Although the effect of "Mirage of Nightmare" has nothing to do with Zombies, they are depicted on the artwork of the card. Thus, Chelsea is the one who uses the combo.
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No one forced me to come to Xanadu. Daala only insisted that Yumi come. My reasoning was, what sort of friend would I be if I let her go alone?
I thought I could handle it. I had seen horrors before in Duelatopia, and I had been pummeled in Shadow Games. And I knew that eventually I'd likely be helping Yumi fight the demons of the Abyss.
But nothing could have prepared me for this… This… This thing in front of me…
Someone… Someone help…
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CHAPTER TEN
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Ren versus the Horseman
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It took about an hour before the five of them left the castle. They wanted to make sure the freed duelists were in a condition to hold the place until Joan sent reinforcements there.
After many reassurances, they left. Their watches said six o'clock as they made their way through the forest again, and the sun was moving towards the horizon.
"The border to Nexus is just around the bend," said Ren, who was leading the way. "Won't be long before we're safe at the temple, and the Tzimisce Woods will be behind us."
As they entered a large clearing, there was a loud crash in front of them.
"What was that?" asked Chelsea.
"Sounded like…" said Erik. "Sounded like a tree falling…"
"No…" said Sam, activating her Disk. "It sounded like something pushing a tree over!"
They all activated their Disks.
"Don't tell me it's another Baboon!" said Ren.
A huge creature loomed in front of them, ripping up the pair of trees that flanked the pathway. It was a huge Machine, thirty feet tall, armored, with gears and pistons forming its joints. It had a single optic sensor that glowed red. (3,000/3,000)
"Ancient Gear Golem?" yelled Yumi. "Now that's not fair!"
They all raised their Disks. However, the Golem just looked at them.
"Why isn't it attacking?" asked Chelsea.
"It's waiting for something…" said Yumi.
Then they heard a galloping noise.
A golden chariot drove towards them from ahead, pulled by two fiery horses with flaming wings. (2,250/1,800 x2) It drove right under the legs of the Golem, and into the clearing they were in.
Standing at the reins was a tall, muscular man, wearing decorated, glossy black armor that resembled that of soldiers in ancient Greece. He carried a sword slung to his side, and on his left arm was a bronze Duel Disk with a tray shaped like backwards curving blades.
The two Firewing Pegasus neighed as the rider stepped down.
"And who are you?" asked Ren.
The man took off his helmet, revealing a face with a black, neatly-trimmed beard, and eyes that were pools of red light.
"I am Ares," he said.
"Ares?" asked Ren. "As in, the God of War?"
"Indeed," he replied. "And master of all forms of warfare and combat, Duel Monsters included."
"I'll bet Athena is a great deal better," said Ren.
Ares frowned.
"He can't be the actual Ares," said Chelsea.
"Maybe this is another virtual construct," said Sam. "Maybe he's a program that Daala wrote, based on some story from a book of Greek myth."
Ares smirked in a way that made their blood run cold.
"But I'd be wary…" said Sam. "If he's programmed to think that he's the God of War, dealing with him would be just like dealing with one of the Olympians. And they tended to be obnoxious louts at the best of times.
"Especially Ares. He was more a god of violence than actual warfare."
"I simply seek one duel," said Ares with a scowl. "If one of you should accept my challenge, I'll call my friend here off…"
He pointed to the Golem.
"And if we don't, it'll flatten us, right?" said Ren.
"Yes," said Ares. "And since you insulted me by bringing up that lightweight of a goddess, I think I'll duel you."
"Oh, all right," said Ren. "Why not…"
He stepped to face the warrior.
"Ren, be careful," said Yumi. "This guy is probably working for Daala."
"Don't worry, Yumi," said Ren. "I mean, God of War? He's more than likely playing a Warrior Deck, and it's nothing I haven't seen before…"
Ares smirked.
You couldn't be more wrong… he thought. My deck doesn't use just any warrior, but the ultimate warrior… One that will tear you to shreds! As one of Daala's Four Elite Bodyguard, I've been entrusted with the ultimate weapon… A Monster unlike any other…
He looked at his deck.
"So," said Ren, "will we be using Deck Lords?"
"Afraid not," said Ares. "I could get a Deck Lord if I wanted one… But I never had any use for one."
Ren looked at him strangely.
Truthfully, thought Ares, the dark power held by the key Monster in my deck would corrupt any true Duel Spirit in such close proximity. Thus, the other Monsters in my deck are insentient and mindless, and Deck Lords cannot be used when this deck is used. It might lead to a disaster.
Not that I care, but Daala insisted.
"Game on!" shouted Ren, as his Disk activated.
"Good luck," said Ares, smugly. "You'll need it!"
(Ren: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Ares: 8,000)
As both of them drew their opening hands, Sam nudged Yumi, and pointed to the side.
That odd female figure, wearing the black spandex and china mask, was watching again.
Who IS she? thought Yumi.
"The first move is yours," said Ares.
"Thank you," said Ren, making his first draw.
"I summon… Double Pinaska!"
He played the card, and with a flourish, the rapier-wielding Spaniard somersaulted onto the field. (1,500/1,500)
"That will be all for now."
Ares made his first draw. He looked at the card and the cards already in his hand.
He quickly chose one. He placed it on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.
"That will end my turn," he said.
Ren drew a card.
If my Warrior theory is correct, it's most likely Big Shield Gardna, he thought. I don't have a Monster that can defeat it in one blow… But, I can defeat it and deal some major damage if I attack with two Monsters.
"I summon Dark Blade!" he shouted.
He put another card on his Disk, and the armored, dark knight appeared, holding his twin scimitars. (1,800/1,500)
"Attack his Monster!" he shouted. "Dark sword slash!"
Dark Blade charged towards the card. However, the Monster that appeared on it was not what he expected. It resembled a blob of blue liquid in humanoid form, wearing a golden breastplate. (800/2,000)
Dark Blade's sword hit it, and it bounced back, throwing the Warrior on his behind.
"Seems my Humanoid Slime was a bit too strong for him," said Ares.
Humanoid Slime? thought Ren. What sort of deck is this?
"I end my turn…" he said, slowly.
(R: 7,800) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 8,000)
Ares made a draw.
"Heh, heh," he chuckled. "First, I summon my Worm Drake."
He played a card, and a weird creature appeared. It was a large, reptilian snake, with a large mouth at one end with an eye inside, and a stinger at the other. (1,400/1,500)
"Now… I combine the two using Polymerization!"
He played the Spell Card, and both Humanoid Slime and Worm Drake swirled into a morass of blue and brown colors…
The mass burst, and a much larger creature appeared. It looked like some snake made of semi-solid slime, with two limbs, one ending in a claw, and the other shaped like a cleaver. (2,200/2,000)
"Humanoid Worm Drake?" asked Ren. "You didn't pay money for that card, right?"
Ares frowned.
"Attack his Double Pinaska!" he shouted.
Humanoid Worm Drake flew towards the Warrior.
"Pinaska, deflect!" shouted Ren.
Double Pinaska crossed his swords, blocking the Drake's huge claw. He gave a shove and it flew backwards.
"In that case, I end my turn," said Ares.
Ren drew a card.
"I summon… Getsu Fuhma!" he shouted.
In a burst of shadow, the redheaded female Warrior appeared. (1,700/1,200)
"Next," said Ren, "I play Rush Recklessly, to make Dark Blade stronger."
He played a card, and Dark Blade glowed as he rose to an Attack Score of 2,500.
"Splatter his Humanoid Worm Drake!" he shouted.
Dark Blade slashed with his sword, and the huge Drake burst into an explosion of liquid.
"Getsu, Pinaska… Attack him directly!"
The two Warriors charged at Ares. He staggered as their swords slammed into his armor, denting it.
"What was Daala thinking?" asked Sam. "This guy's Monsters are lame, his strategy has major room for improvement… Ren's gonna walk all over him."
(R: 7,800) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 4,500)
Ares drew a card.
"I play… Pot of Greed," he said.
The evil jar appeared, and he drew two cards. He looked at them.
"Enough play time," he said. "Time to get deadly serious.
"I first play the Spell Card, Gold Sarcophagus."
He played the card, and a golden ark with the Eye of Wdjat on the front rose out of the ground.
"Now, I can take any card from my deck that I desire, and seal it in the Sarcophagus."
In a flash of light, all the cards in his deck appeared in front of him. He pointed to one and it vanished. The cards formed back into his deck, and the Sarcophagus sank into the ground.
"In just two short turns, I'll be able to retrieve that card."
"It sounds like the same thing as Different Dimension Capsule," said Erik.
"Not quite," said Sam. "Unlike Different Dimension Capsule, Gold Sarcophagus is NOT a Continuous Spell. Since Ren can't destroy it, there's no way he can stop Ares from getting that card in two turns."
"That's too powerful!" shouted Chelsea.
"It's a very rare Spell Card," said Yumi. "You can't just walk into a card store and buy it. In fact, in terms of rarity, it's on the same level as my Dark Magician Girl. I'm surprised this guy has one."
Ares smirked.
I could have gotten any card I wanted, he thought. As one of the Elite Bodyguard, Daala spared no expense when constructing my deck.
He placed a card on his Disk.
"Continuing," he said, "I summon Revival Jam."
The creature that appeared was more or less a shapeless, formless mass of protoplasm. It had almost no features at all. (1,500/500)
"Revival Jam?" said Chelsea. "You mean someone actually uses that card?"
"You think that scares me?" said Ren. "We aren't playing by Battle City rules, fellah. You have to pay 1,000 Life Points each time you want to use that thing's effect."
"I'm well aware of that, Reginald," said Ares.
Ren seethed with anger. He hated being called Reginald.
Ares played another card.
"I'll also play Jam Breeding Machine."
He played a Spell Card, and in a burst of smoke and steam, a dome-shaped contraption covered with vents and pipes appeared.
"This Spell Card is more or less a Monster creator. It will create a Slime Token every round. The downside is, I can't summon any other Monsters while it's on the field.
"Anyway, I'll also set a facedown card, and play The Dark Door."
A facedown card appeared, followed by a new Continuous Spell Card.
"So long as this card is in play, each of us may only attack with one Monster per round.
"And with that, my turn is complete."
I don't like this, thought Yumi. Almost card for card, he's using the exact same strategy that Strings used when my grandfather faced him.
Could Daala have somehow recreated Slifer?
No… That's impossible… But he's clearly up to something…
Ren drew a card.
"If I only get one attack, I'll put someone in defense," he said. "I summon Dark Squire."
He played the card, and the young page appeared. She knelt, and shielded herself in Defense Mode. (300/300)
"Dark Blade… Destroy his Revival Jam!"
Dark Blade rushed at the glob, and with a slash of his sword, it splattered into globs of goo. The globs fell all over the ground.
Ren shook his head.
"I have to end my turn," he said.
(R: 7,800) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 4,200)
"Then I draw," said Ares, drawing a card. "And as you said, I pay 1,000 Life Points to revive Revival Jam."
He glowed with an aura of red energy, and the globs on the ground moved. A mass of liquid flowed together, forming back into Revival Jam. It was in Defense Mode this time, although it was hard to tell the difference. (1,500/500)
"And now Jam Breeding Machine activates."
The Machine started to whir and hum, and steam poured from its pipes. A small glob of slime with a face on it rose from the indentation on top. (500/500)
"I think I'll end my turn there," he said.
(R: 7,800) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 3,200)
Odd, thought Ren, drawing.
He looked at his card.
"I sacrifice Double Pinaska…"
Double Pinaska vanished in a blur.
"To summon Penumbral Soldier Lady!"
In another burst, the armored female fighter appeared, holding aloft her sword. (2,100/1,400)
If that facedown card is what I think is, he thought, this is gonna be a big waste of time… But I might as well try…
"Penumbral Soldier Lady… Attack his Slime Token! Sword of Shadows!"
Penumbral Soldier Lady charged at the mini-Monster.
"Go, Trap Card!" shouted Ares. "Jam Defender!"
His facedown card flipped up, and Revival Jam leapt in front of the blow. It splattered again.
"I thought so," said Ren.
He looked hard at his opponent.
He's clearly going to keep this up until he has enough of those Tokens to summon something powerful, he thought. Question is… What?
Well, at least I have one more round before he gets three of them.
"You can't pay for that thing forever," he said. "I end my turn."
"Then I draw," said Ares, drawing a card. "And once again, I pay 1,000 Life Points to revive Revival Jam."
Revival Jam reformed once again. (1,500/500)
"Now, another Slime Token appears…"
The Jam Breeding Machine shook again, and a second Slime Token formed. (500/500)
"And, I get the card that I sealed inside the Sarcophagus."
The Gold Sarcophagus rose out of the ground, and opened. A card floated out of it, and he took it. The ark vanished.
"Next up," said Ares, "I play the Spell Card, Giant Trunade."
"Huh?" said Ren.
The Spell Card appeared, and a wind blew across the field. The Jam Defender card, The Dark Door, and Jam Breeding Machine vanished, and the cards reappeared in Ares's hand.
"Now, Magical Mallet," he said, playing a new Spell Card. "I'll send three cards back to my deck to draw three replacements."
He placed Jam Defender, The Dark Door, and Jam Breeding Machine in his deck and reshuffled. He drew three times.
He looked at the new cards and smirked.
"Next, I play Soul Taker!" he shouted. "This card grants you 1,000 Life Points… But one of your Monsters dies…
"Now, let's see… Which of your Warriors should feel my wrath…
"I think… Her."
The Spell Card appeared, and a blast of pure light shot from it, striking Getsu Fuhma. She screamed and was blown to particles.
"HEY!" shouted Ren. "Oh, you are asking for it, buddy… Big time…"
"Oh, yes…" sighed Ares, taking another card from his hand. "I forget how much you young duelists are attached to your Monsters… a shame…
"Moving right along, I play Monster Reborn."
He played the card, and the glowing ankh appeared in front of him. Humanoid Worm Drake appeared in a flash of light. (2,200/2,000)
"Not good…" said Ren.
"Tell me, Reginald," said Ares. "Do you ever read the Bible?"
There was a long pause.
"Uh…" said Ren. "Okay, I was with you until you said that…"
"I'll take that as a no," said Ares. "Well, I don't read it much either. Holy scripture usually sickens me…
"But there is one passage in it that I kind of like… King James version, Revelations 6:3…
"And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, 'Come and see.'
"And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword…"
Ren stared at him.
"Uh, is there a point to this?" he asked.
Ares smiled evilly.
"I sacrifice Revival Jam and my two Slime Tokens…" he shouted.
HUH? thought Ren. He's sacrificing the Revival Jam?
The three plasma Monsters vanished…
The sky darkened… Thunder and lightning flashed…
"What's happening?" shouted Ren.
The sky turned blood red. A windstorm blew through the woods, causing the trees to sway. A sound rang over the storm… It sounded like the neighing of some demonic horse…
"I summon…. War, the Red Horseman!" shouted Ares.
A huge bolt of lightning stuck where he was standing…
Then, a hulking figure stood forward. It was a man in crimson plate armor, with spikes on the shoulder guards, a horned helmet that obscured his face, and a large shield with a picture of a skull on it. He held a nasty-looking sword made of the same red metal. He was surrounded by a shadowy, dark aura. (2,500/2,500)
"THAT'S IT!" shouted Erik. "That's exactly the Monster I saw when I had that weird vision! It's the exact same one!"
"But what in blazes is it?" shouted Sam.
"I think…" said Yumi. "I think that Ares just summoned one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse!
"People… Ren's in for the fight of his life…"
"Indeed," said Ares.
His eyes glowed with a red light.
"I may not be the true Olympian God of War, humans," he said, in a voice that now sounded truly fiendish, "but I'm no virtual construct… I'm something much more… No AI program could control this creature…"
"So what are you then?" asked Ren. "A demon of some sort?"
"You might say that," said Ares. "One who is spawned through the act of mortals killing each other for needless purposes… When such acts are committed on a large scale, like during the times when men wage war, dark essence is released into the ether… And sometimes, this violent essence takes on a life of its own, forming creatures like myself…
"Some might say I am violence, given corporeal form…
"My race has ebbed and flowed… We haunted the American South by the dozens during the Civil War… We were around in large numbers in Europe during the World Wars. And we try hard to keep tempers uneasy between large groups so there's never a lack of unrest... If mortals don't start wars, we do our best to encourage and manipulate events to cause them."
"That's awful…" said Ren. "A race of demons spawned by violence, dedicated to causing it?"
"Our only regret is that we rarely get to join in the carnage that we cause," said Ares. "But now, I have a chance to stop encouraging the acts of violent warlords, and start being one…
"On with the duel! Humanoid Worm Drake, attack his Dark Blade."
The Aqua lunged at the Warrior, and made a slash with its claw. Dark Blade shattered.
"War, kill his Soldier Lady! Red blade strike!"
The Red Horseman slashed at Penumbral Soldier Lady with his sword. She fell to her knees, bleeding from a deep wound across her entire torso. She exploded into pixels.
"Now my Horseman's effect activates," said Ares. "When he defeats an enemy Monster, his Attack Score increases by that of the fallen enemy's Attack Score."
(4,600/2,500)
"Say WHAT?" shouted Ren.
"This increase doesn't wear off until the end of your next turn," said Ares, "making him practically unbeatable in battle by anything you could summon. So just try to find a Monster in your deck that can defeat mine.
"My turn is now over…"
(R: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 2,200)
At least I'm in the lead, thought Ren. There's got to be some way to take this guy down…
He drew a card.
Yes! he thought. I drew La Sombra!
"I remove Dark Blade from play to summon La Sombra!" he exclaimed.
In a burst of energy, the sexy, female swashbuckler appeared. (1,800/1,000)
"Now you have to draw a card," said Ren. "So let's see who's luckier."
Ares drew a card. He turned it forward.
It was Electromagnetic Turtle.
"NO!" shouted Chelsea. "That's a Monster! That means…"
La Sombra clutched her stomach in pain. Then she shattered into pixels.
"HA, HA, HA!" laughed Ares. "Didn't work out exactly as you planned, did it?"
Ren threw a card on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.
"Just shut up and move," he said.
War's Attack Score fell back down to 2,500.
"I draw," said Ares, drawing a card.
"Next, I play Dian Keto the Cure Master."
He played the card, and the matronly form of Dian Keto appeared behind him. A soft glow covered him.
"Now, I summon a second Humanoid Slime."
A second of the plasma Monsters appeared. (800/2,000)
"And it attacks your Dark Squire."
Humanoid Slime reached out with two tentacles. They coiled around Dark Squire, literally absorbing her.
Ren growled.
"Well, when she's destroyed, we both get to draw two cards."
They both made two draws.
"War," said Ares, "destroy his facedown Monster."
War made a slash with his sword, and another Dark Blade appeared on the card. He shattered.
Ren cried out in pain. He held his chest.
"Forgot to mention," said Ares. "War has another effect. When he attacks a Monster in Defense Mode, and his Attack Score is stronger than the target's Defense Score, the difference is taken out of your Life Points."
"Now you tell me…" muttered Ren.
War rose to an Attack Score of 4,300.
"Humanoid Worm Drake, attack him directly!" shouted Ares.
Ren screamed again as the other plasma Monster slashed at him with its claw.
"I'm not done," said Ares. "I play the Spell Card, Mystik Wok."
He played a card, and a giant wok appeared behind him. Humanoid Slime vanished.
"Now I can sacrifice my Slime, and gain Life Points equal to its Defense Score."
The wok vanished.
"It's still my turn. I'm giving Humanoid Worm Drake an Equip Spell… It's called Metalsilver Armor."
He played the card, and the Drake's liquid hide turned silver.
"Now, you can't target any of my Monsters with a Spell, Trap, or Monster effect, except my Drake. So my Horseman is well-protected.
"And my turn is over…"
(R: 4,800) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 5,200)
Ren started to sweat heavily as he drew a card.
It was Rising Energy.
This may be my last chance, he thought.
"I throw one card facedown," he said, fitting it into his Disk.
The facedown card appeared.
"Then I Special Summon The Fiend Megacyber."
In another burst of energy, the hulking, cybernetic Warrior appeared. (2,200/1,200)
"Next," he said. "I'll Normal Summon my Armageddon Knight. Ironic, isn't it?"
He played another card, and a new Dark Warrior appeared. He was dressed in rusty banded mail, with a scarf over his face, and a tattered red cloak. He carried a battered old cutlass. (1,400/1,200)
"By summoning him," said Ren, "I get to send a Dark Monster from my deck to my Graveyard."
A card slipped out of his deck and he took it.
He looked at Crescent Moon Queen and nodded. He discarded her card.
"And that's all."
War fell down to an Attack Score of 2,500 again.
"Ready for more pain, Reginald?" asked Ares, drawing a new card.
He took another one from his hand.
"I play… Graceful Charity."
He played the card, and then drew three cards. He quickly discarded two.
"I set one card facedown," he said.
A facedown card appeared.
"Next, I play Pot of Avarice. And to its activation, I chain Emergency Provisions, sacrificing it and my facedown card."
The Pot of Avarice card appeared. Then the huge mouth appeared, and devoured it and the facedown card, which was briefly revealed to be Jam Breeding Machine.
Five cards slipped out of his discards slot: Both Humanoid Slimes, Revival Jam, the first Worm Drake, and a second one that he had just discarded. He reshuffled, and then drew twice.
"Now, War… Attack his Armageddon Knight!"
The Red Horseman lunged at the Knight.
"Go, Rising Energy!" shouted Ren, as his facedown card lifted. "Now, for the cost of one card…"
He discarded a card from his hand.
"…Armageddon Knight gains 1,500 Attack Points!"
The Knight rose to an Attack Score of 2,900…
"STOP," ordered Ares.
Then, War halted right before reaching him.
"Huh?" said Ren. "How'd you do that?"
Ares chuckled.
"Remember that Electromagnetic Turtle?" asked Ares. "I just discarded it when I played Graceful Charity. And that let me end the Battle Phase any time I wanted to this turn."
"Clever…" said Ren with a frown. "Well, I guess it's my turn…"
"Not yet it isn't," said Ares, taking a Spell Card from his hand. "I pay 800 Life Points to play Unfair Judge. Since my Monster's attack was unsuccessful, it's now allowed to reenter the Battle Phase and attack both of your Monsters."
"You gotta be kidding me!" shouted Chelsea. "I'll bet that card isn't even tournament legal!"
War slashed at The Fiend Megacyber, and it exploded into burning slag. War's Attack Score rose to 4,700.
"And now," said Ares, "your Knight's extra 1,500 Attack Points is hardly a problem…"
The sword struck Armageddon Knight, and it shattered into a burst of shards.
"Oh," said Ares, "and in case you're thinking of using that Queen of yours against my Monster…"
He played the last card in his hand.
"I Equip War with the Spell Card, Favored Enemy. I get to call out a Type and Level, and if my Monster battles a Monster that matches, it gains 1,500 Attack Points.
"I name Warrior-Type, Level Seven.
"NOW I end my turn."
(R: 2,900) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 6,400)
Ren fell to his knees.
"Surrender," said Ares. "My ultimate warrior will conquer you!"
"It is impossible…" muttered Ren.
"So, will you give up?" said a voice in his head. "Are you a quitter?"
Ren's eyes opened. He hadn't heard the voice before. It was stern, and female.
He turned slightly, and saw the masked woman.
"If you lose, Joan can no longer protect you," said the voice. "Your future will be dark and grim. You don't want that."
"But what do I do?" whispered Ren. "Even if I summoned my Queen now, she wouldn't be enough…"
"Think, Ren," she said. "This Monster has a weakness that you can exploit. You just have to think it over…
"I know you aren't a quitter. You didn't quit in Duelatopia when you were facing Bast, the Queen of Cats, or when you were facing Vennominaga. I don't believe you will quit here."
Ren's eyes narrowed.
"You're right…" he muttered.
"I'm not a quitter…"
He got up.
"My move…" he said.
He drew a card.
"I play Pot of Greed!" he shouted.
He drew two cards.
He looked at the four cards in his hand.
Weakness… he thought. Its weakness…
Wait… Can it be?
I think I know…
"First, I play Premature Burial!" he shouted.
He glowed with a red aura as he played the card, and The Fiend Megacyber appeared in Attack Mode.
"Next," he said. "I play The Warrior Returning Alive."
He played another card, and a card slipped out of his discard slot.
I'll put all my faith in you, he thought, looking at it.
He set the card on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.
"Fiend Megacyber, attack his Humanoid Worm Drake!"
The Megacyber bore his blades.
"WHAT?" shouted Ares. "They'll kill each other!"
"Exactly," said Ren.
The two Monsters rushed at each other. They collided, and both of them exploded.
"Ergh…" muttered Ares. "You'll pay for that…"
"I throw a card facedown, and end my turn," said Ren.
A facedown card materialized in front of him. War's Attack Score fell back down to 2,500.
(R: 2,100) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 5,400)
Ares quickly drew a card.
It was Polymerization. It was worthless.
"War," he shouted, "destroy his Monster!"
The Red Horseman charged at the facedown card. Getsu Fuhma appeared crouching on it.
"NO!" screamed Ares.
War's blade crashed down, and Getsu Fuhma was blown to bits. Ren cringed in pain.
However, War groaned and staggered back. He dropped his sword, and smoke poured from his armor. Then he burst into an explosion of shards.
"Gotcha!" shouted Ren. "See, I figured it out. You wanted me to believe that your Horseman was a Warrior, but he was really a Fiend. I mean, what else would the embodiment of War itself be?
"That's why you used Soul Taker on Getsu instead of on Penumbral Soldier Lady. Because you knew you couldn't attack Getsu with War. Because you knew that any Fiend that battles Getsu Fuhma is automatically destroyed."
Ren's four allies cheered.
"Way to show him!" shouted Chelsea.
"Ugh… Ergh…" grunted Ares.
"I take it that means it's my move…" said Ren, drawing a card.
"Do your worst!" shouted Ares. "I still have far more Life Points than you do!"
(R: 800) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 6,400)
"That's gonna change real soon," said Ren. "Remember that card I discarded when I played Rising Energy? It was a guy named The Immortal Bushi.
"And there's a reason he's called Immortal. When I have no Monsters on the field, and the only Monsters in my Graveyard are Warriors, I get to Special Summon him from the Graveyard.
"So come on out!"
The ground cracked open, and a new Warrior burst out. It was an aged veteran, dressed in ragged and worn Japanese armor that was pierced by arrows. He held both a katana and a wakisashi. (1,200/600)
Ren's facedown card lifted.
"Now, I activate Call of the Haunted!"
A black coffin appeared on his side of the field. It opened, and Crescent Moon Queen stepped out. (2,600/1,700)
"Immortal Bushi, you first. Attack directly with ancestral blade!"
Immortal Bushi slashed at the god of war with his katana, and he staggered backwards.
"Crescent Moon Queen, double direct attack! Crescent sword slash!"
The Queen lunged at Ares. She made a downward slash with her right blade, and an upward slash with her left one.
Ares groaned and fell to his knees. Smoke started to pour from his own armor.
(R: 800) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 0)
Then, he collapsed on his face. He vanished.
Ren fell on one knee, gasping for breath.
Yumi and the others looked up. The Ancient Gear Golem and the chariot with the two Firewing Pegasus vanished as well.
"Gone without a trace," said Sam.
"Not quite," said Yumi. "Look."
Ares's Duel Disk had been left behind.
She picked it up, and took the cards out of the discard slot. She looked at the card depicting War, the Red Horseman.
"I sense great evil in this card…" she muttered.
"Hey…" said Chelsea.
They turned and saw the masked woman. She was running away again.
"Wait!" shouted Ren. "Don't go away!"
"What?" asked Chelsea.
"She helped me," said Ren. "She gave me support…"
Yumi looked at the War card again.
"Erik…" said Yumi. "You never saw this card used before now… How could you have envisioned it back at the castle?"
Erik shrugged.
A light went on in Yumi's head.
"The Fruit…" she whispered.
"Huh?" said Ren.
"It actually worked…" whispered Yumi. "The Devil's Fruit… It made Erik precognitive…"
"Precog-what?" said Chelsea.
"It let him see the future!" shouted Yumi.
She turned to Erik.
"Erik, you think you can do that again?"
"Uh, I could try…" he said.
He closed his eyes and concentrated. Then he held his head.
Then he shook his head.
"Not a thing," he said.
"It must be involuntary," muttered Yumi.
"So it gave me a power I can't control?" asked Erik.
Yumi nodded.
"But if you have another one of those, let us know as soon as possible," she said. "They might be useful… In the meantime…"
She looked at the War card closely.
"Can we keep it?" asked Sam.
"Under no condition," said Yumi. "Let's get back to Joan… She'll know what to do with this card, and maybe she can shed some light on who that woman is…"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
It didn't take long to get back to the temple. No Monsters or members of Daala's forces impeded them.
Joan looked at the War card with a look of worry.
"This is a new move by Daala," she said. "One that might foretell similar attacks in the future."
"What do you mean?" asked Erik.
"The Book of Revelations stated that the Apocalypse would be heralded by Four Horsemen," said Joan. "War, Famine, Pestilence, and Death.
"If Daala has created one, logic would state that, perhaps, she has created the others as well, and they may be even stronger than this one was…
"The spirit in this card is very strong. And incredibly evil. I don't think trying to destroy it is wise. I'll keep it in cold storage until I find a way to dispose of it."
"Uh, Joan," said Yumi. "Twice now, we've seen a strange woman. She wears black spandex…"
"And a mask over her face that makes it look like a china doll?" asked Joan.
They nodded.
"Oh, that's just Vita," said Joan.
"Vita?" they all asked at once.
Joan walked over to a wall, and moved a large painting aside, revealing a safe.
"That's the name she gives when we ask her name," said Joan, working the dial. "We don't know who or what she is, exactly. She shows up all over Xanadu, watching the duels between my men and Daala's men. We've asked her to join us in the rare times that she doesn't run away, but she refuses. As far as I can tell, she's harmless."
She opened the safe, and placed the card inside.
"That will hold it," she muttered. "It's warded by celestial magic, and I'm the only one who knows the combination."
She closed the safe.
"Anyway, children, you must rest. We will plan our move on the next Realm in the morning."
"Uhm, Joan?" said Ren. "Not to be rude, but we're all really hungry…"
Everyone else nodded. He had a point.
"Ah, yes…" said Joan. "Most of my men don't truly have to eat… I often forget that most mortal creatures do…
"Well, I can cook… But you kids will have to do the dishes later."
"No problem," said Chelsea. "I do that all the time."
"Just out of curiosity," said Ren, "what is our next move?"
"We move on to the Realm not under our control that now has the least powerful concentration of evil," said Joan, "now that Gansley has been driven out of Tzimisce. The Sea of Infinite Tears. The Realm of Water."
Suddenly, fear appeared in the eyes of all five of the teenagers.
"Sea of Infinite Tears?" asked Erik. "It's… an ocean?"
Joan nodded.
"One with a collection of islands," she said. "The one where the Realm Lord lives is the farthest out, on the border of the Realm and the void that surrounds all of Xanadu."
They were dumbstruck. They debated in their minds whether or not to tell her about the Devil's Fruit, but they kept silent.
"A small town named Rye sits on the border of this ocean and Nexus," said Joan. "Not many Spirits actually live there, but the ones that do are indifferent towards Daala, so they won't give you any trouble. By morning, I'll have a guide there with a ship that can take you to the Realm Lord's island.
"If our presumption that the rest of the Big Five are ruling under Daala, Krump seems the most likely candidate."
"Heh, no problem!" laughed Sam, nervously. "He was the worst duelist in the world. He couldn't even beat Yumi's grandmother! Right, Yumi?"
Yumi didn't respond.
That was true, yes. But even her grandmother had admitted to her that the way she had won was more than likely cheating. The Dark Magician had come from Yugi's deck, not hers. A spectator simply can't give a duelist a new card in the middle of a duel.
Why had her Sage's Stone even worked? The best conclusion they could reach was that Noah was getting annoyed with Krump, and had made it work. After all, he had intended to double-cross the Big Five the whole time.
The fact was, her grandmother won, but she didn't win fairly.
"If it truly is Krump," said Joan, "he has gotten better. Four duelists have made it to his stronghold so far, and have not returned. After all, Gansley's strategy was completely different. The same is likely true for the rest of them.
"But enough about that for tonight… Sit, relax…
"I hope you like Italian."
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Daala sighed as she reclined on her couch.
She waved her arm, and a screen appeared in front of her. A face appeared on it.
"Philippe, is that you?" she asked.
The figure simply nodded.
"Speak up," said Daala. "Oh, right, you can't. Listen…
"Our… Guests are more than likely going to be in Rye early tomorrow morning. I want you there to greet them. Think you can handle Yumi for me?"
The figure nodded.
"Great," said Daala. "I'll be watching closely…"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Night fell, and a full moon rose over the Temple.
Inside, stretched out on beds in rooms that their host had prepared, the five humans slept off fettuccini Alfredo, and had very strange dreams. All of them, at some point of the night, dreamed of falling into the sea and drowning.
They didn't know if the next day would bring another victory… Or doom…
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WAR, THE RED HORSEMAN (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Fiend/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 10
ATK: 2,500
DEF: 2,500
Card Description: This card cannot be Special Summoned. This card can only be Normal Summoned by offering three Monsters as a Tribute. When this card destroys a Monster as a result of battle and sends it to the Graveyard, increase this card's ATK by the base ATK of the destroyed Monster. (This increase lasts until your opponent's next End Phase.) When this card attacks with an ATK higher than the DEF of your opponent's Defense Position Monster, inflict the difference as battle damage to your opponent's Life Points.
0
0
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UNFAIR JUDGE (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: A referee making a call at a tennis court.
Card Description: Activate this card during your second Main Phase after your Monsters have unsuccessfully attacked. Target one of your Monsters in Attack Position and pay 800 Life Points. If the total combined ATK of all opposing Monsters in Attack Position plus the total combined DEF of all face-up opposing Monsters in face-up Defense Position is greater than the ATK of the targeted Monster, you may enter a second Battle Phase, and the targeted Monster may attack all opposing face-up Monsters once each. Only the targeted Monster may attack.
Note: "Unfair Judge" was first used by The D in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Ultimate Destiny". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0
0
0
FAVORED ENEMY (Spell Card)
Equip Spell
Image: Buster Blader charging at King Dragun with his sword held high.
Card Description: When this card is activated, declare one Monster Type and Level. When the Equipped Monster battles a face-up Monster that matches the declared Type and Level, the Equipped Monster's ATK increases by 1,500 during the Damage Step only.
0
0
0
ELECTROMAGNETIC TURTLE (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Machine/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 4
ATK: 0
DEF: 1,800
Card Description: During a turn that this card is sent to the Graveyard, you can end the Battle Phase at any time. You choose the timing for this effect.
Note: "Electromagnetic Turtle" was first used by Yugi in the original anime episode "Clash in the Colosseum (Part Three)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
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Coming up next:
We take a detour back to the real world, where Nicholas and Olga have stopped for a bite to eat. But Saki's prediction rings true, as that police detective he mentioned does indeed find them. Is this a case of Good Cop, Bad Cop? Or will it lead to an answer? Olga will have to duel to find out, calling forth the celestial forces once again.
Don't miss "The Antaeus Factor".
You should always trust the police… But even they have secrets…
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I'm starting a new feature on my fic, and I'm calling it "Name That Card!"
This Monster Card that was used by Yugi has two Alternate Art versions in the OCG, one of which was released for the TCG. Can you name it?