New Harbor, The Claw, The Coastal Kingdoms - Princess Rose and the Knight of Toads
September 21 - Year 18 4AOS
Yes, she is beautiful thought Ser Artemis Carahar as he watched Princess Rose striding towards the seat beside her father, King Walter of the Claw.
She moved with such elegance and grace with a pinch of authority in each step she took. Her gown was thin and made of white silk with silver threading forming flowers and scrollwork. For many years the two of them had been friends. He had seen her grow from a little flower romping the fields chasing butterflies and putting blue flowers in her hair to this masterpiece of femininity standing before him now.
While Rose grew to be tall and slender, Artemis became big and strong after many years of squiring under the best knights in the Coastal Kingdoms. Marriage was often the topic of discussion between the two and Artemis didn't stray from the thought. He had talked to Rose many times about it, but she was oblivious to the thought, waving it off at once so she could drag him outside and Duel.
Having been accepted into Broxiton University, the School of Kings, Rose was much more persistent to play the game and improve her skills. Ever since she had gotten her letter of acceptance, Dueling became her one and only priority. She started missing court, skipped dinner, avoided parties, and lost interest in suitors. Artemis once recognized her as a stereotypical princess, dreaming of handsome knights in jeweled armor sweeping them off their feet and riding off into a beautiful palace with towers of silver and gold.
As children, she forced him to act as the dashing hero riding in from afar to save her from an army of orcs and vampires. But now that she had bloomed into a young woman, her thoughts were stuck on politics and Duel Monsters.
"Good morning, my lady." "Good morning, my lady." "My lady," the women from the court greeted her as she passed by.
The windows in the courtroom were open to let in the fresh ocean breeze and cool the guests from the dreadful humidity of the coasts. Rose was more than prepared for the heat in her new gown. The sleeves, though long and flowing down to her hips, exposed her arms and they flapped like a banner in the salty winds of the coast. The hem went down to her thighs, exposing her legs, which were concealed in black leggings that were thin enough to keep her cool.
"What's the occasion?" she asked her father.
"Your Uncle Merthaw is riding in from the Hellgari Estates to grace us with a visit."
"That's a long way to go for just a visit," Rose said, placing a handkerchief on her lap. A servant came by with a bowl of soup filled with kray, mollusks, and other morsels from the sea. "Is there important business, Father?"
"There's always important business to be had these days, love," said Walter, a man of dull blonde hair. His beard was long and braided and his eyebrows were sturdy and bushy.
"Is King Merthaw going to help us deal with the confederacy to the south?"
Walter set down his fork. Suddenly, he didn't feel like eating. "Somehow, I have a feeling this meeting has nothing to do with the confederacy," he said with a tone of worry in his powerful voice. "There was great urgency in the letter he sent me."
"And the confederacy is not a cause for great urgency?"
"They're merely a rabble of spinless fools bowing down to a spoiled brat and his sorceress who offers him 'visions' of the future. The seven princes of Termnnia gave his brothers a trouncing he shan't soon forget, so I doubt the Tyrant Prince is going to rise up anytime soon. No, I sense something else going on. I feel it in my bones."
"What do you mean?"
Walter ruffled her hair with his massive palm. "Darling, why don't you go out and Duel with your friend Artemis when you finish your lunch? It's going to be a while before King Merthaw arrives."
"If you insist," Rose said. "I do hope there's nothing wrong, Father."
Rose finished her soup, then went down from the salts above the court to find Artemis, who was sitting with the other knights by the window. When she approached, they stood up. "As you were," she said, holding up her hand. "Artemis. Care to join me for a Duel in the fields?"
"But King Merthaw is on his way."
"Father says it's going to be a while before he reaches The Claw. Come, come, join me."
"As you wish, Princess. Gentlemen, if you'll excuse me."
He got off the bench and followed Rose to the narrow fields behind the castle, North Star, which stood in the middle of The Claw, which was made of three rocky peninsulas that were in the shape of an eagle's claw. The castle connected to other castles on The Claw via covered stone bridges. Across the sea from their peninsula was the town of New Harbor. Merchant trading ships and small fishing vessels already docked in the harbor bobbed up and down in the wild waves.
Shacks built beside the sea moaned in anguish as the winds blew on them, trying to knock them down. The air above the town was fogged with smoke from the stone chimneys and seagulls circled over the town hoping to get a catch of freshly caught fish in the ports. The water was dotted with ships in the distance dominated by the silhouette of a formation of mountains called The Triplets, where a tall stone lighthouse shined brightly above the fog. A wall of gray stone smeared in white from gull droppings surrounded the town with towers that had red roofs and bright torches that could light much of the land at night.
"To think this will all be yours one day," Artemis said. "To think one day you will no longer be a princess. But a Queen. What will happen to us when that day dawns upon us, my friend?"
Rose looked at him a giggled. "When that day comes, worry about it. Right now, you've got me to contend with. Are you ready for another trouncing?" Princess Rose giggled again and started strapping her Duel Disk to her wrist. It was crafted to look like a silver plate and glimmered with precious white gems.
"My third one today," Ser Artemis said in disdain. "Princess, is there truly nothing else you want to do today?"
Rose replied with a brief shake of her head. "Don't you want me to pass my entrance exam?"
"I don't see what the whole point of that entrance exam is? If you can manage to beat the proctor, doesn't that already establish the fact that you can Duel and don't need to go to a school that teaches you how?"
"You still think this is nothing more than a game, do you? Come on, Artemis. I've already told you about the Dueling Pact. Yes, many of us have armies as a means of self-defense, but the best way to resolve any dispute is with a Duel. That's why each kingdom has institutions like Duel Academia and Broxiton University. They don't only teach the youths of each country to Duel like professionals but to answer the call in case their king, or lord, or whatever, summons them to represent the nation during a duel in case there is a dispute or a crisis of interest."
"Then why have we broken out into all-out civil war these days? Southern Emboldor is a confederacy against us, princesses are battling against one another for Yuri's hand in marriage, and the Holy Kingdom of Naralia expands their grip on everyone."
"Some people don't like using logic. It's a rare thing to see in times like this."
"So settling things with a game of cards is logical?"
"It may not be logical, but is far more honorable. Would you rather kings settle disputes with a Duel or by having tens of thousands slaughtered on the battlefield? I think it's a good idea. Now, let's start, shall we? You go first."
LP 4000
"Be it so," Artemis said. "I will start the Duel off with Graceful Charity; draw three, discard two, you know the drill. Then, I summon Cyber Falcon in attack mode! I set two cards face-down and end my turn."
ATK/1400 DEF/1200
"You believe that winged bucket of bolts is going to help you, Artemis?"
"I this point, I really don't care anymore, Princess."
"Sheesh, way to take the fun out of things. Draw!" The Duel Disk launched her card out of the dealer and she caught it with ease. "I activate the field spell, Wetland!" The Duel Disk then hummed and started glowing. The environment around them changed from the green fields of the sunny coasts to a rainy swamp with frogs calling out from almost every nook and cranny. "This spell card will increase the attack of level 2 or lower Aqua or water-attribute monsters by 1200 points. Next, I summon a monster face-down and end my turn."
"Hmm, going easy on me, Princess? I assure you that will be a costly mistake. I activate the card, Cost Down! By discarding a card, I can lower the level of the monsters in my hand by two, making them a little easier to summon. Now, I tribute Cyber Falcon to summon the indestructible Fiendish Engine Omega!"
ATK/2800 DEF/2000
"Attack her face-down monster, my fiend!" Artemis commanded, pointing his finger dramatically at the face-down monster Rose had. The giant, hulk-of-a-robot released noxious fumes from the exhaust pipes on its shoulders and then charged across the bog, splashing water up into the air when its massive feet smashed the ground. It raised up its arm and sliced the face-down monster with the giant cleaver-like blade mounted over its wrist. Rose suddenly laughed as a long tongue slithered from underneath the card. A strange-looking frog was revealed from underneath the sliced-up card it hid under. Using its tongue, it snatched Fiendish Engine Omega and picked it up with incredible force. The frog tossed the machine into the air and it turned back into a card, which flew back into Artemis' hand.
"You've attacked my Des Flop Frog," she said. "A new addition to my deck. When he gets attacked, he can send monsters back to your hand. Your Fiendish Engine Omega got sent right back to the drawing board, wouldn't you say, dearest?"
"You're a witty one," Artemis said, admiring the way Rose's dress flapped against her body. "I will end my turn."
"Goodie, now it's my turn. I will discard T.A.D.P.O.L.E from my hand to summon Swamp Frog (ATK/1000 DEF/500)!"
A giant golden frog hopped out of the water and splashed next to Rose. She gingerly stepped away as the cold water touched her skin. "Oh! Friendly isn't he? Now, I will activate his effect and send a Frog monster from my deck to the Graveyard. Surprise, surprise, it's one of my favorites! Ronintoadin! When this handsome fellow is sent to the Graveyard, I can banish a Frog monster and special summon it to the field (ATK/100 DEF/2000)."
PLOP! A bright bluish-green frog covered in purplish oriental markings jumped out from behind a curtain of grass. "Now, Artemis, I will Overlay my two frogs to create the one and only Toadally Awesome!"
Her two frogs jumped into a dark, swirling vortex known as the Overlay Network, where they turned into two orbs of light. They swirled in the air and then took a dive into the water behind Rose. Things were still, then, all of a sudden, a great column of water burst from behind the princess. From it emerged two enormous white toads. The second toad, who oddly carried a peach on its back, was smaller than the other, but it was bigger than an elephant. It landed on top of the bigger toad and lay there lazily.
Toadally Awesome
ATK/2200 DEF/0
"Don't forget," said Rose, "with my field spell card out, Toadally Awesome gains an extra 1200 attack points. Now they stand at 3400! Woo-hoo! Now I summon Unifrog!"
The croak of another frog monster radiated from the water. It jumped out, revealing a purple frog with a white underbelly. Its most distinguishing feature was a light-blue horn on its head.
"Okay, Artemis, I attack you directly!"
"I think not! I activate my trap card, Negate Attack. Now, your battle phase will be ended. Nice try. Now I believe it's my turn."
"Oh, wait a second!" said Rose. "Once during either of our standby phases, I can remove and Xyz Material from Toadally Awesome and summon a frog monster from my deck. And it's one of my absolute favorites! Arise, Prince Percival!"
Not summoned was a prince, but a giant frog monster known as Des Frog.
"Still believe those frogs will turn into handsome princes one day, Rose?"
"You never know. It happened long ago during the foundation of my House. Who's to say it won't happen to me?"
"Well, if you never find your Prince Charming, rest assured you can always look up to me. You know I can take good care of you, right?"
Rose tittered. "You're very sweet my dear Knight of Toads. But I'm afraid you're not a lord. You are but the Ward my father took in battle. If you wish to serve by my side, then you can. But I am sorry to say there cannot be a union between us, no matter how much the old ladies gossip about it."
"I shall not give up hope. Who knows? Perhaps one day I will sweep you off your feet."
Rose reared her head up and her eyes rolled to the top of her head. "Perhaps. But it is not today."
"There's always tomorrow. And the day after that. One way or another, I will have your heart, dear princess. Now, I activate Pot of Greed, which —"
"—I activate the effect of Toadally Awesome. By sacrificing Unifrog, I can negate the activation of your spell and then set the card on my field.
Artemis groaned but the sting of defeat wasn't all that bad. After losing so many times today —actually the past few months — he was quite used to it. "Well, so much for that duel."
Rose started her turn. She drew another Des Frog, then removed an Xyz Material from Toadally Awesome to summon another Des Frog from her deck.
"I activate Polymerization!" she declared, fusing together her three Des Frogs into a gigantic behemoth of a frog called D.3.S Frog, who had an attack strength of 2500. It attacked with Toadally Awesome by its side, letting out supersonic croaks that knocked him flat on his back. His Life Points went to 0.
As soon as they did, both he and Princess Rose heard a horn in the distance, followed by the roar of a strange-looking white dragon with wings of glowing glass.
"Uncle Merthaw!" Rose said, turning off her Duel Disk, the holograms disappearing at once. "It can't be! He's already here!"
Artemis struggled to get up. "The King of Orange Hill? And was that the Knight of the Synchro Dragon? So, he's here too?" He tried to lift himself up but couldn't. "Hey! Hey, wait up, Rose!"
Yami Yugi - New Harbor, Gull Island District
"We're close now," Yami thought. He was so tired of slogging for miles with King Merthaw's royal caravan.
They picked him up as they were traveling on the Kingsroad. Yami didn't trust the King of Orange Hill all that much. But since they were heading to the same place he was, he happily tagged along.
"Just a few more steps and we'll be inside a warm inn with some food in our bellies. A warm fire and a roof to shield us from this blasted rain."
Hopefully, he's here too, Yugi bellyached.
"Don't worry, my friend. He said he'd meet us here."
He crossed the covered stone bridge into the Gull Island District of New Harbor. The bridge was wide enough to permit vendors to set up shop and call out their wares to passing travelers. Even a few apartments were built onto the bridge. Yami could see windows lit up from fireplaces within, showing that people were living comfortably within. He came to a fruit vendor and noticed someone tall standing in front of it asking for a sack of apples. The man was a giant standing ten feet tall and covered in a black cloak and wielding a giant claymore the size of a man. He turned his head at just the right time to see Yami coming toward him.
The man waved and put down his hood, revealing he was no ordinary man. He was of the Leogai, beast folk with the heads of mighty lions. This one's mane was wiry yet still sleek as a blanket of gold. He had many scars from previous battles on his broad golden-furred arms, markings he wore proudly. He was the legendary Ser Gerhalos, the Champion of Emboldor.
"Master Yugi!" the Leogai said. He paid the vendor for the apples and took the sack. "So glad you could make it. I thought you were going to be here a little later so I took the liberty of purchasing myself some of these famous Kingstown Apples for the road."
"It's no trouble at all, my old friend," Yami said. Despite the Leogai's size, he still embraced him. Ser Gerhalos patted Yami on the back and they left the bridge to go into town.
"What news of the boy?" Ser Gerhalos asked. "It's his eighteenth year, is it no?"
"Two more months, I'm afraid," said Yami. "It will be the longest of my life. Eighteen years feel like a week compared to the next two months. Even then, I fear there is going to be trouble, which is why I am thankful for miss Serenity Wheeler. Is she certain this convoy of Naralians has what we're looking for?"
"I would bet my life on it," Ser Gerhalos replied, already helping himself to an apple. "Serenity Wheeler is becoming somewhat of a master when it comes to the gathering of intelligence. I thank you for coming all the way down here to help me retake the 'treasure' the Naralians took from us. I am sorry it came to that, My Lord. I should have kept a better watch over..."
"Say no more," Yami said calmly. "No one blames you, Ser Gerhalos."
"Forgive me for poking my nose where it doesn't belong, my friend, but why have you come with the King of Orange Hill? You know he has close ties to Antilles. Speaking of which, I noticed banners of House Dragonheart amongst the caravan. What is going on?"
"Our travels intertwined and he asked me to come along. I don't trust Merthaw as far as I can throw him but I suppose it's better I traveled with him since it can get rainy this far in the Coastal Kingdoms. I wonder why he came all this way for."
"I wonder the same," said Ser Gerhalos. "Perhaps we can get some answers from him while we're here. Am I correct in assuming you'll be staying at the castle?"
"Of course," said Yami. "You're welcome to stay with me if you want."
"I am most happy to accept the offer. I can't stand the inns here. The hallways smell like gull shit and piss."
Front Gates of the Five Tower Castle - King Walter
The gates creaked open and the guest flooded across the stone bridge in a river of white, orange, gold. There were more than a thousand of them, for the caravan of bannermen, sellswords, knights, paladins, and champions seemed to stretch all the way across the bridge to the city and outside its gates in the countryside.
Among the orange and gold banners emblazoned with the colors of Merthaw's house, Walter saw the black and red banners depicting the dragon with the flaming heart. House Dragonheart had come along as well in all their pomposity. Standing out from the carriages was a massive triple-floored wheelhouse pulled by more than a dozen bison armored in black, red, and gold.
Walter and his own men hurried down to the courtyard to greet his host. Whoosh! Clear Wing Synchro Dragon flew over the courtyard twice, creating a fierce wind that startled the castle guard and even Lord Walter himself. The dragon roared and settled on the grass gently. The dragon's rider, the young Ser Darrien, jumped off and landed gracefully on his own two feet. He removed his silver-steel helmet, plumed with green and blue LED fibers. The castle maids gathered on the balcony of the top floor and tittered wildly upon seeing him stand there with his beast, which seemed more machine than organic.
"Beautiful isn't it?" said Peter Dragonheart, a dwarf, and brother to King Antilles. He carefully walked down the steps of the Dragonheart's personal wheelhouse. "I take it this is your first time seeing a dragon before, Your Highness?"
Walter didn't answer him right away. Though short, Peter, the Little Dragon as he was often called, seemed taller than even the most-armored of the knights that traveled with him.
"Yes, but I never imagined my first dragon would look like this? You sure it isn't just a machine."
"It hails from another dimension," said Peter. "A world quite unlike ours. And, by the grace of the Goddesses, it chose my nephew as its rider."
"Goddesses save the King!" said a priest from the Temple of Saffaani who proudly served House Dragonheart.
Right when he said that, King Merhaw rode in atop his warhorse. Everyone in the courtyard knelt in respect for him. "Up! Up!" he commanded. He looked at his brother with a frown then dismounted. "You! Eight years and not a word! Forget that I existed or something? Mother would have had your head for that."
Walter raised his head up and narrowed his eyes. "I don't recall any messages from you. You ass!" He looked at his brother from head to toe. "Look at you. You've gotten fat."
They glared at each other for a moment. And then...they broke out laughing.
"Ha! You broke first!" proclaimed Walter, wagging his finger at Merthaw. "You owe me a gold coin."
"Walter you old fart!" Merthaw said hugging the King of the Coasts. "You are luckily met!"
"Merthaw!"
"How remarkable you are looking today!"
"I wish I could say the same. You appear exhausted."
"Ah, well, riding with these pompous Dragonhearts will do that for you. It was a long road, brother. Even longer when you have those blonde-haired bastards asking to stop and eat every step of the way."
"Oh, I do hope you're not talking about us," said Peter, waddling toward them.
"Brother...what is the meaning of this? Dragonhearts? Have you forgotten it was them who usurped the Diamond Throne and killed the Plantegrasts?"
"That was more than two decades ago," said Peter. "Honestly, where would we all be if we let go of past grudges? Much better off than we are now, let me tell you?"
"Why have you sided with the Dragonhearts, Merthaw?"
"I would like an answer to that as well," said a familiar voice.
The three men turned in the direction of the voice and bowed their heads when they discovered it was Yami Yugi coming towards them with Ser Gerhalos.
"Lord Yugi?" Merthaw cried out. "You're here as well? And you come with the Dragon Summoner's former guardian."
Ser Gerhalos growled at the term 'former'. The knights behind Walter stepped aside to let Yami through. Peter bowed his head and said: "Master Yugi! What an honor this is!"
"Lord Peter," Yami greeted him quickly.
They heard the flapping of silk and the clop of heels stamping against the mud coming from the gate. "Uncle Merthaw!" Princess Rose shouted. "Uncle Merthaw!"
"Rose!" Merthaw said, opening his arms to catch the princess in a great bear hug. He laughed and spun her around. "Rose! How is my little sweetpea? Look at you!" He backed away and examined her from top to bottom. "All grown up and I've missed it. I take it there's a long line of nobles... or a handsome prince perhaps looking to claim your heart, my dear?"
Rose waved her hand a couple of times. "No, no, but who's to say my husband to be won't come riding in real soon? Oh!" She saw Yami and did curtsey. "Something important must be afoot if even you are here, Lord Yugi." The princess gave him her hand, which he took and kissed it.
"My princess," he said smiling. "You grow more beautiful every day. Yes, there is much to discuss."
Rose clapped her hands, calling for everyone's attention. "Well, come along everyone! Come in! Come in and rest yourselves. You must have had a long journey and you must be famished! Father, shall I send for the cooks?"
"Indeed. We must prepare a great feast for our guests! Let us go!"
"Lead the way, your highness," said Yami. His pocket started vibrating. "Huh?" He took out the Seeing Stone that Serenity gave him. It was glowing red inside.
"What's that?" Ser Gerhalos asked. "Yami is that a Seeing Stone?"
Yami smiled. "Yes. A Duel's about to begin. Please excuse me, my friend."
Andre - Duel Dome/ Neros Island, Aquarius
It was a long journey to get from the school to the Duel Dome, especially with the storm outside. But he finally made it to the Duel Dome, where he heard that Yuri and his group got access to one of the arenas for the rest of the afternoon as a way of getting on good terms with Mr. Montgomery and his massive wallet. Andre wasn't surprised the people who built this place would be kissing up to him like this. You needed a lot of money to keep this place running.
Andre made his way down the halls and saw the group occupying one of the arenas down below. They were still clad in their school uniforms, for they skipped their last period to come here early and beat the storm. Andre walked down the stone steps as Yuri and Carter jumped onto the platforms to begin their Duel. Nick, Natalya, Tyson, and Patty leaned on a glass railing decorated with circuit board patterns next to the arena to get a better view of the monsters.
"Hey guys," Andre said. Thunder rumbled outside and the rain began splashing the building violently as he came down.
"You!" Nick shouted. "Man, can't we get a moment's peace without you barging in?"
Patty held her hand up over his face to shut him up. "Hey, Andre. I can't say I'm too surprised to see you here. It seems like you're around no matter where we go."
"I heard from Diego that you guys were going to be here. I know I wasn't asked to come down here but I wanted to see the new holograms myself. I'll stay out of your way. I'm not here to Duel. I'll just watch." He took his backpack off and sat down in the row behind the railing where Patty, Nick, and Tyson were watching from.
"Even with your Black Tyranno, Yuri," said Carter, "you're still no match for my sea monster deck. I'm gonna give you a spanking just like I did last time."
"We'll see about that Carter." Yuri chuckled. He placed his deck on the touch-screen playmat.
LP 2000
"I'll go first!" Carter said. Though it was kind of hard to hold his cards with his long fake nails. "Hmm. Nice, nice, very sexy cards. I play the field spell, Umiruka!"
"Look!" Tyson shouted, pointing at the arena as it was filled with cool blue water.
"This spell will increase the ATK of all my water monsters by 500 points but it will also decrease their DEF by 400. Not that it matters. I summon Terrorking Salmon in attack mode."
Something started moving around beneath the surface. Then, a giant armored fish with glowing red fins rose out of the water, splashing water everywhere. It looked so real. It wasn't cheap CGI either, everything from the light, shadows, textures, everything made the creature appear to be a living breathing animal. Once it was done showing off, it fell back into the water.
"With Umiruka in play, my Terrorking Salmon's ATK increased to 2900. And I'm not through yet. I play Polymerization, fusing together Hyosube with Beastking of the Swamp. This card can be used as a substitute for any fusion monster, by the way, since I don't need a Mystic Lamp in my deck."
"Hyosube and Mystic Lamp?" said Andre. "Uh oh. I know what that makes."
"Roaring Ocean Snake, duh!" said Nick. "You don't need to be a pro to figure that one out."
Roaring Ocean Snake rose out of the water, letting out a terrible roar. There were intelligently placed mechanisms in the arena that could shoot out water to go along with the holographic splashes the monsters made to make the Duel even more immersive. Patty and Natalya felt a few hitting their faces and they backed away giggling.
"Roaring Ocean Snake is strong enough as it is," said Carter. "But with the home field advantage Umiruka gives my water monsters, his ATK climbs up to 2600. I set a card face down and end my turn. Your move, Yuri."
"Your monsters sure are tough, Carter. But they're not going to be out for long. I activate the spell, Shield and Sword."
"Aww, no! You damn troll! That's messed up!"
"Oooooh!" Natalya hollered, clapping her hands. "Now Carter's monsters ATK get switched with their DEF. And since Umiruka weakens their defense points, Carter's sea monsters have turned into nothing more but small guppies."
Roaring Ocean Snake - ATK/1400
Terrorking Salmon - ATK/600
"Now, I'm going to summon Black Tyranno in ATK mode!"
The gang cheered once the star of Yuri's deck arrived. It stood over the water as if hovering over it, roaring at the now weakened monsters Carter had on his side of the field.
"And now I'm going to activate a Polymerization card of my own, fusing together Two-Headed King Rex and Crawling Dragon #2 to summon Bracchio-Raidus!"
Yuri summoned a giant blue brontosaur-like monster that reared its long neck out of the water and bellowed like a whale. Its legs were concealed underneath the water so only its neck and large back could be seen.
"Bracchio-Raidus is also a water monster," said Yuri. "So he gains the 500 extra ATK from Umiruka. I'll attack both your monsters and end the game."
The dinosaurs attacked and clashed fiercely with Carter's sea monsters. The battle reduced his LP to 0.
Winner: Yuri
"Aww, nuts," Carter said. "Black Tyranno sure has changed you, Yuri. I've never seen you play that aggressively before. When was the last time you've ever OTK'd someone?"
"I'm going next!" Nick shouted.
"Shut up, dude!" Patty said, massaging her ear.
"Ahem," Diego said from the top of the arena with his entourage of blondes. "Perhaps one of my Gems can take him on."
"Diego Morales?" Yuri asked.
"Oh wow," said Natalya. "What's one of the school's Duel Kings doing here?"
"My friend Maria wants to test Yuri's Black Tyranno out for herself." He stepped to the side and held out his arm towards her.
"If that's okay with you, Yuri," said Maria.
"Um, sure," Yuri said. "Go ahead."
Maria approached the platform and it lifted her all the way up to the top, high over the field below where the monsters were going to do battle.
"Man," Tyson whispered, looking at Maria and the rest of the so-called Gems that hung around Diego. "They weren't kidding about these Gems. Man, they are hot!"
"Well, yeah, Maria especially," said Natalya. "Her mom's a Victoria's Secret model. So it's easy to see where she got her looks from."
"Get a grip!" said Patty. "Gems of Paradiso Prima? Pfft. Man, they think they're so flashy, don't they? I hope Yuri kicks her ass."
LP 2000
"Duel!" they both called out.
"Yuri!" Diego called from the stands below. "Be a gentleman and let Maria go first."
"Ugh, he makes me sick," Patty said. Much to her dismay, Yuri agreed to let Maria go first.
Maria drew her starting hand, one card at a time. The rings on her fingers and the bracelet of gold glimmered with each draw. "I heard you're really good," said Maria. "Let's see how you'll fare against a Gem of Paradiso Prima. I'll set two cards face-down and summon Lord of Dragons in attack mode!" Maria summoned a sorcerer in dark dragon bone armor and a blue cape with a high collar and 1200 ATK. "That will end my turn."
"I draw!" Yuri declared. "I summon Spawn Alligator in attack mode!" He summoned a red-scaled alligator monster standing on two legs wearing white and black armor.
"Now, I'll set two cards face-down as well and attack your Lord of Dragons with Spawn Alligator!"
Spawn Alligator opened his mouth and fired a beam of red lightning at Lord of Dragons. Maria was quick with a counter. "I activate Negate Attack. Now your battle phase ends. Is that all for you?"
"Yes."
"Then I'll draw." She smiled and flung some of her hair over her shoulder. "I activate the spell, Flute of Summoning Dragon! When Lord of Dragons is in play, I'm allowed to summon two dragons from my hand. Now I summon Ruby Dragon and Luster Dragon!"
She summoned two dragons, both identical in appearance save for their color and ATK points. Ruby Dragon, who had 1600 ATK cast red reflections and sparkled like the stars. Luster Dragon, a dragon made of sapphire radiated with blue light and flashed like a thousand photographers taking pictures all at once.
"Wow, that's very pretty," said Natalya.
"What a waste of a turn," said Patty. "Those jeweled dragons are no match for Yuri's Spawn Alligator."
Maria heard that and replied with nothing more than a gentle snicker from her nose and a smile. "I activate the spell, Dragon Heart. Here's how it works. I send three dragons from my deck to the Graveyard and one dragon-type monster on my field will have its ATK increased by 1000. I choose Luster Dragon, so now its attack increases to 2900."
"Oh, shit!" Patty said at once. "Me and my big mouth!"
Maria pointed at Spawn Alligator and commanded Luster Dragon to attack!"
"I activate the spell card, Shrink!" Yuri shouted, flipping over his face-down card. This will cut your dragon's ATK in half."
"No, it won't," Maria giggled. "Thanks to Lord of Dragons, you cannot target Dragon monsters with card effects. Nice try, Yuri!"
Luster Dragon blasted Yuri's Spawn Alligator. Fans alongside the arena burst into action, blowing the spectators as though they got hit with an explosion. Yuri shielded his face with his arm until the explosion died down.
"Nice try, Yuri, but not good enough. I end my turn."
Yuri - 1300 LP
2000 LP - Maria
"My turn," said Yuri. He rubbed a bead of sweat from his forehead. Man, she completely outmaneuvered me. These Gems are true to their reputation. "I summon a monster in defense mode and end my turn."
"Aww, Yuri, is that all?" said Diego. He had his arm over Barbie's shoulder, twisting a lock of her hair around his finger. "The Duel hasn't even begun and Maria's already got you with your back against the wall."
Andre wanted to say something but he refrained from saying anything at all. He was stunned. Maria knew exactly what to do to stop Yuri's tough monster. And with Lord of Dragons in play, he couldn't target them with effects, meaning they were going to be harder to destroy. If the other girls had the same Gem Dragon deck as the one Maria was using, then they were going to be tough to beat. He couldn't imagine what it was going to be like going up against Diego, who was the leader of the group. He certainly wasn't a Duel King for nothing.
"I draw!" said Maria. "I activate Pot of Greed. Now I get two more cards. And I'm going to use Polymerization, fusing Lord of Dragons with Divine Dragon Ragnarok. And I create the mighty King Dragun!"
Lord of Dragons merged together with Divine Dragon Ragnarok and emerged from the fusion vortex in his most supreme form. He was up in the air, now a giant of a man with the golden body of a heavenly wyrm dragon.
"Just like Lord of Dragons before him, my King Dragun will prevent you from targeting my dragons with card effects. And once per turn, I can special summon a dragon from my hand. I special summon Hyozanryu the Diamond Dragon!"
King Dragun blew into a golden flute shaped like a dragon's head and then the diamond dragon appeared next to him. The diamond dragon's body reflected the light and it cast bright fractals on the walls and the floor along with rainbow hues.
"And don't forget Yuri, I still have my normal summon to conduct. I call upon Luster Dragon #2!"
Now she summoned a brilliant emerald green dragon with 2400 ATK points. When all of her Gem Dragons were together, they were shrouded with a brilliant iridescent aura.
"Oh, this is bad!" said Carter. "That girl just swarmed the field with all those dragons."
"I'll attack your face-down monster with Luster Dragon #2!" Maria shouted. "And then I activate the face-down card, Dragon's Rage. Sorry to disappoint you, Yuri, but even if your monsters are in defense mode, my dragons will still inflict damage to you as long as this trap remains on the field."
"I activate my trap card, Draining Shield!" said Yuri. "Now my Life Points will increase by the ATK of your Luster Dragon and it will stop it from attacking!"
Yuri - LP 2700
"Fine with me. I'll attack your face-down monster with King Dragun!"
King Dragun fired a beam of fire from his flute, blasting Yuri's monster, Armored Lizard. He lost 1200 LP from the piercing damage and was now at 1500 LP.
"The Gems are as good as they say they are," said Natalya. "Wow!"
Diego lowered his head and nodded confidently. "Beautiful. My Gems are perfection. Don't you agree, Yuri?"
"I guess so," Yuri managed to say. "You've trained them well and supplied them with good cards. I choose to end my turn without playing a card. Your move, Maria."
"Don't think playing nothing is going to stop me, Yuri. I activate the spell Dragon's Gun Fire! A dragon monster of my choosing will now inflict 800 points of damage to your Life Points. Hyozanryu! Blast him!"
Hyozanryu fired a glittering white fireball at Yuri's Dueling Pod! It was enveloped in a cloud of white smoke with sparkles slowly flying into the air. "AAAAUUUUGGGH!" Yuri screamed, holding on for dear life. He didn't know which way was which. If took one wrong move, he could fall from the platform, possibly to his death.
Yuri - 700 LP
"I have two more Dragon's Gun Fire cards in my deck, Yuri. Stall all you want. It's not going to save you."
"Yuri's gonna lose," said Andre. "I guess he's no match for them after all."
Tyson clapped his hands to boost up Yuri's confidence. "Come on, Yuri! You're still in this, bud!"
"I activate Dian Keto the Cure Master!" Yuri said holding up his spell card. "Now my Life Points will increase by 1000 points. And then I set a card face-down and end my turn."
"Increasing your Life Points won't save you for long, Yuri," Maria said. "I find you quite a bore, Yuri. I guess all that talk about you at school was nothing but hype. Definitely not worth Diego's time. He so wanted to Duel you. Anyway, I activate the spell, Hand Destruction. Now we discard 4 cards from our hands and draw four new cards. Don't worry, if you have less than four cards, you can still draw four cards. And look at what I drew. Dragon's Gun Fire."
Again, Yuri got blasted and his LP took a hit, plummeting to 900.
"I summon Black Tyranno!" Yuri shouted, summoning his best monster.
"Oh no!" Maria gasped, taking a step backward from the shock of seeing the monster that beat Randall Lawson.
Yuri's friends held up their fists and cheered as though they were greeting a friend who had just come back from a long trip. Now he was the strongest monster on the field. "Now, I activate the spell, Double Attack. I discard a monster from my hand, and then I select on monster on the field whose level is lower than the monster I discarded. And that monster happened to be Gogigal Gagigo! A level 8 monster and Black Tyranno is level 7. Black Tyranno, attack and destroy King Dragun and Luster Dragon #2!"
Black Tyranno's eyes flashed bright green. He roared the most thunderous roar any of them had ever heard and slew Maria's two dragons.
Yuri - 900 LP
1600 LP - Maria
"So much for your dragons," Yuri teased her. "I set two cards face-down and end my turn."
"Not bad, Yuri. Not bad at all. You managed to take a bite out of my Life Points. Your Black Tyranno is impressive, but he's nothing compared to what I've got in store for you. First, I activate the spell, Monster Reborn. With this, I'll bring back Luster Dragon #2 from the graveyard. And then, I use the spell Adamantine Sword Revival. This card will transform Luster Dragon #2 into the mighty Diamond Head Dragon!"
Diamond Head Dragon stood taller than Black Tyranno, or any other monster on the field for that matter. Its wings even reached over the stands and the tail coiled over Maria's pod.
"My Diamond Head Dragon's ATK points become the ATK points of the revived dragon I used as tribute plus 1000 so his ATK points are now 3400! More than enough to defeat your Black Tyranno, Yuri. Diamond Head Dragon, attack!"
Maria's Dragon opened its mouth, charged up a beam of green light, then fired. Everyone braced themselves as the beam of green light soared across the field to strike down Black Tyranno.
"Not so fast, Maria! I activate my face-down card, Rising Energy! By discarding a card from my hand, Rising Energy increases Black Tyranno's ATK by 1500, raising his ATK to 4100!"
Black Tyranno countered by firing flames that were the same color as the background of his card. Diamond Head Dragon's beam of light collided with Black Tyranno's green flames, creating a massive explosion at the center of the field. A gust of wind blew towards them. Everybody held on and screamed as they were hit by the blast. As Patty leaned forward and held onto the railing, her skirt started flapping around giving Andre a glance at her cherry-patterned underwear. "Awesome!" he said.
Black Tyranno, still firing the flames with all his might, took a mighty step forward and charged it up to make his flaming attack even more powerful. It eventually pushed back Diamond-Head Dragon's green beam of light back into its mouth. Diamond Head Dragon growled in defeat before he blew up. The arena rocked and pieces of Diamond Head Dragon rained down on the field. Now Yuri and Maria were tied at 900 LP.
Maria switched her monsters to DEF mode. Since she still had her continuous trap on the back of the board, she was safe from Black Tyranno's special ability. But Yuri figured out a way to get around that. Fairy Meteor Crush, which was already in his hand just waiting for the right moment to be activated. Yuri equipped it to Black Tyranno, giving him the ability of piercing damage. He attacked her for Luster Dragon for game.
Winner: Yuri
"He...he beat me?" Maria babbled in shock.
"Well done, Yuri!" Diego said. He got up and started to clap. The rest of the Gems did too. "Well done. You certainly turned things around with Maria."
Maria sadly stuffed her deck into her backpack. "I'm sorry, Diego. I failed."
"You have nothing to be ashamed about, Maria," Diego assured her gently. "Please, don't see this as a loss. See this as a learning experience so that next time Yuri won't be so lucky."
"I will, thank you! And thank you for the match, Yuri. That was fun. Diego, you taught us everything we know. What do you think of Yuri? You think you can teach him to go into the pro leagues."
"That won't be necessary!" Yuri cried out at once. "I don't want to go pro. I'm fine the way I am now, really."
"Really? said Diego. "Yuri, you're limiting yourself. I mean, yeah, you don't have to go pro. You're going to run Phobos Corp one day and make more money than all we will in three lifetimes, but Duel Monsters is something you should really excel at. You should wow the world with your skills."
"I don't think so. I appreciate the gesture though."
"What are you so afraid of?" Maria asked.
Yuri paused for a moment. He thought about it really hard but couldn't come up with an answer. "I don't know. I just...I just don't want to. So, anyway. Who's up!?"
Back in Termnnia, Yuri's image in the Seeing Stone faded. "Well done, Yuri," Yami Yugi said, pocketing the stone and returning to the throne room.
That night, the winds picked up, causing the waves to crash violently against the rocky shores of the claw. The dark skies were lit with the occasional flash of thunder in the dark purple skies. The temperature had grown chilly and the banners atop the towers waved violently in the gale. But inside the great hall, King Walter and his guests were cozy, warm, and well-fed. The hall became blurred with the smoke of hot meat roasting in the ten fire pits that lined the length of the great hall. The walls were decorated with the banners of green, gold, red, black, white, and orange; the great horned toad of House Calhart; the black dragon of House Dragonheart; and the rich orange tree of Orange Hill.
Princess Rose was sitting on a balcony playing her harp and singing songs of heroes from the Great Dragon War of the Third Age.
"Beautiful," said Merthaw, raising his goblet towards her. His voice could barely be heard amongst the clangor of cups, plates, and drunken laughter. "When she sings, she reminds me of her mother. You've raised her well, brother; she's grown magnificently. Denita would be so proud."
Walter stroked his golden beard. "I admit, I have memories of her when Rose sings. I miss her so."
"I am sorry for your loss," said Yami. "But I have to ask." He extended his hand toward Peter, who was sitting across from them at the table. "What is going on here? Have you not forgotten what this man's brother is doing in the Senate? What he has done to keep Prince Daveed stuck on earth."
Peter shut his eyes and smiled, trying to keep his composure. He set his goblet down and sat up straight. He cleared his throat and said: "My Lord, please, call him by his new nickname. Oh, what was it now?" He stared at the vaulted ceiling as he gathered his thoughts. "Yuri, correct? I like it. It matches your name, Yugi." He rested his arm on the table and drummed on it with his tiny fingers. "And I heard there is a distinct meaning to the name. Flower, I believe. Because the boy is delicate and frail as one."
"Yes, what you heard is true," Yami said. He drank the last gulp of wine in his cup. "The boy is delicate." He lied. He dared not tell anyone about the days when Yuri was a young, heartless criminal. Especially not a Dragonheart.
Peter laughed at the thought of Yuri being dubbed a delicate flower. "Not exactly the qualities I want in a High King. If I wanted to serve someone flowery and whatnot, I'd go to Gardenrealm and serve under House Gardener. Mavara knows I won't be able to do that; they'll bore me to death with their friendship speeches. But, I digress, I've read the reports, Master Yugi. Yes, this is a great urgency to bring the boy back."
He popped open a new bottle of wine and poured himself some. He hiccuped as he popped the cork back in.
"Not far across this country's border lies the confederate kingdoms and estates, all of them under the power of his cousin, Hector, who, despite losing his brothers and the Gate Wars, continues his revolution against Rassay. And to the north, The Fat King conquers lands as he pleases, taking everything from Kings and Lords like candy from a baby. And with each realm he takes, this religion, Yeyunism, finds easier access to cities everywhere and spreads like the plague across our beloved continent. The topple statues of the goddesses and great heroes, whom we revere and hold dear to our hearts. They teach their faith, burning, raping, and murdering as they go because their flaming mad god told them it was okay to do so. Yugi, they're destroying institutes of magic, developing barbaric organizations to hunt mages and other spellcasters like animals, and they want to erase our culture and our history. Poor Prince Yuri has a lot on his plate, you know this."
"I do."
"We wouldn't have to deal with this if the Dragon Summoner had not gone missing!" snapped Ser Gerhalos.
"And I do hope you find her," Peter said, trying to sound magnanimous. "My Lord, admit it," he started rhythmically patting the table with his palms, his head swaying about obnoxiously.
He smiled and said: "You just want to bring him back because you feel that having a king on the Diamond Throne will be enough to save our continent from delving further into madness. I'm sorry to say, Master, it does not work like that. Times have changed drastically. It's not enough to have a king anymore. We need someone who can RULE! Otherwise, sit any fool on that damned chair and call him High King. Have your friend Joey sit on it for all I care. It won't be enough. Yuri needs to learn how to Duel and govern. My brother may be working hard to keep his time on earth prolonged, but I assure you it is for the boy's interest. Yugi, please, be reasonable. This boy is about to be given a very powerful position; the most powerful in the world, may I add. In order for him to keep it, he needs to be a good Duelist — which he's not. He needs the knowledge on how to rule — which he does not have. Let him learn. Let him get stronger. Let him learn how to govern. That floating city where you sent him, as beautiful as it is, is full of corruption and all sorts of terrible things. Let us help him clean it up and prove he can be a good leader."
"You will help us do this, Peter?"
"Any way I can, Lord Yugi"
Yami then looked at Merthaw. "And what on earth did Antilles promise you?"
Merthaw sat up, his lip twitching nervously. "He didn't promise me anything, Lord Yugi. That is the truth. It's just that...civil war has broken out in the Hellgari Estates."
"I've heard about that," said Yami. "Forgive me for not looking into it sooner. Matters regarding the boy have kept me busy."
"Well, while you were busy with your matters, much was happening in my realm. A few months ago, archeologists from the Clovermeadow University discovered an Ancient Norman ruin. After many days there, the scholars uncovered a library that made the ruin the most significant archeological discovery of our time. These ruins were once the great fortress Sacre Vox, the impregnable stronghold ruled by the famed warlord Karas-Thelossian."
"Impossible," said Peter. "The only man to ever defeat Tiberius Pendragon in battle? How extraordinary! What did you discover?"
"A great deal many things. And an old smithy where there were three rare Ellenanian Steel ingots. No weapons were found, sadly. Tiberius Pendragon saw to that after he starved Karas-Thelossian and his men to death in their fortress. But the library, my friends, was the real treasure. Hordes of information. Books with thousands of years of Embol-Norman history. Think of what we could learn from all that. However, that was not all they uncovered. Going farther into the ruins, the scholars found the lost treasure trove of Karas-Thelossian."
"Treasure trove, you say," Peter said greedily and rubbed his hands together. "What kind of treasure?"
"Gold. Mountains of it. The halls of treasure honey-combed into the mountains where the fortress was built. And to sweeten the pot, there were treasure maps detailing the location of more hidden troves filled with the spoils of Karas-Thelossian's campaign to conquer Emboldor. Naturally, the other lords of the Estate learned of this and wanted their share of the pie. Soon their greed turned into madness and before I knew it they were all gathering armies, marching to one another's holds, trying to take each other out for a bigger share. Two of the lords from the Houses of Colomy and Major have banded together to take me down. I did not want this, Master Yugi! So, Antilles devised a plan to get me out of this predicament."
"I don't like it when Antilles and the word 'plan' are used together," said Yami. "That combination usually leads to very devastating results."
"Dear, Yugi, have some compassion, please," said Peter. "The Hellgari Estates border close to the Kingslands. You don't want Yuri to come home and have to fix another civil war now, do you? Especially when he already has a confederacy to deal with down south."
"What does he plan to do?" Yami asked. "And no lies! I know how to detect a lie, so don't test me on this, Merthaw."
"No lies, Lord Yugi. He intends to marry my daughter with his nephew."
"Marriage. Another word I despise when it involves Antilles."
"Please, listen, Lord Yugi. If there was any other way, I would have turned to someone else. But you were nowhere to be found. Your mission with the boy has sadly blinded you to everything else going on in Termnnia. And as powerful and influential as you are, I doubt you can resolve all the problems in the world."
"Why does Antilles want your daughter to marry Ser Darrien?"
"To help reform the Hellgari Estates into one unified kingdom," Peter answered. "Our family holds two of the few remaining True Dragons in Termnnia. With my nephew, Darrien and his dragon, none will dare stand up against them. We do not need another long and expensive war on our hands, Yugi. Let us end this one before it goes completely out of control."
Yami closed his eyes and sighed. "I understand your goal, Merthaw. It's a very bold plan. A little too bold if you ask me. I agree that tensions in the Hellgari Estates have worried me over the years. Indeed if this conflict remains unresolved, it could lead to dire consequences. My only concern in this is what Antilles has to gain by marrying Ser Darrien to Alianore?"
"Absolutely nothing," Merthaw assured him. "Just the best interests of the country and Prince Yuri. Think of what will happen when the Estates are united, my lord. Ser Darrien promises a strong defense to guard the northwestern borders of Emboldor."
Yami tapped his fingers on the table. "I have no choice but to take your word for it. Good luck in bringing unity to the Estates. I do see great benefits in this."
He leaned toward Merthaw ominously. "But mark my words, Merthaw. If you double-cross me, my friends, Emboldor, or Prince Yuri, in any way, you will have a million Black Luster Soldiers at your doorstep. And what I promise...I fulfill."