Some folks go from humble beginnings to greatness. Such was the case of Yumi's grandfather, and my great uncle. Both went from rags to riches.
Such is NOT the case with the guy I'm facing here. He was the opposite.
He was a big shot in the early days of Duel Monsters. He was the national champion of Japan, in fact. So Pegasus delivered his invitation to Duelist Kingdom to him in person, and he went there with V.I.P treatment.
However, he turned out to be a big cheater, and he paid dearly for an act of foul play. The victim of said act defeated him soundly in the first round, and he was forced to go home in disgrace with the others who had lost their first duels.
He had plans for revenge in Battle City. He would lure that duelist to him by defeating his best friend. Again, he tried to win by cheating, but the plan backfired, and the friend defeated him, eliminating him from that tournament too.
The once champion of Japan became a nobody. No respectable tournament would invite him any more. Destitute, he tried to get back in the saddle by making a deal with the ultimate evil, selling his soul for power. But he failed there as well.
He's dead now, and nobody really misses him. The world should be glad he's gone…
But this bad memory has been reborn…
And I have a feeling that this has-been might be hiding something… Something big…
It's time to duel…
0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
CHAPTER FIVE
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Pest Dilemma
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0
As Chelsea was dealing with the Green Baboon, Sam and Erik were walking through a part of the Woods that seemed to be part forest and part cavern. The overhanging branches didn't let much sunlight onto the path.
"Pretty dark," muttered Sam.
"I can't say for sure…" replied Erik. "But I think it's gonna get darker before it gets lighter…"
Then they were startled as a group of glowing eyes appeared in front of them.
Sam and Erik stood their ground, and their Disks activated.
With a cacophony of squeaks and squawks, a flurry of black shapes flew from above them and flew overhead.
"Bats?" asked Erik.
"Dark Bats," said Sam. "Rather weak Monsters. But stay on your guard…"
"Hey…" said Erik. "There's a signpost up ahead…"
There was indeed. A wooden signpost pointed ahead, and the words "Paradox Grove" were printed on it.
"Paradox Grove?" said Sam. "What the heck is that?"
They walked forward, and the path opened up into a clearing.
Chills went down the spines of the two teenagers. The clearing was bordered by frightening-looking, twisted oak trees, who all had fiendish-looking faces on their trunks, with mouths full of sharp teeth.
"Don't go near them…" muttered Sam. "I saw The Wizard of Oz…"
"These are not apple trees, Sam," said Erik. "They might do something other than pelt their victims with fruit…"
"Hey," said a deep voice.
They turned. It was one of the trees that had said it.
"What's the sound of one hand clapping?" asked the tree.
"Huh?" asked Sam. "Uhm, uh…"
"How many angels can stand on the head of a pin?" asked another of the trees.
"What?" said Sam. "Slow down!"
"Do humans have free will?" asked a third tree.
"What's your favorite color?" asked a fourth.
The other trees joined in, asking a barrage of questions, all of which seemed to have no simple answers.
"Sam!" shouted Erik, covering his ears. "Run!"
The two ran for the path, but a branch crashed down, blocking their advance.
"What would happen," asked the tree that the branch belonged to, "if an unstoppable force collided with an immovable object?"
"Hey, bark-brains!" shouted a voice.
Everyone was stunned. Sam and Erik looked up at the path they hadn't taken yet, and saw a figure standing there.
"What time is it?" asked the figure, in a high, nasally voice.
"It's four thirty-two PM and twenty-nine seconds," said one of the trees.
"No," said another tree. "It's four thirty-two PM and thirty-one seconds."
"No," said another. "It's four thirty-two PM and thirty-four seconds."
Then the trees started to argue. Sam and Erik looked at each other with confused looks.
"This way, you two!" shouted the figure. "That will keep them occupied for about a minute!"
Sam and Erik weren't about to ask questions. They ran out of the clearing, towards the figure, who was chuckling in that high, nasally voice.
"Stupid paradox trees," he chortled. "They fall for that trick every time…"
"Well, thanks a bunch, buddy, we…" said Erik.
Then he stopped short.
He recognized who it was.
It was a youth who was rather short, about five-foot-four, wearing an odd outfit – a closed green jacket with a black design on the front and back resembling a beetle. What truly made him recognizable was his hair – green and cut into a bowl-style – and his large, yellow-rimmed glasses. He wore a Duel Disk on his left arm. He also had a machete strapped to his side.
"Weevil Underwood…" muttered Sam. "I thought you were dead."
Weevil chuckled.
"The real Weevil is," he said. "Joan isn't the only one who knows how to make virtual constructs, you know.
"The real Weevil is rotting in his grave, but Daala has made me… A copy that's just as good."
"Or just as bad," said Sam. "Why'd you save us, bug-brain?"
"I'd say I haven't yet," said Weevil. "You two had best follow me…"
"Why should we trust you?" asked Sam. "You're not only a copy of one of the most untrustworthy duelists that Yumi's two grandfathers had the pleasure of beating, but you just admitted you work for Daala!"
"Why am I untrustworthy?" asked Weevil.
Sam sighed. She started counting on her fingers.
"You destroyed Yugi's Exodia cards," she said, "you sabotaged Joey Wheeler's deck, you sided with the Orichalcos, you stole the God Cards… Need I go on?"
"You want my professional opinion?" asked Weevil.
There was a pause as he looked at them.
"I'm not a professional!
"But I do know that you two have found your way into one of the deadliest parts of Tzimisce. If you wander into another grove of those trees, they'll badger you with questions until they drive you mad.
"I know how to get to the other end of Paradox Grove without running into them. Let me put it this way… What choice do you have?"
He started to walk ahead.
"Just stick close to me, and it'll be like a walk in the park."
"We're gonna regret this…" muttered Erik. "Somehow, I just know it…"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Weevil slashed through the vines in front of him with his machete.
"Soon this will all just be a happy memory," he said. "The Tzimisce isn't a very pleasant place for most duelists… But when you run a deck full of Monsters that benefit from the Forest Field Spell, like yours truly, it's actually rather nice after a while.
"Occasionally, I even find some powerful Insect Duel Spirits, and convince them to join my deck… It's gotten better by leaps and bounds since I was first programmed…
"In fact… I think I may be a better Insect duelist than the original Weevil Underwood ever was…"
He turned to Sam and chuckled.
"Maybe I'm even better than your mom, Samantha."
Sam fumed with anger.
"She'd be more than willing to come here and duel you," she growled.
"That's the idea!" laughed Weevil.
They walked into a clearing. In the center was a giant cocoon.
"That's a Cocoon of Evolution!" shouted Sam.
Weevil chuckled.
"That's right, Samantha!" he laughed. "And it's been there much longer than the equivalent of six rounds. I can bring out Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth and have it crush you any time I want.
"You didn't really think I was going to lead you to safety for free, did you?"
"What do you want, Weevil?" asked Sam, now getting angry.
"Here's the deal…" said Weevil. "The exit to Paradox Grove is right behind it. If you want out, you're gonna have to duel me. Win, and you two can pass."
"And if I lose?" asked Sam.
"Then when Daala takes you, you get marked prisoner status," said Weevil. "Meaning I'm free to use you for one endeavor."
"Bait to lure my mother into a duel when Daala finally lets her come here…" growled Sam.
Weevil laughed.
"You catch on fast!" he chortled.
"All right!" shouted Sam, "I'll duel you. Just give me a minute."
She took her deck out of her Disk and started looking through the cards.
"What are you doing?" asked Weevil.
"Checking to make sure my deck doesn't have any cards that I didn't put in it!" snapped Sam.
Weevil laughed out loud.
"You think I'm going to resort to foul play?" he asked. "Bah… Even without cheating… Even without cursed magic… I'll wager I'm still a far better duelist than you are! Like I said, Daala made me even better than the real Weevil."
"I'm not sure if that's much of an improvement," said Sam.
"You'll be a believer soon," said Weevil. "Now… Let's see you bring out your Deck Lord…"
"Huh?" said Sam.
Then her deck started to glow…
In a burst of shadowy energy, a powerful figure appeared behind her. It was a fiendish man wearing leather armor and a mask, with blades on his wrists. Strapped to his back was a huge sword – a zanbatô.
"Gors?" whispered Sam.
"Indeed," said the Fiend's powerful voice. "As the Dark Ruler's right-hand man, he has given me the task of acting as your Deck Lord.
"Do not fear, Samantha. We will vanquish this fool…"
"Okay…" said Sam.
She shuffled her deck thoroughly and turned to Weevil.
"Messenger of Hades – Gors is my Deck Lord," she said. "So what's yours?"
"Fool…" said Weevil. "It's right in front of you!"
The Cocoon of Evolution burst open in a spray of slime and other nasty residue, and a moth the side of a small bus crawled out. It shook the gunk off of its wings, and then rose into the air.
"Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth was once the real Weevil's trump card," said Weevil, "but in today's game, it's almost worthless. Way too hard to summon. However, as a Deck Lord, it's incredibly useful.
"That's often the case in Xanadu… Monsters that are often useless in a regular duel make powerful Deck Lords."
"We'll soon see…" said Sam.
"Game on!" they both shouted.
(Sam: 8,000) -------------------- (Weevil: 8,000)
"You think you can beat me, Weevil?" asked Sam. "I've studied all your duels. I know all your moves. I can predict every move you could make."
"Oh, is that so?" asked Weevil, angrily, making his first draw.
"Well then, see if you can 'predict' what this facedown card is."
A facedown card materialized.
"And while you're at it, see if you can 'predict' the identity of the Monster I'm putting in Defense Mode."
A facedown Monster appeared.
"It's your move…"
Sam drew a card.
No problem… she thought. The facedown card is probably DNA Surgery. And the Monster is clearly a Pinch Hopper…
She paused.
Wait… No… No… It could be Parasite Paraside… Or Parasite Caterpillar… Or Kiseitai… Man, that thing isn't even an Insect, why'd he even have it? Or it could be a… Argh!
"Heh, heh, heh…" chuckled Weevil. "See? It isn't as easy as you think, Samantha."
Sam started to sweat.
"I… uh… I summon Opticlops…" she said.
She played the card, and a one-eyed, one-horned, muscular ogre appeared. (1,800/1,700)
"Now… Uhm… Uh…"
"Take as long as you like," said Weevil. "I'll just take a nap while you're deciding…"
Sam turned red with anger.
"I'm not scared of your Monster!" she shouted. "Opticlops, attack!"
"Sam! Wait!" shouted Erik.
Steam blew from the ogre's nostrils. It charged at the facedown Monster. A large, black beetle with a skull imprinted on its back appeared on the card. Opticlops squashed it flat.
"Thank you," chuckled Weevil, as he glowed with golden energy.
"A Skull-Mark Ladybug?" said Sam, putting her hand on her hip. "You got me riled up over that?"
"Scared you, didn't I?" chuckled Weevil.
Laugh it up, thought Sam, looking at her cards. I'll have the last laugh soon…
She had a Monster in her hand that had replaced Lesser Fiend as her secondary one-Tribute Monster (the primary one, naturally, being Ha Des). Once she summoned it, she could take this duel by storm.
"I end my turn," she said.
(S: 8,000) -------------------- (W: 9,000)
Weevil drew a card.
"Hee, hee…" he chuckled. "I summon… Chainsaw Insect!"
A roar of chainsaws sounded over the clearing, and a huge beetle with wicked, serrated mandibles burst out of the ground. (2,400/0)
"Scared yet?" asked Weevil.
"Feh," said Sam. "No. It may be incredibly powerful, but I happen to know that whenever it fights a Monster, I get to draw a card."
"Actually," said Weevil, "the rules say you must draw a card. You have no choice in the matter…"
As Sam was trying to figure out what he meant, his facedown card lifted.
"I activate… Greed!" he chuckled. "If either of player draws any cards outside of their Draw Phases, this Trap Card makes them regret it, inflicting 500 points of damage for each one!
"Chainsaw Insect, cut her Opticlops in two!"
The Insect scurried at Opticlops, and grabbed it with its mandibles, graphically slicing the Fiend apart at the middle. Fortunately, its remains shattered before much more gore could be seen.
"Well?" asked Weevil. "Draw a card…"
Sam growled, and drew.
A dagger appeared in the air in front of her, and then stabbed into her chest. She grunted in pain.
"I'll end with one more facedown card," said Weevil, as a facedown card appeared. "Over to you."
(S: 6,900) -------------------- (W: 9,000)
"Hang in there, baby!" shouted Erik.
"I'm trying!" said Sam, who was getting a little annoyed.
She looked over her cards. The Monster she had been intending to summon was no good now..
"Any ideas, Gors?" she asked. "What's your Deck Lord ability, anyway?"
She listened as he started to explain it.
"Wonderful…" she said, sarcastically.
She played a card.
"I set a Monster in Defense Mode," she said.
A facedown Monster appeared.
"That's all I can do," she said.
Weevil made a draw.
He looked at the powerful Monster on the card.
I'll save this for when I need it, he thought.
"Chainsaw Insect, wipe out her facedown Monster!" he shouted.
Chainsaw Insect scurried towards the facedown card. A sinister looking wooden puppet holding an axe appeared on the card. Chainsaw Insect sawed it in half.
"So much for Malice Doll of Demise…" muttered Sam.
"Forget?" asked Weevil. "Draw!"
Sam drew again. Again, the dagger appeared, and plunged into her stomach this time.
Sam gasped, and looked at the card she had drawn.
Hey… she thought.
"Trap activate!" shouted Weevil.
"Huh?" said Sam, as the facedown card lifted.
"It's called Null and Void," said Weevil. "It sends that card you drew straight to the Graveyard!"
Sam growled as the card vanished.
He wasn't kidding… thought Sam. He is better than the real Weevil ever was…
However… A key part of his strategy seems to be that Chainsaw Insect. Maybe if I take it out, I can turn this around.
"Your move," said Weevil.
(S: 6,400) -------------------- (W: 9,000)
Sam made a draw.
It was Pot of Greed.
Eh, this is going to cost me, she thought, but I really don't have much choice.
"I play Pot of Greed," she said, playing the card.
The evil jar appeared with a laugh, and she drew two cards.
Then she shrieked as two daggers appeared and she was stabbed twice.
She gasped for breath as she looked at the cards.
"I play Monster Reborn, to summon Opticlops in Attack Mode," she said.
The holy ankh appeared, glowing with golden light. Opticlops appeared, none the worse for wear. (1,800/1,700)
"Next, I summon The Bistro Butcher."
With a cackling laugh, a new Fiend appeared. He had blue skin, and was dressed in a stained chef's outfit and hat. His right hand was replaced by a hook, and his other hand held a cleaver. (1,800/1,000)
"I'll play a facedown, and end my turn."
A facedown card appeared.
(S: 5,400) -------------------- (W: 9,000)
Weevil chuckled as he drew a card.
"Nice try," he said. "You obviously think I'm going to fall for that trick because the real Weevil fell for it in his duel with Wheeler… Twice.
"Well, let me tell you something Samantha. I doubt that even the real Weevil would have been dumb enough to make that mistake again, and I certainly wouldn't."
"Okay, we get it!" shouted Erik. "Daala upgraded you! Don't make me downgrade you…"
"Just make your move, Weevil," said Sam.
"I will," said Weevil, smugly, "but I'm not dumb enough to attack. I'll summon Neo Bug in Attack Mode."
He played the card, and a new Insect appeared. This one resembled a cross between a wasp and a large scorpion, with a green exoskeleton. (1,800/1,700)
"I end my turn."
"Then I draw!" shouted Sam.
She looked at the card. Then she played it.
"First, I summon Archfiend Soldier."
She played the card, and a bonfire appeared out of it. A tall Fiend with mauve skin, armor, a green cloak, and ram-like horns stepped out of the flames. (1,900/1,500)
"Now…" said Sam. "Bistro Butcher… Attack his Chainsaw Insect!"
"Huh?" said Weevil.
The Butcher raised his cleaver, and rushed at the huge bug.
"And to help him, I activate… Bark of Dark Ruler!"
Her facedown card lifted, and the intimidating form of Dark Ruler Ha Des appeared in a burst of fire and smoke.
"I'll pay 2,400 Life Points," said Sam, "and your big bug's Attack Score is reduced by the same amount. That means it falls to nothing."
Chainsaw Insect glowed with dark energy, and then fell to an Attack Score of zero. The Bistro Butcher slashed with his cleaver, and it shattered into bits.
"Of course, since your Insect still did battle," said Sam, "I have to draw a card."
She made a draw, and the dagger stabbed into her chest again. She winced in pain.
"However, due to my Butcher's effect, you have to draw two cards. So your own Trap works against you!"
Weevil cursed and made two draws. Two daggers appeared and stabbed into his chest. He grunted.
"And my Battle Phase continues," said Sam. "Archfiend Soldier, destroy his Neo Bug! Sword of Perdition!"
Archfiend Soldier drew a long, sharp blade. He rushed at the large Insect, and with one slash, cleaved it in half.
"No fair!" shouted Weevil.
"Opticlops… Attack him directly!"
Opticlops roared, and charged at Weevil, slamming its horn into his chest. He tumbled over.
(S: 2,500) -------------------- (W: 4,300)
Sam sighed.
"I play a facedown, and then I end my turn," she said.
A new facedown card appeared in a flash of light.
"All right, Samantha," said Weevil, getting up.
He drew a card.
"I was going to be nice about this… But you're starting to bug me…"
He placed a card into his Disk.
"I play Nightmare's Steelcage!"
The ground around Sam burst in a series of fiery explosions, and an iron, domed cage studded with spikes formed around her and her Monsters.
"Now your Fiends can't attack me for two of your turns," said Weevil.
"Hang in there!" shouted Erik. "He can't attack you either!"
"Look who knows so much," said Weevil. "I'll summon Flying Kamakiri #1."
He played the card, and a huge, green and yellow mantis appeared in front of him. (1,400/900)
Lovely, thought Sam. Even if I manage to destroy that, he'll use its effect to summon a Wind Monster.
Which could be trouble… He might have mom's Flying Scorpion somewhere in his deck. I wouldn't be surprised.
"I'll end my turn there," said Weevil. "Go ahead."
Sam made a draw.
Dust Tornado she thought, looking at the card. Hmm, I could tear down his cage with this…
But…
It would be destroyed after I ended my next turn anyway… and if he's planning to bring that Chainsaw Insect back, that Trap Card of his is the bigger problem.
Besides, the only high-level Insects I can think of that only need one sacrifice that are worth using are Insect Princess and Saber Beetle. And neither are anything I can't handle.
"I set one card facedown," she said.
She set the Dust Tornado, and a new facedown card appeared.
"Now…" said Sam, "I sacrifice my Butcher…"
The Bistro Butcher shattered into shards.
"To call forth Gaap, the Divine Soldier!"
With a roar, a new Fiend appeared on the field. It looked more or less like a humanoid bug, but much more diabolic than any of Weevil's Insects. Most remarkably, in addition to its normal arms, two huge claws that were almost the size of its body grew from its shoulders. (2,200/2,000)
"Interesting…" said Weevil, with a chuckle.
"That's it for me," said Sam.
Rust started to cover the Nightmare's Steelcage, and it started to chip.
"Then I draw," said Weevil.
He drew, and looked at the card.
"Hmm," he said.
"Go, Dust Tornado!" shouted Sam.
The facedown card lifted. The tornado tore across the field, and the Greed card blew to pieces.
Strangely, Weevil didn't seem very upset. He just made a slight smirk.
"Tell me, Samantha," he said, adding the card to his hand, "how computer savvy are you?"
"Pretty much," said Sam. "Why?"
"Here's a question…" said Weevil. "How many bytes in a gigabyte?"
"Easy," said Sam. "One billion."
Weevil nodded.
"Well…" he said. "I doubt that a Gigaplant is a billion time as strong as the average plant, but it's still pretty strong."
"Gigaplant?" said Sam. "What the heck are you talking about?"
"Gigaplant!" said Weevil. "One of my most powerful Monsters… And I'm going to sacrifice my Kamakiri to summon it…"
Flying Kamakiri #1 vanished, and the ground started to shake…
A mass of vines and tendrils shot out of the ground, and then a gigantic creature rose to the surface. It was a huge, hulking plant, twenty feet tall and ten feet wide, with dozens of pods and even more vines serving as limbs, and a huge maw full of sharp teeth. A deep, throaty laugh echoed over the field. (2,400/1,200)
Don't panic, Sam, thought Sam to herself. Sure, it's big, strong, and hideous, but you've taken down worse…
"A big man-eating plant…" she said. "That's corny even for you, Weevil. So what does your big Plant do?"
"Why nothing," said Weevil. "Not yet, anyway!"
"I don't understand…" said Sam.
"Oh, but you will…" said Weevil. "Be glad the cage is still there, so it can't attack. Make your move…"
Sam drew a card.
I don't know what he plans to do with his oversized eggplant, she thought, but it can't be good…
And I can't move my Monsters to Defense Mode! Gaap's effect prevents both players from defending, damn it…
"All right, Weevil," she said, "I summon Gil Garth in Attack Mode."
She played a new card, and a metal, armored Fiend carrying a scimitar appeared. (1,800/1,200)
"So now what?"
The Nightmare's Steelcage completely rusted over, and collapsed into a pile of dust.
"Now what?" asked Weevil, drawing a card. "Well, the first thing I'm gonna do, is summon my Gigaplant."
"Summon your Gigaplant?" asked Sam. "But… It's already on the field. How can you summon it?"
"Gigaplant is a Gemini Monster," said Weevil, raising a finger.
Sam just stared at him.
"You lost me," she said.
"Okay, I'd better explain it," he said. "Gemini Monsters were a passing fad in Duel Monsters several years ago. They never really caught on as a group, and only the most useful ones, like this one, are still used. And even then, they're only good in the right decks.
"A Gemini Monster has an effect that might seem too powerful for its Level… However, when it is first summoned, and when it's in the Graveyard, it's considered a Normal Monster. In order to use its effect, it has to be summoned twice. You have to Normal Summon it a second time.
"So… I'll Second Summon my Gigaplant, to awaken its effect!"
Gigaplant laughed again, as it glowed with a sickly green aura…
"What's this effect, you may ask?" he continued. "Once per round, I'm allowed to Special Summon any Insect or Plant from either my hand or my Graveyard. So I could bring Chainsaw Insect back…"
He took a card from his hand.
"But I've got a better one right here… Meet Brain Crusher!"
Gigaplant dropped one of its huge pods. Then the pod hatched, and a huge form rose out of it in a burst of slime. Sam couldn't believe it… This was an Insect that she had never seen her mother use.
It was as big as Insect Queen, and resembled, bluntly, a cross between a giant hornet and a dragon. It had large insect wings, a large abdomen, a blue and red exoskeleton, and a dragon-shaped head on a long neck. (2,400/1,500)
"By the way," said Weevil. "This is where my Deck Lord can do its thing…"
Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth shook its wings, and odd pollen fell on Brain Crusher. It glowed with energy, and its Attack Score went up to 3,150.
"WHAT?" shouted Sam.
"It's called Strengthening Spores," said Weevil. "My Deck Lord can increase the Attack Score of an Insect that's Level Five or greater by half of its Defense Score."
The Field Slot on his Disk snapped open.
"And I'm going to make it even stronger… I play the Forest Field Spell."
He played the card.
"The change it actually makes to our surroundings will be slight, because we're already in a forest," he chuckled, "but in this Field, Insects gain 200 Attack and Defense Points. Plants too, by the way…"
Brain Crusher grew to (3,350/1,700), while Gigaplant grew to (2,600/1,400)
"Enough chit-chat," he said. "Brain Crush, attack her Divine Soldier with sonic scream."
Brain Crusher let out a terrible sound, that could best be compared to the drone of a wasp amplified a thousand times. Gaap groaned and covered its ears before it exploded into shards.
"Erk…" muttered Sam. "Now I know why it's called a Brain Crusher… It gives you a splitting headache!"
Her Trap Card flipped up.
"I activate Option Hunter. Now, for each Attack Point Gaap had, I gain one Life Point."
"Big deal," said Weevil. "Gigaplant, attack Gil Garth. Tendril tangle!"
Gigaplant let out its deep laugh, and a swarm of vines shot at the metal Fiend. They grabbed it, and crushed it like it was made of tinfoil.
Weevil chuckled.
"I move to my End Phase," he said. "And that means Brain Crusher's effect activates. I get to Special Summon another Monster, and I think it will look familiar to you."
A tall creature rose out of the ground.
Sam couldn't believe it. It was Gaap. It was covered with a gossamer film of webbing, but there was no mistaking that it was the Fiend. (2,200/2,000)
"My Divine Soldier!" shouted Sam.
"When Brain Crusher kills a Monster, it becomes mine," said Weevil. "Be thankful I can only Special Summon it during the End Phase."
(S: 2,750) -------------------- (W: 4,300)
Sam fumed with anger as she drew a card.
I gotta do something, she thought, or I'm gonna be bug food, plant food, AND Fiend food!
She looked at the card.
She had drawn her star – Dark Ruler Ha Des.
He was the key to using Gors's ability. And she could use him to destroy Gigaplant…
But if she summoned him, he would be defeated on her next turn by Brain Crusher. Weevil couldn't Special Summon him from the Graveyard, but nonetheless, she couldn't risk that yet.
She fit two cards into her Disk, and two facedown cards appeared.
"That's all," she muttered.
"My move…" said Weevil, drawing a card.
"And the fun just continues! I summon Insect Knight!"
He played the card, and a much more familiar Monster appeared, the mantis fighter carrying his sword and shield. (1,900/1,500) –) (2,100/1,700)
"Now… I use Gigaplant's effect again…"
Another pod fell from the huge Plant.
"I summon Insect Queen!"
The pod burst open, and Weevil's signature Monster appeared, the Monarch of Insects that resembled a cross between a demonic woman and a huge beetle. She roared with bloodlust. (2,200/2,400)
"Let's see…" muttered Weevil, scratching his head. "Anyone here have a calculator?"
"Calculator?" asked Sam.
"Wait…" said Erik. "She gains 1,200 Attack Points from his Deck Lord… 200 more from the Field Spell… And 600 from her own effect… Carry the one…
"Good lord, that's 4,200 Attack Points!"
"Exactly!" laughed Weevil. "Time to finish you off!
"Gaap… Attack the Archfiend Soldier!"
Gaap's eyes glowed. It leapt at Archfiend Soldier, and made a slash with its right claw, tearing it to shreds.
"Insect Knight, destroy Opticlops!"
Insect Knight flew at Opticlops, and slashed at it with its sword. The ogre shattered into pixels.
"You're out of Monsters!" shouted Weevil. "And now I'm going to sacrifice your Divine Soldier so that my Queen can attack.
"Dinner time, your majesty…"
Insect Queen seized Gaap, and then chomped her jaws down on its torso, causing a spray of blood to spurt from it. Sam forced herself to look away, not willing to watch her Monster be devoured.
She only opened her eyes when she heard Weevil give the command.
"Attack Samantha directly!" he shouted. "Queen's Hell breath!"
Insect Queen drooled. Then a blast of venom mixed with energy shot at Sam…
"I activate my Trap Card!" shouted Sam. "Draining Shield!"
"Curses!" shouted Weevil, as the facedown card lifted. A dome of force formed around Sam, and the blast hit it, feeding energy into Sam.
"You have nothing left to protect you…" said Weevil with a scowl. "Brain Crusher, you attack!"
Brain Crusher let lose its sonic scream again.
"Go, Kuriboh!" shouted Sam, throwing a card into her discard slot.
A wall of Kuribohs sprang up, and the blast plowed into them. They burst, but the blast was halted.
Weevil grinned.
"Now you really have nothing left to defend yourself with," he said. "Gigaplant… Get her."
Gigaplant's vines shot at Sam, and she screamed again as they wrapped around her and lifted her off her feet. She closed her eyes as they squeezed, and the horrible laughter echoed through the air.
Finally, they dumped her back on the ground. She gasped for breath.
"Your move…" said Weevil. "Heh, if I had summoned my Deck Lord to the field, this duel would have been over… Too bad there's no way to have six Monsters on the field."
(S: 3,750) -------------------- (W: 4,300)
Sam got to her feet, breathing hard. She sweat heavily. She felt her ribs, hoping that they were only bruised and not broken.
Could her bones be broken in a duel in this world? How much of the duels in Xanadu were illusions, and how much was real? She didn't know, and she didn't want to find out.
She knew what Weevil was referring to in that last statement. This guy had all of the real one's memories all right. And he hadn't changed a bit.
Man… she thought. Starting college next year is suddenly starting to look so appealing…
She looked at Weevil and his army.
No way I can survive another onslaught like that…
She looked at her deck.
"Come on, Sam!" shouted Erik. "Do something! Weevil might choose something different for that one endeavor than using you as bait."
Sam's eyes opened wide…
He was right. The rights that someone working for Daala had over a prisoner that was marked for his use could be vast…
She wasn't about to lose…
She drew a card.
"I play… Pot of Avarice!" she shouted.
The ridiculous pink jug appeared on the field, and Opticlops, Malice Doll of Demise, Kuriboh, Archfiend Soldier, and The Bistro Butcher slipped out of her discard slot. She shuffled the five Monsters into her deck, and then drew two cards.
She looked at them.
"Hey, Weevil!" she shouted. "Guess what? I'm gonna take down your Queen, AND your big Plant!"
"I'd like to see you try it!" he replied.
"All right, fine," said Sam. "First, I play Silent Doom. This lets me bring back Gil Garth in Defense Mode."
The metal Fiend holding the scimitar appeared again, kneeling and holding the sword in its lap. (1,800/1,200)
Her last facedown card lifted.
"Next, my Call of the Haunted brings Gaap back, all in one piece."
A stone casket burst out of the ground, and it opened. Gaap the Divine Soldier crawled out, looking angrier than he had been before. (2,200/2,000)
"Then… I sacrifice Gil Garth…"
Gil Garth vanished, and the sky darkened. Thunder rumbled.
"To summon the King of the Underworld… Dark Ruler Ha Des!"
A black bonfire appeared on the field. The dreaded ruler of Fiends stepped out of it, dressed in his long, rich robes with a skull on the chest and bejeweled helmet. He clutched a wine goblet full of smoking, green liquid in his clawed hand. (2,450/1,600)
"Ah, Ha Des, Shma Des," laughed Weevil. "He's no match for my Queen or my Plant!"
Both Ha Des and Gors gave Weevil a dirty look.
"You'll soon learn otherwise, Weevil," said Sam. "My Deck Lord's ability works in synchronization with Ha Des.
"It's called Summon Servants. While Ha Des is on the field, I can pay 800 Life Points to Special Summon a Fiend-Type Monster that's Level Four or less from my Graveyard."
Gors started to glow with dark energy.
"So say hello… To Winged Minion!"
A small creature appeared next to Ha Des. It was an imp the size of an infant, with blue skin and bat-like wings, wearing only a ragged pair of shorts. (700/700)
"Hold on!" shouted Weevil. "I never sent THAT to your Graveyard!"
"Yes you did," replied Sam. "Remember a little thing called Null and Void?"
Weevil stopped short.
"See?" said Sam. "What helped you so much before is going to hurt you now. Because by sacrificing Winged Minion, I can increase the Attack and Defense Scores of any Fiend by 700 points!"
Winged Minion vanished, and Ha Des flexed his muscles. (3,150/2,300)
"You might be able to destroy my Plant," shouted Weevil, "but my Queen will still devour your Dark Ruler!"
Sam grinned, and took one of the two cards she had just drawn.
"I play… Hellfire Flame!" she shouted.
"What?" said Weevil.
Ha Des chanted in an ancient language… The ground rumbled…
Then flames burst out of the ground. The trees around them started to catch fire.
"What's happening?" shouted Weevil.
"Hellfire Flame is a Spell Card that channels the fires of the Underworld for a devastating effect," said Sam. "I can only use it when I have at least one Fiend on the field. When I do, then the current Field Spell is destroyed."
Weevil cringed, as the trees around him were reduced to ash, and all four of his Monsters lost 200 Attack and Defense Points.
"Then, both players lose 1,000 Life Points," said Sam.
Weevil groaned as a flaming aura surrounded both him and Sam.
"Then," said Sam, "all Monsters on the field except for Fiends lose 1,000 Attack Points."
Weevil's four Monsters groaned as the fiery aura surrounded them as well. Insect Knight fell to an Attack Score of 900, Brain Crusher fell to 2,150, Insect Queen fell to 3,000, and Gigaplant fell to only 1,400.
"No…" said Weevil.
"Ha Des…" ordered Sam. "Wipe out Insect Queen! Stygian blast!"
Dark Ruler Ha Des formed a ball of black flames in his hands. He hurled them forward. Insect Queen screamed as she erupted in fire, and then she exploded into ash.
"Try to laugh this off! Gaap, destroy his Gigaplant! Terror rend!"
Gaap bore its two larger claws. It leapt at the gargantuan vegetable, and made a large slash down the center of it. The Gigaplant moaned, and then collapsed before exploding into green shards.
(S: 1,950) -------------------- (W: 2,350)
"By the way," said Sam, "with Gaap on the field, neither player can put Monsters in Defense Mode."
She placed a card on her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.
"It's your move, Weevil, and the tide of this battle is turning."
Weevil glared at her.
He drew a card.
He played it, and the Pot of Greed appeared. He drew two cards.
"We'll see about that!" he shouted. "I sacrifice both my Monsters…"
Insect Knight and Brain Crusher dissolved into grains of light.
"…to summon Metal Armored Bug!"
With a burst of dirt and dust, a huge beetle with a metal exoskeleton burst out of the ground. Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth shook its wings, and it glowed with energy. (2,800/1,500) –) (3,550/1,500)
"Woo-wee," said Sam. "You're a big one, aren't you?"
Her facedown card flipped up.
"Go, Shadow Spell!"
Weevil gasped, as a mass of chains shot out of the ground. Metal Armored Bug roared as it was seized by them, and its Attack Score fell to 2,850.
Weevil growled. He placed another card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.
"Make… your… move…" he hissed.
"I draw one card…" said Sam, drawing.
"Trap activate!" shouted Weevil. "Call of the Haunted!"
His facedown card flipped up, and the ground rumbled. Insect Queen burst out of the ground, now angry. (2,200/2,400) –) (3,800/2,400)
"Sorry Weevil," said Sam, taking the card she had just drawn, "but I'm gonna swat your Queen again.
"I play Mystical Space Typhoon!"
Weevil screamed as the cyclone tore across the field. The Call of the Haunted card was blown to bits, and Insect Queen burst along with it.
"Time to end this," said Sam. "Ha Des, destroy his Bug!"
The Dark Ruler cast one final Stygian blast, and cracks formed all over Metal Armored Bug's shell. It exploded into shards.
"Gaap… Finish him."
The Divine Soldier leapt at Weevil, and the Insect duelist screamed as he was slashed with the huge claw. He fell on his back.
(S: 1,950) -------------------- (W: 0)
Gors's eyes began to glow with fiery light. The Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth screeched, and then shattered into pixels.
"Curse you, Arachne," growled Weevil. "You may have escaped from Paradox Grove… But getting out of Tzimisce Woods once you're in is almost impossible… The Realm Lord will never let you leave alive…"
"Who is this Realm Lord?" demanded Sam.
Weevil cackled, and then vanished into grains of light.
"Fear not, Samantha," said Gors. "I'm more powerful than before, thanks to the energy I got from that moth. When you need me again, it will be a much easier time."
He vanished in a dark shadow.
Sam turned to Erik.
"I vote we try to find the others," she said.
"I second the notion," he replied.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
"Ugh!" groaned Sam, as they pushed their way through some weeds. "You don't suppose that there's poison ivy in this forest, do you?"
"Probably," said Erik. "But poison oak and poison sumac is much worse."
"You aren't helping…" she muttered.
They heard a rustling from the bushes ahead of them.
"Oh no…" said Sam. "Another enemy?"
The two of them stood their ground to face the new foe. Three forms leapt out of the bushes…
Five Disks activated at once. On one side, Opticlops and Toy Magician appeared. On the other, Getsu Fuhma, Magician's Valkyria, and Vampire Lady appeared.
The five Monsters stopped short, as did their owners.
"Sorry guys," said Yumi, as the five allies called back their Monsters.
"This Woods in dangerous," said Chelsea. "The Realm Lord wanted us to split up. He was trying to lure us to our dooms."
"Then let's not do so again," said Sam. "United we stand, divided we fall. Who said that, anyway?"
"I think it was Patrick Henry," said Ren.
"Actually, Henry borrowed it from Matthew Walker," said Yumi, "who first used it directly in the fable The Four Oxen and the Lion and indirectly in The Bundle of Sticks."
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
In a castle in the center of Tzimisce, of gothic design, made of stone and covered with moss and vines, the Realm Lord was listening.
"Yes, quite a useful proverb, Yumi," he said. "One that I can't agree with more…"
He looked at his Duel Disk, and drew off the top card.
"As Daala is quite fond of saying," he said, as he looked at the diabolic Monster on the card, "Power Comes in Combinations…"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
"I don't get it," said Olga, as Sheena worked on the keyboard. "What is meant by 'Power Comes in Combinations'? Fusions?"
"Well, it basically defines what Duel Monsters is about, Olga," said Sheena. "Every deck strategy needs cards that work together. Every card in a deck needs to combine its power with the other cards if it hopes to be a winning deck.
"But I'm sure there must be a deeper meaning…"
She paused.
"Oh, it's no good…" she muttered. "We've been at this for hours, and I'm still no closer to getting anything good about Daala.
"Seems the only clue we have are these three silly riddles that appeared on my system before Daala struck…"
She hit a key, and the three odd questions came up.
"What has four wheels and flies?"
"What time is it when the clock strikes thirteen?"
"What sort of salute does an overachieving U.S. President get?"
"Uhm…" said Nicholas. "A garbage truck, time to get the clock fixed, and uh, I would say he would get a 22-gun salute."
"Yeah…" muttered Sheena. "Childish riddles…
"But there must be more to them than that…"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
MESSENGER OF HADES – GORS (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type:
Fiend/Effect
Attribute:
Dark
Level:
7
ATK:
2,700
DEF:
2,500
Card Description:If you have no cards on your side of the field, and you receive damage to your Life Points from a card controlled by your opponent, you may Special Summon this card from your hand, and activate one of the following effects depending on the type of damage you received:
Battle Damage: Special Summon one "Messenger of Hades – Kaien Token" (Fairy/Light/Level Seven/? ATK/? DEF). The ATK and DEF of a "Messenger of Ha Des – Kaien Token" are both equal to the amount of damage taken.
Effect Damage: Inflict damage to your opponent's Life Points equal to the amount of damage you received.
0
0
0
GAAP, THE DIVINE SOLDIER (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type:
Fiend/Effect
Attribute:
Dark
Level:
6
ATK:
2,200
DEF:
2,000
Card Description:When this card is face-up on the field, all Monsters are switched to Attack Position and cannot change their Battle Positions (Flip-Effects are not activated at this time). Once per turn, by showing one Fiend-Type Monster in your hand to your opponent, you can increase the ATK of this card by 300 until the End Phase of your turn.
Note: "Messenger of Hades – Gors" and "Gaap, the Divine Soldier" are Japanese cards that have not yet been released in the United States.
0
0
0
HELLFIRE FLAME (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: A diabolic-looking fiend in a bonfire.
Card Description: You may only activate this card when a Field Spell is face-up on the field and you have at least one Fiend-Type Monster face-up on the field. Destroy the current Field Spell, inflict 1,000 points of direct damage to each player's Life Points, and deduct 1,000 points from the ATK of all face-up Monsters except Fiend-Type Monsters.
Note: "Hellfire Flame" was first used by Yugi in the "Yu-Gi-Oh R" issue "Dweller of the Deep Darkness!!". Creative credit goes to the writers.
0
0
0
Sam's Deck Lord: "Messenger of Hades – Gors": "Summon Subjects": When you have a "Dark Ruler Ha Des" face-up on your side of the field, you may spend 800 Life Points to Special Summon a Level Four or lower Fiend-Type Monster from your Graveyard. You may use this effect once per turn, during your Main Phase. (Minor Power)
0
0
0
Weevil's Deck Lord: "Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth": "Strengthening Spores": The ATK of all Level Five or higher Insect-Type Monsters on your side of the field is increased by half of their base DEF. (Intermediate Power)
0
0
0
Coming up next:
While Sheena and her two helpers try to figure that out, her five interns in Xanadu come across that private orchard that the Realm Lord mentioned earlier, one whose trees hold something that the one guarding it calls Devil's Fruit. Any fans of One Piece here? If you are, then you might know why the Realm Lord is guarding it. The heroes sure realize why, and Erik decides to duel the guard to get the powerful fruit. However, the guard is both duelist and Duel Spirit, an opponent unlike any whom Erik has faced.
Coming up next, "Guarding the Garden". It's gonna be something else.