The Masked Priest
He stepped out of a fiery orange arcane circle onto the rooftop of an apartment by the Parthenon. The boy in the mask chuckled, putting his arms behind his back as he watched the scenery. The leather of his long, black, hooded cloak stretched. His orange holographic ornaments lit the darkness around him, as did the hexagon-shaped tiles on his visor and etched on the hems of his coat. "So, this is Athens. This place has such a strong connection to Termnnia it's almost noxious."
He held up his wrist and pressed a button to activate his holographic gooey. "This is no doubt the first stop to finding the first gate to unlock Reshef from his prison. But where do I start looking? This place has hundreds of ruins in its underworld."
Another portal flashed behind him. Bakura stepped out, arms crossed to keep him warm. There was snow coating him, now melting into drops in the hot summer of Athens.
"You're late," said the masked priest, typing something on his holographic keyboard.
Bakura laughed. "I had some things to take care of. So, you're the one Antilles sent," he said grinning. "He must be desperate if he's seeking to use Reshef the Dark Being. May I ask why?"
"Yuri is dead. But his soul remains. And he is guarded by thirteen powerful monsters called Titans. These creatures were the ones who kept those Ancient Beast monsters on a tight leash. All of them are sons of Exodia, the Lord of all Monsters."
"Indeed," said Bakura. "So you have a knowledge of the ancient times as well."
"Yes. Exodia is one lustful Divine Beast who bedded many of the Goddesses. One of them being Turak the Goddess and creator of the Dinosaurs. She gave birth to thirteen mighty warriors with power almost as infinite as their father's. They aided Norman the Conqueror and the Divine Beasts defeat the Ancient Beasts in the War of the Giants after slaying Anubis."
"I know the story," said Bakura. "But if Yuri, as you say, is guarded by these Divine Titans, what hopes do any of have in using his soul for the ritual?"
"Reshef the Dark Being is a destroyer of worlds. Not even the mighty Goddesses could stop him from destroying the Garden of Entuli. He would have destroyed Termnnia, but the God Cards defeated him and then Norman the Conqueror sealed him in his prison. Luckily for us, my ancestors, who called on the monster, created magical gates that could release Reshef from his prison. One of them is here in this country. But where?"
Bakura scoffed. "Again, just how does this help us in acquiring Yuri's soul?"
"I told you, Reshef is the destroyer of all worlds. Nothing can stop him. Not even these Titans. I know where Yuri's soul lurks. I have seen it. Once I get Reshef, he'll bring ruin to the world where Yuri sleeps. The Titans will fall and then you'll have your chance to claim Yuri's soul."
"I do hope this plan of yours works. Ever since Yuri died, time has stopped in Termnnia. A curse brought upon the Twins of Time for the death of Yuri. We must revive Anubis in order to fix that. And we can't do that without Yuri's soul."
"My beast will get it for you. I just need Duelists to help me find them. I was warned by Lord Denethon that there are forces at work looking to stop me. But what brings you here? I'm sure you didn't come all this way just to find me."
"No. I have my own goals in this world. I seek an egg.
Amistad
Ever since they landed at Athens International Airport, Jeannie was such a handful. She seemed more a child of four than a girl of twenty. Amistad kept both eyes on her as she dashed through the streets romping through the warm, green parks of Athens. Meanwhile, her brother Nick, and his friends Tyson and Carter wasted no time in looking for Crystal and Patty who were said to be somewhere in the city. And as for Ren, he went out on his own and disappeared into the metro.
Meanwhile, Amistad couldn't help but smile at her excitement. With everything she had been through in her youth, Jeannie had never dreamed that she would come to such a beautiful and exotic country such as Greece. The sights. The smells. The music. It was all wonderful to her. And the people were just very friendly, even having the patience to deal with Jeannie's hyperactivity as she asked them for directions. A band playing in front of the restaurant where they stopped for lunch dedicated a song to her, welcoming Jeannie to the country. As she left, one of them tucked an Apple Blossom flower in her hair.
"You sure have become popular," Amistad said checking his phone. He sent Crystal five messages, and she didn't respond. "Wow," he muttered. "So rude. I guess she must still be mad at me." He turned off the phone and stuffed it into the pocket of his leather jacket.
"This is beautiful!" Jeannie said leaping into the air. Her spring green summer dress flapped with every movement. "Thanks for bringing me along Amistad."
"No problem, baby, it was my pleasure."
"Look up there!" she said pointing at the famous ruins overlooking the city. "It's the Pentagon!"
Amistad laughed. She was so cute. "No, sweetie. That's the Parthenon."
"Oh," Jeannie said in embarrassment. Her cheeks went pink like the flowers that patterned her dress.
"It's okay," said Amistad.
"Can we see it?" she asked.
"When we have time, sweetheart. Remember, we're here to reunite Ren and Crystal, and possibly find Yuri. Why he'd be in Athens is a mystery though."
"Aww, but I wanna see it, Amistad. I've always wanted to come to a place like this all my life. And now that I'm here you're telling me we can't see the sights."
"I understand how you feel, Jeannie, but that's not why we're here. This is important. But when we find Crystal, Patty, and maybe Yuri, I promise I'll take you anywhere you want."
"You promise?" Jeannie asked.
He held up his pinky.
"Ooo, a pinky promise," said Jeannie. "You better keep it!"
"I will," said Amistad.
Jeannie cooed and entwined her pinky with his.
"Hey lovebirds!" Ren called from down the street.
"Yeah, what is it?" Amistad called, freeing his pinky from Jeannie's.
Ren walked towards them and missed the feet of a young man who was doing flips on the walls. "Watch it, asshole!" Ren grumbled. "I got some news."
"What kind of news is it?" Amistad asked.
"Good news and bad," said Ren.
"Yay!" cheered Jeannie. "Oh no!"
"I heard from some Duelists that they spotted Crystal at a charity event not that long ago. They said she might be heading to this floating city by the sea called Tartarus. A Dueling Arena; slash resort; slash giant ass ship."
"I thought Tartarus wasn't due to sail for another year," said Amistad.
Ren lit a cigarette. "Yeah, well, that's the bad news. Dylan Corp, the company that built the city, they recently got a very generous donation from our old friends: The Martinettis."
"Shit," said Amistad. "You mean…"
"Yes," said Ren. "There's a good chance Crystal's old boyfriend is in there."
"You mean that nasty Brett?" said Jeannie.
Amistad put his hands on her shoulders. "Don't worry, baby, I don't think we're going to run into him anytime soon. Not after what I heard his family did to him."
"Still, it would be a good idea to remain prudent while hopping on board that ship," said Ren. "A lot of underground funding went into making that ship, so there's a good chance we're going to run into some nasty people on board from the mafia. And as for security, we're not talking your friendly neighborhood mall cops. They've got heavily armed mercenaries. Former elites from the likes of Blackwater USA and even ex-Navy SEALS."
"How do you know all that?" Amistad asked.
"Because the captain in charge of the ship boasted about it last night as he invited every superstar to come aboard. They're holding a big party tonight to honor the ship's maiden voyage from Greece to Spain."
"You sure we can even get on?" Jeannie asked. "I've read about that place in the papers. It looks exclusive."
"Hey now," said Amistad. "You forget, I'm the champion from Spain. I will just work my charms and get us on board, no problem."
"I sure hope so," said Ren.
Before night fell, Amistad took Jeannie shopping and bought her a new dress for which to go to the party that night. Once they were all dressed up, they took a boat to the floating city of Tartarus, shining like a giant diamond in the middle of the sea. Searchlights went back and forth in the night sky and fireworks dashed the black canvas of the night with gold, greens, blues, and whites. Fancy yachts with rich kids zoomed past their meager vessel. Some of them summoned holographic monsters with their Duel Disks to announce their coming to Tartarus.
A Curse of Dragonfire roared as it flew over the water and was challenged by a Kaiser Dragon. A Gladiator Beast Octavius and Gladiator Beast Nerokius hovered over a large leisure barge.
"Show offs," chuckled Amistad as he steered the boat toward the pier of Tartarus.
"You sure we couldn't invite Nick and the others?" Jeannie asked, watching the monsters in the sky.
"They don't allow riffraff on board," said Ren. "No offense to your brother, Jeannie."
"What about me?" Jeannie asked. "I'm nothing special."
Amistad chuckled. "That's not true. You're a top-tier player back home because of that dragon deck Crystal helped you build. Besides, you're a beautiful girl. And I don't mean to sound like a chauvinist, but beauty will always get you into these places."
"I guess," said Jeannie.
"Hey Ren," Amistad called as they got close to the pier. Ren left his seat and walked toward Amistad at the helm.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Look, you know as well as I the kind of people that are in this place. We may be keeping our eyes out for Crystal and Patty, but that doesn't mean we should take them off Jeannie. You better help me take care of her. Help me make sure someone doesn't get too hands-on with her if you know what I mean."
"I'll keep both my eyes on her, don't worry," said Ren. He looked at the floating resort, towering over them. "So, this is where the one percent come to play."
Their small boat was docked and they all got out and walked to the entrance. There was a red carpet for those waiting in line getting their pictures taken by media and promoters from Dylan Corp.
"Oh, I can't do this!" Jeannie squealed feeling intimidated.
Amistad put an arm around her. "Don't worry, honey. Just pretend you've won a big tournament and you're in the club."
"Something tells me there are more than just Duelists here," said Ren. "There's that famous DJ who always promises another one over there."
"Yeah," said Amistad. "And isn't that old guy over there Senator O'Malley from Illinois? Wow, what a scandal there's going to be back home. Those girls don't look a day over seventeen."
"Just stay close to us, Jeannie," said Ren. "Don't wander too far and don't talk to anyone. Understand?"
"Yes," said Jeannie.
They waited in line for an hour before getting close to the entrance. They suddenly heard a commotion coming from the front of the line. A squad of bouncers began to intervene.
"You're not on the list, you don't go on board!" a mercenary in tactical gear said to the young man causing the ruckus.
"What do you mean I'm not on the list? Do you know who I am?"
"No," said a nine-foot-tall bouncer. "And I don't give a fuck. You're out!"
"Let me go! You're going to be sorry about this!"
"Yeah, I'll bet," said the bouncer. He dragged the young man out of the line and took him to the rail, ready to throw him overboard.
"Nick!" cried Jeannie.
"And Tyson and Carter!" said Ren, watching the others getting dragged from the line by the bouncers.
"That son of a bitch!" said Amistad. "I just knew he'd make a nuisance of himself!"
"Look at him," said Ren. "He's not even dressed for the party."
"They're going to throw them overboard," said Jeannie. "Guys do something."
Amistad laughed. "Take it easy, babe. I got this." He began to wave down one of the bouncers taking Nick and the others away. "Christianos! How ya doing buddy! It's me, Amistad!"
The bouncer gave Nick to someone else and walked towards Amistad. He had a bright smile on his face. He held out his hand and shook Amistad's.
"Amistad, my friend! Long-time no see!"
"How are you?" Amistad asked. His question mixing with the bouncer's happy chuckles. "Well, well, I see you've moved from The W to Tartarus."
"Bigger compensation and benefits package will move you from place to place," said Christianos. "And I don't have to work far from home. I shouldn't be surprised to see you here. Who are your friends?"
"This is Ren Kakihara the intercontinental champion of the United States."
"Ren," Christianos said shaking Ren's hand.
"How are you?"
"Good, my friend, good, welcome aboard. And is she with you, too? Please tell me she is."
"She is," said Amistad. "Her name is Jeannie Rogers."
"Wow!" Christanos said putting an arm around her. He brashly kissed the top of her head. "She's beautiful."
"Thank you," said Amistad. "She's not a champion yet, but she's kicked ass in the locals. She's been invited to attend the Monster Royale in Monaco next year."
"And a skilled Duelist, too. Well, you've come to the right place, my dear. This place will forge you into a champion."
"And she's also siblings with that guy you're about to throw overboard," said Amistad.
"Huh?" said Christianos.
"He's with me," said Amistad. "He was just stubborn and went ahead of us. The guy has a TDF contract as a free agent and thinks he's hot shit for it. I'll keep an eye on him and his friends. Trust me."
"Well…okay," said Christianos. "I'm not supposed to do this, but I owe you for what happened in Rio." He yelled at the other bouncers in Greek, commanding that they let Nick go.
After the dispute was settled, they walked right on into Tartarus.
For Jeannie, it was a very different world. The atrium was too large and too lavish for her. In fact, it intimidated her despite the architecture and furniture were gorgeous to look at. There was a large aquarium full of bull sharks in the center were young Duelists and their friends posed for photos. Then, they entered the central plaza which was used as a Dueling Arena and a dance floor. The loud music thundered in the night and in the arenas Duel Monsters did battle.
Ren led the others to an elevator where a tall and muscular black bouncer stood guard in a clean black suit, shirt and silk black tie.
"Fluff, how's it goin' man?" Ren said greeting the guard. "I didn't know you worked here."
"Gonna get some action tonight?" the guard asked. He looked at Jeannie. "Fresh meat?"
"Fresh meat?" Ren put an arm over Jeannie. "She's going to participate in the tournament in Monaco."
"No kidding? Well, with a reputation like that, she's cool. Go on in and have some fun. Be sure to take it easy on your girl, Ren. It doesn't look like she's ready for the 7th Heaven."
"I'll take good care of her," said Ren.
"You'd better," said Amistad.
Nick nodded, still feeling bothered by the scuffle outside.
"All right, head on down," said Fluff.
Ding went the elevator.
The sleek metal doors opened. There was red carpet on the floor and the walls were made of glass. Amistad and the others stepped inside and then the elevator went down into the plaza.
"Oh God, Ren, I can't," said Jeannie.
"Don't be scared," said Ren.
The elevator came to stop. The doors opened, and Jeannie's ears were bombarded by loud music. The two friends stepped outside. Roars from fierce Duel Monsters mixed in with the cheering and music.
"How do keep this place maintained. Where do you get funding for all this?" Amistad said in amazement.
Ren laughed out loud.
"This is Duel Monsters, Amistad, it pays for itself. The big wigs of Dylan Corp hired an army of private contractors who keep the place up and running. Most of them demand payment with rare cards, because let's face it, championship decks are money makers. They want in on the action."
Jeannie looked around finding everything she saw hard to believe. There were exhibits displaying custom made Duel Disks. Scantily clad girls walked around trying to mingle with the elite players of Duel Monsters. Some floors were used as a ground where holograms of a duelist's best monster were displayed.
Fierce creatures such as Firewing Pegasus, Dark Magician, Cosmo Queen, Freed the Matchless General, Gilford the Lightning, Summoned Skull, and Perfect Machine King were lined up on black round pedestals with a projector underneath.
They growled at Jeannie as she passed by.
A Black Skull Dragon was on holographic display as well. His owner, a brash looking Latino blew kisses at Jeannie as she sat atop a gilded throne. His entourage of girls dancing all around him. Jeannie heard cheering from down below and looked over a railing and saw a pool were bikini-clad girls were swimming around and lounging on a small island like a group of sirens from Homer's The Odyssey.
There was an arena nearby where a Duelist commanded his Obnoxious Celtic Guardian to attack his opponent's Sand Stone monster and wiped his Life Points down to zero. He cheered as his name was announced by an over-the-top MC. The Duelist walked to the edge of the pool where the ladies crowded around him. A second winner joined him. They both picked a girl out of the water and carried them into a nearby hotel suite. The two Duelists bumped the girl's butts together as they said cheers before they went into their private rooms to enjoy their prizes.
"What is this?" Jeannie asked. "Oh, what was I thinking? This place is too wild for me."
"Come on," said Nick. "This place is everything we ever dreamed of. Duel Monsters. Music. Girls! Now I know why they call this the 7th Heaven! Come on, let's get in on the action. I'm itching for a Duel."
"We can't," said Tyson. "Remember why we're here, guys. We need to find Crystal and Patty. The sooner we find 'em, the better. Not that I want to leave after we find them, mind you. This place is off the hook!"
"I will admit," Carter gulped. "This place has quite the…view."
Amistad noticed he was looking at a party of young ladies atop a balcony from a room they were renting for the night. They each had drinks in their hands. One of them had her Duel Disk and a monster on display called Black Luster Soldier-Envoy of the Evening Twilight standing guard over them as though he were their knight in shining armor.
"Put your tongue back in your mouth," joked Amistad. "It might get stuck on something."
"I never thought I'd enter a place like this," said Nick. "Man, when all these mysteries are over. We gotta come back sometime and properly enjoy the place."
"Amen to that, brother," said Tyson. "Such a damn shame I sold my Dueling Deck. This Duel Monsters action is some of the most impressive I've ever seen."
"We should split up to cover more ground," said Amistad. "We'll never find Crystal if we walk the place together. This floating resort is half as big as the Magic Kingdom. Let's not forget who owns the joint."
"You don't have to tell me twice," said Nick. "That Brett better hope I don't find him. I'll kick him in the nuts!"
There was a long and awkward pause.
"I'm sure that will scare the hell out of him, Nick." Amistad shook his head. "Jeannie, Ren and I will cover the 7th Heaven. Why don't you Carter and Tyson cover the other side of the plaza."
"Right," said Nick. "You better take care of my sister, pretty boy. I know karate."
"Just go," said Amistad.
And they split off in different directions looking for their friends.
"Amistad," said Jeannie. "Those guys are looking at me funny."
"Just stay close to me, baby. Nobody's going to hurt you."
"I pity the fool who tries," said Ren. "These mercenary guards look like they're trigger happy."
Before they could take a step further into the plaza, someone began to call out Amistad.
"Oy!" he shouted. "Amistad! Amistad!" A beefy looking young man pushed and shoved his way past the crowd. He had greasy curly hair and wore a black blazer, trousers and dress shirt.
"Who in the hell is that?" Ren asked.
"Amistad, my oldest, dearest friend! It's been so long! Oh, and who is this lovely bombina? Is she available?"
"Eww," Jeannie said, cowering behind Ren.
"She's not for you, whoever you are," said Amistad. "Now who the fuck are you? I've never seen you before in my life."
"Oh, ho, ho!" laughed the young man. "Have you a' forgotten me already? It's 'a me! 'Mario!"
"What the…Mario?"
"Yes, my friend. Come on, how can you forget me after all this time?"
"What the hell are you doing all the way down here in Greece?" Amistad asked.
"Why else would I be here?" said Mario. "To be part of Tartarus's maiden voyage and to check out the beautiful Grecian girls!"
"You haven't changed a bit," said Amistad.
"You know him?" Jeannie asked.
"Unfortunately, I do," said Amistad. "He was my tag team partner from Italy. We played together in the European Cup."
"Good times, eh?" said Mario. "Oh, you remember that night with that Russian model?"
"I try to forget," said Amistad. "That's not who I am anymore man."
A guard suddenly approached the group. "Excuse me," he said in a deep and commanding voice. "Are one of you by any chance Amistad Clemente?"
"That would be me," said Amistad.
"Good," said the guard. "There is a gentleman upstairs who desires to speak to you.
The guard didn't give them the time for questions. He commanded them to follow him to a lounge upstairs. They had no choice but to follow him because it didn't look he was taking no for an answer. Amistad noticed something odd about him. His face was blank and confused. His eyes seemed to have been rolled to the back of his head and there was something glowing on his forehead under his tactical helmet.
"Wait for me!' called Mario. "I'm coming, too!"
Once they made it to the lounge the guard opened the door and left them to the mysterious guest who was looking out the window at the festivities below.
He was hooded in a black coat with armor plating.
"No!" cried Ren. "Get out of here now!"
Before they could run to escape, the door shut behind them. Mario yelped and ran for the door. He tried to get it to open, but it was locked good and tight.
"I think we're trapped!" he cried.
The hooded figure chuckled coldly. Jeannie whimpered frightfully and held onto Amistad's arm with all her might.
"Of course, he would bring it here," said the hooded figure. "Why didn't I think of it before? This country. This bloody country is almost nothing more than a prison surrounded by miles of water. And as the poor and miserable souls of this pathetic city go on with their happy lives, they have no clue of the beast that sleeps among them. All it can take is one. Just one man to unlock his power and bring destruction of an apocalyptic level among them."
He removed his hood and a flood of fringed and spiked pink hair flowed down to his back. He turned to look at them and revealed himself to be a strange creature. He looked like a man, but a man who came out of the pages of a Japanese manga.
"What the…" said Mario.
Amistad shivered at the sight of the man. "What the hell are you?" he asked in absolute horror.
"Bakura!" shouted Ren. "I thought I killed you in the Shadow City."
Bakura laughed. "You really thought it would be that easy? Then you're an even bigger fool than I thought."
"You know that thing?" Jeannie asked.
"Only too well," said Ren. "What are you doing here?"
"Why, I'm doing exactly what you're doing, Ren. Seeking one of the Eggs of Andelera. And the Titan, which is the key from freeing Yuri from his prison."
"P-Prison?" babbled Jeannie.
"You mean you have Yuri trapped!" Amistad shouted as he flexed his muscle. "Where is he? Tell me where he is or…"
"Or you'll do what?" sniggered Bakura.
"What is this egg you guys are looking for?" Jeannie asked. "Why is it so important?"
"I'm afraid it doesn't concern you, my dear," said Bakura. "This is politics from our world, so just back off."
"So, you're from another world?" said Amistad. "And does that mean…"
"Yes," said Ren. "Yuri didn't disappear. He just went home."
"No way!" said Jeannie.
"Uh, look," said Mario. "I'm not part of this crazy train, so I think I should just go…uh!"
He ran into a tall and monstrous figure hiding in the shadows. He was holding a long, golden, rod with two ax blades at the sides of a sphere with a Wdjat eye.
"Please," said the man, an Eldori as well with tan skin and wild white hair. His voice was dark and metallic. "By all means stay with us!"
"Shit," said Ren. "Marik! So…you're here too."
"How could I miss out on all the fun?" Marik laughed. "Along with a Gate of Reshef, two very important treasures have found their way into this country. And soon they will be all ours!"
"The Golden Egg and the Titan," said Ren. "We know. But you'll never find them. I swear it!"
"On the contrary," said Bakura. "We've already found one of the items. And it's on its way right about…" he turned to look out the window at the dance floor below. "Now."
Ren bravely dashed toward the window next to Bakura to see what he was looking at. He gasped in shock and pressed his hands against the window when he saw Crystal dancing down below with Patty who was lit up with LED extensions in her hair.
Someone was approaching her. Someone with a sword on his back.
"Ugh! Crystal!" he shouted.
"Ah," said Bakura. "Right on time."
Crystal
She and Patty danced provocatively together, bumping and rubbing themselves against one another, riling up the men in the crowd. The two girls held drinks in their hands as they hopped around to the thunderous beats booming from the numerous speakers around the plaza. She was having such a good time until someone grabbed her by the shoulder. Someone whose face was hidden in the darkness of a tan hooded faux jacket. There was a sword on his back.
"Get off me!" Crystal shouted, shoving his grip off her shoulder. "Who in the hell do you think you are, asshole."
"Crystal? Is your name Crystal? the boy asked.
"What's it to you? Dick!" shouted Patty pushing him away with the palm of her hand. "Get lost or we call security!"
"Please, you have to listen to me. My name is Loxley. I need to get you out of here." He grabbed her by the wrist. "Come on, follow me!"
"Let go!" shouted Crystal.
"You have to believe me, Crystal!" Loxley pleaded. "You're in danger."
"Danger?" said Patty. "Now you're just plain crazy. Security! Security!"
Loxley removed his hood. "Will this get you to trust me?" he said removing his sunglasses.
Patty froze in total horror. "Crystal! Look at his eye!"
Crystal felt like someone had paralyzed her entire body. Her mouth fell wide open when she saw that Loxley had a glowing eye, just like Yuri, save the color of the luminescent iris was bright teal.
"I know where your friend Yuri is?"
"You do?" said Crystal.
"Wait," said Patty. "You know Yuri? Where? Where is he!?"
"There's no time to explain!" cried Loxley, his voice getting even more urgent. "We have to get out here now! They're after you!"
"What?" said Crystal. "I-I don't understand. Who's after me?"
"They need you to get to Yuri! I can't let that happen. Please, you have to trust me!"
Little did they know, they were being watched. Bonz and his gang were looking down at them from a balcony overlooking the dance plaza. "All right, boys." He formed a ball of dark energy over his palm. "Let's see what these shadow powers can do!"
"Yeah, boss," Zigor said creating one too. "This is gonna be swell."
"Let's show these earthlings what Termnnians are made of."
Bonz laughed. "Creatures of darkness! Come forth and unleash thy fury on our foes!"
In a horrible act of cruelty. Bonz summoned a monster! A move that was highly illegal for Termnnians to do in other worlds. The party goes stopped dancing, even though the music was still pulsing fast. Something was oozing out of the ground. It was a Duel Monster called Vendread Slayer.
At first, someone thought that two Duelists were getting ready for a match and thought nothing of it. That was until Vendread Slayer lunged one of his appendages at a dancer on a stage and cut her in half. It was then, that the party-goers knew something was wrong. Panic struck when Zigor summoned his own monsters to do battle.
"Let's see how dey like dis!" he shouted throwing a ball of dark energy at the dance floor. "GO!"
Another Zombie Monster. P.M Captor! A Frankenstein-looking zombie with a lasso-like weapon made of bone. He looked down at a young man and squashed him under his boot like an ant.
"Ha! Ha! My turn!" shouted Cid. And he summoned Legendary Maju Garzett. "ALL RIGHT!" Cid shouted going mad with power. "Look at that!"
Legendary Maju Garzett created a ball of bright amber energy and tossed it at a group of youngsters. A bright flash and they were all turned into charred skeletons. Their screams echoed into the night as their bones turned to ash and crumbled to the ground. Everyone began stampeding out of the arena.
"What the hell are those idiots doing!" shouted Bakura from the lounge.
Jeannie shivered at the slaughter that went on downstairs. Loxley sprinted into action, drawing his lightforged sword and charging at the three monsters. Mario prayed to keep himself safe while Ren wished for a way to get out of the lounge and join Loxley in the fight below.
"That's him!" said Ren.
"Him who?" said Amistad.
Ren grunted in fury. "He's the one who took the Winged Dragon of Ra from me!"
"Am I supposed to know what that is?" said Amistad.
"No," said Ren. "Follow my lead and..."
The mercenary security ran into the plaza guns ready. They formed a ring in the floor above the 7th Heaven dance pavilion. Every one of them aimed their weapons at the monsters and Loxley.
They were ready to shoot when suddenly beautifully crafted swords flew from out of nowhere. They hovered in front of their targets and lowered their points to the floor as if telling the guards to lower their weapons. The guards understood and dropped their rifles on the ground. They even raised their hands in the air, surrendering. The swords then flew towards them slowly and backed them against the wall, trapping them.
"What in the Shadows is that?" said Marik. "Who's doing that!?"
"It can't be!" said Bakura. "It just couldn't!"
Suddenly a swarm of swords burst through the windows. Ren, Mario, Amistad, and Jeannie ducked, throwing themselves to the floor as the swarm flew over them. Three of the swords dashed for Marik ready to cut him to shreds. "Ack!" he shouted and disappeared into a cloud of darkness.
"What the hell!" shouted Bakura. The swords continued swarming out the other window of the lounge. Suddenly one of them flew out of the swarm and flew towards Bakura. Before he could react, the sword pierced through his shoulder and stuck him on the wall. "ARRGH!" Bakura shouted in agony.
The door was kicked down revealing the powerful soul who summoned the swords. He was a tall young man with black hair forming a long devil lock down the right side of his face. He wore a black dress shirt with floral etchings under a black velvet vest and black slacks. A chain of mithril dangled from his hip by a black belt.
"You!" shouted Ren.
Bakura babbled as he tried to get the sword out of his shoulder. "Prince Michael! Still alive! NO!"
Michael held out his hand. His father's sword appeared over his palm and he grasped the hilt. He sprinted for Bakura, intent on cutting off his head. But Bakura quickly removed the blade from his shoulder and jumped out the window and into a portal of darkness.
"Uh oh!" said Zigor. "Dis aint good."
"That's Prince Michael Dalton!" said Bonz. "But that's impossible! He's supposed to be dead!"
"We're gonna be dead if we stick around here! Bakura didn't say anything about fighting a Prince of the Alliance!"
"And he looks like he's found some new powers! Huh?"
A girl walked past them. Her hair was tied into two large pigtails, both colored in neon blue dip. She was clad in the black armored coat of the Sisterhood, that was until she ripped it off to show her true attire. A yellow tank top with a splashed skull design and baggy dark green cargo pants. She opened her gloved hands and a massive javelin appeared. "Ya three losers betta leave before ya fuck anything else up!" she said.
"Yes ma'am!" said Bonz.
The girl strutted to the DJ's booth. The DJ was still there hiding from the monsters. The girl grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and jabbed the javelin into his mouth, using him as a stand for her weapon. Headphones magically appeared around her neck and she pulled a laptop from her Kuribabylon backpack.
"Let's get this party started," she said happily. She began to play dark and forbidding dance music and soon fiend monsters of all types began to appear.
"What the fuck is this!" shouted Crystal. "Is this part of a show or something!"
"No!" shouted Loxley, knocking P.M Captor away with a powerful kick after he slashed him across the chest. "She's here to kill you. She's an assassin!"
The assassin from the sisterhood laughed as she made dark, metallic beats. More Duel Monster fiends appeared. The swords of Prince Michael were quick to slash them to bits, but for everyone he killed, more would take their places.
Michael jumped from the lounge and landed on the dance floor creating a large crater.
"Oooh!" hooted the assassin. "Handsome aint ya!"
Bakura appeared on the second floor above. "Cadence!" he shouted. "Do not underestimate them!"
Ren ran downstairs to catch up to Prince Michael. "My Prince!" he said bowing. "Good to see you!"
"Now's not the time," said Michael. "Take the others to safety while I deal with this bitch."
"Of course," said Ren. He reached into his pocket and took out his deck. "By the way, I think this belongs to you. The 'monsters' are in there."
"Good to know," said Michael. "Now hurry and help the others."
Ren bowed and ran away to aid Jeannie and Mario, and perhaps start a search for Nick, Tyson, and Carter.
Michael slammed his fist into the ground, creating two columns of dark aura on either side of him. He summoned Archfiend Giant and Skull Archfiend of Lightning to aid him in combat against the fiends Cadence was summoning.
She made an infernal giggle, accepting the challenge. Meanwhile, Loxley ran up to Michael. "So, you're Prince Michael."
"You know how to fight?" Michael asked.
"Yeah. You know me, remember?"
"Let's hope so," said Michael. "I want my friend back!"
"You'll get him soon," said Loxley.
As Michael's Archfiends dealt with the monsters that were summoned, Cadence laughed and took out her javelin. She dove towards them and twirled her body, forming a missile as the javelin spun dangerously. It hummed a deep metallic hum as with each movement she made. She was a wily fighter, for she teased Michael and Loxley by dodging their moves with lightning speed and teleportation. She would appear on another side of the dance floor and give them the finger before jabbing her weapon on the ground and taunted the two warriors with a sensuous display of pole dancing.
Michael and Loxley saw their chance as she swung herself around on the pole, but she was too witty for them. Each time they got close to her, she would kick them away, or knock them back with a powerful punch.
"Ya like playin' dirty boys!" she shouted.
The charged at her, and she laughed, teleporting away. Her infernal laughter echoed in the empty plaza. Archfiend Giant meanwhile pounded P.M Captor to the ground, killing it.
Cadence's laughter thundered from above. She was diving down towards them. Loxley and Michael jumped out of the way before the javelin rammed into the ground causing a powerful quake and creating a large hole on the ground.
"That's enough, Cadence!" shouted Marik, tending to Bakura's wound. "We must leave. We shall deal with them another time."
"Aww," said Cadence. "But I was havin' so much fun!"
"Do as we say!" said Bakura. "Lumis and Umbra will deal with them. The only way we can get the Titan is by a Duel!"
Marik helped him away. He laughed.
"Whatever is so funny."
"Now that Prince Michael is here, those Sacred Beasts are ours for the taking as well."
"Ah, you're right," said Bakura. "Perhaps this wasn't such a disaster after all."
They walked into a shadowy portal. Meanwhile, Cadence skipped all the way towards it. She blew Loxley and Michael kissed and taunted them as she stuck her rump in the air before skipping into the portal and vanishing.
The battle was won, and the monsters disappeared.
Patty and Crystal got out of their hiding places and surveyed the damage. "What the hell are you guys?" said Patty. "I've never seen such power before. And those monsters that appeared. They were real. You two are not human are you?"
"Crystal!" Amistad shouted, running toward the ruined plaza.
"Amistad!" Crystal asked. "What are you doing here?"
"That's it?" said Amistad. "You leave without a phone call, get me dragged all the way to the middle of Greece, have me deal with a total nightmare, and all you can say is 'what are you doing here?'"
"Yeah, whatever!" said Crystal.
"Come on, guys!" said Patty. "Don't fight!" She gasped when she saw Ren coming to join them. "You...it's you!"
Crystal felt a plethora of emotions surging in her body. She got up and ran towards him, wrapping her arms around him. "REN!" she cried. "Ren! Is it...is it really you?"
"Yeah," Ren answered. "It's good to see you again!"
Crystal slapped him across the face.
"OW!"Ren shouted as he rubbed his cheek. "Geeze! What the hell was that for?!"
"Where the hell did you go all these years!?" she shouted. "And where is Yuri! He's in need of one, too! Do you know how worried I've been?"
"She was pissed you guys," said Patty. "Where is Yuri, I want to give him a piece of my mind, too."
"We can worry about that later," said Loxley. "I think we're missing somebody."
"Yeah," said Ren. "Nick, Tyson, and Carter are somewhere on the ship. And I left Jeannie with Mario."
Right after he said that, Mario came jogging toward the group. "You guys! You guys! Holy shit you guys! There were these monsters and..."
"We know," everyone said.
Amistad looked at him furiously. "Where's Jeannie!?" he shouted.
"Huh?" said Mario. He looked around. "She...she was right behind me."
"You idiot!" shouted Ren.
"Well, what did you expect me to do?" said Mario. "First those swords came flying out of nowhere cutting everyone to bits. And the next thing I know, fucking Pokemon start attacking the place!"
"Jeannie!" cried Amistad. "Jeannie where are you!?"
A hideous laugh answered his question. Loxley and the others looked up at the ceiling and saw a short chubby hooded Eldori man in a black cloak with an Egyptian wdjat shimmering on the top of the hood.
Mario was nervous at the sight of him, but he was starting to get annoyed.
Michael shook his head. "Loxley, you have a knack of attracting hooded people, don't you?"
The man jumped off the ceiling performing all sorts of athletic flips and jumps until he landed in front of Loxley and his friends.
"Greetings, Loxley," said the hooded man. "I trust you and your companions are searching for a lost friend."
"Just what do you know about that?" Crystal asked.
"You'll find out soon enough, my dear. Loxley, and Prince Michael, heh, heh, back from the dead no doubt. If you ever want to see you friend again you will meet us at the top of this very building and duel us."
"Us?" Michael asked.
"Yes, now we'll be seeing you very soon my friends."
The hooded man laughed and jumped all the way back up the ceiling.
"I guess we have no choice," said Loxley.
"Don't just stand there!" said Ren. "Jeannie needs us!"
"Guys wait," said Crystal.
Loxley and Michael turned to face her.
"Before you go up there I want to give you something. As a thank you for saving my life."
Crystal reached into her pocket and took out a new card for Michael and Loxley.
"What's that?" asked Mario. "I want a card, too."
"Desert Twister?" Michael asked looking at the card.
"And Super Croc?" said Loxley. "Gee, thanks."
"I thought you might like it, he does sort of look like those Archfiends you have."
"Well, I guess," Michael said looking at the monster's design. "But, he has nothing to do with Archfiends. And he could ruin the balance of my deck."
"Don't be a dick, Michael," said Loxley. "It's the thought the counts. Besides, it might come in handy should we find ourselves in a tight spot during the Duel."
"I guess I'll use him this once," said Michael, adding the card to his Dueling Deck. "Maybe you're right."
"You guys go ahead," said Amistad. "I'm going to look for Tyson, Carter, and Nick."
He dashed into the town.
Loxley, Michael, Ren, Mario, and Crystal hurried all the way up to the roof. There they found the hooded man with another hooded figure except he was thin and tall, but was also an Eldori. The most shocking discovery was Jeannie hung up by a crane with a thick rope wrapped around her body. She was unconscious with a bomb strapped on to the top of the crane.
Jeannie dangled two hundred feet over the waters below.
"What is this?" Crystal asked in shock.
"Oh no, Jeannie!" shouted Ren.
"Allow us to introduce ourselves," said the tall man.
"I'm Lumis," said the short chubby man. Lumis wore half of a white mask.
"And I'm Umbra," said the tall thin man. Umbra wore half of a black mask.
"We don't give a damn who you guys are!" shouted Michael. "Now release our friend now!"
"We will," said Umbra. "That is if you beat us in a duel."
"What are the stakes?" Loxley asked. He thought it was a dumb question to ask. He could clearly see the bomb strapped on the crane holding onto Jeannie was part of their psychotic act.
"Well if you two manage to beat us we let your friend go," said Umbra.
"However," said Lumis. "If we win we claim your Titan. And as for you, Prince Michael. Master Marik has offered a very generous reward to whoever claims your Sacred Beasts."
"Figures," Michael grumbled.
"Oh, but it gets so much better," laughed Umbra. "The bomb hanging over Jeannie will explode plummeting her to her doom."
He and Lumis began laughing like madmen.
Loxley and Michael knew they had no choice. They activated devices on their wrists called D-Pads and set their decks inside.
"Now this is how we will take turns," said Lumis. "I will start things off then you Loxley; then my partner Umbra will come next; then Michael; and back to me."
"We get it!" Michael said furiously.
"Good, now I will start things off," Lumis said. "I place two cards face down and end my turn."
"I guess that means me," said Loxley as he drew his first card. His hand was decent enough and filled him with confidence. "I summon Neo Uraby in attack position and place one card face down."
Neo Uraby
ATK/ 2100 DEF/ 1800
LV 5
The beast he summoned was a darker version of Uraby, with glowing purple feathers with a bright blue tinge on the roots forming on its arms and around its neck, creating a dazzling a plume. Three spines protruded from his neck, measuring five feet. His claws were long and sharp and the deadly foot claw was as long as a gardener's scythe. The tip of the tail was shaped like a large bladed trident.
"Hold on," said Umbra. "How were you able to summon that beast without tribute?"
"Simple," said Loxley. "If I have no cards on the field, he can be special summoned from my hand."
"Not bad," said Crystal. "Bet you creeps can't top that monster!"
"Oh, we'll see about that!" said Umbra. "Draw! I summon my Shining Abyss."
Shining Abyss
ATK/ 1600 DEF/ 1800
LV 4
"Very nice monster Umbra," said Lumis. "And now I'll help boost your monster's attack with the power of my Spell Card known as Mask of Brutality."
A hideous mask with arms suddenly appeared and fit into the face of Umbra's Shining Abyss.
"Ah, a perfect fit." said Lumis. "This mask will increase the attack of our Shining Abyss by one thousand."
"Oh, shit!" said Mario. "That's not good!"
"But doesn't that require you to pay one thousand every turn?" Crystal asked.
"Yes, it does young lady." said Umbra. "But watch as I activate my Masked Doll! Now I don't have to pay a thing, and my Shining Abyss's attack increases to twenty-six hundred. But I'm not finished yet. I use the spell known as Construct of Mask. Now I will send this six-star monster to the graveyard and the ritual is complete! Now I can summon Mask of Shine and Dark!
Mask of Shine and Dark
ATK/ 2000 DEF/ 1800
Umbra summoned a giant mask the size of a full-grown man. One half was dark blue with a crescent to represent the moon and red stripe going down the eye. The other was glowing gold with spikes to resemble the sun.
"Beautiful," said Lumis, admiring the monster.
"Great," said Ren, his arms crossed sternly. "They already have two strong monsters out."
"I know," Crystal agreed. "Now that Shining Abyss has more power than Loxley's Neo Uraby."
"Well that does it for me," said Umbra. "It's your turn Prince Michael."
"Yeah, I know," said Michael as he drew his first card. "I place a card face down and summon Shadowknight Archfiend."
"Michael don't you have to pay Life Points to keep that thing out?" Loxley asked.
"Not if I activate this, the Field Spell Pandemonium."
A strange orange structure formed from Michael's feet. It spawned all over the resort. Twisted towers and orange ponds and fountains began to form from out of the orange crust.
"Mama mía!" Mario shouted in shock at the sudden change in scenery. "What are those D-Pads and where can I get them? This shit is mad real, yo!"
Michael smirked. "You're not going to find any here." He quickly brought his focus back to the Duel. "Now that my Pandemonium Field Spell is active I don't have to pay to keep my Archfiends out."
"Blasted." said Lumis. "Clever lad, Prince Michael."
Michael scoffed and brushed his devil lock off his face. "I end my turn."
Shadowknight Archfiend
ATK/2000 DEF/1600
"Ren, what the hell is going on?" Crystal asked nervously. "These things are too real to be holograms."
Ren shut his eyes. "You'll learn one day, Crystal. But now is not the time."
"I grow weary of your riddles, Ren. When is everyone going to be straight forward with me for once."
"Now, my turn can begin!" shouted Lumis. "Ah, I play the Spell Card; Mask of the Accursed. And I give it to your Neo Uraby Loxley."
The mask appeared and quickly hovered to Neo Uraby and consumed its face.
"I am glad that this mask fits," laughed Lumis. "This mask makes your monster completely useless. Neo Uraby can now no longer attack and every standby phase, you lose five hundred Life Points. Next, I place this card face down and end my turn. Which means you go Loxley. And don't forget about my mask. Because of it you lose five hundred Life Points."
Loxley looked at the Life Point counter on his D-Pad, and watched as his score dropped to 7500. He grew worried, but not until he drew Dark Driceratops. With it he could tribute his Neo Uraby therefore ridding the field of the cursed mask Lumis gave him. It could also end Neo Uraby's misery because he smashed his face on the ground growling in desperation to get rid of the mask on his face. It scratched and clawed at the fiendish decoration.
Lumis and Umbra laughed as Uraby tried removing the mask.
"Don't worry Neo Uraby!" Loxley cried out triumphantly. "This will all be over soon as I sacrifice you to summon…"
"I don't think so Loxley!" shouted Lumis. "I activate the Trap Card; Mask of Restrict!"
Lumis activated his face down card which was a giant hideous mask that sent out an eerie purple glow.
"This trap prevents us from sacrificing monsters. No tributing is allowed under any circumstance. So not only will your Neo Uraby be staying with us on the field and deduct Life Points each turn, but you and Michael cannot Tribute Summon anything!"
Luims let out a loud awful laugh.
"Sorry man," said Loxley.
"Hey that would've happened to any of us," said Michael. "Don't feel bad."
Loxley nodded. "Well, it's still my turn. So, I guess I summon Black Stego and place a card face down and that's it for me."
"Excellent, now it's my turn to inflict some pain," said Umbra as he drew his card. He examined his hand and looked at his two opponents. "Hmm. I could attack your Neo Uraby, Loxley, but seeing as how you lose five hundred Life Points every turn that would be a fatal mistake. Then there's your monster, Michael! Its attack is weaker than my Shining Abyss, and I could attack thus leaving your field open so my Mask of Shine and Dark can wipe out two-thousand of your Life Points, but there's that face down card of yours that worries me.
"Just attack, Umbra, I've got you covered," said Lumis through a headset inside their masks.
"Alright Shining Abyss, attack Michael's Shadowknight Archfiend!"
"I don't think so!" Michael shouted. "I activate my trap card: Sakuretsu Armor! This will destroy your monster."
"That's what you think," sneered Lumis. He activated his face down card with a sinister smile. "This card is called Curse Transfer! This trap will reverse the effect of your armor and destroy your monster instead!
"I activate my Archfiend's effect!" A fiendish dice appeared over Shadowknight Archfiend. "Here goes. If the dice rolls three, the effect will be canceled!"
The dice began to roll. Miraculously it rolled three.
Shining Abyss's attack was finished.
"Well you may have saved yourself for now," said Lumis. "But this duel is far from over."
"Damn I was so close to taking out a chunk of Michael's points," snarled Umbra.
Lumis cackled hideously. "Don't worry Umbra there will always be next turn."
"Draw!" said Michael. "I summon Vilepawn Archfiend. And I place two cards face down and finish right there."
Vilepawn Archfiend
ATK/ 1200 DEF/ 200
"Now my turn begins," said Lumis. "I summon my Grand Tiki Elder and attack Loxley's Black Stego."
Grand Tiki Elder
ATK/ 1500 DEF/ 800
Lumis summoned a hideous mage decorated with masks. It sent out an ear-piercing sound wave that flew towards Black Stego who suddenly switched into defense mode. The blast hit a divinely patterned barrier guarding Black Stego from the attack. The sound wave shook the barrier and then bounced back and hit Lumis for 500 points of damage.
"Hey! You can't just switch monsters in defense mode during the middle of an attack!" shouted Umbra.
"Yeah, that's cheating!" shouted Lumis.
"It's not cheating," said Loxley. "It's my monster's special effect. Whenever Black Stego gets attacked, he switches into defense mode.
Lumis growled ferociously in hindrance. "And I thought I had you. I lay a card face down and end my turn."
Loxley drew his card and lost 500 Life Points dropping his Life Points to 7000. His card was Black Giganoto. He had enough monsters to sacrifice so he could summon it, but because of the Mask of Restrict, he couldn't so he had to make do with what he could. He wished he had Nitro Raptor in his hand, so he could Syncro Summon for a monster. But who knows where it could be in his deck then again what if all his Tuner monsters were stuck at the bottom. He shook his head to remove the doubt in his head. Seeing Jeannie dangling from the crane hundreds of feet above a concrete death motivated him to 'keep the faith' as Yugi and the gang always said. So he began his turn with the only monster he could use.
"I summon Black Chasmos (Chasmosaurus)! Attack Lumis' Grand Tiki Elder."
Black Chasmos
ATK/1900 DEF/1500
LV 4
"Ha!" laughed Lumis. "You activated my Trap Card Mask of Weakness!"
A purple mask suddenly appeared and stuck itself on Black Chasmos!
"This card will decrease the attack of your overgrown lizard by seven hundred points making it absolutely useless."
Black Chasmos's attack dropped to 1200. Grand Tiki Elder rose and blasted away Loxley's monster. Loxley lost 300 points dropping him to 6700 Life Points.
"Today just isn't my day!" he groaned.
Lumis and Umbra laughed.
"Ren," Crystal said in worry. "They can win this, right?"
"I don't know." said Ren. "Let's hope that Loxley draws something good, not all cards are terrible."
"If you kids are done yapping, I believe it's my turn," said Umbra. "And I think I'll use another ritual known as Curse of the Masked Beast. I now offer up Grand Tiki Elder and Shining Abyss to call forth my Masked Beast!"
Umbra's new monster towered over Loxley and Michael. Its size was not the only thing that worried them.
The Masked Beast
ATK/ 3200 DEF/ 1800
Lumis laughed. "YES! Now nothing can save you. We have the most powerful monster on the field, and your two monsters will not be able to stand up to our creature. Lumis wipe out Michael's Vilepawn!
"Agreed, alright my Masked Beast attack Vilepawn Archfiend."
The Masked Beast raised its staff up and attacked Vilepawn Archfiend. Michael lost 2000 Life Points bringing him down to 6000. Michael shielded himself from the blast and the pieces of Vilepawn's armor that began to cut his arm. When the blast settled he drew his card.
"Okay, my turn. Draw!" He drew Archfiend of Gilfer, a six-star monster. Michael could tribute his Shadowknight Archfiend to summon it, but once again Mask of Restrict was out. Even if he could summon it, it would never stand up to Lumis and Umbra's Masked Beast.
"I switch Shadowknight Archfiend into defense mode and end my turn."
"All right! Now I can begin." said Lumis. "Masked Beast, ATTACK MICHAEL'S SHADOWKNIGHT ARCHFIEND!"
The Masked Beast charged and destroyed Michael's monster.
"Good riddance!" shouted Lumis. "Now it's your turn Loxley."
Loxley could only nod as he drew his card. His Life Points dropped to 6200. He drew a Spell Card called Card Destruction. A card he knew could help him and Michael now. He needed to know if Michael wanted to discard his hand, but he also needed to do it without Lumis and Umbra knowing what he wanted to do with Card Destruction.
"Boy our hands do suck," he said casually.
"Damn right." said Michael.
"Kinda makes you wish to discard it huh?"
"I guess, I mean I have nothing useful now."
"That's good to hear," said Loxley.
"Why?" Michael asked.
"Because I activate, Card Destruction!"
"OH-NO!" said Umbra. "NOW EACH PLAYER HAS TO DISCARD HIS HAND!"
Michael nodded as he sent his hand into the Graveyard. "Now we each draw the same number of cards we had in our previous hands."
"Did your partner make you discard any cards you needed?" Lumis asked.
"Not really," Michael chuckled.
"Okay," said Loxley. "Now I use the spell, Card of Sanctity, which lets us draw until we have six cards in our hands. Now time to summon one of my newest and most powerful monsters."
"You can't!" snapped Lumis. "Remember we have Mask of Restrict out so you can't tribute monsters."
"Tributing monsters is not the only way to summon powerful ones" said Loxley. "I'll show you what I mean. I send these three dinosaurs in my graveyard from play and that's it. Now I can summon Super Croc!"
Loxley summoned a massive black crocodile that was half the length of a football field and was fourteen feet high.
Super Croc ATK/ 2700 DEF/ 3000
"Look at the size of that thing!" shouted Lumis.
"Don't worry Lumis," said Umbra. "Our Masked Beast is stronger than their croc!"
"That's what you think." said Loxley. "Once per turn I can special summon a dinosaur from my hand and I choose my Ultimate Tyranno. However he won't stay with us for too long for at the end of my turn he gets sent to the graveyard."
"Attack his monster Loxley." said Michael.
"I trust you had HIM in your hand?"
"Yup, I did."
"Now we're getting somewhere." said Loxley. "Okay Ultimate Tyranno attack his Mask of Shine and Dark!"
Ultimate Tyranno ATK/ 3000 DEF/ 2200
"OH-NO!" shouted Umbra. "I've heard about Ultimate Tyranno. He can attack all monsters at once!"
Ultimate Tyranno chomped off half of the Mask of Shine and Dark inflicting 1000 points of damage to Umbra.
"Now it's time for your Masked Beast." said Loxley. "Ultimate Tyranno rid the field of that monster now."
"You foolish boy!" snapped Lumis. "Can't you see that our monster is clearly stronger than yours?"
"That's what you think," said Michael.
Suddenly a red beast appeared from out of nowhere and clung onto The Masked Beast's arms from behind in a Full-Nelson hold.
"WHAT IS THAT!" shouted Lumis.
Ultimate Tyranno attacked the Masked Beast and destroyed it. Lumis and Umbra stood still like statues and stared at Ultimate Tyranno.
"Y-y-you must have cheated," said Lumis.
"He's right our Masked Beast had thirty-two hundred attack points and your Ultimate Tyranno only had three-thousand. He was two hundred points weaker than our creature."
"I know, but Michael had a beast lurking around the field after I used Card Destruction. It was a monster called Archfiend of Gilfer."
"He's right," said Michael as he held up the card. "When my Archfiend was sent to the graveyard I can equip him to a monster you guys have on the field and he can lower the attack of the selected monster by five hundred points reducing your Masked Beast to a mere twenty-seven hundred points."
Umbra's Life Points were reduced to 6800. "No this can't be possible!" he shouted. "HE WAS OUR MOST POWERFUL monster!"
"I think you've lost enough Life Points," said Loxley. "Super Croc ATTACK LUMIS!"
Super Croc roared blasting Lumis with hot smelly air and lowering his Life Points to 4800.
"LUMIS!" shouted Umbra. "NO!"
"I place one card face down and end my turn," said Loxley. His Ultimate Tyranno disappeared.
"I will start now," said Umbra. "I summon a monster in defense mode and end my turn."
"HA!" said Lumis. "You gain a slight lead and you think you've got this duel won. This duel has only just begun."
"Well, it's time we end this don't you think?" Michael said. "DRAW! Ha! As my friend said tributing monsters isn't the only way of summoning powerful monsters."
"NO, NOT ANOTHER ONE!" shouted Lumis.
"Okay, I remove Vilepawn Archfiend and two of my Shadowknight Archfiends from play so I can summon Desert Twister!"
Michael summoned a gigantic, muscular brown fiend monster with a tornado covering his legs. Desert Twister let out a long red tongue as its attack point projection displayed.
Ren nodded. "Hmph, well done."
"Woohoo, it's the card I gave Michael!" cried Crystal.
"Maron! That's an incredible card, baby girl!" cheered Mario.
Desert Twister
ATK/ 2300 DEF/ 2000
"Now I summon Archfiend General," said Michael.
Archfiend General
ATK/ 2100 DEF/ 800
"Then I will activate my Desert Twister's effect. By discarding one card from my hand I can destroy one Spell or Trap card on the field once per turn. So now we can finally say good-bye to that infernal card Mask of Restrict!"
Desert Twister fired a green laser from its mouth and blasted away the mask. Lumis and Umbra shouted in disbelief.
Lumis bellowed in horror. "NO, NOW THEY CAN SACRIFICE MONSTERS!"
"Lumis!" cried Umbra. "If those kids beat us, Master Marik will be furious!"
"Marik?" said Loxley.
"Marik? Who's Marik?" Crystal asked.
"Archfiend General!" Michael shouted. "Attack Umbra's face-down monster."
Archfiend General leaped up into the air and slashed Umbra's defensive monster which was Rouge Doll.
"Now to end my turn I'll have Desert Twister attack Umbra directly!"
Desert Twister fired its green laser and reduced Umbra's Life Points to 4500.
Lumis grew impatient. "I've had enough! THIS DUEL IS OVER!"
"How do you figure that?" asked Michael.
"It will be over soon once I summon Melchid the Four Face Beast."
Melchid the Four-Face Beast
ATK/ 1500 DEF/ 1200
"What's so dangerous about him?" asked Mario. "There's nothing that beast can do. He's a throw-away monster with absolutely no effect whatsoever."
"If that's true than why do Michael and Loxley look so worried?" asked Crystal.
"Now I activate the powerful Spell Card known as Monster Reborn and bring back my Gran Tiki Elder! Now I sacrifice them both to summon a creature unlike anything the both of you have ever seen. Say hello to the Masked Beast DES GARDIUS!"
Masked Beast Des Gardius
ATK/ 3300 DEF/ 2500
"Ha! Big deal," boasted Mario. "He summoned a creature that is only one-hundred points higher than the last one. Michael and Loxley took down their last Masked Beast and they can sure as hell take this creature down."
"I hope your right." said Crystal. "Otherwise Jeannie is a goner.
Lumis grew mad with power. "I will now annihilate that Desert Twister of yours Michael. With one swipe of my monster's mighty claw, your Desert Twister is finished."
"Yes. Attack it Lumis." said Umbra. "It's the very monster that took out our Mask of Restrict."
"GO DES GARDIUS ATTACK MICHAEL'S DESERT TWISTER NOW!"
Des Gardius lifted its claw and ran like an angry bull towards Michael's monster. Suddenly it fell into a hole.
"WHAT NOW!" shouted Lumis.
"Lumis look." said Umbra. "Our monster is trapped within some sort of sticky substance."
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!" shouted Lumis.
"You need to relax." chuckled Loxley. "All I did was activate my trap, Amber Pitfall."
"What does it do?" Umbra asked demanding an answer.
"This trap stops your monster from attacking and switches him to defense mode. And he stays that way as long as this card remains face up on the field."
"I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS FOOLISHNESS!" roared Lumis.
"So, it's my turn," said Michael. "I will reveal my face down monster Darkbishop Archfiend. Now I will tribute him, Desert Twister and Archfiend General to summon Raviel, Lord of Phantasms!"
The lightning turned dark violet and there was an ominous choir singing in the wind. A strange vortex appeared in the sky and a chain fell from the heavens smashing into the ground and pulling up a towering blue monster wrapped in black chains glowing with a fiery red aura. The beast growled ferociously, and it struggled in its demonic confinement. Bits of paint fell from the chains like dust and the chains moaned as they broke releasing the beast who let out a loud roar as it held out its arms in freedom. Michael summoned what appeared to be a dark version of Obelisk.
Raviel, Lord of Phantasms
ATK/ 4000 DEF/ 4000
"Michael, what the hell is that thing?" Loxley asked.
"It's called a Sacred Beast. They are fell copies of Horakhty's children born from the darkness of the first night sky. They are monsters of the King of Eredas, given to me the night I was born."
"No way…" Crystal babbled. "What…is…that?"
"Mama-fucking-mía!" said Mario.
"So what do you say we finish these guys off, huh?" Michael sneered confidently.
"Sounds good to me, Michael," said Loxley. "Let's do this!"
And so Michael and Loxley finally got rid of Lumis and Umbra. After Raviel finished tormenting the two Rare Hunters, he vanished, and the moon came out again. Michael's Pandemonium field spell was gone and released the mall from its twisted coils. Lumis and Umbra were flat on their backs moaning in pain.
"Will you release our friend now?" Loxley asked.
Lumis and Umbra laughed as they got up.
"Oh, she's free," said Lumis. "But we never said that we'll be taking her down from up there. You have to do that, yourselves."
"WHAT!" Loxley and his friends shouted.
The timer on the bomb began to count down.
"Better hurry," scoffed Umbra. "There's not much time left."
He and Lumis vanished into a cloud of purple smoke.
"JEANNIE!" Ren shouted as he dashed up the crane.
"Be careful man!" shouted Loxley.
Ren stopped when he saw how high they tied Jeannie to the crane. He shook his head in disbelief.
"I can't believe I'm doing this!" he muttered to himself. He climbed as far as he could to Jeannie and took out a dragon-shaped dagger from his blazer and began carving the rope tied to the crane. He held on to a long piece of the rope to hang onto Jeannie. He finally cut through and gripped the rope with all his might as Jeannie dropped and almost dragged him with her.
"I CAN'T HOLD ON!" he shouted.
"Toss her to me!" Loxley shouted.
"SHE'S TOO HEAVY!" Ren cried. "I CAN'T HOLD ON LONG!"
"It's not that far, dude, do it!" shouted Michael.
"I can't she'll fall!"
"DO IT!" Loxley shouted impatiently.
Ren looked at the bomb just a few feet above him. He only had two and a half minutes until it exploded. He nodded and swung Jeannie back and forth until finally he let her go. Jeannie barely made it, but Loxley miraculously grabbed the long piece of rope Ren left. Jeannie almost dragged him down, but Mario, Michael, and Crystal grabbed onto him and helped pull her up.
"JUMP REN!" shouted Mario.
Ren looked at the bomb as it was counting down the last few seconds. He slowly got up. So slow everyone began to panic. The bomb read twenty seconds left and they were going by fast. Ren began to balance himself.
Ten seconds remained.
He bent his knees paused for a moment.
Nine...eight...seven.
He didn't want to go. He was frightened.
Six...five...four.
"JUMP YOU IDIOT!" Loxley shouted.
Three two...
Ren jumped but as he did the bomb ignited. A monster leaped out and jumped into the air while Loxley and the others were knocked forward by the blast as they were running from it. They shielded their heads with their arms to protect themselves from flying debris from the crane. It fell from the air like small meteors. What was left of the crane fell from the roof and landed with a minor explosion as it fell on top of cars. Thankfully no one was inside them.
The monster that saved Ren was Michael's Vilepawn Archfiend.
"Is everyone alright?" Mario asked.
"We're okay," said Michael.
"I'm bent up, but I'm fine," coughed Crystal.
Loxley was too shocked to speak. He looked all around and saw flaming scraps of metal lying everywhere on the roof.
"Why would anyone want to do this?" he asked.
"Crazy bastards," said Ren as he sat paralyzed with fear.
"And this is but a taste of the people who want to do us in," said Michael, looking at Crystal. "This is why Ren and Yuri had to leave you. To save you from this."
Crystal bit into her bottom lip and looked at him. "I don't care," she said. "One way or another, you will reunite me with my friend. I don't want any protest you hear me?" she looked at Ren. "Do you hear me?"
"Crystal…" he began.
"Shut the fuck up!" she shouted. "If I have to walk into hell just to be with you, then so be it. We're supposed to stick together. Through the good times and the bad. Because that's what friendship is all about!"
"So be it," said Ren. "Looks like I've got a lot of explaining to do to."