What do you think of when you think of the word "elf"?
Small children usually think of Santa Claus. Older folks usually think of the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. Whether it's fairy tales or more mature works of fantasy, elves have been a part of many cultures since ancient times, when men thought them up in the legends surrounding their mythologies.
There are elves in Duel Monsters too. Yumi's grandfather used two of them – Mystical Elf and Celtic Guardian, later replaced by his retrained form, Obnoxious Celtic Guardian (whatever he did to be called "obnoxious", I have no idea). There's also Mystical Elf's sister, Dark Elf (who's offensive where her counterpart is defensive), Ancient Elf, a guy who's only a fan card these days, and, of course, Gemini Elf, the Level Four vanilla beatstick of Spellcasters who Yumi uses.
I never dreamed there were more than that…
I'm facing someone who's debunking the myth that elves are lightweights…
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CHAPTER SEVEN
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The Empress Elf
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"So…" said Chelsea, as they walked down the path. "Anyone feel any different?"
"I still have a really sour aftertaste in my mouth," said Ren, "but offhand, no."
"The Realm Lord wanted it guarded," said Yumi. "Unless he somehow gets his kicks by eating fruit that tastes like old gym sneakers, that stuff must do something."
They walked on in silence for a few minutes, their Disks ready to summon a Monster should a new threat appear…
Then the strange spatial effect of the Woods occurred again, and suddenly, they were in a new location.
They were in a huge clearing, standing before a large, stone castle of gothic design. Gargoyles were perched on the roof, and moss and vines covered the whole structure.
"The Realm Lord's castle!" exclaimed Ren. "We've made it!"
"Careful!" warned Yumi. "We'd be fools to think that there are no guards…"
Almost on cue, three frightening forms burst out of the ground. They were tall, blocky, humanoid creatures made of wood. Their faces had mouths that were sideways, hinged at the top and bottom instead of the left and right, and a series of beady knobs on each side of it. They carried scythes. (1,600/100)
"Rigras Leevers," said Yumi. "This guy is creative, I'll give him that…"
Yumi, Ren, and Sam threw cards on their Disks, and Skilled Dark Magician (1,900/1,700), Getsu Fuhma (1,700/1,200), and The Bistro Butcher (1,800/1,000) appeared. The Leevers were apparently too dumb to know that they were outclassed. They lifted their scythes and charged, only to be blown apart by a blast of dark magic and slashes from a katana and a cleaver.
"Talk about dumb," said Chelsea.
"They had wood for brains, what did you expect?" asked Sam.
"Says the duelist who has a demented puppet carrying an axe in her deck," muttered Ren.
"Uh…" said Sam.
She didn't know how to reply to that.
"Is this all?" shouted Ren. "Are you in there? Are you going to give us something more than just weak Monsters?"
As if to respond, the front gates slowly opened…
A feminine form slowly walked out. She was smallish, best described as petite. She had a delicate face, sea-green eyes, tanned skin, long, chestnut hair, and ears that tapered to points. She was dressed in a leather halter and miniskirt, and had bare feet. She also wore a Duel Disk.
"Will I do?" she said, in a haughty voice.
A set of portcullis bars slammed down behind her, blocking the way she came out.
"This is it?" asked Sam, almost laughing. "The Lord's front guard is some elf maiden?
"She doesn't even have a weapon…"
"How little you know," said the elf. "Some say that a Duel Disk is like a sword to a duelist."
Sam chuckled.
"You don't look so tough," she said. "Anyone say we just tackle her and force our way past?"
At this, the elf tapped her Disk, and a blast of energy shot from it, striking Sam in the chest and knocking her over.
"Ow!" she shouted.
"I wouldn't listen to her," said the elf. "One of you will duel me if you want to get inside… Or I'll set it to something stronger than stun."
"You do have a weapon," moaned Sam, clutching her chest. "My mistake…"
"Guys…" said Chelsea. "I don't think our Disks can do that… In fact, I think against a duelist with an actual weapon in Xanadu, we're unarmed…"
The maiden smiled.
"And I think I want to duel Ren," she said.
Ren frowned.
"So, what are the stakes?" he said, stepping up.
"Simple," she replied. "You win, then you all get to go in to see the Realm Lord. But if I win, you won't be joining your friends when they do."
"Any hints as to who this guy is?" asked Ren.
"An exceptional person," said the elf. "He likes to make his own introductions."
"Fine," said Ren. "Do you have a name? And where did you come from, anyway?"
"Call me Gallah," she said. "I was once a citizen in a dimension where elves had a vast empire. But given some… circumstances, I had to leave and migrate to Xanadu."
"You were a wanted criminal, right?" asked Ren.
Gallah frowned.
"You make it sound so… common," she said. "I was known as the Bandit Queen, the greatest thief of my time."
"You were that good, huh?" asked Ren.
"Ever hear of the Dark Scorpions?" asked Gallah.
Ren nodded.
"Morons," said Gallah. "Even my apprentice could have bested them.
"There was no vault I couldn't break into, no safe I couldn't crack. I once snuck up on a party of the Elite Guards of Empress Elf when they were toasting mutton around a campfire… I picked their pockets, took their watches, filched the golden royal badges off their uniforms, and took ale they were drinking, and got away long before they realized I had been there.
"I could take anything that wasn't nailed down, and take the nails along with what was. But unfortunately, the price on my head became too high, and the Empress stated publicly what my fate would be if I was caught… I fled rather than take further risks.
"And by working for the Realm Lord by dueling… Well, if you meet my best Monster, you'll see why I like Xanadu better."
"Lovely," said Ren, shuffling his deck.
"Now meet my Deck Lord!" exclaimed Gallah.
In a flash of light, a humanoid appeared behind her. It was an elf, similar to herself, only male, dressed in an exotic, purple costume that seemed to be a cross between armor and a wizard's garment. He held an odd staff.
"Meet Ancient Elf," she said. "Now let's see yours."
"Well, uh…" said Ren.
His deck glowed, and then, to his surprise, Penumbral Soldier Lady appeared behind him, in a burst of dark energy.
"Uhm…" said Ren. "Gee… No offense, not that I'm ungrateful or anything, but I kind of expected the Queen…"
"Fret not, Ren," whispered the Soldier Lady. "She wanted to… But I insisted. She's the most powerful Monster in your deck, and she'd be better off staying there. We all agreed to that."
"I guess so," said Ren.
"And listen close," she continued. "My ability is useful, if costly. You can spend 800 of your Life Points for me to strengthen one of your Dark Warrior-Type Monsters by the same amount until the End Phase of your turn.
"However, once you have used it, you may not do so again until three of your Standby Phases have passed."
"Okay…" said Ren. "I guess that's good enough…"
He spoke up.
"Ready?" he said to Gallah.
"Oh yeah…" she said.
"Duel!" they both shouted.
(Ren: 8,000) -- (Gallah: 8,000)
Gallah made her first draw, and looked at her hand.
"Let's see," she said. "Think I'll summon this lass… My Learning Elf."
She played the card, and a new elf appeared in front of her. It was another female, this one with long, blonde hair, dressed in a green halter, skirt, a long cape, and sandals. She carried a leather-bound tome under her arm. (1,400/1,500)
"And I think I'll end my turn there."
"Huh?" said Ren.
Oh, be careful, Ren, thought Yumi. If she summoned a weak Monster in Attack Mode with no facedown cards to protect her, it can only mean one thing…
She wants you to attack.
"I don't know what you're up to," said Ren, "but I can still beat you…"
He made a draw. His eyes opened wide when he saw what the card was..
Hey… he thought. I haven't had a chance to use her yet…
He thought for a minute.
Think I'll save her for later…
"I summon a charming lady of my own," he said. "Go, Getsu Fuhma!"
In another burst of shadow, the armored, redheaded, female ronin holding a katana appeared. (1,700/1,200)
"Attack her elf!" he shouted. "Whirlwind blade!"
Getsu Fuhma leapt up, and slashed at Learning Elf with her sword. The elf maiden screamed before she was blasted into shards.
However, Gallah smirked.
"Thank you," she said. "Learning Elf has a special effect. When she goes to the Graveyard, I get to draw one card."
She made a draw. Ren frowned.
"I set this facedown, and end my turn," he said.
A facedown card appeared.
Should have known she was up to something… he thought.
(R: 8,000) -- (G: 7,700)
Gallah drew again.
"Time to show you what my deck lord can do," she said.
"Huh?" asked Ren.
"Ever read the flavor text on Ancient Elf's card?" she asked. "It says that he's lived for thousands of years.
"That's supposed to be true with all elves, at least the ones in the place where I come from. Elves are as immortal as the forests that we live in. In my home country, most of my people are at least three-thousand years old, and many are much older that. The only way for an elf to die is through violence…"
"Omigod…" said Chelsea.
"What?" asked Gallah.
"You weren't just a thief…" she said. "You were a murderer, weren't you? And I'll bet that murder is thought of as even worse among elves than humans think of it, because they think of it as a great tragedy when an immortal life is cut short.
"That's why you fled your world… The punishment for murder is so horrible, you chose not to take the chance of facing it."
Gallah closed her eyes.
"I don't have to answer that question, and I'm not going to," she said.
"Anyway, my Deck Lord can make any Monster with the word 'Elf' in its name truly immortal. During my Standby Phase, f I have no Monsters on the field, I can summon one from my Graveyard without having to pay a copper..."
Ancient Elf glowed with radiant light, and Learning Elf appeared on the field again. (1,400/1,500)
"Next," she said, "I'll summon Thoroughbred Elf."
Another female elf appeared on the field. This one was tall and muscular, dressed in a leather jacket-skirt combination. (1,800/1,500)
"Attack Getsu Fuhma! Fey fist fury!"
Thoroughbred Elf rushed Getsu, and slugged her with her bare hands. Getsu gasped and then shattered into shards.
"Now, Learning Elf, attack him directly!"
Learning Elf lifted her free hand, and shot a volley of lightning bolts, similar to Gemini Elf's attack. Ren strained under the blow.
"I'll set a card of my own facedown, and that will be all."
She fit a card into her Disk, and a facedown card appeared in a flash.
(R: 6,500) -- (G: 7,700)
"And to think I didn't believe in elves," said Sam.
"That's hardly gonna help Ren," said Erik.
"My move," said Ren.
He drew a card.
That's it, he thought.
"I play Premature Burial," he said. "I'll give up 800 Life Points, and Getsu Fuhma comes back."
He glowed with a red aura as he played the card, and the ground burst open. Getsu Fuhma emerged. (1,700/1,200)
"Next, I summon my Dark Blade."
He played another card, and the dark, armored Warrior with his twin swords appeared. (1,800/1,500)
"Now, I play the Field Spell, Mystic Plasma Zone!"
He slid the card into his Field Slot, and an aura of darkness, crackling with energy, covered the whole field. Getsu Fuhma rose to (2,200/800), while Dark Blade rose to (2,300/1,100)
"Now my knight is gonna go medieval on Thoroughbred Elf! Attack with dark sword slash!"
Dark Blade lifted his swords, and rushed at the elf.
"That's just what I wanted you to do," said Gallah. "I activate the Trap Card, Wonderworker!"
Her facedown card flipped up, and an elven sorcerer in exotic clothing appeared on the field.
"It works as follows," she said. "I take a Field Spell from my deck and remove it from play."
A card slipped out of her deck. She held it up, and it vanished.
"And for as long as Wonderworker is on the field, the effect of your Field Spell becomes that of the Field Spell I just removed."
"Say WHAT?" shouted Ren.
"By the way," continued Gallah, "the Spell I removed was Gaia Power. So now, your Mystic Plasma Zone powers up Earth Monsters instead of Dark ones."
The darkness faded away, and the clearing around them grew into an even thicker forest. Ren's two Warriors returned to their previous stats, while Learning Elf rose to (1,900/1,100) and Thoroughbred Elf rose to (2,300/1,100)
"By the way, it's too late for you to call off your attack," said Gallah.
As Dark Blade charged at Thoroughbred Elf, she kicked him in the groin. He collapsed to his knees, and then shattered.
"She's gonna pay for that," said Ren, angrily. "I'll give up 800 Life Points to use my Deck Lord ability, and strengthen Getsu Fuhma."
Both Penumbral Soldier Lady and Getsu Fuhma glowed with dark energy, and Getsu's Attack Score rose to 2,500.
She leapt at Thoroughbred Elf and slashed with her blade. Thoroughbred Elf fell over and was blown to bits.
Ren took some deep breaths.
"I end my turn," he said.
(R: 4,400) -- (G: 7,500)
Sam nudged Yumi on her shoulder.
"What is it, Sam?" said Yumi. "Can't you see that Ren's in trouble?"
"We seem to have gained a spectator," whispered Sam.
She nudged her head to the side.
Yumi slowly looked in that direction.
Someone was indeed watching from the bushes. It was a young woman, dressed entirely in tight, black spandex that covered all of her body except her hands and head. Covering her face was a white mask that made it look like a china doll. She had long, dark hair that was worn loose and fell to her waist.
Yumi's eyes narrowed.
Curiouser and curiouser… she thought.
Gallah smiled as she drew a card.
"I summon Wonderbeat Elf," she said.
As she played the card, a new elf appeared. This one was male, dressed in a leather jerkin and cap. He held a decorated hand axe in each hand. (1,700/1,600) –) (2,200/1,200)
"And I'm gonna make him even stronger," she said. "I Equip him with Invigoration."
She played a card, and Wonderbeat Elf glowed with golden energy, and his muscles bulged. (2,600/1,000)
"By the way, Wonderbeat Elf has a powerful effect. He gets an additional attack for every Elf on the field, other than himself."
"No!" gasped Chelsea.
"If all three attacks go through…" said Yumi, "Ren loses…"
"Learning Elf," ordered Gallah, "destroy Getsu Fuhma!"
Learning Elf shot her bolts of lightning, and Getsu Fuhma was blown into shards.
"Wonderbeat Elf, attack him directly! Swift slash!"
Wonderbeat Elf flew at Ren, and the axe in his right hand slammed into him. Ren staggered backwards.
"Now finish him off! Second swift slash!"
Chelsea hung her head sadly as the left axe slammed into Ren…
Wonderbeat Elf looked a little confused. His second blow hadn't seemed to have hurt Ren as much as the first one did…
"What's wrong?" shouted Gallah. "Why is he still standing? He should have no more Life Points!"
Wonderbeat Elf shrugged.
"Maybe he didn't notice my Trap Card," said Ren.
Then everyone saw it. He had activated Nutrient Z.
"Since that last attack was strong enough to deal at least 2,000 points of damage," said Ren, "I gained 4,000 Life Points right before it hit."
Everyone started to cheer.
(R: 3,000) -- (G: 7,500)
"So you did," said Gallah. "Well, my turn is over… So what now? Next round, I'll simply summon another Elf, giving me five attacks total."
Ren took another deep breath. He drew.
"I play… Pot of Greed!" he said, playing it.
He drew two cards.
Perfect! he thought.
"First thing's first," he said. "Feel the wrath of… Heavy Storm!"
Everyone braced themselves as a furious windstorm struck the clearing. Wonderworker, Invigoration, and Ren's own Field Spell were blown to bits. Wonderbeat Elf fell to (1,700/1,600) and Learning Elf fell to (1,400/1,500).
"Now," he said, holding up a card. "I'm going to introduce one of my newest girls…"
"I see five stars on that card," said Gallah. "How are you going to summon that Monster with no sacrifice?"
"Due to her effect," said Ren, "I can summon her by sacrificing a Monster from my hand instead of the field, so long as that Monster is a Dark Warrior. So I'll sacrifice Familiar Knight…"
He discarded the card.
"…and let's all welcome… Black Lotus!"
In another burst of shadow, another female figure appeared. She was dressed in a low-cut, black leotard, with matching gloves and boots. A mask covered the lower part of her face, and her long hair was tied in a braided ponytail. She held a long, sharp sai in each hand. (1,300/1,400)
"Heh, heh," chuckled Gallah. "She isn't very strong…"
"She's an assassin, not a fighter," said Ren. "So her brute strength is limited… Unless I play Rush Recklessly."
He played the card, and Black Lotus's Attack Score rose to 2,000.
"Attack Wonderbeat Elf!" he shouted. "Strike of the shadow!"
Black Lotus pounced, and stabbed Wonderbeat Elf in the stomach. He dropped his weapons and fell to his knees before shattering.
"By the way," said Ren, "every time Black Lotus kills an enemy Monster, her Attack Score goes up by 200 points.
"I'll end my turn there."
Black Lotus fell back to 1,300 Attack Points, and then rose to 1,500.
"He might have turned it around!" said Chelsea, getting excited.
"Yeah, well, he used every card in his hand," said Sam. "He's gonna need a lot of luck from this point."
(R: 3,000) -- (G: 7,200)
Gallah frowned.
"Draw…" she said, drawing a card.
She looked at it.
"Pass…" she said, adding it to her hand.
Figures, thought Yumi. Learning Elf is the only available target now, and she would have been safe from Black Lotus if she moved to Defense Mode… But Gallah wants her to be destroyed so she can use her effect.
Ren looked at his deck.
C'mon, he thought. Baby needs a new Duel Disk…
He drew.
"Sweet!" he said. "I play… Card of Demise!"
He played the card. He looked up nervously as the guillotine rose behind him again.
He had a feeling he might find out this time how the effect would be carried out if this lasted the full five rounds. But he couldn't worry about that now. He drew five cards.
He looked them over.
"I summon Double Pinaska," he said.
With a flourish, the mustachioed Spaniard somersaulted in front of Ren, holding his rapiers dramatically. (1,500/1,500)
"Attack Learning Elf again!" he shouted.
Double Pinaska slashed with his two rapiers. Learning Elf fell over, and shattered again.
"I get to draw one card again," said Gallah, drawing.
"Fine," said Ren. "And by the way, Black Lotus has another effect, to make up for being a Level Five Monster with such low Attack Scores. If she attacks directly, she gains 500 more Attack Points."
Gallah's eyes opened wide…
And then she screamed as Black Lotus stabbed her directly in the navel with her sai.
Gallah looked at Black Lotus angrily. The assassin casually wiped her weapon clean on her leotard.
(R: 3,000) -- (G: 5,100)
"I'm not done," said Ren. "Next, I Equip Lotus with Necro Shot."
He played a card, and Black Lotus lifted her arm. A glowing, black bat appeared on her wrist.
"This lets her remove from play up to three Monsters in your Graveyard. So your Deck Lord won't be able to bring any of them back on your next turn."
The bat flew at Gallah, and struck her Duel Disk. Three cards, Learning Elf, Thoroughbred Elf, and Wonderbeat Elf appeared behind her and dissolved into grains of light.
"Of course, now Necro Shot is destroyed too…"
The bat shattered.
"But when that happens, I get to toss a Monster from my deck into my Graveyard."
A card slipped out of his deck. He looked at it, nodded, and then discarded it.
"I throw one card facedown, and end my turn."
A facedown card appeared in a burst of light.
Gallah scowled as she drew another card.
"I summon Boomerang Elf!" she shouted.
Yet another elf appeared. He was dressed in loose, silken clothing and wore a headband. True to his name, he carried a large boomerang. (1,800/1,500)
"Now… I'll play a second Invigoration."
She played the card, and Boomerang Elf glowed with the same golden energy. (2,200/1,300)
"Attack Black Lotus!" she shouted. "Bewitched boomerang!"
Boomerang Elf took a throwing stance, and then hurled his boomerang at the assassin.
"I activate… Rising Energy!" shouted Ren, as his facedown card lifted.
He threw one card in his hand into his discard slot.
"Now, Black Lotus gains 1,500 Attack Points, so your Elf is history!"
Black Lotus glowed with energy, and shot up to an attack of 3,000.
"Or so you think," said Gallah. "Boomerang Elf knows little a trick that you can't learn Down Under."
Boomerang Elf gestured with his hands, and the boomerang glowed with magical energy, stopping in mid-air. Then, it changed course, flying towards Double Pinaska.
"See?" said Gallah. "He can switch targets in the middle of a battle."
"Pinaska, deflect!" shouted Ren.
Double Pinaska made a slash with his rapier, swatting the boomerang aside.
"Luckily, Pinaska can deflect one attack per duel," said Ren.
"Well…" said Gallah. "I end my turn. "Let's see what else you've got."
She looked at her hand.
And very soon, my most powerful Monster will crush you! All I need is one more card…
"I draw one card," said Ren, nervously, as he drew.
As he looked at it, one of the ropes on the guillotine behind him, snapped.
"I move both Black Lotus and Double Pinaska to Defense Mode."
Both Warriors sheathed their weapons, and then knelt and shielded themselves.
"Then I summon Dark Squire."
He played the card, and a new female Warrior appeared. She was a young girl dressed in a grey and black formal noble's outfit and a beret, with a dagger strapped to her side. (300/300)
"She isn't very strong, so she moves to Defense Mode as soon as she's summoned."
Dark Squire knelt and shielded herself as well.
"I end my turn there," he said.
She drew.
She smiled a Cheshire Cat grin.
"Look at this, Ren!" she said, showing it to him.
"A Polymerization card?" asked Ren.
"That's right," said Gallah. "But before I use it, I'll summon a second Thoroughbred Elf."
She played the card, and another of the muscular elven warriors appeared. (1,800/1,500)
"Now… I play Polymerization, to fuse together Mystical Elf, and Dark Elf…"
The two more familiar elves, one blue-skinned with a green robe, the other wearing a dark robe, appeared on the field, and combined into two swirls of light and darkness…
"…to summon… Empress Elf!"
A new Monster appeared between Thoroughbred Elf and Boomerang Elf…
The teenagers gathered around, like most teenagers, had all read Lord of the Rings at one time or another, and had all seen its numerous screen adaptations, the least of which was Peter Jackson's Oscar-sweeping masterpiece. And right now, memories of the scenes with Galadriel came rushing back as they saw a powerful female elf that radiated magical power… (2,800/2,300)
"I love using this card," said Gallah. "The empress of my land condemned me to the worst punishment the law allowed… And now, a Monster with her face is mine to command. Ironic, isn't it?"
Ren didn't answer.
"By the way," continued Gallah, "for each Elf on the field, other than herself, she gains 400 more Attack Points."
Empress Elf glowed with light. (3,600/2,300)
"Time to clean up! Attack Black Lotus! Fey magic!"
Empress Elf blasted a bolt of pure energy, and Black Lotus was atomized.
"Boomerang Elf, take out his Spaniard!"
The Elf hurled his boomerang, and Double Pinaska was blown to pieces.
"Thoroughbred Elf, finish the last one."
The Warrior made one downward smash with her fist, and Dark Squire was blown to shards.
"Thanks…" muttered Ren. "When Dark Squire bites the dust, we each get to draw two cards."
Gallah frowned. They both made two draws.
Perfect, she thought. I drew Shield Crush! Now, whatever he defends with, I can blow it away next turn.
"Your move," she said.
Ren drew a card.
The second rope on the guillotine behind him snapped.
This may be your last chance Ren… thought Chelsea.
"I play… Monster Reborn!" he shouted, playing the card.
The holy ankh appeared on the field. In a flash of energy, Crescent Moon Queen appeared. (2,600/1,700)
"When was she in your Graveyard?" asked Gallah.
"Since I put her there with Necro Shot," said Ren.
"Well, fine," said Gallah. "Even if you take out my other two Elves, my Empress will crush her…"
She paused.
"Unless…"
"That's right!" said Ren. "It's been more than three Standby Phases since I used my Deck Lord ability, meaning I can use it again, and pay 800 Life Points to increase my Queen's Attack Score by the same amount."
Penumbral Soldier Lady and Crescent Moon Queen glowed, and the Queen's Attack Score rose to 3,400.
"And by the way… She gets two attacks. For the first one, I'm taking out Boomerang Elf.
"Go! Crescent sword slash!"
Crescent Moon Queen charged at Boomerang Elf. He tried to shield himself with the boomerang, but she cleaved it in half, and a second slash cleaved him in twain.
Empress Elf frowned as her Attack Score fell to 3,200.
"Now, attack Empress Elf!"
Empress Elf screamed as the Queen's sword slammed into her, and she exploded into a burst of fiery light.
(R: 2,200) -- (G: 3,700)
"Of course, since she attacked twice, she moves into Defense Mode…"
Crescent Moon Queen sheathed her swords, and knelt and crossed her arms.
Ren took the three cards left in his hand.
"I'll toss three cards facedown, and end my turn."
Three facedown cards appeared in three bursts of light.
Gallah growled as she drew a card.
No problem, she thought. I'll wipe out his Queen with Shield Crush, then I'll…
"Go, Trap Card!" shouted Ren. "Final Attack Orders!"
His facedown card lifted. Crescent Moon Queen stood up, moving back into Attack Mode.
"Very clever," said Gallah. "But I can still kill her…
"I play my own Monster Reborn, to bring back Mystical Elf."
The ankh appeared on her own side of the field, and the blue-skinned elf appeared, her eyes closed and her hands clasped in a praying position. (800/2,000)
"Huh?" said Erik. "Why didn't she bring back her Empress?"
"Her Empress must be one of those 'only Special Summon by Fusion Summon' Monsters, I guess," said Sam.
"That's right," said Gallah. "But I packed an extra one just in case. When you're on the run from the law all the time, you have to take 'just in cases' into consideration a lot…"
She played a Spell Card.
"I play Fusion Recovery! Now, Dark Elf and Polymerization come back to my hand."
Two cards fell out of her discard slot.
"Now, I'll use them to summon Empress Elf again…"
Dark Elf appeared on the field, and the two elves combined again, forming into the much more powerful Elf. (2,800/2,300) –) (3,200/2,300)
"Attack the Crescent Moon Queen!" she shouted.
Empress Elf prepared to cast her spell…
"Go, Trap Card!" shouted Ren. "Attack Guidance Armor!"
"Huh?" said Gallah.
The Trap Card lifted, and an iron breastplate with a fiendish face on it flew towards Thoroughbred Elf. She screamed right before the armor clamped over her chest.
"This armor is like a magnet," said Ren, "drawing Empress Elf's attack to her."
The Empress's attack turned around in mid-air, and Thoroughbred Elf was blown to pieces. Gallah cringed.
(R: 2,200) -- (G: 2,300)
Empress Elf fell to her original Attack Score of 2,800.
"Well, fine!" shouted Gallah. "Your Queen still falls short of being strong enough to defeat her.
"Make your move… We'll soon see whose monarch wins this struggle."
She has a point, thought Ren. I have no cards in my hand, and my facedown card can't help me now… I need the best draw ever…
He made a draw.
The third rope on the guillotine snapped.
His eyebrow lifted.
I guess my facedown card can help… he thought.
He played the card.
"I play… The A. Forces," he said. "Now, each Warrior I have on the field gains 200 Attack Points for each Warrior present."
Crescent Moon Queen rose to an Attack Score of 2,800.
"Their Attack Scores are equal now," said Gallah. "You attack, they'll kill each other."
"That's the whole idea," said Ren. "Crescent Moon Queen… Attack."
The Queen lifted her swords. Gallah opened her eyes wide.
"You're actually going to…" she gasped. "You're crazy!"
Crescent Moon Queen charged at Empress Elf. The Empress started to cast a powerful spell…
In a mighty explosion, the Dark monarch and the elven queen were both blown to pieces.
"HA, HA, HA!" laughed Gallah. "I hope it was worth it, Ren!
"Maybe you forgot about my Deck Lord ability, hmm? On my turn, I can just bring Thoroughbred Elf back from the Graveyard. And since you're defenseless…"
"Uhm, excuse me…" said Ren. "I didn't say I had ended my turn yet…"
His facedown card lifted…
It was Call of the Haunted.
A coffin appeared on his side of the field. It opened, and Crescent Moon Queen stepped out. (2,600/1,700) –) (2,800/1,700)
Gallah started to sweat.
"Attack her directly!" ordered Ren.
The Queen's blade slammed into Gallah, and she collapsed to her knees.
(R: 2,200) -- (G: 0)
"Damn you, Ren…" she said.
Penumbral Soldier Lady's eyes glowed, and Ancient Elf closed his eyes and bowed his head. He vanished into grains of light.
"We are victorious, Ren," said Penumbral Soldier Lady. "I am stronger now… The next challenge should be easier…"
She vanished.
"Well, you've won," said Gallah. "Be my guest, go in to see the Realm Lord…"
She started to vanish.
"But he won't go down as easy as me…"
And then she was gone.
"Well, we've taken down one enemy," said Yumi. "But do we have to deal with another one?"
She turned to face the strange woman who had been watching, only to see that she was now running away, as fast as she could.
"Who was that?" asked Ren.
Yumi watched as she disappeared into the forest.
"I have no idea," said Yumi.
Then the portcullis opened up, as if inviting them in.
The five allies looked at each other, and then slowly walked inside.
The bars shut behind them, as they expected them to do so. In front of them was a long, stone corridor.
"I wasn't exactly expecting a warm welcome," said Sam. "But…"
Two creatures scurried in front of them.
They were two lizard-like things. One was white, with a frilled collar. The other was brown, with six legs.
"This guy should take care of vermin better," said Chelsea, as they scurried off.
"I dunno," said Yumi. "I'm getting a strange feeling about who this guy is…"
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After about fifteen minutes of wandering though hallways and halls that seemed deserted, they came to a place that looked important. It was a large courtyard, full of beautiful plants, and a large fountain in the center.
"Look!" shouted Erik.
He pointed to the side, and they saw something that gave them chills. There were five stone statues of teenagers, four boys and one girl, wearing Duel Disks, with unpleasant expressions on their faces.
"The members of Joan's group who got here…" muttered Yumi. "He turned them to stone…"
Then they were distracted by a whistle.
They turned to the fountain. Standing in it was a lovely woman, wearing an outfit that looked like a blue, scaly swimsuit, with very long, purple hair. She held an earthenware jug.
"Water Omotics?" said Ren.
The Duel Spirit smiled sweetly.
"Who are you?" snapped Sam. "Where's the Realm Lord?"
"Oh, that would be me," said the Spirit.
"Don't hassle us with lies, sister," growled Sam.
Water Omotics sighed.
"Just once I'd like someone to believe that…" she muttered.
"I've had enough of this!" shouted Yumi. "Enough dealing with henchmen! Where's the boss?"
Water Omotics smiled again, and then slowly sank into the fountain.
"Come back!" demanded Yumi, as she disappeared.
Then another, far more intimidating form burst out of the water. Yumi stepped back.
It was a humanoid wearing green, scaly armor covered with fins, a general aquatic theme. His face was completely concealed by a full-head helmet with a translucent glass covering on the front.
"What?" said Chelsea. "Who's this? Another Duel Spirit?"
Yumi's eyes narrowed.
"No, it's no Duel Spirit…" she said in a voice of contempt.
She faced the creature.
"I should have known you'd have found a way to survive," she said. "People like you have the tendency to come back when you think they're gone… When you think you've gotten rid of them… You're kind of like the gas you get from eating baked beans.
"Wouldn't you say so… Gansley?"
The former human in front of her who had taken the form of Deepsea Warrior let out a sinister chuckle.
"You're very smart, Yumi," he said. "Some would say too smart for your own good…"
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BLACK LOTUS (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 5
ATK: 1,300
DEF: 1,400
Card Description: This card cannot be Special Summoned. This card can be Normal Summoned with no Tribute if you discard one DARK Warrior-Type Monster from your hand. When this card attacks your opponent directly, increase its ATK by 500 during the damage step. When this card destroys an opposing Monster as a result of battle, increase the base ATK of this card by 200.
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DARK SQUIRE (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 2
ATK: 300
DEF: 300
Card Description: When this card is Normal Summoned, move it into face-up Defense Position. If this card is destroyed as a result of battle while in a face-up position, both players draw two cards from their decks.
Note: "Dark Squire" first appeared in "The Legend of the Sorcerer Kings".
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ATTACK GUIDANCE ARMOR (Trap Card)
Normal Trap
Image: A man wearing steel armor shaped like a demonic face, glowing with energy.
Card Description: Activate this card when your opponent declares an attack. Redirect the attack to a Monster on the field other than the attack target or the attacking Monster.
Note: "Attack Guidance Armor" was used by Kaiba several times in the anime, originally in "Back to Battle City (Part Two)".
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NECRO SHOT (Spell Card)
Equip Spell
Image: A dark, glowing, skeletal, flying creature.
Card Description: This card may only be Equipped to a DARK Warrior-Type Monster. You may select one Monster in your opponent's Graveyard and remove it from play. After this effect is used three times, destroy this card. When this card is sent to the Graveyard, select one Monster from your deck and discard it to the Graveyard.
Note: "Necro Shot" was first used by Jaden in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "A Snake in the Grass (Part Three)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
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THOROUGHBRED ELF (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 4
ATK: 1,800
DEF: 1,500
Flavor Text: This powerful elven maiden owes her perfect health to the magical energies of the forest.
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LEARNING ELF (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Spellcaster/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 4
ATK: 1,400
DEF: 1,500
Card Description: When this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard, you may draw one card from your deck.
Note: "Thoroughbred Elf", "Learning Elf", were first used by Gekkou Tenma in the "Yu-Gi-Oh R" issue "The Elf Warriors!!". Creative credit goes to the writers of that magazine.
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WONDERBEAT ELF (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 4
ATK: 1,700
DEF: 1,600
Card Description: This card can attack an additional time in the same Battle Phase for every "Elf" Monster face-up on your side of the field (other than this card).
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BOOMERANG ELF (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 4
ATK: 1,800
DEF: 1,500
Card Description: When you have declared an attack with this card against an opposing Monster, you may switch the target of the attack to another opposing Monster before damage calculation is resolved. This effect may only be used once per Battle Phase.
Note: "Wonderbeat Elf" and "Boomerang Elf", were first used by Gekkou Tenma in the "Yu-Gi-Oh R" issue "Pegasus's Minion!!". Creative credit goes to the writers of that magazine.
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EMPRESS ELF (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Spellcaster/Fusion/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 8
ATK: 2,800
DEF: 2,300
Card Description: Mystical Elf plus Dark Elf
This card can only be summoned via Fusion Summon, using the above-named fusion material Monsters. Increase the ATK of this card by 400 for every "Elf" Monster face-up on your side the field (other than this card).
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WONDERWORKER (Trap Card)
Continuous Trap
Image: A female elf sorceress in exotic clothing, casting an eldritch spell.
Card Description: You can activate this card when your opponent has a Field Spell face-up on the field. Chose one Field Spell in your deck that does not have the same name as the one currently on the field, and remove it from play. So long as this card remains on the field, the effect of the currently active Field Spell is changed to that of the one that was removed from play. If that Field Spell leaves the field, destroy this card.
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Gallah's Deck Lord: "Ancient Elf": "Elven Immortality": During your Standby Phase, if you have no Monsters on your side of the field, you may Special Summon an "Elf" Monster from your Graveyard in Attack Position. (Intermediate Power)
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Ren's Deck Lord: "Penumbral Soldier Lady": "Dark Rush": During your turn, you may pay 800 Life Points to increase the ATK of one of your DARK Warrior-Type Monsters by the same amount until the End Phase. If you use this effect, you may not use again until three of your Standby Phases have passed. (Minor Power)
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The Lord of Tzimisce Woods stands revealed, and it seems that his power is far greater than it was when he was nothing more than a pawn for Noah. What new tricks is he hiding? Unfortunately, the answer to that will have to wait.
Next chapter, Nicholas and Olga investigate the latest lead in the real world, Sheena's former computer programmer. The ex-employee refuses to talk without posing a challenge, and Nicholas decides to accept it. At long last, the Six Samurai cards that Yumi rescued from Samen are put to a more honorable purpose.
Coming up next, "Way of the Warrior", as the Six Samurai return.