Labyrinth of Nightmare

"Are you sure this is the place?"

"I told you, didn't I? You think I make things up?"

Two Obelisk Blue Boys were wandering around in a dark tunnel that seemed to be leading underground. The cave itself radiated spookiness. It was dark with the exception of a few candles on the walls. The Obelisk blue boy taking the lead had gray, messy hair. The one following him had white, spiky hair.

"Do you honestly believe there is a ghost-lady down here?" The white-haired boy asked skeptically.

"Why wouldn't I? Many of us from Obelisks have been down here and seen her." The gray-haired boy said. "They even shook in fear after coming back. "

"Maybe they saw a pile of skulls or something?"

"Then they would have been talking about 'skulls' instead of ghost-ladies."

"I'm just saying that they might have been mistaken this for…"

"Uuughh."

The boys stopped their tracks upon hearing some moaning.

"What was that?" The white-haired boy asked startled.

"I don't know." The gray-haired boy replied, looking around for the source.

They walked deeper in the cave, despite the nervousness building up inside them. Eventually, they reached what looked like a dead end. A pile of rocks blocking the path.

"Looks like a dead end." The white-haired boy noted. "How about we head back?"

"Nu-huh. We will find that ghost-lady. And when we do, I'm gonna…."

"Uuughh."

The boys jumped as they heard the moaning again. And this time, it became stronger.

"Ah! The ghost-lady! Where is she!" The gray-haired boy exclaimed, turning from left to right comically.

"Gyah!" The white-haired boy yelped in fear.

"What? What is it?"

The white-haired boy didn't say a word. Instead, he stuttered as he shakily pointed to behind his comrade. He then turned around, looking at the pile of rocks again. But then he noticed something sticking out from the pile. It took the shape of a human that seemed to be buried. It wasn't so much light in the cave, so the Obelisk boys couldn't tell the identity of this person. But they noticed that the person was clad in black and had silver gray hair that reached past the shoulders a little. They assumed it was a girl. But then...

"Uuughh."

They started to shake in fear about hearing the moaning again. And what made them more terrified... was that the moaning came from this girl. Now both of them were stuttering. As if the girl heard them, she raised her head to look at them. And then, they saw her face...

...

...

Pale, white skin, red eyes, and blood stain on her forehead!

"AAAAAAAHHHHH!"


As usual, the gang was walking around on the island. They saw dueling arenas wherever they looked, but each one of them was occupied.

"Aah. Is there any dueling arena we can use?" Jaden complained.

"Unlikely, considering how many academy students there are on this island." Bastion noted.

"At least we get to see so much of this place." Andrew stated.

"That's true. I still can't believe we got to visit Pegasus." Michael said.

"I know. Anyone coming to this place would be lucky." Matt added.

As they walked, Clover turned to left and noticed something unusual. "Speaking of Pegasus, isn't that him over there?"

Everyone followed her direction and saw the creator of Duel Monsters from a distance. And he wasn't alone. He seemed to be talking to Chancellor Sheppard with some of the black clad men standing behind the former. And for some reason, both of them had concerned looks on their faces.

"Yeah, it is." Alexis said.

"Chancellor Sheppard, as well." Jenny noted.

"What do you guys think they are talking about?" Syrus asked.

"Beats me." Matt replied.

"Well, let's find out!" Jaden said as he quickly made his way to the two important men.

"Hey! Hold on, Jaden!" Andrew called out.

"Does he ever run out of energy?" Shiori asked exasperated.

"Nope, not really." Chumley answered as the gang follwed the brown-haired Slifer.

As the gang approached them, Sheppard was the first one to notice. "Oh, hello there, everyone. How are you doing?"

"We could ask you the same thing." Jaden responded.

"You seemed to be concerned about something. Did something happen?" Andrew asked.

The one who answered that question, was Pegasus, who let out a sigh. "As matter of fact, something did happen. We've been asking other students about this incident. Since all of you are here, you might want to hear this."

Everyone blinked at his statement.


After hearing Pegaus' explanation...

"A ghost-lady?" The gang said together.

Shepard nodded to confirm what they heard. "That's right. Recently, a few of the other students found an entrance leading to tunnels underground and decided to explore there. And then, when they came out of there, they've been talking about finding a frightening ghost-lady down there."

"Aw man." Syrus said he and Chumley shook in fear.

"That sounds a little doubtful. I mean, a ghost? Really?" Shiori said skeptically.

"You forgot about Jaden and Co.'s encounter with Jinzo." Andrew retorted. "That incident proves that duel spirits are real. So what are the odds that ghosts wouldn't exist?"

"I still find it doubtful, though."

"Doubtful, indeed." Pegasus agreed. "I've seen many unusual things in my life, and I would have known anything about ghosts lurking around at my home. This is most troubling."

It was then an idea popped in Jaden's mind. "Well I say we check it out. Let's head to the tunnels and find this phantom!"

Everyone gasped at his declaration.

"Dude, you can't be serious, right?" Michael asked.

"There's no way I can let you go down there." Sheppard retorted sternly.

"I have to agree with Sheppard." Pegasus added. "The tunnels are spread throughout the entire island. It's like a labyrinth down there."

"That would be problematic." Bastion commented.

"You think?" Xander asked sarcastically.

Andrew had a thoughtful look on his face. After he hummed, he looked up at the Chancellor. "I'm just wondering. Did those who went down there give any details about this ghost-lady?"

Sheppard raised an eyebrow. "Well, the last two students who returned mentioned that rocks were piled up on her. And also, they mentioned that there were some blood on her forehead. What of it?"

While Syrus, Chumley, Alexis, Jenny and Clover shuddered at the description of the 'ghost-lady', the others looked Andrew curiously as he thinking about it. And then, it hit him. "What if this ghost-lady wasn't a ghost, but rather, a living person?"

"What makes you say that?" Matt asked.

"Well, based on what Chancellor Sheppard just said, I have a feeling that a person could have walked down in the tunnels, got into an accident, and got hurt."

Everyone widened their eyes at Andrew's theory.

Bastion rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "That would be possible. The bloodstain on the so called ghost-lady's forehead could have been caused by an injury."

"But who could this person be?" Shiori wondered.

"Maybe another student?" Alexis suggested.

"Perhaps." Sheppard admitted. "Pegasus told me that he never let anyone down there since the Duelist Kingdom tournament, so I wouldn't be surprised if another student is the cause of this."

"But if that's the case, then this person is injured and needs help." Andrew realized and formed a firm look on his face. "We need to find her!"

"Are you seriously considering to look after her, despite hearing what Pegasus said about the tunnels?" Xander asked disbelieved.

"Knowing Andrew, I'm sure he is." Clover replied while shaking her head. "He's just the kind of guy who would help others, no matter how troublesome it would be."

"Then, what are we waiting for?" Jaden asked expectedly.

Sheppard couldn't help but smile at how willing the students wanted to help.

Pegasus felt the same. "Well, that's noble of you. I guess it can't be helped. Very well, I'll lead you to the tunnels." He then gave them a serious look. "But like I said, it's like a labyrinth down there, so all of you have to stay close to me. Is that clear?"

"Yes." Everyone nodded.

"Then we better get moving. Follow me." Everyone followed him as he guided them to the place.


Eventually, the group reached the destination. It was a hidden stairway going underground, not too far away from Pegasus' castle.

"Is this the place?" Sheppard asked.

"Yes." Pegasus confirmed. "Now, please mind your steps."


Everyone walked down the stairs for some time. Eventually, they came across a door. When they opened it and stepped inside, they found themselves inside a huge room, artificially constructed out of natural smooth boulders. What got their attention was the giant dueling arena in the middle of the room. But unlike those spread out on the island, this one had four stands instead of two.

"Hey, look! A dueling arena!" Jaden pointed out.

"And this one seems to be made for tag team duels." Shiori noted as he glanced at the four stands.

"That's right." Pegasus replied with a smile. "In fact, this is where Yugi boy teamed up with Joey boy in their very first tag team duel."

"For real?" Matt asked in surprise.

"Then that would mean…" Jenny spoke up. "This is where they dueled against the Paradox Brothers."

"No way!" Clover said astounded.

"Ahem…" Bastion cleared his throat. "Pardon me, but I thought we've come here to find the injured student."

"And the mood is ruined." Syrus commented.

"But he's right though." Sheppard said. "We need to find the missing student."

"Yes, of course." Pegasus nodded. "Follow me." With that, the group moved on.


When they left the big room, they went through what seemed to be an area with stone walls leading to all directions, like a maze. But with Pegsus' guidance, they were able to get through without getting lost. Eventually, they found themselves inside the cave tunnels. Of course, some of the people weren't enjoying the walk in here.

"Aw man. Can this place be any creepier?" Syrus wondered.

"Dark caves. How come that we're always visiting spooky places like abandoned dorms and dark caves?" Chumley muttered.

"Can you guys stop your complaining?" Alexis asked annoyed.

"Besides, it's not that scary." Jaden said nonchalantly.

"Speak for yourself." Matt muttered.

The group walked for what felt like an hour. They eventually arrived at a fork in the path.

"Okay, which way do we go?" Andrew asked.

"Both ways look so inviting." Xander said dryly.

"Don't worry." Pegasus assured the group. "I know the tunnels as well as I know the inside of a dueling glove. We'll start by taking the right path and…"

But while the creator of Duel Monsters were talking, Bastion, who was at the far back of the group, was about to approach them when his right foot slid into the ground. "Great Scott!"

That got everyone's attention.

"What's wrong, Bastion?" Shiori asked.

"I don't know. I think I stepped on a switch of some kind." The intelligent Ra Yellow student analyzed.

"A switch?" Pegasus repeated before his eyes widened. "Oh my, you just triggered one of my traps!"

Now everyone's attention was focused on him.

"Whoa, stop there! Did you say traps?" Michael asked in shock.

Before Pegasus could reply, a rumbling came from behind.

"Wait! What's that sound?" Clover asked alerted.

As if on cue, it didn't take long for the source of the sound to reveal itself; a giant boulder was making its way towards them. And the most logical reaction everyone made was screaming.

"A BOULDER!?" Andrew exclaimed.

"Wait, hold on…" Pegasus tried to say, but the others were understandingly panicking, so they tried to run away from the boulder. Due to their panic, the group ended up splitting up; Andrew, Bastion and Xander ran down the left passageway while the rest of the gang took the right one. And as for the boulder... it followed the former group.

"Oh no! That boulder is going to crush Andrew and the others!" Jaden cried out.

"We got to save them!" Jenny said.

"That won't be necessary!" Pegasus called out.

"What do you mean 'not necessary'!?" Clover asked. "There's a freaking boulder chasing our friends, dammit!"

"It's not real!"

Everyone paused after hearing his words for a moment until: "Huh?"

"Like I said." Pegasus said. "It's not real."

"Not real? What are you talking about?" Alexis asked.

It was then Pegasus gave them an embarrassed look. "Well, you see…"


Meanwhile, Andrew and the others tried to get away from the boulder.

"A trigger to release I giant boulder!? What was Pegasus thinking!?" Bastion asked.

"Forget about that, just keep running!" Xander cried out.

The trio kept running and running, but the chase went on. And just when they thought it couldn't get any worse, they reached a path that was blocked by a pile of rocks.

"No way! A dead end!" Andrew cried out.

The trio turned around as the boulder got closer.

"This is it! We're about to get crushed!" Xander said in fear.

They all closed their eyes, bracing themselves for their eventual demise. The boulder finally caught up with them and it made contact...

POP!

Only to burst into little tiny bits and pieces of rubber and plastic. The boys blinked, completely dumbfounded.

"Was that…?" Andrew began to say.

"A balloon?" Xander filled in.

Bastion glanced downward and noticed an orb-shaped speaker on the ground. "Look. That speaker must have been what made that rumbling sound.

"So we were just chased by a fake boulder?" Xander asked disbelieved.

Andrew looked almost very annoyed. "It appears that's the case."


"A fake boulder!?" Everyone said at the same time after hearing Pegasus' explanation.

"That's right." He said while rubbing the back of his head. "When I first hosted the Duelist Kingdom tournament, I figured I could have some fun with those who decided to sneak into this place."

Everyone sweat dropped at that.

"Um, some fun?" Jaden asked.

"Define fun." Shiori added

Clover had an annoyed look on her face. "Pranks. It just had to be pranks."

"Easy there." Alexis said , trying to calm her down.

"Well then…" Sheppared spoke up. "If that's all, then we should look after the others."

"Indeed. Follow me." With that, everyone followed Pegasus to the fork and took the path Andrew and the others took.


"Why on earth would Pegasus of all people set up a bizarre trap like a fake boulder?" Xander asked annoyed.

"Why indeed." Bastion replied.

"For the president of Industrial Illusions, he sure has a crazy sense of humor." Andrew remarked. "We better get back to the others."

"And how exactly are we going to find them?" The intelligent Ra asked. "We were so focused on getting away from that boulder, we got lost on the way."

Xander grimaced. "Great. Just great."

"Then, maybe we should…"

"Uuughh."

Andrew stopped at mid sentence when heard someone moaning.

"What was that!" Xander asked.

"That sounded like someone in pain." Andrew said.

"Look!" Bastion said.

The two boys turned to him before they looked at what he was pointing at. And they were shocked to see what it was. A girl was laying on the ground, with the rocks blocking the path pinning her legs down.

"A girl?" Xander said.

"This must be the one we were looking for." Andrew added.

"Let's help her." Bastion urged before the trio began removing as many rocks as they could. Eventually they managed to remove enough rocks to pull her out of the pile. They then turned her around so she was laying on her back. It was then the trio got a good look at her. The girl had silver gray hair that reached past the shoulders a little and pale skin. And then there was her clothing. She was wearing a black, sleeveless top with a collar, a matching black skirt that was as short as the one an Obelisk Blue girl would wear. She was also wearing black, knee-length socks and boots. The trio also noticed the bloodstain on her forehead.

"Man, look at her." Xander grimaced as he stared at the bloodstain. "She must have hit her head really hard to end up like this."

"Indeed." Bastion agreed.

Andrew looked at her with a concerned look. "We need to do something about her head."

"But how?" The intelligent Ra wondered.

Xander looked around and noticed something at a short distance. "Hey, check it out."

Andrew and Bastion turned to Xander and saw what he found. There were bunch of bags and stuff on the ground.

"What is all of this?" Andrew wondered.

"Probably something the previous visitors left behind." Bastion assumed.

"And it looks like they even dropped this." Xander picked up a white box with a red cross mark.

"A first aid kit." Andrew noted.

"My, how convenient." Bastion said.

"Got that right. Let's get to work." Xander declared.

The boys did their very best to treat the girl's wound. With the stuff from the first aid kit, they wiped off the bloodstain and wrapped some bandage around her head. After that, they placed her back on the ground, with a pillow they placed her head on. Why someone would bring a pillow down here, that was a mystery.

"That should do the trick." Andrew said.

"Now all we can do is wait and see if she wakes up." Xander suggested.

"And perhaps wait for the others to find us while we're at it." Bastion added.

"…mmmh..."

The boys turned to see the girl's eyes stirred a bit before they opened. Her red eyes blinked a few times before she spoke up softly. "What… happened?"

"Oh, you're awake." Andrew noted.

"How are you feeling?" Bastion asked.

The girl managed to get herself into a sitting position before she spoke again. "Pretty fine. But, who are you guys?"

Xander smiled. "Just a bunch of boys who saw a wounded girl and did what anyone would do."

"Assuming that they wouldn't get scared by seeing your bloody face." The intelligent Ra added.

"Bastion." Andrew scolded.

"Sorry."

The girl widened her eyes before she lowered her head. "Oh yeah. I remember now. I found the entrance to this cave and decided to explore it. And it was then when I came here, the cave suddenly collapsed and I've been stuck here ever since. The rest of it has been foggy, but I remember seeing some other students see me, before screaming and running away."

Andrew frowned. "They should be ashamed. I mean seeing someone injured and getting scared before running away? That's just stupid."

"I guess I can't blame them." The goth girl muttered. "As you can see, I'm the kind of girl who likes to be dressed in black and like being in dark and silent places, like this cave. And some people think people like me are scary.

Bastion then placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, getting her attention. "Well, you're lucky that we're not like other people. If we were frightened as easy as those who treated you so bad, we would have run away as well."

"Got that right." Xander agreed. "So, no need to mop around, right?"

The goth girl stared at them for a moment before a small smile formed on her face. "Thanks."

"Now then, how do you feel, miss…?" Bastion tried to ask.

"Oh, I haven't introduced myself. My name is Mahiru Vasilyev from Obelisk Blue." She introduced as she gave them a small bow. "And now that I've got a good look, I recognize you three. I watched your matches at the School Duel" Mahiru glanced at Andrew. "You are Andrew Wilson. A Ra Yellow who's well known for using those Masked Heroes." She then glanced at Bastion and Xander. "And you two faced each other in the second round. Bastion Misawa and Xander Murphy."

"That's right." Bastion replied while Xander nodded.

"As for how I feel…" Mahiru rubbed her bandaged head. "Besides from a headache, I'm perfectly fine."

Everyone then stood up, with Bastion helping Mahiru up. "Then perhaps we should head back and look for the others?"

Before anyone could respond to Andrew's suggestion, they heard something from behind them. When they turned around, they saw the pile of rocks collapsing. And then, the path it was blocking was clear again.

"Jeez, how many collapses are going to occur here?" Xander wondered.

Mahiru blinked when she noticed something from a distance. "Hey, what's that?" She then walked over the rubble and approached whatever she noticed. The boys followed her as they approached the discovery. When they got close enough, they could clearly see that it was...

"A dueling arena?" Xander mused.

It was indeed a dueling arena. Just like the ones above the ground. But this one looked a little different. The platforms, instead of being red and blue, were dressed as tombstones.

"Why would Pegasus have a dueling arena down here?" Andrew wondered.

"Good question" Xander replied. "But right now, we should head back and try to find the others."

"That's easier said than done." Bastion said concerned. "For in case you've forgotten, we got lost when we tried to get away from that fake boulder. Who knows which way we took in this crazy maze?"

"That's a good point." Xander admitted.

Andrew turned back and tried to shout. "Helloooo! Are you guys there!?" The group waited for a moment, but no reply was heard. "Nothing." Andrew sighed.

"What now?" Xander asked.

"Maybe we should wait here for a while, and see if your friends find us?" Mahiru suggested.

"I suppose we can do that." Bastion said as the other boys nodded.

"And in the meantime…" The goth girl walked up to the arena. "How about we have a duel?"

The boys blinked.

"Um, pardon me. But why duel in a situation like this?" Bastion asked skeptically.

"I just think it's better to pass the time while we wait." Mahiru shrugged. "Who knows? Someone might hear the sounds we make when we duel."

The boys looked at each other.

"What do you guys think?" Andrew asked.

Xander shrugged. "I guess one duel won't hurt."

"So, who wants to face Mahiru?"

"I want." Bastion replied directly. "There is a new deck I want to test out. And Mahiru might be the opponent I need to test it on."

Andrew and Xander glanced at each other before looking back at it.

"That's fine." The former said.

"Go at it." The latter added.

With that, Andrew and Xander watched as the duelists took their positions on the platforms.

"Now then, I hope you're ready." Bastion said as he took a deck from one of his holster and placed it on his table.

"I assure you, I'm more than ready." Mahiru replied and placed her own deck on her table.

"Duel!"

Bastion: 4000

Mahiru: 4000


Meanwhile, somewhere in the castle, was a room with a big computer screen. It was showing the words 'Dueling Arenas Active', along with numbers, representing the active dueling arenas. The person sitting in front of the screen, was one of those men dressed in black, wearing shades. He had gray hair and a mustache.

"Hm, everything seems to be in order." He muttered. "Huh?"

He noticed a number in particular blinking.

"Hmm, a new arena is active. Number… 13? But that's one of the underground arenas. I better tell Pegasus."


Speaking of whom, he and the others were walking through the cave, calling for their friends.

"Andrew! Bastion!" Jaden called out.

"Xander, are you here!?" Clover called out.

"Man, where can they be?" Shiori wondered.

As they kept walking, Alexis noticed the worried expression on Jenny's face. "Are you okay?"

"Okay? How can I be okay? Our friends are lost in some cave-like maze." She sighed and lowered her head. "Where are you, Andrew." She murmured.

Alexis placed a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder. "It'll be fine. We'll find them. Don't worry."

Jenny turned to her friend and smiled softly, feeling a little better. "Right."

Just before the group could get any further, Pegasus made a halt as beeping was heard from an earpiece he had in his right ear. "Oh!"

"What is it?" Sheppard asked.

"A call from the staff. Just a moment." Pegasus pressed the earpiece. "What is it?"

"Sorry to bother you, sir. But something really concerning had just occurred."

That got Pegasus' attention. "Really? What is it?"

Everyone watched at him as this went on. And then, Pegasus smiled.

"I see. Thanks for telling me that, Croquet." He then let go of the earpiece and turned to the group.

"What was that about?" Michael asked.

"Good news, everyone. I just learned about the location of your friends."

That brightened everyone's mood.

"For real?" Matt asked.

"Yes. Apparently, they managed to find an underground arena."

"What!?" Jaden exclaimed. "Are you saying they're dueling somewhere?" He then pouted. "Without us?"

"Is that what bothers you, Jaden?" Syrus asked as he and Chumley sweat dropped at their friend's question.

"Come on. We better get going." Sheppard urged.

"Couldn't agree more. Follow me." Pegasus said, taking the lead again.


"I'll go first." Mahiru declared and drew her sixth card. "I play a facedown monster in defense mode." A facedown card appeared. "Then I'll play another card facedown and end my turn." Another card appeared.

"My turn." Bastion drew a card. "And I summon UFO Turtle in attack mode." The monster that appeared on his field was a green turtle with a silver shell. Or rather, a silver metallic ufo for a shell. (ATK: 1400 DEF: 1200 LV: 4) "Now attack her facedown monster!" The turtle was now hovering over the ground before it flew forward, intending to tackle the facedown monster. When the card flipped up, the monster was revealed. And apparently, this monster was another turtle. But this one looked different from the one Bastion played. It was a brown turtle with a shell that was actually a pyramid. (ATK: 1200 DEF: 1400 LV: 4)

Mahiru smiled. "Sorry. But I'm afraid my Pyramid Turtle has enough defense to stand up against your monster." Her turtle got into its shell and took the hit from UFO Turtle's attack head on and pushed it back."

"Not bad." Bastion complimented. "I place a card facedown and end my turn." A card appeared behind his turtle.

Mahiru drew a card and looked at it. "This will do." She placed it on her table. "I activate the spell card Pyramid of Wonders. This card gives all my zombie type monsters 200 attack points for every monster on your field." A glowing pyramid appeared above her field and floated in the air upside down. (ATK: 1200-1400)

"A zombie deck, huh?" Andrew mused.

"Now I'll switch Pyramid Turtle to attack mode." The turtle came out of its shell. "Then I reveal the trap card, Coffin Seller." Her facedown card flipped up. "Now attack his UFO Turtle!"

"What? But both of their monsters have same attack points." Andrew said.

"My guess is she wants her turtle to be destroyed." Xander replied.

Pyramid Turtle approached UFO Turtle, and glowed with a red aura as a sandstorm started to form around them.

"I activate my trap card, Backfire!" Bastion's facedown card flipped up. After that, both turtles were completely hidden within the sandstorm. When it died down, they were gone. "Before you tell me your reason for attacking, allow me to explain the effect of Backfire. Every time when at least one of my fire monsters is destroyed, you take 500 points of damage." The trap card fired a stream of flames at Mahiru's field.

Mahiru: 4000-3500

"I guess I owe you an explanation for my attack. You see, when my Pyramid Turtle is destroyed in battle, I can summon a zombie type monster from my deck with 2000 or less defense points. And I think I choose Vampire Grace." In Pyramid Turtle's place, an old woman appeared. She had pale white skin on her face and was dressed in a dress of British nobility, with a vampirish style. She was also wielding a scepter with a red orb. (ATK: 2000-2200 DEF: 1200 LV: 6) "And then, since a monster was sent to your graveyard, the effect of Coffin Seller is triggered. You take 300 points of damage."

Bastion winced when a dark purple aura enveloped him.

Bastion: 4000-3700

"Impressive. However, my UFO Turtle has a special ability as well. When it's destroyed in battle I can summon a fire monster from my deck with up to 1500 attack points. And I choose another UFO Turtle." A duplicate of his first turtle appeared. (ATK: 1400 DEF: 1200 LV: 4)

"Then I'll let my Vampire Grace destroy it. Now, Bloody Blast!" The old woman waved her staff as the orb glowed crimson red before she fired a ball of energy at UFO Turtle.

Bastion: 3700-2900

"And with another monster sent to your graveyard, you lose another 300 life points."

Bastion: 2900-2600

"That may be, but thanks to Backfire, you lose another 500 life points."

Mahiru: 3500-3000

"And thanks to my UFO Turtle, I'll get another monster. And this time, I summon Solar Flare Dragon!" A serpent-like dragon in flames appeared. (ATK: 1500 DEF: 1000 LV: 4)

"Interesting choice. As for me, I'm moving on by summoning Vampire Sorcerer in attack mode." A man with purple skin appeared. He had long green hair and wore some kind of black trench-coat with a belt. Around his waist he had four purple claws. He was also wearing a pointed hat and held a bat-shaped staff. (ATK: 1500-1700 DEF: 1500 LV: 4)

"Another vampire?" Xander noted.

"And now I activate Vampire Grace's special effect." The older vampire waved her staff again, making the red orb glow again. "Once per turn, I can force you to send a card from your deck to the graveyard. And I can choose the type of card you're getting rid of."

"But then..." Bastion widened his eyes.

"That's right. I'm forcing you to get rid of another monster card."

Bastion reluctantly searched through his deck and took a monster card before placing it on the graveyard.

"And now you'll take another 300 points of damage."

The Ra winced as he was surrounded by the same purple aura from earlier.

Bastion: 2600-2300

"Then I'll end my turn with a facedown." Mahiru placed a card on her table.

"Good show." Bastion said and drew a card. "I summon another Solar Flare Dragon in attack mode." Another dragon, identical to the first one, appeared. (ATK: 1500 DEF: 1000 LV: 4)

"Another one." Andrew commented.

"That's right. And Solar Flare Dragon has a special ability. If I have another pyro type monster on my side of the field, you can't attack it. And unfortunately for you, my dear, that's exactly what my dragons are."

"Which means I can't attack any of them." Mahiru realized. "But at least they're too weak to destroy my monsters. Especially with the effect of Pyramid of Wonders." (ATK: 1700-1900) (ATK: 2200-2400)

"True, but I'm not planning to attack with them. They have another purpose. But first I play the spell card Goblin Thief." Bastion placed the named card on the table. "This card gives you 500 points of damage and increases my life points with the same amount."

Now it was Mahiru's turn to wince as she was surrounded by a red aura, while a green aura enveloped Bastion.

Mahiru: 3000-2500

Bastion: 2300-2800

"I place a card facedown and end my turn." He placed a card on the table. "And this activates Solar Flare Dragon's second effect. During each of my end phases, you take 500 points of damage."

Mahiru gasped while Andrew and Xander widened their eyes.

"And since he's got 2 dragons on the field, that makes 1000." Andrew said.

"This is gonna burn." Xander commented jokingly.

Both dragon's opened their mouths wide and unleashed fireballs at Mahiru.

Mahiru: 2500-1500

Mahiru recovered from the blasts. "My turn then." She drew. "I play Pot of Greed. Now I can draw two more cards." She drew her extra cards and looked at them. She then smiled.

'It seems she got something useful.' Bastion thought as he noticed her expression.

"I activate the spell card, Vampire's Domain." Mahiru placed her card on the table, making its image appear on the field.

The goth girl placed another spell card on her table. "Then I activate the spell card, Overpowering Eye. With this, I can choose a zombie type monster on my field that has 2000 or less attack points. And then, during this turn, that monster has the power to attack you directly." Vampire Sorcerer was suddenly surrounded by a red aura.

"Uh oh. She found a way around Bastion's defense." Xander said.

"But that's not all. I activate my facedown trap card, Robbin' Zombie." Mahiru's facedown card flipped up. "Every time you take battle damage, you must send 1 card from the top of your deck to the graveyard."

"Whoa!" Andrew gasped.

"And now I activate Vampire Grace's ability. Send another monster from your deck to the graveyard."

"Fine then." Bastion replied as he took another monster card from his deck and placed it on the graveyard.

"And with that, Coffin Seller takes effect."

Bastion: 2800-2500

"Now my Sorcerer, attack!" The vampire waved his bat-shaped staff and formed a red energy ball. And then it took the shape of a giant bat and flew over to Bastion's field. Finally, it tackled him, causing an explosion to occur.

Bastion: 2500-0600

"And now the effect of Robbin' Zombie. Send the top card of your deck to the graveyard."

"Very well, but before that, I activate my trap card." Bastion's facedown card flipped up. "Damage Vaccine Ω MAX. When I take damage, this card lets me regain the life points I just lost."

Bastion: 0600-2500

He then drew the card he was supposed to get rid of and looked at it. He smirked and showed it to Mahiru. "Unfortunately for you, I just lost a trap card instead of a monster." He placed it on the graveyard.

"That's a shame. Oh well…" Mahiru smiled as she suddenly was surrounded by a blue aura. The boys noticed that the same aura surrounded her continuous spell card.

"What's happening?" Xander wondered.

"This is the effect of Vampire's Domain. Whenever one of my Vampire monsters inflicts battle damage, I gain the same amount of life points."

Mahiru: 1500-3400

"My, that's quite impressive." Bastion complimented.

"Thanks."

"So, she's not using an ordinary zombie deck." Xander noted.

"She's using a vampire deck." Andrew added.

"I end my turn." Mahiru concluded.

"My move then." Bastion drew a card. "I place a card facedown and let my dragons end my turn." As he placed a card on the table, the dragons blasted Mahiru with fireballs again.

Mahiru: 3400-2400

Mahiru drew a card. She looked at it before placing it on the table. "I place a card facedown and activate Vampire Grace's ability again. Take another monster from your deck." The older vampire waved her staff again as Bastion sent another monster card to the graveyard.

Bastion: 2500-2200

"And with that, I end my turn."

"Very well." Bastion drew. "I summon Charcoal Inpachi in defense mode." An effigy of a man made of burned-out logs appeared and kneeled down. (ATK: 100 DEF: 2100 LV:1

"Another monster on your field gives my monsters more points." (ATK: 1900-2100) (ATK: 2400-2600)

Bastion proceeded by placing another card on the table. "Then I'll play a facedown and let my dragons do their thing." The dragons prepared to unleash more fireballs.

"I activate my trap." Mahiru interrupted as she flipped up her facedown card. "Vampire Domination. When a spell, trap or monster effect, is activated while I have a Vampire monster on my field, I can negate the activation and destroy it."

Bastion's eyes widened before one of the dragons exploded into pixels.

"And there's more. If the card I destroyed was a monster, my counter trap gives me life points equal to its original attack points.

Mahiru: 2400-3900

"And don't forget. Coffin Seller takes away some of your life points."

Bastion: 2200-1900

"Nicely done, but since you destroyed my fire monster, my Backfire card deals damage to you." His trap card fired another stream of fire at Mahiru.

Mahiru: 3900-3400

"And not only that. Your move just triggered my other trap." Bastion's facedown card revealed itself. "This is Puzzle Reborn. When exactly one of my monsters is destroyed by a card effect, I can summon it back to the field." Everyone watched as the serpent-like dragon rose up on the field. (ATK: 1500 DEF: 1000 LV: 4)

Mahiru gasped.

"I figured you would try something to destroy my monsters. But now when my two dragons are together again, they can finish what they started." The dragons blasted Mahiru with fireballs once again.

Mahiru: 3400-2400

Mahiru drew a card. When she saw what she got, she nodded. "First I'll use Vampire Grace's ability to send another monster to your graveyard."

Bastion took another monster card from his deck and placed it on the graveyard.

Bastion: 1900-1600

"Then I activate Vampire Domain's effect."

"Pardon?" Bastion asked in a surprised tone.

"So that spell card has another effect?" Xander asked.

"That's right, and it works like this: Once per turn, I can pay 500 life points. Then, I can normal summon a Vampire monster in addition to my normal summon."

Mahiru: 2400-1900

"So for starters, I'll sacrifice my Vampire Sorcerer in order to summon Vampire Red Baron." The Sorcerer disappeared and was replaced by a horseman in heavy black armor that wielded a spear. The horse itself was also armored and its mane and tail were crimson red. (ATK: 2400-3000 DEF: 1000 LV: 6) "Then I'll summon Vampire Familiar in attack mode." The next monster that appeared was an unusual bat. It had no eyes or feet. It had a pair of horns on its head and a long, pointy tail. (ATK: 500-1100 DEF: 0 LV: 1)

"Yikes! It's a vampire army." Xander said.

"And now I activate Red Baron's special ability. Once per turn, I can pay 1000 life points to do this…"

Mahiru: 1900-0900

The horseman raised his spear as it unleashed a crimson red aura. And then, Vampire Familiar was sudden completely swallowed by red smoke. And at the same time, to the boys' shock, one of Bastion's Solar Flare Dragons was swallowed by red smoke as well. They all waited for a moment until the smoke cleared. And it was then they were even more shocked. Because those two monsters were now standing on the opposite sides. (ATK: 1100-500)

"Great Scott!" Bastion exclaimed.

"What just happened?" Andrew wondered.

"This is what my red Baron did." Mahiru explained. "After paying life points, he lets me choose one of my Vampire monsters and let it switch places with one of your monsters."

"And since she took one of the Solar Flare Dragons, she can attack the other one." Xander realized.

Bastion got over his shock before he spoke up. "Not quite. My Charcoal Inpachi is a pyro type monster, so she can't get rid of my dragon before getting through him first."

"Maybe, but I've decided to attack Vampire Familiar to end this duel." Mahiru replied. "Now let's end this! Vampire Grace, attack!" The older vampire waved her staff and fired another energy ball.

"I don't think so! I play Draining Shield!" Bastion's facedown card flipped up and created a barrier that blocked the old woman's attack. "This trap lets me stop your attack and increase my life points with the same amount as your attacking monster's attack points."

Bastion: 1600-4200

"In that case, I'll let Red Baron finish the job!" The horseman charged towards the bat and stabbed it with his spear, making it explode. (ATK: 2600-2400) (ATK: 3000-2800)

Bastion: 4200-1700


The search group (with Pegasus as the leader) was still walking around in the cave, trying to find Andrew and the others.

Boom!

They then heard the faint sound of an explosion.

"Did you guys hear that?" Michael asked.

"Well I did." Jaden replied.

"Me too." Syrus said.

"That sounded like it came from far ahead." Clover observed.

"Then we might be on the right track." Pegasus replied. "Let's move on."

With that, they walked to the direction of the sound.


Back to the duel

"And with Vampire's Domain's effect, I gain life points again.

Mahiru: 0900-3400

"And since you took battle damage, Robbin' Zombie's effect activates."

Bastion took the top card from his deck and looked at it. "A monster." He said frowning as he placed it on the graveyard.

"Which means you take damage from the effect of Coffin Seller."

Bastion winced as the same purple aura from earlier enveloped him.

Bastion: 1700-1400

"I must say, that was well played."

Mahiru smiled. "Thank you. And if you liked that, you're gonna love this…" Vampire Red Baron stabbed the ground with his spear. The boys were then surprised to see crimson red light erupt from that spot. When the light died down, they were even more surprised to see a certain bat sitting on the ground. (ATK: 500-900 DEF: 0 LV: 1)

"Vampire Familiar?" Andrew said.

"How did it end up there?" Xander wondered.

"My Red Baron has another special ability. At the end of the battle phase, I can summon any monster he destroyed in battle. And it's a good thing I did, because now I can use Vampire Familiar's ability. After it's special summoned, I can pay 500 life points in order to add a Vampire monster from my deck to my hand."

Mahiru: 3400-2900

Mahiru searched through her deck and took the card she wanted. A monster card with 2000 attack and defense points. "And I'll end my turn, meaning that you'll take damage from your own dragon." The stolen dragon blasted Bastion with a fireball.

Bastion: 1400-0900

Bastion drew. "First I play Pot of Greed, letting me draw two cards." He drew his extra cards and looked at them.

"I wonder what Bastion's gonna do now." Andrew said.

"That's hard to tell." Xander replied. "With only 900 life points left, he won't last long."

As on cue, Bastion smirked, making Mahiru confused.

"I sacrifice Solar Flare Dragon and Charcoal Inpachi in order to summon Infernal Flame Emperor!" Flames erupted from the ground and swallowed Bastion's monsters. And then, a giant beast arose. It had the body of lion, with its head replaced by a human torso and replaced on the torso's shoulders. Its entire body was made of fire. (ATK: 2700 DEF: 1600 LV: 9) "Now, normally that move would let your trap card deal damage, but that won't happen, thanks to my new monster's special ability. When Infernal Flame Emperor is tribute summoned, I can remove up to 5 fire monsters from my graveyard. Then, for every monster I remove from play, one spell or trap card is destroyed."

Mahiru gasped while Andrew and Xander cheered.

"Nice! That means he can get rid of Coffin Seller and any other card he wants." The mechanic noted.

Bastion took up four monster cards from his graveyard and showed them to Mahiru. "I remove these four in order to destroy all your spells and traps." The giant fire creature roared as it smashed the ground and unleashed a wave of fire. The fire quickly spread over the field and covered Mahiru's field as it burned down her spells and traps, one by one. "And since your pyramid is gone, your vampires get weaker." (ATK: 900-500) (ATK: 2800-2400) (ATK: 2400-2000) "However, none of them is my target. Infernal Flame Emperor, destroy Solar Flare Dragon!" The fiery creature punched the serpent dragon, making it explode.

Mahiru: 2900-1700

"I place two cards facedown and end my turn." He concluded as he placed his remaining cards on the table.

Mahiru drew a card and looked straight at her opponent. "This duel has been great, Bastion. But I'm afraid I'm about to put an end to it."

"Is that so? Then, do tell. How are you going to end this?"

"I'll show you, starting by bringing out an old friend." On cue, everyone the spirit of someone appear on the field. A certain sorcerer.

"That's Vampire Sorcerer." Xander noted.

"It appears that monster has a trick in his sleeve." Andrew realized.

"Since Vampire Sorcerer is in my graveyard, I can activate his ability. By removing him from play, I can summon a dark Vampire monster without a sacrifice."

"My word." Bastion gasped.

"And the one I summon... is the one I took from my deck during my last turn. I summon Vampire Vamp!" From some dark mist, a young woman appeared. She had long silver hair, and bat-like wings with with small horns covering the top. Her outfit consisted of a top which let her midriff bare and had small a small cape over her shoulders. It also had small, decorative claws at her shoulders and a cross was depicted on the sides of her shoulders. For the rest, she wore a skirt with two claws holding it in place, arm-length gloves, tights and knee-high boots with a cross depicted on them. The vampire gave Bastion a devious smile. (ATK: 2000 DEF: 2000 LV: 7)

"I suppose that there's a 90 % chance that she has a special ability you're going to use?" Bastion assumed.

"Correct. And here's how it works; When Vampire Vamp, or a Vampire monster is normal summoned to my field, she can take a monster that has more attack points than her and add those points to herself." The vampire stared at the Infernal Flame Emperor as her eyes glowed red. And then, the fire creature's eyes glowed as well, as it walked slowly over to Mahiru's field until it was standing right behind Vampire Vamp. (ATK: 2000-4700)

"4700 attack points?" Xander asked surprised.

"And on top of that, Bastion's out of monsters now." Andrew added.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Mahiru asked with a proud smile. "My Vampire Vamp has given me countless victories. She's the prime example of how terrifying vampires can be."

Bastion nodded. "Yes, a monster with a terrifying power indeed. However…" He then smirked at her. "I'm afraid your vampire won't be giving you victory this time."

"Huh?" Mahiru wondered. But then, she noticed something important on Bastion's field. "Your facedown cards!"

"That's right. These cards will put an end to this." The first facedown card revealed itself. "The trap card, Ring of Destruction, and…" The other card flipped up. "The spell card, Ring of Defense." A metal ring with red bombs appeared around Vampire Vamp's waist, while a wheel with green metal plates attached to the exterior appeared in front of Bastion and spun really fast, like a propeller. "With Ring of Defense, I can protect myself from taking damage. And that's perfect for Ring of Destruction, because after it destroys a monster, it usually deals damage to both players equal to that destroyed monster's attack points."

Mahiru gasped. "But because of your Ring of Defense…"

"She'll be the only one who takes damage." Xander realized.

"Nice!" Andrew cheered.

The ring around Vampire Vamp's waist detonated and caused a big explosion.

Mahiru: 1700-0000

The holograms disappeared as Andrew and Xander applauded.

"Nice going you two." The former praised.

The duelists got off the podiums and approached each other.

"Impressive dueling." Bastion complimented. "Your dueling skills are remarkable."

"Thanks." Mahiru replied with a small smile. "And you truly know how to play smart."

"That's Bastion for ya!" another voice called out.

The group turned to see Jaden waving to them, standing in front of Pegasus and the others.

"What's up guys?" Michael greeted them.

"About time you showed up." Xander said.

Jenny and Clover approached Andrew.

"Are you okay?" The former asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Andrew assured them.

"Seriously, you had us worried." Clover scolded.

"Sorry about that."

The two girls turned to Mahiru.

"I've seen you before." Jenny said. "You're Mahiru, right?"

"Yeah." She nodded.

"After we got separated, we ran into her, with rocks pinning her down." Bastion explained. "Apparently, the cave collapsed and she got hurt."

"My, you don't say." Pegasus noted as he glanced at Mahiru's bandaged head. "Don't worry, young lady. We'll make sure you get the proper treatment."

"Thanks." Mahiru said.

"Well then, let's get back to the surface." Sheppard said.

"Right." Everyone replied.


After everyone got out of the underground tunnels, they had Miss Fontaine check on Mahiru's injury.

"Well, looks like a happy ending." Jaden commented.

"You could say that again." Andrew replied.

"I'm just glad everything is solved." Shiori said.

"Indeed." Pegasus replied. He then took out a golden pocket watch and looked at the time. "Oh, time sure flies when you have fun. It's almost time for the main event."

Everyone looked at him.

"The main event?" Matt asked.

"What's that?" Clover asked.

Pegasus smiled and wagged a finger. "Uh uh uh. No spoilers here. All of you have to wait until it's time. Until then, enjoy the day." With that, he walked away along with Sheppard.

"What do you guys think this main event is?" Syrus asked.

"Beats me." Chumley asked.

"Hopefully something better than fake boulders." Xander said jokingly.

"Well, whatever it is, I bet it's going to be great." Andrew stated.


Hello everyone. I hope you've been doing well at the start of the new year. I know I have. And I hope this chapter was enjoyable. Until next time.