If your answer was Dark Magician, you were wrong
If your answer was Dark Magician, you were wrong. That card has three Alternate Art versions in the OCG, and two of them were released for the TCG. Kuriboh is wrong too; it has two Alternate Art versions, but one is exclusive to TCG, and the other is exclusive to OCG. Gaia the Fierce Knight is incorrect as well. It only truly had one Alternate Art, and Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight is considered a different card.
The correct answer is Dark Magician Girl. If that was your answer, you were successfully able to Name that Card!
Another "Name that Card!" will be coming up at the end of this chapter, so sit tight!
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For purposes of identification, you can call me Madelyn Clair, the name that Scotland Yard gave me when they gave me a new identity. I don't really like the name much, but I don't have much choice. The name Olga Warren is on too many hit lists.
I don't regret turning coat on the European mob. I intended to the whole time. I only worked with Rasputin because I wanted to bring him down, so that my father's soul would rest easy…
It didn't occur to me then that I would have to leave England forever, but it's too late to change my mind.
Now a new crisis has struck. The duelists whom I once helped are in trouble again, and maybe I can help again…
After all, I want to. Rasputin is dead, my father is avenged… And the downside of living a life of revenge is this: What do you do after you succeed?
I need a new purpose now…
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CHAPTER ELEVEN
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The Antaeus Factor
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Around the time that Ren was scoring the final blow against Ares, Nicholas and Olga were sitting in a local MOS Burger. These restaurants (which stood for "Mountain Ocean Sun") are the Japanese equivalent of McDonalds (even though Japan has those too, and has more of them than MOS), and are quite popular. If you are willing to spend a thousand yen, you can buy their Takumi Burger, a sandwich that puts the Big Mac to shame – it's a burger with ten layers of ingredients.
Olga and Nicholas, however, were willing to settle for regular cheeseburgers and fries tonight.
Nicholas sighed sadly as Olga brought the food to their table.
"Something wrong?" she asked.
"It's Tuesday, right?" he asked.
"Uhm, yeah…" said Olga.
Nicholas sighed again.
"Don't you remember, Olga?" he asked. "Tuesday nights we used to go down to that place on the thoroughfare and get fish and chips.
"You can't get them in Domino the way that place makes them. Or the way any good place in Britain does, wrapped in newspaper that keeps all the flavor in… Some students have given me the locations of specialty shops, but none of them can do it just right."
Olga shook her head.
"We either did this, or we went to jail, Nicholas," she said. "I'm homesick too…
"I can't tell you how much I miss seeing Westminster Cathedral, Piccadilly Circus… If Aster Phoenix were alive, I'd challenge him in an instant in hopes of seeing his Field Spell, just to remind me of the Clock Tower of the House of Parliament…
"So many things that make London what it is, that we can never see again…
"But we're going to have to cope.
"Besides, fish and chips are bad for you."
"I couldn't agree more," said a voice. "They're bad for the brain."
They were a little startled by the sudden voice that was speaking in English, albeit with a Japanese accent. They looked up, and saw a man who seemed to be in his early thirties, wearing a black business suit and sunglasses.
"And who might you be?" asked Olga.
The man opened his jacket slightly, revealing a badge. Only slightly.
"I'm the long arm of the law," he said, still speaking in English. "Detective Akuma Mitsuharu."
"Small world," said Olga. "We've heard of you."
"So nice to be popular," said Akuma. "May I have a word with you two?"
Olga's eyes narrowed.
"Are you arresting us?" she asked.
Akuma frowned.
"No," he said. "I just want to have words."
Olga glared at him.
"Any reason why you're speaking our language instead of yours?" she asked. "Maybe so the casual passerby doesn't understand you?"
Akuma didn't answer.
"Do you want to talk to us, Detective," she asked, "or do you want to silence us?"
"I wouldn't make such accusations if I were you, Ms. Warren," he said.
"Oh?" said Olga. "Look over there…"
She pointed to another table.
"You'll notice that there are two other cops over there," she said. "They're on break, but they're still on duty. If I were to scream, they'd run over here.
"You know my real name, Detective, so you probably did research. Let me tell you, both of us are quite used to dealing with crooked cops."
"Now see here!" said Akuma, getting angry. "I'm perfectly legit!"
He calmed down a little.
"It's just that… I handle some cases where it doesn't pay to be friendly…"
"What do you want?" said Olga.
Akuma sat down. He took his sunglasses off.
"This is… off the record," he said. "Big things are happening in the underworld, and this Daala person might be connected to them."
"What?" said Nicholas, getting excited. "Tell us what you know!"
"I most certainly will not!" said Akuma. "I heard you two were poking your noses into this business, and I wanted to give you a warning. Stay out of it. For your own safety, if not for everyone else's."
Olga looked at him intently.
Her eyes turned towards his belt.
"Detective Akuma," she said. "I'm quite familiar with police-issue equipment… And that pouch on your belt clearly isn't anything issued by the DCPD. In fact, if I didn't know better, I'd swear it was a deck case."
Akuma smirked a little.
"What would you say to a duel?" she said. "One with a wager… You win, we'll stop snooping and quit working for… Whoever we're working for. I win, you give us this information. Off the record, naturally."
Akuma just stared at her for a minute.
He stood up.
"Department regulations prohibit such activities among its members while they are on duty," he said.
He paused.
"However…"
He took something out of his pocket that resembled a cell phone.
"I am not currently on duty. And it might even convince you to stop what you're doing.
"You'll soon find, Ms. Warren, that I can be a very dangerous man…"
He clipped the item to a wristband on his left wrist, and it started to unfold, quickly turning into a wafer-thin version of the standard Duel Disk.
"A Pocket Disk," muttered Nicholas. "Whoa… This guy is serious…"
"Just give me ten minutes," said Olga.
She picked up her hamburger.
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The restaurant staff was more than willing to move the tables. In Domino, a duel was always interesting to watch.
"Just a warning," said Akuma, as he placed his deck into his Disk. "I don't intend to hold anything back."
"Neither do I," said Olga.
"Game on!" they shouted.
(Olga: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Akuma: 8,000)
"Ladies first, I always say," said Akuma.
Olga drew her first card.
Not the time for this guy just yet, she thought, looking at the Monster on the card. I'll save him for just the right moment.
She chose another card, and her Field Slot opened.
"I activate The Sanctuary in the Sky," she said.
As she played the card, the restaurant surrounding them vanished, and was replaced by a cloudy surface under a sapphire blue sky. An imposing, ancient temple with a tall spire – the Sanctuary itself – loomed behind Olga.
"Interesting…" said Akuma.
"Now," said Olga, "I summon Radiant Jeral in Attack Mode."
She played the card, and a Monster appeared in a flash of light. It was a short, stout, dome-shaped creature that appeared to be made of green glass, with feathered wings and a large halo over its top. (1,000/2,000)
"Attack Mode?" asked Akuma. "What are you up to?"
"I end my turn," said Olga.
Akuma frowned, and drew a card.
"I know what your Field Spell does," he said. "You'll take no damage if I attack that Fairy, no matter what Mode it's in.
"But direct attacks are a different story. So I'll destroy your Monster by playing Smashing Ground."
He played a Spell Card, and a shockwave tore across the cloudy surface. Radiant Jeral shattered like the glass it resembled.
"I was hoping you'd do that," said Olga, as she glowed with a soft, golden light. "You knew what my Field Spell did on its own, but you obviously didn't know that Jeral's effect works in conjunction with the Sanctuary. When he's sent to the Graveyard in any way other than battle when the Field Spell is active, he leaves behind a gift… 1,000 Life Points added to my score."
"You'll need all the Life Points you can get!" exclaimed Akuma, playing a Spell Card. "I play Reinforcement of the Army. Now I can search for a Warrior up to Level Four."
So he's using Warriors? thought Olga.
"Now I'll summon the Warrior I just searched for," said Akuma. "Meet The Creator Incarnate!"
In a burst of energy, a tall man in golden plate armor and a helmet, holding a glowing sword, appeared in front of Akuma. (1,600/1,500)
"Now, I can sacrifice him," he continued, "to summon his master…"
The Creator Incarnate vanished.
"I summon The Creator!"
A lightning storm erupted over the field, and a giant creature rose over the field. It was a golem of some sort with golden armor, and a huge discus on its back that was covered with arcane runes. (2,300/3,000)
"Ho boy…" muttered Olga.
"I'm not done," said Akuma. "I activate The Creator's effect. I toss one card, and The Creator Incarnate returns."
He discarded a Kaiser Sea Horse, and The Creator erupted in glowing lightning. The Warrior appeared again. (1,600/1,500)
"And you're defenseless," said Akuma. "Incarnate, attack her directly!"
The Creator Incarnate lifted his blade and flew at Olga. She grunted as he slashed at her with his sword.
"That was nothing," said Akuma. "Creator, fires of creation!"
Olga braced herself as the huge Monster reached for her…
She screamed as white-hot lightning surged through her, sending her to her knees.
She panted for breath.
(O: 5,100) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 8,000)
"Olga!" shouted Nicholas, forgetting to use her pseudonym, something he would kick himself for later.
"I've dealt with worse…" said Olga.
"It's your move, young lady," said Akuma. "Feel free to surrender at any time."
"Never!" shouted Olga, standing up.
She drew a card.
"I summon… Harvest Angel of Wisdom!"
She played the card, and in another bright light, a far more humanoid Fairy appeared. His unclothed skin was metallic and golden, with green highlights, with a handsome face, golden hair, and feathered wings that grew from his ankles. He carried a large trumpet that looked like the one on the now obsolete Horn of Heaven Trap Card. (1,800/1,000)
"Destroy The Creator Incarnate!" she shouted. "Heaven's horn!"
Harvest Angel of Wisdom sounded a blast of intense sound from his horn, and the Warrior cringed before exploding into shards.
"I throw a card facedown, and end my turn," said Olga.
A facedown card appeared behind her Monster.
(O: 5,100) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 7,800)
"Clever," said Akuma, drawing a card. "You want me to think that the facedown card is something deadly.
"Well, I think it's a bluff. After all, you'll lose no Life Points if I attack your Angel…"
He played a Spell Card.
"We'll soon see. I play Trade-In. This Spell lets me draw two cards, so long as I first toss a Level Eight Monster. So I'll get rid of Reshef the Dark Being."
He discarded the card, and then drew twice.
"Now I'll play Pot of Greed."
He played the card, and drew twice more.
"Perfect," he said, looking at his cards. "First, I'll use The Creator's effect again. And I'll bring back the Monster I discarded when I used its effect last turn."
He discarded a card, and another Monster appeared on the field. It was a sea creature with brilliant blue scales and fins, holding a spear. (1,700/1,650)
"I suppose you know, that when Kaiser Sea Horse is sacrificed to summon a Light Monster, it can count as two Monsters. So I'll sacrifice it to summon my best Monster…"
Kaiser Sea Horse vanished, and a brilliant light appeared on Akuma's side of the field.
Can it be? thought Nicholas. He's using The Creator… Could this be that incredibly rare Monster who has to die and be reborn before its true power is unleashed?
"I summon…" said Akuma, "Felgrand Dragon!"
In a burst of light, a Dragon that was even bigger than The Creator appeared on the field. It looked like a Dragon that had been sculpted out of solid gold, long and thin, standing on its hind legs, with wings in place of forelegs.
It let out a majestic roar. (2,800/2,800)
Olga's eyes opened wide.
"Intimidating, isn't it," said Akuma. "Creator, destroy her Harvest Angel."
Lightning danced over The Creator's armor again. It reached for Harvest Angel of Wisdom.
"Activate… Negate Attack!" shouted Olga, as her Trap Card flipped up. "Your Monsters are gonna have to back off!"
A dome of force surrounded Olga and her Monster, and The Creator was stopped cold.
"In that case," said Akuma, "I end my turn."
Olga made a draw.
"I activate… Graceful Charity," she said.
She played the card, and the lovely Angel of Charity appeared, looking right at home in the sacred field. Olga quickly drew three cards. She considered for a minute, and then discarded two of them.
"I throw this facedown, and move Harvest Angel to Defense Mode," she said.
A new facedown card appeared, and the Fairy knelt and crossed his arms.
"That's it for me."
"Then I draw!" said Akuma.
He drew. He looked at the Spell Card.
"Creator, let's try this again."
The Creator blasted its fires of creation, and Harvest Angel of Wisdom was blown to pieces.
"I activate Harvest Angel's effect," said Olga. "When he bites the dust in battle, I get to harvest a Trap Card from my Graveyard, so long as it's a Counter Trap."
The Negate Attack card slipped out of her discard slot, and she took it.
"Too bad you can't use it now!" laughed Akuma. "Felgrand Dragon, attack her directly! Burning beam!"
Felgrand Dragon roared, and then breathed a burst of pure light at Olga.
"Forget about my other Trap?" asked Olga. "Go, Magic Cylinder!"
Her facedown card lifted up, and Akuma's eyes opened in surprise.
He was thrown backwards as he was hit by his own attack.
"I'm guessing you're wearing a vest under that suit," said Olga. "But I'm also guessing that such protection doesn't do much in a duel."
"You're pushing it, young lady," he said, getting up. "I play a facedown, and that will be all."
He fit a card into his Disk, and it appeared facedown behind him.
(O: 5,100) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 5,000)
"Go on and make your move. We both know that you're going to set that Negate Attack again."
Olga drew a card.
"I throw down a facedown," she said, "and then summon Meltiel, Sage of the Sky."
A facedown card appeared, and then another new Fairy appeared. This one had a long, white robe, feathered wings, and was surrounded by a gold ring entwined with a red ribbon. (1,600/1,200)
"I end my turn."
Predictable, thought Akuma, drawing a card.
He looked at the three cards in his hand.
The facedown card is obviously Negate Attack, he thought. And since I can't destroy it, my best option is to force her to use it.
"Felgrand Dragon, attack her Sage!"
The Dragon blasted its brilliant breath weapon.
"Go, Negate Attack!" shouted Olga.
The blast was halted by the dome of energy again.
"No big deal," said Akuma.
"I'm afraid it is a big deal!" laughed Olga. "You fell right into my trap, in more ways than one.
"Negate Attack is a Counter Trap, as you may remember. And Meltiel has an effect that activates whenever a Counter Trap is activated.
"I gain 1,000 Life Points. And what's more, if the Sanctuary is on the field at the time, he can also destroy one of your cards.
"Meltiel… Wipe out The Creator!"
The Sage of the Sky glowed with intense golden light. The Creator groaned, and then exploded into slag.
"You think you're so hot, do you?" said Akuma. "Well, it's still my move!"
He placed a card on his Disk.
"I set a Monster in Defense Mode, and that will be all."
(O: 6,100) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 5,000)
"I guess it's my move," said Olga.
She drew a card.
She placed a card in her Disk, and a facedown card appeared again. Then Meltiel knelt, and moved to Defense Mode.
"That's all," she said.
Akuma drew a card.
Perfect, he thought.
"I play… Mystical Space Typhoon!" he shouted. "Now I can get rid of this annoying Field Spell!"
He played the card, and a cyclone shot at the huge temple…
"Stop right there!" shouted Olga.
"Huh?" said Akuma.
Olga's facedown card lifted up…
"I activate… Dark Bribe!" shouted Olga. "Now you get to draw once, but your Spell Card goes away."
The Spell Card shattered, and the cyclone died before it reached the Sanctuary. Akuma growled as he drew one card.
"And by the way," said Olga. "Dark Bribe is also a Counter Trap, and you know what that means."
Meltiel glowed with golden light again, and Felgrand Dragon roared before exploding into a blast of multicolored pyrotechnics.
Oh no! thought Nicholas. If what I've heard about that thing is true, Olga may have done just what Akuma wanted her to do…
It sure seemed that way. Akuma chuckled softly.
Now's the time, thought Olga, looking at the card in her hand.
"I'm not done!" she shouted. "Since I activated a Counter Trap, I can sacrifice Meltiel…"
Meltiel vanished.
"To summon… Voltanis the Adjudicator!"
In a blast of light, an intimidating being appeared in front of Olga. He was as big as The Creator, and seemed to be made as much of metal as he was of flesh. His skin – or armor, it was hard to tell – was royal purple, his face was featureless except for a large sapphire which served as an eye, and he had huge wings that seemed to float behind him, rather than connect to his body. He clutched a scepter that was topped by a glowing blue orb. (2,800/1,400)
"You're a cop, Akuma," said Olga. "You likely work with judges all the time. Well, this guy is the judge of the Higher Plane, and he doesn't listen to lawyers who seek acquittals due to loopholes, and he doesn't accept plea bargains. He only cares about guilt and innocence, end of story. And he's very good at what he does. Legend has it that in his court, an innocent man has never been convicted, nor has a guilty one ever gotten off.
"So let's see what his verdict will be this time, huh? Because when Voltanis is summoned via this method, I can destroy one card on your side of the field for every Fairy I sacrificed."
Voltanis raised his scepter and lightning flashed. Spirit Reaper appeared on the facedown card, and was blown to shards.
Akuma frowned.
"I set a new Monster in Defense Mode, and I end my turn…" he said.
A new facedown Monster appeared.
(O: 7,100) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 5,000)
Olga made a draw.
"Not bad," she said. "I summon Dunames Dark Witch."
She played a new card, and a pretty, young, female Fairy in a red dress with white, metallic wings appeared. (1,800/1,050)
"Attack his facedown Monster!" she shouted. "Shadow flux!"
Dunames Dark Witch formed a ball of sparkling, shadowy energy in her hands, and threw it forward in a burst.
The Monster that appeared on the card looked like a small dollop of whipped cream with two eyes, and an upside-down smile above them. It merely grinned as the blast hit it. (300/500)
Olga clutched her chest in pain.
"What happened?" she gasped.
"You attacked my Marshmallon," said Akuma. "And not only can't it be destroyed in battle, but now you lose 1,000 Life Points.
"Come to think of it, even if you attacked with a Monster that could trample, you wouldn't hurt me. Marshmallon is a Fairy, so it benefits from your own Field Spell."
Olga glared at him.
"I end my turn…" she muttered.
(O: 6,100) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 5,000)
"I draw one card…" said Akuma, making a draw.
Perfect… he thought. This is just what I need to crush her…
"I summon Slate Warrior," he said.
He played the card, and a weird-looking creature appeared. It had a metallic, blue face, a golden, blocky breastplate, and ruffled sleeves and pants. It held a long staff with a knob at the top. The strangest thing about it was, its upper torso was not truly connected to its lower body, and its upper part slowly rotated like a turntable. (1,900/400)
"Slate Warrior?" asked Olga. "What's the connection?"
"Just a Level Four beatstick with an impressive ability," said Akuma. "Attack her Dark Witch!"
Slate Warrior blasted a bolt of green energy from its staff, and Dunames screamed before she was vaporized.
"Forget?" said Olga. "My Field Spell protects me from taking damage."
Akuma placed his last two cards in his Disk, and two facedown cards appeared.
"Soon to change," he said. "I end my turn."
Olga nervously drew a card.
Might help… she thought, looking at it. But if I attack Slate Warrior now, Voltanis will lose 500 Attack Points…
"Trap Card, activate," said Akuma.
"Huh?" said Olga.
Akuma's facedown card lifted.
"Compulsory Evacuation Device," he said. "This sends Voltanis back to your hand."
A strange machine appeared on the field, and a series of chains shot out and grabbed Voltanis. He struggled, but was drawn in, and then shot out like a cannon.
He vanished, and his card reappeared in Olga's hand. She growled.
She placed a card on her Disk, and a defensive Monster appeared.
"Just move," she said.
Akuma drew a card.
Good, he thought. This is just what I needed to take control of this duel.
"I sacrifice Slate Warrior and Marshmallon," he exclaimed.
Both of the two Monsters vanished.
"To summon… Yamata Dragon!"
In an explosion of flame, a Monster appeared which was likely the ugliest Dragon that Olga had ever seen. She knew she was a duelist when she had to make a comparison to all the Dragons she had ever seen. It had eight ugly, snakelike heads, that seemed to be connected to a central point that was hard to define as a body. The whole thing was about thirty feet long. (2,600/3,100)
"Ugh!" said Olga.
"And there's more," said Akuma. "I activate… Call of the Haunted!"
His Trap Card flipped up…
In a burst of energy, Felgrand Dragon reappeared. (2,800/2,800)
"Ever read mythology much?" he asked.
"All the time," said Olga.
"Yes…" said Akuma. "The Twelve Labors of Heracles are always an entertaining read. And in that story, I find his battle with Antaeus to be incredibly interesting.
"He was a giant, who challenged every warrior to pass by his home to battle via wrestling. What these hapless victims didn't know was, Antaeus couldn't be defeated. He was the son of Gaea, Mother Earth, and so long as he stood on bare soil, he drew power from the earth itself. His wounds healed instantly, and his strength grew with each passing minute.
"My Dragon is similar. The Graveyard feeds it power. By being sent there, and returning, its power is unleashed.
"In game terms, its effect only activates when it's Special Summoned from the Graveyard. When that happens, I choose another Monster that's in my Graveyard.
"I think the Monster I'll choose is Reshef the Dark Being, which, as you recall, I discarded when I played Trade-In. Now I take Reshef's Level, which is eight. I multiply that by 200, and add the total to my Dragon's Attack Score."
(4,400/2,800)
"Forty-four hundred attack points?" gasped Olga.
"That's right," said Akuma. "But I'll spare you his wrath this turn.
"Attack her facedown Monster!"
Felgrand Dragon blasted its brilliant breath at the facedown Monster. A winged cherub appeared on the card, and was incinerated.
"You just flipped my Skelengel," said Olga. "That means I get to draw once."
She made a draw.
"Well, fine," said Akuma. "I'm about to get far more. Yamata Dragon, attack her directly! Eight-headed flame fury!"
No… thought Nicholas.
Olga tried hard to brace herself as the eight bursts of fire honed in on her, but they hit with the force of a sledgehammer. She toppled over, and fell backwards ten feet.
For a few minutes, she understood what a lot of Seto Kaiba's opponents must have felt…
(O: 3,500) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 5,000)
"And Yamata Dragon has a special ability," continued Akuma. "When it hurts you, I get to draw until my hand consists of five cards."
He made five draws quickly. He looked them over.
"One of which I'll use. You see, because Yamata Dragon is a Spirit, it would go back to my hand when I ended my turn. So before that happens, I'll sacrifice it by using Mystik Wok."
He played the card, and Yamata Dragon vanished into grains of light.
"Now I gain Life Points equal to its Defense Score, which is 3,100.
"It's an interesting but very overlooked fact… Yamata Dragon has more Defense Points than any other Monster in the game that can be Normal Summoned.
"It's your move. Make it, if you can."
"Give me a second…" muttered Olga.
(O: 3,500) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 8,100)
"Olga, hang in there!" shouted Nicholas. "Even Antaeus had a weakness!"
"Huh?" said Olga.
"Heracles found out the source of his power," said Nicholas, "and lifted Antaeus off the ground, breaking his contact with the earth, and crushed him to death. You just have to find a weakness in this thing!"
She slowly got up, holding her chest, which hurt badly. She looked at the four cards in her hand, then at her deck.
She drew a card.
"I play… Double Spell," she said, playing a card.
She tossed a second Sanctuary in the Sky.
"Now I can use one Spell Card in your Graveyard. And I seem to recall that you used a good one…
"Your Smashing Ground!"
The shockwave tore across the field, and Felgrand Dragon roared. It shattered into golden shards.
"No fair…" muttered Akuma.
"Next," said Olga. "I play Premature Burial. And the Monster I'm bringing back is a pair of guys I tossed with Graceful Charity."
"A pair?" shouted Akuma.
"That's right," said Olga. "It's two Monsters in one… Meet Gellenduo!"
In a burst of energy, two adorable little Fairies appeared on Olga's side of the field. One was pink and had a heart-shaped head. The other was green and had an almond-shaped head. Both of them had haloes surrounding their little torsos. (1,700/0)
"How cute," said Akuma, sarcastically.
"Cute, and dangerous," said Olga. "You see, these two pastel-colored pixies have an ability that's similar to your Kaiser Sea Horse. But it only works for Light Fairies.
"So I'll sacrifice Gellenduo…"
The little Fairies vanished.
"…to summon Voltanis again!"
In a burst of lightning, Voltanis appeared once more. (2,800/1,400)
"Attack him directly!" she shouted. "Divine judgment!"
The lightning flashed again, and Akuma screamed as he was hit by it. He fell on one knee.
He held his chest and growled.
"That's all for me, Detective," said Olga, in a slightly seductive tone. "You want to play some more?"
"I'll show you…" growled Akuma, drawing a card.
(O: 2,700) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 5,300)
Olga's luck keeps going back and forth, thought Nicholas. This duel may not last much longer…
Akuma drew one card.
"Sorry, young lady," he said, "but my Dragon is coming right back. Remember, the Graveyard is the source of its power."
He turned around the card he had just drawn.
"Look familiar?" he asked. "I have a Premature Burial too."
He played the card, and Felgrand Dragon appeared on the field again. (2,800/2,800)
"Once again, I'll choose Reshef the Dark Being."
(4,400/2,800)
"I realize that my mistake last time was sending Voltanis back to your hand instead of destroying it," he said. "I won't make that mistake again.
"Felgrand Dragon, attack Voltanis the Adjudicator with burning beam!"
The Dragon breathed its scorching ray, and Voltanis was blown into violet shards.
"Good thing I still have the Sanctuary," said Olga.
"Maybe so," said Akuma. "But it's only a matter of time before I tear that defense down.
"Make your move…"
(O: 2,700) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 4,500)
Olga slowly drew a card.
"I play… Pot of Avarice," she said.
She played the card, and Gellenduo, Dunames Dark Witch, Radiant Jeral, Harvest Angel of Wisdom, and Skelengel slipped out of her discard slot. She shuffled quickly, and then drew twice.
"All right…" she said. "I throw two cards facedown, and then summon Hysteric Fairy."
She played three of the four cards in her hand, and two facedown cards appeared. Then a Fairy appeared whose features could best be described as androgynous. Whether it was male or female – it was incredibly hard to tell – it looked very fussy, with a pair of spectacles (who knew that Fairies became nearsighted?) and wore a formal outfit. Its feathered wings, however, clearly indicated that it was a native of the Higher Plane. (1,800/500)
"That's all for me," she said.
I'm getting tired of this blasted Field Spell protecting her, thought Akuma. If it wasn't here, I'd have won this duel last turn…
He drew a card. He smiled broadly.
"Trap Card, activate!" shouted Olga. "Call of the Haunted!"
One of her two facedown cards lifted, and a radiant glow appeared in front of it.
"You remember Meltiel, right?"
Meltiel, Sage of the Sky appeared once again. (1,600/1,200)
"And that other facedown card is another Negate Attack, right?" said Akuma, angrily. "Well sorry…"
He played the card he had just drawn.
"I'm going to take it, Meltiel, and you out in one swift stroke! I play Giant Trunade!"
A fierce wind started to blow across the field…
Olga grinned evilly.
"That's just what I was hoping you would do, Detective," she said. "This isn't Negate Attack… This is my most powerful Trap…"
The Trap Card flipped up.
"Solemn Judgment!"
Lightning flashed again. A stern-looking old man with a beard and a white robe, holding a cudgel, accompanied by two beautiful muses appeared on the field, glowing with radiant light.
"Sure, it costs me half my Life Points, but it quells your little windstorm."
The Giant Trunade card shattered.
"And don't forget, Solemn Judgment is a Counter Trap, so Meltiel's effect is activated."
The Sage of the Sky glowed. Felgrand Dragon roared, and then shattered for the third time.
Akuma glared at her.
"Then finish it…" he growled.
(O: 2,350) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 4,500)
Olga drew one card.
"Well, well," she said. "Looks like I can end this on a bang…
"I sacrifice Meltiel and Hysteric Fairy…"
Meltiel and Hysteric Fairy vanished into grains of light.
"To summon a guy who is now, who has always been, and who always will be my favorite Monster.
"I call forth Neo-Parshath the Sky Paladin!"
In a burst of energy, another huge, angelic form appeared. It looked similar to Airknight Parshath, a winged centaur of sorts, but much larger, with golden wings attached to his body by a bronze ring, armed with a glowing sword and shield. (2,300/2,000)
"Now I play… Monster Reborn!"
She played the card, and the holy ankh appeared. Voltanis appeared again in a flash of light. (2,800/1,400)
"Voltanis, you first," said Olga.
Voltanis cast his divine lightning at Akuma, hitting him squarely in the chest. He screamed.
"Now, Neo-Parshath, attack directly! Divine blade!"
Neo-Parshath flew at Akuma, and with one slash, sent him toppling over.
Akuma groaned.
(O: 2,350) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 0)
The two Fairies and the Sanctuary vanished.
"All right, Detective, pay up," said Olga. "I doubt this will be good for your rep if word that I beat you got out."
"Are you threatening me?" asked Akuma.
"No more than you were casually threatening us," said Olga. "It really doesn't pay for us to be friendly either."
Akuma sighed.
"All right, you win…" he muttered.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
It took awhile for him to say anything. He placed an order at the counter and they had to wait for it to come before he was willing to talk.
"Nuts," he said, looking at the hamburger. "They forget the mustard again…"
"Look," said Nicholas. "What can you tell us?"
Akuma sighed.
"This is completely off the record," he said. "I'll deny having told you this if you tell any other cops about it.
"Ten years ago, a businessman in Tokyo was working on a project called Xanadu. The name means 'Beautiful Utopia' by the way. We think the name was a front. Or an inside joke.
"It had something to do with computer systems, that's all we know for sure about it. But whatever the project was supposed to do, its funding was supplied by one of the Yakuza families."
"Yakuza?" said Nicholas, in shock. "As in, Japanese organized crime?"
"The very one," said Akuma. "Some illicit deals and several bribes of government and law enforcement officials were made for this project, and Saki, someone whom you already met, was working for them. Being a computer programmer for a legit organization, the DMV, he was able to handle some issues that they couldn't be bothered with. But he got cold feet, and turned informant.
"I personally arrested the one who was in charge of the illicit funding, and we were able to charge him with bribing of officials and various internet-related fraud crimes, but the actual project was never found, nor was the actual head of this Yakuza family arrested, even though we have suspicions about who it is.
"We assume that Xanadu was created by a supercomputer whose power matches that owned by some governments. But we have limited information. All the funding was made via electronic transfers to a Swiss bank account, and we doubt that these mobsters even knew the name of the one they were dealing with. The records called him by…
"Well, by a name that I can't tell you due to legal reasons, but telling it to you wouldn't do you any good anyway. We have had zero luck identifying this name. We checked every name database in Japan, then checked with Interpol, Scotland Yard, the F.B.I., and every search engine we could. No record of this name exists anywhere.
"At least 'Daala' is the name of a character in science fiction novels… This name is just plain weird.
"Xanadu's origin could literally be located anywhere. Anywhere in the world.
"However, since there seems to be a link to Duel Monsters, our suspicions are more than likely confirmed. It's almost definitely the Usagi Family that's behind it."
"Usagi…" said Nicholas. "That's Japanese for rabbit, isn't it?"
"A symbol of good luck," said Akuma. "Let me give you some advice about good luck charms… You may think a rabbit's foot will bring you good luck, but keep in mind that the rabbit it belonged to wasn't very lucky.
"As for why we believe the Usagi are involved, they're known to handle problems using Duel Monsters. They may still be linked to this Xanadu thing.
"And furthermore, we already have a warrant for the arrest of the leadership of the heads of Usagi. They're in very big trouble right now. I'm talking a federal offense…"
He reached into his jacket pocket. Then he took something out and held it up in front of them.
"You know what this is?"
"Uhm," said Nicholas. "It's a 10,000 Yen note."
"Wrong," said Akuma. "It's a counterfeit 10,000 Yen note, not worth the paper it's printed on.
"You see, two months ago, the Usagi sent a spy into the Japan Mint in Tokyo, and used a special device, disguised as a simple camera, to make a virtual scan of a mould used to print 10,000 Yen notes. They used this scan to build their own moulds, and have been printing fake Yen that are nearly perfect.
"In fact…"
He took something else out of his pocket. It was a cigarette lighter.
"There's only one way to tell the difference…"
He flicked the lighter, and set the bill on fire. It burned with a bright, red flame.
"A real note will burn with a green flame. But a fake note, which uses a different type of ink, burns red.
"He can mass-produce one-hundred of these phony notes at a cost of 500 yen. Then they can be sold on the black market for only 1,000 yen apiece. If a buyer uses them, his net gain is 9,000 yen. They've been making a fortune with this scheme. Of course, it's incredibly illegal. The leadership of the Usagi is looking at a lot of hard time once they're caught."
He deposited the burning bill in an ash tray, and let it burn out.
"I've told you two all I know, so I believe I've lived up to my end of the bargain. I strongly advise for you to now stay out of it, and leave this up to the professionals. The Yakuza are killers. You mess with them, you endanger not only yourselves, but possibly your friends as well.
"Good night."
He packed up the rest of his meal, and walked away.
"So what now?" asked Olga.
Nicholas thought for a minute.
"It isn't like we haven't dealt with organized crime before," he said.
"Granted," said Olga. "But how will we even find these Usagis?"
Nicholas thought again.
"I have an idea," he thought. "We might be able to look into something tomorrow. For now, let's check back with Sheena."
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Nicholas and Olga walked into Sheena's lounge. It was nine o'clock.
"Sheena?" said Nicholas. "We…"
Sheena didn't answer.
She was slumped over her computer, fast asleep and snoring loudly.
Olga chuckled.
"Well…" she said. "We could let her sleep…
"Or we could shave her head…"
"I really hope you're joking," said Nicholas. "Let's just leave her alone. We've done enough for one day anyway.
"I hope Yumi can hold on until tomorrow…"
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Coming up next:
Back in Xanadu, Yumi and company prepare to continue their journey, and brave the Sea of Infinite Tears. But at the dockside town of Rye, Yumi is challenged by one of Daala's strangest minions, a duelist whose actions truly speak louder than his words. Can Yumi defeat a strategy with a powerful lock?
Don't miss "The Sound of Silence", coming soon.
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Name that Card!
The weapon that this Monster is holding on his card is known to archaeologists as The Was Staff, a symbol of power and dominion. Can you name it?