Out of nowhere, hoodlums wearing silver jester masks hopped out of the shadows and surrounded Mai and Ms. Goldwine as they walked home from the movies.
"This is not good," Ms. Goldwine said, hand reaching into her pocket to clutch her deck.
She and Mai went back to back and prepared for the worst. And it happened. One of them activated the Banner of Yeyu, trapping them inside for a long battle.
"This is definitely not good!" Mai said. "If what the girls tell me is true, we just summon monsters till we die."
"Pretty much, so I hope your willpower is strong."
"Hon, you think I'm nothing but a pretty face? I can handle myself."
There were five Duelists and they held out their cards, summoning their creatures at one. In a mere matter of seconds, Mai and Barbra found themselves surrounded by a Mirage Knight, Evilswarm Heliotrope, Exarion Universe, Blade Knight, and a Lightning Punisher.
"I like the odds," Barbra said, tying her hair back into a tight bun.
"Yeah, same here," Mai said. "I call...HARPIE LADY!" Rose petals swirled from behind her. Her ace monster screeched as she flew into the air and raised her wings, flashing her claws to intimidate her foes. At once Blade Knight and Evilswarm Heliotrope jumped up to take her on.
"No, it's not going to be that easy!" Mai bragged. "Let's see how this works. I give Harpie Lady Cyber Shield and Rose Whip, which should boost her strength!" She almost laughed when the armor materialized over Harpy Lady's body and the whip appeared in her hand. She snapped it hitting both monsters and knocking them back.
Mirage Knight and Exarion Universe then went for Ms. Goldwine. "No fair," she said. "I have yet to summon a monster. Looks like I have to teach you degenerates some manners. Dragonmaid Parla, come out, sweetheart."
A white glyph formed in front of Ms. Goldwine. Out came the green-haired maid, giggling in her anticipation to do battle. "Hmm, this still does not bode well for me. Well, if Mai's spells work for her, then perhaps my effects shall work for me. Since you are doing battle with her, Parla should be able to change into her dragon form. Go on, dear! Show them what you've got!"
Parla changed into her dragonic form, Luft, a mighty green dragon. She was capable enough to take on both monsters.
"Smart move," Mai said. "Whoa!" She dodged an attack from Blade Knight. Harpie Lady came to the rescue, striking him with the whip so hard, his armor cracked. "Your maids can transform into powerful monsters on their own. You won't have to use so much Ener-D."
"Oh, indeed. I think these young ones need an attitude adjustment."
"I agree. I'm still feeling fresh and my Harpie Lady needs some backup. Come on out, Harpie Queen!" The monster was summoned. Mai felt a little drained, but she was so energized by seeing the lovely monster, she hardly even noticed. She knew she had to be careful and not get carried away by summoning so many monsters at once. It could cost her dearly.
Harpie Queen and Harpie Lady screeched and dove towards Mirage Knight. He blocked their attacks with his scythe and stepped back until he was against the wall. Then, Blade Knight and Exarion Universe charged from behind. The Harpies were quick to sense this and turned into blurs in the blink of an eye. The two monsters struck Mirage Knight and ended him. The one who summoned him fell to his knees and vanished.
"Ha!" laughed Mai. "One down, four to go."
"Poor sod," said Ms. Goldwine. "A nightmare world awaits him."
"He knew what he signed up for," said Mai. "He's getting what he deserves. Don't give them any sympathy because you're not getting any from them. WATCH OUT!"
Evilswarm Heliotrope snuck in during the chaos was ready to stab Ms. Goldwine. But Dragonmaid Luft appeared and bathed him in flames, incinerating him to dust. The summoner felt weakened but had enough Ener-D to summon one last monster. D-Human. A weak monster, but he was not about to go down without a fight. Luft swatted him with her tail and ended him and his summoner. Well...so much for that fight. Soon, the Duelists were taken care of. Mai and Ms. Goldwine were alone, gasping for breath and taking a moment to relax.
"I don't know about you, Barb, but I haven't had this much fun in years."
"Indeed, if this is the best Yeyu has to offer, our girls are going to wallop them easily."
Suddenly, five more players jumped into the Banner and summoned their monsters.
"What?" Mai cried out. "What is this!"
"Hold on, we won!"
"Not yet you haven't, Granny!" said a Banner Duelist. "You need to beat us next."
"We didn't even get a moment to rest!" yelled Mai.
"Tough luck!" said another Banner Duelist. "Get your cards out and fight!"
And so they did. Mai and Ms. Goldwine, though exhausted, were strong in spirit. Mai summoned one last Harpie Lady and used Elegant Egotist to conjure the Harpie Lady Sisters. Ms. Goldwine, who was done fooling around, conjured Dragonmaid Huskee, and used a spell called Dragonmaid Changeover to transform her into her Dragon Form, Strahl. The black and white dragon spread its red membranous wings and roared. It towered over the battlefield and was stronger than the other Duelists expected with 3500 attack points. They were amazed that Ms. Goldwine summoned such a thing with very little Ener-D. Mai's Harpies provided security against the other monsters while Strahl vanquished the others. The Duel was won. Mai and Ms. Goldwine collapsed. Their clothes were ripped, leaving them terribly exposed and they had blood oozing from their noses from summoning so much.
Just when they thought it was over, they heard a slow clap coming from the darkness of a nearby alley.
"Not bad," said a tall, muscular, man. "Not bad at all. You took on ten players and still managed to win. But now it's my turn."
"You...can't," Mai coughed. "This...this just isn't fair."
"Fair? What's not fair is you, Duelists, running around polluting the world with this sinful game of magic, pride, and greed. The Banner of Yeyu is the key to ending you fools once and for all."
"Using Duel Monsters to end Duel Monsters," Mai said, spitting blood out of her mouth. "Sure, that makes as much sense as Kaiba ripping up cards so they can't be used against him."
"Duel Monsters? No. They're just monsters. And with the might of Yeyu, we can use them. Make them slaves. And if they fail to do as we command, Yeyu ends them. The dawn of a bright and prosperous era will begin soon. Now, Duel!"
He summoned five monsters at once. What they were sent a chill up Mai's frame. "Those...those…"
"Yeah, they're five pieces of Exodia the Forbidden One. You know what happens when they're all assembled, right? You better finish them off before it's too late."
"Barbra, he's right!" Mai said. She turned to look at Barbra who was on the ground as still as a rock. The multiple duels proved too much for her. She sighed one last time and succumbed to the Banner fo Yeyu. "NO!" she cried. "Barbra!"
She summoned Harpie's Pet Dragon with the last bit of strength she had. The anger in her heart gave her the boost she needed to summon the beast. Harpie's Pet Dragon fired a beam of red energy at the Exodia cards, the heat was so intense it caused them to melt.
But the Banner Duelist grinned. "You've fallen right into my trap, Miss Mai," he said mocking the way Cora addressed her. From the flames, Mai saw the face of what appeared to be a much darker version of Exodia. Its eyes were glowing blood red and that horrible grin would haunt her for the rest of her life. Not that she had one to look forward to.
"Yes, even the powerful Exodia can be tamed by the might of Yeyu. And I will prove that I am his true master when I beat Yugi Muto's daughter and taking her cards."
"No," Mai moaned. "Leave her alone...please."
The Exodia from hell unleashed a powerful attack that incinerated Harpie's Pet Dragon with one blast. When the dust settled, all that remained were burning cinders and a black, charred crater were Lady Mai Valentine was stood.
Cora
"Ho! Ho! Ho!" said the comedic voice over for Zorc Necrophades on the show Zorc and Pals. "Meeeery Christmas! Now I shall destroy the world!"
"Just what the hell is going on in this cartoon?" Cora asked while watching the show with Mokuba, whom she brought to the apartment to hang out and be away from all the sorrow going on in Kaiba Tower.
She was glad she did, for Mokuba seemed to get along well with her friends. And, unfortunately for her, Nixie was a big Zorc and Pals fan, running to her home and coming back with her entire DVD collections, which they have binge-watched since early this morning. Nixie and Mokuba were both howling with laughter but she didn't even giggle throughout the whole thing.
"What's there not to get?" Mokuba asked, trying to control his laughter.
"Well, for one, what's so funny about the greatest evil since Odiva the Perfect Goddess?" Cora said. "You know that thing almost DID destroy the world, right?"
Nixie tossed a piece of popcorn into her mouth. She was clad in a white crop top and denim overalls covered in paint from earlier when she and Cora had to redo a room on the second floor. "Yeah, but that's history," she said. "Now that he's been destroyed, we can make fun of it. Come on, Cora, lighten up."
"Seto is about to die, my girlfriend is missing, and I'm being hunted by maniacs looking to take my soul. How do you expect me to lighten up?"
"I know what you're going through," said Mokuba. "In fact, I've been through worse than you. Much worse. I've seen Yugi and Kaiba team up to battle these hooded maniacs called Rare Hunters in the Battle City Tournament years ago. The things those guys did to get their God Cards were just plain criminal and cruel. And then, we had to face a sadistic Duelist named Marik Ishtar who enjoyed torturing his opponents with this weird magic. I've seen the lives of my friends get taken left and right. Hands down, the Battle City Finals was one of the worst experiences of my life. But Seto taught me you've got to keep on moving forward with your head held high. If your enemies see you down in the dumps, they'll take advantage of you more and more, so don't give them that chance."
"I guess you're right," Cora said, followed by a heavy sigh.
M suddenly burst through the door with Kasumi and her fiance, Jack. They all had bags of food in hand. "Yo!" he called out. "Come on, time for lunch!"
"All right!" Mokuba cheered, throwing the pillow at Nixie and running towards the table.
"Hey! No fair!" Nixie cried out and chased after him. She grabbed him by the arms, tickled him, and picked him up.
"Cora," Jack said, joining her on the couch. He set his keys down on the coffee table. "Do not be so glum. You leave tonight for Red Diamond City, yes? I know you and your friends are going to find her."
He placed his hand on top of hers. Cora shuddered and yanked it back. He had been growing very touchy with her after that Duel with Kasumi, and needless to say, she didn't like it one bit. The way he looked at her and rubbed her back and shoulders since then. And it didn't help that everyone in Domino probably knew what her ass looked like after that video of her being paddled by Madame Angelmen went viral, thanks to Clovis. He saw it, too, and wouldn't stop talking about it.
"How are you holding up?" he asked softly. "Is...everything okay back there?" He chuckled.
"I've become a laughing stock," said Cora. "So I'm not doing so well."
"Need me to have a look?" he asked with a sinister smile, to which Cora glared at him furiously. "I was only joking," he laughed, waving his hands around. "Truth be told, neither am I. Kasumi and me, well...we're thinking about calling off the marriage."
Cora looked at Kasumi. Though she kept that lovely smile that caused Cora to have feelings for her when they first met. Her smile looked rather forced and her eyes seemed bloated from weeping. Nevertheless, she was laughing and joking with her friends as best she could. She was a very strong girl.
She then looked back at Clovis and said: "Sorry to hear that. But why?"
"It's not working out, you see. Lots of complications have taken place. I love her dearly, but I fear this marriage was just not meant to be. She sees it, too."
"I see. Is that why you've decided to show yourself and hang with us now? When you two were affianced, your ass has always been at your concerts or private parties. And at school, you ditched Kass to be with your buddies in the Crystal Arena upstairs. Just what in the hell has you so interested in us now?"
"Well, for one, I felt terrible for what Clovis did to you. I had my lawyers pay him a visit for you. They're going to sue him for everything he's got for the humiliation he put you through. It's not something you should be experiencing, especially now that your father is dying."
Cora smiled. "Well, that was awfully sweet of you."
"If you need me, just ask. I can help you and your friends out. It's the least I can do for being so distant from you all these months. You're right. I should have been more close to you" — He brushed some hair over her ear with his fingertips, causing Cora to shiver — "The lovely daughter of Seto Kaiba. I was a fool to stay away from you for so long."
He looked back at the girls, all of them devouring the food they bought and toasting for success against the Banner Duelists in Red Diamond City for the final showdown. "Your friends are a lovely bunch as well. So much beauty in this group. And power. So far, you and your friends have decimated those Banner Players, eh?"
"Yes," Cora replied, scooting away from Jack. "I...uh...I'm going to get some food." She got up from the couch and marched to the table to join her friends.
Kasumi, Amy, Brandy, M, Nixie, Jericho, and Madeline. And now Jack, she supposed. The doors burst open and Krissa came through with bags full of food from the restaurant she worked. The gang was all here. Oh. But where was Yumi? She wondered.
Yumi was having a meager meal of tea and a few biscuits in the middle of the Dragon Gardens Park. She was surrounded by fences festooned with a thick layer of ivy and trees whose branches touched the ground and curtained the concrete paths with their emerald leaves. She sat under a candy red umbrella, shielding her from the rain. Night had fallen not too long ago, and the only light source Yumi had was the street lamp next to the eatery. It was a very dim light, though, illuminating a radius of above twelve feet before darkness swallowed the landscape. She searched the web on her small pink laptop for hours looking for any bit of news of her mother, Yvonne the Raven.
She blew on her tea and took a sip. It was bitter, so she shook two more pink packets of sugar until it was super sweet. Her black coat kept her warm, as did the scarf Mai gave her earlier that day. It was white fading into pink along the edges and topped with white and pink tassels. Though she wore a white skirt, she had black leggings underneath, which Amy had enchanted with magic the day they first met.
She heard some heavy rustling in the bushes. Then, two, big, blue eyes peered at her from the leaves. Yumi froze, wondering what she was going to do. The eyes whistled at her twice.
"Huh?" she said.
They whistled two more times and seemed to bounce away.
"What in the hell was that?" she said to herself.
"There you are!" Cora said, walking out of the darkness with Madeline and Nixie. "This is her, Maddie. Yumi Muto."
"She's going to be joining us in the fight against the Banner Duelists," Nixie added. "I've seen her Duel, and lemme tell you, she's fantastic."
"It iz such a pleasure to meet you," Madeline said with a bow. "I have 'eard so much about you, Miz Yumi."
"Just Yumi," the daughter of Yugi Muto said, tilting her head downward and flashing a friendly smile. She placed her hands between her legs as she waited for her friends to sit down.
"What are you doing here alone?" Nixie giggled, pulling up a chair and sitting down. "Don't you know the legend about what comes out in the Dragon Garden's Park at night?"
"The thought never occurred to me."
Nixie leaned forward and lowered her voice. "Some say that there is a horde of troublesome gnomes living in a complex network of tunnels underneath the park. They target young women who are foolish enough to come here at night alone. If girls get too close to their turf, the gnomes knock them out with a magic spell and then steal their panties to keep as trophies."
"Oh, dear!" Madeline cried out, lowering the hem of her skirt down and crossing her legs. "Iz it true? Zey aren't real are zey?"
She had every reason to be fearful. Gnomes were real creatures in Termnnia, and ever since the Covenant invaded Naralia, they have stormed down into the city in droves, causing all sorts of mischief from putting traffic cones in odd places in the street, killing dogs, and swiping people's left shoes. Who's to say they wouldn't resort to such a thing as Nixie said?
When Cora saw Madeline's expression, she laughed out loud and started pounding the table. "Well, look at you getting all defensive."
"Sorry, but these are Secret Garden brand clothes. Do you have any idea how much zey cost?"
Cora rolled her eyes. "Man, Madeline, relax. Uncle Mokuba told me that story. It's just some stupid urban legend he and a group of elementary school kids told years and years ago to keep girls from coming into their secret clubhouse here."
"Why did zey 'ave secret clubhouses here?" asked Madeline.
"Some Capsule Monsters group or something. I dunno. The point is, don't listen to Nixie. There isn't a secret society of gnomes looking to steal your knickers." She looked at Yumi. "Well, what about you? Aren't you cold?" She rubbed her gloved hands together.
Yumi shook her head and picked up her teacup. "Nope" — she took a long sip — "These enchanted leggings Amy made for me work like a charm."
"Ah, I'm wearing those right now," Nixie said, lifting her flannel skirt to show them her black leggings. "Amy enchanted them, too. They're so warm and snug."
"Oh, I should ask her if she could make me some," Madeline said, flinching from the cold steel of the chair as she sat down.
"You missed lunch," Cora said, leaning back on her chair. "And school. What happened?"
"I wasn't in the mood for company and fattening food," Yumi replied briskly. "Sorry about what happened in school the other day. Prince Clovis is such a rat taking advantage of you. Especially now with your father in waning health. Is he getting better."
"No. And nothing ever will."
"I see." Yumi set the cup on its saucer and put it down. "So it's just a matter of keeping him happy, yes?"
"More or less," Cora sighed.
Nixie cleared her throat. "You know, Yumi, we leave early for Red Diamond City tomorrow. We need our beauty sleep."
"I can't sleep," said Yumi. "All this stuff about my mother has me so disturbed. I never would have thought of her as a killer." She fished her deck out of her pocket and looked at the head of Exodia glaring at her from the card. "These cards. She had to kill for them."
"Well, they were very bad people," said Madeline. "Many of the owners of zose cards were slavers, cheats, murderers, things of ze sort. Nevertheless, you should be happy she iz out zere wanting ze best for you. Cora, Nixie, and even I don't have that kind of luxury."
"What do you mean?"
"Cora iz a bit of a mystery, no? Seto Kaiba is her adoptive father, but her real parents threw her out when she was a baby. Nixie's mother died giving birth to her. And my mother was taken from me by King Forrest when I was but a baby. His soldiers ambushed our summer home. Mother was captured and sold into slavery. No one never saw her again."
"I'm so sorry," said Yumi. "Really, I am."
"Well, that iz why we are here, no? To teach them a lesson they shant soon forget. And to get Cora's beloved back from zere clutches."
"Damn right," Cora said. "Come on, Yumi. Let's go home. You like hot chocolate?"
Yumi smiled. "Of course, so long as I can have a slice of pizza to go along with it."
"Deal. Come on, girls. Let's get out of here before we freeze our butts off."
As they waited for Yumi to gather their things, they were being watched by Clovis, who was stomping his way towards them, furiously under the cover of darkness. But he had no deck of cards in his hand. No, the time for games was over. He brought with him a knife. One way or another, he was going to get the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. And get Cora out of his life once and for all. Too long had he been humiliated by Cora and her friends. Even in his greatest moment of triumph, he was shamed. After Kasumi kicked him in the gonads, he pissed himself. That caused greater humiliation than what he put Cora through.
Suddenly, the wind began to howl fiercely. A fiery glow flashed behind him. "What the…" he said. The flash then formed into an Arcane Circle. It was a portal. Clovis shrieked in horror and dove into a bush. He sat still, watching as figures began to walk out of the portal. One of them was a big, brute of a man, tall, muscular, and wide. He sported a black bandana with white dots for God knows what reason. More portals opened all over the park. Dozens of Duelists in black wearing jester masks jumped out and slithered through the shadows like snakes, all of them running towards Cora and her group.
"All right, boys!" said the large man. He slid his finger underneath his nostrils to clear them of mucus and then rubbed it on his leather slacks. "Weaken them. Weaken them good. If you take them down, we'll pay you."
"What's this?" Clovis whispered.
Another portal opened behind the man. Ralsh walked out with his hands in his pockets. "Oof, Yeyu, where is your Holy Flame? I really need it right now." He saw the masked Duelists beginning to swarm the girls.
"What iz going on!?" Madeline cried out.
"Get behind me!" Nixie commanded her. "Oh, it's on, now?"
Ralsh looked up at the man. "Yes, Brennen. What in the hell is going on here? What are all these Banner Duelists doing here?"
Brenner grinned a nasty grin and slid his finger across his nostrils again to wipe away the snot. "We're going to weaken them. Five on three. If they fail, another five will take over. Then, if they fail, me and my boys will take them out. They'll be too weak to continue playing against us."
"You cheat!" snapped Ralsh. "I should have you punished for this. Where is the honor in your strategy?"
"Fuck honor, Ralsh! These girls took down too many of our boys. And they woulda taken the lives of the little ones with no hesitation either. They're going down. Besides, the good doctor wants Cora's soul now so he can complete the experiment. He wants results and he ain't getting any happier. Also, you want me to tell Knox that you're shagging with River."
"Mention that again, and I'll Duel you myself. I will not go down easy, Brenner. Don't test me."
"Relax, Ralsh. Tonight, we will celebrate with a victory. The Flames of Yeyu will consume the souls of those sinners."
"Do what you must. But I assure you I won't let this slide. Mention my lover again, and I won't wait for a Duel. I'll take your head where you stand. Got it!" He opened another portal and disappeared.
Clovis held his hand over his mouth and watched as the big Duelist headed towards the clearing where the battle was to take place. "They must be the Banner Duelists I heard so much about," he whispered. "Let's see if Cora can get out of this mess."
One of the masked players activated the Banner of Yeyu, trapping the girls within the arcane circle. The first five Duelists jumped into the air and held up their cards and summoned their powerful beasts. Cora, Nixie, Yumi, and Madeline found themselves surrounded by Tridangle Intruder, Emperor Maju Garzett, Magias Palladion, and the spirit monster Yamoto-No-Kami. The leader, the player who activated the card, summoned the biggest and possibly the strongest monster, Gishki Zielgigas. He towered over the other monsters; an aquatic beast from the deepest depths of the ocean and as black as the darkness the enveloped it.
"You ready, Madeline?" Nixie asked.
"Oui. I am sure I can abide by zese rules. But, truth be told, I would rather take my chances wiz zose panty-stealing gnomes right about now."
Cora laughed. "Yeah, but it wouldn't be as fun as this. Taking down these creeps is sure to be a blast."
"Don't underestimate them," Yumi warned her. "That's the last thing we need right now. Madeline, why don't you start things off."
"Yes. Let's see if I can do this. I call upon Noble Knight Pellinore!" Her body radiated with a bright, golden aura. She put everything she had in summoning the Noble Knight with all its power. A horse whinnied from behind. A portal was opened and out jumped Pellinore and his great steed.
"It worked!" she cried.
"Good girl!" Cora cheered. "All right, here goes. Let's see your monsters tango with this bad boy. I summon Primal Dragon the Primordial Dragon!" As expected from the masked players, Cora summoned her dragon effortlessly. It seemed to morph out of her body and then loomed over the field. Its golden plates of armor formed and the summoning was complete.
Yumi took a deep breath and held out her card. "Reflection of Endymion, come forth!" The sigil of the Endymion Magicians appeared behind her, and from it emerged the beautiful and powerful sorceress wielding a magical chalice and a staff of gold ornamented with rubies.
They looked at Nixie, worried about her curse. She was looking forward to that. After her last Duel against Mickey and Tomba, the beast inside of her was awakened. His divine prehistoric power proved too much for the lame curse and broke it, healing Nixie of her wound. And not only did it restore her connection to the arcane, but it doubled it tenfold. She drew her card with her teeth and then held it up. "Regaliazowler!" she shouted.
Her eyes slit as she channeled the strength of the Ultimate Conductor Tyranno's soul to summon the powerful beast. It charged through a portal, shattering it like glass. The dinosaur she called was a new and improved version of the Megazowler monster. This creature was white with gold tiger stripes going down its body. The elongated frill was broad, tall, and adorned with golden spikes and the horns on its head also shined bright gold. Growing out of its shoulders were golden blades resembling crescent swords with scrollwork inlaid with platinum. The white ax-blade on its nose shimmered in the light of the street lamp.
"Whoa! Nixie!" shouted Cora. "Where did you get that!"
"In the new Arrival of the King pack!" Nixie boasted. "Pegasus had these made special for Yuri's return, considering he has blood ties with the Kingdom of Naralia."
Yumi cleared her throat sternly. "Yeah, that's great and all, Nixie, but we have work to do."
"Oh, indeed!" Madeline said, looking up at her dashing knight. "Let us get zis battle underway, ladies. Shall we?"
The masked players sniggered. "You think you can beat us all? We have you outnumbered. Attack Gishki!"
"Yeah! Let's get 'em!"
"Get those bitches! Emperor Maju Garzett attack!"
It was wrong underestimating them. Yes, even though the masked players outnumbered them five to three, their Ener-D was something to be desired. They had enough strength for a couple of monsters, and they thought they could make up for this with their numbers. But that did no good. After a twenty-minute fight, the five Banner Duelists were eliminated and consumed by the Banner of Yeyu.
"Poor bastards," Nixie said, huffing and wheezing from exhaustion. These players fought dirty. They would send their monsters to cheap shot the girls while their summons were busy fighting back other monsters. Earlier in the Duel, she got slashed in the back by Yamoto-No-Kami, ripping her overalls. The left strap hung helplessly over her waist, exposing the white top she wore underneath. Thankfully, Regaliazowler roared in fury when he saw this and trampled the monster to death.
She looked at Cora, who had to take her jacket off when it caught fire. Though she was cold, the adrenaline running through her warmed her up. Madeline exhausted herself with an Xyz Summon. After calling Noble Knight Peredur, she Overylayed him and Pellinore to call upon Sacred Noble Knight of King Custennin, who made short work of both Tridangle Intruder and Magius Palladion.
But then, five more Banner Duelists entered the Banner and summoned their beasts, without giving the girls a chance to rest. Nixie seemed fine, and her Regaliazowler was still in tip-top shape as was King Custennin, though Madeline paid a heavy price to summon him.
Yumi and her Reflection of Endymion had to stand guard and protect her. This almost proved fatal for Yumi. A Swordstalker summoned by one of the Banner Duelists almost cut Madeline's head off, but Yumi pushed her out of the way. She felt a fiery pain on her back. The blade cut her, slicing off her jacket and creating a deep wound on her back. Reflection of Endymion used her staff to smash Swordstalker on the skull and sent him reeling back in pain and frustration. Then, Reflection of Endymion used the magic of her chalice to heal the wound on Yumi's back.
"Thank you," she said, feeling a cool sensation wash away the pain. "I think we're going to need some help."
"Be careful," said Cora, watching Primordial Dragon battle a Machine King. "Summon too many monsters and you'll weaken yourself. The consequences could prove really bad if they fall."
"I know what I'm doing," Yumi said. She jumped out of Regaliazowler's way before getting run over by it. She channeled her Ener-D into her Extra Deck. "Come on out, Selene, the Sacred Empress of Magic."
Oh no. Cora was right. Selene was a formidable monster, but it drained her something fierce. Nevertheless, Selene went straight into the action, using her golden weapon as both as staff and a bow, which she used to launch magic elemental arrows at her foes. Sacred King Custennin, ever the noble hero, made sure no one got to his Lady. A group of Marauding Captains rushed towards her, but he showed them who the real swordsman was, by repelling them from her. Madeline couldn't help but grow crimson upon seeing the dashing knight looking down at her and winking as a sign to show her she was safe. "They're so gallant," she whispered. "That Lionheart girl from the South is lucky to actually summon them for real."
The monsters were defeated and the next set of Banner Duelists were swallowed by the Banner. But then, another five showed up and summoned an army of Machine monsters. This time, they had the upper hand. The monsters the girls summoned were getting tired. Regaliazowler was not as fast and impactive as it once was and Custennin's armor was getting chipped and his sword was dull.
Cora dug down deep and used her power to have Promodial Dragon borrow the strength of its fellow monsters to become the mighty Ten-Thousand Dragon. The other monsters fell to the ground to rest, hoping Ten-Thousand Dragon would hold the Machines back. With one great blast, they were destroyed. The Banner Duelists called more machines only to have them destroyed instantly by the dragon. Ten-Thousand. Need anyone say more. You could summon armies of those damned machines and it would not be enough. But Cora drained herself summoning the beast. She fell to the ground, her clothes were nothing but shreds after getting constantly attacked by the machine monsters. She looked back at her friends, cowering behind their tired monsters, hoping that this would be the last of them.
A slow clap told them it was not.
"You girls are impressive," Brenner said. "But now I think it's time to finish you off."
Cora tried to stand. "No...you...you can't do this."
Brenner laughed. "Funny, your two friends said the same to me." He held up two cards. Harpie Lady and Dragonmaid Huskee.
Cora babbled in horror. "B-Barbra?"
"Mai?" Yumi gasped. "No!"
"Ah, they were quite dear to you, I see," Brenner said, tossing the cards at them. "They were old, but they withstood so much. Know that they suffered greatly at my hand."
"Coward!" shouted Madeline. "You...you probably had them weakened like you did us."
"Ha! Call me what you want. I am still going to beat you. When you have endless power at your fingertips, fighting fair just isn't an option. Look at you. You are in no position to make threats. But I am a just man, so I'll let you have one last option. Leave Cora and Yumi to me. The rest of you can leave. But be assured we'll deal with you later."
"We will do no such thing," growled Madeline. "We still have monsters."
"Your funeral," he said, summoning the five pieces of Exodia.
"What is this?" cried Yumi. "How do you have those?"
Brenner laughed. "How? I have the power and love of Yeyu in my hands. With his divine might, we are able to control any monster. Even the all-powerful Exodia. Now, you know what happens when all five pieces of Exodia are together, eh?"
"You won't get that beast out!" shouted Cora. "I won't! Ten-Thousand Dragon…"
The dragon disappeared. Then so did Selene and Reflection of Endymion. Next, Regaliazowler vanished, and finally, Custennin did as well.
"What did this?" asked Cora.
Even Brenner was confused. "But my monster hasn't been summoned yet."
Suddenly, something small jumped out of the trees. "AYEEEEEE-AAAAA!" it shrieked. It blasted open the Banner of Yeyu, shattering it to pieces.
"NO!" cried Brenner. "What is this?"
It was Exodia. But….smaller. What in the world was this creature? He opened his palm and blasted Brenner in the chest with a blue energy beam, sending him flying across the park and out of sight.
The blast thundered and shook the park, then all was still and silent. He stood there watching the spot where Brenner once stood and just stayed there, ignoring the girls, moaning and groaning behind him.
Yumi looked at the creature. Something inside of her told her that it was meant for her. But what?
Nixie stood up and tried to walk. It took a moment, but she finally got on her two feet. The other stood up and walked to the strange creature to examine it. As they did, it turned to look at them. It was freaky looking. Creep even.
"What is it!?" Nixie cried. She grabbed a stick and hit it on the head.
"What are you doing, Nixie!?" shouted Cora.
"Look at it!" Nixie shrieked. "Ew, it's so freaky looking." She hit the Exodia creature with the stick two more times.
"Is that all ya got, pussy!" the creature said with a squeaky voice.
"What!?" Nixie shouted.
"Oh, Goddesses it talked!" cried Madeline.
"Yeah, and he called me a pussy!" Nixie said angrily. "How rude!"
Cora shrugged. "Well, you did hit him in the head with a stick."
"So what? Nobody calls me a pussy! Fuck you, pussy!"
"You're a pussy, pussy!" the small Exodia creature retaliated.
"Don't call me a pussy, you're the pussy!"
"Well, you are what you eat, eh, pussy!"
"Oh!" they all shouted.
"What are you!" Yumi said at once, coming to see it for herself.
"Oh, you must be Yumi," said the creature. "I'm glad I found you. Come with me."
"What do you need her for?" Cora said.
"Ya want me to explain out here? I think that's a bad idea. Your clothes are torn to shreds, it's raining, and it's fucking cold."
"We'll take you to our place," said Madeline. "How does that sound?"
The creature nodded. "Sure. I like the sound of that." He bowed. "I'm Exodia by the way. True Exodia."
Ralsh
He furiously slapped Brenner across the face. "Idiot! You let them get away! Even with your cheating ways!"
"It wasn't my fault!" shouted Brenner, rubbing his cheek. "I did not anticipate that...that thing to pop up. I don't even know what it is."
Ralsh sighed and leaned against the trunk of a tree. "This does complicate things."
"Not just that, but did you see the way they took down fifteen of our players? They're strong Ralsh, far stronger than I would have hoped. What are we going to do?"
"Excuse me," Prince Clovis said, coming out of the darkness. "Are you the Banner Duelists I heard so much about?"
Ralsh narrowed his eyes. "What's it to you, kid?"
"Yeah, beat it," said Brenner.
"No, I want to join you! I want to help you take down Cora. Teach me how to use the power of the Banner, and I promise I will make it worth your while."