Alexandra
Castle Maidencry, Prince Stas's Summer Home.
Azure Mountains, Mondé
The three moons were in full view over the skies of Mondé, showering the countryside with shades of silver and tinges of red. Above them in the fields of heaven, the stars twinkled and flashed, and shooting stars zoomed across the inky negritude of the night sky.
Alexandra grinned devilishly as her carriage approached the lavish summer home of Anastasio Trevelyan XIII, Crown Prince of Mondé, and soon-to-be Knight of the Royal Termnnian Table. She bounced her breasts with her hands to make sure they were in good view for the prince's delight. Her masquerade gown of gold, white, and bejeweled in red gems made sure to reveal her good form. The dress exhibited much of her decolletage haloed her with a high collar comprised of silk flowers. Her skirt had slits to expose her legs as she walked. If what she heard about Prince Stas was true, then she was going to have a night she would never forget. She just knew her charms would work on him. Perhaps that's why her uncle had such high faith in her seducing Yuri when he attended school next year.
The carriage exited the dark forest of pine went up a mountain toward the castle shining in all its splendor. Alexandra sniggered with excitement, waving her black lace fan over her face as she waited for the coachman to open the door for her. If she could induce Prince Stas the mighty Lord of the Gem Dragons and Hero of the War of the Golden Summer, then she would have no trouble at all luring Yuri into her web of desire. Who knows, she thought as she licked her shiny red lips, mayhaps I can have them all at once.
Though the skies were clear, the atmosphere above the castle was enchanted with thick, black thunderclouds. Lightning flashed around the tall towers of glass and steel to give the estate the very ghoulish appearance of a haunted castle. It was a clever spell created by his friend, Prince Jon of Riftgaard, whom they called Stormbringer on the count of his divine ax, blessed to him by Kranthia the Goddess of Storms.
Alexandra spun in delight. Such a clever trick to add to the atmosphere. These princes just reeked with power. Truly they were fine additions to the Moaning spirits draped in white sheets flew over the gardens where Stas's guests were already helping themselves to wine, candy, and free packs of cards that were neatly laid on the table, each one from the coveted Gold Series Collection. Acrobats and mimes were performing by the fountain and the mausoleum where guests danced and kissed. Once her carriage came to a stop, Alexandra breathed heavily with excitement and put on her mask.
"Welcome, Princess Alexandra," said a guard armored in blood-red armor and patches with black and white checkered patterns on the gauntlets and greaves. "The night is yours. Have lots of fun this evening. The Prince commands it."
"Oh, I most certainly will," Alexandra said in a cool beguiling voice. "This castle is huge! One of the biggest I've ever seen."
"Paid for by His Majesty, the King of Mondé."
"Nothing but the best for his little boy," Alexandra giggled. She gave a delightful twirl. "I think I'm going to like it here."
She walked down a white cobbled path through the courtyard. Inside, she heard strange music coming from behind the doors. It was different from the classical minstrel bands that were playing outside. A dark organ mixing with noisy, pulsing, beats the Eredians listened to, like in the club back in Rassay.
The Buster Bladers at the door bowed for Princess Alexandra of Dragon's Nest and opened the door. The music exploded as if released from confinement. Alexandra's mouth went wide open with awe. Red and orange lights flashed in the atrium overflowing with youngsters from nobility far and wide.
On the ceiling, trapeze artists swung, flipped, and flew gracefully underneath the erotic fresco of the Love Goddess and her all-female knights known as the Divine Seducers engaged in a delicious orgy, which took place every night in her realm of delight. Alexandra bit her lip and felt her womanhood tingling from the alluring sight. Around her, there were pools with extravagant fountains where girls swam and danced about naked. The area around the pools was littered with discarded dresses, corsets, and lingerie. A mischievous noble boy or two would swoop in and steal them to leave the girls in their state of undress. But none of them cared. Many of the guests stood around naked, wearing only their decorative masks.
Up ahead, high on a ten-foot throne overlooking the party was the Crown Prince himself surrounded by a harem of at least twenty young women and elf girls, all of whom were having a jolly time drinking wine and telling jokes as they feasted on candied meats, little cakes coated in sugar crystals, strawberry tarts, gummy dragons, and their forbidden parts, which they playfully covered in sugar or chocolate.
"Your Highness," one of the guards whispered into Stas's ear. "She is here."
Stas stopped drinking his wine and looked at Alexandra with a look that made her grow warm in her belly. He stepped down from the throne, flinging open his black and red cape. The gems sewn into it started to glitter in the light of the floating crystals that spun slowly on either side of his throne. He wore black slacks with a chain of mithril hanging from his belt and a shirt with a high collar that was unbuttoned to show off his chest which was marred with the scar his brother's sword left behind when they fought in the final battle of the civil war that plagued his kingdom.
"Alexandra," he said, walking down the steps. "So glad you could arrive. I've heard so much about you."
"And I you," Alexandra said, holding out her hand so he could take it and kiss it. They exchanged kisses on the cheek. "This is quite the party."
"I hold them every day for the entire month of Eotarma," Stas said. "The Month of the Dead as the Elves call it. This is the time when the spirits of the long-departed come out to play and pay us mortal souls a ghostly visit. Have you put a ring of salt around your bed, Princess? Or wear a necklace of garlic to ward off the vampires?"
"I heard vampires are some of the most handsome, most beautiful creatures in all Termnnia," Alexandra said, taking his arm. "Not to mention the most lustful and playful. Why would I not care to entertain one should it visit me?"
Stas laughed. "Your concupiscence shows no bounds. They weren't kidding about you. And your dragon. I was hoping to take a look at him. Did he come by?"
"I'm afraid not," Alexandra said with a giggle. They stopped by the buffet table so she could help herself to the food. She only wanted a cup of wine; for her journey left her famished. "Bruton is a war hero but has a great responsibility on his wings. He is the official warden of the Black Keep. Someone has to keep those pesky criminals under their watch, don't you think so?"
"I guess," Stas said with a chuckle, though there was great disappointment in his voice. "Don't get me wrong, Princess, I am happy that you are here. It's just that I was really looking forward to seeing a True Dragon in the flesh."
"You poor thing," Alexandra said, pouring her wine until it filled the brim. "I am so truly sorry, my dear, dear Prince. Had I but known you wanted to see Bruton, I would have requested that father allow me to bring him here."
"It's okay." Stas laughed and pinched her bottom.
Alexandra jumped and yelped. "Your Majesty!" she laughed. "Goddesses, I almost dropped my wine."
"It's so soft," Stas said examining his fingers. "You work out a lot, don't you?" He reached around and pinched it again.
"You cheeky man," giggled Alexandra, rubbing the spot where he pinched her. "But yes. I have a strict diet and a routine to keep me in good form. Don't think I'll tell you what it is, though. It's a secret. Hmm, I suppose you want to do more than pinch it later, don't you?"
"If I have Her Royal Highness's permission, of course," Anastasio purred.
"You really are the most lustful prince in all of Termnnia aren't you?" Alexandra said with a laugh. "Oh, who is she? The one...gnawing and slobbering all over that ham bone at the table."
"Huh?" Stas looked back at the table where his girls were sitting.
To his horror, he saw Antoinette ripping off the bits of meat like a lion chewing on the leg of its prey.
"Ana above," he groaned.
"Stas!" a knight said walking towards him and slapping his back. "Great party. The wine is sweet. The food is great and the girls here are just stunning."
"Oh, Alexandra, this is Ser Dancer Firewing of Elleria. Where is Evelyn, Dance? Didn't she come, too?"
"I'm right here, Your Majesty," Evenly said coming towards them.
"Ah, Evelyn!" Stas remarked happily. "You made it. Glad to know your fear of the Wayshrines has subsided."
"It didn't," jested Dancer. "I had to push her in just to get us moving."
They all laughed at her.
"Very funny," Evelyn grumbled. She saw Alexandra and bowed. Her black butterfly mask almost fell. "Oh, Princess! You're here, too."
"Princess Evelyn," Alexandra said. "I haven't seen you since we were little girls. My, my, how much you've grown."
"You, too," said Evelyn. "Congratulations on making it to the House of the White Dragon. Looks like we'll be roommates."
"Hmm, you and I as roommates? Curiosor, curiousor."
"Don't get any ideas, Evelyn," said Stas. "If you're stuck with this little nymph, do yourself a favor and transfer to another room. If what I hear about Alexandra is true, you're going to have a lot of sleepless nights. Although, I worry about you and Ser Dancer, here. I've heard you make a lot of noise in her chambers."
"Well, thankfully the girls and boys are sequestered to prevent such things from happening," said Evelyn.
Dancer playfully swatted Evelyn's buttocks with his right hand. "My love, at Duelist Academy segregated dorms don't stop the students from making noise in the night, trust me. I must say, that girl over there has me curious. The one chewing on the ham bone."
"You filthy dog!" Evelyn snapped in displeasure. "Don't look at her that way."
"You never answered my question, Stas," said Alexandra. "Who is she?"
"She's Princess Antoinette of House Trossan. Daughter of King Reynolds. And sorry, Dancer, but she's off limits. To you, me, and everybody in here. She's the bride of Prince Yuri."
Alexandra's eyes widened and she spat out her wine. "Wh-what!" She felt her heart thumping wildly in her chest. "No...I...I mean, Oh. Please, do explain, Stas. I have not heard of Prince Yuri getting a bride."
"You haven't heard?" Stas replied. "The Princess Wars erupting all over Termnnia have gotten out of control. In fact, it has weakened much of our forces up north. Princess Hailey and Princess Trinnia have completely bankrupted their Houses. Since there was no more funding, their armies abandoned them, leaving their lands as easy pickings for King Forrest. We lost over twenty percent of the North to Forrest, and from what I heard from Evelyn, he's gaining ground in Elleria as well."
"Yes, it's true," Evelyn responded sadly. "And with my brother dead, you and the Alliance are down one Prince."
"I know, I am sorry for your loss, Evelyn. You have my condolences. I had the pleasure of training with him when father and I visited the Emerald Marches for the summer. He was a good man."
"Thank you, Stas."
"Yuri has a bride!" Alexandra cried out. She went stiff as a board. The cup in her hand almost fell from her grip. "But how? How can this be?"
"Is there a problem?" Stas asked. "You look like you've just seen a ghost." He looked around. "I did pay a few to come out, but I didn't think they did their job that well."
Evelyn scratched her chin. "I don't think a ghost has anything to do with this. Alexandra, you didn't plan on marrying Yuri, too, were you."
Alexandra smiled and tossed some hair over her shoulder. "Me? Of course not. If I were to marry, I wouldn't be free to live my...lifestyle. I desire every beautiful man in Termnnia, not just one. But why her? She's so...beastly."
"I know," Stas said, snapping his fingers. "Anna! Anna! Bad girl! What did I tell you about using a fork! Forgive her everyone. She's recovering from a curse that a banshee put on her. You see, Anna has the gift of polymorphism."
"What can she turn into?" Evelyn asked.
"A dragon."
"No!"
"Stas, are you serious?" Dancer asked. "You mean to tell me that girl can turn into a -"
"Yes," Stas interrupted. "She can turn herself into a dragon. However, when she tried to help ward off the banshee, she failed. The banshee locked her in her dragon form for many weeks. It slowly started to deteriorate her mind. The longer Anna was stuck in her dragon form, the more she started to think she was one."
He felt his mouth going dry and took a long gulp of wine. "Eventually, everything about her that made her human was gone. Master Yugi killed the banshee and freed her from the spell. Anna still has to adjust to being human. I volunteered to teach her to perform human mannerisms again, but it's been a royal pain in the ass. Progress has been slow...very slow. Which reminds me, if any of you happen to go upstairs and find any puddles, be sure to avoid them."
"Ew," said Evelyn.
"Oh, the poor thing," Alexandra said, pretending to show compassion and sympathy for her. "But nonetheless, this is a rarity I thought I'd never see. A girl who can turn into a dragon? Oh, what an extraordinary gift."
She smiled to hide the anger inside of her.
Yugi Muto! That fool! Always sticking his nose where it doesn't belong. My uncle is going to be furious.
"Polymorphism is a rare gift indeed," said Evelyn. "I've seen only one, and that was from Grandmaster Hawkins, who could turn himself into a bear. But a dragon? Well, that's something one sees once every age or two. Magnificent. And she sure is beautiful."
"That she is," purred Dancer. "Her beastly manners make her even more irresistible."
Anna crawled up on the table, doing her best to rip meat off the bone. Dancer nodded and hummed amorously.
Evelyn turned and slapped her palm against his chest. He merely laughed at her. "You animal!" Evelyn shouted. "Stop that! Surely there must be some mistake. Is Master Yugi serious about marrying Prince Yuri to that...that...BEAST!"
"Master Yugi is unpredictable," said Alexandra. "But I didn't think his standards were like this. But, I have faith in Stas. If he can get that girl civilized by summer of next year, she could make for a perfect bride."
She smiled seductively and slowly turned to look at Stas. "But - and it's a big but - why on Earth would he have Prince Stas of all people teaching this beautiful princess anything about mannerisms and discipline and chastity. You who make girls crawl on all fours like common dogs for your amusement."
Stas smiled back. "I have my ways of convincing people. Not even Master Yugi is safe from my charms. Some have silver tongues. I have a platinum one veined with gold."
Alexandra raised an eyebrow curiously. "Really? I don't suppose you could show me that platinum tongue of yours sometime."
"I don't see why not," said Stas.
"Hold on," said Evelyn, getting between the two. "Settle down, children. Before we do anything foolish, let's remember that we hail from different kingdoms and come from different families. Families who show great pride in their children. If word gets out of any 'sickening' acts of depravity, there could be war."
Stas let out a loud, bellowing, laugh. "Nonsense. Princesses, Ser Dancer. Why don't you come join me upstairs? I'll see if our lovely dragon princess over there would be so kind as to join us."
Alexandra licked her lips. "You mean...the five of us? And her? I've never made love to a dragon before."
"Please, stop this!" said Evelyn. "Princess Antoinette is for Prince Yuri. She is to wed him or have you forgotten? No man may touch her. It's law."
"The walls of this castle are my own little kingdom," said Stas. "This mountain belongs to me. The forests around it belong to me. The only law is the one I make. And I say there are no laws here."
"If only there were kingdoms much like this one," said Dancer. "The world would be a much better place." He wrapped his arms around Evelyn. "What do you say, my love? You need a bit of fun. I think Prince Stas knows what to do to make you smile. And you've been through so much."
Evelyn bit her lip. "Oh...very well. All this noise is giving me a headache anyway. I think we all deserve some peace and quiet."
Alexandra placed her hand on Evelyn's shoulder. "Darling, where we're going, I don't think there's going to be peace and quiet."
Their evening was ruined when they heard the obnoxious "hee, hee, hee, hee, hee!" of Weevil Underwood, whose family aligned with his brother during the civil war last summer. He walked down a path with lamp posts toward their spot and stopped. He went red seeing the beauty of Alexandra Dragonheart and Evelyn, who he was supposed to marry long ago.
Stas held up his hand, commanding him to stop. "I do not recall inviting you here, Weevil."
"No, but Lady Justinnia Helmjoy of the Butterfly Ridge is who I am assigned to protect this night. I'm here whether you like it or not." He looked at Evelyn and adjusted his glasses. "Ah, Princess Evelyn! Long time to see."
"Ugh, not long enough. I prayed all day and all night long for years hoping to never see your mug again."
Weevil sniggered at her words. "Well, don't worry. I have no need for you anymore. I desire him!" He pointed at Stas.
Stas stared at Weevil awkwardly and sipped his wine. "I don't roll that way, bug boy."
"What! No! I desire to Duel you for Missy's honor."
"Missy?"
"Don't play dumb, Your Highness! You know she was the one I wanted! You know she's the one who holds my heart. But you bedded her nonetheless! How dare you soil her purity, you pompous windbag!"
"Take it easy. We were assigned a project together. And you know how I am with pretty girls. Things got intimate between me and her and the rest is history. Besides, she does not desire me nor you. Ugh, especially you. She's got her eyes on Zane Truesdale."
Weevil went red. "I'll take him down to if that's what it takes!" he shouted. "But now that you're here, it's time to Duel."
"Very well," Stas said, snapping his fingers, commanding one of the butlers to come with his Duel Disk. "If that is what you want. I've got to say, my dragons are a little eager to join us this night."
Stas and Weevil began.
"Oh, this is going to be good," Alexandra said. "I've heard so much about Prince Stas's legendary Gem Dragons."
"Gem Dragons?" Evelyn asked.
"The most expensive set of cards ever made, just behind Jesse Anderson's Crystal Beasts. There is no one else on the continent who has these precious cards. Now, I can finally see that dragon of his, the one that's said to be worth billions."
"I will go first," said Weevil. "I summon the Flying Kamikiri number one, in attack mode."
Weevil summoned a human-like dragonfly.
Flying Kamakiri #1
ATK/ 1400 DEF/ 900
"I guess it's my turn," said Stas. "I play two cards face down and summon Gem Dragon-Aquamarine." Stas summoned a tall dragon that was made of aquamarine. Its eyes glowed yellow and so did its wings and underbelly. The tail was a yard long and its claws were made of glass.
Gem Dragon-Aquamarine
ATK/ 1500 DEF/ 500
"Attack his Flying Kamakiri, Aquamarine Dragon."
Stas's dragon fired a bright blue laser and blasted away Weevil's bug and one hundred points of damage from Weevil's Life Points.
"Well," said Weevil. "You may have destroyed my monster but now his special ability activates. When my Flying Kamakiri gets destroyed I get to summon an even more powerful warrior, the dreaded Flying Kamakiri number two!"
Weevil's new monster was a yellowish-brown giant praying mantis.
Flying Kamakiri #2
ATK/ 1500 DEF/ 800
"Some powerful monster," said Stas. "he and my dragon have the same attack points."
"That maybe true, but now I summon Neo Bug an insect from the deep reaches of space."
Neo Bug
ATK/1800 DEF/1700
"Hee, hee, hee, hee, hee," Weevil laughed. "My Neo Bug has enough attack points to shred your aquamarine dragon to pieces, GO NEO BUG, ATTACK HIS AQUAMARINE DRAGON!"
"I activate the trap, Jeweled Barrier, this will stop your monster's attack on a Gem Dragon I control!" Neo Bug ran into a wall of jewels. "And instead of sending my trap to the graveyard, I can send it to my hand."
Weevil grew impatient. "Your annoying traps are starting to bug me."
"Well, now you know exactly how we felt when you came chuckling down and interrupted our party. Now if you don't mind it is now my turn and I summon Rare Dragon-Garnet!"
Gem Dragon-Garnet
ATK/ 1600 DEF/2000
Stas's dragon was glimmering from the light of the sunset. Lightning flashed as it emerged to the field. Its wings and underbelly were blue and its eyes were like molten gold. "And when he's summoned I can discard a card from my hand to summon another Gem Dragon to my field, and I choose Gem Dragon-Peridotl!"
Gold Dragon shot out a flare from its mouth and from the stormy black sky flew down a dragon with six lime green angel wings, a body made of a greenish opal and a neon green underbelly.
Gem Dragon-Peridot
ATK/1800 DEF/900
"Now I'll use the spell Jeweled Horn of Summoning Dragon, this can only be activated so long as I have one or more Gem Dragons on the field, and by discarding a card from my hand and by paying five hundred Life Points I can summon forth my GemDragon-Ruby!"
Another dragon flew from the sky, this time it had a black rocky body with giant sparkling rubies coming out from the shoulders, elbows, knees, and back.
Gem Dragon-Ruby
ATK/1500 DEF/1000
Alexandra and Evelyn jeered with delight seeing the handsome prince summoning dragons made of priceless jewels. Weevil started growing nervous. "Just what are you planning to do?" he shouted.
"Hold on now, I'm almost ready to summon my great beast."
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm about to summon the Billion Dollar Dragon."
"Ah, finally," said Dancer. "I've heard so much of Prince Stas's legendary dragon."
"No!" cried Weevil. "I thought those rumors in the hall were just rumors. You can't hold that beast in your deck, you just can't."
"Well Underwood, who else do you think has a Gem Dragon deck," said Phoenix.
"Hurry up and summon it, Stas," said Alexandra.
"Well, I don't know how this happened," chuckled Stas. "I had everything I needed on my first draw. Okay, Weevil, for my final trick, I activate the trap Jewel Excavation, with this I can bring a Gem Dragon from the graveyard. Gem Dragon-Apatite."
Stas' final dragon was made entirely of platinum. Its claws were made of silver and so were the spikes going down its back to the tail where there were six massive spikes at the tip.
Gem Dragon-Apatite
ATK/1800 DEF/2000
"Oh no!" cried Weevil.
"Oh, yes," said Stas. "Now, I use Gem-Dragon Fusion! I fuse my five dragons together! Weevil, say hello to my Diamond-Burst Dragon!"
Diamond-Burst Dragon was called the Million Dollar Dragon by Yuri for a reason. Its body, which was glimmering gold with a smooth white underbelly, was covered in a million's worth of diamonds. Two massive diamond spikes stuck out of its shoulders and there were two more on the knees and growing on the elbows. Its tail was a hundred yards long with a large hexagon-shaped diamond on the tip. Its claws and even its spikes and teeth were made of diamonds.
Diamond-Burst Dragon's angel-like wings had feathers so clear it looked like they were made of glass. The wings were fifty feet long and the feathers sent gold dust into the air as it flapped them. Its head was crowned with nine horns which were also made of diamonds and on its belly was a large star-shaped diamond glowing in a bright light that cast beautiful rainbow hues.
The two princesses hugged each other and jumped up and down with joy, marveling at the dragon's beauty.
"No fair," pouted Alexandra. "I want priceless jewels in my deck. Is that so much to ask for?"
"Stas, it's so beautiful," said Evelyn in awe.
"Nice, monster, Prince Stas," said Dancer.
Diamond-Burst Dragon
ATK/ 5000 DEF/4800
LV 12
Weevil's glasses fell off his face. He marveled at the gracefulness of Stas's dragon and its deadly attack points. Stas activated the effect; by sending two Rare Dragons from the graveyard from play Stas could destroy all monsters on Weevil's side of the field. Weevil's jaws dropped. He could not believe how fast the duel was over. Before he knew what happened next, Diamond-Burst Dragon attacked and wiped Weevil out.
"YOU'LL PAY DEARLY FOR THIS!" Weevil shouted as he ran up the path. "MY QUEST TO IMPRESS MISSY IS NOT OVER!"
Nick
"I can't believe Brett took my sister's Red-Eyes Black Dragon!" Nick shouted in agitation while he sat with his legs crisscrossed on the bed. He was still clad in his pajamas despite there only being an hour left before he had to take the boat to the central island.
He let out a frustrated cry and slammed his back on the bare mattress, scattering his pile of cards all over the bed. "What am I going to do?" He wondered, staring lifelessly at the ceiling fan above his bedroom. A car honked in the distance and the annoying cry of the seagulls tied a knot in his chest.
He hated seagulls with all his being, especially since they defecated on him while he walked Patty home year before. Patty's infernal laughter still haunted his memories. His chest wrapped up every time he remembered that day. He punched himself in the face to try and knock the memory out of his brain.
But that memory became pale in comparison to the night Brett and his goons came into his home and mugged him in front of his mother for the dragon. Nick felt an uncontrollable rage building up from his chest to his throat, causing his muscles to get sore from being stiffened for so long.
"That son of a bitch, I'll KILL HIM!"
RAP! RAP! RAP! Consuelo banged on the door. The loud noise startled Nick and he got up.
"Nicholas!" Consuelo shouted through the door. "Nicholas! Are you still there? Que carajo estas esperando!? You have an hour left before the boat leaves! Samuel is waiting for you; he's going to be late!"
"Sorry mom," Nick groaned and rubbed the back of his head.
"Are you going to take him to town and play cards for Halloween?" she demanded.
"Do I have to?"
"YES, YOU DO CABRON! Hurry up!"
Nick couldn't help but feel amused and made a relaxed grin. "Well, at least she's back to normal," he said.
The Red-Eyes Black Dragon was a terrible loss, but thankfully, it gave Consuelo three months to get her payments in order. And she was already halfway there thanks to the boom in her business for the Monster Bash Dueling Tournament which aired all week on pay-per-view. And the help from her newest employee. Patty.
She felt terrible for what happened to Nick and managed to make time working at the restaurant. Needless to say, her pretty face and cheerful personality drew in a lot of customers over the past few days. After Nick showered and dressed, he went back to his room, grabbed his backpack and sprinted down the stairs. His heavy sneakers making loud thumps the echoed on the thick walls surrounding the stairs.
"Consuelo I...hurk!"
He paused, seeing Patty sweeping the floor. Sam was sitting on a stool watching her. He was sipping on a box of ice cold chocolate milk while he ate a fluffy, flaky strawberry breakfast treat. The calm and warm glow of the rising sun cast a hue of orange around Patty. On the counter, Consuelo's radio was playing Michael Jackson's Thriller.
"See, I told you I'd be done by the time he got here," Patty said to Consuelo.
"Mm-hm," Consuelo agreed with a stern tone and an agitated nod. "Looks like all three of you are going to be late for school."
"You're in trouble now!" Sam teased.
"Patty, what are you doing here?" Nick asked.
"My mom and dad were having another BF. So I left early and decided to come here and pay Miss Consuelo a visit. We made a bet that I could sweep the floors clean before you got down here."
"And she won," said Consuelo. She dug into her apron and took out a crumpled five-dollar bill. She handed it to Patty. "Conyo, I lost five dollars because of you Nicholas."
"Ready to head out fellas?" Patty asked, putting the broom and dustpan back in the corner near the entrance.
"Yeah," said Sam. "Let's go!"
"Here is your fare for the boats, mi hijos," Consuelo handed them their money and a little extra for their costumes.
Nick felt guilt when the money came onto his palm. "But mom, what about your debt?"
"Oh, this is just some cash I was saving up. Thanks to Patty, I was able to save enough for us to get the bare necessities. Gracias, Patricia."
She gave Patty a big hug and kissed her loudly on the top of her head, messing up her bow.
"Don't mention it," said Patty, readjusting it. "But, the boat's going to leave any moment now. I think it best we leave."
Consuelo agreed and sent them away. She stood at the entrance of her restaurant until her kids were gone from sight.
Nick, Patty, and Sam made it to the boat just in time. It was a ten-minute voyage to the island. They still had plenty of time to drop off Sam at his school and have a little bit more for breakfast at free period.
"I can't wait to get home from school!" Sam said, hopping up and down with excitement for the tournament taking place that night. "That Ghost Rare Pumpking the King of Ghosts is going to be all mine!"
"Still got no one to go to the dance with, Patty?" Nick asked.
Patty looked at him with a small smile forming on her pink lips. She shook her head no.
"Well, if you're interested..." Nick ran his hand down his head. "Maybe we could..."
"I'd love to," Patty replied, followed by a sweet giggle.
"You-you will?" Nick said in shock.
"You will?" Sam said in shock.
She put her hands on her hips. "Don't get any ideas, though, Nick. You've had a rough time, so I'm doing this as a favor to you. And remember, I'm still going out with Yuri. The only reason Yuri couldn't go to the Halloween Dance is because he volunteered to set up the shop for the tournament."
"Hey, you never know. I might grow on you tonight baby."
"Careful, Nick," Patty said backing away. "I'm trying to be nice here. Don't make me regret doing this for you."
"Yeah, otherwise she's mine," Sam boasted.
"Beat it!" Nick and Patty said to him. Sam's smile faded and he backed off and looked at the sea, feeling embarrassed.
The boat docked and they took Sam to school. Orange streamers and pumpkins decorated the school grounds. Lynched skeletons hung from the entrance and teachers dressed in costumes handed out candy to the children.
Nick and Patty waved goodbye to Sam.
"Have a good day, kiddo," said Nick.
Sam waved in compliance and blew Patty a kiss. She ducked out of the way to show she didn't appreciate it and followed Nick towards the bus stop where Yuri, Tyson, and Carter were waiting for them. The neat and green gardens of the neighborhood were decorated with spooky decorations. Evil laughs bellowed from ghosts hanging on the trees. Jack-O-Lanterns chuckled at the kids as they passed by. Spider webs stretched from wall to wall in the hallways.
"Hey, gang," said Nick.
Tyson grinned. "Well, well, well. Looks like the end times are upon us. Patty is walking with Nick to school."
"And going to the dance tonight," Nick boasted.
"NICK!" Patty yelled.
Tyson raised an eyebrow. His mouth agape with amusement. "Really? Patty accepted your offer to go to the Halloween Dance tonight?"
Patty's eyebrows dropped, creasing her forehead. Her eyes narrowed. "Yeah, what of it?"
"I don't think this is Patty," said Yuri. "She must be her evil twin."
"I think the Patty we know is the evil twin," joked Carter.
Yuri and the others began to laugh at the joke. Patty was not amused. "Laugh it up, bozos!"
"Oh, Patty," Yuri said. "Crystal called. She said she has your Halloween costume ready."
"You two started getting really close, huh?" said Yuri.
Patty looked at Yuri with a smile and nodded her head yes. "Yeah, we have. At first, I thought of her as some spoiled pop-singer. But now, she's not so bad."
The bus started rolling down to their street.
"What have you guys been doing?" Tyson asked.
Patty shrugged. She felt her relationship with Crystal was no big deal. "Oh nothing much," she said. "We go to the movies, we go shopping, swim at the beach. I slept over at her mansion last weekend. Hot damn, that place is huge."
The engines of the bus bellowed louder as it got closer.
"What about, Brett?" Yuri asked loudly so his voice could be heard over the roar.
Patty made a face of disdain upon remembering Brett. Nick wasn't too happy to hear his name either.
"He wasn't in town," she said. "He was out at sea throwing a party for one of his buddies who won the regional qualifier last week."
The bus finally stopped in front of them. The doors slid open, the hydraulics hissing.
Beep! Beep! Beep! The bus went as it lowered itself closer to the curb. They waited for a woman in a wheelchair to come out before they went inside, tossing their fare into the coin box for the ride to school.
Yuri
The sun had set over the ocean. Aquarius lit up like a candle in the darkness. Strobe lights simulating lightning flashed on the porches of many homes. Werewolves howled, ghosts moaned, and generic evil laughs cackled from speakers. Downtown, the buildings were projecting old monster movies such as Dracula, Bride of Frankenstein, and The Wolf Man. Fake lightning flashed and synthetic thunder followed.
Kids dressed up as goblins, superheroes, zombies, and vampires stalked the streets ringing doorbells and threatening the owners with tricks if they didn't get their treats. In the city square, adults had their fun at the bars dressing in raunchy outfits, far and away from the gaze of young ones on the other islands. The Phobos Corp tower was lit up in black and orange. The projection of Duel Monster called Skelgon (ATK/1700 DEF/1900 LV 6) was flying around the building screeching.
In the Montgomery Estate, Yuri and Ren were passing out full-sized candy bars and packs of Duel Monsters cards to the children. Meanwhile, Tyson and Carter took Natalya and her friends from the volleyball team into a haunted house downtown for a good scare. At the end of the experience, both of them got all their numbers.
Around eight, Yuri and Ren left the house and drove downtown to meet with the others at the Ruby Dragon.
"We missed the tournament," Yuri said looking at his watch.
Ren laughed through his nose. "Yeah, well, it's not our faults Andrew and his friends decided to cover Mr. Salvatore's trees with toilet paper. That kid really needs more discipline."
Yuri held back a laugh. "You don't think we've tried."
With so many festivities blocking the road and countless trick-or-treaters crossing streets, the drive to the Ruby Dragon was long, but far from dull. The decorations and festivities kept a smile on their faces.
The Phobos Corp Convention Center downtown was having a Cosplay Costume Ball. As they drove by, Yuri and Ren saw Sailor Scouts, Super Saiyans, Pokemon Trainers, Kancolle Ships, and other anime characters walking down the street. The light turned red under the skywalk. Ren hit the brakes and stopped. Above, a group of girls dressed as characters from Girls Und Panzer were in front of the window shaking their hips to Caramell Dancing.
Ren was entertained and laughed softly. "What goofs?" he said.
The light turned green and he drove off to the card shop. Ren easily found a place to park thanks to the reservation he made with Sergei. Yuri and Ren got out of the car and were asked to take photos alongside two girls dressed as Gemini Elf.
"Yuri! Ren!" Tyson called out from the other side of the street. He was with Carter and Nick. Little Sam was next to him dressed as a Spartan from the video game, Halo.
The both of them waited for Nick and the others to cross before going inside.
"I thought you'd already be in there by now," said Ren, allowing Yuri and his friends to go in first.
Nick grumbled, holding a bag of Snickers in his arms. "We were, but Miss Pumpkin Queen forced me to fetch her treats, seeing as how she beat me."
"We missed the tournament?" Yuri asked. "Aw man, I knew we should have taken Silver Bridge."
Ren laughed as he looked down at Yuri passing by. "Yeah, and maybe that left turn at Albuquerque."
They entered the shop at last. The store was lit up with dark lights. Spider webs clung to the ceiling, counter, and shelves. Paper bats stuck to the ceiling with tape were flung back and forth by the air conditioning. Spooky organ music was groaning on the intercom with thunder and lightning.
"Mua-ha-ha-ha!" Sergei laughed and forced his accent into cliche Transylvanian. He put his arm in front of his face to conceal his face. "Good evening, my friend!" He said. "Yer late and the tournament is over, but there is still lots of Halloween fun to be had."
"Yuri!" called a Dark Magician Girl. It was Crystal, waving at the entrance of a new room Sergei had built into the shop. Nick and Sam's eyes widened like saucers. Tyson felt his heart skipping a beat and Carter held onto his nose with fear that blood would come gushing out.
Ren grinned at Crystal and her cosplay. "Ah, what a beautiful little magician! What are you doing here, Crystal? I thought you'd be in those fancy costume parties with Brett."
"I sneaked away," Crystal said with a wink. "And with Sergei here, Brett's too chicken to step foot in here."
Sergei smashed his fist into his other hand. "Aye, I haven't finished with him yet. I have not forgiven him for what he's done to you and little Yuri."
Sam looked up at his brother and whispered. "What did he do, Nick?"
"I'll tell you when you're older," Nick whispered back.
"Aw, forget about him," said Ren. "We're here to duel and have a good time. May I ask as to who this Pumpkin Queen is? Is she a looker?"
Crystal rolled her eyes. "Oh, Ren."
"You don't want to know," Nick said, dumping the candy into a black cauldron. "Believe me."
Crystal beckoned Ren and Yuri to follow her. "Come with me, I helped Sergei install an arena in here."
Yuri gasped in excitement. "What the? How? I've only been absent from work for a few days."
Sergei patted Yuri on the shoulder. "Isn't it amazing what that girl can get done in such a short time?"
The new arena was small but very impressive. There were five table-top platforms that could reveal the monsters in miniature form. There was Patty, dressed as a Gothic Lolita princess. She had an oversized lollipop in one hand, taking large licks from it as she summoned the last monsters she needed to wipe out her opponent's Life Points.
"Barox, come on out and swipe away his Life Points, baby!"
The monster appeared on the table with an obnoxious growl, after Patty used Polymerization to fusion summon the beast. It held out its talons and charged at the opponent's Candle of Fate, wiping out his Life Points.
"No, I lost!" groaned her opponent, dressed as the Frankenstein monster. "I ranked eleventh at the regional championships last year. There's no way you could have beaten me."
Patty licked her lollipop. "Aw, you can't stand being beat by a girl?"
"I demand a rematch!" her opponent shouted, slamming his fist on the table.
Patty found his anger amusing and picked up her cards. "Come back when you grow up you big, baby." She walked away and formed a beautiful grin when she saw Yuri and Ren.
"Nice game, Patty," Crystal said, giving Patty a high-five. "You're really good."
Patty gently shook her head. Her cheeks tinging into bright pink. "Naw, I just got lucky. But...coming from you, I really appreciate that."
"So you're the winner of the tournament?" Yuri asked. "I'm impressed, Patty."
"I think you'll be even more impressed when you see her play," said Crystal, resting her arm on her shoulder. "Come on, Yuri. I haven't seen the Big Guy in a long time. I would love to see you and Patty at it in a duel."
Yuri babbled. "Me and her?"
"Come on, Yuri, do it!" pleaded Tyson.
Yuri agreed to the game. "Okay, sure. It's been a while since I played. I guess we should pick out a table before they get filled."
Crystal let out a loud 'Ha!'. She headed for the door. "No way, dude. A duel of this caliber deserves to be played with real holograms. No offense Sergei."
"Da, none taken," said Sergei.
"Perfect," said Ren. "I have a Duel Disk in my car, Yuri can use."
"And I have one Patty can play with," said Crystal. "Let's go to the new patio Sergei has in the back."
Sam rubbed his hands together. "The Pumpkin Queen and Yuri in a Duel. Oh man, this is going to be epic!"
While Ren went to his car to get his Duel Disk, Crystal led the others outside to the patio, big enough for one play area to allow life-sized holographic monsters to be played.
Crystal helped Patty slide on her Duel Disk. Ren came back with his and also aided Yuri with putting it on.
They were ready at last. The sky was cloudy, giving it a purple-reddish glow.
LP 2000
"Let's duel!" they both shouted.
"Ladies first," Patty said, drawing her card.
Sam gawked at her. "Aw, bro, she looks so friggin' hot in that costume."
Nick only nodded in agreement, staring at Patty while she examined her hand. Patty looked up at Yuri from behind her cards and smiled.
"For my first trick, I shall summon this monster in defense mode. Next, I place a card face down. Your move, Yuri."
"You're worrying me, Patty," Yuri said. Her two face-down cards made him very nervous. He drew his first card and examined his options in his hand. "I summon, Sword Arm of Dragon!" (ATK/1750 DEF/2030 LV 6)
He slapped the card onto his Duel Disk. The projectors lit up and the beast was rendered to the field. A four-legged Jurassic juggernaut snarled when he came into view. The spikes on his back were like steel swords and the end of his tail was shaped like an arrowhead.
"Attack her face-down monster!" Yuri commanded.
Sword Arm of Dragon snarled and charged at the creature. He used the padding of his feet to slide to a stop sideways in front of Patty. The gust it created sent dirt and pebbles into the air and blew Patty's costume. She shielded her face from the small rocks the large creature kicked up. Sword Arm of Dragon raised his spear-head tail and slammed it on the monster. All he got was a loud PANG!
"What the!" Yuri shouted.
Patty looked up at Yuri and sneered. "Ha! You've attacked the Castle of Dark Illusions!" (ATK/920 DEF/1930 LV 4)
The ground rumbled. Crystal yelped and held on to one of the palm trees decorating the patio. "N-nice t-t-to n-now the r-r-rumble pack is w-w-working."
Patty held out her arms dramatically as the castle slowly rose from the ground behind her and then flew into the sky. Lightning flashed and thunder bellowed, causing Crystal to shiver. The castle was a misshapen mountain of a structure. The flotation ring it had to keep itself in the air had the symbol for dark monsters on the front in a circle of dark blue.
Since its defense was higher than Yuri's monster, he lost Life Points.
Yuri-1820 LP
Patty-2000 LP
Patty laughed hysterically and drew her card.
"Man, I love this game! I summon my prize. The card I won in Sergei's Halloween Tournament. Arise and rule under the moon of All Hallows' Eve. The ghosts sing of your reign and zombies tremble at your name. Come forth, Pumpking the King of Ghosts!" (ATK/1800 DEF/2000 LV 6)
The ground rumbled again. The dirt at Patty's feet cracked open and a large pumpkin rose out from the cracks it created. It stood forty feet tall. It's green slimy tentacles wiggled like a thousand snakes. There was only one eye on the creature and it had a red /gold crown on its dome. Patty ordered the beast to attack. It whipped Sword arm of Dragon with its tentacles, destroying it.
Yuri-1770 LP
Patty-2000 LP
Crystal wagged her finger at Yuri. "Don't underestimate her, Yuri. You just charged right in. Two cards face-down and not even worrying about the consequences."
Sam felt a warm sensation run through his body. "Whoa, my girl can play!"
Patty turned her head to look his way and put her free hand on her hip. "I'm not your girl!"
Sam sneered and bobbed his head up and down confidently. "Not yet, baby."
Patty then glared furiously at Nick. "Teach that little creep some manners will you Nick! It's your move, Yuri!"
"Draw!" He said. He got nothing good. "I set Tomozaurus in defense mode. Place a card down and end my turn."
Patty enjoyed the predicament she put Yuri in. She fanned her face with her cards and giggled. "Hopefully I can take you out before you call on Black Tyranno, Yuri."
Yuri smiled. "Black Tyranno is going to be the least of your worries, Patty."
Tyson scratched his head when he heard Yuri say that. "What does he mean by that?" he asked. Black Tyranno is the strongest card in his deck. What could Yuri possess that could make that beast the least of Patty's worry?
Patty confidently rolled her eyes and just ignored his statement with a scoff. "You're just bluffing, babe. Now, for my turn, I place one card face down and then I summon Dragon Zombie!" (ATK/1600 DEF/0 LV 4)
The earth began to quake again from the undead beast writing in the earth, clawing its way up to the surface to wreak its wrath on the world of the living. Patty saw the ground rising at her feet.
She took a few steps back, cheering on the beast. "Come on now. You can do it."
With a great crash, the Dragon Zombie rose out of the ground and slithered next to Patty. It started to cuddle with her. She kept her hand at just the right distance to make it look like she had it placed on the decayed skin of the corpse of Crawling Dragon #1, who was brought back from the dead as Dragon Zombie. If Patty put her hand any farther towards the creature, it would have gone through since it was just a hologram.
"Eww," said Nick. "Patty sure has a weird taste in boys."
Tyson laughed. "Not weird enough. She still hasn't fallen for you."
The Attack Point display above Pumpking revealed that his stats went up.
When Yuri asked why Patty explained that it was from the effect of The Castle of Dark Illusions. When it was flipped up by Yuri's attack, its effect was activated. For the next 4 standby phases, each of her Zombie monsters would get a 200 ATK and DEF bonus, so long as it remained on the field. Dragon Zombie did not get it since it was summoned after the standby phase, but Pumpking did, with a little something extra.
Pumpking's effect only worked so long as it was out with the Castle of Dark Illusions. It got a bonus 100 ATK and DEF for a total of 2100 ATK and 2300 DEF.
"Aw, my poor Dragon Zombie," Patty said sympathetically. "Here, a little juicy bonus from the Violet Crystal might help."
She put the card in the slot. A giant crystal glowing bright violet loomed over Dragon Zombie. A hole was ripped down the dragon's back. Slowly, the crystal lowered itself into the Dragon Zombie. The flesh mended. Dragon Zombie's eyes and mouth started glowing neon violet. It's attack increased to 1900 and its defense to 300.
Patty pointed at Yuri's Tomozaurus and commanded Dragon Zombie to attack. Dragon Zombie took a violent gulp of air and exhaled death at the dinosaur. Tomozaurus groaned and writhed until its flesh rotted away and it was turned to dust.
"Yuri, Yuri, Yuri," Patty mocked and clicked her tongue. "I was expecting so much more from you. How come you Duel at your best when playing against others and not me!?"
"Maybe you're just too good, Patty," said Crystal.
Patty looked at Crystal with a twinkle in her eye. "You're making me blush, Crystal. Anyways, it's your turn, Yuri."
"Yeah, that it is," said Yuri. "Oh, here we go. I summon Giant Rex!" (ATK/2000 DEF/1200 LV 4)
The projectors lit up to display Yuri's newest dinosaur. A Spinosaurus standing five meters tall and twelve meters in length. Its scales were dark orange in color and the membrane on its sails was bright green. The same color striped its tail, swaying back and forth violently on the field.
"He may not be strong enough to take on your Pumpking, but your Dragon Zombie is not going to fare so well."
"Oh, Yuri, don't!" Patty pleaded.
Yuri didn't listen. Giant Rex stormed towards the Dragon Zombie, grabbing it by the neck and shaking it violently with incredible strength and savagery. Giant Rex then slammed Dragon Zombie to the ground. Dragon Zombie bellowed before it shattered and took Patty down by 100.
Patty stomped her foot on the ground. "You're so mean, Yuri!"
Yuri-1770 LP
Patty-1900 LP
Patty chuckled while placing her fingers on her next card and drew it. "The joke's on you, Yuri," she said.
"Uh-oh," said Yuri. "What are you talking about? What did you do?"
"Before you attacked my Dragon Zombie, I activated a quick-play Spell Card." She held it up for Yuri to see. "It's called Tailor of the Fickle. With it, I could transfer my Violet Crystal to my Pumpking increasing his attack to 2400. And don't forget, my Castle of Dark Illusions gives it another 200 attack points. And with that bonus, thanks to his effect, Pumpking gets another 100 attack and defense points. For a grand total of 2700."
Pumpking swatted Giant Rex to a bloody pulp. The dinosaur bellowed painfully and shattered.
Yuri-1070 LP
Patty-1900 LP
"Don't underestimate me, Yuri," said Patty.
Yuri chuckled confidently. "I can say the same for you, Pats."
"Huh?"
"I told you, Black Tyranno is the least of your worries in my deck. In fact, I don't think I will play him at all during this duel. I was holding out this whole time because I wanted to use my newest monster."
"New monster?" Sam said in amazement. "I love seeing new monsters!"
Yuri held up the final card of the game. "I play Polymerization, fusing my Gilasaururs and Kaitoptera into the mighty Horned Saurus!" (ATK/2000 DEF/1800 LV 6)
From the purple night sky, a flying demon's silhouette could be seen by Yuri's friends. Lightning flashed, revealing more features of the monster. It swooped towards the battlefield and landed with a great crash behind Yuri. It had a wingspan as large as a Cessna plane and was a long as a school bus. When it stood upwards on its wings, its length was that of a giraffe. The monster was a mix-match of different dinosaurs. It had the wings of a pteranodon, the body of a Tyrannosaurus, the head of a raptor but beaked and crested like a pterosaur. Fiery green eyes lit the darkness. The flesh of the monster was jet-black, almost blending with he night. Horned Saurus gave a vicious snarl, glaring at Patty.
Ren glared at the monster then Yuri. More new cards? What the hell are they doing?
"You played good, Patty," said Yuri. "But I'm afraid I have to end this."
"How are you going to do that, pray tell?" said Crystal. "Your Horned Saurus is impressive, Yuri, but its still weaker than the King of Ghosts."
Yuri smiled. "I'm not aiming for the King of Ghosts. I'm attacking Patty." His friends gave great gasps when he announced that. Yuri held up the card and explained. "Per my Horned Saurus's effect: when he's fusion summoned, he can attack you directly."
"Wow!" Sam cried out and gave a leap. "He's pretty much a flying Black Tyranno."
"Oh, fudge!" Patty crossed her arms over her face and braced for impact.
Horned Saurus took to the air and disappeared into the night sky. A great screech descended from the shadowy heavens above. Everyone waited with great anticipation for Horned Saurus to appear. A great gust of wind announced his coming. The winged dinosaur dove toward Pumpking with great speed. It smashed into the King of Ghosts, shattering it to messy, juicy chunks. Horned Saurus then hovered over Patty and bathed her in glowing green flames from its mouth, reducing her Life Points to 0.
"Damn!" Patty cursed and went to her knees. "That was not fair!"
Horned Saurus vanished.
"Great game, Patty!" said Yuri.
"Was it!" Patty cried out in fury. "That card was so overkill it was basically cheating. I've never even heard of that card before! Where did you get it? Out of thin air like your Black Tyranno! Or is your daddy supplying you with cards all your own?"
Yuri started growing nervous. "Patty I..."
Tyson agreed. "Yeah, Yuri, that wasn't fair."
"Where did you get it?" Carter asked.
"The game is evolving," said Ren, going to the battlefield to help Patty up. "You all are just going to have to accept that."
"What are you talking about, Ren?" asked Nick. "Are you telling us that there are more cards like that out there?"
Ren brought Patty to her feet. "You're just going to have to wait and see. I think you'll be surprised. Besides, Patty, a lot of cards in your deck are one-of-a-kind and overkill. What's stopping you from using them, huh?"
Patty hung her head in shame. She knew he was right. "I'm sorry, Yuri. I didn't mean to yell at you."
Ren looked at her. "The game was intense, and you were very close to winning. It's only natural to lose your cool. Well, the hour is of late. Sergei's about to close down the shop. I suggest we go home and cool ourselves before more tempers get lost."
"Yeah," Sam yawned and rubbed his eye. "I'm getting sleepy, bro."
Nick patted his back. "All right, let's go home, buddy."
Crystal walked to Patty. "So, you still sleeping over at my place?"
Patty smiled. "Yeah, man I'm bushed."
They helped Sergei clean the store before going their separate ways and heading home. Ren took Yuri back to the estate. Now that the streets were clear, the drive back was smoother.
"So where did you get it?" Ren asked.
"Get what?" Yuri asked, turning his gaze from the window.
"That Horned Saurus," Ren replied. "Where did you get it?"
"I found it on my night table, the day of my birthday after I defeated Herman. Like last time, I have no idea where it came from. It was just there."
"Well, the next time that happens, Yuri, don't use them. The format for the game is still too primitive for those cards."
"Primitive? What are you talking about? Its how we've always dueled."
Ren softly chuckled through his nose. "There's more to this game than you think, Yuri. You're going to discover what I mean very soon."
He arrived at the Montgomery Estate.
"Next time I drive," Yuri said. "You still haven't gotten a ride in my new car."
Ren scoffed and slid his hand through his red hair. "I've seen better."
Yuri frowned. "I'll bet you have. See you." He slammed the door and walked to the gate.
He typed his passcode on the gate so it could open. Yuri silently strolled through the garden and before he could open the front door, his father opened it, and he opened it with great force. He took two mighty steps towards Yuri. His face turning from tan to dark red in a matter of seconds.
Yuri grew nervous. "Dad, uh, sorry I came so late."
Mr. Montgomery closed his eyes and shook his head clearly disappointed with Yuri.
"Son, you know you can stay out as long as you want so long as you keep in contact with us. But, damn it, Yuri, tell me you didn't just use another strange card without my knowledge."
"What do you mean?"
Mr. Montgomery scoffed and mimicked Yuri's question with a squeaky voice. "What do you mean?" he repeated mockingly. "Sergei just called. He said you used another dinosaur card. One that I, nor my company, have ever printed. Is it true?"
"Well, yes, but..."
"No buts, Yuri! I told you that if any more strange cards started appearing there was going to be trouble. Do you know the complaints I received when I saw that black brute attack, Patty."
"How did..."
"A video of your new monster has caused a social media sensation. I should thank little Sam for this crucial piece of evidence. I didn't want to believe you'd use a fake monster to help you win. Not my son. But I can't ignore the video, nor will the public. People are pointing fingers at me, Yuri! They're saying I'm just helping you out with rare cards no one can get to keep you ahead of the game. The Duel Monsters League has even asked me, no, DEMAND that I ban you from the Millennium Tournament. Do you have any idea how EMBARRASSED I am right now?"
"Sorry dad, I..."
"Yuri this is the last straw. I'm going to have to confiscate your Black Tyranno and that Horned Saurus monster. And you are grounded, mister. No more cards until I can get to the bottom of this. Now get inside!"
Yuri gulped. "Yes sir," he said drearily and went into the mansion.
He took off his clothes and looked around for his pajama pants.
I sense a great darkness in your friend. The one you call Patty.
"Shut up!" Yuri snapped back at Ser Norman. "I am so not in the mood for you tonight, Norm. Leave me alone."
A fell power shrouds her heart, Yuri. That girl could be dangerous.
"She's my friend!" Yuri yelled. He pulled his pajama pants up. "What the hell are you talking about?"
Ser Norman stayed quiet.
"That's what I thought. Not only a figment of my imagination but a stupid one at that."
Yuri felt something grab his neck. An invisible force slammed his back against the wall. "Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!" he cried.
This is not a game, Yuri. There is a shadow over her. Darkness I haven't felt since the dawn of time. You need to be careful around her.
"Hurk!" Yuri cried, withering like a worm caught in the claws of a bird.
What is is?
"AIR!" Yuri finally croaked.
Ser Norman let him go. Yuri fell on the floor with a loud thump. He coughed and wheezed for air. "Jerk! You could have killed me."
Considering the enemy we're facing, you're going to wish I make that choice. Be wary, Prince Yuri.
Yuri nodded, but not because he agreed. He did it to shut the ghost up. He was unaware that he was being watched by two figures in a black Chrysler limo not too far down the street.
Leon
"Looks like that card your little friend slipped Yuri got him into trouble." Leon chuckled watching Mr. Montgomery slam the door.
A figure sat in the shadows in the seat in front of him. Cold, piercing blue eyes stared at Leon from the dark. "I specifically instructed Wheeler to tell his sister not to give Yuri any more cards from our world. Those two are idiots, but it doesn't surprise me. They're Wheelers, the lowest House in our world."
"So, aside from the little mishap with the Horned Saurus, what do you think of Yuri?"
The figure in the shadows folded his arms and let out an unimpressed grunt. "He has potential. But we need him to get better."
"He won't," said Leon. "Not if Joey and Serenity keep giving him shortcuts with OP monsters."
"The Wheelers will be punished for their insolence," the figure said. "I want to see him get better so I've organized a tournament to take place within the next few days. However, that's going to be hard considering Yuri's been punished."
"Leave that to me," Leon said, raising a glass of champagne to his lips. "As for this tournament of yours, I'll set it up within a few weeks..."
"NO! It needs to go up now. Yuri doesn't have that much time left here. We need him to be ready."
"I understand," said Leon, taking another sip. "But these things take time and a lot of money which we don't have."
The figure smirked and took a checkbook from his sleeveless white coat. Leon wrinkled his nose, examining the look of his guest. The coat's studded raised collar almost concealed his face and pairs of belts were wrapped around his forearms and shins.
Does everybody from this 'other' world dress like him?
"Here," the figure said, handing Leon a check.
Leon whistled when he saw the amount that would be paid in gold. "This is very generous of you, sir. However, I would have no need for this if you would just give us some new monsters. The holograms have made business boom, but, there's only so much people want to see of the same monster. They're getting bored. We need new cards. I appreciate the few you've introduced here and there, but we need more!"
The figure in the dark nodded. His blue eyes cutting through the darkness like a hot blade through butter. "Very well, I shall ask Pegasus to send you more monster sets as soon as possible."
Leon grasped the stem of his glass hesitantly. "Those new cards wouldn't happen to be those black cards I saw in your collection? What about the cards in white? Are we getting those, too?"
The figure grinned. "This world is not ready for those yet. As far as I'm concerned, you're all amateurs. A first-year student at Duelist Academy has more talent than all your champions put together. The cards we're giving you should suffice for now. If your duelists can harness the power of these new cards, I might consider bringing Synchro and Xyz monsters to this world."
"Thank you," said Leon.
"Now, since you're going to be having newer, more powerful monsters to be introduced, the format has to change. Two-thousand Life Points won't be enough to maintain a duel with these beasts in player's decks."
"I'll distribute the new rule book right away. By the way, I didn't catch your name."
"What do you care what my name is?"
Leon grimaced but grinned finding his cold attitude amusing. "Well, we've been working together for the past few days. You came by so quickly we never got the chance to catch up. You're all business, not that I mind of course. I admire that quality in you, sir. You're a straight-to-the-point kind of guy."
Leon's business partner sneered at the compliment. "Well if you want to know so bad. Just call me Kaiba."
The grin on Leon's face grew wider and he burst out laughing. "Well, it's nice to meet you...Kaiba."