Intermission Ended…
"So does anyone else feel that something is wrong with the fact that there is a door built into the wall of the cavern?" Griff frowned and glanced back the way they had come. "I mean…this isn't very sensible, is it? How about we go back?"
"Not a chance Griff." Ichigo grinned from ear to ear. "I got a challenge, and I'm going to follow through on it."
Krieger slowly opened the door…and they all stepped in.
I have company? How nice…they must be here to challenge me.
A camera view of Ichigo, Griff and Krieger stepping into the facility's entry chamber was what ALICE's attention was on. It watched as they looked around in awe.
The defense doors will not let them through without the proper pass code. However, system protocol prevents me from giving out…
ALICE pondered what it was going to do. If it couldn't freely give them the password…then how could it let them in?
Hacker detected. Initiating automatic defenses. Scanning internet for appropriate deck type. Deck type located.
Griff was about to say something…but his voice caught in his throat as he turned around to look at the thick steel doors that blocked off the long hallway.
Standing near the bulkhead doors was a dark-skinned man wearing white robes with a short headdress around his head. "Intruders, prepare yourself."
"Where did this guy come from?" Ichigo looked over Griff's shoulder. Then he looked at Griff. "And why does he remind me of you?"
"Father…" Griff paled. ("This is impossible.")
Eri snarled in the darkness of the auditorium. "Turn the lights back on right this instant you bitch!"
There was a loud crackling noise and a screech of pain. For a few moments light filled the room to show electricity arching along Eri's body. Then it died down and a smoky smell filled the air.
"Now now, be nice. I'm currently busy, so you'll just have to wait your turn."
"Are you alright Eri?" Kenshin didn't like the fact that he could smell the smoke coming off of the demoness.
"I'll…kill that damned….thing." Eri coughed up a little cloud of smoke and then passed out.
The form of Achmed Mohistava held up its duel disk. "Prepare to battle."
Griff paled even more so. "D...d…dad…I can explain the ears….and the tail….and….and…"
"I said fight!" Achmed drew the top fives cards off of his deck.
"Griff, I don't think it's him." Krieger took a small stone he had taken from the cave out of his pocket and threw it Achmed. It passed right through him. "See, it's a hologram."
Griff narrowed his eyes and stepped past Ichigo, who was just about to turn on his duel disk. "I've got this one."
"Aww…you're no fun." Ichigo looked away and pouted.
Achmed- 4000
Griff- 4000
Achmed drew. "I begin my turn with the magic card Pot of Greed." A green smiling jar appeared on the field. "This lets me sacrifice it to draw two cards!" He snapped the top two cards off of his deck and the jar shattered. "Now I summon Gravekeeper's Curse (800/800) in defense mode." A brown-skinned with braids wearing black robes and holding a cane appeared on the field. "When this monster is special summoned, flip summoned, or normal summoned you take 500 life points of damage! Chant of Doom!" The Curse began to chant, and a yellow aura sprang up around it.
Griff braced himself for the pain from the duel simulators. What hit him instead though was a storm of pain in the form of a golden aura that sprang up around him and burned his skin. By the time it was done he was slumped against one side of the hallway, panting for air.
Achmed- 4000
Griff- 3500
Achmed didn't seem the slightest bit emotional about seeing this. "I set one card face-down and end my turn."
Griff pushed off of the wall and came to his feet. "You're not my father…and I'll make you pay for using his deck and form. Draw!" He snapped the top card off of his deck and looked at it. "I summon Warrior Dai Grepher!" (1700/1600) A warrior holding a huge two-handed sword appeared on the field. "Go now, attack Gravekeeper's Curse!" The warrior roared out a battle cry and slashed the spellcaster in half. "Then I set two cards face-down and end my turn."
Achmed drew. "Reveal Rite of Spirit! This trap card lets me special summon one Gravekeeper's monster from my graveyard to the field!" Gravekeeper's Curse reappeared on the field, spun its cane around, and then started chanting. "And when Gravekeeper's Curse is special summoned you lose 500 life points!"
Griff screamed again as his form was lit up in an golden aura of flame.
Achmed- 4000
Griff- 3000
Stumbling, the Egyptian boy forced his eyes open. "I won't lose…"
"I sacrifice Gravekeeper's Curse to summon Gravekeeper's Chief!" (1900/1200) A man in white and black robes holding a golden snake-shaped staff appeared on the field. "When tribute summoned, this monster special summons one Gravekeeper's monster from my graveyard to the field! Return Gravekeeper's Curse!" The braided spellcaster appeared again and chanted rapidly. "And once again…Chant of Doom!"
Griff tried to brace himself this time, but all he managed to do was stop from screaming when he felt himself light on fire for a moment.
Achmed- 4000
Griff- 2500
Achmed pointed at Dai Grepher. "Go now Chief, crush his monster! Chief's Annihilation!" A glowing ball of red light appeared in the hand of the spellcaster and then it shot the ball towards the warrior.
"Reveal…Elaborate Trap!" Griff pointed at one of his set cards and it flipped up. "This trap card can only activate when you have two or more monsters in play! I negate your attack and deduct the attack points of the negated monster from the attack of a different monster on your field! If the deducted monster's attack points reach zero it is destroyed!" A series of simple devices appeared and one of them caught the ball, sending it from one device to the next until the ball flew towards the Gravekeeper's Curse and slammed into it, blowing it apart immediately.
Achmed barely responded to the fact that he had been foiled. "End turn."
Griff drew. "I set a monster face-down and switch Warrior Dai Grepher into defense mode." The warrior dropped to one knee, while a face-down monster card appeared on the field next to it. "End turn."
Achmed drew. "Chief, attack Warrior Dai Grepher!" The chieftain lifted its hand and released a new ball of red fire that slammed into the warrior and blew it apart. "End turn."
Griff drew. ("His monster has 1900 attack points…so what can I do? Nothing in my hand has the attack strength to match his monster…") "I set one monster face-down. End turn." He hated having to simply set up his monsters to die, but in this situation he was out-gunned.
Achmed drew. "I play the magic card Remove from Hand. This magic card forces you to discard one card from your hand. Then you draw one card."
Griff gulped and looked at his three hand cards. ("I'm sorry Gorg the Strong…") He slid the Dark Scorpion monster into his graveyard and drew the top card off of his deck.
Achmed pointed at the monster on his right. "Chief, attack that monster!" The spellcaster lifted its hand and threw a red ball of fire that hit the set card. It revealed a purple-skinned mummy that groaned and blew apart.
Griff pointed at the purple cloud of dust that hung in the air around them. "When Poison Mummy (1000/1800) is flipped up you take 500 life points of damage!" The smoke washed over Achmed's form and he turned snowy, like an out of focus picture. "You can't even feel pain, can you?"
Achmed- 3500
Griff- 2500
Achmed placed a monster face-down on his disk. "I set one monster face-down and end my turn."
Griff drew. ("Monster Reborn…but what good is…") He looked at the card he had drawn with the effect of Remove from Hand…and smiled. "From my hand, I play Monster Reborn! This magic card revives one monster from my graveyard! Return now Dark Scorpion-Gorg the Strong!" (1800/1500) A huge man holding a giant hammer appeared on the field. "Also, I summon The Hunter with 7 Weapons!" (1000/1000) A man with seven different weapons attached to its body appeared in play. "This monster gains 1000 attack points when it battles with a monster of the type I declare! So I declare Spellcaster!"
"Alright!" Ichigo grinned. "All of the Gravekeepers are spellcasters!"
"With that bonus he'll take out the Chief!" Krieger thrust his fist into the air.
Griff pointed at the Chief. "Go Hunter!" The warrior removed a crossbow from its side and lifted the weapon, bringing the chief into its sights. "Fire!"
"Stupid fool." Achmed slid a card from his hand into his graveyard slot. "I activate Charm of Shabti (100/100) and when I discard it during the turn I do so all battle damage to Gravekeeper's monsters is zero." A golden idol of a sarcophagus appeared in front of the Chief and took the crossbow bolt to the face, blowing apart instantly.
Griff, Ichigo and Krieger all paled. Frowning, the Egyptian boy pointed at the set monster. "Gorg the Strong attacks!" The warrior slammed its hammer down onto the set monster and blew it apart. "End turn."
Achmed drew. "I first play the magic card Neiki Ouiju." A stone tablet appeared behind The Hunter with 7 Weapons and pulled it into its frame. In a flash of light the warrior was gone and the tablet had an imprint of the warrior on its front. "This equipment magic card seals your monster's abilities within the tablet. Also, it cannot attack or switch modes. When the monster is destroyed you will also lose 500 life points." He threw a card onto his disk. "Go Gravekeeper's Assailant!" (1500/1500) A black-clothed warrior holding a curved dagger at its side appeared silently next to the Chief. "Attack The Hunter! Assassin's Killing Strike!" The dagger turned into a sword and the spellcaster launched forward and cut the stone tablet in half.
Achmed- 3500
Griff- 1500
His hand lifted to point at Gorg. "Chief, destroy that thief." The chieftain fired a blast from its hand that hit the Dark Scorpion right in the chest and blew it apart into dust.
Achmed- 3500
Griff- 1400
With one last look at his hand Achmed emotionlessly looked to Griff. "It's your turn."
Slowly, Griff drew. ("I need a way to defeat this guy.") He looked at the drawn card. "For now…I end my turn."
Achmed drew. "First I attack with Chief!" The spellcaster threw a ball of fire that hit the set card and shattered it. "And now Assailant finishes you off!"
"Reveal Scapegoat!" Griff's face-down card flipped up and four different colored goats appeared on the field. The Assailant's blade slashed through one. "This card brings four Scapegoat tokens to play that defend me from attack."
Achmed placed a card face-down on top of his disk. "Then I simply set a monster face-down and one card face-down on the field. End turn."
Griff drew. "I play Thief's Greed! This magic card lets me take one card from your graveyard that gives the user to draw cards! So Pot of Greed is mine!" The card flew out of Achmed's graveyard and landed perfectly into his hand. "Pot of Greed activate!" He drew two cards and then flicked the card back over to his opponent. "And now I'll play my own Pot of Greed!" He slid two more cards off of his disk. "Now I set one monster face-down and two cards face-down." A single monster appeared face-down in the spot where his Scapegoat had been. And then behind it a pair of card shimmered into existence. "End turn."
Achmed drew. "Now's my time…I flip up An Owl of Luck." (300/500) An owl appeared on the field and hooted. "This card lets me place one field magic card from my deck onto its top." He removed a card from his deck and then placed it on top of the stack of cards. "Now I attack two goats with Assailant and Owl!" The little bird flapped down and bit into one of the colored sheep, blowing it apart. Then the spellcaster flew past it and slashed through another one. "Chief, attack the set monster!" A ball of red fire hit the set card and shattered it.
Griff caught a card spat out of his deck. "When Envoy of the Mirage is destroyed I may add one Mirage of Nightmare from my deck to my hand!"
Achmed pointed at Griff. "End turn!"
Griff drew. "I reveal Good Goblin Housekeeping! This trap card lets me draw one card and then I place a card from my hand at the bottom of my deck!" He snapped the top card off of his deck and then slid a card from his hand face-down at the bottom of the deck. Then he smiled slightly. "Here's my chance…I play Goat Multiplication! When I have a Scapegoat in play I sacrifice that Scapegoat to special summon as many Sheep tokens as I can!" (0/0) Five gold-colored Scapegoats appeared on the field. "Then I set three cards face-down and play Mirage of Nightmare! End turn."
Achmed drew. "It's my turn…"
"Mirage of Nightmare's special ability lets me draw until I have four cards in my hand during your standby phase!" He snapped four cards off of his deck and looked at all of them, grinning.
Achmed opened his disk's field magic card slot and inserted a card into it. "You're finished! First I activate the trap card Call of the Haunted! This card lets me revive one monster from my graveyard to the field!" The braided Gravekeeper's Curse appeared on the field and started to chant.
Griff screamed again and golden fire washed over him. "Damn it…I'll stop you…"
Achmed- 3500
Griff- 900
"Field magic card, Necrovalley, activate!" All around them the cold steel walls of the room turned into a huge valley. "While this field card is in play all Gravekeeper's gain 500 attack points." Energy flowed around the Assailant, Chief and Curse. (2000/2000) (2400/1700) (1300/1300)
"Now it's time for you to fall! Gravekeeper's Assailant attacks one of your goats! When Necrovalley is in play it switches the mode of one monster in play when it attacks." The goat's eyes opened and it yawned. Then it saw the assassin flying towards it and bleated fearfully.
"Griff!" Ichigo paled as he saw that his friend was now about to lose.
"I'm not beaten yet! Go Emergency Provisions!" One of Griff's face-down cards flipped up. "This quickplay magic card lets me sacrifice magic and trap cards on my field to gain 1000 life points per card!" Mirage of Nightmare and the three set cards all shimmered away right before the goat was cut in half.
Achmed- 3500
Griff- 2900
Achmed, as before, didn't seem angry. "Chief, Curse, and Owl attack three goats!" The three monsters attacked and three more of the golden goats blew apart. "I set one card face-down and end my turn."
Griff took a deep breath and drew. "Now I summon Frontier Wiseman!" (1600/800) An old man appeared on the field. "Now I play Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Necrovalley!" A blast of wind launched towards the stone walls, and a face-down card flipped up on Achmed's field. "What?"
"I reveal Pyramid Shield." Achmed pointed at the card. "This card makes one magic card on my field impossible to destroy for this turn." The wind hit the stone walls of the valley and then faded.
Griff pointed at the Owl. "Go Frontier Wiseman!" The spellcaster made a few passes with its hand and the Owl blew apart.
Achmed- 2200
Griff- 2900
"Then I set one card face-down and play Card of Sanctity! This magic card forces us both to draw until we are holding six cards in our hands!" He snapped five cards off of his deck and his opponent drew four. "Now I set one card face-down and end my turn."
Achmed drew. "I set monster face-down on the field. Go Assailant, attack now!" The assassin leapt towards the Scapegoat and it bleated in fear right before it was cut in half.
Achmed- 2200
Griff- 900
Griff gripped his shoulder and dropped to his knee, groaning in pain as blood soaked through his clothing. "Damn….you…"
"It's over! Chief, attack Frontier Wiseman!" The chieftain lifted its hand and fired a blast of energy towards the old man.
Griff pointed at one of his set cards. "Go…Magic-Arm Shield." The face-down card flipped up and shot out a pair of pinchers that grabbed Curse and pulled it right into the path of the blast from the Chief. "This trap takes a monster from your field and uses it as a shield against one attack."
Achmed- 1100
Griff- 900
Achmed slid a card into his disk. "I set one card face-down and end my turn."
Griff trembled…and drew shakily, the blood starting to help clot the wound on his arm. "I…reveal my face-down card. Go Question to the Stars." His face-down card lifted up. "Now you declare one card type…" He held a card from his hand up. "Name this card…"
Achmed went silent…and then calmly said, "Magic."
Trembling weakly, Griff smiled and turned the card over to reveal an orange surface. "Wrong. Question to the Stars special ability allows me to…shuffle my hand into my deck…and then I declare a card type. I draw the same number of cards that I shuffled…and for every card of that type I draw I gain 1000 life points. Monster…" He drew six cards. "Four monsters…" Blue twinkles of light fell down over him.
Achmed- 1100
Griff- 4900
"Now….Heavy Storm!" Griff slammed a card into his disk. "This magic card destroys all magic and trap cards in play!"
Achmed barely moved as wind swept around them. "I reveal my face-down Rite of Spirit. Now I special summon Gravekeeper's Curse from my graveyard to the field in defense mode." The braided spellcaster appeared in play and started chanting.
Griff's happiness at seeing Necrovalley getting destroyed faded as golden fire erupted against his body.
Achmed- 1100
Griff- 4400
"You cannot win, intruder."
Griff snarled and threw a card onto his disk. "We'll see about that! Go Goblin Attack Force!" (2300/0) A horde of green-skinned goblins with clubs appeared on his field. "Your target is there!" They all howled and began to charge.
Achmed slid a card into his graveyard. "I discard Charm of Shabti to negate all damage to Gravekeeper's during this turn." The Goblin force charge was halted immediately by the glow of a golden sarcophagus. "You've been denied, intruder."
Griff paled and slid a card into his disk. "When they attack Goblin Attack Force goes into defense mode. And I also switch Frontier Wiseman into defense mode." The old man fell to one knee alongside the goblins. "I set one card face-down and end my turn."
Achmed drew. "From my hand I play Tribute to the Doomed. This magic card lets me discard one card from my hand to destroy one monster in play." Mummy wrappings exploded out of the ground and sucked the Frontier Wiseman out of sight. "This duel ends now! I switch Curse into attack mode and attack Goblin Attack Force!" The braided spellcaster chanted and the group of crouching goblins exploded into dust. "Chief, direct attack!"
Frowning, threw up his arms right as the blast of red fire slammed into his and sent him to the ground in a smoldering heap.
Achmed- 1100
Griff- 2500
"Now I attack you directly with Assailant!" The assassin leapt forwards and stabbed its knife into Griff's chest, immediately drawing drops of blood.
Achmed- 1100
Griff- 1000
Achmed slid a card from his hand into his disk. "I activate Prescense of the Dead. This magic card can only be used in my second main phase, and it lets me play Necrovalley from my graveyard!" All around them the stone walls of the valley sprang up. "Now the attack of my monsters rises by 500. Also, I summon another Gravekeeper's Curse to the field." Another braided spellcaster appeared on the field and began chanting.
Griff already battered and beaten body was lit up by golden fire. He screamed and crashed to his knees, the bloody wound in his stomach instantly cauterizing.
Achmed- 1100
Griff- 500
Achmed held up the last card in his hand. "I play Royal Tribute. When Necrovalley is in play I can use this card to force both of us to send all monsters in our hands to the graveyard."
Griff's eyes opened, despite the pain he felt, as the Don Zaloog, Meanae the Thorn, and Chick the Yellow that were his hand all disappeared. "No…"
Achmed emotionlessly pointed at Griff. "End turn."
"He's beaten…isn't he?" Krieger looked slightly green. All of the blood he smelled now was rather strong on his nose.
Griff stumbled up to his feet. "You are not my father! And I will not lose to some fake! It's my turn now…draw!" He looked at the drawn card. "You made one mistake…and that was leaving your monsters in attack mode! From my hand I play Snatch Steal! This equipment magic card lets me take control of one monster in play! Obey me Gravekeeper's Chief!"
The white-robed leader of the Gravekeeper's floated over to his field. "And as long as Gravekeeper's Chief is on my field…I can use cards that affect the graveyard! Go Graverobber!" His face-down card flipped up. "This trap card lets me take one card from your graveyard and activate it! At the end of this turn the card returns to your graveyard." A card appeared in his hand. "And I'm playing Call of the Haunted! Revive now Dark Scorpion-Gorg the Strong!" The massive warrior reappeared on his field. "It's over…Gorg the Strong attacks now!"
The fake Achmed threw up his arms as Gorg slammed its hammer through the attack mode Gravekeeper's Curse.
Achmed- 600
Griff- 500
Griff pointed at Gorg, who was now glowing. "The special ability of Gorg the Strong sends one monster on your field to the top of your deck when he destroys a monster as a result of battle!" He pointed at the face-down monster and it disappeared. "Go Chief, attack Assailant!" The chieftain hurled a ball of red fire at the spellcaster and blew it apart. "End turn." Call of the Haunted disappeared and took Gorg with it.
Achmed- 100
Griff- 500
Achmed drew. "During my standby phase Snatch Steal increases my life points by 1000." He placed the drawn card onto his disk. "End turn."
Achmed- 1100
Griff- 500
Griff drew. ("If I know my father's deck…then that face-down monster is Gravekeeper's Guard. When it is flipped up one monster on the field is returned to its owner's hand. No matter what I do Gravekeeper's Chief will leave my field and then I'll be wiped out by it in the next turn."
Ichigo knew this as well. "Griff…you can do it."
Looking at the drawn card…Griff frowned and placed it onto his disk. "I summon Sand Gambler!" (300/1600) A man in gambler's clothing appeared on the field and smiled slightly. "It all comes down to luck! Now I flip three coins. If all three are heads then all monsters on your field will be destroyed. If all three are tails then all monsters on my field are destroyed!"
Three golden coins appeared in his hand. "It's all or nothing! One…" He threw the first into the air. "Two…" He threw the second after it. "Three!" The final coin arched into the air and then all together all three slammed into the ground. There was an explosion of dust the filled the air. As the dust cleared…all three revealed heads. "Special ability go!" An explosion shook the room as Achmed's field was immediately cleared. "Chief, attack directly!"
The fake Achmed was struck by the blast of red fire and disappeared.
Achmed- 0
Griff- 500
Smiling weakly….Griff collapsed to the ground unconscious. In front of him the door beeped loudly and slid open.
Ichigo helped Griff to his feet and with Krieger's assistance they started on their way.
Brief Intermission…
Author's Notes: I actually thought of this while in mid-writing of the reader responses. If you could, please answer this question for me in your review. What is your favorite Cyber Shadow? (Fusion, normal, whatever.) If you don't like Ichigo and his deck then obviously this question doesn't apply to you.
To falcon demon general: It has been brought.
To Sinister: I prefer movie. I like treating my writing like an anime.
To Arathir: Err….thank you for your contribution of information.
To Isumo: I won't forget it.
To Lance Murdock: That knowledge will come in time.
To Rex: Err…sorry for taking your idea?
To Gryphinwyrm: That wasn't ALICE's real deck. It doesn't have a deck type that it uses personally. It just searches the internet for copies of good cards and puts them to good use.
To omegadragon: Yes I'm going to finish the Rival School Arc. And no, ALICE is not like Noa and the Big Five. It is its own entity and it doesn't want a body.
To Chaos Anubis: I thank you for your compliment.
To Voidtemplar: It will turn out fine, trust me.
To Boaty XS: Rival Schools will be finished sooner rather than later. Honestly…I can't bring myself to write it right now.
To G.O.T. Nick: Interesting how?
To wolfy: Honestly, I don't think I'll be doing movies for DDL. As for my stuff becoming manga/anime….I doubt that will happen. I've borrowed concepts from too many different anime. If they did turn my work into anything it would be so changed that I doubt it'd be the stuff you guys like. Then again, maybe I'm being overly critical.
To Raine: Sure, I promise they will.
To Bobbomp: ALICE wasn't meant to originally be a dueling computer.
To Anime Albino: Because I pulled a name out of thin air. And yes, character submissions are still accepted.
To Seeker of the Soul: Errr….I'm sure what you are referencing to. There's a couple of possibilities in my mind.
To Adriel: No. Pokemon irritates me greatly. As for rare cards, there are plenty. After all, that's what makes duels great.