Almost sixty years ago, when Noah put his master plan into action, he used the Big Five as pawns; a group of greedy corporate tycoons, all of whom had the same mindset towards the world as their former boss, Gozaburo – that being ruthless paid off. The only reason they dueled Yugi and his allies instead of just killing them outright to take what they wanted was because Noah demanded it. An important part of Noah's mad plan was proving himself superior to Seto Kaiba; thus, he had to beat Kaiba at his own game.
One of the Big Five was Gansley, the founder and eldest member of the group, and the former senior vice president of KaibaCorp. If I had to guess, he more than likely orchestrated the initial plan to overthrow Kaiba, and dispelled any doubts that the others had.
Even so, Gansley wasn't the most powerful member of the Five, nor would I truly accuse him of being the smartest (proven by the fact that he even trusted Noah). But he may well have been the bravest. He had a great deal of raw nerve, if nothing else. I'm not sure why he favored the form of Deepsea Warrior, since his deck strategy really had nothing to do with the Water Attribute (and as far as Water-Attribute Monsters go, there are lots of better ones) but he tried to take on my grandfather himself. That takes guts.
Now, almost six decades later, I learn that he's alive, in Xanadu, and the ruler of one its Realms…
I have a feeling this might be difficult… Because as much as my grandfather hated to admit it, for all his ego and thick-headedness, this guy was a formidable foe… And it seems he hasn't lost any of that raw nerve either.
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CHAPTER NINE
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Deck of Pure Power
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Yumi looked the former human who was now in the guise of Deepsea Warrior in the eye.
"Impossible!" shouted Ren. "People have been looking for you guys for years! How could you have stayed hidden for so long without a single blip on the screen?"
"Not all computers are connected to the worldwide web, Reginald," said Gansley, "as hard as that is to believe. I was lying low in a place that simply couldn't be found unless one specifically knew where to look. Fortunately, Daala did know where to look. She contacted me and offered me a much better position than that brat Noah ever did. Although, when she contacted me, I was in a state where I would have accepted a job picking up her dry cleaning.
"As to how I survived in the first place, well, I'm afraid that's a secret that I can't share."
"Does this mean that the rest of the Big Five are around here somewhere?" asked Sam. "Does this mean that Noah and Gozaburo are still lurking around?"
"For the first question, that's for me to know, and you to find out," said Gansley. "If you can, which I doubt. Frankly, I'm surprised you all made it this far.
"For the second question, I'm pretty sure that Gozaburo and his delinquent of a son are dead, may the two of them rot. Daala wouldn't have worked with anyone like them. Never recruit someone who might turn against you, as Gozaburo himself learned too late. But then, she never told me what happened to them. Not like I even care."
"So what's the deal this time, Gansley?" asked Yumi. "Still the same thing? Trying to steal a living body so you can live in the real world again? I assume you want one of ours, right?"
"One of yours?" asked Gansley. "Now, what's wrong with the one I have?"
"Huh?" said Yumi.
"Okay, let me get this straight…" said Erik. "You actually like having a fishbowl for a face? I'm guessing your time away from the real world messed with your mind…"
Gansley chuckled.
"On the contrary," he said, "I've never felt better.
"Yumi, things have changed a great deal in the past half-century. When I confronted your grandfather, the guise of Deepsea Warrior was but an illusion. A false face. Nothing was real in Noah's world, and what your grandfather saw when he confronted me was… a ghost.
"Now, thanks to Daala, there's no illusion any more. I truly am Deepsea Warrior, in the flesh. And I wouldn't want it any other way. Daala helped me see the light."
Then he reached forward and grabbed hold of Yumi's arm.
"HEY!" she shouted.
"See?" asked Gansley. "Solid… I'm no longer some immaterial phantom, Yumi. I have the living body of a Duel Spirit… A strong body, unlike my old, sickly, crippled human form. One that never ages. One that never gets sick…"
"One that smells like rotten fish…" added Sam.
Gansley let go of Yumi.
"This is worth more to me than the stock in silicon I bought when I was thirty," he said, ignoring the wisecrack. "Even better, Daala has appointed me ruler of Tzimisce. I'm not just a servant, like I was with Noah. I'm much, much more."
"Gansley, I'm a little confused," said Ren. "If you could really become a Duel Spirit, why stay with Deepsea Warrior? Why not someone powerful and handsome, like say… I dunno, Gilford the Legend?"
"It would make more sense," said Chelsea. "After all, wouldn't it be easier for an Earth Monster to rule the Earth Domain?"
Gansley frowned.
"Are you saying there's something wrong with Deepsea Warrior?" asked Gansley. "It may not be the strongest Monster, but since I rule as Daala's vassal, I get respect from other Spirits. I walk into a room, and people stand up and take notice.
"And even if I'm not Earth, it hardly matters. The Earth Monsters in the Realm don't seem to mind having a Water Monster as a ruler. And if they DO mind, well, they can either like it or lump it."
"I think there's another reason, and you just don't want to tell us," said Erik.
"Believe what you will," said Gansley. "I still rule this part of Xanadu."
"And you rule with an iron fist," said Yumi.
She pointed to the statues.
"You turned those poor duelists to stone and displayed them like trophies!"
"Your point being?" asked Gansley. "They were rebels, they were defying the rule of the land, and now they are being punished. As will you once I deal with you."
"Enough!" said Yumi. "You can't buy your way out of this one, Gansley. I'm taking you down."
"Uh, Yumi?" said Chelsea. "A word?"
"What?" said Yumi, clearly upset.
"Yumi, we've seen some powerful Deck Lords so far," said Chelsea. "If Gansley is the ruler of this Realm, his Deck Lord must be incredibly powerful."
Gansley simply crossed his arms. Yumi looked at him.
"I'm not afraid of you…" she said.
"And this will be a pleasure," said Gansley. "I still remember the humiliation that your grandfather handed me…"
"Bring it!" said Yumi. "I know your strategy front and back, after all. That old Reptile Swarm strategy may have caught my grandfather off-guard, but I'm more than ready for it."
What she doesn't know, thought Gansley, is that I've adopted a completely different strategy since her grandfather's time. I've given up the Reptile Swarm tactics and changed almost every card in my deck. This new one will take her completely by surprise.
After all, the saying, "If it isn't broke, don't fix it" may be common. But a lesser used saying is, "If it is broke, throw it away and get a better one."
He twitched his eyebrow, and a microphone activated inside his helmet.
"Water Omotics," he whispered. "Ready to begin?"
In a hidden alcove, the Water Omotics that they had seen before Gansley appeared was working the controls of a monitor.
"All set, Mr. G," she said. "As soon as the duel starts, I can start the scan. Just make sure not to kill her before it's done."
As the others watched Yumi shuffle her deck, another Mokey Mokey – or perhaps the same one as before, it was hard to tell – floated up beside them. It didn't say anything, but seemed interested in what was happening.
Gansley gestured, and a Disk appeared on his arm, one with a deck tray that suggested amphibian fins.
"So, if I win, will you release those duelists?" asked Yumi.
"Whatever," said Gansley. "Now present your Deck Lord."
In a burst of energy, Dark Magician Girl appeared behind Yumi.
"Figures," said Gansley. "Well, I guess she's better than that fuzzball that your grandfather used."
"Watch it," said Yumi. "My grandfather beat you using that 'fuzzball'."
"Don't remind me!" snarled Gansley. "But if you think her ability in this duel will be as powerful as it was when your grandmother used her against Krump, you're dead wrong. That would have been the equivalent of a Greater Power, and she's not nearly experienced enough.
"As for me, as you can clearly see, I have taken the form of Deepsea Warrior."
"Enough talk," said Yumi.
"Game on!" they both shouted.
(Yumi: 8,000) -- (Gansley: 8,000)
"My draw!" said Gansley, drawing a card.
He looked at it, and added it to his hand.
"Chelsea was right, you know," he said. "I actually have two Deck Lord abilities. However, one of them I have to activate on my first turn, or it's wasted.
"It's called Recruitment Drive. I name one Type of Monster. Then, on my second turn, and every other turn thereafter, I get to move a Monster of that Type that's Level Four or less from my deck to my hand."
"That is powerful!" shouted Yumi.
"What did you expect from a Greater Power?" asked Gansley. "I name Fiends, by the way.
"Anyway, I'll start by playing my Graceful Charity. I'm sure that no-one needs to be told how that works."
As he played the card, no angel appeared, but he drew three cards nonetheless. He looked at them, and then discarded a Fusion Devourer and Mystic Tomato.
"Now, I play a facedown, and summon Zure, Knight of Dark World."
A facedown card appeared, and then a tall, ugly-looking demon appeared in a dark shadow. He had upward-curving horns on the sides of his neck and a skull-like face with glowing eyes. He was dressed in armor and a cape, and held a longsword. (1,800/1,500)
Sam's eyes opened wide.
Is he playing a Dark World Deck? she thought.
"Just try to get past him," said Gansley.
"I'll do more than try," said Yumi, drawing a card.
She smirked when she saw what it was.
If he tries the same trick he used against grandpa, she thought, this will make him regret it…
She fitted a card in her Field Slot.
"I play… Mausoleum of the Emperor!"
The room darkened, and then changed. Two temples rose, one behind each duelist, flanked by flaming braziers. A bridge over a dark pit separated both of them.
"A Field Spell?" asked Gansley.
"Creepy, huh?" asked Yumi. "Welcome to the tomb of Qin Shi Huang, the First Qin Emperor of China. He was a guy who had a trait much like you… He thought he could use wealth and power to get everything, even immortality."
"Seems like my kind of guy," said Gansley.
"And to make even scarier," said Yumi, "in the basement is lurking the Terracotta Army, a collection of hundreds of ancient statues. Each player can use one of these statues by paying 1,000 Life Points, and they can be substituted for the sacrifices needed for Normal Summoning Monsters.
"So, I'll pay 2,000 Life Points…"
Two statues depicting soldiers in feudal Chinese armor floated up. They disintegrated into grains of light.
"That's a pretty shrewd investment you're making," said Gansley. "Are you sure it's wise?"
"You tell me," said Yumi. "I summon my newest Spellcaster… Cosmo Queen!"
In a burst of dark energy, a tall, female figure appeared in front of Yumi. She stood out mostly due to her exotic, oversized headdress, and wore a long, maroon robe with a golden collar. She opened her eyes, and they glowed with eldritch light. (2,900/2,450)
"Yeah!" shouted Chelsea.
"Go, Cosmo Queen!" cheered Chelsea.
"Cosmo Queen…" ordered Yumi, "attack his Knight with cosmic nova!"
Cosmo Queen's eyes glowed, and she put her hands together. A pulse of energy that resembled a miniature galaxy appeared in them, and she shot the pulse forward in a blast of dark energy. Gansley shielded himself as Zure, Knight of Dark World was blown to shards.
"Ergh…" muttered Gansley. "Not bad…"
(Y: 6,000) -- (G: 6,900)
"I'll end my turn with one facedown card," said Yumi, as a facedown card appeared behind Cosmo Queen. "It's your move, Gansley."
"Indeed," said Gansley, drawing a card.
He looked at it.
"Remember my Deck Lord ability?" he said. "I get to take any Fiend from my deck now, that's Level Four or less."
A card slipped out of his deck.
"I think my Power Annihilator will do."
Power Annihilator? thought Yumi. What the heck is that?
"Now, then…" said Gansley.
The Field Slot on his own Disk opened. He placed a card in it.
"I play… Power Zone."
As Yumi watched, a huge, glowing, crackling orb of purple energy materialized in the air above the Mausoleum…
"What the…" said Yumi.
Then the orb crashed into the center of the field. Yumi cringed as the two temples, the bridge, and the whole Terracotta Army shattered into shards of rock.
When she looked again, the Mausoleum of the Emperor had been reduced to a burned out crater surrounding them, covered with ash.
"Mokey Mokey!" squeaked the small Fairy who was watching in fear.
"Quiet down, little guy," said Ren.
"What's going on?" said Yumi. "It feels like there's a huge weight on my shoulders…"
"It's the pressure, Yumi," said Gansley. "You need to use this Field a few times before you truly get used to it. As you can feel right now, I've tipped the odds in my favor dramatically. I always like to conduct an interaction when I have the upper hand, as you might well imagine."
"And just what does this Field Spell of yours do?" asked Yumi.
"It makes battle between Monsters more dangerous," said Gansley. "Not to mention more interesting. When a Monster is destroyed in battle, its owner loses Life Points equal to the destroyed Monster's base Attack Score."
"Yeah, right!" said Sam, with a laugh. "And just how are you going to summon something right now that can beat Cosmo Queen in a head-to-head battle?"
"I'll show you," said Gansley. "I summon Power Annihilator."
He played the card, and an even uglier Fiend appeared. It was a lanky, think, hunched-over creature with claws and spurs on its joints, long tusks, and a long tail jutting out of its spine – one which had a very large blade on the tip. (1,800/1,800)
"That's not nearly strong enough," said Yumi.
"We'll soon see," said Gansley, as his facedown card lifted. "I activate Shield Spear. This increases both the Attack and Defense of my Monster by 400.
"I was planning to use it in case you had summoned Skilled Dark Magician or Gemini Elf, but when I saw that it wouldn't have made a difference, I decided to save it."
Power Annihilator rose to (2,200/2,200).
"Still not gonna do it," said Yumi.
"Power Annihilator," ordered Gansley, "attack Cosmo Queen with Power Pulse Slash!"
"Huh?" said Yumi.
Power Annihilator leapt into the air and did a somersault. It lashed its bladed tail at Cosmo Queen like a grapple. Then, to everyone's surprise, its Attack Score went up again, rising to 3,200. The blade stabbed into her torso, and she screamed before exploding into fiery shards.
"And don't forget the effect of Power Zone," said Gansley.
Yumi screamed as the aura of purple energy surrounded her. She collapsed to her knees.
(Y: 2,800) -- (G: 6,900)
"Yumi," said a voice over her.
Yumi looked up and saw Dark Magician Girl offering her hand.
"Get up, Yumi!" said the Spellcaster. "He may be strong, but I can help you any way I can…"
Yumi took the hand, and Dark Magician Girl lifted her to her feet.
Sweat poured down her face.
"How did your Fiend get even stronger?" gasped Yumi.
"Allow me to explain how Power Annihilator works," said Gansley. "It really could not be simpler. Whenever it battles a Monster with a higher attack Score, it gains 1,000 Attack Points. Consequently, whenever it battles a Monster with a lower Attack Score, it loses 1,000 Attack Points.
"You see, Yumi, in my day, I've dealt with many complicated things… But sometimes, it pays to just keep things simple.
"By the way, I don't want to see your Cosmo Queen again, so…"
He discarded a card from his hand.
"What was that?" asked Yumi.
"A D.D. Crow," said Gansley. "By discarding it, I can remove one of your cards in your Graveyard from play."
Cosmo Queen fell out of Yumi's Graveyard. She sighed, and pocketed the card.
"I'll set two more cards facedown," said Gansley, "and then play Mirage of Nightmare."
Two new facedown cards appeared in flashes of light. Then the Continuous Spell appeared.
"Aw, he's using the Mirage Combo?" moaned Chelsea. "It's just losing its novelty now…"
Gansley spoke into the microphone.
"How's it coming?" he asked.
"Getting there, chief…" said Water Omotics. "We've never used this on a human before. Their minds work differently than Duel Spirits. And the minds of teenagers are pretty confusing too.
"One reason why I don't like kids," muttered Gansley.
"But I think the scan should be complete shortly," said Water Omotics.
Yumi made a draw.
"Hold up, Yumi," said Gansley. "I get to draw four cards now."
He made four draws.
"And, as you might have guessed…"
One of his facedown cards lifted, revealing Emergency Provisions. A huge mouth appeared, chomping down on the Mirage card and devouring it.
Yumi looked at the card she had just drawn.
His strategy seems to have done a complete one-eighty, she thought. It's gone from almost all defensive to a strong offense.
Well… It isn't like I can't handle an offense…
"Fine," she said. "I play Pot of Greed."
She played the card, and the evil jar appeared in front of her. She drew twice.
She looked at the two cards.
"I summon… Magician's Valkyria!" she shouted.
In a flash of light, the blue-garbed female mage holding her ornate staff appeared. (1,600/1,800)
"All right!" shouted Ren. "Valkyria's Attack Score is lower than Annihilator's!"
"So Gansley's Fiend is in big trouble!" said Erik.
"You heard her," said Yumi. "My Valkyria is pulling the plug.
"Attack his Power Annihilator! Magic Illusion!"
Valkyria aimed her staff.
"I activate a Trap Card!" shouted Gansley. "Astral Shift!"
His facedown card lifted.
"This lets my Fiend dodge your attack, and let it hit me."
Valkyria fired her blast, and it struck Gansley. He winced in pain.
And then he chuckled.
"Not only did my Trap protect my Monster," he said. "But now it lets me draw one card…"
He made a draw.
"And… due to the Life Points I just lost, I'm able to Special Summon one of my longest-term employees. Someone your grandfather would remember…"
He placed a card on his Disk.
"I summon Ruklamba the Spirit King!"
A new creature appeared. It was a humanoid that suggested a crocodile, with a long tail and a mane of tangled, dark hair. It knelt and crossed its arms in Defense Mode. (1,000/2,000)
"All right, fine," said Yumi. "I end my turn."
(Y: 2,800) -- (G: 6,300)
"My move," said Gansley, drawing a card.
"I think I'll play… my own Pot of Greed."
As he played the card, and drew two cards from his own deck.
"Now I activate the Spell Card, Power Spirits."
A red aura surrounded him as Continuous Spell Card appeared on his side of the field, showing the image of a Banderillo Fiend surrounded by an aura of fiery energy.
"I have to pay 1,000 Life Points to play this card, but that's an investment that I always expect a big return on.
"Anyway, I choose one Monster on the field, and I choose my Power Annihilator. Now, so long as this Spell Card remains on the field, it can't be destroyed in battle unless it's attacked by a Monster that has at least 1,000 more Attack Points than it has."
"But that means…" said Chelsea.
"It means trouble, that's what it means," said Erik. "Given Power Annihilator's effect, Yumi would need to attack it with a Monster that had at least 3,800 Attack Points to destroy it. I don't even know if her deck is capable of summoning something with that much raw strength."
"Your move, Yumi," said Gansley.
(Y: 2,800) -- (G: 5,300)
I've got to think of something, thought Yumi. On his next turn, he'll be able to use his Deck Lord effect again… And who knows what he'll come up with next…
Yumi drew a card.
"I throw down two facedown cards," she said, "and move Valkyria to Defense Mode."
Two facedown cards appeared next to the first one, and Valkyria knelt and held her staff in her lap.
"That's all for my turn," said Yumi. "And by the way, Gansley… I'm curious… If you don't want a new body, what do you want? There must be some method behind your madness. Whatever Daala's plan, there must be something in it for you."
Gansley drew a card.
Hmm, he thought, looking at it. I could finish her off this turn… But I have to wait for Water Omotics to finish that scan… Maybe I'll drag this out for a minute or two…
"Afraid I'm not at liberty to discuss, Yumi," he said, adding it to his hand. "But… While I don't want a new body, I do intend to move to the human world eventually…
"And once I do, and once I finish doing everything that Daala needs me to do, you'll be happy to know that I'll end my wicked ways forever and never again harm another soul.
"I'll retire. Get a nice little private home in Waikiki… Spend my days watching the ladies and sipping cocktails… Perhaps open a seafood restaurant… Live a peaceful existence for the rest of my life. Which would be a pretty long time, seeing as I'm practically immortal now."
"Oh, really?" said Yumi. "And just how do you intend to do that? Even if you could hide the fact that you were… no longer human, last I checked, homes in Waikiki cost money, Gansley. Lots of money.
"That may not have been much of a problem for you in the past, but in case you forgot, you were declared legally dead a long time ago. Who knows where all of your assets went? I doubt someone like you ever raised a family and sired an heir…"
Under his helmet, Gansley frowned.
"On the contrary…" he grumbled, "I know exactly where all the money I made over my long career went… Since I was, as you say, declared dead, and was in no position to defend that ruling, seeing as my lawyer in such matters was Johnson, who was in the same condition I was in, it was all bequeathed to my niece, Caroline. She was my only surviving relative…
"And I never liked her, for that matter. She never listened to my advice, and called me, in her own words, a 'greedy old miser' who worshipped nothing but materialism. Her favorite line to me was, 'you can't take it with you'."
"She had a point, Gansley," said Chelsea. "Folks like you have to realize that there are some things that money just can't buy."
"Bah!" said Gansley. "That's what a lot of people say. Well, I've always told such people that if money can't buy it, it isn't really worth having.
"Ironic, isn't it, that in Xanadu there is no currency. Money doesn't exist in places where Duel Spirits reign. They have no need for it.
"In dimensions like this, power is the only thing that counts. I wouldn't have lasted a day in my old human form. Duel Spirits wouldn't have cared about my stocks or financial clout. They would have seen nothing but the crippled old man that I was without them. But now, thanks to Daala, the power I once had that only existed on paper in my stock portfolio has been replaced by true power! The power to crush anyone who opposes me!
"Ahem, excuse me…
"Anyway, I tried to teach her to see things my way, but she wanted to take a different path. She said that there was too much of a 'glass ceiling' in my business anyway…"
"Oh, just try to deny that," said Yumi. "Did Gozaburo ever promote a woman to any important position? Who was Noah's mother, anyway? I wager whoever it was divorced him.
"Or he killed her and made it look like an accident… Wouldn't surprise me…"
Gansley scowled.
"Anyway, Caroline wanted to become a doctor, saying it was a more honorable profession than my choice of careers," he said, not bothering to answer the question. "She said that if she made it, she would help people rather than hurting them."
"Did she make it?" asked Ren.
"I don't know, and I don't care!" shouted Gansley. "Once I found out she inherited my hard-earned money, and found out that I was helpless to get it back, I stopped following up on her. She can rot for all I care!
"And as for how I'll retire, let's just say I'll have plenty of ways to get money once Daala's plans come to fruition."
"Mr. G?" said Water Omotics's voice.
"Go ahead," whispered Gansley, as he quickly calmed down.
"The scan is complete," said the Duel Spirit.
"And the Key?" asked Gansley.
"Uhm, I hate to tell you this, boss," she said, "but it isn't here. There's no sign of the Key anywhere…"
She giggled.
"Most prominent thing in her subconscious is a crush on some boy named Nicholas."
Gansley paused.
"It isn't in Yumi's subconscious?" he said. "How unusual… Daala was certain Joan would have entrusted it with her…
"Well, if that's the case, Yumi is of no further use to Daala. I'll crush her, and then she'll be my favorite decoration…"
He spoke out loud.
"I believe it's my move!" he shouted. "And my Deck Lord ability activates again. This time, I'm adding Power Bombard to my hand."
"Another Power card?" said Yumi.
A card appeared in Gansley's hand.
"Indeed," he said. "And thanks to that move, I have not one, but three of them in my hand right now.
"First, I'll activate Ruklamba's effect, sacrificing it to summon two of my Power Bombards."
Ruklamba vanished into grains of light, and two new Monsters appeared. They looked similar to Power Annihilator, but with smaller limbs, batlike wings, and large snouts.
"Now, I'll Normal Summon a third one."
He played a card, and a third of the Fiends appeared. (1,000/1,000 x3)
"Wondering what the deal is with these creatures?" asked Gansley. "They form the perfect combination with Power Annihilator. When Power Annihilator's Attack Score changes, they explode, and for each one that does, you lose Life Points equal to the base Attack Score of Power Annihilator."
"That's 5,400 Life Points!" shouted Ren.
"Yumi!" shouted Chelsea.
"It's been swell," said Gansley. "Power Annihilator, attack Magician's Valkyria."
Power Annihilator leapt into the air again, and hurled its grapple at the Spellcaster…
"Not so fast, Gansley," said Yumi.
One of her facedown cards lifted.
"Huh?" said Gansley. "A Trap?"
"Draining Shield!" shouted Yumi.
A dome of force surrounded Yumi, and the grapple crashed into it, sending sparks of energy from the point of impact. Power Annihilator fell on its back with a crash, and energy flowed into Yumi.
"Your attack was negated," said Yumi, "so your Fiend never reached the Damage Step, and its Attack Score didn't change. So your Bombards didn't explode. Even better, I gained Life Points equal to Annihilator's Attack Score."
(Y: 4,600) -- (G: 5,300)
"That will hardly be enough," said Gansley. "I play a Spell Card…"
He played a card from his hand, showing the image of Summoned Skull with a glowing ring around its finger.
"Ring of Fiendish Power," he said. "With this card on the field, you can only attack the Fiend-Type Monster with the highest Attack Score, meaning my Annihilator."
Power Annihilator's wrist glowed, and a golden, bejeweled bracelet appeared around it.
"But that means…" said Yumi.
Gansley chuckled again.
"Don't forget," he said. "You need a Monster with at least 3,800 Attack Points to destroy it, and even if you somehow manage to do that, my Bombards will explode, and you lose…
"It's your move…"
Yumi slowly drew a card.
It was Breaker the Magical Warrior.
Hmm… she thought. I could destroy one of his Spells with this guy… But not both of them, damn it… There has to be another way…
"There is a way, Yumi," said a voice.
She turned to Dark Magician Girl.
"I can help you Yumi," said the Spellcaster. "I know how to exploit the flaw in his strategy… I just need you to trust me…"
Yumi sighed.
"You do trust me, don't you?" said Dark Magician Girl.
"Okay…" said Yumi. "I'm listening… What have you got in mind?"
Dark Magician Girl quickly explained it.
"Are you going to move, or do you concede?" asked Gansley.
"I'm going to move," said Yumi. "I summon Breaker the Magical Warrior!"
She played a card, and a red-robed Spellcaster with a peaked hood and cape, carrying a sword and a shield with a gem in the center appeared. (1,600/1,000) –) (1,900/1,000)
"Now, I activate his effect. By reducing his Attack Score by 300, I can destroy one of your Spells or Traps."
"And I choose to destroy… your Power Spirits!"
Breaker's shield glowed, and his Attack Score fell to 1,600. The Power Spirits card shattered into pieces.
"Now I don't need a mega-powerful Monster to destroy your Annihilator."
Gansley laughed out loud.
"That was the dumbest move I've ever seen!" he laughed. "If you attack it, my Bombards will still explode, and you'll still lose!
"If you had any sense, you would have destroyed the Ring of Fiendish Power so you could attack my Bombards."
"Yeah, I thought of doing that, but I kinda had a suspicion," said Yumi. "See, if I did that, your Annihilator would still have been invulnerable. And I remembered that on your first turn, you summoned Zure, Knight of Dark World. You likely have two more in your deck, and you can get them with your Deck Lord ability. So you would have done so, and gone on the offensive.
"See, I learn fast. But Gansley, you may think your strategy is foolproof, but it has one major flaw. I have someone in my deck who can exploit it, and my Deck Lord is going to help me get him."
"Your Deck Lord?" said Gansley, in surprise. "Humph… I was wondering what she actually did…"
"It's a power called Contribution," said Yumi.
Dark Magician Girl lifted her scepter, and it glowed with energy.
"I get to draw one card for each Spellcaster I have on the field. However, when my turn ends, all of the cards in my hand go to the Graveyard.
"So, I draw two cards…"
Gansley chuckled as Yumi drew twice.
"I haven't seen a dumber move since Coca Cola unveiled New Coke," he said.
"Say what?" asked Yumi.
"Uhm…" said Gansley. "Never mind, it was before your time. So, Yumi… Did you get the cards you need?"
"Actually, yes," said Yumi. "First, I play… Graceful Charity!"
She played the card, and in a burst of light, the beautiful angel appeared behind her.
"Mokey Mokey!" chirped the little Fairy who was watching.
Three of her feathers fell on Yumi's deck, and she drew three cards. She discarded two very quickly.
"That was fast," said Ren.
"I think she already knew what she wanted to discard," said Sam.
"Now…" said Yumi, "I activate Call of the Haunted!"
One of her facedown cards lifted.
"You're bringing back a Monster you just tossed, right?" asked Gansley.
"Bingo," said Yumi. "The one who can exploit the flaw in your strategy…"
A black coffin appeared on her side of the field. It slowly opened…
The Monster that stepped out of it was Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer. (1,800/700)
"Huh?" said Gansley.
"Take a look at Kycoo, Gansley," said Yumi. "Notice any similarities between him and Power Annihilator?"
Gansley paused for a few second. Then it sunk in.
"They have equal Attack Scores!" he shouted.
"Exactly!" said Yumi. "His Attack Score is neither higher nor lower. Therefore, when he attacks Power Annihilator, its Attack Score won't increase or decrease. It will remain exactly the same, and your Power Bombards won't explode!
"Sure, it will be a draw, but that's a small price to pay to avoid losing.
"I move Valkyria to Attack Mode too…"
Valkyria stood up.
Gansley growled…
"Kycoo," ordered Yumi, "attack the Power Annihilator!"
Kycoo gestured, and called lightning to his hands…
"I activate my other Deck Lord ability!" shouted Gansley. "Your grandfather would remember this… Reflector Hole!"
Two of the Power Bombards vanished, and a black hole appeared in front of him. Kycoo was sucked into it.
"I sacrifice two Monsters, and I can turn your attack into a direct attack on you!"
Kycoo flew out of the hole. His hands glowed with magical energy…
"Thanks a bunch, Gansley…" said Yumi, with a grin. "I wasn't sure if you still had that power."
Her last facedown card, the one she had set on her first turn, lifted up.
"Magic Cylinder?" shouted Gansley.
"Now your redirected attack is redirected right back at you!" laughed Yumi.
Two cylinders appeared in the air. Kycoo shot his blast at Yumi, and it was caught in one cylinder and shot out the other, striking Gansley. He groaned in pain.
Yumi paused.
He still has one Power Bombard, she thought, but I can take 1,800 points of damage…
"Breaker, you attack the Annihilator!" she shouted. "Breaking blade!"
Breaker flew at the Fiend.
"I activate Reflector Hole again!" shouted Gansley.
Power Annihilator and the last Power Bombard vanished, and the black hole appeared again, sucking Breaker into it. He flew back out, and slashed at Yumi with his sword, knocking her over.
"Did you forget I still had two Monsters?" asked Gansley.
"No…" muttered Yumi. "I was kinda hoping you had forgotten that you still had two Monsters.
"But now you have no Monsters. And by the way, since you have no Fiends on the field any more, your Ring of Fiendish Power is destroyed."
The Spell Card shattered into shards.
"Valkyria, attack him directly!"
Valkyria flew at Gansley, and with a burst of magic, he toppled over.
He angrily got up…
"Not the brightest idea!" he said, throwing a card on his Disk. "I summon a second Ruklamba! Defense Mode!"
In a burst of energy, the Spirit King appeared again, kneeling and shielding itself. (1,000/1,200)
"Uhm…" said Yumi. "That's… not good…"
"There's a golden rule you have to follow," said Gansley, "whether you're a motorist, camper, or a power player in the world of business… Always carry a spare!"
(Y: 3,000) -- (G: 1,900)
"I end my turn, Gansley," said Yumi.
"I seem to remember you saying that now," said Gansley, "every card in your hand goes to the Graveyard."
Yumi sighed. She discarded the five cards in her hand.
"My move!" said Gansley, drawing a card.
"And I couldn't have asked for better," he said. "It's time for a round of layoffs.
"The Spell Card, The Beginning of the End. And as the name suggests, it means it's the beginning of the end for you.
"I can only use this when I have at least seven Dark Monsters in my Graveyard. Now I can remove five of them from play to draw three times."
All three Power Bombards, Fusion Devourer, and D.D. Crow slipped out of his discard slot. He held them up, and they vanished.
He drew three times.
"Perfect!" he said. "Your presumption that I had three copies of Zure was exactly right, by the way. I summon my second one!"
In a burst of energy, the fiendish Knight appeared again, holding aloft his sword. (1,800/1,500)
"Oh…" muttered Sam.
"What is it, baby?" asked Erik.
"I'm sorry…" said Sam. "Whenever I see a Dark World card, it gives me the chills…"
Gansley grinned.
What Sam doesn't know is, he thought, most of the cards I'm using were part of the deck that the real Zure used. Jaden Yuki defeated him, and he perished, but his master Brron managed to save his deck.
Then, when Jaden defeated Brron, the Mad King's castle was ripe for looting. A Duel Spirit that now works for Daala stole Zure's deck, and Daala was generous enough to give the cards to me. I just made a few adjustments.
Of course, Zure wasn't egotistical enough to have any copies of his own card in his deck… But I put them in for a little ironic twist.
"Attack Magician's Valkyria!" he shouted.
The Fiend slashed at Valkyria with his blade. She shrieked before she was blown into shards.
"My Field Spell is still in play," said Gansley, "so you're about to get another power surge."
Yumi cringed in pain as the pulsating aura surrounded her again.
(Y: 1,200) -- (G: 1,900)
"By the way, Yumi," said Gansley, "you may be thinking you could beat me if you summoned your Deck Lord to the field. After all, where she goes, Dark Magician is never far behind. You have just enough Life Points to do it right now…
"I'm not going to take that chance, so I'm going to activate this…"
He played a card, and a Continuous Spell appeared on his side of the field.
"It's called Hurricane's Nest. Should you Special Summon a Monster, it activates, and I can destroy it instantly by discarding this…"
He flipped a card in his hand around.
"Special Hurricane?" asked Yumi.
"That's right," said Gansley. "That means she'll die as soon as she sets foot on the field.
"I've been doing this for a long time, Yumi… I have lots of strategies to use against duelists using Deck Lords.
"It's your move. And it's your last."
Yumi paused.
"This is trouble guys," said Ren.
"Yeah," said Chelsea. "Even if Yumi summons something stronger, he has two Monsters… He can use his Deck Lord ability…"
"Yumi…" said Dark Magician Girl.
Yumi looked at her.
"Don't despair. Remember your duel with Unus. You didn't give up then, and you can't give up now."
She touched Yumi's hand.
"Thanks…" said Yumi.
She drew a card.
"Heh…" she said, looking at it. "Hey Gansley… You know what I love about this game?
"One draw changes everything!
"I sacrifice Breaker and Kycoo…"
Both Spellcasters vanished…
"To summon Dark Magician of Chaos!"
In a dark aura, the mighty chaos mage in his exotic costume flew onto the field, holding aloft his scepter. (2,800/2,600)
"You think that scares me?" asked Gansley. "Have you forgotten my Deck Lord ability?"
"No," said Yumi, "and I also know that it's worthless if you have only one Monster.
"And just like before, your overblown ego and stupid overconfidence is going to be your downfall. Playing that Hurricane's Nest card is going to be your last mistake."
"What do you mean?" said Gansley.
"When Dark Magician of Chaos is summoned," said Yumi, "I get to take a Spell Card from my Graveyard. And I'm choosing one that I had to discard due to my Deck Lord's effect…"
A card fell out of her discard slot, and she took it.
"And now I'm going to use it… I play Hand Control!"
"Hand Control?" said Sam. "Isn't that the name of a deck strategy?"
"It's also a Spell Card, and it works as follows," said Yumi, as she played it. "I get to call out the name of any Spell Card I can think of, and if you have it in your hand, you are required to activate it at once.
"And I name the one you just showed me… Special Hurricane."
"What?" said Gansley. "But… Guh…"
The Special Hurricane card appeared on his side of the field, and one of the two other cards in his hand vanished.
"ARGH!" he shouted. "If I play it the normal way…"
"All Special Summoned Monsters will be destroyed," said Yumi. "That means Ruklamba."
A fierce wind erupted over the Power Zone. Ruklamba the Spirit King cried out in pain, and then exploded into shards.
"Erk!" said Gansley.
"I'm afraid you can't use your Deck Lord ability now, Gansley," said Yumi.
Gansley glared at her.
"One thing before I attack, Gansley," said Yumi. "Seto Kaiba had wanted to tell you something, but he was never able to, for obvious reasons. He wanted to thank you for advising him to invest in Microsoft when it first went into business. As you know, that stock turned into a rather large fortune."
Gansley screamed.
"I thought it was bad advice!" he hollered. "I thought it would fail, damn it! I thought Bill Gates was an idiot and an upstart! Apple Computers had ruled the business for years… How could a new system possibly have dethroned them?"
"Because, Gansley," said Yumi, "times change. It's true in every aspect of life. And fossils like you who refuse to change are doomed to fail. You may have changed your deck strategy, but it was mostly a cosmetic change. Your hunger for power remained the same.
"Attack his Knight of Dark World! Scepter strike!"
Dark Magician of Chaos twirled his staff, and slammed it to the ground. A shockwave shot towards the Fiend, and it was torn apart.
"I still have Life Points left…" growled Gansley.
"Forget about your Field Spell?" asked Yumi. "It affects both players."
Gansley screamed as the same pulsating aura surrounded him.
(Y: 1,200) -- (G: 0)
The Power Zone vanished, and the pressure mercifully lifted. Gansley collapsed.
"Curse you, Yumi…" he growled. "Curse your whole blasted family… But mark my words, you won't…"
Dark Magician Girl frowned. She pointed her staff at him, and he cringed in pain.
After about a minute, he shattered into black shards that evaporated into mist.
"Mokey Mokey!" chirped the Fairy.
"Huh?" said Yumi. "When did he come in?"
Then the small Fairy got up, and flew out the exit.
Yumi turned to where the statues were, or rather where they had been. The duelists had been returned to flesh, and they didn't seem very happy. They were all groaning and rubbing their joints, as if they were incredibly stiff.
"You guys okay?" asked Yumi.
"We will be," said one of them. "Gansley… You took him down?"
"Uh huh," said Yumi, taking out her cell phone. "He won't be hurting anyone any more."
As she had noticed before, Joan's number had been programmed into her autodial. She hit it.
"Joan?" she said. "Mission accomplished. The Tzimisce Woods is secured. And we found your duelists. They're safe and sound."
"Congratulations, Yumi," said Joan's voice. "Once I speak to them, they'll be able to set up in that castle and I'll be able to cement my hold on it. The Woods will be ours within the hour.
"Once that is done, you and your allies can return to the temple so you can rest and we can plan our next move.
"The fact that the Realm Lord was Gansley was an interesting fact, to say the least."
"I know," said Yumi. "You don't suppose that the rest of the Big Five are the rulers of four of the other Realms?"
"I'd say at this point it seems probable," said Joan. "But perhaps we can plan accordingly."
"Well guys, we…" said Yumi.
"Ow!" shouted Erik.
He clutched his head.
"Erik?" said Sam. "Baby?"
Erik stared into space…
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
At this time, in a darker place, Gansley and Water Omotics were before Daala, who was still reclining on her couch. Skull Knight and two Battle Ox stood by. Water Omotics was visibly nervous.
"Well?" asked Daala. "What did your scan find?"
"Nothing, milady," said Gansley. "The Key was clearly not in Yumi's subconscious."
Daala frowned.
"Damn…" she said. "Joan must have put it in one of the others because she knew Yumi would be the first place we'd look. We'll have to find it the old fashioned way… through trial and error…"
"I tried my best," said Water Omotics.
Daala motioned to one of the Battle Ox.
"Show her to her new assignment, will you?" she said.
"Huh?" said Water Omotics.
The Beast-Warrior grabbed hold of the now-frightened Aqua and marched her out of the room.
"Where's he going with her?" asked Gansley. "I'm going to need her when I retake the Tzimisce."
"Hold up, Gansley," said Daala. "You're forgetting that you lost that duel, and as a result, Dark Magician Girl drained all your Deck Lord power, making you about as useful in such duels as a beginner. In other words, nearly useless."
"I know…" muttered Gansley, in a sulk.
"Normally," said Daala, "It would mean that you'd have to start all over, and defeat more duelists to regain your powers.
"But fear not… I'm able to cheat the system a little. I have a little… procedure that will restore your powers without you having to duel at all…
"However, it will take time… Days. Until then, you'll be in no condition to retake Tzimisce. And since you're the only member of my army who is attuned to its power source, I'm afraid that, for the time being, we'll have to concede control of it to Joan."
"Damn!" shouted Gansley. "Her men are going to eat everything I've got stocked and ruin the carpeting! They'll…"
"Gansley…" purred Daala. "Come here…"
She motioned for him with a seductive look on her face. Gansley gulped.
He walked over to her. She held his chin.
"The Earth Attribute is one of the most abundant Attributes in Duel Monsters," said Daala. "Since you lost, Joan now controls the Realm that is the source of Earth's power in Xanadu. I have no power over Earth any longer.
"As a result, Duel Spirits of that Attribute will soon learn that pledging their allegiance to me will get them… nothing. Only threats will make them serve me now. It won't be long before the more intelligent Earth Spirits leave me, and swear allegiance to Joan, because now, she can give them the power I once gave them. In fact, she might be able to combine it with the holy power of the Higher Plane, to give them even more than I was ever able to."
The flames surrounding her head burned more fiercely. She stood up.
"And who do I have to blame for this? Who did I put in charge of the Tzimisce Woods? What Level Five Warrior-Type Water Attribute Duel Spirit is responsible for this loss because he failed miserably?"
Her hand closed around Gansley's neck. Gansley started to choke.
"Gansley, you should be incredibly grateful that I'm not sentencing you to the same fate that befalls other failures… Believe me, I almost did! The only reason I'm not locking you up is because I would need unlimited access to the power source of the Tzimisce to appoint another governor, and I can't do that now because Joan has control of it!
"So you get another chance… We can retake the Tzimisce if we take out Joan, so you're still of use. But fail me again, and them raiding your refrigerator will be the least of your worries…
"Don't forget, the reason you lost was because of the same flaw that caused you to lose the last time, which I specifically warned you about… Your stupid ego!"
She let go of Gansley, and he fell to his knees, holding his throat. Daala lay back on her couch.
"Imagine, showing your opponent a card in your hand in order to gloat…" she muttered. "And it wasn't the first time you did that either. If I had more men like you, I'd have less men like you…"
"Uhm, yes," he said. "Yes, yes, of course… Milady…"
"Skull Knight," said Daala. "Show him where to go."
"This way, pal," said Skull Knight, lifting him to his feet.
"Uh, this procedure you're talking about," said Gansley. "Will it hurt?"
"You won't remember any pain," said Skull Knight.
"That doesn't answer my question!" said Gansley, nervously, as he was led away.
"Phone," said Daala.
The other Battle Ox handed her a mobile. She punched in a number.
"It's me," she said, speaking into it. "And it's time. Wait by the border of Tzimisce and Nexus, and challenge one of them to a duel.
"Oh, I don't care who. Any of them.
"It's time to see if all our hard work paid off…"
She hung up.
"Okay, Yumi…" she muttered. "You and your friends have cleared the first world of my video game, and defeated the first boss, so to speak. But that was the world where new players go for training.
"You'd best hope that you all have increased in level enough to handle the true dangers of Xanadu, because it's only gonna get harder from this point on…"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
"Erik?" said Sam.
"I… I saw something…" said Erik, holding his head. "I think it was a Duel Monster of some sort… But I didn't recognize it…"
He sat down on the edge of the fountain.
"I think it was a Warrior… In scarlet armor… Nasty, red armor with a red sword… Really nasty… I'd say I was having a nightmare, but I was wide awake…"
Everyone else looked at each other.
"Erik, baby…" said Sam, feeling his forehead. "Are you feeling okay?"
"I feel just fine…" said Erik.
But maybe a little scared… he thought.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
HAND CONTROL (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: A hand over five Duel Monsters cards, their faces down.
Card Description: Declare the name of one Spell Card. If the named Spell Card is in your opponent's hand, he/she must activate it at this time.
Note: "Hand Control" was first used by the Pharaoh in the original anime episode "Fate of the Pharaoh (Part Three)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0
0
0
RUKLAMBA THE SPIRIT KING (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Reptile/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 8
ATK: 1,000
DEF: 2,000
Card Description: When you take at least 1,000 points of battle damage from a single battle, you may Special Summon this card from your hand. By offering this card as a Tribute during your Main Phase, you may Special Summon any number of Monsters from your hand whose combined total ATK does not exceed 2,000.
Note: "Ruklamba the Spirit King" was first used by Gansley in the original anime episode "Isolated in Cyber Space (Part Two)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0
0
0
POWER ANNIHILATOR (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Fiend/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 4
ATK: 1,800
DEF: 1,800
Card Description: When this card battles a Monster that has higher ATK than this card, increase this card's ATK by 1,000 during the Damage Step. When this card battles a Monster that has lower ATK than this card, decrease this card's ATK by 1,000 during the Damage Step.
0
0
0
POWER BOMBARD (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Fiend/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 4
ATK: 1,000
DEF: 1,000
Card Description: When the ATK of a "Power Annihilator" on your side of the field changes, destroy this card and inflict direct damage to your opponent's Life Points equal to the base ATK of the "Power Annihilator"
0
0
0
POWER ZONE (Spell Card)
Field Spell
Image: A blazing, purple energy ball over a blasted, burned crater.
Card Description: When a Monster is destroyed as a result of battle, the controller of the destroyed Monster takes direct damage equal to the ATK of the destroyed Monster.
0
0
0
POWER SPIRITS (Spell Card)
Continuous Spell
Image: A Banderillo Fiend surrounded by an aura of fiery energy.
Card Description: Pay 1,000 Life Points to activate this card. Select one face-up Monster on your side of the field. The selected Monster cannot be destroyed in battle by a Monster with an ATK less than the ATK the selected Monster + 1,000 for as long as this card remains on the field. (Damage calculation still applies.)
0
0
0
RING OF FIENDISH POWER (Spell Card)
Continuous Spell
Image: Summoned Skull, wearing a glowing, silver ring on his finger.
Card Description: If you do not have a Fiend-Type Monster face-up on your side of the field, destroy this card. Your opponent can only attack a face-up Fiend-Type Monster on your side of the field that has the highest base ATK of all of your face-up Fiend-Type Monsters. When a Fiend-Type Monster destroys a Monster as a result of battle, the owner of the destroyed Monster takes direct damage equal to the destroyed Monster's DEF.
Note: "Power Annihilator", "Power Bombard", "Power Zone", "Power Spirits", and "Ring of Fiendish Power" were all first used by the spirit of Zure, Knight of Dark World in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Dueling with the Dark Army". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0
0
0
HURRICANE'S NEST (Spell Card)
Continuous Spell
Image: The image on this card was not clear.
Card Description: When your opponent Special Summons a Monster, you can take one "Special Hurricane" from your hand or deck and send it to the Graveyard to destroy the Special Summoned Monster.
Note: "Hurricane's Nest" was first used by the spirit of Scarr, Scout of Dark World, in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Friend or Fiend". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0
0
0
ASTRAL SHIFT (Trap Card)
Normal Trap
Image: A young girl in magician's robes, casting a spell, standing in front of an explosion.
Card Description: You may activate this card when your opponent targets one of your Monsters for an attack. The attack becomes a direct attack on your Life Points. After damage calculation, draw one card.
Note: "Astral Shift" was first used by Jaden in a fourth season episode of "Yu-Gi-Oh GX". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0
0
0
Gansley's Deck Lord: "Deepsea Warrior": "Reflector Hole": When your opponent declares an attack, you may offer two of your Monsters as Tributes to turn the attack into a direct attack against your opponent. (Greater Power) "Recruitment Drive": You must use this ability on your first turn. Name one Type of Monster. On the Standby Phase of your second turn, and every second Standby Phase afterwards, you may search your deck for one Monster of the named Type that is Level Four or less and add it to your hand. (Greater Power)
0
0
0
Yumi's Deck Lord: "Dark Magician Girl": "Contribution": Once per duel, you may draw one card for each face-up Spellcaster-Type Monster on your side of the field. At the End Phase of the turn in which you use this effect, send all cards in your hand to the Graveyard. (Minor Power)
0
0
0
Coming up next:
Remember that e-mail that Sheena intercepted to four guys called the Four Elite Bodyguard? Well, next chapter, the heroes are ambushed by one of them! Ren is lured into a duel against an opponent with a strange strategy, with a deadly secret in his deck. What is the nature of Daala's strange secret weapon, and how will it affect their mission? I'm not even going to give the name of the chapter… that would be giving it away…
And here's a question to think about. In this fic and the fic before it, why is Chelsea the member of the group who uses the Mirage of Nightmare/Emergency Provisions combo?