A Song from the Divines

by TheSingingSword

[Rewrite] The story of a boy named Yuri, who is taken from all that he knows and loves into a world where he must rule as High King and wield the God Cards to bring peace to the continent of Termnnia. But his task will not be an easy one, for he is surrounded by foes looking to take away his crown by any means necessary. [AU-Fantasy]

28. The Battle of Polonia

Ser Joey Wheeler, Mellowfield Tournament Semi-Finals

---

"You're not gonna beat me this time, Wheeler!" Rex Raptor shouted. "I use Ultra Evolution Pill on my Balloon Lizard, which will transform him into the one and only, Ultimate Tyranno!"

"Nyeh! That's not good!" Joey cried out.

The Balloon Lizard started glowing until he transformed into a big orb of light. The light started growing bigger and bigger and began taking shape until, at last, the second strongest monster of the Dinosaur-Type was rendered in full form. It gave out a loud shrieking roar as it shook its head from side to side; its eyes glowing brightly.

ATK/3000

"Face it, Wheeler, there's nothing you can do to stop me. Especially after I do this. I Special Summon two Gilasaurus."

Rex placed both cards on the Duelist of black steel and amber. Two brown raptors ran from behind Rex and stopped in front of Ultimate Tyranno.

"And when these guys are Special Summoned this way, you get to Special Summon two monsters of your own."

"All right, then," said Joey. "I bring back Shore Knight and Dust Knight in attack mode."

The two monsters flew out of the ground and landed on either side of Joey's Red-Eyes Black Dragon.

Knowing Rex, he's gonna take down my Red-Eyes with that overgrown lizard of his. My knights will guard me against his other two Gilasaurus and my Life Points will be safe and sound.

Rex sneered. "Now, Ultimate Tyranno, take down his Red-Eyes and his knights."

"What?"

"That's right! Ultimate Tyranno can attack all monsters you control, Wheeler. Say goodbye to your Life Points and the tournament!"

Ultimate Tyranno stomped both knights with his foot as though they were roaches. Then he pounced on Red-Eyes Black Dragon and tore out its heart with his teeth.

"That brings your Life Points to 0, Wheeler. I win."

"Aw, nuts," Joey said sadly. He knelt and punched the dirt.

Serenity sighed heavily. "Great. Now we can't get the money for the expedition."

Mai patted her shoulder. "Don't worry, honey, we'll think of something else. We can go back to monster hunting in the guild. We made quite a bit of money there."

"Over the span of three years," said Zoey, gnawing on a turkey leg. "You lot need t'think o' somethin' else now."

"Like what?" Serenity asked, feeling horribly distraught about seeing her brother lose so close to the finals. "Mai's so-called friend charges more than even a King makes in a year to use her vessel. I hate money. Because everyone wants it, Prince Yuri is most likely going to be delayed even further. We need him back now."

Mai sighed and looked at the stars. "I'll be right back," she said. "I think I saw a wanted poster put up by the Monster Hunters Guild."

Joey groaned and rubbed his face. "I ain't in da mood to look fer monster, Mai."

"Who said anything about you? Serenity, Zoey, Téa, up for a little adventure?"

"O' aye," said Zoey. "Count me in."

"Huh?' Duke said from the table. "What's going on?"

"Sorry," Mai said with a wave of her hand. "This is just for girls."

---

Alexis - Principality of Polonia

Tel. XXI, Year 18 4AOS

---

When the lights of incoming Cloudships flashed on the horizon, Alexis, Alicia, and Princess Pharmellica raced down the tower and into the vast fields outside to greet the pilots. Unfortunately for them, only four Cloudships soared out of the dark, cloudy sky and landed outside the tower. Even though she was happy to see the help that was arriving, poor Pharmellica was horribly distraught at the small number of them. She was expecting to see a huge squadron of Cloudships full of heroes from the East and the West or perhaps even an Eredian flagship hovering over the sky to provide the army with air support.

"So few," said Pharmellica. "So few are here."

"This can't be," said Alexis. She slowly walked to the ships to see who had arrived.

Rio Kastle, the Blade of Ice, as many called her jumped out of her ship first and bowed to Pharmellica, and pledged her ice blade to her service. The second Cloudship to arrive belonged to Satellina von Herrezar the Bullet Princess of Gunhold, a petty kingdom in Katina that manufactured rifles, gunblades, and other kinetic-based weaponry. She was joined by her old friend, a young lady named Missy (Yu-Gi-Oh GX), an Insect Summoner from Gardenrealm. In the third ship were none other than Jasmine and Mindy, Alexis's old friends from Duel Academia. Out of the third ship jumped a Summoner named Julia Krystal (Yu-Gi-Oh ARC-V), the royal court summoner of House Balor who could summon mighty warriors called Gem Knights. And from the fourth Cloudship emerged twin sisters named Grace and Gloria Tyler (Yu-Gi-Oh ARC-V), who both served Lady Mai and the House of Valentine.

"This...this truly can't be it!" Alicia said distraught. "How is this possible?"

"King Forrest that's how," said Rio. The sword of ice on her back was releasing an arctic cold mist that trailed behind her as she walked. "He launched multiple attacks on six different Kingdoms this morning."

"He what!?" Pharmellica and Alexis said at the same time.

"I'm afraid it's true," Gloria said. She bowed her head apologetically. "Mai wishes she could have come, but she has business to attend to in Mellowfields. So she sent me and my sister to help."

"Business? What kind of business does she have that is more important than defending this country?" Pharmellica asked impatiently.

Grace's eyebrows creased. "The business of the High King." She replied to which Pharmellica regained her calm composure and she stepped back and bowed apologetically.

"Forgive me," Pharmellica said. "I am sorry for being brusque. I didn't have any sleep last night. I was so worried about today."

"We understand," said Missy.

"You say there are attacks happening all over Termnnia," Pharmellica said.

"Yeah, each Prince is dealing with an all-out assault," said Julia. "There's no one available to help us fight."

"Why would King Forrest randomly assault so many kingdoms at once?" Pharmellica asked.

"I don't know," said Grace. "I really don't know. But your assumption about Forrest was right on the money, Alexis. There's an army of robotic knights and squadrons of Generation V CUIRASS headed this way."

"Generation V?" Pharmellica said in disbelief. She clutched both sides of her chin with her hands; her fingers slowly slid up her cheeks. "It's that new class that could subdue Avi and beat her True Dragons." She grabbed Alexis's hand. "What are we going to do?"

"I don't know..." Alexis said. "I thought...I thought more would come."

"More would have liked to come, your grace," said Satellina. "But they cannot. Everyone is being assaulted all across Termnnia. Prince Ryon said that King Forrest's troops are calling this assault the Holy King's Dragon Blitz. He means to conquer Termnnia in one fell swoop."

Alexis looked to the mountains in shock. "How in the hell does he build those things? And so quickly, too?"

"It's probably a part of his plan," said Rio. "Forrest is using those robots to tire Termnnia into submission. Everyone fears that once this assault ends, he will be quick to launch another. I heard from my brother that the kingdoms of Resalka and Frostbourne are about to sign conditions of surrender to Naralia right now. They're being overwhelmed."

"We're not going to let him get away with this!" said Grace. "It seems the Black Luster Soldiers from Emboldor are here so we've got ourselves a fighting chance."

"I was hoping for a Prince or maybe even one of the guys from the Kingsblades would be here," said Alexis.

"It's better than nothing," said Gloria. She sternly placed her hands on her hips to scorn her. "With the way things are young now, you're lucky any of us have shown up."

Alexis nodded then bowed apologetically. "You're right. I'm sorry. I really should be grateful for what we have."

"Hey, you underestimate us," said Rio. "If Prince Ryon can handle a thousand of those guys and a prototype flying battleship alone, how hard can they be?"

"I suppose you're right," said Alexis. "Thank you all for being here. Although, I find it highly ironic that it's just us girls doing the defending of Polonia."

"No doubt King Forrest is rubbing his hands together with this prospect," Satellina said. She placed her large combat rifle over her shoulders. "Huh. Imagine the songs they'll sing of this battle. A group of beautiful warriors like us taking on the ferocity of King Forrest's mechanical army? Ha! I'd drink to that."

"I cannot wait to hear them," said Pharmellica.

"I look forward to hearing them, too," said Grace. "So what's the plan, ladies?"

"Right this way," Pharmellica said. She led them into the war room inside the tower and offered them refreshments as they gathered around the war table to make their battle plans.

"So who goes where?" Missy asked, her voice echoing in the oversized room.

"Summoners take the rear," said Mindy. "We're going to need you guys to hold back those CUIRASS pilots. I know they're strong but Jasmine's got an Eidolon on her that can definitely help us out there. The Ocean Lord himself. So you guys take her lead. And you three" — she pointed at Satellina, Grace, and Gloria — "you gun mages?"

"Yes, we are," said Gloria. "Where do you need us?"

"Up there on that mountain," said Alexis. She placed two gold totems on a wooden mountain overlooking the field and the river. "Satellina can take out enemies with her sniper. If what they say about you is true, I think we're all in for a show."

"Did you really snipe 1000 men in one day?" Alicia asked, her feathers ruffling with awe.

Satellina nodded confidently. "I sure did. I was all alone in the bell tower of an old temple ruin. These barbarians from the mountains wanted to raid one of my villages. Not on my watch." She flexed her muscle. "None of them had a chance to get through. Of course, I had a lot of help from my Gattling Dragon. But I only used him because I was getting bored."

"We are truly blessed to have one so skilled as yourself with us today," said Pharmellica. "Satellina can hold them back and summon her Gun Dragons for some more firepower if things get rough. How can I ever repay you, Princess?"

Satellina shrugged. "Heh, you can just date me and we'll call it even."

"Oh..." Pharmellica said blushing. Her eyes darted from left to right. "Uh, I think I banquet and some gold would suffice."

"Ha!" Satellina said, spinning her enormous rifle around. "Just kiddin' beautiful. The thrill of the fight is all the reward I need. Woo-hoo! It's the Battle of the Three Green Kings all over again. And I feel Barrel Dragon getting frisky." She patted her chest. "This should be fun."

"A thrill as always, Princess," said Alexis. "Hey Rio, you can lead a battalion of Black Luster Soldiers here by the river. Since you're really good with your Ice spells, I think this is the ideal spot for you."

Rio approached the map. "There should be enough water for me to make a defensive wall in front of our position. That ought to slow them down. And maybe a rain of ice spikes too. Julia, why don't you and Gem-Knight Master Diamond lead some Black Luster Soldiers here to the village? Has it been vacated, Princess?"

"Yes," Pharemellica replied. "All the villagers have evacuated to the city. It should be safe to lure the enemy there."

Julia approached the map to oversee the spot she would be defending. "Not bad." She cracked her knuckles. "I know just the Gem-Knights I can summon to give these guys hell."

"Knock 'em dead, kiddo," said Grace. "With Julia and her Gem-Knights on the job, The Gleaming Road will be in good hands."

"Yes, please," said Pharmellica. "The Gleaming Road must not be lost and must be protected at all times. It leads to a safe house in the mountains that I told the villagers to go to. I wanted to help, but Alexis says I must stay out of the battle."

"She's right," said Gloria. "The battlefield's no place for the likes of you. No offense."

"No, I know," Pharmellica said looking at the ground. "My place is the House of Parliament, I'm afraid. Although, I wish I could be out there fighting like the rest of you."

"Think of it this way," said Alexius. "What you do in the House of Parliament ultimately reflects on what we can do out here in battle. If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't be here right now, hon. Your country wanted to ban all outside help since we've pretty much adopted technology and they haven't."

"I'm coming with you," said Alicia. "It could be dangerous up the road to the safe house. And I won't take no for an answer."

"Very well. I suppose the villagers could use some protection if the robotic knights make it that far. And thank you all from the bottom of my heart for coming here despite the chaos that's happening all around us. Know that I will reward each of you greatly for your service to Polonia. My people and I are very grateful for this."

"Any time," said Satellina.

"Let's get to our positions then," said Alexis. "King Forrest's army is almost here."

---

Yuri - Ruby Dragon Gaming Shop, Aquarius/Standard Dimension

---

Though the Ruby Dragon was still closed to the public, that didn't stop Sergei from inviting Yuri, Patty, Nick, Tyson, Carter, Sukari, Natalya, and Sabrina from coming by for a long afternoon of Dueling in a brand-new facility behind the shop's garden that would serve to be the new Duel School for kids to use during the summer months when school was out.

"This place is amazing!" Patty said. "I'm impressed, Sergei. This place is really starting to grow."

"I hope I can make back what I spent on this place," Sergei said. He was proud to have the new facilities but it cost him a fortune, and he was running out of money. "Paradise Gaming may have suffered a defeat under Yuri, but they still have state-of-the-art facilities that are bringing my clientele to their place instead."

"Don't worry, Sergei," Sabrina said, patting him on the shoulder. "This place has something those fancy card shops and arenas will never have. And that's you."

"Yeah, and this new Duel School you've set up should do wonders for the shop," Yuri said. "But, uh, why did you call us up here today?"

"Troops!" Sergei said with his drill sergeant voice. Yuri and his friends got in line and stood at attention. "I learned you had a horrible encounter with those Neo Rare Hunters again. So that is why I paid the guys here overtime to get this new arena up and running for today. And boy did they deliver. This room comes equipped with its own Solid Vision Artificial Reality Combat System Projector. Quite possibly one of the single most expensive pieces of equipment in the world. These Duels are unlike those cheap Duel Screens you used to play with. No, now with these babies, Dueling is going to get serious. And we must get serious because there is a group out there hell-bent on hurting the lot of you. For what, I do not know, but they seem to settle their disputes through Dueling, which is why I called you all here today. We are going to make use of this new technology and train until you become the most unstoppable group of Duelists on Aquarius."

"Hey, count me in!" said Patty.

"Me, too!" Tyson cried out in excitement.

"Oh, I want to try this new room of yours, Sergei," Sukari exclaimed. "Can I try it first?"

Sergei nodded happily. "Ah, good. I'm glad to see each and every one of you up to the task. So for the next three hours, we're going to be going through a series of matches with our new projection system."

"Three hours?" said Natalya. "Come on, Uncle, I thought you wanted us to be the best."

"She's right," said Yuri. "At most, I think we all should be here for a whole day of training."

Sergei began to wave his hands frantically in protest. "Oh no. I can't push you guys that hard. These artificial reality combat systems are very hardcore. You guys are going to need a lot of stamina and very strong minds to be using these all day."

"Sergei, we need to do this," said Carter. "Those Neo Rare Hunter guys are out of control. You heard what lengths they were willing to go to get what they want. Annabelle is so freaked out she won't even leave her room right now."

"And I can take it," said Nick. "I went through a lot of trouble to get myself this new Duel Disk and I wanna use it."

"How did you manage to get a Duel Disk?" Patty asked.

Nick looked at her seriously, not appreciating her condescending tone. "Does it matter? I got it. So let's play."

"Play?" Sergei snapped. "No, playtime is over, my friends. We're at war with these goons. If you want to push yourselves to your limits, then do it. But I cannot be held responsible for the danger you'll be putting yourselves through with these Solid Vision Holograms. They were never meant to be used all day."

"We'll take breaks," said Sukari. "Why don't you come up with a raffle or something to see who gets paired against who."

"Great idea," said Natalya. "I could write our names into this cool little app on my computer and it will shuffle our names around. When the sets of Duels are done, we take five."

"That's my girl!" said Sergei. "All right, use that app of yours, and let's see who gets the honor of participating in the first match."

Natalya removed her laptop from her messenger bag and typed their names into the app. When she pressed enter, the names were shuffled around. The first two players were revealed. "All right! It's going to be Sabrina."

"Against who?" Tyson asked.

"No surprise there. Our man Yuri is up to bat."

[Yuri vs Sabrina]

"All right, you two, into the arena you go," said Sergei. Sabrina and Yuri shuffled their decks before placing them into their Duel Disks. They then entered the giant chamber where they were locked in. From a glass window on the right wall, Nick and the others would stand and observe the match. Sergei, however, went into a control room above the arena and powered on the computer. "Now here's where things get interesting," he said. "Field Roulette, activate."

"Field Roulette?" Sabrina asked.

"Yes, indeed," said Sergei. "Before each match, I activate a field for you to play in. Just to add to the immersion." The field spell was chosen. "Ah ha! Gaia Power!"

The arena shook. Yuri and Sabrina watched in awe and amazement as the room transformed into an enchanted forest with a magical giant tree looming behind Yuri. The sound of ghostly unseen windchimes joined the rustling of the leaves of all the trees, and birds chirped in excitement all around them.

"I don't believe it," said Sabrina. She held out her hand. "I can feel the wind. I can smell the trees and the flowers around us. The sunlight on my skin...God almighty, is this really virtual?"

"What amazing power those projectors have, huh?" Patty said, holding Max in her arms. Max seemed eager to escape her grip so he could romp around in the forest behind the glass. It was a truly phenomenal sight. A second ago there was nothing but a vast chamber of metal walls and lights. Now there was this forest. It was as if they were all looking through the window into a whole new world.

"Sergei this is incredible!" said Yuri.

"Da! Now, not only will you two Duel in the forest of the great enchanted tree, but all Earth Attribute Monsters will gain a 500-point boost."

"But Yuri's deck is nothing but Earth-Attribute monsters!" said Sabrina. "My spellcasters don't have that. That gives him an unfair advantage."

"Good Duelists must be prepared for anything!" said Sergei. "You never know what kind of tricks or cards your opponents will use to bring you down. Your Cosmo Queen deck is at a disadvantage, yes. So figure out a way to turn things around."

Sabrina nodded. "You're right. The Neo Rare Hunters could have easily done this to me had they challenged me to a match. So I must be prepared. You ready, Yuri?"

"Yeah, you bet I am. You always talked about pitting your Cosmo Queen against my Black Tyranno. Time to see whose Ace is the strongest."

"Ha! You're on, Yuri!"

Yuri - 4000 LP

VS

4000 LP - Sabrina

Field: Gaia Power

Rules: Master Rule 2 (Advanced Summoning Required for Strong Monsters)

T1

"I'll go first," said Yuri. "I activate Pot of Greed and draw two more times. Now I summon Crawling Dragon Number Two in attack mode!" Yuri's long-necked black dinosaur appeared before him snarling, acidic drool leaking from the corner of its mouth. "And since he's an Earth monster, he gets the field power bonus from Gaia Power, raising his ATK points to 2100!"

"What?" said Sabrina. "You have a monster with more than 2000 ATK points already?"

"Damn right. Now I set two cards face-down and end my turn."

Back in the observation room, the others looked on in wonder at how real Crawling Dragon #2 looked.

"Man, this is definitely a cut above those Duel Screens," said Tyson.

"I'm so stoked about this!" said Nick. "I hope I get the next match."

T2

"I draw!" said Sabrina. "I activate Graceful Charity. I discard two cards and draw three. Ha! I think I have just the card I need to take down your dinosaur, Yuri. I summon Gemini Elf!" Sabrina summoned two elf women, a blonde one in a blue dress and a red-haired one in a purple dress.

"And guess what, Yuri, they're earth monsters, too. So their ATK points will go up to 2400, making my twins stronger than your Crawling Dragon. Go, Gemini Elf, attack!"

The twins conjured a black ball of energy. They powered it up until it grew the size of a wrecking ball and launched it at Crawling Dragon. "Arrrgh!" Yuri rasped through the blast. His Life Points trickled down to 3700.

"Had enough, Yuri?" Sabrina asked.

"What? That was it?" Yuri taunted her.

"Oh, feisty, huh? Well, then. I'll set a card face-down and call it a turn."

T3

"Not bad, Sabrina," Patty complimented her attack. "You kept your cool and figured out a way to take out Yuri's dino."

"Arf! Arf! Arf!" Went Max.

"But can she still keep her cool?" said Sukari.

"Yeah, that's the question," Tyson agreed confidently. "The Duel's just begun and that Crawling Dragon #2 wasn't even Yuri's best dino. I have a feeling he's holding out on the big guys for now. But when they do come out, Sabrina's ass is dino-food."

"Not unless she manages to spring out her Cosmo Queen first," said Carter. "In that case, Yuri's going to have a hard time beating her. Once Cosmo Queen comes out, Sabrina's all but unstoppable."

Yuri drew his card. "Good move, Sabrina. But Tyson's right. Crawling Dragon was just the start. First, I activate my face-down card. Fossil Excavation. First, I discard a card from my hand, and then I can resurrect a dinosaur from my Graveyard, so welcome back Crawling Dragon #2. But he won't be around for long. Because I activate Polymerization! And I will fuse together Two-Headed King Rex and Crawling Dragon #2 to create the mighty Bracchio-Raidus!"

He summoned a giant blue sauropod, a dinosaur with four massive legs, a whip-like tail, and a long neck. It had glowing greenish-blue eyes, which sparkled in the sunlight. The giant dinosaur smashed its left foot on the ground twice to show it was ready for battle.

ATK/2200 DEF/2000

Nick tapped on a screen near the window to examine the card Yuri played. He formed a wide smile when he saw the card's artwork was animated with flowing water. "Wow, Yuri! You got one of those Dream Rares, too!?"

"Yup. You won't believe how many packs I had to dig through to find this guy."

"What good he will do you," said Sabrina. "As powerful as he is, he's a Water Attribute, so he doesn't get the power bonus from Gaia Power.

"I haven't forgotten that," said Yuri. "Which is why I equip Braccho-Raidus with Scroll of Bewitchment. This equip spell allows me to change the Attribute of my monster, so its ATK points increase to 2700! Now, I reveal my set card. Monster Reborn and bring back the monster I used to activate Fossil Excavation. Black Dragon Jungle King! And since he's an Earth Attribute, he gets the field power bonus, too. Now, I attack your Gemini Elf with Brachhio-Raidus."

Bracchio-Raidus fired a watery blue beam and blasted the twins far across the forest until they hit a tree and shattered. Sabrina's Life Points were reduced to 3700.

"And since we're playing by Master Rule 2, because you have no monsters on the field, I can attack your Life Points directly! Black Dragon Jungle King, attack!"

Black Dragon Jungle King fired its purple flames from its mouth.

"Wrong!" Sabrina flipped over her face-down card. "I activate my trap card, Pinpoint Gaurd! When you attack me with a monster, I can revive a Level 4 or lower monster from my Graveyard to my field in defense mode. So Gemini Elf comes back. And don't think for a moment that she'll be going anywhere, Yuri. My trap prevents Gemini Elf from getting destroyed in battle or by card effects."

The purple flames bounced off a force field that guarded the Gemini Elf.

"Wow," said Yuri. "Nice save, Sabrina. I end my turn."

T4

"Man, the excitement increases tenfold with these holograms!" Sukari jeered.

"I know," Natalya agreed, "Sabrina did a good job protecting herself from Yuri's dinosaurs again."

Arf! Arf! Max placed his paws on the window, his mind believed the forest on the other side of the glass was real and he so desperately wanted to roll around in the soft patches of grass around their field.

Sergei rubbed his hands together with great anticipation. He couldn't wait to see what they would do next. "You kids are phenomenal!" he said. "Hey, huh, where's that Andre fellow? I thought he'd be here by now."

"He's going to be running a little late," said Sukari. "Our teacher caught him sleeping in class for the ninth time and punished him by having him clean the chalkboards all weekend."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," said Sergei. "Not good. Snooze you lose, that's what I always say."

"Screw him," said Nick. "The less we see of him the better."

"That's not a good way to look at a person who just helped you," said Tyson.

"I didn't need his help," snapped Nick. "I could have taken those Neo Rare Hunters by myself if my hand didn't brick. He just wants to be a big hero to make you guys like him more. You should all "

"Any guy who looks out for my friends is cool in my book," said Carter. "You should be careful how to treat people, Nick. They might not help you again later."

"Then good riddance."

"What's your problem?" said Patty. "Okay, I admit that guy was a bit of a showoff when we first met him but so far he's been pretty chill. The only one who's starting to bug me now is you, Nick."

"See what I mean?" Nick crossed his arms. "It's already happening. You guys are starting to like him more than me."

"Is that what this is all about?" said Natalya. "Come on, Nick. Don't be ridiculous."

"I'm not being ridiculous. I've sensed it from day one. All he's done was stalk us and interfere with our games. It's so obvious he's trying to worm his way into our group. And he's hell-bent on replacing me."

"Nobody's going to replace you as a friend, Nick," said Patty.

"Oh yeah? Then how come you happily go to lunch with him but when I ask, I get the shaft?"

"Whoa, slow down, cowboy, it was just a stipulation for a match. He said if he lost he would buy lunch. And you know me when it comes to food."

"Bullshit! How many times have I offered you food and free lunches just to get it shoved in my face? All you guys do is ask for him. And when I was recovering did any of you come to visit me? No, I just got goofy texts and emojis. You gave your sincere thanks to your topside buddy instead."

"It's not like that, Nick," said Carter. "The city was on lockdown and..."

"I saved Yuri's life and I get treated like trash! What the hell did he do to deserve your full attention, guys?"

"Come on, Nick," said Sukari. "Be cool about this. These are your friends you're talking about here. They're not going to replace you for anybody."

"Of course, I'm going to blow you off all the time," said Patty, "I'm not interested in you, Nick. And I never will be. But besides that, you're one of my best friends. And you know what you do for me that Andre can't do?"

"What?"

"Make me laugh."

"Huh?"

"Yeah," Patty said with a giggle. "I look forward to your Dueling blunders each and every day because they're the only way I can wake up with a smile in the morning. You have no idea how hard my life is behind those doors to the compound, Nick. But what keeps me going are my four greatest treasures in the world. Yuri's evolution, Tyson's amazing cooking and generosity, Carter's amazing skills with hair and his sweet demeanor, and the humor you give me when you fuck up each Duel."

"You...you mean it, Patty?"

"Of course, I do. And I guess we can add evolving to you, too, because I heard you beat a pretty tough opponent for that Duel Disk. And Andre told us how you chased after those guys despite the explosions."

"That was really brave, man!" Tyson said, bumping his fist with Nick's.

"Yeah, it goes to show there's a hero inside of you and now I want to see that unfold, too."

Nick puffed out his chest. "Well, then. I guess I have nothing to worry about, huh?"

"Of course, not," said Patty. "I hope you understand why I turn you down so harshly."

"Well, I do." Nick closed his eyes and bobbed his head up and down with great enthusiasm. "But that doesn't mean I'm gonna give up. Someday, you're gonna be mine, Patty."

Patty rolled her eyes. "Good ol' Nick." She burst out laughing, to which Nick laughed. And then the rest of them joined in as well.

Someone clapped from the other end of the hall. It was Crystal, standing there with Annabelle and Ren. "Awww, how sweet," she said.

"You almost got me bawling up," said Ren.

"Crystal! Ren!" Sergei shouted from the intercom, almost deafening the group and shaking the room. They hollered and planted their palms over their ears. "So glad you could make it."

"Sorry we're late," said Crystal. "I had to do a bit of coaxing to get Annabelle to come out from under her bed."

"Awww," Patty said. She walked over and held out her hand. "Come on, Annie. It's okay. You're safe in here."

"They're not going to attack us, are they?" Annabelle asked, clutching her teddy even tighter.

"Not in here," said Sergei. "Do not worry, little one. This new facility is two stories deep into the iron plate. And the only way in is through the elevator you took. Also, outside the store, agents from the Montgomery Estate and RAPTOR are patrolling the building and guarding it behind three checkpoints."

"You hear that, sweet pea?" Crystal said. "You're safe here. Come on. Didn't you want to see the new Solid Vision Holograms that Uncle Sergei got?"

Annabelle nodded and took Patty's hand. She followed her to the window where she saw Yuri and Sabrina standing in a forest. "Wow!" she exclaimed. "Is that really a hologram?"

"Impressive," said Ren. "I almost thought Sergei built a forest or something down here."

"It's scary is what it is," said Crystal. She lifted Annabelle up and held her in her arm. "With these ARC Systems, I can't tell what's real or what's not real anymore. Hey, Yuri!"

"Hey, Crystal. Glad you could join us."

Ren chuckled. "Not for nothing, Yuri, but weren't you and Sabrina in the middle of a Duel? What are you two doing just standing there?"

"Oh, sorry," said Yuri. "I just wanted to listen in to today's episode of Days of Our Lives."

Everyone laughed at his lame humor, forcing Annabelle to crack a smile. Nick then clapped his hands at the two Duelists. "Come on, Sabrina, let's get this Duel moving. It's your move."

"I know, I know," said Sabrina. She grinned at Yuri. "You may have wowed us all with your dinosaurs, Yuri, but I'm sorry to say that the fun's over. "I activate Monster Reborn and bring back one of the monsters I discarded with my Graceful Charity card. Beautiful Queen of all Galaxies and Ruler of the Stars! Emerge from the deepest reaches of the void and blind my foe with the light of countless stars! Cosmo Queen, emerge!"

Yuri was indeed blinded by the light of countless stars. He shielded his face with his hands until the light dimmed down. He lowered his hands from over his eyes and saw Sabrina's beloved Ace standing right in front of her proudly. A glittering white aura enveloped Cosmo Queen as she snickered in her throat.

ATK/2900 DEF/2450

"Now it's a Duel!" Tyson declared, pumping up his fist. "Sabrina got her Ace out without having to Advance Summon (Yu-Gi-Oh ARC-V) for her."

"What's Advance Summon?" Natalya asked.

"It's what they call summoning strong monsters by sacrificing weaker monsters," said Patty. "Since Cosmo Queen is a Level 8 monster, Sabrina would have needed to Release or Tribute two monsters to summon her."

"Oh, I see," Natalya said. "So that's why Sabrina sent Cosmo Queen to the Graveyard with her Graceful Charity spell. She knew she had a Monster Reborn in hand to bring her Cosmo Queen to the field easily! Wow! That is so smart!"

"Wow," said Annabelle. "I hope I can play as awesome as you guys someday."

"Impressed, Yuri?" Sabrina asked. "I was able to get my Ace out before you could. Now, I'm going to boost the power of my Cosmo Queen with One-Shot Wand, which will increase her ATK by 800 points!"

Cosmo Queen took the golden wand in her hand and laughed as her power increased to 3700.

"And now I Release my Gemini Elf to Advance Summon Trance the Magic Swordsman!"

Sabrina placed the card close to her lips for a kiss and then slapped it onto her Duel Disk, summoning the spellcasting warrior. He swung his giant decorated sword around before he posed, putting it over his shoulder with one arm.

"Yes! He's an Earth monster, so he gains the power bonus from Gaia Power! Now his ATK points increase to 3100!"

"Look at that!" said Nick, pressing his hands against the glass. "Despite the field advantage Yuri has, Sabrina completely turned it around. Now she's got two monsters with more than 3000 ATK points."

"That Sabrina sure does know how to bring out her boss monsters quickly," said Ren.

"Don't underestimate my girl," said Patty. "Sabrina's good at getting her toughest Spellcasters out in a flash to overwhelm her opponents. Even with the Gaia Power field spell giving Yuri the field advantage, she's the one in control now."

"I guess Sergei was right," said Tyson. "We gotta be prepared for anything. And it looks like Sabrina was more than prepared for this field spell. Now she's turned it against Yuri."

Sabrina wasted no more time and proceeded with her Battle Phase. She attacked Bracchio-Raidus first with Cosmo Queen dealing 1000 points of damage. Then Trance was next to attack. He sped to Black Jungle King and sliced him across the chest dealing 500 more damage to Yuri's Life points for a grand total of 1500 damage. Yuri's score now stood at 2500. When the dust cleared, a crocodile-like monster with a mane of long teal-colored hair was standing in front of Yuri.

"What in the hell is that?" Sabrina asked.

"When I take 1000 or more points of damage, I can summon Ruklamba the Spirit King from my hand in defense mode."

"He's not going to do you any good, Yuri. He's no dinosaur and he's a Dark Attribute monster, so he doesn't get the power bonus. Not that he would. If I recall, Gaia Power decreases the DEF of Earth monsters by 400 points. Hah, even if he did get a DEF boost from the field, it wouldn't have done much anyway. It still wouldn't have been able to withstand an attack from my spellcasters."

"This is not good for Yuri," said Sukari. She bit into an apple she got from her backpack. "Man, how the tides can easily turn in this game. A turn ago, Yuri was standing dominant with two powerful prehistoric monsters. Now he's got no cards in his hand, no back row, and a weak crocodile-human thing to protect his Life Points."

"Goes to show us girls aren't as easy as some think we are," said Crystal. "As much as it pains me to see Yuri with his back against the wall, nothing pleases me more than seeing a girl standing dominant in a Duel."

"Hell yeah," said Patty. She high-fived Crystal.

"Come on, Yuri," said Carter pressing him on. He absolutely hated seeing Yuri like this. "There's got to be something he can do."

"It all rides on this next draw," said Patty. "Let's see if he gets himself out of this mess."

T5

"I draw!" said Yuri. "This might help. I summon Ipiria in attack mode! And when I do summon him, I get to draw a card."

"Oh, man! One more chance!" Tyson jeered.

"Oh-ho, come on now Yuri!" Patty cheered. What card Yuri drew with Ipiria really could decide the outcome of the Duel right now.

"I set a card face-down and end my turn."

"A face-down card," said Crystal. "I sure hope it's a good one."

T6

"Is that a trap, Yuri?" Sabrina asked with a giggle. "Sorry to disappoint you, but that's not going to work. First, I summon Dark Elf in attack mode!"

She summoned a dark and sinister version of the monster Mystical Elf, a monster with 800 ATK and 2000 DEF. Unlike her Light counterpart, Dark Elf's ATK was 2000 and her DEF was 800.

"She may require me to pay 1000 Life Points to attack, but it's a small price to pay to end the Duel, don't you think? Now, to make sure you don't try anything with that spell card, I activate the spell card Magician's Spark! If I have a Level 7 or higher spellcaster on the field, this card can prevent you from activating trap cards this turn. Sorry, Yuri, but it looks like I win."

Cosmo Queen giggled and snapped her fingers. A gold wave of light flashed across Yuri's card, sealing it down so he couldn't use it.

"Then come get me," Yuri said.

"Look at that!" said Tyson. "Yuri's unphased!"

"He must have something up his sleeve," said Crystal. "But what?"

"He's just playing tough," said Nick. "Come on, guys, he just lost his only defense against Sabrina's magicians. Her Magician's Spark spell prevents him from using trap cards this turn. He's screwed and he knows it."

Sabrina pointed at Yuri's lizard and shouted: "Trance the Magic Swordsman, attack and destroy Ipiria!"

Trance held his large sword over his face and slid his hand across it, enchanting it with a spell that made the runes on his blade start glowing blue. He then charged across the forest yelling a fierce battle cry.

"I think not! I reveal my face-down card."

"You can't! Magician's Spark prevents you from activating traps!"

"This isn't a trap! It's a spell! Command Silencer!"

Yuri's friends cried out one by one. The spell summoned a totem pole equipped with speakers that let out a loud ear-piercing sound halting Trance's advancement. The magic swordsman dropped his sword, fell to his knees, and covered his ears. Sabrina slapped her hands over her ears, too.

"What did you do Yuri!?" Sabrina shouted over the noise.

"This spell will put a stop to your battle phase, Sabrina. And then, I can draw a card."

"Lucky break," said Sabrina. "But you won't be so lucky next time. I end my turn."

T7

"Draw!" Yuri declared. "Say goodbye to your Cosmo Queen, Sabrina."

"How?"

"I'll show you how. First, I sacrifice Ipiria and Ruklamba the Spirit King to summon Black Tyranno!"

As always, Yuri's friends cheered and shouted with glee at the arrival of his beloved Ace. "Ladies and gentlemen!" Tyson announced. "He's lean! He's mean! He's a killing machine!"

Black Tyranno stood menacingly behind Yuri then took a stomp forward and roared at Sabrina and her monsters as his 2600 ATK points were displayed. The ATK points went up to 2900 because of the field spell.

"Nice work, Yuri," said Sabrina. "You got your ace out. But it's a little too late. Cosmo Queen still outpowers him and both he and Trance are equally matched. I'll just destroy your precious Ace with Trance then attack your Life Points directly with Cosmo Queen. Also, take a look at my field. I have a back row and my monsters are in attack mode. Your Black Tyranno can't use his special ability to attack my Life Points directly."

"I don't need to attack your Life Points directly to finish you, Sabrina."

"Huh?"

"I equip Black Tyranno with the spell card, Excalibur!"

A beautiful sword of platinum and silver decorated with beautiful scrollwork appeared before Yuri and Black Tyranno on the ground on a white pedestal. Yuri walked up to the sword and lifted it from the stone as if he were a chosen king whom the prophecy foretold would pick up the sword.

"Show off," Patty chuckled.

Yuri then threw the sword up high and Black Tyranno grabbed the hilt with his teeth. When he wielded the sword, a white flaming aura enveloped him.

That card fits him so beautifully, Crystal thought as she smiled. A sword fit only for the one true king. Yuri, you've grown up so much.

"What does that sword do, Yuri?" Sabrina asked.

"This rare spell will double my Black Tyranno's ATK points. However, if I draw from my deck, it gets destroyed. Not that I need any more cards, mind you."

Black Tyranno snarled as his ATK points doubled to 5800.

"He has more than 5000 ATK points!" Annabelle squeaked over the gasps of her friends. "I don't think I've ever seen a monster grow that strong before."

Yuri held out his hand and shouted: "Black Tyranno! Attack Dark Elf now!"

Black Tyranno sprinted across the forest, and the viewing room shook with his giant footsteps, forcing everyone to hold on to something. Black Tyranno amazingly jumped up into the air and spun before striking the sword on the Dark Elf, slicing her directly in half. The BOOM! She exploded. Sabrina was sent flying out of the cloud of smoke where she smacked hard against a Solid Vision tree. As she slid down, her Life Points went down to 0.

Winner: Yuri

Black Tyranno roared one last time in victory and faded away. The sword shattered into pieces and the forest vanished bringing them back to the giant dark metal room once again. Their friends clapped and cheered, meanwhile Yuri walked up to Sabrina and helped her up.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, wow, these holograms are a little too real. The attack literally sent me flying across the field. And that tree. I smashed into it as though it were a real live physical tree. Ouch." She rubbed her back.

"You sure you okay?"

"I am. Don't worry. I think I can get used to this."

"That's my girl," said Patty. "All right, who's next?"

"Let's see," said Natalya. "Crystal, Ren, should I add your names to the raffle as well?"

"Count me in," said Ren. "I've been itching to try out these ARC System Duels myself."

"Same with me," said Crystal.

"Oh, me, too!" said Annabelle.

Natalya gulped. "I'm not sure you're ready for these kinds of Duels yet, sweetie."

Annabelle pouted. "Oh, I wish everyone would stop treating me like a baby. I want to try the ARC System, too!"

"Are you sure about this, Annabelle?" Crystal asked. "You saw what happened to Sabrina just now. These things are hardcore."

"And so are our enemies!" Anabelle retorted. "So I have to be, too! And you don't let me train with the ARC System I'll...I'll...I'll never speak to you again!"

"Well...alright. If that's what you want."

"You sure about this?" Natalya asked. "I think she's too young to be using it."

"I think she's made up her mind."

"Fine. But you do so at your own risk. The Ruby Dragon will not be held responsible for any injuries she can and probably will sustain using the Solid Vision Holograms."

"I understand," said Crytal. "We won't hold you accountable."

"Okay," Natalya said with a shrug. "May God be with you little one." She typed their names into the raffle. "Oh, no!" she said.

"Who's being paired?" Sukari asked.

Natalya gulped. "It's going to be Carter against...Annabelle."

"Damn, already?" said Ren.

"Step aside please," Annabelle said pompously as she walked to the door leading to the dark metal chamber.

"She seems ready for this," said Tyson. "Go easy on her, Carter."

"I'll see what I can do," he said. He equipped his Duel Disk and followed Annabelle into the chamber.

"Okay, so Carter against Annabelle, eh?" said Sergei. "Let's see where you two will be facing each other. Field Spell Roulette, Go!" He slid his hand across the screen and pictures of Field Spells dashed across. They slowed down and stopped at the chosen field. But this one had two pictures on it.

"A Hybrid Field!" shouted Sergei. "YES!" Umiiruka and Molten Destructuion!"

"A Hybrid Field?" asked Crystal. "What's that?"

"It means they play on two fields together," said Natalya. "It does happen in Duels, you know. Since players can activate two different field spells at the same time."

"And one of those fields benefits Carter," said Yuri. "He runs a water deck, so the Umiiruka field is going to give his monsters a field power bonus of 500 points. Already Annabelle's at a disadvantage."

"I wouldn't go selling out Annie just yet," said Patty. "We thought Gaia Power was going to give you an advantage over Sabrina and look how that turned out."

"Are you two ready!?" Sergei shouted over the intercom.

"Ready!"

"Then let the Duel commence!"

He pressed a button and the two seemed transported into a new world. Behind Annabelle was an active volcano with bright orange lava trickling down its slop. Fireballs launched out of the mouth of the volcano and a cloud of smoke with lighting flashing within billowed into the sky, turning it dark. Behind Carter was a white sandy beach with a turquoise ocean the stretched into the horizon.

Annabelle - LP 4000

VS

LP 4000 - Carter

Rules: Master Rule 2

T1

"Ladies first," Carter said, he swiped his fedora off his head and bowed.

"Thank you," said Annabelle. "I summon Masked Dragon in attack mode and end my turn." Flames burst in front of Annabelle, forming a dragon with a red body covered in dull white armor. A white iron mask concealed its face,

"Nice monster," said Yuri. "The Molten Destruction spell will give it a 500-point boost."

T2

"I hope you don't think that dragon scares me," said Carter. "First off, I activate the spell Moray of Greed. I shuffle two Water monsters into my deck and draw three cards. Then I activate Double Summon, which let's me conduct a second Normal Summon this turn. Now, I summon Deepsea Macrotrema in attack mode!" He placed his card on his water-themed Duel Disk. A creature splashed to the surface in the water behind Carter. It was a red eel of some sort with purple fins and antennae with glowing orbs on its head.

Annabelle laughed when she saw it had only 600 ATK points. Even with the field power bonus, it still wasn't strong enough to defeat her dragon. "You big silly!" she said. "Come on, Carter, don't try and go easy on me because I'm little."

Carter smirked. "Who said I'm going easy on you? I wasn't planning on using Deepsea Macrotrema to beat your dragon."

"Huh? You weren't?"

"Nope, I just needed him to use a sacrifice to activate the special ability of the monster in my hand. Say hello to Sharkraken!" Cater summoned a gigantic shark with long fins that had Kraken tentacles coming out of them. It surfaced from the water creating large waves, and then it hovered over the water. Annabelle gulped when she saw it had 2400 ATK points, plus the field spell, its ATK was up to 2900. "And I'm not done yet, Annabelle. There's still the matter of my second Normal Summon. I summon Spined Gillman!"

Now he summoned a humanoid sea serpent carrying a long trident made of coral that faded to a bright red color at the forks.

"And when he's summoned to the field, all Water monsters gain a 400 ATK point boost. And my monsters are about to get stronger, too. Since Deepsea Macrotrema was sent from the field to the Graveyard, all Water monsters I control gain 500 ATK points."

"That means his Sharkraken has 3800 ATK points!" Nick said aloud.

"And that Spined Gillman now has 2700 ATK points!" Crystal added. "Wow, that friend of yours can play, guys!"

"Oh no!" Annabelle cried out. "I didn't expect you to summon something that strong so quickly!"

"Hell yeah!" Carter said. "Spined Gillman attack her Masked Dragon!" Spined Gillman struck Masked Dragon and created a huge ball of smoke. Even though Annabelle was lost in the cloud of thick smoke, her LP Counter showed her score going down to 3200. "Now I can strike you with a direct attack and this Duel. Ha! I never had an OTK victory before. Sharkraken, attack her Life Points!"

Sharkraken's eyes burned bright red then they released six laser beams that joined together to make the beam more potent.

"I don't think so!" Annabelle cried out. "When Masked Dragon is destroyed, I can summon a Dragon-Type monster with 1500 or fewer ATK points. So I call on another Masked Dragon to the field to protect m." She summoned her dragon in defense mode to intercept Sharkraken's attack. BANG! Her dragon exploded. Annabelle felt sand and pebbles hitting her legs and arms, forcing her to cover her face with her forearm. When the smoke cleared, she lowered her arm. "And that was another Masked Dragon you destroyed so that means I can bring out another dragon!"

"Oh, let me guess," Carter said with a vexing tone, "Another Masked Dragon, right?"

"Not quite. I use Masked Dragon's effect to bring out Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV 4." Black Flames slithered out of the ground and morphed into the chrome falcon-shaped dragon's first form.

"That's not good. I remember what he can do once he evolves into his final form. But I wouldn't count on getting him growing that far. My sea creatures will take him down, no sweat. Deepsea Macrotrema's effect may have worn off but Sharkraken is still strong enough to take him down. I end my turn."

T3

"Are you sure about that, Carter? Your shark isn't going to get very far with this. I discard Blaster, Dragon Ruler of Infernos, and a second Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV 4 to destroy your Sharkraken! How do you like your Sharkraken, Carter? Deep fried or well-done?"

The volcano behind Annabelle exploded, followed by a monstrous roar. A molten dragon crawled out from the side of the volcano and spread its glowing orange wings before unleashing a concentrated beam of fire at Sharkraken. The beam struck the shark directly on the head and blew it up.

"My shark!" Carter yelled. "You destroyed it!"

"Yeah, so much for him, huh? Now I'm going to activate the spell Level Up! I send Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV 4 to Graveyard and evolve him into Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV 6!"

Horus evolved leaving Carter speechless. That overblown confidence he had a turn ago was gone now. All he had to defend himself was his Spined Gillman.

"The tides seemed to have turned against Carter," Sukari remarked.

"Oh, it's about to get worse," Crystal said assuringly.

Annabelle went for the Graveyard slot of her Duel Disk. "Now, don't count Blaster out just yet. If I have two Fire monsters in my hand or Graveyard, I can banish them and summon Blaster right back from the Graveyard."

"Wait! You what!" Carter roared.

Blaster flew down from the side of the volcano to join Annabelle on the beach. She started to feel giddy and giggled loudly as she looked around at the two dragons standing by her side. With the Molten Destruction Field Spell in play, both her monster grew stronger. Blaster's 2800 ATK went up to 3300 and Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV 6's ATK rocketed to 2800.

"That's my girl!" Crystal cheered. "Come on, sweet pea, you got this!"

"Right-O!" Annabelle said. "All right, Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV 6, attack Spined Gillman!" Horus fired a beam of black flames at Carter's monster and destroyed him for 600 points of damage. "And now you're wide open for a direct attack!" Annabelle pointed at Carter and commanded Blaster, Dragon Ruler of Infernos to attack. Blaster roared and opened his mouth. "And from my hand," Annabelle added, "I activate the quick-play spell, Rush Recklessly, which increases Blaster's ATK by 700. Game over, Carter!"

Blaster's ATK soared to 4000 and then he showered Carter in flames, reducing his Life Points to 0. When the flames dispersed, he was colored smoky black like a cartoon, making Annabelle laugh.

Winner: Annabelle

"Woah..." Yuri and the others said together.

"Holy shit!" Ren yelled, slapping both hands on the sides of his head. "Is she for real?"

"She did learn from the best," Crystal gloated.

When the field spell vanished Carter and Annabelle ran toward each other. Carter picked her up and spun her around before putting her on his shoulder. "Good job!" he said. "I feel bad for the Rare Hunter stupid enough to challenge you, Annabelle."

"Thanks, Carter. Your sea monsters were really scary though."

"Oh yeah?" Carter said as he walked her into the viewing room where he set her down.

Annabelle ran to Crystal's arms. "Did you see me, Crystal? Did you see me? Did you see my dragons?"

"I sure did. You'll make for a champion one day. So, uh, did you change your deck or something? I never saw Masked Dragon or Blaster in your deck before."

"Patty helped me. She gave me just the right cards and we practiced with them online."

"Well, I guess I outta say thanks."

Patty shrugged. "None needed. Just seeing her dominate with her new cards is all the reward I need."

Crystal smiled at her words. "You're so sweet."

"Wow," said Annabelle, "I can't believe someone named The Reaper would be such a nice person. You're not scary at all, Patty. I like you."

"Thanks, Annie. You're all right." She held up her fist, to which Annabelle bumped with her own.

"Pizza!" Sergei said coming out of the elevator with a giant tower of pizzas. "Whoa, did I miss the Duel already?"

"Looks like you did," said Nick. "Annabelle beat Carter really fast with her Dragon Ruler of Infernos. You should have seen it."

"Hey, don't put Carter down," Annabelle giggled. "Carter brought out some pretty tough monsters so it was only fair I responded by summoning my best, too."

"Ooooh man!" Tyson jeered, rubbing his hands together. "I hope I get the next match. I want in on this action."

---

Officer Chuck Thompson - Enron Island

---

As the sun went down and the lights of the city began to illuminate the eerie twilight blue sky, a stretched limousine slowly drove down the desolate warehouses lining the harbor of Enron Island. Inside, Chuck was having a merry old time with a bottle of vodka in hand. Earlier that night, Brett and his friends bailed him out of jail, treated his wounds then treated him to steak dinner at the Malebolge before taking him to the Crimson District to enjoy the company of strippers.

"Brett, my man, you and your friends! Hahaha! You guys are the greatest!" Chuck laughed as the limo came to a stop in front of the warehouse Brett enjoyed hanging out in to do business with his friends and the Duel Gang leaders. The door opened and an entourage of female exotic dancers came parading out, giggling and laughing, two of them came out arm in arm with Chuck. "I wish I could have seen the looks on their faces!" he laughed. "Those bozos! Hahahahaha! Military Police they call 'em! Ha! They're nothing but mall cops dressed in Kevlar."

"You deserve this, Chuckie, my man!" Santiago said coming out of the limo. "Hey, ladies, why don't you wait for us inside? We got a bit of business to talk about."

The girls agreed and went inside the warehouse. Brett came out of the limo and gave Chuck a friendly pat on the back. "So RAPTOR didn't give you too much trouble, huh?"

"Nah, just the usual legal jibberish. They got nothing on me. And what about those wannabe cops that beat the shit out of me last night?"

"Hey, we're on the case, hermano!" said Santiago. "We got every lowlife and every RAPTOR soldier in Brett's pocket scouring the city looking for these guys. They'll get what's coming to 'em!"

"Haha! See, that's what makes you guys so awesome!" Chuck said. "Loyalty, man! Brotherhood. I just love you guys."

Suddenly, the Rare Hunter known as Seeker walked out of the darkness and smashed a metal rod on behind Chuck's injured neck, knocking him out. "Then you're going to love us even more," he chuckled.

---

Mai - Woods outside of Mellow Fields

---

Téa blew into her crystal and held it up, illuminating the night. "Mai, what on earth have you gotten us into?" she asked.

Mai jumped on a fallen tree stump and held her torch up. It was made of platinum and crowned with glowing light crystals, orbiting around a smaller one. The family sword was sheathed on her lower back. She sniffed the air, listening as the creatures of the night hooted, chirped, and squawked. Fallen leaves blew on the ground, brushing against their boots and ankles.

"Oy, Mai!" Zoey called, standing behind Serenity, who had multi-colored crystals orbiting around her head. "What's the big deal? Why have you brought us all the way out here?"

"We're going on a hunt," Mai answered, jumping off the log. Her gear clinked and jingled. "The quartermaster of the castle posted work for anyone from the Monster Hunters Guild at the central plaza of the fairgrounds. Check out the creature said to have been stalking the countryside." She tossed Téa the flyer she picked up at the noticeboard. Téa unfolded the poster and cringed. "Ain't he a beaut?" Mai asked vexingly.

Serenity gasped at the sight of the horrible monster. "O' loving Ana, what is that?"

Zoey stuck more tobacco in her mouth and chewed on it. "That, lassie, is a Barox. These ugly-ass ogres are a problem for farmers. They swipe cattle in the dead of night. Cows. Pigs. Horses. You name it, he'll eat it."

Mai proceeded a little farther into the forest. "You're right. And, the Monster Hunters Guild is paying fifty-thousand in gold to get rid of it from the countryside of the two loving Queens." She knelt down and examined some odd indentations in the air. She smiled, baring her gleaming, white teeth. "We are close ladies. He's been here."

Zoey stopped to look at the ground. Mai was right. In the faint light of Téa's crystal, she saw footprints on the ground. One of them had a strand of yellow fur lying in the center. Indeed, a Barox was just here. Zoey spat some of the tobacco out and looked around, feeling a bit anxious now, knowing that they were probably very close to something she'd rather be five-hundred miles away from. Fiend-Type Duel Monsters always appeared late in the night, popping in from vortexes that led to dark and monstrous worlds. Another fact about the monster came to mind and chilled her.

"Now I know why you only brought us girls down here, Mai," she said. "These foul creatures have a thirst for the blood of virgin maidens. O' course, he won't find such a delicacy with my blood. I've been fooked on more than one occasion."

Téa frowned at the girl. "Thanks for sharing, Zoey. Geeze, try keeping that sort of nonsense to yourself."

Mai shrugged. "I've got it," she said. "If he's around he'll smell it and come looking for us."

Zoey burst out laughing. "Yoo? Wit virgin blood? Goddesses above, Mai, wit yoo bein' Termnnia's Delight, I'd figure you'd have some action in the cot."

"Men don't interest me," Mai said, proceeding into the forest. "I don't think I've found the right one yet. But, who knows. Love works in mysterious ways."

Serenity heard a twig snapping behind her and caught up with Mai, sticking close to her. "You're going to have to marry someone someday," she said. "The survival of your House depends on it. You want it to thrive, don't you? Or would you rather it fall extinct?"

Mai shrugged again, not wanting to discuss the subject. "I don't want to get married, girls. My House had a good run with my grandmother, but all good things must come to an end. Besides, men overcomplicate things. They are pushy, warmongering, greedy, and too controlling. That's not what the House of the Harpie needs."

She paused. Something out there was making the air smell rather pungent. Something...dead. A few steps further and Mai discovered the rotting corpse of a cow. There were huge bite marks on its neck, and it looked like it had been slashed by large claws. Its tongue stuck out of its mouth, black with decay. There was huge, festering hole on the side of its body where the creature feasted on it. The ribs poked out from underneath the ripped hide. Most of the meat was gone and the innards of the animal had all been pulled out and eaten. Mai told the others to lower their voices. Serenity drew her silver sword. The runes inlaid on the blade started to glow bright pink. It did that when something foul was nearby her. And sure enough, not even a moment after she drew her enchanted sword, a roar blasted through the forest. The girls huddled up, eyes darting everywhere across the forest looking for the monster.

"LOOK OUT!" Téa cried out when she saw a large boulder hurling toward them. They ducked out of the way. The boulder smashed next to Mai. Mai landed face down on the ground, leaves sticking to her golden locks. She felt the forest floor trembling. She looked up. A monster smashed through trees as though they were twigs. Burning red eyes pierced the darkness. Barox had arrived. The creature's teeth and claws were red with the blood of a fresh kill, leaves clung to the patches of yellow fur on its shoulders, arms, and legs.

"Come on, big boy, you wanna play?" shouted Zoey. She drew her claymore - a weapon bigger than her - and dashed for the creature.

While Zoey dodged and rolled to avoid the monster's claws, Mai took a moment to examine what had been ailing her. Shoot. She fell on a sharp stone that dug into her flesh. Mai tightened every muscle in her body and pulled it out. At the exact moment that she pulled out the sharp stone from her back, a heavenly, spring-green glow lit from above her. Mai looked up and saw a quartet of flower bells that showered her with healing light. Decorative swirls extended downward towards her and pink flower petals flew around. Mai felt warm and rejuvenated. Téa ran past Mai and gave her a wink.

"Try to be more careful, monster hunter," she said, casting an aegis of green light around Zoey to protect her from the monster's attacks momentarily."

Mai got up and drew her sword. "I love White Mages," she said, running towards them to join the attack. She snapped her fingers and conjured a trio of old girlfriends. Harpie Lady Sisters. They burst out of nowhere in a flash of pink light. Rose petals scattered in all directions when they appeared into the realm. The three Harpies screeched and posed majestically behind Mai. Their golden armor flashed in the light of her torch, still burning on the ground. "You feeling frisky tonight, ladies?" Mai asked. She heard the three of them snigger cruelly. "Well, then, let me introduce you to this handsome fellow. Let's show him a good time, girls. Attack!"

The battle went on longer than Mai would have hoped. An hour, maybe two, went by before the monster started to show fatigue and get slower in combat. Harpie Lady Sisters screeched out a battle cry and rocketed toward Barox. They slashed him with their claws and tackled him to the ground making it easier for Zoey and Serenity to hack at his vital points. Téa shot balls of light from her palms, that smacked into Barox with enough force to knock him down. He grew angrier and angrier with each assault. The monster started slashing the air wildly with his claws, smashing boulders, trees, anything that stood in its way. Zoey ducked just in time before it could smash into her. Téa launched another glowing ball at the monster, but it ducked its head in time. The ball smashed into a tree, knocking it down.

"Oops," she said.

Barox roared and chased after her. His charge was immediately halted when he was stuck in the face with a crossbow bolt. Mai had a small one in her hand. Damn, they didn't call her the Huntress with Seven Weapons for nothing. Téa ran away to safety as Barox snarled, trying to brush the bolts off his face. Zoey ran up from behind and slashed the back of his leg with her claymore. The Harpies came down and grabbed him by the back of its head, rearing it up until his neck was exposed. It roared in pain as the Harpies pulled on his fur. Mai quickly fired a bolt into the throat of the creature. The bolt had an explosive head and detonated. Barox whined, his movements started slowing down. He moaned as death took him and he fell face-first on the ground with a loud thud.

Serenity sighed and collapsed to the ground. "We did it," she said. "Son of a bitch, we did it."

"Aw, that thing stinks," Zoey said walking away from it. "Is it like that because he's dead?"

Mai walked towards Serenity and sat down next to her. She put an arm over Serenity's shoulder and leaned her head against it. "Well, babe, you finally got your expedition."

Serenity blinked to keep the tears back. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

Mai kissed her cheek. "None of that. Come on, let's get this thing back to the castle and get our pay. Then let's head back to Rassay. I have a feeling our work to help Yuri ain't done yet."

---

Alexis - The Principality of Polonia, Termnnia

---

Alexis stood in front of a large army of Black Luster Soldiers waiting for the mechanical Naralian army to arrive. It had been hours since they had taken positions and still, they hadn't arrived. Suddenly, the hills hundreds of yards away began to shine brightly and a sound like an earthquake rocking a city rumbled across the field. They soon realized that the lights were the headlights of huge armored transports rolling over the hills, trampling the beautiful flowers of the fields without care.

"Here they come," Princess Satellina said via headset.

Alexis pressed on the radio clipped to the gorget of her beautiful platinum armor. "How many do you see?"

"Too many, sister," Satellina replied. "I've seen these things before. SR-MKT's. Sanrell and Rensford Mechanical Knight Transports. Those things can hold up to 1000 robotic knights at a time. There seems to be no end to them. Hey, Pharmellica, you better double-time it! I don't what Eidolon you're trying to summon but it better be a good one. I don't think even our Black Luster Soldiers can hold out against so many of these things."

Satellina was confident in her skills, but even she felt she couldn't combat all those robotic knights on her own. She reached for a glowing bullet engraved with filigree on the ammo belt around her waist and kissed it. "Come fight with me," she said softly and placed the bullet into her rifle. She aimed for the sky. A blue arcane circle orbited the barrel of her rifle. She pulled the trigger and fired the magical bullet into the sky. The bullet exploded and turned into a ball of light, which then transformed into her Eidolon, Barrel Dragon.

But hers was much different than the usual Barrel Dragon. Hers was equipped with heavy anti-magic armor plating colored gun-metal black and trimmed with brilliant gold. The three barrels were engraved with gold flora filigree that flashed even in the dull gray evening. Even its teeth were solid gold. The dragon's tail was long and spiked and was tipped with a long golden sword.

"Hey, big guy!" she said when the mechanical monster. "Feeling frisky today? We got a lot of targets to take care of, so fire until those barrels turn red."

"They're just tin cans!" boasted Julia. She stood outside the town she was supposed to defend with her Eidolon, Gem-Knight Master Diamond. "We can take them easily."

"Don't underestimate their robotic knights," said Grace. "They have the fighting skill of a hundred well-trained knights. And according to Zane Truesdale, they're getting better. I think the Sanrell and Rensford Corporation study each battle and use the data to make their robotic knights better."

"If that's the case, we should all be careful," Pharmellica said, watching the MKTs continue to roll over the hills, smashing ancient ruins and small patches of forests. "They'll pay for this!" she said.

"Come on," said Alicia. "We have to hurry." They headed up a cobbled mountain path toward the safehouse.

Lighting flashed in the sky, followed by loud claps of thunder. Then, the rain came down one drop at a time until it showered the fields in powerful torrents. Someone was coming towards them. A female knight clad in red armor and a frilly black skirt and stockings with floral patterns. She wore a red hooded swallowtail shoulder cape. Her face was concealed behind a red mask shaped like a woman's face with glowing yellow eyes and a teardrop over the right cheek. On her back, she carried two deadly weapons, a very long red bastard sword forged to look like fire and a red mace with gold spikes. She also carried a javelin with a blade shaped like the lower jaw of a golden dragon with a forked flag colored black with flaming red ribbons. At the center of the flag was the sigil of a black and red dragon enveloped in flames.

She was surrounded by a squad of female knights in ornate red metal armor and hoods and masks much like hers, save theirs didn't have a teardrop on the cheek. They all stopped atop a hill above the river and beckoned Alexis to come to them. It seemed they wanted to negotiate. Alexis climbed atop Patrelkos and galloped across the river to meet with them.

"I've got you covered, Princess," said Satellina, peering through the scope of her rifle. "If they try anything, they'll be dead before their swords fall."

"Understood." Alexis approached the red female knights. "I am Alexis Rhodes. Crown Princess of the Kingdom of Lorin, member of the Kingsblades, and Knight of the Stars, chosen warrior of the Goddess of Light, Entulí."

The girl with the javelin stepped forward and her mask de-materialized. "I am Dalaris Dragonslayer. Sworn knight of King Forrest Ungard III, Ruler of the Holy Kingdom of Naralia and soon to be High King of Termnnia. I suppose you're the one with the authority to treat with me."

"No. We're not going to treat with anyone. Especially not with the dogs slobbering on the bones given to them by King Forrest. I'm only going to tell you this once. Withdraw or I swear you will all die here. The Kingsblades take no prisoners. Especially those who threaten Prince Yuri's claim to the throne."

"How frightening," Dalaris said sarcastically. "Do you know how I was given the name Dragonslayer, Princess Rhodes?"

"I really don't care, but enlighten me nonetheless."

"I killed one of the mightiest dragons in all Termnnia, my dear. So know that a little princess with fancy armor means very little to me." She smiled and examined Alexis's face with sparkling eyes. "The songs the bards sing about you are true, Princess. Indeed, your beauty is a masterpiece. A work of art. I can't wait to reap the rewards King Forrest will give me when I offer you to him."

"Can I shoot her?" Satellina asked, her fingers squeezing the gun in anger.

"Please do," Alexis replied at once, eager to see the girl's brains splatter before her.

Satellina breathed out and fired her rifle, the bullet zoomed from the mountain toward the field making a whistling noise. Alexis had expected Dalari's head to blow up but amazingly, Dalaris blocked the bullet with her javelin faster than the speed of sound, causing a mighty wind to break, almost knocking Alexis off her winged stallion. Dalaris flipped twice, her cape whooshed and whipped as she elegantly landed on the grass.

"Ha!" Dalaris shouted. "I suppose that concludes negotiations." She stepped behind her knights as they marched forward. "Defeat Alexis, but do not kill her. I want her alive."

Alexis drew her sword, Elthia, the blade as blue and black as twilight and shimmering with endless stars like the heavens above. Patrelkos reared up on his hind legs and waved his golden hooves in front of the knight's faces as his wings spread to intimidate them. Alexis jumped off as the knights were confused and dazzled by Petrelkos's display and cut each of their heads off with one swipe of her sword. Her feet touched the ground, knees bent in a crouch, and the hand holding her sword was held up in a dramatic pose as helmeted heads fell around her. "Now it's just you and me, bitch!" she shouted.

Dalaris laughed, holding up her javelin. Her fingers shook from both the eagerness to beat Alexis and the anger she felt for seeing her fellow knights getting killed so easily. "Impressive. I cannot wait to take you down, Princess." She pressed a button hidden in a compartment in her cape and the robotic knights came alive. The MKTs opened their hatches and extended long metallic racks carrying a thousand robotic knights. The knights dropped to the ground and beautifully marched into neat rows, their rain-soaked armor flashing in the monotonous stormy gray daylight.

As they began their march, Rio sprung into action and rode her armored polar bear to the river. She called to it to go faster, the armor and golden chains on its body rattled and jingled. The bear's huffs and grunts were deafened by the frantic stamping of his paws on the ground. When it reached the river, it slowed down, using the soft pads of its paws to break to a stop. Rio stood up and performed a magic spell that caused the water to rise over the hills. The robotic knights stopped dead in their tracks as the water wall rose high above them, splashing them along with the rainwater. In an instant, Rio froze the water with her blizzard magic, creating a defensive wall standing twenty feet high and ten feet thick, trapping Dalaris on their side of the field. She frantically began to smash the wall of ice with her javelin, screaming in frustration upon seeing she couldn't even make a scratch on the ice.

"BREAK DOWN THE WALL!" she shouted.

A few of the MKTs were equipped with canons and at her command, they fired at the wall of ice, doing little to no damage to it. "KEEP FIRING ON THE WALL!" Dalaris ordered. "SHOOT IT UNTIL IT BREAKS!"

Alexis then charged toward her. She jumped off the wall and raised her sword over her head, screaming a battle cry. Dalaris jumped out of the way, missing Alexis's strike, which came down with so much force it created a huge crater on the ground. Dalaris reached for her bastard sword to dual-wield it with her flagged javelin. Just as she was about to fight, she heard gunshots overhead. Satellina summoned her Barrel Dragon, who was standing atop the cliff alongside her and the Tyler Sisters. Jasmine then came running across the field and jumped over the ice wall. As she was in the air, she used the gemstone around her neck called the Nazaleem to conjure water spells. And she had just the one for the robotic Naralian knights. She waved her hands around and created a portal that looked like a violent whirlpool. A squad of robotic knights with guns fired at the whirlpool when they noticed glowing red eyes glaring at the army from within its core.

Jasmine landed elegantly on the flowers underneath the whirlpool. She looked up at the robotic knights, smiling. Out of the whirlpool emerged the head and neck of her beloved friend and guardian. Levia-Dragon Daedalus, a beast whom the Ocean Goddess blessed her with so as to aid her in defending the ocean from those who would exploit it or use it for evil.

Levia-Dragon Daedalus carried something in its teeth. A sword that looked like water forged into steel. He lowered his head and handed the sword to Jasmine. Jasmine took the sword from the grip of his teeth and kissed the side of his head lovingly. The MKTs with cannons fired at the beast. Jasmine quickly ran through the front lines as fast as a drop of water from a leaf atop a tree, slicing them to bits as Barrel Dragon and Satellina provided her with cover fire. Meanwhile, Levia-Dragon Daedalus teleported here and there inside the whirlpool to avoid being hit by the cannons. Then Missy came into the fray. Her hands were enveloped in a spring green aura with butterflies of light and sparkling pixie dust flowing all around her as her clothes slowly disappeared as if being burned off her skin with green fire. In a flash, she was outfitted in a white sorceress gown with golden flowers. A staff magically appeared in front of her and she grabbed it at once. Using the staff, she conjured a swarm of insect monsters known as Blazewing Butterfly.

The butterflies flew into the robotic army, covering them under a sea of flames hot enough to melt their armor. When they caused enough damage to satisfy Missy, she then spun her staff around and summoned two very powerful monsters to aid her in battle. The all-powerful, Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth.

It let out a high-pitched screech as Missy jumped fifty feet into the air and landed on its back. Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth flapped its wings, creating hurricane-force winds that sent the robotic knights flying across the battlefield like matchsticks. Missy pointed at one of the MKTs below. Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth dove towards it and Missy jumped off, landing safely on the top. She ran for the hatch and blasted it with a green fireball that launched out of a glowing ornate ethereal flower that appeared over her palm. The hatch flew off like a coin into the air. Missy jumped in. Seconds later, green lasers shot out of each and every part of the MKTs hull. Missy jumped out of the hatch and was quickly picked up by her Perfectly Great Moth just seconds before the MKT exploded.

Behind the wall of ice, the Black Luster Soldiers raised their weapons and cheered at the amazing display of power before them. Alexis and Dalaris were still locked in combat jumping so high it looked like they were flying across the air. Each time their swords clashed, it flashed brightly and caused a rain of sparks. Meanwhile, Julia and Gem-Knight Master Diamond led their troops down the hill to intercept the robotic knights that were tasked with overtaking the Gleaming Road. Both Julia and Master Diamond turned into blurs of glimmering streaks of light that cut right through the first line of robotic knights. "Waaahoooo!" Julia jeered as she pirouetted, slicing two robotic knights in half. Her style of swordplay seemed to be a mix of ballroom dancing. Each strike and cut she made was a work of elegance and ferocity. In fact, she was listening to ballroom music on her earpods as she cut down the robotic knights as though they were mere toys. Any machine foolish enough to try and stop her dance was quickly silenced by Gem-Knight Master Diamond.

As they cut deeper into the ranks, their Black Luster Soldiers charged down the hill and picked off the rest. Mere minutes after they engaged in combat, a hundred of them were blown away. Julia noticed the blast and jumped high into the air. She spun before coming to a stop to see what had happened. The spot where the Black Luster Soldiers were was nothing but a smoldering crater. She soon found out why. A giant MKT slowly plowed through the forest northeast of their battlefield. Birds screeched in terror as they flew out of the trees to get out of its way. Julia then rejoined Gem-Knight Master Diamond and stood by him. He was about to make a move, but Julia touched his arm, shaking her head no. She smiled, to which he nodded and stepped back. Julia ran toward the MKT and jumped. Her jeweled sword turned blue as she slammed it into the ground, creating a small quake. Blue lights burst out of the cracks she made and then a giant Gem-Knight made its appearance. Gem-Knight Zirconia!

The massive Gem-Knight was like a mountain of white-enameled armor with a flowing purple cape. Instead of hands, he had massive, thick, pillars of white metal topped with huge plates of zirconia. He charged across the field with his massive arms the way a primate would and smashed the right one on the MKT's front, smashing it like a tin can with just one punch.

"Wow, those girls are good," Missy said. She was watching the battle from atop her Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth. "Is this really the best King Forrest can conjure? Rio's ice wall is holding them back better than I thought it would, it's practically indestructible. Satellina, the Tyler sisters, and that Barrel Dragon are picking them off by the hundreds, and Alexis has that leader of theirs on the ropes. Man, this was just, too easy. Maybe we don't need those airships after all."

"Don't be so sure about that," Julia said, also watching the battle from atop the mountains in the village she was supposed to be defending. "Something tells me this is a little too easy. They're up to something, I can feel it."

"You think they're forcing us to let our guard down?" Satellina asked. "Uh oh..."

"What is it?" Gloria asked.

"I see something in the sky. Something...big."

Out of the storm clouds, a black menacing shape took form above the battlefield. Everyone fell into shock when they realized it was a gigantic airship, and it was one nobody had ever seen before.

Dalaris laughed and kicked Alexis in the gut as she was stunned by the sight of the ship. It hovered over the battlefield, blanketing it in darkness. A hatch opened and two rows of six very long photon cannons slowly came out. They fired their powerful rounds and blasted the entire army of Black Luster Soldiers behind Alexis, creating a huge pillar of dust and debris that stretched miles into the sky. "SHIT!" Satellina cried out.

"Incredible power!" Jasmine yelled. "I've never seen anything like it before."

"Behold The Wrath of Yeyu!" Dalaris declared. "King Forrest's new state-of-the-art flying battleship. Its armor is stronger than anything you or your pathetic civilizations could ever build and it has enough firepower to level this entire kingdom. You all best surrender now, lest you, too, succumb to its power."

"We've stopped worse things before!" Alexis said wincing in pain as she stood up. "And believe me, we'll take that thing down, too." Alexis quickly grabbed Dalaris' arm, but Dalaris pulled away from her grip. Alexis tried again with both hands, but Dalaris still refused to let go of her. She then punched Alexis in the jaw.

"Ack!" Alexis cried out as she stumbled backward. Dalaris lunged forward with her Javelin, striking Alexis on the arm. The javelin's blade slid across the platinum armor creating sparks. Dalaris planted herself, sending the javelin spinning into a tree where it stuck. She leaped onto Alexis' back and wrapped her legs around her neck, choking her.

"You're not going anywhere," Dalaris sneered.

"Let me go!" Alexis growled.

"What's the matter, Princess?" Dalaris jeered. "You're looking out of breath."

"Get off me!"

"Not until I'm through punishing you for what you did to my knights."

"Dalaris..." Alexis gasped. Dalaris tightened her grip even more and dug her nails deeper into Alexis' neck.

Satellina saw them fighting through the scope of her rifle and fired. She aimed for Dalaris and fired, but Dalaris was quick to dodge the bullet. "Missed me!" she shouted to the mountains. "Bitch!"

Alexis finally freed herself from Dalaris' grasp as she dusted herself off. Dalaris turned around and continued her fight with her. Their power began to rock the battlefield. Explosions burst all over the front of the ice wall, craters dotted the landscape, and rocks shattered as they smashed each other around.

"Stop!" Alexis screamed. "This isn't the way to end it! We can do better than this!"

Dalaris licked the blood off her chin. "Forrest Ungard III becoming the High King of Termnnia is the only way things can be better. Don't you see how many people have died trying to keep Prince Yuri safe? How much blood must be spilled for his well-being for you to understand Termnnia can longer wait for him to come back and claim the throne!? Prince Yuri cannot be destined to rule the continent anymore. Let Forrest become the High King instead!"

"No!" Alexis yelled. "He will never replace Yuri!"

"Then let's kill him and make it happen!" Dalaris spat. "That's the only way he won't return!"

"You will never kill Yuri! Never! He is the one true king!"

"You fool!" Dalaris roared. "Yuri will bring ruin to this great continent!"

"King Forrest and his love for women and technology are what's going to bring ruin to Termnnia, Dalaris! You're nothing but a slave to him!"

"A slave to him!?" Dalaris gasped. "I am one of his finest knights!"

"And you will die for it!" Alexis screamed.

"You first, bitch!" Dalaris jumped to the ice wall and ran up as she commanded the ship to blast the mountains where Satellina and her Barrel Dragon were shooting the robotic knights. The mountain collapsed under the onslaught of the cannons, sending tons of snow and debris flying in all directions.

The entire battlefield was in chaos. Soldiers were dying left and right. Those who had survived the barrage of missiles were slowly pulling themselves back up to join Alexis in the fight.

"Satellina!" Alexis cried out. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Missy and her Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth picked me up just in time. My Barrel Dragon wasn't so lucky. We need to stop that ship."

"But how?" Rio asked. "It's so huge! We'll never be able to bring it down."

"We have to try," Satellina said. "What choice do we have?"

The ship's giant cannons fired again, this time destroying Rio's defensive wall of ice. It melted instantly and sent shards flying everywhere. The explosion took out dozens of soldiers and knocked hundreds of robotic knights off their feet.

"We need to get to my ship!" Satellina cried out. "Now!"

"What good will that do?" Missy said. "That thing will just blow us out of the sky!"

"I know, but it's the only chance we have at surviving."

"That's what I thought you'd say. Okay, everyone! The Wrath of Yeyu is coming for us."

"And just what do you intend to do about it?" asked Alexis.

"Oh, I think I already told you."

The ship's cannons fired once again. This time, it destroyed half the city and killed thousands of people.

"NO!" Alexis shouted.

"Those monsters!" shouted Princess Pharmellica from the mountains. "They're attacking the city now!"

"Where is that monster you're trying to summon!?" shouted Julia. "We're going to need its power now!"

"Please, give me more time!" Pharmellica cried out.

Suddenly, a gigantic CUIRASS mech flew down from the sky and landed right in front of her. The CUIRASS was colored black with lighting bolt decals on the torso and on both its massive arms and legs. The young pilot inside couldn't help by laugh when he saw Alicia and Pharmellica's stunned faces from his camera feed. "Going somewhere, Princess?"

"A Holy Knight of Naralia!" Alicia said, using her large wings to shield Pharmellica.

"Yes, you are correct, my dear. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Ser Langley, the Storm of Naralia. And I'm sorry to say your little bit of theatre is over. You girls thought you were so strong summoning all those monsters. Won't you savages ever learn? The days of monsters and magic are gone. The time of machines is now! Don't test, us, Princess. My CUIRASS has enough firepower to slay a True Dragon. You and your little friends are outmatched. Surrender, and I just might let you leave this battlefield with your lives."

"You mean you'll force us to become slaves in King Forrest's harem!" shouted Pharmellica. "Never, I'd rather die!"

"And we'll see about that." Ser Langley closed his eyes and concentrated. Then, in an instant, a huge thunderstorm raged across the sky. The dark clouds flashed and thunder boomed, and the wind blew stronger than ever before. Powerful lightning bolts struck the ground creating huge craters and some struck the mountains, causing a rain of rocks to fall all around them.

"You can summon lightning storms!" shouted Alicia.

Ser Langley replied with a loud and obnoxious laugh. "Well, they don't call me The Storm for nothing, ladies. Now, unless you want to see the true ferocity of my power, I suggest you tell your friends to surrender now. What do you say, Princess?" Ser Langley taunted. "Do you really want to risk the wrath of the Storm?"

Alicia conjured a bow of light and fired an arrow as bright as sunlight at the night, stunning him momentarily. His HUD and combat systems went on the fritz and sparked all around him. "Damn!" he shouted. "You winged bitch! What have you done!?" Alicia shot another arrow at the torso creating a violent display of sparks. "She's stronger than I thought!" he said.

"Pharmellica! Go!" shouted Alicia. "Let's go while he's distracted!"

Ser Langley tried to use his guns to shoot the arrows, but they were too fast for him to hit. The HUD on his helmet displayed the damage done to his mech's toro. It was now reading red and the rest of his limbs were either orange or yellow, a dangerous level to be on. But how? He thought. He was one of the pilots that defeated Avi's True Dragons and captured her. Alicia readied another bow of light and for the first time in years, he felt fear. The Arva truly were as powerful as the legends said they were. Wanting no further damage to his mech, he flipped the switches on his cockpit quickly and ignited the rockets. The CUIRASS mech then took off into the sky in retreat, creating a sonic boom as he vanished into the clouds. "You will pay dearly for this, Princess. I will command the Wrath of Yeyu to destroy your precious city!"

Down in the fields, Alexis ordered the surviving Black Luster Soldiers to charge. But Dalaris came out of a dust cloud to clash with Alexis again. Their weapons touched, creating a massive earthquake that shook the mountains. With every impact, a crack appeared along the ice walls Rio created. The crater grew larger and larger until it cracked completely open. It fell apart and dozens of mechanical knights poured out, giving chase to the fleeing soldiers. Though they were injured, the Black Luster Soldiers still stood and fought back the robotic knights to keep them from advancing any further. Meanwhile, Alexis and Dalaris seemed to fly across the field as fast as jets, their blades colliding with each other fiercely. Suddenly, Ser Langley joined the fight inside his CUIRASS mech.

"Look behind you, Princess!" he jeered. Alexis blocked his giant laser sword with hers. The impact caused her wrist to sting. Langley held up his arms and shouted: "Raigeki!" and conjured lightning bolts that rained down on Alexis. She zigzagged across the air to avoid them. She dodged the hundredth bolt and slashed her blade across the CUIRASS mech's thick metal frame.

"Ah, ah, ah!" Ser Langley teased. "Violence is no way for a lady to act. I suppose I'll have to give you an attitude adjustment!"

Langley then swung his massive laser sword down at Alexis' head. She jumped to the side and narrowly avoided the blow. She then jumped up and thrust her blade straight into the chest of his mech. The blade deflected off the tough red armor. "Ack!" Alexis shouted, the impact of the blade coming down on the metal stung her arm again.

"Must we do this again, Princess?" Langely asked in a bored tone.

"Just shut up and die, you piece of shit!" Alexis snarled.

"I will not be silenced, you foolish girl!" Ser Langley yelled. "Why won't the ship fire its cannons already? I've commanded that stupid captain to shoot like five times!"

"Ser Langley, sir!" the captain of the Wrath of Yeyu cried out urgently.

"What is it!?" Ser Langley replied. "Are the photon cannons prepared to launch another salvo?"

"No, sir! We can't! The photon cannons required more energy than we thought! They're going to need some time to recharge."

"How long?"

"An hour tops!"

"An hour!" Dalaris shouted, still locked in combat with Alexis.

"Ha!" laughed Alexis. "I guess those combat systems you boasted about aren't as reliable as you thought they were. You were in such a rush to build the ultimate weapon that you failed to see if it could actually work. Unlike your technology, our magic doesn't have those kinds of annoying hiccups."

"You're right about that!" Ser Langley shouted. He zoomed for Alexis at top speed. "Let me show you the strength of my magic!" He was about to cast Raigeki again but was quickly intercepted by Levia-Dragon Daedalus. "Out of my way you overgrown eel!" he roared at the beast. "Raigeki!"

Lightning bolts shot out of the sky. Suddenly, Julia's Eidolon, Gem-Knight Master Diamond jumped in front of the bolts and stopped them with his magic diamond blade.

"Impossible!" Ser Langley cried out.

"Oh, it's possible!" said Julia. She stood atop a pile of ruined robotic knights. "Have you had enough, you Naralian scumbags!? Or are you thirsty for more?"

Satellina walked out of a cloud of smoke with an angry look on her face. Blood trickled down her forehead. "Please tell me you still wish to battle." Her Barrel Dragon walked out of the smoke as well. He was scratched and battered but appeared ready to fight. Satellina then reached for the bullet belt around her waist and fired it into the air. This time, her gun started flowing orange and the arcane circle was orange as well. The bullet exploded, which formed into a ball of light, which then transformed into a Blowback Dragon. The two gun dragons were then burning with a purple aura. Satellina placed her hands together as her eyes began to glow. "FUSION SUMMON!" she shouted. "GATLING DRAGON!"

"Augh!" Ser Langely gulped. "She-she can Fusion Summon her Eidolons!?"

"I can't believe what I'm seeing!" said Grace. "Fusion Summoning Eidolons?"

"I haven't seen anything like that before either," said Gloria. "Only the most elite Summoners in Termnnia can Fusion Summon Eidolons. She's amazing."

The mechanical monster quickly got to work on plowing the fields clean of the robotic knights with its triple gatling canons. A rain of infinite bullets peppered the mechanical army for many yards. Ser Langley tried to stop the dragon but unfortunately for him, the heads of the dragons were like the heads of snakes, coiling and spinning this way and that so that every angle could be fired upon. He tried to get them from behind, but the rear head turned 360 degrees and fired at him. He tried attacking from the sides, the heads flipped and stretched and turned in all directions to stop him. He even tried to call on Raigeki, but they mere bounced off his armor, for it, too, was coated with anti-magic reflective metal. But even Eidolons had their limits. Gatling Dragon stopped on a hill and froze. Steam billowed out of vents that opened along its body.

"Incredible!" Dalaris said when she saw the massive mechanical monster Princess Satellina summoned. "Now I know why they call her the Bullet Princess."

Dalaris, hiding behind a pile of destroyed robotic knights called to the Wrath of Yeyu. The crew protested frantically, pleading with her to reconsider, but she was just so eager to finish off the Summoners, that she didn't care for the consequences. "FIRE DAMN YOU!" she roared. The captain had no choice but to listen, for she was in a position higher than his. So he targeted the Gatling Dragon below and commanded that the cannons take it out.

"RUN!" shouted Alexis. "That thing's going to fire again!" But it was too late. The photon cannons of the Wrath of Yeyu blasted the battlefield yet again. Alexis found herself tumbling around in a cloud of thick brown smoke. The last thing she remembered was smacking against something hard and then she blacked out.

She came through after what seemed like an eternity. Above her, she saw the Wrath of Yeyu. Flames were coming out of the hatch where the cannons were and its lights were flickering on and off. She felt someone stomp on her chest causing her to cry out in pain. It was Dalaris. She looked down at her smiling as she carried Princess Satellina's rifle in her hand. Her face was covered with blood that was muddied from the dirt. "I wouldn't count on her for help anymore," she said. "Now it's just you and me, bitch." She raised her javelin up and stabbed Alexis in the gut. Alexis screamed from the pain, then breathed frantically through her teeth.

"Oh, that might ruin your value, but no worries. You'll live. Well, I don't know if you can call being a plaything to King Forrest living, but I suppose it's better than dying on this fucking battlefield." She knelt down until she was face to face with Alexis. "I can't wait to see what he does to you. The Platinum Valkyrie - becoming nothing more than a toy for King Forrest. The world will soon see that you guys aren't as strong as you think you are."

BANG! BANG! BANG! Dalaris was being fired upon by someone with a gun. It was Satellina, her clothes were burned and ripped and her hair was a mess. Dalaris fell to the ground and rolled away as Ser Langely came to her rescue, zapping Satellina with a bolt of Raigeki. She screamed and went silent, then she fell to her knees and collapsed on the ground as a smoldering heap.

"We got 'em!" Ser Langely said. "But it cost us so much."

"We must defeat them whatever the cost," Dalaris coughed.

"Alright, let's get you back to the ship. You need to treat those wounds. More robotic knights are on the way. They can conquer the city now that they've lost their heroes."

But they didn't. Horns blasted from the sky, temporarily dulling Alexis's pain. She looked to the clouds, searching frantically, eyes darting from left to right as she tried to find what made that sound.

"THE ALLIANCE!" cried Ser Langely. "THEY'VE COME!"

He flew away. Alexis still tried to locate the ships. Finally, they slowly came to view. Alliance Corvette-class ships, brand new from the fineries of Truesdale Enterprises. They started firing on the Wrath of Yeyu. Like a defeated predatory beast fearing for its life, the giant Naralian ship slowly began to fly backward to try and get away from the onslaught of missiles and cannon fire.

"Alexis!" someone familiar cried out. "Alexis!" It was Yami Yugi. He came running for her trailed by Ser Gerhalos. Yami was wearing a golden chestplate over his casual wear and his Dark Magician was hovering right next to him.

"There she is!" Ser Gerhalos cried out. "There!"

"I see her!" Yami Yugi shouted frantically. He knelt over her. "Alexis! Are you alright?"

"Oh no," said Ser Gerhalos. He noticed the blood coming out of her chestplate. "She's hurt pretty badly."

"Hold on, Alexis," said Yami. His Dark Magician walked next to her and crouched beside her. He held up her head with the palm of his left hand, then he used his right hand to conjure a potion called Red Medicine.

He popped the cork off with his thumb and placed the glass bottle over her lips to let the potion seep into her mouth. Alexis drank the sweet-tasting elixir and felt the pain going away. She felt a sense of freshness as the wound on her belly closed up and melded into smooth, silky skin.

"Thank you," Alexis whispered.

"Is that Master Yugi?" Ser Langely said returning to the spot where Alexis lay. "So it is! I should have known you'd be coming to the rescue of this petty little country."

"Surrender now, you Naralian filth!" shouted Ser Gerhalos. "It's over!"

"It's not over so long as I remain standing. When I take you out, Master Yugi, only then will the battle be truly be won."

"Do not test me, boy!"

"Raigeki!" Ser Langely cried out, summoning his lightning bolts.

Yami Yugi stood up and held out his arms as his armor began to glow. Dark Magician then hovered behind him and he was haloed by a fiery blue aura. "MERGE WITH ME TO BECOME ONE!" Yami shouted. He turned into a ball of flames.

"What has he done?" Alexis cried out. Ser Gerhalos picked her up and put her over his shoulder. "Where are you going? We can't just leave Master Yugi?"

"Trust me!" cried Ser Gerhalos as he sprinted up the mountain. "We do not want to be around for this."

Alexis continued to look back at Yami to see what he could have been conjuring. The ball of flames dispersed. Alexis's eyes widened. She could not believe what she was seeing. Dark Magician's spirit fused into the armor Yami was wearing, transforming it into a new set of armor styled to look like the Dark Magician. He was equipped with a long staff, which he spun rapidly and deflected the bolts of Raigeki.

"WHAT!?" Ser Langely cried out in horror. "He stopped my attack!"

Yami turned into a beam of purple light that shot right through the CUIRASS's torso. "NO!" Ser Langely cried, realizing that he was about to die. His mech was beginning to explode. "NO! THIS CAN'T BE! MY GRACIOUS KING FORREST! I FAILED YOU!"

BOOM! The Cuirass blew up and ended the life of the Storm of Naralia once and for all. The purple streak of light that was Yami then soared into the burning hatch where the photon cannons used to be. Purple lasers began to frantically shoot out of the hull of the ship. Then Yami streaked out of the center and into the sky where he stopped to oversee the damage he had done. Ha! He chuckled as he watched the ship slowly explode and slowly drop into the fields. He then soared down to the fields to finish off the rest of the robotic knights that were trying in vain to conquer the kingdom. Dalaris was gone, the Wrath of Yeyu had fallen, and Dalaris probably fled into the mountains to escape. Why they tried to fight back, he did not know. Perhaps they were just programmed to fight till the last robot had fallen. It mattered not to him at this point. He had a set of magical armor on that heightened his combat and magical capabilities tenfold and he was using every drop of his power to clean the fields of the robotic menace. He was enjoying himself for a time, but it disturbed him greatly to know that King Forrest was most likely going to plan another attack very soon. It wasn't about conquering the kingdoms with his robotic knights. It was about tiring them out. What new mechanical monstrosity would appear next? What new weapon would Forrest unleash upon them? Would it finally get to a point where the Alliance would eventually buckle to him?

"You had better be worth all this trouble, Yuri!" he shouted as he cut down a battalion of robotic horsemen with his staff. "You had better be damned worth it!"

---

Mai Valentine's The Blackbrute Inn, Mellowfields, Thara

---

The scolding hot water soothed the wounds on her back, an injury she received when she was hunting the Barox earlier. Serenity's arm suddenly came through the plastic curtain of her shower, holding onto a bottle with a glowing blue liquid. "Tristan finally made the potion," Serenity said. She was wrapped in a pink towel and still damp from her bath. "It'll heal your scratches instantly so he tells me."

"Let's hope it works," said Mai, her voice reverberating in the tiled walls. "This stings worse than that sunburn I got last summer."

She attempted to reach for the bottle, but Serenity yanked it out of her way. Mai sighed, sticking her head under the stall to wash away the shampoo from her hair. "What now?" she grumbled.

"Promise me you'll stop being so careless," Serenity ordered her. "Yuri is coming back soon. I want us all to be there and greet him when he comes home."

"Serenity, we gathered plenty of money. It's all getting transferred to Yuri as we speak. Stop worrying so much, will you?" Mai asked impatiently.

"Not so badly that you had to risk your life the way you did today," Serenity said through gritted teeth. She clasped her other hand tightly on her towel, still damp from her sitting in the hot tub overlooking the city below. "And the day before that and the day before that. It's foolish."

"We need money to fund both Yuri and that expedition of yours, don't we?" Mai said, rubbing her shoulder. "We need to start taking drastic action. You heard what Yugi said. Antilles and his party convinced the Senate to keep Yuri trapped in the other world until he learns how to Duel. So we've gotta step up our game. Even if it means risking life and limb."

Serenity extended her arm. Mai swiped the bottle from her grip and poured the liquid into her hand. She rubbed it on her back, feeling an ice-cold briskness that magically healed her deep wounds in an instant. "Ah, Tristan's alchemy skills. You gotta love 'em."

"BOO!" someone shouted.

Mai and Serenity jumped. The slick, raspy voice belonged to a man sitting on the windowsill, silhouetted by the moonlight.

"Who the hell?" Mai shouted. "Hey! What's the big idea, you fucking pervert!"

The man stepped into the light of their bathing room. He wore a clean tuxedo, a black masquerade mask with red gems shaped like teardrops, a black cape, and a top hat with a rose tucked in it. He chuckled, for it pleased him to see the two young women almost naked. "Sorry," he said, followed by another horrid cackle. "Did I catch you, ladies, at a bad time?"

"What the hell do you want?" shouted Mai. "Get out of my room now!"

"Not until you hand over the money you gathered for your beloved little prince."

"How do you know about that?"

"Heh, heh, heh. Master Denethon sees all and knows all. Especially, when it comes to the members of the Fellowship of the King."

"Denethon!" Serenity gasped. "So he is behind all of this."

"So...so you're one of those Neo Rare Hunters, huh?" Mai said.

"You are correct," the intruder said with a bow. "And as we speak, my companions are in the Standard Dimension hunting your beloved prince. That is why I'm here. To stop this transition of funds so as to help him acquire rare cards for his pathetic deck."

"Blah, blah, blah!" Mai shouted. "I'm not afraid of you. You can either leave the easy way or the hard way, chump!"

"I prefer the hard way," laughed the masked man, holding up his shadowy Duel Disk, which was shaped like a crescent moon. "We Duel for the money!"

Mai grunted and looked at Serenity. "Okay, hon, hand me my Duel Disk."

Serenity gasped. "Are you sure Mai? He works for Denethon. You know his goons always have nasty tricks up their sleeves."

"So what?" Mai said with a smirk. "Enough talk. The Duel Disk, chop! Chop!"

Serenity hurried to the dresser and picked up the harpy-shaped ring levitating on a magical stand of black glass. She gave Mai the ring at once. Mai slipped it on and transformed it into a Duel Disk. The bathing chamber was huge and domed with a rotunda, giving them enough space to summon monsters for a Duel.

"Nice," the masked man said, licking his lips, adoring the sight of Mai Dueling in nothing but a towel. He entertained the thought of summoning a powerful monster who could attack her with enough force to possibly blow it off her body.

LP 2000

"I'll start first," he said drawing. "I summon Midnight Fiend in Attack Mode! And since we're playing at night, he gets a thirty percent increase in points thanks to the field power bonus. And that will do it for me."

He conjured a skinny, ill-begotten creature with skin the color of rotting flesh and crescent-shaped wings. Drool oozed from its mandibles and it wriggled its claws to flash them in the moonlight.

Serenity gasped and backed away at the sight of the hideous monster.

The masked man laughed at her. "Aww, is the little baby scared?"

ATK/800 + 240 = 1040

DEF/600 + 180 = 780

"What a weak start," Mai said. She tsked at the weak monster. "If you're the best Denethon has to offer, then he should be no threat to us. And I'm about to show you what a big mistake it was thinking you can take on a lady and get an easy win. Gooooo Harpie Queen in Attack Mode!"

The scantily clad Harpie burst onto the field through a curtain of rose petals. Her teal-colored ponytail whipped through the air. Her brilliant, white wings glimmered in the silver light of the moons.

ATK/1900

Mai declared her attack on the weak monster the masked man summoned. Harpie Queen flapped her wings and screeched, zooming towards Midnight Fiend. She slashed the creature across its thin neck, decapitating it.

Its body shattered and blasted the masked man with 860 points of damage. His Life Points plummeted to 1140.

"You pushover," laughed Mai. "You think you're a threat to anyone with monsters like that?"

The masked man chuckled. "The moonlight compliments your skin ever so beautifully," he moaned. "The shadows lust for your flesh again, Miss Mai."

Mai frowned. "Shut up and start your turn already!"

"With pleasure," the masked man said, drawing his card with his teeth. "I summon The White Magical Hat in Attack Mode!"

He summoned a gentleman wrapped in a white cape clasped to his purple tuxedo. He wore a gold monocle and a white top hat and sported a bushy mustache of brown hair.

"You've got to be joking," said Mai. "You think that pathetic monster can take down my Harpie Queen?"

The masked man let out a high-pitched laugh that echoed across the bathing chamber. "No, he cannot take on your Harpie Queen in battle...but, he can take you down. White Magical Hat, kill the woman now while I find the card!"

"What!" Mai shouted.

"Did you honestly believe I'd wager the money with a little game of Duel Monsters?" sneered the masked man, drawing a black rapier studded with rubies from his cloak. "The card of House Delgado belongs to Master Marik, and there's nothing any of you can do to stop him."

White Magical Hat sprang into action. Mai quickly realized that the monster the masked man summoned was no Kaiba Corp hologram. It was Solid Vision tech from the Fusion Dimension. She ducked out of the way in time, rolling to safety. White Magical Hat smashed his cane on the ground with such strength, he created a crater on the white and black tiled floor. Serenity conjured fireballs with her palms and launched them at the White Magical Hat. He saw her amateur skills and laughed then performed a backflip to dodge the oncoming spells.

The masked man sped towards her. Serenity swerved left and right, evading the rapier as best she could until she was backed into a corner and could proceed no more. The masked man held up his arm, ready to cut her down. Suddenly, something coiled around his wrist and kept him from striking her down.

"Ah," he smiled, realizing what it was that was holding him back. Mai used her towel like a whip and wrapped it around his wrist and hold it back. Her nakedness was concealed by the shadows where she stood. She yanked the towel, pulling the man towards her. He lost his balance and tripped. The White Magical Hat appeared behind Mai, but she heard him coming. She ducked her head to avoid being hit by his cane. In a flash, she tightened her towel and snapped it in the monster's face, knocking away his monocle.

White flashes burst in his eyes. Serenity, who found the time to dress into a pink hoodie, launched a fireball at his chest. Mai felt the heat burn her face as it flew over her. The fireball hit the White Magical Hat and burst into a thousand embers. He grunted as he flew across the air. He smashed against the wooden floor and rolled to a stop. Mai wrapped her towel back on and used her knowledge of conjuration to summon her Harpie Lady. The winged beauty screeched as she materialized into the world and flew in circles above the bathing chamber. She grabbed the White Magical Hat and tossed him at a nearby column, shattering it.

The masked man recovered from his fall. He reached for the rapier, but Serenity kicked it away. The rapier spun across the tiled path and plopped into a nearby pool. The masked man kicked himself back up and started throwing punches at Serenity.

Thankfully, her brother taught her the basics of hand-to-hand combat, skills he learned from the dark days of his youth hanging with gangs and other criminals to earn money for his family.

Serenity raised her fists and raised her arms each time she saw a punch rocketing toward her. She kicked. The masked man stepped back in a fraction of a second and resumed assaulting Serenity with a flurry of punches and lightning-fast jabs, which she dodged beautifully. Mai and Harpie Lady came speeding towards him. He twirled away, missing Mai's punch and Harpie Lady's claw.

White Magical Hat came to the rescue ramming his cane into Harpie Lady's gut. White Magical Hat jumped up and kicked her hard in the stomach, knocking her into the pool with a great splash.

The masked man laughed at the success of his monster. He then started jabbing at Mai. Mai blocked each punch with her arms and sidestepped to keep him guessing. Serenity came in, hoping to distract him with a fireball.

He was too fast for that, and kicked her palms, launching the fireball at the ceiling. He resumed going after Mai and felt so bold that he tugged on her towel a few times for a look. He almost got her, but Serenity kicked him in the shin.

"Bitch!" he shouted.

Mai smacked him in the jaw. The masked man kicked his legs up and spun back up to his feet. Serenity attempted to kick him, but the masked man grabbed her by the foot. He leaned his head to the left to look into her sweater and grinned.

"Oooh, nice," he said.

"Ack! Pervert!" Serenity shouted, twirling to the right and using her other leg to smack the man across the face with a powerful kick.

He howled in agony and backed towards a nearby column, smashing into it. The White Magical Hat jumped to his defense, acting as a wall to shield his summoner.

"Enough is enough!" said Mai. She made complicated gestures with her hands until a razzle-dazzle rose-colored glyph formed over her palm, conjuring a rain of rose petals.

Harpie Lady suddenly rose out of the water with a Rose Whip in her hand. She flicked her wrist and sent the whip flying toward the White Magical Hat. It coiled around his neck tightly like a noose. The thorns dug into his flesh causing trickles of blood to ooze from his wounds. Harpie Lady screeched and flew up high, dragging the White Magical Hat on a deadly ride around the rotunda. He smashed into vases, columns, and statues, breaking his bones with each impact. His face turned purple and his eyes rolled to the back of his head. He was gone. Harpie Lady released him and he shattered.

She then wrapped her whip around the masked assailant's neck. Mai and Serenity took turns punching him and kicking him toward the balcony. Serenity leaped into the air and knocked him over the rail with a spinning kick.

The masked man screamed as he plummeted to the streets below. The Rose Whip snapped his neck a mere ten feet from the ground.

Mai and Serenity collapsed on the ground exhausted as Harpie Lady burst into a rain of rose petals. They both panted heavily and groaned. Mai pet the back of Serenity's head affectionately. "You okay?" she asked.

Serenity nodded. "I guess he wasn't so tough after all."

Mai laughed. "That's my girl. Gather the guys tomorrow. Once we win the gold from that upcoming event, we can stop monster hunting and go on our quest to find that artifact of yours." She sat up and looked at the moons. Hold on, Yuri. We're all with you. You're not alone. We'll get you home...somehow.

---

Officer Chuck Thompson - ?, Aquarius/Standard Dimension

---

Chuck finally came through. He noticed he was being wheeled on a stretcher down a dimly lit hallway with greenish-blue tiles. His head was throbbing and ached awfully and he noticed his clothes were gone. He was covered by a thin linen blanket. "Oh, my head? Where are we? Where are we going?" he saw Santiago and the rest of Brett's friends were the ones taking him down the hall. "Come on, guys. What is this?" he said weakly. He was pushed through a set of flapping twin doors into what looked like an operating room, filling him with a sense of uneasiness. "Where am I? Oh, Brett!" he saw Brett leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. "Brett, how ya doin', buddy? What happened?"

"You fucked up, Chuck, that's what happened," said Santiago.

"What?"

"We had a little chat with the Rare Hunters," said Brett.

"Look, Brett! I don't know what they told you man but..."

"You told them, Chuck!" shouted Brett. "You told them where Yuri was. You sent bloodthirsty assassins his way and now I'm getting the heat for it."

"No, that's not true!"

"We know all about it, Chuck!" Santiago laughed. "You're not the only cop from RAPTOR in Brett's checkbook. So you tried blowing Yuri up, huh?"

"That's not how we do things around here," said Brett. "If anything bad happens to Yuri, the full force of this city will come down on us. And then what, Chuck? Then what?"

"He didn't think about that because he was trying to save his own skin," chuckled one of Brett's friends. "Now because of you, everyone thinks Brett's trying to kill Yuri. You're going to pay for that, Chuckie-boy."

Suddenly, Seeker walked into the operating room wheeling in a cart covered by a sheet. Seeker chuckled as he brought the cart next to Chuck's stretcher. He was wearing a smock over his black clothing making Chuck feel even more unnerved. That soon turned to fear when the Rare Hunter lifted up the sheet to reveal a tray full of operating tools.

"OH SHIT!" Chuck cried. "Come on, Brett. Come on, I'm begging you, man. Don't do this! I was trying to help! I was trying to help!"

"You were trying to help yourself," Seeker said, sharpening a scalpel on a block of stone. "By making our organization take the fall for your little mistake. We could have helped each other, you know."

"Okay! Okay!" cried Chuck.

"So you guys can get rid of Yuri for me?" Brett asked.

"Of course, we can," Seeker said, continuing to sharpen the scalpel. "And we can work things out so that the authorities won't suspect you. Of course, that's going to be harder to do now that this fool has alerted this city to our presence. But we can make it happen."

"Really?" Brett said. "Interesting."

"Brett!" yelled Chuck. "Come on, man! You can't seriously be teaming up with these guys, are you?"

"The Rare Hunters have proven to be more valuable to me than you," said Brett. "I don't need you anymore."

"Brett, come on, man! Gimme another chance."

Brett looked at Seeker and nodded. Seeker approached Chuck and tapped on his sternum. "No!" he cried. "Come on, Brett. What are you doing, man?" Seeker held the scalpel up. "Come on. Come, Brett..."

Seeker dug the blade of the scalpel deep into Chuck's flesh and started sliding it down. Blood gushed out from the sides of the cut. Chuck's body spasmed from the pain. "Oh! oh!" he cried out from the shock. And then his grunts turned to screams of horror and agony as Seeker slid the blade vertically down his belly.

Brett only smiled as Chuck's screams got louder and louder.