and frankly, this had NOT been what he was expecting when a victim was lured into that place.
"Fortunado," said his benefactor's voice. "Just who is Ben's opponent? She hardly looks formidable."
"I'm not sure," said Fortunado. "The Forest of Painful Memories is supposed to create a duelist from the victim's… well, his painful memories. Frankly, I was kind of expecting someone from his boxing career, not a teenage girl who was all smiles.
"Frankly, I have no idea who this innocent-looking teenager is. But don't worry, I'm certain that she has evil on her mind."
"I'll view the situation to make sure," said the voice. "Let's hope this one has at least moderate success."
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The two of them gathered in a clearing, around a tree stump. The strange girl shuffled her deck on it.
"So, been dueling long?" asked Ben.
"It's a… hobby of mine," she said. "I found this collection of promotional cards that kind of… clicked with me. My deck is my life…"
"A deck should be, to a duelist," said Ben.
They slowly took their positions.
"Well," she said, as her Disk activated, "as they're so fond of saying, it's time to duel!"
Ben's Bandoleer activated, and five cards slipped off of his deck.
(Ben: 8,000) -------------------- (?: 8,000)
"I always say, ladies first," said Ben.
"Thanks…" said the girl, drawing a first card.
She looked at it, and then placed it on her Disk. A myriad of caws came from overhead as what looked like a flock of birds flew from their perches.
"I summon Alice the Warden of Wonderland in Attack Mode," she said.
A dark shadow materialized on her side of the field…
Ben raised an eyebrow when he saw who it was. It was Alice from Carroll's famous book… But while the blonde hair, bow, and blue dress was still there, Alice was a great deal older, having grown from child to teenager.
And her expression… She was serious, determined, maybe even a little pissed.
(1,300/1,000)
"Okay…" said the girl. "I'll place a card facedown, and that will be enough for my turn."
She smiled sweetly as a facedown card appeared.
Ben drew a card.
That facedown is likely a Trap, and that weak Monster is likely the bait, he thought, but I don't need to bite.
"I place a Monster in Defense Mode," he said. "And that will do."
He placed a card on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.
The girl drew a card and added it to her hand. She chose another one.
"I'll put a Monster in Defense Mode just like you!" she said.
Alice looked with a curious expression as a facedown Monster appeared next to her.
"That's my turn," she said.
"All right!" said Ben, as a new card flew into his hand.
"I flip my facedown Monster into Attack Mode… Des Koala!"
The card flipped, and Des Koala appeared, ready to pounce. (1,100/1,800)
"And that means you lose 400 Life Points for every card in your hand! I see four of them."
"Hmm?" said the girl.
And then she shrieked, as she was hit by four bolts of lightning!
She held her head and staggered.
"I… I didn't mean to…" said Ben.
She smiled sweetly again.
"Oo…kay…" he muttered. "I'll next activate Poison Fangs."
He played a card.
"And then I'll summon Des Wombat."
He played another card, and the large, feral mole appeared. (1,600/300)
"Des Wombat, attack Alice!" he commanded.
Des Wombat scurried towards the Warden…
…and then it seemingly tripped over its feet, and fell over.
The girl smiled.
"What?" asked Ben. "It didn't work?"
"Alice can curse her enemies," said the girl, "at least ones who have 2,000 Attack Points or lower. If you try to attack her with such a Monster, there's a flat fifty percent chance that the attack will fail. Looks like she was lucky."
Ben considered.
"Des Koala… uhm… attack the facedown Monster…" he said.
Des Koala pounced…
A creature that looked like a flower with a face appeared on the card. Des Koala slashed it to ribbons.
"Thanks for killing my Dandelion," said the girl. "When it's destroyed, I get to summon two Fluff Tokens."
Two small pieces of fuzz on stalks appeared on her side of the field. (0/0 x2)
"I'll place a card facedown and end my turn," said Ben.
He fit a card into his Bandoleer, and it appeared on the field.
(B: 8,000) -------------------- (?: 6,400)
The girl drew a card.
"Let's start by getting rid of that Poison Fangs, cards, 'kay?" she said.
She played a card, and Mystical Space Typhoon appeared on the field. It blew the Spell Card to pieces.
"Now…" she continued. "I'll sacrifice my two Fluff Tokens…"
The tokens vanished. A wind started to blow through the dark woods…
"…to summon… The Jabberwock!"
An enormous creature rose up beside Alice, horribly revealed! Ben had seen Tenniel's illustration of this horrible monster enough times to recognize it… A dragon with a flat face with beady eyes on a long snaky neck, a pear-shaped torso – clothed in a vest! – and long limbs with wicked claws! (2,600/2,000)
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch…
"And what can he do?" asked Ben, nervously.
He had to admit, seeing these creatures as Duel Monsters was kind of exciting…
"The Jabberwock is Alice's bodyguard," said the girl. "You can't attack her while he's on the field.
The Jabberwock growled… Smoke poured from its nostrils…
"Jabberwock, attack the Des Wombat with merciless flame attack!"
The Dragon breathed a blast of fire, eradiating the small marsupial.
"Alice, attack the Des Koala. Vorpal blade attack!"
Alice produced a long knife and charged at the Des Koala. The vorpal blade went snicker-snack, and she sliced it in half.
"That will be my move," said the girl.
(B: 6,800) -------------------- (?: 6,400)
Ben nervously drew a card. Clearly, his opponent was no amateur…
It was Golden Road.
Oh yeah, he thought.
"I play Golden Road," he said, playing the card. "Now, each player must draw four cards, and then discard two."
The girl gave a shrug. She made four draws.
"Very well," she said, looking at them. "And one of the ones I choose to discard is this one… Elegant Light LV 4."
She discarded the strange Trap Card, along with Sword of Dark Destruction.
"You didn't have to tell me," said Ben, as he discarded two cards.
"Oh, but I did," said the girl. "You see, the effect of Elegant Light LV 4 only activates when it's sent from my hand to the Graveyard by a card effect."
A glowing lantern appeared over her.
"Now I get to special summon any Monster from my deck that has four stars," she said, taking her deck. "And I choose to summon The Cheshire Cat in Defense Mode."
She put her deck back, and then placed a card on her Disk.
A big grin appeared floating in the air next to Alice. The grin slowly formed into a large, tabby cat with a cheerful expression on its face. (500/1,800)
"And what can he do?" asked Ben.
"The Cheshire Cat is Alice's familiar," replied the girl. "With him on the field, her Attack Score goes up by 700 points."
Alice went up to 2,000 Attack.
Ben just looked at her for a minute.
"Continuing my turn…" he muttered. "I activate Call of the Haunted, to bring back a Monster I put in my Graveyard with Golden Road… The Trojan Horse."
The Trap lifted, and the large, wooden horse appeared. (1,600/1,200)
"Next, I'll place two cards facedown," he continued.
He fit two cards into his Disk.
"Then I'll dispose of them and my Call of the Haunted, by using Emergency Provisions."
He played another card, and both the Trap Card and his Beast Soul Swap and Big March of Animals were consumed.
"Now I sacrifice my horse… for Big Koala!"
The Trojan Horse vanished, and the huge marsupial appeared under the trees. (2,700/2,000)
"Slay the Jabberwock!" he shouted. "Takedown from down under!"
Big Koala charged on all fours, and slugged the huge Dragon, blowing it to pieces.
"Well…" he said, "we're getting there…"
(B: 9,800) -------------------- (?: 6,300)
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"Fortunado!" said the voice. "I've probed Ben's mind… as gently as I could without him realizing it. And I know the identity of his opponent."
"Oh?" asked Fortunado. "Well tell me… Because I sure don't."
An annoyed grunt came from the voice.
"Ten years ago, he was a father figure towards a leukemia patient named Nichole, a little girl who practically worshipped him," said the voice. "She didn't survive the disease, and she's been a part of him ever since.
"What your forest has done was create a phantom of Nichole as she would have been if she had survived and grown up. She's more or less a construct of his memories of her. And since he's a duelist, she's been given the skill of one, even though the real one never played Duel Monsters herself."
"Why the Wonderland cards?" asked Fortunado. "These were part of a set that was released in 2032, to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Lewis Carroll's birth… But they never really caught on, except among collectors…"
"That ridiculous fairy tale apparently had significance to her," said the voice. "But as for the intentions of this 'Nicole', I can't tell what they are. This is a Shadow Game, but I don't even know if she even knows that."
"Calm down," said Fortunado. "If Ben loses, the Shadow magic will overcome him, regardless of this spirit's intent."
"In case you didn't notice," said the voice, "he's winning…"
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Nichole (for it would now be appropriate to identify her as such), drew a card and looked at it.
"I summon Tweedledee in Attack Mode," she said.
She played the card, and a stout, fat little man in a purple and orange schoolboy uniform and a beanie appeared. (1,600/1,800)
"And when he's Normal Summoned," she continued, "I can pay 800 Life Points to Special Summon his brother from my deck. I summon Tweedledum."
Another Monster who was the mirror-image of the other appeared. (1,800/1,600)
"Now I activate my facedown card," she continued. "Enchanted Mushroom!"
The facedown card behind Alice lifted, revealing a Quickplay Spell. It had Tenniel's famous picture of Alice confronting the Caterpillar on it.
"How does that work?" asked Ben.
"I have to first choose one Monster, like Alice," she explained. "Then I choose one card in your hand."
Ben looked at the only card in his hand.
"I have to guess whether it's a Monster, Spell, or Trap Card," she continued. "If I guess right, Alice will grow to giant size for one round, and her Attack Score will double. If I guess wrong, she'll shrink to pixie size, and well, you'll get her next round.
"So, let's see… Since you didn't set it or sacrifice it along with the others when you played Emergency Provisions, I'll say it's a Monster."
Ben sighed and showed her the card. It was a Monster called Rainbow Snake Eingana.
Alice closed her eyes and started to grow, and grew until she was just as big as Big Koala. (4,000/1,000)
"Attack that Koala!" yelled Nichole.
Alice swung with her knife, and Big Koala crashed to the ground. It shattered.
"Now let's see…" said Nichole. "Tweedledee, Tweedledum… Attack directly!"
The two twins leapt up and did handstands. Then they cartwheeled towards Ben, and kicked him in the stomach. He fell over.
(B: 5,100) -------------------- (N: 5,500)
"I'll end my turn there," she said, as Alice shrank to her normal size.
Ben started to sweat.
I gotta do something… thought Ben. This fairy tale has taken a nasty turn…
He drew a card.
He placed the card on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.
He waved his hand.
Nichole drew a card. It was a Trap Card that she didn't have a use for now.
"Tweedledee, attack his facedown Monster!" she shouted.
Tweedledee leapt towards the card.
"Now you've done it!" said Ben, with a grin.
Des Kangaroo appeared on the card, crouching in Defense. (1,500/1,700)
He responded with an uppercut, and Tweedledum was blasted into shards.
"What? How?" asked Nichole.
"If you attack Des Kangaroo and your Monster's Attack is lower than his Defense," explained Ben, "your Monster bites the dust."
Nichole grinned.
"Tweedledum, you attack!"
Tweedledum cartwheeled towards Des Kangaroo, blasting it to pieces.
"Alice, attack directly!" she shouted.
Ben roared in pain, as Alice swiped at him with her blade.
(B: 3,100) -------------------- (N: 5,400)
Ben caught his breath and looked at the one card in his hand.
Rainbow Snake Eingana. It needed two sacrifices to summon. If his next draw wasn't dyno-supreme, he was finished.
He drew.
Pot of Greed.
Well, he thought, that's something.
He played the card, and the jar appeared. He drew twice.
He almost fell over when he saw what the two cards were…
"I play Koala March!" he exclaimed playing a card. "Now I can Special Summon one Des Koala from my Graveyard, and one from my hand."
He played the card, and two Koalas appeared, ready to pounce. (1,100/1,800 x2)
"And now I'll sacrifice them…" he stated.
Both of them vanished.
"…to summon Rainbow Snake Eingana."
A huge form loomed over the trees. It was a gargantuan serpent, even bigger than Big Koala, with rainbow-colored scales all over its sinewy coils. (2,200/2,400)
Alice gave a look of fright…
"Attack Alice!" shouted Ben.
Alice the Warden of Wonderland covered her eyes as the Rainbow Snake darted down. It swallowed her with one gulp!
Ben sighed.
"That's enough for one turn…" he muttered.
(B: 3,100) -------------------- (N: 5,200)
Nichole's eyes narrowed as she drew a card.
She looked at it.
"First I'll move Tweedledum to Defense Mode…" she said.
She turned the card, and Tweedledum crouched and shielded himself.
"Then I'll play… Fiend's Sanctuary."
She played the card, and the forest dimmed…
A pentagram formed on the ground, and a small creature that looked like it was made of metal beads formed in the center.
"That gives me one Metal Fiend Token," she said, "and now I'll sacrifice it to summon Heart Guard in Defense Mode."
A new Monster rose up. It was one of the Queen of Hearts's famed soldiers, this one apparently a two of hearts, carrying a spear that was topped with a heart. He knelt and held his spear to the side. (1,000/1,000)
A Tribute Monster with only 1,000 Attack Points? thought Ben. Its effect has to be pretty special…
"I'll place a card facedown, and end my turn," she said, fitting a card into her Disk.
A facedown card appeared.
Ben drew a card. It was Silent Doom, not something that would be especially good now.
"Eingana…" he said. "Attack the Heart Guard!"
"I activate… Taunt," exclaimed Nichole.
Her facedown card lifted, showing the image of two goofy monsters.
"Now you have to attack the Monster I choose first. And I choose The Cheshire Cat."
Eingana closed in on the Cat and devoured it.
She's smart, thought Ben. She knew that he was worthless without Alice, so she drew my attack away from the Monsters she could still use…
He nodded. She drew a card.
Nichole looked at in.
She quickly placed two cards in her Disk. A facedown card, and a facedown Monster appeared.
She waved her hand.
Ben drew another card.
Think I'll wait before putting this guy on the field… he thought.
"Eingana…" he said, "let's try it again… attack the Heart Guard."
The Rainbow Snake darted down.
"I activate… Mirror Force!" shouted Nichole.
Her Trap Card lifted up, and Rainbow Snake Eingana was blown to shards by the bright light.
"Heh, heh…" laughed Ben. "Maybe you don't know about Eingana's special effect! When he's destroyed by a card effect, so are all of your Monsters!"
Tweedledum, Heart Guard, and the facedown Monster were blasted to shards.
Nichole smiled.
"Heart Guard's effect is activated when he's destroyed as well," said Nichole, taking her deck. "When that happens, I can summon three specific Monsters from my hand or deck…
"So say hello to Club Guard, Spade Guard, and Diamond Guard."
Three more soldiers appeared, these in Attack Mode. The first was a three of clubs, carrying a spear topped with a playing card club. Next was a four of spades, whose spear had a spade on the end. Finally, there was a five of diamonds, whose spear was topped with a red diamond. (1,000/500 x3)
"And the facedown Monster that you destroyed was Sangan," she said. "You obviously know what he can do. I'll use him to search for my second copy of Alice."
She showed him the card.
"Well I haven't summoned for this turn yet," said Ben. "So I summon another Des Kangaroo in Attack Mode."
Des Kangaroo appeared, and took a few warm-up jabs. (1,500/1,700)
"It's your move…" he said.
Nichole made a draw.
"I'll summon Alice again…" she said.
She played the card, and Alice appeared next to the three guards. (1,300/1,000)
"Now I play this," she said, holding aloft a Spell Card. "It's a card made for a different type of deck, but I'm sure my Card Guards will fit in. It's called Forced March."
The Spell Card appeared, showing the image of a troop of exhausted toy soldiers marching up a staircase.
Alice pointed with a stern look (indeed, unlike her role in the book, she seemed to have a lot of authority here as a Duel Monster) and the three Guards started to march forward. Her Attack Score dropped to 650, and that of the Guards dropped to 500 apiece.
"This Spell pushes my Monsters hard," she said, "letting them attack directly, but they have to give up half their Attack Points for the round."
Ben stepped back nervously…
He grunted as the three guards marched right past Des Kangaroo and jabbed him with their spears…
Then he grunted again, as Alice hurled her knife, and it slashed across his chest.
"That will be my turn," she said, as the Attack Scores went back to normal.
Ugh… thought Ben, drawing a card.
(B: 950) -------------------- (N: 5,200)
It was Premature Burial, a card that at this point, would be incredibly risky to play…
…especially if she had another Forced March…
I could attack Alice with Des Kangaroo, she thought, but if she gets lucky again, it would be a wasted turn…
"Des Kangaroo, attack the Club Guard!" he shouted. "Dreamtime combination!"
Des Kangaroo hopped forward and socked Club Guard in the face. He dropped his spear, and shattered to pieces.
"That's all for now…" he muttered.
(B: 950) -------------------- (N: 4,700)
Nichole made a draw.
"I'll simply move all three of my Monsters to Defense Mode," she said.
Alice sat on her haunches, and the two guards knelt and held their spears to the side.
She waved her hand.
Ben made a draw.
"Hmm…" he muttered.
Well, this is a risk… he thought, but I may have to take it…
"I play Premature Burial," he said.
He played the card, and The Trojan Horse rose up. (1,600/1,200)
"Now I'll sacrifice it… For another Big Koala!"
The Horse vanished, and another Big Koala reared up, just as big as the last one.
"And he's plenty strong enough to attack your Warden without having to worry about her curse.
"Big Koala, attack Alice!"
Big Koala leapt at the Warden of Wonderland. Alice covered her head before he came down on her, smashing her flat.
"Des Kangaroo, destroy the Diamond Guard!"
Des Kangaroo flew forward, fist first, and flattened the card guard.
(B: 150) -------------------- (N: 4,700)
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This is bad… thought Fortunado, looking at the field. He already has the two Monsters he needs to summon something that's nearly impossible to beat. Once he gets Polymerization, we can write this duel off as another flop.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Nichole made a draw.
"Uhm, uh…" she said. "I choose to pass for this turn…"
Ben gave her a look. He drew a card.
"I play Pot of Avarice," he said.
He played the card.
Both Des Koalas, The Trojan Horse, Rainbow Snake Eingana, and his first Des Kangaroo slipped out of his discard slot.
He shuffled them back into his deck, and then made two draws.
I'm getting back up to snuff, he thought, looking at them.
"I place one card facedown…" he said.
A facedown card appeared.
"Now, I attack Spade Guard with Des Kangaroo!"
Des Kangaroo clobbered the last Guard, and it shattered into pixels.
"And now…" he continued, "Big Koala attacks you directly! Takedown from down under!"
Big Koala charged at Nichole…
She quickly threw a card into her discard slot. A swarm of little, furry creatures appeared in front of her. Big Koala got confused…
They exploded, sending him skidding backwards.
"A Kuriboh?" asked Ben.
"Yeah…" said Nichole, wiping her brow. "And I set you up buster! Now my true star is ready to come out!"
"Just move…" he said.
"Get ready, Tough-Stuff," she said.
Tough-Stuff? he thought. Someone… a long time ago… called me that… It was sort of a pet name… Oh, darn this forest!
Nicole drew a card.
"First I'll play Graceful Charity, just in case…" she said.
She played the card, and the beautiful angel appeared. She drew three cards.
Then she discarded Dark Designator and Nobleman of Crossout.
"Now, I play the Spell Card, Queen's Invitation!" she exclaimed, playing a card.
A strange creature appeared in the field. He was dressed as a British footman, in formal clothes and a powdered wig… But his head was that of a fish. He carried an envelope under his arm that was as big as he was.
He strode up to Ben, and held the envelope out, obviously expecting him to take it.
"Uh, what does this do?" asked Ben, reaching out.
As he touched it, the envelope and the strange footman vanished.
"Queen's Invitation is a Special Summoning Spell," said Nichole, "but first, I have to remove Heart Guard, Club Guard, Spade Guard, and Diamond Guard from play."
The four cards fell out of her discard slot. She pocketed them.
"And that lets me summon this charming lady," she continued. "Presenting her royal majesty… The absolute, uncontested, undisputed ruler of Wonderland… The Queen of Hearts!"
She threw a card on her Disk, and the sky darkened… A tall, female form appeared in front of her out of the shadows…
Tenniel's illustration of The Queen of Hearts had depicted a portly, middle-aged, and unattractive woman. This version took many liberties. The Queen in front of Ben was a young, attractive woman with a splendid figure. She wore a low-cut dress adorned with playing card symbols, and a headpiece similar to the traditional Queen of Hearts. She also carried a golden scepter with a heart on the end.
Her eyes glowed with an evil light. (3,400/2,400)
Ben gulped.
"Go, my Queen of Hearts!" she shouted. "Attack Des Kangaroo, and win me this duel! Heart of Darkness!"
A storm of black magic started to swirl around the Queen as she raised her staff…
She fired a blast of dark energy at Des Kangaroo.
"Activate… Draining Shield!" shouted Ben.
His Trap Card flipped up, and a dome of energy formed around him. The dark magic plowed into it, and he glowed with energy.
The Queen placed her hand on her hip in anger…
"Heh…" said Ben with a small laugh. "I'm not done yet…"
"Then I'm not done with my turn," said Nichole, as her Field Slot opened. "I play Mystic Plasma Zone."
She fit the card into a slot, and the whole sky went dark, and crackled with eldritch energy.
"This increases the Attack power of all Dark Monsters by 500, in exchange for 400 Defense."
The Queen of Hearts went to (3,900/2,000), while Des Kangaroo went to (2,000/1,300)
"And finally, I'll place a card facedown."
She played a card, and a facedown card appeared behind The Queen of Hearts.
(B: 3,550) -------------------- (N: 4,700)
Man, The Queen of Hearts! thought Ben, drawing a card. Anyone who read the book knows that she is one broad you DON'T wanna mess with. And since this version has been upgraded from evil tyrant to evil sorceress…
I only have one guy in my deck who can take her down… Fortunately, summoning him is a simple matter. Let's just hope that her facedown card isn't something that will kill him…
"I play Polymerization!" he shouted, playing a card, "fusing Big Koala and Des Kangaroo together to form the Master of Oz!"
The two Beasts swirled together into two colors of light…
And then, Master of Oz appeared, raising his fists up high! (4,200/3,700)
"All right!" he shouted. "Attack The Queen of Hearts! Ayer's Rock uppercut!"
Master of Oz took a stance, and then threw a punch at the evil queen…
"Sorry, you'll have to find her first," said Nichole. "I had a Trap ready, courtesy of the Mad Hatter…"
Her facedown card lifted.
"Go, Magical Hats!"
A huge top hat with a question mark on it appeared, and covered The Queen of Hearts… Then three more of them appeared.
Master of Oz's punch went through, but he socked a hat that burst into air.
"Sorry…" said Nichole. "He missed…"
Ben looked at the remaining three hats.
Yugi Mouto once used this trick, he thought. The Queen is hiding under one of those hats, and the others are decoys.
"I have to end my turn…" he said.
Nichole drew.
"Then I pass," she said. "Why don't you try again?"
Ben drew a card. Master of Oz put up his dukes…
"Master of Oz…" said Ben, "attack the middle hat!"
"You made a lucky guess, Tough-Stuff…" grumbled Nichole.
Master of Oz threw a punch, and The Queen of Hearts appeared. She was punched in the chest, and cringed before shattering into pieces.
(B: 3,550) -------------------- (N: 4,400)
"Well, that's…" started Ben.
He paused.
"…that?"
He looked at Master of Oz, who seemed to be in pain. He was clutching his chest, and a strange, dark aura seemed to be around him.
"Master of Oz…" he said. "What's wrong?"
"He's cursed," answered Nichole. "You must admit, it's difficult to destroy The Queen of Hearts in battle, but if someone manages to do so, she gets the last laugh. The Monster responsible gets a Dark Heart Token."
"And what does it do?" asked Ben, nervously.
"Master of Oz can't attack for as long as it remains," said Nichole, "and every time you start your turn, it will cost you 1,000 Life Points."
Ben looked at the cards in his hand.
Silent Doom, and Fusion Gate.
"I… can't do anything else…" he muttered.
Nichole drew a card.
"First I play Monster Reborn, to bring back Alice," she said.
She played the card, and Alice reappeared. (1,300/1,000) –)(1,800/600)
"Next, I'll play Premature Burial to revive the Jabberwock. Remember him?"
She played the card, and the fierce Dragon reappeared. (2,600/2,000)
"That will be all for now…"
"I draw one card…" said Ben.
A card flew into his hand.
He felt a gnawing pain, as Master of Oz glowed with dark energy.
He played the card.
"I play Heavy Storm!"
A wind whipped through the forest, and the Mystic Plasma Zone blew away. Then the Premature Burial card shattered, taking the Jabberwock with it.
"I have to end my turn…" he said.
(B: 2,550) -------------------- (N: 3,600)
"Then I'll draw one card…" said Nichole.
She drew.
"I'll summon a second Club Guard in Defense Mode.
Another Club Guard appeared, and knelt. (1,000/500)
"Then I'll move Alice into Defense Mode."
Alice sat in Defense.
"And it seems all I have to do is wait you out," she said. "You'll run out of Life Points soon enough."
Ben drew a card. He cringed a little again.
"Well…" he said. "This duel is over…"
"What do you mean?" she asked.
Ben opened his own Field Slot.
"First, I play Fusion Gate," he said.
He played the card, and a cloud appeared on the field, crackling with energy.
"What good will that do you?" asked Nichole. "Your Fusion Monster is already here."
"Not for long," said Ben. "I play… De-Fusion!"
As he played the card, Master of Oz split into two orbs of light, and formed into Big Koala (2,600/2,000) and Des Kangaroo (1,500/1,700).
"Now Master of Oz is back in my Fusion Deck for the moment, which means your Dark Heart Token has been destroyed. And that means first I can attack with his component Monsters. One from Des Kangaroo…"
Des Kangaroo slugged the Club Guard, and he shattered.
"…and one from Big Koala…"
Big Koala tackled Alice, and she was smashed.
"And finally, I can use Fusion Gate, to summon the big guy again!"
The two Beasts were sucked through the cloud…
And Master of Oz fell through, landing with a crash! (4,200/3,700)
"Master of Oz, attack directly! Ayer's Rock uppercut!"
Nichole stepped back with a look of fear…
Master of Oz slammed his fist into Nichole's torso and she was propelled backwards violently…
(B: 1,550) -------------------- (N: 0)
Nichole was sprawled on her back, and not moving.
"Oh no…" said Ben, as the goliath vanished. "What have I done…"
He'd only attacked directly with Master of Oz once before… And he'd never done it to a female duelist. Now he thought she was hurt…
He ran up to Nichole and knelt beside her.
Her arms lifted up, and she gently kissed him on the cheek…
"Thanks…" she said. "Thanks for the fun duel…"
She got up.
"I have to be going now… I think you may want this…"
She handed him a small object.
It was a small, blue square, with the letter D on it.
"You never lost your touch," she said. "Even as a duelist. I'm proud of you…"
She got up and slowly walked away.
Ben didn't know what she meant.
He tried to follow her, but he lost her in the mist.
Before he knew it, he was walking out a gate, apparently at the other end of the forest.
"ARGH!" he shouted. "Ben… My name is Ben… And…"
He paused.
"That girl…" he muttered. "Nichole?"
He shook his head and took out his cell phone.
"If only she could have been…" he thought. "She was only… a shadow. The magic in this place is weird…"
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"Really?" asked Trisha. "You were dueling Nichole?"
"Who's Nichole?" asked Jason.
Trisha waved her hand as she listened on her cell phone.
"I see… blue letter D, you say? Got it… Yeah, we'll take that into consideration… Be careful Ben…
"Oh, don't give me that… A little concern never hurt…"
"Who's Nichole?" asked Jason again.
"Someone he knew who died a long time ago," said Trisha, hanging up. "Fortunado is sinking to new lows."
"We should warn the others then," said Jason, picking up his phone. "If Fortunado would take such a cheap shot, he's bound to take cheaper ones…"
Tuesday, November 10th, 2106, 8:05 PM
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ALICE, THE WARDEN OF WONDERLAND (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type:
Fairy/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 4
ATK:
1,300
DEF: 1,000
Card Description: When this face-up card is attacked by an opponent's Monster with 2,000 ATK or less, toss one coin and call it. If you call it right, negate the attack.
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THE JABBERWOCK (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type:
Dragon/Effect
Attribute: Fire
Level: 7
ATK:
2,600
DEF: 2,000
Card Description: When this card is face-up on your side of the field, your opponent cannot select "Alice, Warden of Wonderland" as an attack target.
Note: "Alice the Warden of Wonderland" and "The Jabberwock" first appeared in "Legacy of the Duelist".
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THE CHESHIRE CAT (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type:
Dragon/Effect
Attribute: Fire
Level: 4
ATK:
500
DEF: 1,800
Card Description: When this card is face-up on your side of the field, increase the ATK of all "Alice, Warden of Wonderland" on your side of the field by 700 points.
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0
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ENCHANTED MUSHROOM (Spell Card)
Card Specs
Type:
Spell/Quickplay
Attribute: -
Level: -
ATK:
-
DEF: -
Image: Tenniel's illustration of Alice confronting the Caterpillar on his mushroom, in black and white.
Card Description: Choose one face-up Monster on your side of the field that has four stars or less. Choose one of the cards in your opponent's hand at random and guess whether it is a Monster, Spell, or Trap Card. If you guess correctly, double the chosen Monster's ATK until the End Phase of the current turn. If you guess incorrectly, halve the chosen Monster's ATK until the End Phase of the current turn.
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TWEEDLEDEE (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type:
Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 4
ATK:
1,600
DEF: 1,800
Card Description: When this card is successfully Normal Summoned, you may pay 800 Life Points to Special Summon one "Tweedledum" from your hand or deck.
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TWEEDLEDUM (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type:
Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 4
ATK:
1,800
DEF: 1,600
Card Description: When this card is successfully Normal Summoned, you may pay 800 Life Points to Special Summon one "Tweedledee" from your hand or deck.
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SPADE GUARD (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type:
Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 3
ATK:
1,000
DEF: 500
Flavor Text: They serve as manual laborers for the Queen of Hearts on most occasions, but can still wield a weapon if they have to.
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CLUB GUARD (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type:
Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 3
ATK:
1,000
DEF: 500
Flavor Text: The rank and file of the Queen's army. They are little more than grunts.
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DIAMOND GUARD (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type:
Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 3
ATK:
1,000
DEF: 500
Flavor Text: A skilled fighter in the service of the Queen of Hearts. He is dedicated to his liege.
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HEART GUARD (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type:
Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 5
ATK:
1,000
DEF: 1,000
Card Description: This card cannot be Special Summoned. When this card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, Special Summon one "Spade Guard", one "Club Guard", and one "Diamond Guard" from your hand or deck.
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0
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QUEEN'S INVITATION (Spell Card)
Card Specs
Type:
Spell
Attribute: -
Level: -
ATK: -
DEF:
-
Image: Tenniel's illustration of the Fish Footman presenting the Frog Footman with an envelope at the door of the Duchess's house, in black and white.
Card Description: This card can be activated if one "Spade Guard", one "Club Guard", one "Diamond Guard", and one "Heart Guard" are in your Graveyard. Remove the above Monsters in your Graveyard from play. Special Summon one "The Queen of Hearts" from your hand or deck.
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THE QUEEN OF HEARTS (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type:
Spellcaster/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 9
ATK:
3,400
DEF: 2,400
Card Description: This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card cannot be Special Summoned except via the effect of "Queen's Invitation". If this card is destroyed as a result of battle, place one "Dark Heart Counter" on the Monster that destroyed it. A Monster with a "Dark Heart Counter" cannot attack, and the owner of the Monster loses 1,000 Life Points during each of his Standby Phases.
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DANDELION (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type:
Plant/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 3
ATK:
300
DEF: 300
Card Description: When this card is destroyed as a result of battle and sent to the Graveyard, Special Summon two "Fluff Tokens" (Plant/Wind/1 star/0 ATK/0 DEF) to your side of the field in Defense Mode. "Fluff Tokens" cannot be used as a Tribute on the same round they are Special Summoned.
Note: "Dandelion" is a Japanese promotional card that, unfortunately, has not yet been released in the United States.
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FORCED MARCH (Spell Card)
Card Specs
Type:
Spell
Attribute: -
Level: -
ATK: -
DEF:
-
Image: A troupe of exhausted toy soldiers marching up a staircase.
Card Description: During the turn you play this card, the ATK of all face-up Monsters on your side of the field are halved, and they may attack your opponent directly.
Note: "Forced March" was first used by Bonaparte in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Dormitory Demolition". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
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ELEGANT LIGHT LV 4 (Trap Card)
Card Specs
Type:
Spell
Attribute: -
Level: -
ATK: -
DEF:
-
Image: A glowing, hanging outdoor lantern.
Card Description: This card is activated when it is sent from your hand to the Graveyard by a card effect. Special Summon one four-star Monster from your deck.
Note: "Elegant Light LV 4" was first used by X in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Not Playing With A Full Deck". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
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RAINBOW SNAKE EINGANA (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type:
Sea Serpent/Effect
Attribute: Water
Level: 7
ATK:
2,200
DEF: 2,400
Card Description: When this Monster is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, destroy all Monsters on your opponent's side of the field.
Note: "Rainbow Snake Eingana" was used by Gansley in the multi-part anime episode "Isolated in Cyber Space" (he didn't use its effect, but it was written on the card). All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
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Coming up next…
Over the course of this story, Old Ben faced the god of tricksters, Jason faced the goddess of discord…
But next chapter, Randy faces the servant of a divine being more merciless and cruel than those two ever could hope to be, who was feared by people long before the Norsemen or the Greeks ever established their gods.
A being so evil, even Fortunado is afraid of her… One who was chained so tightly, she could NOT be unbound by the Scepter.
Does Randy even stand a chance? Find out in "Fengsheng Mirror", coming soon.
Also, next chapter, you'll get your first full view of the enigmatic Master who is behind this whole mess. Creepy, huh?
Don't miss it!
