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]

52. Treasures in the Depths

Joey

---

Castle Muto

The Storm Coasts, Emboldor.

---

"She's in Termnnian soil now," he said rolling up the scroll. "Her fate is now in the hands o' doze kids. Pegasus' sons sure did a great job scouting Termnnia fer da ruins, eh?"

Serenity gave a weak nod as a response, shoving a spoon of cornflakes into her mouth as she examined maps and scrolls littering the table where she sat. The wind howled on the window beside her. Above, a lantern waved back and forth providing light alongside the many candles and the warm blaze of the hearth nearby. Though it was early in the morning, the world outside was still dark as night. Down below, they heard music and laughter as Mai invited the villagers to take shelter inside the castle as the mighty storm outside was growing to be very powerful. Tornados could be seen ravaging the hills miles away from the castle and four of them were raging in the seas.

Joey sniffed the air and licked his lips. "I know dat sweet smell," he said. "Mai's making another batch of her sweet, delicious, corn cakes. Wanna head down and get some?"

Serenity gave another weak nod in response to his question. She ate more cornflakes. She crunched loudly, milk dripping down her chin. She and held up an ancient scroll detailing the lands around the Storm Coasts. She scratched her head and grunted. "I'm never going to figure this out."

"Figure what out?" Joey asked, turning to look at her. "What's wit all doze maps and scrolls. Ya been starin' at dem since Phoenix and the others left the castle."

Serenity tossed the map at the table in defeat. She irritably scooped up another spoonful of cornflakes and jammed it into her mouth. "I'm looking for something, Joey."

Joey rolled his eyes, pestered by the obviousness of that statement. He walked toward the table and picked up one of the maps. His eyes darted left and right as he studied the texts which were written in the language of the Neleneen. The Golden Elves. Joey threw the map back into the pile. "O' course yer not gonna find anything with deeze old relics. Serenity, deeze are maps made during the First Era. Look at dis. That's Arcraxia. Those lands were swallowed by the seas thousands and thousands of years ago."

"I know that," Serenity responded, rubbing her temples to calm herself. "But according to Grandpa Muto, we're standing near the border of Arcraxia. Meaning that the clue to this special item I'm looking for is somewhere out there." She pointed towards the Thundering Sea.

Joey let out a loud laugh that caused the candles on the table to flicker. "Ya gotta be kiddin' me, sis. Dere's no way yer gonna find anything in dat! To explore the Thundering Seas means certain death. Only a fool would do it."

Serenity chuckled. "Then it looks like I'm a fool. Ancient artifacts left behind by the Neleneen always wash up against the shores of this place. And, it's been proven that the ancient city of Fa-Labelda is just right over there. Yugi feels that way, too. Why else would you think he let us stay here in this castle?"

"No!" Joey yelled. "You are not gonna go into doze waters, sis. Look at dat. Doze waves are gonna crush yer boat. Smack 'em right into the rocks. I've seen it happen. Not only dat, doze twisters out there will blow you into the next world. And dere are sea monsters swimming down there. Sailors avoid these waters like they were gateways to the Shadow Realm. Which dey could be fer all I know."

Serenity sighed. "I figured you'd say that. Come on, Joey, this is really important."

Joey crossed his arms. "Yeah? And just what's so important that you need to risk yer own life to find it."

Serenity fumbled through piles of papers, maps, scrolls, and old letters until she finally found a sketch of the item she desired to find. When Joey saw it, his hands quivered. It was a pendant of exquisite design. Celtran craftsmanship without a doubt judging by the sheer beauty of the item. Joey's eyes flashed.

"Serenity? Ya can't be serious. Da Pendant of da Kings? That item died with Norman the Conqueror. Archeologists, mages, treasure hunters, even Da Seven Golden Kings searched for it. No one has been able to find it. What makes ya think you can?"

Serenity smiled confidently. "I'll find it because there is someone out there who is destined to have it."

"Yuri?" Joey asked. "What makes ya think Yuri can have Da Pendant of da Kings?"

"I feel it in my heart," Serenity said, picking up her bowl and drinking the last of the milk. It dripped down her chin and down her neck towards her chest. She groaned. Joey picked up a handkerchief laying on the back of a chair and tossed it at her. She cleaned herself and got up to put the bowl in the sink. "Our business here in the Storm Coasts is not done, yet," she said.

"Well, yer not gonna have me fer support," said Joey. "I can't help ya on dis quest. I'm needed over in the Coastlands of da west. We got ourselves a young rebel stirring up trouble down dere. And we gotta do somethin' about Antilles' closing of the Gates."

Serenity's calm demeanor faded. Her face turned bright pink. "That bastard. I'm more than sure he wants to keep Yuri off the throne."

"A lot of people believe dat," Joey said, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "But with a majority of the Senate on his side, there's not much we can do."

Serenity glared at the map on the table. She squeezed both the table's corners and let out a heavy breath to exhale all the frustrations making her chest feel heavy. "Yes, there is," she said coldly, looking at the sketching of the Pendant of the Kings. "You just wait and see."

---

Yuri

---

Central Island, Aquarius

Phobos Corp Dueling Grounds

For the past couple of games, an arrogant Duelist had been dominating the competition. He had his own groupies watching his matches from behind his Duel Pod. One of them was obnoxiously playing a song from his iPhone which was amplified on his speakers.

Hotel California performed by the Gypsy Kings.

It was probably his theme song. It fit him, for he was a fair-faced young man with Latino blood running in his veins. His deck box was made of black metal and decorated with jewels. He had long black hair tied into a ponytail. His skin was sun-kissed and his eyes were green like the emeralds around his neck clearly seen thanks to the open collar of his black shirt. The sleeves on his cards were gold with elegant designs.

His name was Arturo del Rio. El Halcón, meaning The Falcon, for he ran a Winged-Beast deck as Natalya did.

His poor opponent babbled in fear for his poor Wingweaver, a beautiful six-winged angel with an attack power of 2750. But, her power was useless, for she was confined in a trap card called Shadow Spell. It lowered her attack by 700 points. She was now at 2050, making her easy pickings for the arrogant Duelist's Punished Eagle.

He held up a Polymerization card and looked at Yuri and his friends. He had gold rings with large gems on each of his fingers. Yuri and his friends stared at him with a gaze as cold as a gargoyle's. The Duelist looked at Patty and then gave his card rapid licks with his tongue. Patty's eyes widened with rage.

The Duelist played Polymerization and gave Patty a wink fusing together his Blue-Winged Crown and Niwatori to create Punished Eagle. A giant bird almost as large as a small plane with sleek blue feathers, red eyes, and a beak of gold. There were red glowing runes on his head. His talons, razor sharp.

Punished Eagle

ATK/2100 DEF/1800

He commanded the bird to attack. Punished Eagle took off to the top of the arena and made a dive that destroyed Wingweaver. The attack brought the other Duelist's Life Points to 0.

Arturo's friends stood up and clapped for another victory. He danced around to the beat of the song. He then tossed a rose from his black leather jacket to Patty who caught it.

"Does he always carry one of those?" Yuri asked, finding it odd that he just had a rose in his buttoned shirt. Patty examined the rose with a raised eyebrow and a confused look on her face. She was not pleased with the gift Arturo tossed her. She looked down at him. Some girls from school were on the east side of the arena, clapping for the Duelist, who came here on holiday from his tropical homeland. Which one, Yuri did not know. Nor did he care. He looked away, turning his gaze toward the jumbotron hanging above the arena displaying the highlights of the Duel. Of course, that only added fuel to Arturo's ego.

Arturo walked to the group. He moved confidently and smoothly with gallant steps, giving off the impression that he was dancing towards them. Naturally, his eyes were set on Patty, who sat on the bleachers two rows above where Yuri, Nick, and Carter were sitting. She wore a white mini dress and her hair was styled to flow down past her shoulder like a river of pink and gold. The satin silk ribbon on her headband glimmered from the right side of her head. She wrinkled her nose, immediately suspecting that this Duelist was looking to stir up trouble with her friends.

"So, who's next?" he asked, slipping his hands into his pocket. He had a thick Cuban accent. But Yuri, being Spanish himself thanks to his mother, could tell the accent was forced. "I can't help but notice you lot being here all day. Anyone up for a match?" He looked up at Patty. He admired the butterfly hanging from the choker around her neck. Her electric green eyes were almost glowing in the fluorescent light of the arena. Most of all, he admired her long legs, smooth and soft as the petals of the rose he tossed her. Patty had a feeling he was looking between her legs and crossed them as quick as thinking. "And you, bonita? How about a Duel? You and me." He snapped his fingers. "Ah, now I remember. You're the girl with the fiends I heard so much about. Wanna go with me one-on-one? Let's see if your Diabolos dragon can stand up to my beautiful falcons. And then, when I defeat you, how about some lobster by the pier for dinner tonight?"

"Sorry, pal," said Carter, standing up and placing his hand on Yuri's shoulder. "But, you're out of luck. See this guy, right here? She's his girl. So you can forget about your dinner plans."

"Why do I find that hard to believe?" laughed Arturo. His group also laughed at Yuri. "Her...and him? You've got to be joking."

"Better believe it, buddy," Patty said from her spot. Patty ripped a petal from the rose with her teeth. She spat it out. "And, sorry, but I can't Duel right now. Didn't bring my deck today, hotshot. Though, I'm sure my boyfriend wouldn't mind taking you on."

"Thanks a lot," Yuri groaned, looking up at her.

At once, Arturo looked away from Patty and stared at Yuri. "Yuri did you say?" he said, stroking his chin. "Hmm, you're that pendejo with the Black Tyranno, no?"

"Andate pal carajo!" Yuri retorted as he sat straight up. The fighter he thought he left behind many years ago seemed to be returning. "Don't waste my time."

Nick backed away from Yuri and waved his hands. "Whoa, Yuri. I didn't know you had such a colorful knowledge of the Spanish language. Damn man."

"No, no, no, Yuri!" Arturo wagged his finger. He was clearly not phased by Yuri's insults. "You see, there is a rich Duelist out there paying big money to whoever takes you down in a Duel."

"How much we talkin'?" Patty asked, ripping off another petal.

Arturo sniggered and crossed his arms. "A million."

"Da-yum, Yuri," said Tyson. "I just might take you on for that."

Arturo then looked at the green glowing eye Yuri had. "Ah, it's true what they say about his eye. I must say, Yuri, it's a pretty thing to behold. How did you get it?"

"I don't know," said Yuri. He unzipped the smallest pocket of his backpack and took out his deck, now perfectly packaged in black sleeves. "We gonna play or what?"

Arturo nodded. "Indeed. Come on, let us Duel."

They took their positions. Arturo took the blue pod and Yuri took the red.

"Duel!" they both shouted.

Arturo-2000 LP

Yuri-2000 LP

"I shall let you start first," Arturo said, brushing a bang from his face.

"You sure about that?" Yuri sneered. "Uraby! Attack mode!"

His raptor snarled, coming onto the field.

"Impressive," said Arturo. "But he's not good enough for this. Go, Cyber Falcon!"

He summoned a robotic jet-powered hawk. The steel which made its body had a brilliant white finish and its talons were sharper than swords. It had bright red eyes like laser pointers.

Cyber Falcon

ATK/1400 DEF/1200

"He's bluffing," said Nick. "Yuri's Uraby can rip that robot-chicken to shreds with his powerful claws.

"You haven't learned a thing have you?" Layla Lovecraft commented as she came to the arena to join them. "You really think an opponent plays weaker monsters for nothing? You're not going to last long in future Duels with that attitude."

"What are you doing here?" Tyson asked.

"My old teammates are coming to visit," said Layla. "I've got to meet them at the airport in three hours. Thought I'd kill time coming to the new arena in town. Didn't think I'd find you guys here. Looks like I came just in time, seein' as how you're in a Duel. Yuri! Oh, I heard your sweet eighteen is in three weeks. Crystal's planning a big party for you."

"The biggest of the year," Patty added, tearing off another rose petal with her teeth.

"Don't remind me," Yuri groaned. "She's inviting half the island to it. I never even wanted a big party."

Layla clicked and gave a wink. "Come on, Yuri. It's not every day someone turns eighteen. It's the year of your independence. You gotta make it a night you'll never forget."

"Stop stalling!" Arturo shouted. "Make your move or forfeit the match! And you, cheerleader, back away, now!"

Layla wrinkled her nose and placed her knuckles on her hips. "Kick his ass, Yuri!"

"I think not, querida," said Arturo, angered that Layla's attention was drawn to Yuri instead of him. He looked at his hand and made a merry tune with his tongue. "It's still my turn. I play the Field Spell Card, Rising Air Current!" A powerful wind swirled around the field. The wind howled. Trash and other forms of debris swirled around in the air. "This card will boost the attack of all Wind monsters by five-hundred but their defense is lowered by four-hundred. Not that it matters, because their attack points are all I'm going to need. Behold!"

Cyber Falcon's attack rose to 1900. Nick swallowed his own words when he saw that boost in power. His face turned bright red. The Cyber Falcon soared toward Uraby and ripped him apart.

Yuri-1600 LP

Arturo-2000 LP

Arturo laughed and brushed his hands together as if cleaning dirt off them. "Your move, Yuri!"

Yuri drew his card. "I place two cards face down and summon Little D in defense mode."

"Little D?" laughed Arturo. "Remind you of anything?"

"Just go," said Yuri, ignoring his crude and insulting jest.

Arturo gave a nasty snigger. "With pleasure," he said. "For my next move, I summon Monstrous Bird in attack mode! Destroy his dinosaur with your mighty claws!"

An oversized bald eagle flew onto the field, giving out a cry for battle before it slashed Little D and destroyed him.

Monstrous Bird

ATK/2000 DEF/1900

"Nice card," said Patty.

"Glad you like it," said Arturo.

Patty clenched her teeth on another petal and ripped it off the rose. "So, you're one of the Dragon Sisters," she said to Layla. "I missed that Duel between you and Yuri last month. I heard he walloped you despite siking your best dragons on him."

"That he did," Layla said, leaning against the rail next to the cement steps. "And uh, you must be the fiend girl everyone's been buzzing about on social media. I saw a clip of your Duel with Randall Lawson. That Diabolos of yours is a real beast. Mind if you and I go one-on-one sometime. I'd like to see his power for myself."

Patty smiled and ripped another petal off the rose and spit it out. "Sure. I'd like that. Next time I bring my cards and you're around, I'll be ready."

"Sounds good to me," said Layla. "You're a hot one, Patty. Anyone ever tell you that?"

Patty rolled her eyes. "Only all the time. Why else would Yuri be dating me?" Nick cringed hearing those words, but nobody seemed to notice.

"Ah, so the Prince of Aquarius dating the Fiend Princess, I like that. You two are quite the match. Congratulations, Patty. You've got a future champion wrapped around your finger."

Patty smiled at that remark.

"What are you going to do, Yuri?" Arturo asked, confident his powered-up monsters would be enough to ensure a victory.

"I summon Anthrosaurus in defense mode. Then I activate the Spell Card, The Shallow Grave. This card will allow us to choose a monster from our Graveyards and play them in defense mode. Since you don't have any, you don't. Uraby, return!"

"Who cares," said Arturo. "More food for my birds. My turn. I play Pot of Greed. Now I draw two cards. Then I summon Wing Eagle!"

Wing Eagle

ATK/1800 DEF/1500

His birds screeched at Yuri. They were ready for an onslaught. Yuri grinned. "I activate my Trap Card, Zero Gravity!"

Arturo grunted. He fell for it. "What!" he cried.

"Oh-oh," said Layla. "This is goodbye, baby."

"What do you mean?" said Arturo.

"Your Rising Air Current lowers the defense of your monsters by four hundred points, remember?" said Tyson.

"So what?" said Arturo. "Even if one of my precious birds gets destroyed, I can still switch them back to attack next turn to finish Yuri off."

"Yawn," said Patty, she ripped off the last piece of the rose. "It's game over, pretty boy. If Yuri has what I think he has, there is going to be no next turn."

"It can't be!" said Arturo. "Black Tyranno? Already? No!"

Yuri chuckled and slapped his ace monster onto the field. The projectors whirred. Their lights glimmered. Black Tyranno was finally rendered. He reared up his head and let out a triumphant roar. Something about him made Arturo very uneasy. Just like Yuri, the right eye was glowing bright green. He felt something odd radiating from both him and the Black Tyranno. A bond. A powerful bond. Like the Black Tyranno in front of him was more than just a card. He was a piece of Yuri's soul. A piece of his heart. A very good friend. After the victories those two have pulled together, Arturo wasn't at all surprised that their bond would be so strong that even he could feel it.

"YEAH!" cheered Tyson. "The big, black, badass is here!"

"Now I activate my second face-down card," said Yuri. "Dust Tornado! This will destroy your Field Spell."

Arturo looked at his screen and back up at Yuri. "You could have done that a long time ago?"

"I wanted you to have your fun," sneered Yuri. "You're not as good as you think you are, bro."

"You mean you played me this whole time?" said Arturo. "You already had me beat? But that can't be! Nobody plays El Halcón. Nobody!"

"Yuri toying with his opponents?" said Layla, scratching her head. "That's something I haven't seen before. He sure has grown."

"That's my little guy," Patty said, tossing the stem away. "He used to be such a wuss when he played. But now, he Duels like a champ. Who am I kidding? With him defeating the likes of you and Randall. Layla, I just might be seeing a future champ in the making."

"What about me?" said Nick.

"What about you?" Patty said, watching Black Tyranno strike down Arturo's birds with his jaws and his tail. Then he stomped Arturo for 2600 points of damage, bringing him down to 0.

Patty ran to Yuri's both and buried her mouth into his as she gave Arturo the middle finger. He didn't care. He scoffed, fluffed his quaff hair and walked out of the arena. As everyone left, Yuri felt the area growing cold. He paused for a moment and looked around.

"Is everything okay, baby?" Patty asked, following the others out the door.

"Yeah...I uh...you go on ahead. I think I left something in the Dueling Pod."

Patty nodded. "Okay. I'll go warm up the car then."

Yuri searched his pocket for the concept key and tossed it at her. Patty caught it and blew him a kiss before walking out the door. She lifted her skirt to tease him. "Don't keep me waiting," she said seductively.

"Go on, you big joker, I'll be right there," Yuri chuckled. He waited for her to go before calling someone out. "I know you're there!" he called out. "Show yourself."

"Nice girl you got there," someone answered.

Yuri jumped, for he was not expecting anyone to answer. He turned around and saw a figure in red and black armored robes sitting on one of the seats in the arena. He had his arms stretched out and one leg crossed over the other. His face was concealed by a red-visored mask.

Yuri kept his chin up and said: "Nice costume, dork. Who the hell are you? A Rare Hunter?"

"No," the masked figure responded. "I'm not. Nor am I here to Duel you or anything. You're getting better at the game. My congratulations. Your Black Tyranno sure is something."

"You're not looking to take him, are you?"

"No. Whether he's in my hands or not doesn't matter. We've got bigger plans for you. I have a message from your old pal Bakura, though."

Yuri felt even colder when he heard that name. "Bakura? No...I thought..."

"What? That he was some figment of your imagination? No, kid. If you think all this talk about kings, Rare Hunters, and other worlds is bullshit, you have been even more brainwashed than I thought."

"What are you talking about?"

"Bakura did everything in his power to make you stronger. And when he did, he worked hard to make sure that darkness clouded your mind from the memories trying to claw their way back into your brain. I know you've been seeing some pretty fucked up things in your nightmares. You dream about worse things than Dueling some pointy-haired cartoon character. You dream of monsters slaughtering civilians. A city burning."

"How do you know?"

"I know because I know all about you Prince Daveed Delgado of House Wallcroft. I know you're not supposed to be here, but Bakura doesn't want any harm to come to you. It seems he's grown to care for you. Maybe even love you. Hmph. Didn't think he was capable of that."

"What does he want?"

"He wants you to remain here no matter what. Do that and no harm will come to you. Or your friends. You've got a nice life here, kid. You're the heir to a trillion dollars, you're gonna own this island, that company, and you've got a sweet girl with a big, juicy, ass and nice tits. Heh, heh, heh, heh."

Yuri balled his fists.

"Anyways, I'm jealous of you. As I said, you've got it made in this world. Don't throw this life away because Yami wants you to wear a crown for the sake of destiny. Promise to stay here and I swear I'll tell Marik and the Rare Hunters to leave you alone. However, listen to Yami any longer, and we will have no choice but to terminate you. You wouldn't want that, would you? If anything does happen to you, I promise I'll treat Patty well."

"YOU BASTARD!" Yuri ran up the stairs to beat him up. But when he got there, the masked figure was gone.

---

Serenity

---

As soon as she opened the doors to the docks, she was blasted by fierce winds coming from the sea. The palm trees in the gardens bent toward the east and their emerald green palms swished as they brushed against one another. The flowers in the hedges danced and the lanterns hanging from posts swayed back and forth. The sky was not a shade of dull gold, meaning the cloud layers above were thin enough for some sunlight. Despite this, the tornados in the waters far off in the distance still twirled at full power. Streaks of lightning flashed in the ashy-black background behind them.

Serenity, donning a set of leather gear with her sword strapped to her hip, looked at the docks below and saw the submarine Mai promised her had arrived. Mai was already down there talking to the captain; an Eldori woman in a racy Naval uniform. Long, angelic, curly, teal hair went down to her back with streaks of white on the back and lightning bolt-shaped bangs waving over her face. Her skin was pale and her eyes were as blue as the seas during the calm. She saw Serenity and pointed at her, letting Mai know she had arrived.

"Serenity!" Mai called over the wind and a loud clap of thunder. "Come on, baby, I'd like you to meet Captain Emerald de Bourbon. She's going to to be our pilot."

"Is she up for the task?" Serenity said, walking down the last of the steps.

Captain Emerald chuckled to hide the fact her pride was just jabbed. She knew Serenity was doubting her skills as a naval captain. She studied the girl from head to toe, wondering how someone so frail, so timid, so cute, could have ever reached the ranks of elite warriors such as the Silver Paladins.

Serenity stopped about five feet from the raunchy-looking captain and placed her hands on her hips. The pouches around her waist and thighs bounced and clamored with each movement she made. Serenity tilted her head to the side, eyes squinted to show she was unimpressed with how unprofessional the woman looked. She looked more like a model going to shoot photos for a Naval calendar than a captain with enough experience to navigate the harsh waters of the Stormy Sea making her wonder if the woman had any modesty. "So," Serenity said, at last, staring in the woman's oceanic-blue eyes. "You're from the House of Bourbon, huh? The Uraby sigil on your jacket. He's in flames. Why?"

"I'm from a new branch of the House," said Emerald. "The Bourbons of Mt. Lagos. We found a living off the obsidian that is found on the mountain. But, I was a little adventurous and decided to join the Emboldorian Navy. I have fought in great battles including the recent War of the Golden Summer. I was also the one responsible for destroying much of Captain Red-Eyes fleet in The Battle of the Kaminari Isles."

Serenity raised an eyebrow, showing she was impressed. "The Kaminari Isles, huh? I heard about that. I can't imagine a ship battle during a violent lightning storm."

"Well, it's a piece of cake when you're driving a submersible," Emerald replied, her breast bouncing awkwardly in the confines of her cerulean corset as she placed her hands on her hips and shifted to the right.

"I've known Emerald for years," said Mai. "If there's anyone who can take us through those waters, it's her. Emerald has been known as The Storm Queen because she's famous for piloting her sub in the roughest of waters."

"And the waters of the Stormy Seas will be the ultimate test of my skills," Emerald added, plopping a mint into her mouth from a pouch strapped to her calf. "However, choppy waters should be the least of our worries. I heard a large assortment of the worst and most powerful sea serpents in all Termnnia live down there. But it's nothing my baby can't handle, so long as you girls are good shots on the turrets."

"We'll do our best," said Mai. "Serenity, what do you think?"

"I think she needs a little more modesty when it comes to clothes," she answered strictly. "But lucky for you, we're not going on to a fashion show. If your skills are as good as you claim they are, then you got the job. The payment for this venture is ten-thousand in gold. Another five-thousand if we make it back with my lunch intact, and another five-thousand for getting us back alive."

"Ah," Emerald said, stroking her chin. Twenty-thousand? All right, My Lady, you've got yourself a deal. When shall we begin?"

"Anytime is good," Téa said, rushing out of the castle in her leather armor. "I got word from the castle's Master of Weather that the currents are getting weaker and those twisters should be vanishing any moment now."

"How long?" Emerald asked.

"About an hour," Téa replied.

"An hour, huh?" said Emerald, putting a finger to her shiny, red, lips. "Mai, darling, it's been far too long. How about a Duel to keep us entertained until the weather dies down?"

Mai smirked and crossed her arms over her chest. "And here I thought you wanted a challenge."

"I'm more than up for it," Emerald replied, brushing away a lock hair off her face. "But I could use that extra five-thousand gold for keeping Serenity's lunch in her belly. And I've always wanted to Duel you ever since I've seen you dominate the Pro Leagues in Domino City." A gem on her brooch glowed and then a beam of light shot out of it and arched toward her wrist forming a brass Duel Disk crafted to look like a sexton.

Mai's smile broadened as her necklace also glowed with radiant light. In a flash, her Duel Disk appeared on her wrist. "Let's do this. It's been too long since I had a good Duel."

LP 8000

"I'll go first," Emerald said, drawing her card and adding to her five-card hand. "Now, let's see here. Ah, this will do. I set two cards face-down and set a monster in Defense Mode. Your turn, honey bunny."

"You were always such a flirt," Mai laughed. "Draw!" She examined her hand. "Oh, I am just too good. I summon Harpie Channeler in attack mode!"

ATK/1400 DEF/1300

LV 4

"Now, her effect activates! I discard a Harpie card from my hand and then..."

"Hold on!" shouted Emerald. "I activate my Trap Card, World Legacy Pawns! With this card, I can flip my face-down monster face-up. Say hello to Krawler Spine!" (ATK/300 DEF/2100 LV 2) The card flipped and revealed a mechanical orb with four sharp legs and a red glowing eye at the center of the orb. Its body was made of polished brass and strange appendages swayed in the stormy winds.

Mai chuckled. "Well, it didn't negate my monster's effect. So like I was saying, Harpie Channeler allows me to discard a Harpie card from my hand and Special Summon another Harpie from my deck in face-up defense position. Say hello to the lovely, Harpie Dancer!" (ATK/1200 DEF/1000 LV 4)

Krawler Spine started whirring and stamping its legs. "Huh?" Mai gasped. "What's going on? What's it doing?"

"When it's flipped over," Emerald explained, "Krawler Spine allows me to destroy one monster on the field. Your dancer is a pretty thing. Too bad she won't be around for long. Fire!"

Krawler Spine shot a red laser from its eye. But Mai was too quick for it. "No, you're not!" she said. "From my hand, I activate the Trap Card, Harpie's Feather Storm! This card cancels out your monster's effect, so my Harpie Dancer is safe."

A cloud of feathers flew around Krawler Spine. It beeped and whirred as its laser died down.

"Wait a minute!" cried Emerald. "How can you activate a Trap Card from your hand?"

Mai burst out laughing. "If there is a Harpie on my side of the field, I can activate this card from my hand. So read it an weep, baby!"

Emerald regained her composure and stood up straight, grinning. "Well, what I deserve for underestimating you. But, I assure you, this won't happen again!"

"Humph," said Mai. "Well, I'll just activate my Harpie Dancer's effect which..."

"Don't think so," Emerald interrupted her. "I activate my Trap Card, World Legacy Mind Meld. This will change your Harpie's effect, forcing her to instead send my Krawler back to my hand."

"Why would you do that, I wonder," said Mai. "I set this Spell Card face down. Now, you're in for a world of hurt, Captain. Because I think it's time for an Xyz Summon!" In front of Mai's feet, The Overlay Network opened. Harpie Channeler and Harpie Dancer transformed into beams of light and were sucked in. Mai snapped her fingers and said: "I Overlay my two Harpies to become the all-powerful Tornado Dragon!"

A twister formed behind Mai, causing her clothes and hair to flap violently. The twister towered hundreds of feet into the sky and then grew arms, legs, a tail, and a head with red glowing eyes. Its wings were F-5s funnels, while the limbs were F-4s. The roar it made was like the sound of a hundred tornados bellowing at once.

Tornado Dragon

ATK/2100 DEF/2000

Rank 4

"Mai!" Téa screamed over the howling winds. "That's one big dragon you've got there!"

"Damn right, he is!" Mai shouted over the wind of her beast. "And I'll use his effect, by removing an Xyz Material from him, I can destroy a face-down card on the field. Like My Spell Card!" Tornado Dragon conjured more wind and destroyed the card, shattering it like glass. Mai let out another hearty laugh. "And since you're wide open, I will attack you directly!"

Tornado Dragon slammed its left arm down on Emerald. The fierce gales shredded her inside. The dragon decided that enough was enough and raised its arm up, leaving Emerald battered and gasping for air.

Mai - 8000 LP

Emerald - 5900 LP

"To end my turn," said Mai. "I will activate the effect of my Harpie Harpist. I'll add a monster with fifteen-hundred points to my hand. And now for my Spell Card. Hysteric Sign. When this card is destroyed, I'm allowed to add three Harpie cards from my deck to my hand. Your turn, hun."

"My turn," Emerald said, still shaken by the immense dragon's attack. "I draw. I got you now, Mai. I set a monster face-down and set this card."

Mai winked. "I hope that face-down isn't a surprise for me. I will remove and Xyz Material from my Tornado Dragon and blow it away!"

Mai took out the last card stacked under her Tornado Dragon, triggering the effect. Tornado Dragon released a gust of wind. Emerald then activated the effect of her World Legacy Pawns trap. With it, she flipped her face-down monster face-up. To Mai's chagrin, it was a Krawler Spine, and when it was flipped face-up, it could destroy a monster. The mechanical crab-like creature whirred and shot a laser at the dragon's heart. Tornado Dragon gave out a painful screech. The tornados that made its body dwindled until they became nothing more than a breeze that blew away toward the sea.

Serenity cried out in shock, amazed to see such a powerful creature get destroyed so quickly and so easily. Téa grunted as the wind died down, also speechless at the fact that Mai's dragon was gone.

"I end my turn," said Emerald.

"You'll pay for that, hun," Mai said with a smirk, as she pulled the top card off her deck. "I just got that Tornado Dragon the other day and I was just getting the hang of it. No matter, my Harpies are the real stars of this deck. And they're going to bring more hurt than that dragon you destroyed."

"You're bluffing," said Emerald. "I saw how Yugi trounced you at Duelist Kingdom and Marik did the same in Battle City. Except for your Harpie's Pet Dragon, you've got nothing else left in your deck to make me worry."

"Wanna bet?" Mai cried out, infuriated that her past losses had to have been brought up, especially the one to Marik which left her in depression for many, many years. "I summon Harpie Channeler in attack mode! Then I'll discard a Harpie from my hand to activate her effect which..."

"I'll activate my Trap Card," Emerald interrupted. "World Legacy Mind Meld. Now your Harpie's Effect changes, forcing my Krawler Spine to return to my hand."

"Your Krawler is back, but my Harpie's effect will continue on," Mai said, blowing her a kiss. "I've got myself another Harpies' Feather Storm in my hand nulling out your monster's effect."

Emerald narrowed her eyes and breathed out of her nose. The Duel was fun at first, knowing she would at least hold her own against the former champion. But Mai's new arsenal of rare and powerful Harpie cards was keeping her on the ropes. She was losing, and badly. She started to grow frustrated because no matter what she did, Mai seemed to have a counter for it.

Mai set a card face-down and attacked Emerald directly, dealing 1400 points of damage to her Life Points. Now. Emerald stood with a mere 4500 Life Points, and Mai still stood strong at a full 8000. This was not going out how she planned. Mai ended her turn. Emerald placed her fingers on the top of her deck, realizing that it was now or never with this next draw. She set a monster face-down and ended her turn.

"I summon Harpie Perfumer!" Mai said, summoning a beautiful new Harpie who graced the air with a sweet smell of flowers and fruits as she flapped her jade-colored wings (ATK/1400 DEF/1300 LV 4). Mai triggered her Perfumer's effect, which let her add an Elegant Egotist Spell from her deck to her hand. Wasting no time, she activated it, and Special Summoned her beloved Harpie Lady Sisters to the field (ATK/1950 DEF/2100 LV 6). Then - because she had a LV 5 or higher Harpie monster on the field - she Special Summoned Harpie Oracle (ATK/1300 DEF/1400 LV 4) and the Overlayed it with Harpie Pefumer to become the Xyz monster, Lightning Chidori, a monstrous bird made entirely out of lightning.

Lightning Chidori

ATK/1900 DEF/1600

RANK 4

"This is not good," Emerald said, realizing Mai had enough monsters to wipe her out.

"No, it's not!" Mai said, making a sassy pose as she stuck an arrogant finger in the air. "I remove an Xyz Material from my Chidori and send that face-down monster back to your hand."

Lightning Chidori flapped its flashing, electric wings and conjured up a funnel of lightning that sent the face-down card off the field and back to Emerald's hand. Mai attacked directly with Harpie Lady Sisters, and then activated her Trap Card, The Elegant Harpie Lady, which traded Harpie Lady Sisters for the Harpie Queen (ATK/1900), a Harpie Perfumer, and a Harpie Dancer. Mai forced all her monster to attack, knocking Emerald on her back. She grunted and skid a few feet as her Life Points went to 0.

Téa and Serenity clapped from the steps overlooking the docks.

"Way to go, Mai!" Téa cried out.

Mai blew her friends a kiss and her Duel Disk faded, turning back into the flower necklace. She looked at Emerald, trying to get back up on her feet. "Krawlers are good," Mai said to her. "They should have kept me on the ropes in that Duel. You sure you know how to use them, hun?"

"I can still learn," Emerald said, rubbing her back before standing back up. "I'll get you next time. You can count on it."

"Yeah, that's what they all say," said Mai. "Now, enough playing around. The currents should be calmer now, so let's take advantage of them while we still can. Emerald, it's time we cast off, don't you think."

"Aye, aye, Mai!" Emerald said with a salute. "Ladies, pack what you need, and make it fast. Even with my skills, we're going to be in for a bumpy ride."

---

Crystal

---

WHACK!

Layla spiked the volleyball as hard as she could to the side of her two former teammates of Brett's Dragon Sisters. She picked them up earlier from the airport and they decided to play at the beach and Duel at the pier later that night before going to the clubs and celebrate Layla's birthday.

Ashley Remington, a tough girl from a ranch in Texas, missed the ball and fell into the sand with a splat. Her straw hat falling off her head. "Yeowch!" she cried, keeping her chin up so her lips could avoid the sand. The miss earned Layla a point for her team, at least if she had one, for Crystal was sitting alone under the shade of a palm tree clad with a snowy-white bikini with a gold chain around her waist with a diamond at the end of the chain in the shape of a teardrop.

She licked her finger and turned the page of Duel Magazine with Yuri posing on the cover with his Black Tyranno. She smiled, marveling at the rollercoaster that was Yuri's life. Not too long ago, something seemed to have possessed Yuri to gain either the bravery - or stupidity - to fight in the mafia's underground fight clubs. Not for money, but for the sake of hurting people. What scared her was that he was good at it, especially for one so young. She remembered Brett dragging her to the basement of one of his uncle's clubs where an underground octagon stood at the center of an arena big enough to house a hundred people. She remembered the blood. So much blood. All those men hurting each other. And Brett was cheering as though he were watching a common baseball game.

She would never forget the sight of Yuri coming out of the darkness. His body looked as though it had been pumped with iron. She recalled seeing him at the gym a few times training with Sergei's son, but never to the point where he would look the way he did. He had scars on his body. His eyes, even the glowing green one, were as cold as stone in winter. She cried out to him, but he marched for the cage like a man possessed and beat his opponent senseless. Even Brett was scared of him. The look of horror on his face was one she would never forget.

As Yuri walked out, she tried calling out to him again, but he kept on walking. Suddenly, he stopped and looked back at her. That stare. Even though it was but a second, she would never forget that grim stare. It was as though the boy walking out of the cage was not Yuri. But a monster. Some called her crazy, but she knew she saw a mark burning on his forehead like molten gold. An eye. An Egyptian eye, like the Wdjat that the Pharaohs of the ancient days once proudly wore.

And then, all of a sudden, during the summer before his senior year, Yuri became what his name meant. Lilly flower; for he suddenly became timid and gentle just as he always was.

A steel drum band played on a wooden stage with suitcases open, eager for paying bystanders on the beach of the central island, home of Aquarius' once percent.

"Woo!" cheered Layla, jumping up and down with her hands in the air. "One more for me."

"Matchpoint," said Shayla Chang, but she was often called Shy because of her Gamertag, PinkDragon_Shy. She watched the game from her lounge chair. A lotus flower was tucked in her jet-black hair which was long enough to brush against the upper region of her buttocks. "Come on, Blue Team pick it up. You were talking a big game earlier. This is downright embarrassing."

"Aw, hell, she's walloping us all by lonesome," said Margery Page, picking up the silver volleyball. Her swimsuit designed with the flag of the United Kingdom where she was from.

"It's good to be together again, ladies," Ashley said, getting up from the ground and brushing sand off her thighs. "Crystal, come on, suga, don't jist sit there all day. Kate and I came a long way just to see you."

"See her, or that Black Tyranno her friend is packing?" Layla asked, adjusting her white midriff top which she wore over her pink and white bikini. Her hot-pink headphones around her neck.

"Both," said Margery. She removed her cap and wiped the sweat off her brow. "Is something bothering her? I have never seen my Crystal act so sad before."

"Crystal!" Ashley called. Crystal looked up. "Come on, baby, yer missin' all the fun."

"Sorry," Crystal said, getting up from her seat. She walked out of the shade of the palm tree and into the blazing sun. She could already feel sweat dripping out of every pore in her body and her skin was seared in the heat of the sun's light until a gentle breeze rushed in from the ocean and cooled her down. "It's good to see you guys again. It's been a while."

"You sure it's good to see us again?" Margery asked, puffing up her chest and showing her abs in the sun. "We've been here for hours and you haven't said a word. I know the only reason we're down here is because of Yuri's party, but I wouldn't have come if it weren't for you. I have no business with Phobo's heir. Is everything all right?"

Crystal looked down at her feet, admiring her baby blue toenails before she buried them in the sand. She locked her arms behind her back and cleared her throat. "Sorry, girls. A lot of cool things have been happening lately. My friend, Yuri, he's gotten really good lately. And ever since, a lot of weird things have been happening around here."

Shayla nodded. "Yeah, well, I don't know about these 'strange things' you're talking about, but I do know we might have a future champ on our hands." She put her hand on her hip and leaned to the left. "With a beast like Black Tyranno how could he not? He better enjoy that advantage while he can, because, with the new rules in place, Black Tyranno is going to be harder to summon and keep out. There are a lot of cards out now that make him look like Little D. By the way, Yuri, is he single?"

"Not anymore," Ashley replied, squeezing Gatorade from her bottle into her mouth. She wiped her chin with her forearm. "I heard in the news that he's going out with some girl named Pamela. Or Patty. I heard she's really good."

Crystal gave a nod to confirm that. "She is. But what is all this talk about new rules? I hope it doesn't mean anything bad for Yuri."

"I know Yuri will find a way," said Shayla. She looked toward the horizon, admiring some of the guard towers far out into the sea. "Oh, who are they?"

They were suddenly approached by a group of young men. "Hi, there!" one of them said waving at them in a friendly manner. "You lovely ladies wouldn't by any chance be those sisters from the Tag Team tournament, would you?"

"We're all guilty as charged," Ashley said, bouncing the ball on her hand.

The boy smiled. "Darn pleased to meet you. I've got to say this is really exciting."

"And who are you?" Ashley asked.

"Hey! I know you," said Crystal with a bright smile on her face. "You're Logan Fischer, that pop singer. We had dinner with Brett at the Duel Monsters invitational tournament in Los Angeles a few years ago. How's it been?"

"Not bad," said Logan. "I was hoping your friend Yuri would be here, but it looks like he's not."

"He's at an associates meeting in the card shop," said Crystal.

Logan scratched his head. "The son of the world's only trillionaire and he's working as a sales associate at the card shop?"

Crystal shrugged. "His father is a strict man when it comes to money. If Yuri wants cash, he has to earn it. Let's just leave it at that, Logan."

Logan shrugged while some of his friends Ooohed and laughed at the terms Yuri had to live with. "Well, I'm not at all surprised. Jacob Montgomery is a serious man of business. He would be one to take money seriously."

"Is there anything else can we help you with?" asked Margery.

"We couldn't help but see you playing volleyball from our hotel room," said Logan's little brother, a seventeen-year-old named Randy. "Mind if we join you? It could make for some good headlines."

"I don't see why not," said Layla. "My partner (She looked at Crystal) feels like moping on this sunny day. And our girl, Shy, is not a fan of sports." Crystal rolled her eyes irritably.

"Archery is a sport," Shayla corrected her, tossing some hair off her shoulder, for it was tickling her neck awfully. "Not my fault you don't have the arm strength for it." Her comment caused the boys in front of her to snigger. Shy felt as though any moment a crude joke would escape them. She narrowed her eyes at them and wrinkled her nose while tapping her foot on the sand to show them she knew what they were thinking. Some backed away. Others laughed, but they said nothing and left her be. If she did have 'arm strength' as she claimed, no doubt she would knock them out with a well-placed punch. That they did not want to test. For a girl so slender and so fragile-looking, Shy was remarkably well built and strong.

"How about we have a round of Duel Monsters instead?" Logan asked, looking around at the girls. He felt his spirits rise when smiles formed on each of their beautiful faces. He felt like a conquering hero when he saw that he made them grin and show content with his idea. Crystal and her friends looked at each other and started nodding.

"Sounds even better," Layla replied with a cocky grin. "I say you're on, Logan. Count me in on some games. Volleyball was getting boring. I'm up for some monster versus monster action."

"I'm in!" said Crystal, running down towards them, her deck in hand after she dug it out of her purse.

"Shoot," said Ashley, realizing the slots were already filled. And she guessed that Crystal was going to be playing the first game, considering who she was and how almost everyone wanted to play her first. "Looks like we get next game."

"Aw, don't fret, baby girl," said a tall African American with gold short-cropped hair named Malcolm. He shook hands with them and introduced himself politely. He was very friendly; a big, white smile forever curved on his face. A chuckle or two came out of him every few seconds, for he was a youngster who was always pleased and found joy in every moment of the day. Ashely felt like she wanted to play him already, for she fell in love with his radiance and cheer which almost formed a gold, warm, aura around him. "Me and my homie here will take you both on," he said, his voice high-pitched despite being twenty. "I just got me a new Water deck and I intend to use it."

"Ya, let's git dis dool started, ladies!" said dark-skinned, energetic fellow from Jamaica. His name was Jamal. He showed off his platinum Duel Disk, engraved on the surface and studded with diamonds. He gave a little dance which the girls found funny. Their laughter felt like payment for him. He was also quite a cheerful fellow. The way he moved and talked just gave Crystal and her friends the urge to want to get to know him. "Iz gonna be a great match, ya?"

"Woo, sounds good to me," said Margery.

"I call next game then," said Shayla.

"No need," said the African American. "Let's make this a six-man tag match. My buddy, James, will join you."

"Me?" asked the blond young boy. "Okay, you got it. I spent fifty bucks on this deck and I'm going to use it."

"I really like you guys," said Shayla, reaching into her duffle bag and taking out an oriental styled Duel Disk. Logan got one of his friends to remove his backpack. Inside was his golden, jewel-encrusted, Duel Disk. His little brother had one as well.

"The Fisher Brothers versus two of the legendary Dragon Sisters," said Logan. "This is going straight to my blog." He took out his phone and held it high. He waved to it as he lifted it higher and higher so he could get Crystal and Layla into view. They waved hello and cheered. Randy came into view and hollered with excitement, for this was his first Duel.

The Duelists got in place and the matches began. As they were choosing how to set the turns, a man sitting by a table on a deck overlooking the beach chuckled greedily as he typed away at his laptop with one hand and held a cup of tea in the other. He was hooded and cloaked in black despite the heat. The umbrella above him shaded him from the sun but did little to quell the humidity. But the man was cold in nature. So cold, that he was not bothered by the heat one bit. He didn't even sweat, he just sat there, sipping his tea and chuckling.

"These Duelists have very rare cards indeed," said he. "Quite the collection. But, the question is, which one of their rare cards do I acquire first?"

Layla and Crystal's Duels went first, while their friends and their opponents figured out what order they should go in.

"You first," said Logan. "Then it will go to me. Then to Layla, then to my little bro. Nobody attacks until we've all had our first turn. If your partner loses all their Life Points, you lose too."

"Sound fair," said Crystal. "Draw. I summon Hyozanryu in defense mode! I place one card face down and end my turn." A dragon made of diamond rose out of the sand, giving off a mighty roar. The sun's light reflected off his body making Crystal glow with an angelic brilliance. Logan and Randy huddled together, squealing with both awe and lust. Randy put his fingers over his lips, giving off the impression that he was biting his nails. The dragon stood fifteen-feet tall with a wingspan of ten. It's diamond body gave of rainbow hues. The horns and claws were made of gold and it had an orange underbelly.

Hyozanryu

ATK/2100 DEF/2800

"Well," said Randy, taking a moment to admire the realism and beauty of the holographic dragon Crystal summoned. "I heard diamonds where a girl's best friend, but this is ridiculous. Look at that thing. And his defense points. How are we going to get past that thing?"

Crystal put a hand to her hip and smirked defiantly at Randy, for she felt sure that nothing would get past her beast. "Very simple," she said. "You won't. Logan, I believe that was the end of my turn. Your go."

"Okay, my turn," said Logan. He drew his first card from the top of his deck and added it to his hand. "Hmm, this'll do. I summon Steel Fan Fighter in attack mode!"

Steel Fan Fighter

ATK/2200 DEF/1850

"I never heard of that card before," Layla said examining the man in the blue oriental robes. He had fans of sharp steel etched with a dragon on them. He waved them gracefully.

Logan felt very proud of his monster. He put both knuckles to his hips like he was a superhero. "He's an exclusive promo card, one of many given out to Duelists who attended a special event and bought the Game Boy game, Dark Duel Stories."

"Game boy?" said Layla. She raised an eyebrow and chuckled. Even from where she was, she could see the card was very old. There were a few creases on the corner, caused during the days when Logan was a little carless with his cards. The once vanilla surface had turned a dull shade of chewing tobacco. But despite that, the card seemed to be in pretty good condition. "Shit," said Layla, "that card must be ancient."

"He is," Logan said, holding up the card. The hologram disappeared. He brought the card to his lips and kissed it before slapping it back to the Duel Disk, summoning him back. "He's really old, but he's never let me down before. I place this card face down and end my turn. Your go, Layla."

"If you insist," said Layla, drawing her first card. "I play two cards face down and summon Gravi-Crush Dragon in attack mode!"

She summoned a giant dragon with dark green flesh. Veins bulged on his thick, muscular arms and his fists were as large as wrecking balls.

Gravi-Crush Dragon

ATK/2400 DEF/1200

"Uh, bro!" called Randy, feeling his legs wobbling, giving way as his eyes beheld the massive creature Layla played. "That thing is huge, dude! We're not going to win this. I mean, it's only their first turns and they already summoned two, powerful dragons. I've got nothing in my hand that can stand up to them." Normally, someone wouldn't overreact when their opponent played strong monsters in a Duel. But for Randy, and a great deal many people, Dueling with holograms was a whole, new experience. The technology in the machine clasped around his wrist created images of monsters that were awfully realistic. They weren't clunky-looking with their bodies exploding with unclean polygons, or flat, colorful surfaces.

No, Randy could see the scales on the dragon's body. He could hear it breathing and snarling. It whipped its tail. The Duel Disk was so accurate, he could see curtains of sand being tossed around as he swung his tail. Hyozanryu as well. The detail in him as nothing short of frightening. His wings were so clear, he could see the ocean, the beach, and the swimmers behind him.

"Oh, shit, bro. You sure those aren't real?" Randy moaned. He wanted to quit. These Phobos Corp holograms were unlike anything he had ever seen or ever wanted to see again.

Logan slapped him gently in the air. "Stay calm, little bro, remember what I taught you. Stay with me now. If we both aren't in the game, we've already lost."

"Okay," said Randy. "Geeze, I'm so nervous."

"Aw, why's that?" asked Crystal. "First time playing with holograms?"

"That, and my first opponents are two beautiful bikini-clad girls."

Crystal, Layla, and Logan laughed at his remark. Randy beamed, feeling warm to the core knowing he made his older brother and his two gorgeous opponents laugh. His day could not get any better than this. Lively tropical music playing in the background. White sand beaches as far as the eye could see. An azure ocean in the distance mixing with the light blue sky with fluffy white clouds. The sun cast just the right amount of heat to be comfortable and the warmth mixed with the cool and gentle ocean breeze made him feel fresh inside. To top it all off he was having his first Duel against two of the legendary Sensational Dragon Sisters.

"My turn, right?" Randy asked.

"That's right," said Layla.

"Okay, uh..." He struggled. He had a good assortment of monsters and spells, but he didn't know how the devil to use them. His face went bright red, for he felt rather stupid standing there wondering what to do when both his opponents played their cards with certainty and fluidity. They knew what to play and how to play them.

"Deep breaths, deep breaths, honey," said Crystal.

Randy nodded back at her, and thank her for her cheerleading. "I summon, Gate Sword in defense mode!"

He summoned another Dark Duel Stories monster. A large sword with a red cape.

Gate Sword

ATK/1800 DEF/1950

"And I place two cards face down." He said, placing them in the slot nervously. "Is that good?"

"Good," said Crystal. "Very good."

Meanwhile, the six-man tag Duel began. Shayla was starting the game first. "I summon, Yamatano Dragon Scroll in defense mode!" she cried out, summoning an ancient scroll with the bronze handles in the shape of a dragon's head. They undid themselves and took the form of a serpentine-dragon. The red paper of the scroll - which made the body- undulated as it hovered in the air. The bronze handles made the head and tail of the dragon

Yamatano Dragon Scroll

ATK/900 DEF/300

"Your move, Malcolm," said Shayla.

Malcolm clapped and rubbed his hands together, drawing out his six cards. "Aight, sounds good to me. I'll call on my boy, Aqua Madoor, in defense mode to guard my Life Points. Your move, Remington!"

Aqua Madoor

ATK/1200 DEF/2000

"A defense of two-thousand?" said Ashley, drawing her card. "Not bad, it'll be a little hard to chip at your Life Points. I summon Horus the Black Flame Dragon Level 4."

The monster she summoned resembled a falcon made of glimmering silver steel. It spread its wings and gave out a metallic cry. It's burning, red, eyes flashed at his master's opponents as if warning them of a hidden power locked inside of him.

Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV 4

ATK/1600 DEF/1000

"Level? It must be one of those cards that rank up," said Jamal's partner, James. "Boys, we gotta take that thing out before she makes it evolve."

"Hey, Margery !" shouted Malcolm. "Let's put a shrimp on the barbie!"

Margery narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms over her busty chest. "Wrong country, idiot!"

"She's from the U.K, suga," said Ashley. She looked at Margery who was tapping her fingers over her biceps. The wind blew her reddish-brown hair in the wind and her necklace jingled.

"Ey, Malcolm," said Jamal, seeing how offended Margery was. He punched him in the arm as chastisement. He wanted to have fun with the Sisters, not have them furious with them. He hoped he could calm them down and apologized to Margery. Then he looked back at Malcolm. "'Ow can ya screw dat up, man?"

Malcolm looked at her and rubbed the back of his head. But he was no apologetic for his actions. "Oh, well then, Pip-pip! Talley-ho! Crumpets!"

"Useless wanker," said Margery.

Everyone laughed.

"I'm just kidding around, Margery," said Malcolm.

"Oh really?" Margery said, almost in a yell. "I couldn't tell. See, I'm not laughing." She pointed at her face.

"Don't mess with her, dude," said Shayla. "Aside from Dueling, Kate's a mixed martial artist. Keep pushing her buttons and this Duel is going to turn into a cage match."

"Uh...sorry."

"No more, joking," said James. "Let's take them out, fellas!"

"Give it yer best shot, suga!" Ashley said slapping her thighs to taunt him. "I place, two cards face down. It's yer turn, James."

"Okay, let's see what I can cook up. I place two cards face down and summon Hyo in defense mode."

He summoned a muscular man with blue flesh and long green hair wearing brown pants and a green sash wrapped around his waist.

Hyo

ATK/800 DEF/1200

"Your move, girl!"

"I draw," said Margery.

"Do you work out girl?" Malcolm asked, bearing a wide smile that revealed his white teeth. "You got some serious abs on ya. Not to mention you're thicc!"

"What the bloody hell does that mean?" Margery asked.

"It means you got a big butt," said Shayla.

Margery's face creased in disgust. "Uh, thanks...I guess."

"Can ya show it off fer us?" laughed Jamal.

Margery rolled her eyes. "Bugger off, mate. I'm not that kind of girl."

"Yer lots of fun girls," Jamal said with a big smile. "A little bit on deh uppity-side but you fun."

Margery smiled at his compliment. She just knew there was something she liked about this young man. "You're not so bad yourself gents," she said. "Of course, that doesn't mean much. We're still kicking your butts. Except for Layla over there, none of us have lost a Duel."

"Ya," said Jamal. "I heard my boi, Yuri, beat her good with his Black Tyranno. If anyone of you lovely ladies know where he be, please let me know. I wanna play him myself and win that prize money."

Shy looked up from her hand. "Prize money? What gives? Is someone paying to see Yuri lose?"

Jamal nodded. "Ya, and it must be someone wit big money. They're offering a bounty of one million dolla's to whoever beat Yuri in a Duel. I don't know about you, but I think whoever put that bounty on Yuri must be really desperate, ya? Still, I'm not one to complain. A million dolla's is a lotta money, and if he's paying, I'm playing."

"Who put that money up?" asked Ashley. "I don't think Crystal is going to enjoy the idea of someone putting up a bounty on her friend like that. Yuri means a lot to her if you haven't noticed."

"We don't know," said James. "All we know is, we want that money. We're here not only because Logan is invited to the big party, but because we want to challenge Yuri and win that money. Not to mention the fame that will come afterward if we do. That Black Tyranno isn't all that powerful now that all these new cards have come out, but the fame surrounding him is legendary. There is yet to be any Duelist who can take him out. I say I'll be the first."

"Don't get your hopes too high up, honey," said Margery. "Remember, Layla is a champion player, and she lost. So did Randall Lawson and that boy Miguelito who was supposed to be an unbeatable prodigy. A lot of players tougher than you have tried to slay that beast and failed. So do yourselves a favor and check both your decks and your egos. You may be tough Duelists where you come from, but this is Aquarius, the birthplace of Duel Monsters. Only the best players live here, and little by little, Yuri is climbing to stand among them."

"Ha!" laughed Jamal. "You just watch, baby. I'm gonna wipe the floor with little Yuri and send his dino back in the trash where it belongs. Also, anyone who can beat him will earn a slot in the Millennium Tournament coming this summer."

"Again, you're getting ahead of yourselves," said Margery. "We're tougher than Yuri is. If you can hold your own against us, then I'll believe you have some skill to take on Black Tyranno."

"Baby, all it takes is one strong monster, and Black Tyranno is gone!" boasted Malcolm. "There's no skill needed to take down that overgrown lizard. I preordered a lot of cards from the new set. Yuri's going to have a tough time keeping Black Tyranno out on the field with all the Traps and Spells I got. Oh, we'll beat you girls, though. Make no mistake of that."

"Maybe we can have dinner tonight," James added, hoping to lengthen his time with them.

"Eh, great idea," said Malcolm. "I know a great place where we can get lobster."

"Show us what you can do and we'll think about it," said Ashley. "I believe it's your turn, Kate."

"Yup, and I summon Armed Dragon Level 3 in attack mode. Then, I place three cards face down. Jamal, it's your turn."

"I end myturr by playin'deez treecarrs face down," said Jamal. "Shayla, baby gurr, iz back to you."

---

Back in the other Duel, it was Crystal's turn to play. "Draw," she said. "I summon Luster Dragon Number 2 in attack mode!"

Crystal summoned a dragon made of emerald to the field. It towered over the players and made Randy even more nervous.

"Stay calm, bro, what are your face down cards?"

"He'd better check on them fast," said Layla.

"He's right," said Crystal. "Luster Dragon, attack Steel Fan Fighter!"

Luster Dragon shot orange flames from his mouth.

"Activate trap card!" called Randy. "Covering Fire! Now, my Steel Fan Fighter's attack will increase by the attack of my Gate Sword, making Steel Fan Fighter more than a match for your Luster Dragon with a whopping 4000 attack points."

"Aw, no!" said Crystal.

Steel Fan Fighter waved the flames away with his fans. Then he threw them at Luster Dragon slashing him on the chest.

The dragon shattered and Crystal's Life Points were reduced by 1600, reducing her to 2400.

"Way to go, Randy!" cheered Logan. "You did it. You beat her dragon!"

"Wow, I did, didn't I?"

"He got you good, Crystal," said Layla.

"Yeah, no need to remind me twice." Crystal kissed her Luster Dragon # 2 card and put it in the Graveyard. "Your turn, Logan."

"Right, draw! Ha! I drew one of the pieces, Randy. Hopefully, you got yours ready."

"Not yet," said Randy.

"Well, until then, I will summon Sanga of the Thunder in attack mode!"

"Sanga of the Thunder?" said Layla. "This is not going to be pretty, Crystal." She watched the beast rise out of the sand as sparks of electricity surged all around him.

"I know, if they're going to summon what I think they're going to summon, then we need to rid the field of that thing and fast!"

It felt strange for the Duelists being surrounded by fierce monsters while steel drums filled the air with their rich and beautiful sound.

"Now, I will attack your Gravi-Crush Dragon, with my Sanga of the Thunder, Layla!"

"Nope, you won't," said Layla. "I activate the trap card, Shift. Now, I will direct your attack on Crystal's Hyozanryu instead.'

"Aw, no!" cried Logan. "His defense points are stronger than my Sanga's."

Hyozanryu enclosed himself in his wings. His diamond scales blocking the lightning attack that Sanga conjured up.

"Argh, now I lose Life Points."

He went down to 3800 Life Points.

"I end my turn," he said, feeling irritated.

"My turn," said Layla. "Draw! I summon Magna-Slash Dragon in attack mode!"

The wind blew fiercely on the sands. From the blue sky, a dragon with whitish-green scales and a white underbelly rocketed towards the battlefield. It had wings growing out of his forearms in the shape of blades.

Magna-Slash Dragon

ATK/2400 DEF/1200

"Next, I'll give him a boost with a little Dragon Treasure, increasing his attack to 2700. Now he's tough enough to take out your Sanga of the Thunder."

"Layla, wait!" cried Crystal.

It was too late, Layla had already called her attack.

"I activate my Sanga's special ability, your monster's attack will be reduced to zero!"

Sanga countered the attack and conjured up a lightning strike that fried Magna-Slash Dragon. He then charged another attack and struck Layla, knocking her on her bottom.

Her Life Points dropped to 1400 Life Points.

"Shit, you okay, Layla?" cried Crystal.

Layla stood up and brushed the sand off herself. "Fine, just fine. But another attack like that and I'm done for. I switch Gravi-Crush Dragon into defense mode and use the trap card, Call of the Haunted to bring back Magna-Slash Dragon in defense mode. Then place this last card face down. Your move, Randy."

"We've got them now, bro," said Randy. "I can't believe my first victory is going to be against the Dragon Sisters."

"We still have points, kiddo," said Layla. "You haven't won anything yet."

"Not yet, but wait till you see this, Draw!" He looked at the card. "YES! I did it bro!"

"Nice job, Randy, summon it and cause some pain!"

"Yes, I summon Kazejin!"

The green-gold monster came out of the ground in a windy vortex. He was round with puffy cheeks, no eyes, a mouth gold lips, and two arms.

Kazejin

ATK/2400 DEF/2200

"I can't believe I'm going to do this," said Randy. "I will give Kazejin, the power of Fairy Meteor Crush which grants my monster the power of piercing damage. Now, Kazejin, attack and destroy her Gravi-Crush Dragon!"

Kazejin took a deep breath and blew a fierce gale at Layla's dragon.

"I activate the trap card, Enchanted Javelin," Layla announced. "This card may not stop your monster, but it will boost my Life Points by Kazejin's attack points."

Kazejin's attack increased Layla's Life Points to 3800, but the attack was a loss of 1200 points reducing her to 2600.

"My turn is over," said Randy. "Beat that!"

In the other Duel, it was Shayla's turn.

"I tribute my Dragon Scroll to summon Tiger Dragon!" she announced, calling her ace monster. Tiger Dragon was a creature with very feline features. It had the orange fur and black stripes of a tiger, green membranous wings, and white claws that shone brightly in the sun.

Tiger Dragon

ATK/2400 DEF/1800

"Now for his special ability," Shayla called out. "When summoned by tributing a dragon-type monster, I can destroy two face-down trap or spell cards. So, James, your face downs are toast!"

Tiger Dragon roared and shot orange flames at the face-down cards he had. Mirror Force and Draining Shield.

"Thank goodness fer that," said Ashley. "Those cards could'a caused sum serious damage."

"Yeah, well now one of them is going to take some serious, damage," said Margery. "When Shy has Tiger Dragon out, nothing can stop her."

"She's right," said Shayla. "Tiger Dragon, destroy Aqua Madoor!"

Tiger dragon heaved and shot another blast of orange flames. Aqua Madoor screeched and vanished.

"Your go, Jamal."

"Damn, you Dragon Sisters are something fierce," Malcolm said, drawing his card. "Maybe this was a bad idea."

"Nah man!" said Jamal. "We got your back."

"I sure as hell hope you do, Jamal. Because I activate the ritual Turtle Oath. Now I offer Great White and Fiend Kraken from my hand to ritual summon the mighty Crab Turtle!"

From a geyser of blue flames emerged a strange-looking creature.

The red legs and claws of a crab, the green shell of a turtle and two legs purple in color with red claws and green armor. It had only one big eye coming out of the shell.

Crab Turtle

ATK/2550 DEF/2500

"Boom, now your Tiger Dragon is going to be sliced and diced! So much for your ace monster, Shayla. Attack!"

"I think not," said Ashley. "My Negate Attack will see to that."

"Aw man," said Malcolm. "So close to wiping out your Tiger Dragon, Shayla. I end my turn."

"Now it's my go," said Ashley. She drew her card. "Aww, yeah, I discard these three monsters in my hand to special summon Montage Dragon!"

A three-headed dragon swooped onto the battlefield. The heads covered in white masks. The wings had feathers and its body was muscular. Its hands were oversized with thick claws. It was dark blue and white on the bottom.

Montage Dragon

ATK/? DEf/0

"What's with those points?" asked James. "It's unknown, but why?"

"Now, hold yer horses, kiddo. My Montage Dragon's special ability activates. His attack points are then equal to the combined levels of the monsters I discarded to the Graveyard to summon him times 300. Check it out."

Vice Dragon LV 5

Curse of Dragon LV 5

Dimension Dragon LV 5

Total=15 x 300 = 4500

"DA FUCK!" cried Malcolm. "That's not fair!"

"Can't help it, babe, that's the way it is. But, I'll take it easy on you and hold off on his attack for next turn. This next attack should prove devastating. Horus the Black Flame Dragon, attack Hyo!"

Horus shot a small stream of black flames at Hyo.

"And now, that Horus has successfully performed an attack, he evolves into Horus the Black Flame Dragon Level 6!"

Horus was enveloped in black flames then grew into a larger form and had a long tail.

Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV 6

ATK/2300 DEF/1600

"But, he won't be level six for long, because I use my face down spell card, Level Up! Which will rank up my Horus the Black Flame Dragon Level Six to Horus the Black Flame Dragon Level 8!"

Horus now grew to colossal size and his armor grew darker.

Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV 8

ATK/3000 DEF/1800

"Aw, snap," said Malcolm. "Now Ashe's got her best card out on the field. James, you better make this next move count."

"Uh, I..." It was hard for James to concentrate. Three giant dragons snarled and growled at him. He drew. "Aha!" he shouted. "Raigeki! This will blast all your monsters into oblivion!"

Storm clouds circled over the dragons. The lightning was ready to strike them down. Jamal's partners cheered and congratulated him for a well-played game. But then, Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV 8 gave a mighty flap of his wings and blew them all away.

"What happened?" cried Malcolm.

"Well, shoot, suga," said Ashley. "Did I forget to mention Horus can negate the activation of all spell cards and destroy them? I didn't? Whoops. My bad."

"Looks like it's my go," said Margery. "Draw! Now that it's my standby phase, Armed Dragon Level 3 turns into Armed Dragon Level 5. But, I've got my own, Level Up in my hand, so now he turns into the mighty Armed Dragon Level 7. And the transformation does not end there, because now I tribute my Armed Dragon Level 7 to bring forth my ultimate beast. Make way for the king of my deck!"

She held out the card and kissed it twice before slapping it onto her Duel Disk.

"Armed Dragon Level 10!"

Armed Dragon LV 10

ATK/3000 DEF/2000

The new monster towered over the field. His armor of polished gray steel reflected the sunlight. The flesh under the armor was blood red.

"And for the final blow, Duel fans. By discarding a card from my hand, Armed Dragon Level 10 destroys all monster you guys have out on the field."

"OH NO!" cried Malcolm.

"These girls are unreal man!" shouted James.

"I'm out, man," said Jamal, shuffling his cards and running off.

"You can't quit!" shouted Malcolm, as a series of explosions wiped out all the monsters they had. "We're in the middle of a Duel!"

"Nope, we're at the end," said Ashley. "Remember, if one of you goes down, you all go down. Now, prepare as all our dragons wipe you boys out with one powerful attack!"

"Tiger Dragon!" shouted Shayla. "Montage Dragon! Horus the Black Flame Dragon Level 8!" shouted Ashley. "And Armed Dragon Level 10!" shouted Margery.

"ATTACK THEM DIRECTLY!" they shouted together.

KABOOM!

The Duel was won.

Margery and her friends screamed and jumped up and down with joy and hugged each other while Malcolm sat on the sand, contemplating what just happened. He did not even get a chance to summon his Fortress Whale, the ace of his deck.

The dragons roared one last time and vanished.

Margery then turned to check on Crystal and Layla. She grinned, for she saw Chaos Emperor Dragon take flight and bathe her opponents in flames. The Gate Guardian they summoned was evaporated and their Life Points hit 0.

"Good games, ladies," said Logan. "Damn, I thought we had you, Crystal."

"You had me on the ropes," said Crystal.

"But you beat us all the same," said Jamal. "I guess dinner's out of the question?"

Ashley laughed. "Naw, we're game for sum lobster. You guys are really good."

"But not good enough," sneered Brett, strolling onto the sand in his suit and tie and sunglasses. "You guys didn't think you could beat my girls so easily did you?"

"Well, we didn't..." began Logan.

"Get lost, you're not worthy to be around my Dragon Sisters."

"Whatever you say, dude," said Logan, backing off. "Come on guys."

"What the hell was that!?" shouted Shayla.

"We're not under contract with you anymore, Brett," said Ashley. "We're not your toys!"

"Excuse me?" said Brett, removing his sunglasses. "You forget who it was who supplied you with those dragons and made you famous in the first place. So show me a little more respect, ladies. And, by the terms of the contract, you're free to go, but those dragon decks return to me since they are my property."

"Weak!" said Ashley.

"So, until you fork over those decks, girls, I own you!"

"You're going to regret this one day, Brett," said Layla. "I hope Yuri kicks your ass in the tournament."

"In your dreams, Layla," said Brett. "That Black Tyranno is going to be mine. You'd best shower and get into some nicer swimwear, girls, you've got a photo shoot in an hour. As for you, Crystal, go into town tonight and pick something nice to wear. I want you looking your best."

---

Serenity

---

Alone and shivering in the bubble turret attached to the submarine, Serenity stared into the infinite blue of the Stormy Sea. The lightning was so bright she could see it flashing from the surface above. Fishes and even a few Sea Serpents swam by, but it seemed more like they were fleeing from something, for they dashed into caves, into canyons, and under rocks.

"Something's got the wildlife all spooked," said Mai from within her own turret hanging right beside Serenity's turret.

Her voice rang loudly in Serenity's ear. She cringed and turned down the volume with a knob on her headset. The constant pinging of the sonar was already driving her crazy. Not to mention these bubble turret she was riding in felt so fragile and weak compared to the thick hull of steel Emerald was riding in. It felt like a monster was going to swim out of the darkness and carry one off like a snack.

Emerald chuckled on the comms. "Yup. It's almost dark. This is the time when the really big fish come out to play. These poor things don't want to stick around after dark. Believe me."

"How much farther?" Téa asked, gripping the handle of the turret's guns tightly in her sweaty grip. "It's so spooky out there. look at all those ships down there in the floor. Some of them look ancient."

Mai leaned over the cockpit to look at the wreckages. "She's right," she said, and then gave a pause. "Look!" she said, pointing to a ship with a tattered sail bearing a rare emblem not seen in years. "That's the symbol of the Norman Kings. Even they came all the way out here looking for the Pendant of the Kings. And they all failed."

"Well, we won't!" Serenity said, full of determination. She puffed out her chest and squeezed the grips of her turret. It felt as if all the fear melted from her body. "Yuri needs us. Termnnia needs us."

"Can't we get someone more qualified to go on this quest?" Téa asked nervously.

"Come on, Princess," Emerald teased. "Where's your sense of adventure. We're about to go where nobody has gone before."

"I can see why," Téa replied with a shiver. She felt as though a large predator was going to show up at any minute. "Serenity, are you even sure the Pendant of the Kings is even in this ruin?"

"I never said that it was," Serenity corrected. "Only a very important clue said to be hidden in the archives of the tower where the elven kings once ruled. "Believe me, if anyone around here knows anything about Norman the Conqueror, it will be the ancient kings of Arcraxia."

"And do you even know what you're looking for, hun?" Mai asked.

"Tch, let me worry about that," Serenity responded with a roll of her eyes. "You three just focus on getting us there and back alive. This pendant is just what we need to secure Yuri's rule. No law Antilles will pass is going to be enough to stop him once he wears it."

"You'd better be right," said Téa. "I want to see Yuri's coronation here in Termnnia, not from the Gardens."

They were silent after that remark. Another hour went by and neither one of them said a word. Until Serenity spotted something lurking in the shadows a hundred yards away. And it was big. Emerald heard Serenity screaming on the coms and saw that the infrared was going off the fritz. She swallowed and prayed that her instruments were malfunctioning.

BIOLOGIC.

Length: 91.44 Meters

Speed: 60 knots

Emerald shivered. Almost 92 meters? That was a hundred yards. Whatever this thing is, it's as long as a Kaiba Corp stadium. The sonar started to ring even more frantically. Emerald shouted into the radio and told Serenity, Mai, and Téa to prepare for battle. There was no doubt in her mind that the creature swimming towards them was the reason why so many of the wildlife was hiding. "Oh, Goddesses!" Serenity shouted. Emerald flipped switches, pressed multiple lit-up buttons, and yanked the helm as far as it could and the engines hummed, pushing it faster into the depths. The grips started to shimmy and shake as the currents were working against her. A yellow light flashed above her cockpit. Emerald strapped herself in, then commanded the others to do the same.

"It's circling above us!" Mai cried. "I can barely see it through the current but I can see red orbs above. I think it's ghosting us. Emerald, what do we do?"

"Just sit still!" Emerald cried out. "It probably doesn't see us. Until that thing proves to be a threat, nobody opens fire. I'll get us through this washing machine and we won't even have to shoot a flechette. Just stay calm, girls. I'll get us through this."

"Do it fast because it's coming!" Téa shouted.

"Hang on, girls!" Mai cried.

Serenity's mouth fell wide open, and all the air in her lungs was sucked out when she saw the monstrosity looming towards them. Its body was a pale bluish-white. It had spider-like appendages, sharp claws, and an armored tail and fin resembling that of a large fish. Serenity recognized the monster at once. She had seen it played numerous time by a boy named Shark who played in the Pro Leagues at the Kaiba Dome.

Number 37: Hope Woven Dragon Spider Shark

"Can't this thing go any quicker!?" Téa shouted.

"Just shoot it!" Mai cried back, squeezing down the triggers of her turret. Explosive rounds flew towards the Spider Shark Dragon. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! They blew up in his face, but the monster was so powerful, the explosive rounds made him madder. He picked up speed and headed towards them. Emerald fought through the current and dove into a canyon. Hope Woven Dragon Spider Shark dug its claws through the rock, hoping to slice the sub to pieces, but the canyon was too narrow for him. He bellowed and continued to pursue them through the canyon as Serenity, Téa, and Mai fired their weapons at the beast.

Hope Woven Dragon Spider Shark bellowed again, shaking his large head. Téa screamed when the claws of the aquatic dragon slashed through the top of the canyon causing an avalanche of debris to fall dangerously close behind the sub. The blazing red orbs on his neck, head, and back pierced through the cloud of dust. He roared, jabbing his claws into the canyon. He was falling behind, making him even angrier and more determined to kill them. The fact that a submersible as flimsy as that, and made by the hands of man, was outrunning him took a jab into his pide as a mighty dragon. He roared and forced his body to work to the limits of its strength; his speed ever increasing. A curtain of bubbles whipped behind him. The water churned and spun and the powerful bolts of lightning flashed in the sky.

Emerald checked the GPS on the dashboard. The images showed the canyon was getting narrower and narrower. She would lose the Hope Woven Dragon Spide Shark, but who knew if her sub could squeeze through those narrow passages. What would happen to the girls and their bubble turrets? Would they survive being tossed and turned like this? The current outside of one end of the passage was swirling with the force of a hurricane conjured by the wingbeats of Slifer the Sky Dragon.

Fuck it!

If she entered the passages, they were dead. If she piloted the sub over the canyon, they were dead. But she would rather take her chances in the caves than tangle with the Hope Woven Dragon Spider Shark any longer.

Téa screamed. The dragons right claw almost missed them. The Number 37 was glowing red on the top of it. Emerald yanked the helm even harder. The engines wailed in agony and shot into the cave below. The entry was so narrow, the rocks scratched and damaged the acrylic bubbles of their turrets. The dragon roared and was gone from sight.

"Is everybody all right?" Emerald cried. "Is everybody okay?"

"For now," Serenity cried, gripping the safety bars. The current pushed them through the saves with such pressure and power that it felt like she was going mach speed in a traveling jet. She could hardly even see the rocks through the churning water, lit up by yellow crystals on the floor below.

"Come on, baby!" Emerald said through gritted teeth, as she tried keeping the sub in the middle. If she crashed into the rocks at this speed, they would be crushed. It was not going to end this way. Not after such a distinguishing career.

After eight grueling minutes, the sub was finally spat out through a hole on the side of a mountain. Emerald heard Mai vomiting in her turret.

"We're safe now, girls," Emerald assured them. "We're safe." She leaned back in her chair and breathed. "Serenity, I think you're right on the money, baby. There must be something of great importance in those ruins if they have a Number Monster guarding it."

"How do you know it was guarding the ruins?" Mai asked, wiping vomit from her the side of her mouth with her sleeve.

"When I was a little girl, my father once told me that before Arcraxia sank beneath the sea, the Naleneen made a pact with a king from another world The Xyz Dimension. I don't know what it was; nobody does, but it was made and they had a great and powerful beast guard the treasures and the knowledge of the ancient kings for all eternity. The Naleneen were also said to have been the ones in charge of making Norman the Conqueror disappear from all history, were they not?"

"That they were," said Serenity. "They know how to find what I'm looking for. I need that necklace to secure Yuri's right to the throne. If he wears that, nothing will challenge his rule. Nothing."

"Well, we're gonna have to wait for a bit before we enter that ruin," said Emerald. "Pull your turrets back inside and rest up, ladies. I've got a lot of repairs I need to make. The sub got chewed up back there."

"How long will that take?" Téa asked, removing her headset.

"All night, I suppose. The schematics show red in all places."

"Oh, do we really have to, Captain?" Serenity asked. "We need to find that as soon as possible. Please."

"I'm sorry, sweetie pie," Emerald said with a sigh. "We can't. Unless you want to swim to that temple, you've got no other choice. I got grub in the galley and some clothes for you to change into in the laundry, ladies. Get down here, eat, and get some rest. I'm going to hide us in some rocks in the meantime. We don't want that thing to find us again."

"I understand," said Serenity. She looked up at the surface and sighed. "Just a little while longer, Yuri. Just a little while longer."

---

Serenity

---

Serenity jolted awake when she felt the submarine's engines shudder then start their loud humming. She looked out the porthole. The world outside her was moving. Emerald had started their journey toward the ruins. They must have been getting close; for down below she saw ruins. Old stone buildings lining up in what was once a bustling market town used by the Nalaneen before the sinking of their lands. It broke her heart to see a once prosperous nation be destroyed for the sins of mankind. She rose her head up but felt a hand press her back down to her pillow. She turned to see who it was.

Mai was smiling at her. "We still have twenty minutes before reaching the tower," she said, shushing her. "Go back to sleep and get a little more shut-eye, okay?" Serenity could not argue with that. She yawned and fell back asleep. Ten minutes for her felt like enough time for a little rest. But now that she was partially awake, she had trouble falling back asleep. The world outside, though sad, was a wondrous sight to see. And the fear of being chased by the Shark Spider Dragon was enough to send chills down her body. She shivered from both the chill of the sub and the fear. She covered herself as best she could with the small wool blanket. Every shadow outside the porthole seemed to be the horrid leviathan coming closer and closer towards her and the others.

Téa jumped down from her bunk and hurried to the galley for a quick meal of canned soup. The sub shuttered making Serenity feel tense. The lamps hanging from the ceiling shook back and forth from the impact. She watched from behind her covers as Mai and Téa cooked their meals and even laughed as they told jokes. Perhaps there wasn't anything to be afraid of. Five of her ten minutes had gone by and there was not even so much as a shark outside the window. Finally, Serenity calmed herself and realized there was nothing to be afraid of. She shut her eyes and fell a deep sleep.

"Serenity! Serenity!" Mai said, shaking her. Serenity responded with disgruntled, mmmph. "We're here," said Mai. "Gear up. We'll meet you outside."

"Outside?" Serenity asked.

"Yes, Emerald found a dock at the bottom of the tower. See, I told you she was the best. Although, that means we have quite a climb on our hands."

"We couldn't have just landed on the top of the tower and break through one of the windows or something?" Serenity wondered.

"Not unless you want to flood this ancient structure," said Mai.

"But we've got the tools to prevent that."

"Yeah, but that spider shark thing is still out there," Mai said, tossing Serenity's armor and weapons at her lap. "We'd leave ourselves exposed. And having to deal with that thing is not something we want to do right now. It's a Number Monster, and Goddesses only know how much power those things have." She holstered two pistols to her legs. "Now come on. I left you half my hotcakes and a fried egg on the table. See to it that you eat it. I don't want to trek this place with you on an empty stomach. You're on your monthly if I'm not mistaken, and you can be very cranky with those alone." She grabbed her sword from the cabinet and fastened the belt around her waist. "Do us a favor and don't make things hard on us." She stormed out of the sleeping quarters and dashed down the hall. "Coming down here was your idea," she called.

Serenity wiped her hand down her face and got out of bed. She changed, ate the food Mai left her and went out the submarine to a subterranean dock. Giant stalagmites protruded from the water. Mai and Téa turned on flashlights mounted to the shoulders of their armor. Serenity did the same and looked around. The waters around the docks were black and glassy. Water dripped from the stalactites above and the wind howled from vents throughout the cave. Ahead of her, she saw stone steps leading to an exquisite doorway with two large lanterns still lit after hundreds of thousands of years.

"Hopefully we will be alright," said Téa. "This place may have been abandoned for thousands and thousands of years, but it's best to keep your guard up. Who knows what foul things have crept up from the deep and called this place their home."

"She's right," Mai said, unholstering one of her pistols. She kept her other hand firmly gripped on her sword, Rose, which was the nickname she gave to Yuri's mother when they studied together years ago. The blade was colored red with a hint of black in the center. Rose coiled and curled to form a swept hilt of the blade. And it had a nifty enchantment that let out rose petals with each swing. With just a thought, Mai activated the blade's fiery enchantment. "Stay behind me and Emerald, girls," she said, using the flames like a torch to light the darkness.

"Come on, ladies," Emerald said, leading the way. "It's a long way to the top and I want to be out of here before dark." The entered the citadel and had to travel up a dark stairway that seemed to go on and on forever. "So," Emerald said, hoping to ease the silence. "This Yuri you ladies have been taking care of. I've got to know. Is he a looker?"

Mai looked back at her as she still ran up the steps. The flames of her swords whooshed. "You serious, Emerald? You'd ask that of us?"

"Hey, he must be one good-looking kid if he has all the princesses of the continent fighting for him in these Princess Wars."

Téa chuckled. "I don't know about you guys, but I think he's already found himself a sweetheart. That girl Crystal. I saw her when I went to leave Yuri his gifts last year." She hooted gleefully. "She is a pretty little thing, let me tell you that."

"I've seen her, too," said Serenity. "She's lovely. However, she gave her that Chaos Emperor Dragon I bought him. It irks me that he would give it to her so willingly. Still, I've seen her use it occasionally. Even though it was meant for Yuri, I can't help but feel that she and that dragon have a sort of connection. You know, like Yugi and his Dark Magician. Or Yuri and the Black Tyranno. I told Yugi about it, and he just laughed. He said it doesn't surprise him that the dragon seems happier with Crystal. Their hearts became one. Yuri must feel it too if he gave such powerful monster to Crystal just like that."

"He did it because he loves her," said Téa. "And it seems to me that Yuri was destined to be with Black Tyranno more than Chaos Emperor Dragon-Envoy of the End."

"She's right," said Mai. She stopped at the top of the stairs. She began checking the corners for trouble. All was silent, and she waved her sword in circles, signaling it was okay to move forward. "Crystal is a sexy girl, I'll give her that. But she's got nothing on Patty."

Serenity and Téa laughed in agreement.

Téa cleared her throat. "She's a wild one, isn't she. I saw her profile. She loves doing raunchy cosplays of cartoon characters for a little extra money. And she knows how to flaunt it."

Serenity was not too pleased to hear this. "You mean that wannabe punk-goth?" she said. "No way. She's such an easy girl. A little too easy."

"And she has Yuri wrapped around her finger," said Mai, dashing down the halls of the citadel. "I heard from our informant that they went out on a date the other night. She looked rather spiffy. I think Yuri's got it nice with Patty. I mean come on. She's rich, she's sexy, she's hot-headed, doesn't take shit very easily. Not to mention that Diabolos Dragon she's got makes her rather fierce."

"Where did she get that?" Serenity wondered. "You don't suppose Patty has a guardian angel watching her, do you?"

"Sure looks like it," said Mai. "Or, she's got herself a secret admirer out there looking to give Yuri a run for his money."

"I love Patty, but this thing she has with Yuri; it won't last long," Téa said with a confident snigger. "Patty is a little too wild. And she gets in trouble with the police. If you ask me, this thing she has with Yuri won't last long. Believe me."

Mai stopped. "Fifty Star Chips."

"It's a bet!" said Téa.

Serenity sighed and looked at Emerald. "There they go again," she said. "We have got to keep them separate."