31. Clash in Darkness.
Just when we were about to assault Creepy Steeple, Azrael showed up.
Lucky for us a familiar young man appeared: Culex.
Culex helped Grave get his sister back, during our fight against Smithy we never could tell if Culex was on our side or not, and neither can we now. Culex easily defeated Azrael's Mill Deck by Milling Azrael's Deck, yeah it was all a bit too coincidental, turned out Culex can see the future through the shadows, now he is here to Duel me only to teach me how to use magic.
Mario stepped away from Culex, he looked at Mallow.
'Mario what are you gonna do?' Mallow asked.
'I don't Duel him of course, we have more pressing matters.' Mario replied, Culex looked hard at Mario. 'What makes you think I give you any choice?' The demonic kid calmly said.
Mario felt magic rising all around him. 'Seems you are serious Culex, but you know we have a time limit, can't we do it after that?'
Culex shook his head. 'You will destroy us all Mario, I have seen the future, that Nephilim is too much for you, your magic will spiral out of control, you kill the Nephilim but you will become evil so I have to put you down.'
Luigi and Goombella silently looked at each other, Mallow said nothing either. 'So you just come here to kill me?' Mario bluntly said.
'No I am here to teach you.' The demonic kid replied: 'Let me say it like this, during this Duel you will learn how to control your darkness, this Duel we had in the future only on a later time after you destroyed the Nephilim, we will have the same Duel now, of course I know all the cards that will be played.' Culex paused for a second.
'So Mario you show me now that you can control your shadow magic, if not I will kill you where you stand before you help us all to ruin.'
Goombella wanted to protest but Mario motioned her to be silent.
'Culex if what you say is true then I am a danger to all of us, but I won't believe that, let me show you I can control my magic, I will beat you in your own game Culex.' Then Mario looked at Mallow.
'Guys, I want you to look for clues about the Nephilim, it is clear we can't openly beat him in a Duel because he can alter which cards we draw, there must be something to break his powers.'
Mallow nodded. 'Yes I think the library is a good place to start.' Mallow knew all to well that Mario didn't want them to see this Duel.
In the past Culex had proven to be relentless, if Mario loses the Duel Culex really would strike him down where he stood.
Mario watched as his friends walked away then he turned his attention to Culex. 'Culex if I fail your test, I must ask you to do two things.'
Culex slightly nodded as a sign he was listening. 'First you deal with that Nephilim and second if you kill me my friends would want revenge, if that time comes I don't want you to run away but face their wrath.'
Culex started to laugh: 'That is a deal Mario, now prepare to Duel!'
As Culex said that shadows appeared all around them until a huge black dome formed around them. 'So you summoned the Shadow Realm here.' Mario muttered. 'Well if my Life Points hit zero I would die, seeing you as the Keeper of Darkness you will survive a lethal Shadow Game like this.'
Culex said nothing, instead he took a black Duel Disk from under his cloak and he strapped it on, then he took his Deck out of a Deck holder and he put his Deck in his Duel Disk, it was automatically shuffled.
'So Mario this will be the rules we use.' Culex started: 'You start with 8000 Life Points, I start with only 1. Your goal is to hit me once with your Dark Magic, I of course will assault you as well, but I give you some time to get used to it, as long as you are guarding you will not be hurt.' Culex paused for a second. 'Then for attacking we borrow the power of our monsters, so we attack each other physically.' Mario and Culex took position across each other their D-Gazer and Duel Disk activated, black mist filled the area. 'Mario you better get used to your magic, I aim to kill in this Duel, I cannot let you become the darkness you swore to fight against.' Shadows formed around Mario. 'Duel!' They both shouted.
(Culex: 1) - (Shadow Mario: 8000)
'Since I am at a huge disadvantage I shall start this Duel.' Culex said, he drew his opening hand, Mario followed his example.
'This ain't bad really.' Culex mumbled, he chose three cards from his hand.
'I set these three cards.' One horizontal card appeared in his Monster Zone, two vertically placed cards appeared in his Spell/Trap Zone. 'I end my turn here.'
Mario slowly drew his card, he looked at the six cards in his hands, then he looked at the three facedown cards on the Field. 'Damn Culex, talk about secrecy, well I have no time to doubt myself now, Culex aims to kill me and he is serious about it.' Mario begun to panic, he took a beep breath to calm himself. 'Mario.' Culex then spoke. 'Just Summon your two Double Lances I know your every move, as you know I already have seen this Duel through the shadows.' Mario looked at his hand, he had one Double Lance he got in his opening hand and the one he just had drawn, Mario placed the first one, the warrior leaped on the Field. (1700 ATK)
Then he placed the second one it appeared kneeling next to the first one. (900 DEF)
'I create the Overlay Network with my two Monsters!' The vortex opened the two Double Lances were sucked in. 'Xyz Summon Excalibur!' The warrior holding the legendary sword landed on the Field. (2000 ATK)
'I attack your defending monster Culex!' Mario shouted, the sword of Excalibur appeared in Mario's hand, Mario charged forward rising his sword. 'I activate Negate Attack!' Culex roared, a barrier appeared around the hidden monster, Mario leaped back the sword disappeared from his hands. 'I end my turn.' Mario stated.
Culex drew his card. 'I know your Deck Mario, like I knew Azrael's Deck, I've build a Deck to counter your Deck.' Culex said with a smirk on his face. 'I Flip Summon my Golem Sentry!' Before Culex a weird monster appeared, it looked like a couple of doors surrounded in a stone post, only the post had a small head, blocky legs and arms in one hand it held a spear. (800 ATK) 'When Golem Sentry is Flip Summoned one monster you control returns to your hand, or in your case to your Extra Deck!' Culex explained. 'Now Excalibur returns to the Extra Deck! Bounce! Excalibur!' Culex laughed, the doors inside Golem Sentry opened a strong wind blew Excalibur from the Field.
'Now I sacrifice Golem Sentry for Guardian Sphinx!' Culex swapped cards on his Duel Disk, Golem Sentry disappeared and got replaced by a gigantic stone sphinx. (1700 ATK) 'Direct attack.' Culex sneered, Culex pointed his finger at Mario, a gigantic laser beam shot out of his finger, the attack of Guardian Sphinx, Mario created armor out of the shadows but the laser beam completely broke through the armor, Mario fell gasping for breath on his back, smoke came from his chest, a hole was burned through his clothes.
(Culex: 1) - (Shadow Mario: 6300)
'A focused blast, your armor shattered completely, defending like that won't cut it.' Culex waited until Mario stood up again.
'Now I Flip my Guardian Sphinx to facedown position.' The gigantic creature disappeared and a reversed card appeared in its place. 'I end my turn.
'So a Bounce Deck, damn that really put a stop to my Extra Deck, well lucky for me my Deck isn't all based around Xyz Summons.' Mario drew his card. 'Not much I can do here other than set two cards.' Mario placed the cards in his Duel Disk they appeared vertically on the Field.
'Mario, you hurt my feelings.' Culex sneered. 'It feels like you are not even trying anymore, of course I know what will happen, but I will play along with you, after all I shall win the Duel in the end.' These words made Mario nervous, this meant that he wouldn't be able to guard against Culex's attacks, Mario shook his head to lose the uneasy feeling.
Culex drew his card he didn't even look at it. 'I Flip Summon my Guardian Sphinx.' Culex started, the reversed card disappeared and the sphinx appeared in its place. (1700 ATK)
'Normally this would send back all Monsters to your hand, but your Field is empty as it is.' Culex grinned. 'I shall attack you directly.' He pointed his finger at Mario again, the laser beam started to form.
'I activate Call of the Haunted!' Mario roared, one of his two cards opened up. 'I summon Double Lance from my Graveyard!' The warrior crawled out of the ground. (1700 ATK)
'I'll continue my assault.' Culex said with a grin, the two lances appeared in Mario's hand, then Culex fired the laser beam. 'I activate Shrink!' Mario shouted, his second card spun around, Guardian Sphinx shrunk to half its size, then the attack points dropped to 850.
Mario used one of the spears to block the laser beam, then he rushed forward he swung the spear at Culex.
'Did I do it?' Mario wondered. 'I'm afraid not Mario, you did destroy my Guardian Sphinx though.' The sphinx crumbled into dust. 'But I successfully guarded against your attack.' Mario retreated the two lances got back to their owner. 'My turn is not over yet.' Culex said as he took two cards he placed them on his Duel Disk, first a hidden monster appeared followed by a hidden Spell or Trap card.
'So back to me ey?' Mario said, he drew his card.
'I summon Spartan!' The ancient warrior holding the spear and shield appeared on the Field. (1600 ATK)
'I create the Overlay Network!' The vortex appeared and a few seconds later Excalibur landed on the Field again. (2000 ATK)
'Time to battle!' Mario shouted as the sword of Excalibur appeared in his hand. Culex's reversed monster disappeared a creature made out of stone appeared, it consisted of only a head and two arms, this was Stone Statue of the Aztecs. (2000 DEF)
Mario slashed at Culex, but the latter blocked Mario's sword by catching it with his hand, Mario pulled the sword back and leaped back to his place. 'This one ended in a draw, better luck next time Mario.' Culex sneered
Mario cursed something through his teeth.
'Mario why won't you just give up? We both know you will lose, the shadows told me and they were never wrong before.' Culex crossed his arms, Mario imitated Culex by crossing his arms. 'Culex, as I see it we are standing on a fork in the road, one road leads to my death, the road you choose, but as I see it I can win this Duel and I walk the longer path.'
Culex started to laugh. 'Nicely said Mario! Now then if you believe that, show it to me!' Culex drew his card. 'I activate my Call of the Haunted!'
Stones appeared on the Field and Guardian Sphinx was reformed. (1700 ATK)
'Next I sacrifice my Stone Statue for a hidden monster!' The stone creature disappeared and got replaced by a facedown card.
'Next I sacrifice my Guardian Sphinx so I can special summon Exxod, Master of the Guard!' Guardian Sphinx disappeared and a gigantic creature made of stone appeared in its place, it was clearly Exodia only in its sealed form. (4000 DEF)
'Next I set one card and I end my turn.' A reversed card appeared behind Exxod.
Mario drew his card. 'Not much to work with here, I cannot break through his defenses.' He muttered, then Mario played a card from his hand, it was Mystical Space Typhoon, the tornado swept away Culex's set Mirror Force. 'I end my turn here.' Mario stated.
Culex drew his card he immediately placed it in his Duel Disk followed by another card from his hand, the first card appeared in his Monster Zone the second one appeared behind the first one.
'Now it is my time to strike.' Culex grinned: 'I flip my Guardian Sphinx!' One of the reversed cards disappeared and the sphinx appeared in its place.
'Let your monsters Bounce Mario!' Before Mario's eyes his Excalibur disappeared.
'Now the effect of Exxod activates whenever an Earth monster is flip summoned you take 1000 points of damage!' Culex stretched his arm, a spear appeared in his hand. 'Are you ready Mario?' Culex asked, Mario took a fighting stance, Culex charged forward, Mario tried to block the spear but Culex pierced right through Mario's shadow shield, Culex leaped back to his side. 'Now I attack with the power of my Guardian Sphinx!'
Culex pointed his finger, the laser beam shot out of it, Mario this time caught the laser. 'You almost blocked it!' Culex shouted, then he gave an extra push to his attack, Mario's barrier broke and he was launched backwards.
(Culex: 1) - (Shadow Mario: 3600)
Mario coughed up some blood, slowly he stood up.
'Culex I won't let you kill me, I will find a way to pierce through your darkness, I shall find the light of victory!'
Culex laughed at Mario's words. 'I see you have seen the light in darkness, that is one step toward victory.' Culex said. 'Maybe I was wrong, maybe Mario can overcome this, no matter what I won't hold back.' Culex thought. 'My turn isn't done yet, I flip my Guardian Sphinx!' The stone colossus disappeared and a reversed card appeared in its place.
'Now I end my turn.'
Mario quickly drew his card. 'Your Exxod's effect only activates when you flip summon a monster, so if I flip them for you it won't do a thing.' Culex scratched his chin, he of course knew what was coming. 'I activate Swords of Revealing Light!' Mario shouted, the swords descended on the Field, the facedown cards disappeared first Guardian Sphinx appeared. (2400 DEF)
Next to the sphinx a jar appeared, inside the jar was a huge smiling mouth filled with sharp teeth and one huge red eye above it. (600 DEF)
'Morphing Jar, whenever it is flipped we both discard our hand and draw five new cards.' Culex explained, both he and Mario emptied their hands into their Graveyard then they quickly drew five cards, Culex of course didn't look at his cards.
'Next I summon my Ambush Soldier!' Mario played one of his new cards, the small warrior clad in the camouflage outfit appeared. (0 ATK)
'Then I set one card and I end my turn.' Mario stated, the reversed card appeared on the Field.
'Before you end your turn I activate my Spell card.' Culex said, his card spun around. 'Book of Moon!' He shouted, then his Guardian Sphinx disappeared and a reversed card appeared on the Field.
'Of course I knew you were going to use Swords of Revealing Light on me, so I came prepared.' Culex said, then he looked at Mario's facedown card. 'Michizure, whenever a monster is send to your Graveyard you can destroy one monster on the Field, during the Duel I have foreseen in the shadows you played that card but you never could use it, my effect damage destroyed you before that. But I feel something that ain't right I wonder can you overcome my Deck? I am curious what tactics you will pull with that Michizure.' Culex thought to himself, then he drew his card.
'I start by setting one monster.' Culex stated, a new reversed card appeared on his side of the Field. 'Next I flip my Guardian Sphinx.' Once again the stone monstrosity appeared. (1700 ATK)
Then Ambush Soldier disappeared from the Field. 'Now Mario you know what comes.' Culex grinned, a spear appeared in his hand: 'I deal 1000 points of damage because of Exxod!' Culex charged in, Mario created a barrier, it blocked Culex's spear. 'Nice try Mario, but you should expect anything from me!' A second spear appeared in Culex's hand, he slashed at Mario's legs, Mario leaped into the air, he lost the focus on the barrier and Culex could strike him down again.
(Culex: 1) - (Shadow Mario: 2600)
'Since I cannot attack, I just set Guardian Sphinx again.' The giant rock monster disappeared and a reversed card appeared in its place.
'I end my turn here.'
Mario drew his card, he closely examined his hand, slowly an idea started to form in his head. 'Culex I just got the strategy to beat you, point is I don't have enough Life Points to do it, I need to block Culex's attacks.'
'Culex I activate Premature Burial.' Mario played the Spell card, one of his Double Lances crawled out of the ground. (1700 ATK)
'I end my turn Culex, now come at me!'
(Culex: 1) - (Shadow Mario: 1800)
Culex drew his card. 'The vision I gained from the shadows showed my victory in this turn.' Culex and Mario both sighted.
'I flip my Guardian Sphinx!' Once again the monstrosity appeared. (1700 ATK) Mario's monsters disappeared and the spear appeared in Culex's hand, quickly he charged in, Mario blocked the first attack, Culex disappeared in the shadows then reappeared behind Mario again Mario blocked the attack, then Culex disappeared again and suddenly he attacked from above, Mario blocked the attack but Culex still managed to break through, the spear slightly cut Mario's cheek but Mario leaped back.
(Culex: 1) - (Shadow Mario: 800)
'Well done blocking my attack Mario but you couldn't stop me completely.'
Mario was breathing hard, his cheek was bleeding.
'Next I flip my Stealth Bird!' Culex's reversed card disappeared and a blue bird with a bat-like head appeared. (700 ATK)
'When this card is flip summoned you take 1000 points of damage!' Culex disappeared in the shadows, Mario closed his eyes, he now could feel Culex moving from the shadows, suddenly Culex struck from under Mario he dodged the attack by leaping backwards, then Mario blocked left followed by an attack of Culex from the left.
'Well done Mario!' Culex roared, Mario opened his eyes, Culex was gasping for breath.
'It seems you have avoided the future I saw, Stealth Bird would have ended you here, now I wonder can you keep it up?' Mario was nearly done for, the attacks had taken its toll, but Mario could see Culex was on the last of his legs as well. 'I activate Ookazi! This deals 800 damage!'
Five fireballs appeared above Culex, the Keeper of the Darkness started to hurl them at Mario, skillfully Mario blocked all of them.
'Good, in that case I set Guardian Sphinx and Stealth Bird!' The two monsters disappeared and two reversed cards appeared in their place.
'I end my turn.'
Mario drew his card. 'I activate Pot of Greed!' The happy pot appeared and Mario drew two cards. 'The reason I used Premature Burial was too get my Double Lance back, now I summon it.' The warrior reappeared on the Field. (1700 ATK) 'Next I use Double Summon so I can summon my Spartan.' The ancient warrior appeared next to Double Lance. (1600 ATK)
'Now I activate Heroic Call which allows me to special summon another monster from my hand and I choose Assault Halberd!' The warrior clad in heavy armor appeared his halberd pointed at Culex. (1800 ATK)
'Finally I activate the Continuous Spell card Domino Effect!' The card appeared before Mario.
'Battle time.' Mario stated. 'First I use Spartan to attack Morphing Jar.'
The spear appeared in Mario's hand, he ran up to Morphing Jar and stabbed the creature in its eye, the jar shattered. 'Now that Morphing Jar is gone, Domino Effect activates, when a monster my opponent controls is destroyed I can sacrifice one of my monster to destroy another one on the Field!' Spartan disappeared. 'I destroy the facedown Guardian Sphinx!' The stone monstrosity appeared once more, this time lightning struck the monster and it crumbled to dust.
'And this is where my Trap card activates! Michizure! When a monster is send from the Field to my Graveyard I get to destroy another monster!' Lightning struck again, this time Exxod was hit, the so called Master of the Guard crumbled to dust.
'Now Assault Halberd attacks the facedown Stealth Bird and I get to deal piercing damage!' The halberd appeared in Mario's hand, first he slashed at the Stealth Bird who appeared on the Field. (1700 DEF)
Mario didn't look at the fallen monster he leaped at Culex who was standing there his arms crossed, Mario slammed against a barrier.
'Nice try Mario, but you won't break through.' Culex sneered.
Mario leaped back. 'I still have a direct attack with Double Lance.' Instead of gaining Double Lance's weapon Mario created a ball of darkness.
'This one has to hit.' He muttered slowly Mario closed his eyes then he opened them again this time his eyes were glowing, Mario could clearly see a barrier around Culex, there was one tiny hole in the barrier.
'You cannot hit me Mario! Give it...' Culex started but Mario focused his attack, the ball of darkness shot through the hole it knocked the air out of Culex's lungs as he landed on his back.
(Culex: 0) - (Shadow Mario: 800)
Mario walked up to Culex he gave Culex a hand to stand up.
'I can't believe it Mario, just when I had given up hope you broke through.' Culex said with a smile. 'It seems you were right, there were two roads, I walked the dead end you walked the longer road.'
Culex looked in the direction of Creepy Steeple.
'Culex.' Mario then spoke. 'What happened in the vision you have seen?'
Culex sighted. 'I can't tell Mario the truth yet, time to make something up.' Culex thought then he started to talk: 'You couldn't control your powers, so I had to kill you, I then took on the Nephilim and killed him, since I had killed you, your friends caught up with me they weakened me enough so that Azrael swooped in and killed me and your friends he took the Crystal Stars and the map, Grodus send a gigantic army to take the remaining Crystal Stars, the entire world was send to hell.'
'I'm glad that future was avoided, now I only need to focus on taking down that Nephilim and that is a pain in the ass.'
'I know what powers that Nephilim hold.' Culex said: 'But there is a way, as you might know a man has defeated him in the past, your friends will come up with a way to disable his powers, but you have no time for that, your twelve hours are almost over, you need to act now.' Culex took a single card from his Deck holder. 'This card will allow you to defeat his Mirror Deck.' Culex handed the card to Mario. 'This card.' Mario muttered as he read the text on the card. 'Thank you Culex this will certainly help.'
Culex nodded. 'Yes but I want that card back, so you better win your Duel, I'll be waiting in the Inn in Twilight Town.' With these words Culex walked away.
Mario returned to Bow's house. 'Mario!' Goombella shouted she hugged him. 'I am glad you're back.'
Mario carefully pushed Goombella away. 'Mallow what have you found in the books?' Mario asked. 'Short story, there was a man who defeated the Nephilim, the Nephilim had cursed the man when the man defeated the Nephilim, that man cannot speak nor write the Nephilim's name which is the source of his power, however the man had a parrot, that parrot knows the Nephilim's name, the man did curse the parrot so that the only thing the parrot can say is the Nephilim's name and he cannot forget that name and to top it off he gave his parrot the eternal life until he learns someone the Nephilim's name, however the Nephilim captured the parrot and now keeps it in Creepy Steeple.'
Mario nodded. 'Good to know but that would take too much time, we have only about one-and-a-half-hour left, Culex gave me a card that is able to defeat the Nephilim.'
Luigi scratched his head. 'You really want to gamble everything on one single card?'
'Yes I do Luigi, there ain't much time that parrot can be everywhere I need to try this but we need to move now!'
Next time:
It is finally time to put an end to the Nephilim, or is it?
The Nephilim has done something to Mario during their last Duel but what can it be? Find that out next time. ''Mirror Match'' coming next.
Card details
Heroic Call
Normal Spell card
Special Summon 1 "Heroic Challenger" monster from your hand in face-up Attack Position. Its effects are negated. You cannot Normal or Special Summon other monsters the turn you activate this card.
Note: The above card was used by Nistro during the Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal anime in episode 53, all credits goes to the creative writers of that episode.
