What Monster used by Yugi has appeared on the artwork of two of Kaiba's cards? If you said "Mystical Elf", you were successfully able to Name that Card!
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Before we get into this next chapter, I'm going to do something I don't usually do – reveal a rejected idea.
Originally, the "Big Bad" of this fic was going to be Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning. (Sam was even going to make an uneasy bargain with Chaos Emperor Dragon, who would be willing to trust her – somewhat – because she was related to Kaiba.) He struck me as possibly the most likely candidate for a boss villain in a world of Duel Spirits, especially since Yumi is now an enemy of Chaos. However, that idea fell through, and I came up with a slightly watered down version with the antagonist in this chapter.
The Duel Spirit in this chapter is a card that no-one is neutral about. When it was popular, some people loved it, and everyone else hated it. There was no middle road.
If you are one of the folks who once used this card, I ask you not to judge simply because of status the character has in this fic, or his attitude and outlook. I'll give my reasons for using this character the way I did if anyone asks.
On with the fic.
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Ever since I ate that Devil's Fruit, I wondered what it would do to me… Whether I had made the right choice, or a big mistake.
Well, we've come closer to answers. We've met someone else who has taken this forbidden fare, and he knows more about it than even Erik did…
Unfortunately, he works for Daala, and unless I can beat him, he'll sink our ship to the bottom of this cursed ocean.
I'd like to say I'm not scared, but it seems like the possibility of drowning now that I ate the stuff has become very real…
But I'll fight to the end…
Ready… DUEL.
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CHAPTER FIFTEEN
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The Scars of Battle
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Half an hour after leaving the iceberg, the weather seemed to improve. It was still cold, but the sun broke out of the clouds, and it was clear sailing over the open sea.
"Raiden…" muttered Ren, as he sat on the deck of the ship. "Who would've believed it?"
"It could have been worse," said Yumi. "There are much deadlier characters in that game. I can just imagine what sort of deck Shang Tsung would have used.
"And I can't imagine what it would have been like if Daala had sent Bo' Rai Cho."
"Who's that?" asked Erik.
"Better you didn't know," replied Yumi. "But we have to be careful. There have been thousands of video games released over the years, and if Daala can pull characters out of them and turn them into duelists, the possibilities are nearly endless."
Ren sighed.
"Anyone know what time it is?" he asked.
"One o'clock," said Mako. "We should be at the Realm Lord's island in an hour, bearing any accidents…"
"Wait…" said Yumi. "Hear that?"
"I hear nothing…" said Mako.
"Exactly," said Yumi. "The sobbing we keep hearing…
"It stopped…"
Then fog started to lift from the water. A ship appeared ahead of them. It was a frightening-looking thing, with a very large figurehead shaped like a red skull and ribcage, and red Jolly Rogers printed on its sails.
"Oh no…" muttered Mako. "First accident…"
"That's a Skull Mariner!" shouted Yumi.
"One of the typical ships of Daala's fleet," muttered Mako, readying his Disk. "And I'm afraid you can't sink it simply by summoning a Monster with more than 1,600 Attack Points."
One of the cannons on the Mariner ignited, sending a cannonball flying at The Sea Angel. It missed, splashing in the water to the side.
"Talk about a bad shot!" laughed Sam.
"He missed on purpose," said Mako. "It was a warning shot to get us to stop. Don't worry, I've dealt with a lot of these landlubbers… I've yet to meet one I can't outduel."
Yumi's deck glowed. Dark Magician Girl suddenly appeared next to her.
"Yumi!" she cried. "There's evil magic on board that ship… Black magic of the worst type!"
"What do you mean?" asked Yumi.
"Chaos magic," said Dark Magician Girl. "I felt it when we were in the Glass Menagerie. Whoever is on board is clearly powerful."
Then a dark orb shot from the approaching Mariner, and flew towards The Sea Angel. It landed right on the bow of the ship.
The orb transformed into a man in black, exotic clothing, with a hood over his head, grey skin, and glowing yellow eyes. He wore black gloves, boots, belts over his chest, and a long cape.
"Chaos Sorcerer!" exclaimed Yumi.
"WHAT?" exclaimed Mako. "How can you be here? Zane took you down… Way down!"
"Maybe so, Tsunami," said the Duel Spirit, stepping down. "But what's in the past is long past…
"Could be I managed to come back… Or I may be his long-lost twin brother, or something else entirely. Not that I'll tell you. As someone once said, Power told is power lost."
Yumi's eyes opened wide…
She had heard that phrase before. It was a motto used by the cult of Shogarr…
"I couldn't help but notice six rebels in the Sea of Infinite Tears," said Chaos Sorcerer, "five of them with an aura that I recognized…
"…the aura emitted by Devil's Fruit."
"You know about Devil's Fruit?" asked Erik.
"Of course," said Chaos Sorcerer. "In fact, I ate it myself.
"So… What to do with you? Perhaps I'll use my powers to banish you all to the void between the dimensions…"
Chelsea held Ren in fear.
"Kidding…" chuckled the Spellcaster. "I don't do that anymore. But I could reduce your ship to driftwood and watch as you all drown…"
"Over my dead body!" shouted Mako.
"Okay, fellah," said Chaos Sorcerer, "I can arrange that…"
"Like hell you will!" said Sam. "I learned how to use mine…"
A glowing, blue orb appeared in her hand, and she thrust it forward. A blast of frost shot at the Spellcaster…
He knocked it aside with a simple backhand, and the blast evaporated in mid-air.
"You'd best not try that again, Samantha," he hissed, narrowing his eyes. "I was able to cast powerful spells long before I ever ate the Fruit, and unlike you, I didn't choose one blindly. I knew exactly what powers each one would grant the user, and I chose the most powerful one.
"Now sit down."
Sam shivered, and sat down.
Chaos Sorcerer paused, and put his finger on his chin.
"You're all scared, aren't you?" he asked. "You know of the rumor that water renders users of that stuff helpless."
"You don't seem all that scared," said Ren.
"Hello?" said Chaos Sorcerer, pointing to himself. "Spellcaster, remember? Can cast spells? Knows how to keep from even touching the water?"
He smirked.
"Well, I know where Devil's Fruit comes from… Would you like to hear the story before you die? It's quite interesting…"
"Why not?" said Chelsea, nervously.
If it helps us stall for time… she thought.
Chaos Sorcerer stared at them, and his eyes started to glow with eldritch light. The sea around them started to darken again.
"To understand the origins of the Devil's Fruit," he started, "you must know the origins of Tyrexxus, the Consumer of Souls…
"Now, most who have heard of Tyrexxus say that he doesn't exist, and they might be right. His cults are all but extinct on most worlds, because prayers and offerings to him yield no responses at all. Not many want to worship a faith that gets you nothing. But some truly dedicated believers, or ones whose former faiths have brought them only disaster and made them willing to accept one that appears hopeless, talk of what he is, or rather, what he once was.
"The Fifth Circle of Hell is called Stygia, a frozen sea, colder and more merciless than any ocean on any material world. Some believe that say that the River Styx has its source in this realm, and that its deadly poisonous waters gain their power from it.
"According to the legend, if you choose to believe it, in ancient times, Tyrexxus was the original ruler of Stygia, and he was known as the Consumer of Souls. He was one of eight seraphim who fell with Lucifer along with Dispater and Mephistopheles. The fall marred and twisted him, destroying his celestial beauty and turning his face into an expression of savagery.
"He was said to be the cruelest of Hell's rulers, a very difficult title to achieve. In the early days of the Blood War, he was a terror on the battlefield. He stood thirty feet high, and his roars of anger could be heard for leagues. He wielded a mighty sword enchanted with the fury of Stygia itself, and could cleave even the largest demon in twain. If he was ever disarmed, he would tear his foes apart without it, until his steel gauntlets were stained dark red. Tyrexxus valued power and nothing else.
"There was no denying that, of all the Lords of Hell, he was the most chaotic. Some would swear that he was more demon than devil…
"His cruelty was beyond words. He was so cruel, that eventually his own devils plotted against him, enabling Prince Levistus – the next and current ruler of Stygia – to lead a revolt.
"Tyrexxus wouldn't go without a fight, but it was a fight he lost. Exhausted and drained of all his energy, he retreated to the Grey Waste, the land that lies situated halfway between Hell and the Abyss. Holing up in a deep cavern, he fell asleep, hoping to regain his energy and mount a comeback… But he never regained it, and he never woke up. They say that he sleeps there even to this day.
"As the years passed, Tyrexxus's evil essence seeped into the land around him. Above the ground where he lay, strange weeds sprouted. These weeds grew into trees, and they bore odd fruit.
"Those who dared to eat this fruit found it contained some of the slumbering lord's power inside. What was its ultimate purpose? Who knew? Some folks took cuttings and transplanted them elsewhere, and the hardy plants adapted to other dimensions and other worlds.
"The Devil's Fruit has now spread across the universe. It might be a sign that the Consumer of Souls might one day wake up and regain his power… And if that happens, the Blood War might tip greatly towards the side of Hell."
His eyes stopped glowing, but the sea remained dark.
"Uhm, interesting story," said Ren.
"You find it interesting, yes?" asked Chaos Sorcerer. "Maybe I won't kill you outright… That would be a bit crude…
"Tell you what, Ren. I'll make you a deal… I'll duel you…
"Your life depends on whether or not you can win… But so do the lives of your allies. If you lose, I sink this vessel and leave you to your fates.
"All except Sam. She gets nailed to the statue for having the nerve to attack me."
Ren took some deep breaths. Sam started to cry. Erik hugged her gently.
"I guess I have no choice…" said Ren. "But… What statue?"
"That one," said Chaos Sorcerer, pointing.
He waved his arm, and the sea churned. A titanic form started to rise out of the sea next to the ship. It was a statue of a woman, fifty feet high, with her palms held out.
Ren yelled in fear as he was yanked off of his feet, and then pulled through the air until he was deposited on the statue's left palm.
As he stood up, he saw Chaos Sorcerer alight on the right palm.
"You could have warned me…" muttered Ren.
"Here's the deal," said the Sorcerer. "The Hand of Theitis will hold you so long as you have Life Points left. If they fall to zero, she drops you."
"Does the same rule apply to you?" asked Ren.
"Of course," said Chaos Sorcerer. "But I'm not worried."
A dark shadow enveloped his left arm, and a black-orange Duel Disk with spines on its tray appeared on it.
A deck appeared in the holder in another dark shadow. He looked at it.
Interesting… he thought, who'd have thought that it would have taken this form…
"Game on, as you humans say…" he said.
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At this moment, Daala was getting a massage by two of her ever-present attendants.
"Ah…" she said. "Yes… A little more to the left…"
At that moment, Skull Knight walked in.
"This better be important, pal," she said.
"Uhm, I think it is," he said. "Ren was attacked and challenged to a duel that I don't think you approved."
Daala gave a funny look.
"On screen," she said.
A screen in front of her flashed on, and the scene with Chaos Sorcerer and Ren on the statue appeared. Daala frowned. She sat up and covered herself with a towel.
"Everyone…" she said. "Leave, now!"
The attendants looked scared. They quickly left. Skull Knight reluctantly did too.
Daala sighed as she watched.
"What, did you get bored?" she asked, as she started to get dressed. "Strange that you would come out of hiding just to play with them at this point…
"Ah, well, I might as well watch this… Something good may yet come out of it…"
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"So…" said Chelsea. "What sort of deck do you suppose a Chaos Sorcerer plays?"
Everyone looked at her.
"I mean besides a Chaos Deck…" she muttered.
"At least he can't use his own card," said Erik. "It's illegal, last I checked."
"Assuming Xanadu follows those rules," muttered Sam, nervously.
"They do, as far as I know," said Mako. "Chaos Sorcerer was one of the members of the Supreme King's inner circle back when Jaden Yuki was having… issues. His deck focused on Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth.
"I don't even know if this is the same guy, and even if it is…"
"Looks like we'll find out in a minute…" said Yumi.
(Ren: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Chaos Sorcerer: 8,000)
"The first move is yours, Ren," said Chaos Sorcerer, with an evil smile.
Ren drew one card and looked at his opening hand. To his horror, the only Monsters he had were Crescent Moon Queen and Penumbral Soldier Lady. He couldn't summon either of them.
Terrific… he thought. I'm fighting with everyone's life on the line, and I get the worst opening hand.
He took two cards from his hand.
"I set two cards facedown, and end my turn," he said.
Two facedown cards appeared in mid-air in front of him.
Chaos Sorcerer laughed as he made his first draw.
"Problems, Ren?" he asked. "Have a bad opening hand?
"Well, to tell you the truth, mine isn't so great either, so I'm going to fix that…
"I play Card Destruction."
He played the card, and Ren raised an eyebrow.
They both discarded their hands. Ren drew four cards, and his opponent drew five.
Ren looked at his new hand. It was an improvement, that was for sure…
"Moving right along," said Chaos Sorcerer, taking a card from his hand, "I play Reinforcement of the Army. Now I get to search for any Warrior, up to Level Four."
Huh? thought Ren, as a card slipped out of his opponent's deck. Some sort of Warrior Deck? Nuts… I'm wide open for an attack from whatever he's searching for…
"Now I'll summon the Monster I just searched for," said the Sorcerer, playing a card. "I summon Scab Scar-Knight."
In a burst of dark energy, a ten-foot-tall creature appeared in mid-air in front of Chaos Sorcerer. It certainly didn't suggest a Warrior. It more resembled a lanky demon with a reptilian face, covered with rocky armor. A dark, shadowy aura surrounded it. (0/0)
Ren was startled by the creature's appearance, until he saw the stats.
"Zero Attack Points?" he said.
"Appearances can deceive," said Chaos Sorcerer. "It's your move…"
"Watch out, Ren!" shouted Chelsea. "Zero Attack Monsters usually have powerful effects!"
Chaos Sorcerer gestured, and a bolt of energy shot at Chelsea, scorching the floor at her feet. She screamed and fell over.
"No help from the peanut gallery!" he shouted.
Ren slowly drew a card.
I just know I'm gonna regret this… he thought, as he chose one.
"I summon Getsu Fuhma!" he shouted.
He played the card, and the lovely, redheaded ronin appeared, brandishing her katana. (1,700/1,200)
"Attack his Scab Scar-Knight!" shouted Ren. "Whirlwind blade!"
Getsu Fuhma flew at the rocky Warrior and slashed at it with her katana.
"ERGH!" grunted Chaos Sorcerer, as he cringed from the impact, and his Life Points went down.
But then he grinned.
Both Ren and Getsu Fuhma gave a puzzled look to see that Scab Scar-Knight was still standing. Then, pieces of its rocky hide flaked off, and attached to Getsu Fuhma's skin and armor like ugly scabs.
Getsu Fuhma screamed as she was surrounded by the same shadowy aura, and then pulled over to Chaos Sorcerer's side. She looked at Ren, and then her eyes glowed red.
"What have you done?" shouted Ren.
"Allow me to explain Scab Scar-Knight's powers," said Chaos Sorcerer. "First of all, it can't be destroyed in battle, so long as it's in Attack Mode.
"During your turn, all of your Monsters in Attack Mode must battle, and can't attack any Monster except my Knight.
"But any Monster who attacks it will fall victim to the Scab Curse, and become my slave."
"That's a dirty trick!" shouted Chelsea, from the boat.
"Since I'm so generous," said the Sorcerer, "I'll tell you about its other ability. So long as it's on the field, neither of us can increase our Life Points. What you have is all you get."
Ren glanced at his facedown cards.
Then he looked at his hand, which ironically, now contained only Monsters.
"I have to end my turn…" he muttered.
"No…" said Chelsea. "He's defenseless…"
(R: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (CS: 6,300)
Chaos Sorcerer drew a card.
"First, I set one card facedown," he said, as a facedown card appeared.
"Then I summon Demandman."
In another shadowy aura, another demonic Warrior appeared. This one was dressed in armor, with two hook-like protrusions on its shoulders, and a head that suggested a fiendish dinosaur. (800/0)
"Demandman, attack Ren directly!"
Demandman leapt at Ren, and then punched him in the stomach. Ren winced, and held his gut.
"Getsu Fuhma," ordered Chaos Sorcerer, "attack your former master! Whirlwind blade!"
Getsu Fuhma's eyes glowed again. She leapt at Ren, and then slashed at him with her sword. Ren fell to his knees.
(R: 5,500) - - - - - - - - - - (CS: 6,300)
"Here's a riddle," said Chaos Sorcerer. "What does Ocean Dragon Lord – Neo-Daedalus eat?"
"What?" growled Ren.
"Well, fish… and ships," said Chaos Sorcerer. "He's also attracted to creatures struggling in the water, so you'd best hope he isn't around when I finish you off.
"I end my turn."
Ren drew a card. He looked at it.
"I activate my Trap," said Chaos Sorcerer, as his facedown card lifted. "Light of Intervention. Now, neither of us can set Monsters."
"I can still summon one in Defense Mode, pal!" shouted Ren. "And I'm summoning The Immortal Bushi in Defense Mode."
In a burst of energy, the dark, battle-worn soldier appeared in front of him. He sheathed his katana and wakisashi, and knelt in Defense Mode. (1,200/600)
"Clever," said Chaos Sorcerer. "If I were to strike down your Bushi, you'd be able to summon him back to the field next turn.
"However, I don't intend to destroy him…"
The two hooks on Demandman's shoulders shot towards The Immortal Bushi with chains attached to them, forming grapples. Then they yanked him to his feet, moving him to Attack Mode.
"HUH?" shouted Ren.
"Now your Bushi has no choice but to attack my Scab Scar-Knight," said the Sorcerer.
Ren watched in horror as Immortal Bushi slashed at Scab Scar-Knight with his blade. Chaos Sorcerer cringed again.
Then the ugly scabs attached to the Bushi's armor and skin, and he was yanked over to Chaos Sorcerer's side. His eyes glowed with the same evil light.
Ren grit his teeth in anger. He looked at the card he had just drawn.
"I'll throw a new card facedown, and that will be all…" he said.
Another facedown card appeared.
(R: 5,500) - - - - - - - - - - (CS: 5,100)
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Daala chuckled.
"Ah, yes, yes, now I recognize this deck," she said. "These were the cards used by Jaden's hum-drum history teacher… Professor Stein, right?
"Well, Anarchic Disks are tricky devices… One of the reasons I chose not to use one… It seems that this time, it gave you a deck of Monsters that are the same Type and Attribute as Ren's, but with a heavy influence of Chaos. Ren uses dark knights, but now yours are darker still…
"But can you win with them? It seems only time will tell…"
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"Soon, you all will perish under the hands of Theitis," chuckled Chaos Sorcerer.
"Buddy," shouted Sam, "you have one rotten attitude…"
"Oh, is that so?" said the Spellcaster, drawing a card.
He looked at it and added it to his hand.
"Think how I must feel, Sam. Do you have any idea what it's like to be a Duel Spirit who isn't allowed to use his own card?
"I used to be the most popular card in circulation. Everyone was making Chaos Decks, and putting three copies of my card in them. Such beautiful Chaos… It was everywhere in Duel Monsters… It was the tune, and people were learning how to dance to it…
"And then one day, the brass decided that it was too powerful, and was ruining the spirit of the game. 'Cookie cutter decks' they called them. Same thing happened to so many popular cards before me, I should have seen it coming… My card was outlawed. Overnight, I went from the key card of every competitive deck, to a card that eight-year-olds clipped to their bike spokes!
"Or players who played Traditional Format, who no-one takes seriously, who can't even use a Disk. The humiliation…
"Some folks say that Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning took it even harder. His card was rare enough, and when it was outlawed, he went on a killing spree before he left for some unknown location. Some folks say he went off to kill himself… But most others think that he'd never let himself die so long as his hated rival lived…"
"Rival?" said Erik.
"The Chaos Emperor Dragon, genius!" shouted Chaos Sorcerer. "The two of them hate each other! It's a rivalry more fierce and violent than any known by Duel Spirits. When the two of them are believed to be within a hundred miles of each other, Spirits run for cover!
"But anyway, the fact is, I went from top of the heap to down in the dumps because a rule was changed that I had no say in changing. They never care what the Duel Spirits have to say about it. You'll never find a happy Catapult Turtle these days. They're all depressed because their old partners can't fight with them any more…"
"Huh?" said Chelsea.
"Magical Scientist…" muttered Sam.
"That's why I ate the Devil's Fruit in the first place," said Chaos Sorcerer, "to gain back the power I had lost. Once I had it, I didn't need the admiration of humans to be powerful."
"Talk about holding a grudge…" muttered Erik.
"Let me show you what power is!" shouted Chaos Sorcerer.
"Getsu Fuhma, attack Ren directly!"
Getsu Fuhma flew towards Ren…
"I activate a Trap!" shouted Ren, as one of his facedown cards lifted. "Attack Guidance Armor! Now I can change the target of your attack!"
The fiendish suit of armor appeared, and flew towards Demandman, clamping down over it. Getsu Fuhma paused, as if confused, and then slashed with her sword, blowing Demandman to pieces. Chaos Sorcerer cringed.
"You'll pay for that…" he muttered. "I still have another Monster. Immortal Bushi, attack with ancestral blade!"
The Bushi flew at Ren, and slashed at him with his katana. Ren clutched his chest.
"I'm not done," said Chaos Sorcerer, holding up a Spell Card. "I play Scab Blast. Now, for each Monster of yours that I've stolen, you lose 200 Life Points.
"Two-hundred times two… It's an easy problem."
The Immortal Bushi and Getsu Fuhma flew into the air, and twin bursts of darkness shot at Ren. He fell on one knee.
(R: 3,900) - - - - - - - - - - (CS: 4,200)
"My move…" groaned Ren.
Without getting up – he was still in pain – he drew a card.
"I play… Graceful Charity."
As he played the card, the angel appeared in front of him.
She took hold of him by the shoulders, and gently lifted him up. He felt the pain start to subside.
"Thanks…" he muttered.
He quickly drew three cards.
He looked over his hand, and discarded Dark Blade and Black Lotus. The angel vanished.
"I play Monster Reborn to revive Dark Blade in Defense Mode," he said.
Dark Blade appeared in a flash of light, kneeling and crossing his arms. (1,800/1,500)
"Next, I summon Dark Squire."
Dark Squire appeared on the field. She knelt too, and shielded herself. (300/300)
"I end my turn."
"Nothing you can do but defend," said Chaos Sorcerer. "Well, I can't stop you since I lost Demandman for now… But can you win without attacking me?"
He's right, thought Ren. Any Monster that I attack with will fall under his control… But I can't win without attacking… My deck wasn't designed for that…
"I draw…" said Chaos Sorcerer.
He went to draw, and his hand hovered over his deck.
"Check that," he said. "I think I won't draw."
"What?" said Ren. "You can't skip your Draw Phase!"
"On the contrary," said Chaos Sorcerer, "remember my Scab Blast card? If it's in my Graveyard, I can add it to my hand instead of conducting my Draw Phase.
"Yes, I think I'll do just that…"
The card slipped out of his discard slot.
"Now I'll use it… You remember how it works, right?"
He threw the card into his Disk, and again, two bursts of darkness shot at Ren.
"Now that I've done that, Getsu Fuhma, destroy Dark Blade."
Getsu Fuhma slashed with her sword, and Dark Blade shattered.
"Bushi, kill his Squire."
The Bushi made a downward thrust, and Dark Squire shattered.
"Yeah?" said Ren, "well, when Dark Squire is destroyed, both players get to draw two cards."
Chaos Sorcerer smirked. They both drew twice.
"Seems skipping my Draw Phase didn't cost me at all," said the Spellcaster.
Ren's eyes lit up when he saw what one of the cards was.
"The move is yours," said Chaos Sorcerer. "Just try to beat me now."
(R: 3,500) - - - - - - - - - - (CS: 4,200)
"If this keeps up, his Life Points will be chipped away 400 at a time," said Erik.
"If he's lucky," said Sam. "Chaos Sorcerer might have another trick up his sleeve."
Ren drew a card. He looked at it and then added it to his hand.
He looked at one of the cards he had drawn last turn.
Hope this works, he thought.
"I remove Dark Squire from play to summon La Sombra!" he shouted.
In a burst of dark energy, the sexy, female bandito appeared, holding her whip. (1,800/1,000)
"Now you have to draw a card, and what happens next depends on the type of card you draw."
Chaos Sorcerer frowned.
"Come on…" said Chelsea, nervously. "Don't draw a Monster…"
Chaos Sorcerer drew a card. He showed it to Ren.
"Scab Scream?" said Ren. "Never heard of it… But since it's clearly a Trap Card, La Sombra gets to attack you directly!"
La Sombra hollered a war cry, and leapt over the gap, slashing at Chaos Sorcerer with her whip. The Spellcaster grunted.
"That's all for my turn," said Ren.
(R: 3,500) - - - - - - - - - - (CS: 2,400)
"My move," said Chaos Sorcerer. "Once again, I'll recover Scab Blast instead of drawing…"
He took the card, and then played it again. Once again, two burst of energy hit Ren.
"Next…" he said, taking a card from his hand, "my Axe of Despair. I'll Equip it to The Immortal Bushi."
He played the card, and The Immortal Bushi's swords vanished. An ugly hatchet appeared in his hand. (2,200/600)
"Bushi, attack that whore!"
"Say WHAT?" shouted Ren, now furious.
The Bushi made a savage chop with the axe. La Sombra screamed and shattered.
"I'll teach you to call my Monster a whore…" growled Ren.
"I'm so scared," said Chaos Sorcerer sarcastically. "Especially since I can attack you with your other whore."
Ren screamed as Getsu Fuhma slashed at him with her sword.
He fell to his knees once again.
(R: 1,000) - - - - - - - - - - (CS: 2,400)
Chaos Sorcerer placed two cards in his Disk, and two facedown cards appeared.
"Make your move," he said, "if you can…"
One more round of direct attacks, and I'm finished, thought Ren, holding his chest.
Is this the end? Are we all gonna die in this forsaken ocean?
He got up, and drew a card.
Maybe… maybe I can last one more round at least…
"I throw a card facedown, and then summon Double Pinaska in Defense Mode."
A third facedown card appeared, and then the mustachioed Spaniard appeared, kneeling and holding his rapiers under his arms. (1,500/1,500)
"Do your worst," said Ren.
"I will," said Chaos Sorcerer, as he took the Scab Blast card from his Graveyard again.
He played it, and two bursts of darkness struck Ren again. He cringed.
"Getsu Fuhma, destroy Double Pinaska."
Getsu Fuhma flew at the Spaniard.
"I activate Double Pinaska's effect!" shouted Ren. "I can negate the attack!"
Double Pinaska gave Getsu Fuhma a push, and she fell backwards.
"But you can't do it twice," said Chaos Sorcerer. "Bushi, attack."
The Bushi rushed at Double Pinaska, holding aloft the Axe of Despair.
"Go, Dust Tornado!" shouted Ren, as his most recent facedown card lifted.
The tornado tore across the field, and the Axe of Despair flew from the Bushi's hand, exploding against the huge statue. The Bushi still tried to strike Double Pinaska, but the Spaniard knocked him backwards with a backhand slap.
Chaos Sorcerer placed a card in his Disk, and a third facedown card appeared.
"You've bought yourself a turn, nothing more," he said.
(R: 600) - - - - - - - - - - (CS: 2,100)
"Okay, here goes…" said Ren.
He drew a card.
It was Pot of Greed.
He played it, and the green, laughing jar appeared in mid-air. He closed his eyes, and drew two cards.
He slowly looked at them. Sakuretsu Armor, and…
Yes! he thought.
"I move Double Pinaska to Attack Mode," he said.
Double Pinaska stood up.
"Huh?" said Chaos Sorcerer.
"Now… Since I'm outnumbered three Monsters to one, I can Special Summon THIS guy!"
He played the card, and The Fiend Megacyber appeared in a burst of energy. He frowned at Chaos Sorcerer. (2,200/1,200)
"Now I play... Rush Recklessly!"
He played the card, and Double Pinaska's Attack Score rose to 2,200.
"It's over, pal!" shouted Ren. "Double Pinaska, attack Scab Scar-Knight!"
Double Pinaska lifted his rapiers, and flew at the rocky Warrior.
"Activate Trap!" shouted Chaos Sorcerer, as one of his facedown cards lifted. "Victim Barrier! Now I can change Double Pinaska's target to another Monster."
Double Pinaska paused, and then flew at The Immortal Bushi. He slashed with his blade, and the Bushi groaned before he shattered.
"There's more," said Chaos Sorcerer. "Victim Barrier has another effect. It makes the Scab Curse contagious."
The ugly scabs latched onto Double Pinaska, and he grunted in disgust.
"Doesn't matter!" shouted Ren. "I have another Monster. Fiend Megacyber, you attack!"
The Fiend Megacyber bore his blades, and flew at Scab Scar-Knight…
"And I have another Trap!" shouted Chaos Sorcerer, as another facedown card lifted. "Activate Scab Scream! Since your Monster has at least 2,000 points, both of our Monsters are destroyed, and the damage to me is reduced to zero."
Scab Scar-Knight burst into an explosion of rock, and the shrapnel stabbed into Fiend Megacyber. He shattered into pixels.
"Damn!" shouted Sam. "He almost had him…
"Huh?"
Where Scab Scar-Knight had been was a new Monster. It was a more human-like Warrior, with brown armor and a helmet, a blade on his right arm, and holding a shield in his left hand. (0/0)
"Huh?" said Ren. "Who's that guy?"
"This is Scab Scar-Knight's true form," said Chaos Sorcerer. "Crying Scar-Knight."
"I don't get it…" said Ren.
"Let me explain," said Chaos Sorcerer. "Crying Scar-Knight was once a powerful Warrior. He won countless battles, and achieved fame and glory. Unfortunately, people took him for granted, and his powers were abused. Eventually, due to losing the respect that he once had, he became cold. His emotions faded, his soul became dark, and he lost his humanity. He transformed into a hardened, bitter shell of his former self – the monstrous creature that was there just a minute ago.
"Remind you of anyone? Like say, a certain Level Six Spellcaster that you have to Special Summon by removing from play two Monsters of two specific Attributes?"
"You know…" said Ren, "I might have a little more sympathy towards you if you weren't intending to kill us!"
Chaos Sorcerer chuckled.
"Okay, enough melodrama," he said. "I was always a broken Monster, Ren. I never denied it. I rather liked the fact that I was ruining the game. After all, I'm a Chaos Sorcerer, and what I was doing was spreading Chaos in the most popular card game in the world.
"You can't say that your families are truly innocent of doing so…"
He pointed to the ship.
"Yumi, didn't your grandfather own a copy of Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning? He was even more broken than I was."
"Now see here!" shouted Yumi.
"Sam…" he said. "Your great uncle owned a copy of Chaos Emperor Dragon, if I remember correctly… Players say that it was the most broken card ever released."
"That was a long time ago, you big jerk!" shouted Sam.
"And you know something?" said Chaos Sorcerer. "Being put on the Forbidden List just gave me more time to think and make plans… Plans for spreading Chaos on a much grander scale…"
Ren took the last two cards in his hand.
"Your regular Knight is gone," he said, "so your curse can't affect Double Pinaska. I'll place these facedown, and end my turn."
Two new facedown cards appeared, giving him a total of four.
I can still win this, he thought. I have Call of the Haunted and Sakuretsu Armor facedown. I can destroy anyone who tries to attack Double Pinaska, and then I can Special Summon Crescent Moon Queen and take him down.
(R: 600) - - - - - - - - - - (CS: 1,100)
Chaos Sorcerer chuckled, and drew a card.
"You aren't going to use Scab Blast?" asked Ren.
"Don't need it," said Chaos Sorcerer, taking a card from his hand. "I really don't need to use this, but what the heck… It's fun!
"I play Necromancy!"
"I know that card!" shouted Yumi. "Grandpa used it!"
Four shadowy shapes appeared in front of Ren, and Dark Blade (1,800/1,500), Penumbral Soldier Lady (2,100/1,400), The Immortal Bushi (1,200/600), and The Fiend Megacyber (2,200/1,200) appeared, crouching in Defense Mode.
"What are you doing?" shouted Ren.
"Using Crying Scar-Knight's effect," said Chaos Sorcerer. "I move straight to my End Phase, and by sacrificing him, he can destroy all Monsters on the field, and inflict 500 points of damage to each player for each one."
"You're crazy!" shouted Ren. "We'll both end up with zero Life Points!"
"I won't!" laughed Chaos Sorcerer.
His last Trap Card lifted, and he discarded a card in his hand.
"Hallowed Life Barrier. Now, my Life Points are safe."
Crying Scar-Knight started to vanish, and the six Monsters on the field started to glow with a dark aura.
Ren started to panic… Then he remembered something…
Change of plans… he thought.
Chelsea screamed as Getsu Fuhma, Double Pinaska, Dark Blade, Penumbral Soldier Lady, The Immortal Bushi, and The Fiend Megacyber all exploded.
"And that is that…" laughed Chaos Sorcerer.
He looked through the smoke where his foe should have fallen into the sea…
…and was shocked to see that Ren was still there.
(R: 600) - - - - - - - - - - (CS: 1,100)
"HOW?" shouted Chaos Sorcerer.
"All because of your 'generosity'," said Ren. "Even though I knew you were actually gloating.
"Remember the two facedown cards I set on my first turn? One of them was Emergency Provisions. But since you were 'generous' enough to tell me that it wouldn't work, I never used it.
"But with Scab Scar-Knight gone, I was hoping that Crying Scar-Knight didn't have the same effect. Seems I was right. I could use it, so I sent my other three facedown cards to the Graveyard to gain 3,000 Life Points right before I lost them. So the end result is, I still have 600 Life Points.
"Since that was your End Phase, I believe it's my move…"
Chaos Sorcerer frowned at him. He looked at the last card in his hand.
It was Monster Reborn. But since he had indeed moved to his End Phase, it was worthless.
"Make… your… move…" he growled.
Ren drew one card.
"I play The Warrior Returning Alive," he said, throwing it into his Disk.
A card slipped out of his discard slot.
"Now I summon… Dark Blade!"
Dark Blade appeared in a burst of dark energy. (1,800/1,500)
"Attack him directly!" shouted Ren.
Dark Blade flew at Chaos Sorcerer, and slashed at the wicked Spellcaster with his sword. Chaos Sorcerer screamed. He fell on his seat.
(R: 600) - - - - - - - - - - (CS: 0)
Then the hand he was on crumbled, and he fell into the sea with a splash.
The next minute, Ren was back on the ship. Chelsea grabbed him and started hugging and kissing him.
"Ren…" she said. "You're… you're tender…"
"It was all the direct attacks," he muttered. "But I'll live…"
He got up and watched as the statue of Theitis sank below the waves.
"Okay," muttered Ren. "If this were the typical part of a story where the villain does himself in, now would be the time where I said I felt sorry for him. But you know… I really don't feel sorry for him at all. "
"Don't feel bad that you don't," said Chelsea. "He probably wouldn't have lost any sleep if he had killed us."
"If he ate the Fruit himself, he must have drowned," said Erik. "At least one of Daala's most powerful minions is gone for good.
"We can just thank God he didn't have the sense to put Spirit Barrier in that deck…"
"For all we know, he did," said Sam. "Maybe he just never drew it."
"By the way, people," said Mako, "I can say with no doubt that he was lying when he said Ocean Dragon Lord – Neo Daedalus haunts these waters. He's a unique Spirit, and he rules an undersea empire in another dimension. You won't find him here."
Yumi sighed.
"At least we learned something about that Fruit," she said.
"And what DID we learn?" asked Sam. "Aside from a silly legend that may not even be true?"
Yumi sighed again.
They had defeated a powerful foe… A worshipper of Chaos. Had Chaos Sorcerer been loyal to Daala, or had he ultimately been working for Shogarr? It seemed that they might never know…
"Let's go, people," said Mako, taking the wheel of the ship. "We should be at the Realm Lord's island soon."
As the ship left, they didn't see that Chaos Sorcerer was watching them leave.
He hadn't drowned. In fact, right now, he was treading water like a pro.
He chuckled.
He hadn't just eaten the fruit from those trees… He had planted the trees.
Helpless in water… he thought. What utter nonsense…
In time, in time… You'll learn the ultimate effect of Devil's Fruit, my friends… In time…
He started to swim towards his ship.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Half an hour later, The Sea Angel was in trouble. The weather had turned into a true storm, with the sky as dark as night, and the wind turning to gale strength. The ghostly sobbing had started again, even louder than before.
"What's happening Mako?" shouted Yumi.
"This means we're getting close to our destination!" shouted Mako. "This storm is the Realm Lord's primary defense."
He activated his Disk.
"I have someone who can guide us through this gale… And he's easy to summon. Not many people know this, but the Sea of Infinite Tears has the same properties as A Legendary Ocean."
He played a card, and a large shark leapt out of the sea. Then everyone saw that a muscular, tattooed man holding a harpoon was riding it – The Legendary Fisherman. (1,850/1,600)
The sea Warrior forged ahead, cutting across the waves, and the ship followed.
"Yumi's grandfather was right…" muttered Ren, looking at the Monster. "He does kinda look like Mako…"
"I thought you gave that card to him," said Sam.
"Don't confuse me with the real Mako," said Mako. "When Joan designed my deck, she made it to be like the real Mako's deck at its strongest.
"And she updated it too… Added some improvements that the real Mako likely would have had if he ever thought of them…"
The wind started to get worse.
"This wind is crazy!" shouted Chelsea.
"Look on the bright side," said Erik. "At least it isn't raining…"
Then thunder clapped, and rain started to pour from above.
"ERIK!" shouted Sam. "Quit giving him ideas!"
Mako threw open a chest, and pulled out some raincoats.
"Don't worry, people!" he shouted, tossing them to the group. "A good sailor is always prepared."
"What about him?" said Ren, as he put his on.
He motioned to the Duel Monster below.
"Ren, he's a Water Monster," muttered Chelsea. "You think rain will hurt him?"
Indeed, The Legendary Fisherman didn't seem to mind the storm in the least. He cut through the angry waves on his mount easily, and the ship followed.
Ren was the first one to see the next threat.
"Everyone, look out!" he shouted Ren. "Orca off the port bow!"
"That's starboard, Ren," said Mako. "Port is left, starboard is right…"
"Whatever…" shouted Ren, "look!"
There was indeed a Monster coming towards them, a very big one. It was a giant killer whale, with guns, turrets, and a large crane on its back. (2,100/1,200) –) (2,300/1,400)
"The Orca Mega-Fortress of Darkness!" shouted Chelsea.
"Don't worry," said Mako. "A Legendary Ocean, remember? It can't attack the Fisherman."
"It can still attack us!" shouted Sam.
"Oh, that's right…" said Mako, drawing a card.
"I summon Ocean's Keeper!"
He played a card, and a small, fish-like creature holding a trident appeared in front of the ship. (1,500/1,200) –) (1,700/1,400)
"Not gonna do it," said Chelsea.
The Orca opened its mouth, and a huge cannon emerged from it…
"That's exactly why I'm gonna sacrifice it," said Mako. "To Special Summon Thousand-Eyes Jellyfish in Defense Mode!"
Ocean's Keeper vanished, and a new Fish appeared. It looked like a large sphere, made entirely out of dozens of eyes, with fins sticking out of it. (300/2,100) –) (500/2,300)
The Orca Mega-Fortress of Darkness blasted its cannon, and it slammed into the Jellyfish, but the Jellyfish held, shielding the ship from the blast.
"That won't hold for long!" shouted Erik.
Mako looked at his cards.
"Someone summon a Monster!" he shouted.
"Any particular one?" asked Chelsea.
"Make sure it's at least Level Three," said Mako.
"Okay!" said Chelsea. "Go, Blood Sucker!"
She played the card, and Blood Sucker flew out beside Thousand-Eyes Jellyfish. (1,300/1,500)
Mako held up a card.
"I play Fortress Whale's Oath!" he shouted. "And I use these two Monsters as bait… Uhm, sorry, I mean sacrifices…"
Thousand-Eyes Jellyfish and Blood Sucker vanished…
"…to call forth Fortress Whale!"
In an explosion of water and foam, a colossal creature burst out of the waves. Sheena's confusion as to whether this Monster was a blue whale or a sperm whale was well-founded; it seemed to combine features from both species. Plus, it had a huge frontal horn on its snout, a trait unique to narwhal. It also had a series of turrets and cannons on its back, which was a trait not possessed by any real whale. (2,350/2,150) –) (2,550/2,350)
"Attack!" shouted Mako. "Cape Horn Cannons!"
Fortress Whale let out a high-pitched roar, and it aimed its cannons at its lesser counterpart. The artillery blasted, and Orca Mega-Fortress of Darkness was blown to pieces. Yumi and her friends cheered.
The wind and rain started to die down.
"Well, good news, bad news time people," said Mako.
"What?" asked Ren.
"The good news is," said Mako, "with both The Legendary Fisherman and Fortress Whale guarding us, we're safe from anything except a Terrorking Salmon.
"The bad news is, I don't see how anyone on the island couldn't have heard that."
Meaning we've lost the element of surprise," said Chelsea. "Just great…"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Nonetheless, fifteen minutes later, with the two Monsters leading them, The Sea Angel approached the largest island yet. It was covered with ice, and dominated by a very large castle that also seemed to be made out of stone, ice, and crystal.
Four times I've taken a passenger to this island, thought Mako. I have yet to take one of them back. Will this time be different?
We'll soon see…
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
SCAB SCAR-KNIGHT (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 4
ATK: 0
DEF: 0
Card Description: You cannot have more than one "Scab Scar-Knight" face-up on your side of the field at one time. An opponent's Attack Position Monsters must battle during your opponent's turn and cannot attack any Monster other than this one. This card cannot be destroyed as a result of battle when it is in Attack Position. (Damage calculation still applies.) Place one "Scab Counter" on a Monster that attacks this card while this card is in Attack Position. At the end of the Battle Phase, take control of any Monsters that have "Scab Counters". In addition, as long as this card remains face-up on the field, effects that increase Life Points are negated.
0
0
0
DEMANDMAN (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 3
ATK: 800
DEF: 0
Card Description: Once per turn, during your opponent's Main Phase, you can switch one opposing face-up Defense Position Monster to Attack Position.
0
0
0
CRYING SCAR-KNIGHT (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 1
ATK: 0
DEF: 0
Card Description: This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card can only be Special Summoned via the effect of "Scab Scream". By offering this card as a Tribute during your End Phase, destroy all Monsters on the field, and inflict 500 points of direct damage to the Life Points of both players for each Monster destroyed.
0
0
0
VICTIM BARRIER (Trap Card)
Counter Trap
Image: A demon in a burst of dark energy.
Card Description: You may activate this card when your opponent declares an attack against one of your Monsters. You may change the target of the attack to another Monster on your side of the field and resume the battle as normal. If the new target has a "Scab Counter" on it, place a "Scab Counter" on the attacking Monster.
0
0
0
SCAB SCREAM (Trap Card)
Normal Trap
Image: Scab Scar-Knight bursting out of the ground.
Card Description: You may activate this card when a "Scab Scar-Knight" on your side of the field is the target of an attack by a Monster with 2,000 ATK or more. Destroy the attacking Monster and reduce battle damage to zero. Then, offer that "Scab Scar-Knight" as a Tribute to Special Summon one "Crying Scar-Knight" from your hand or deck.
0
0
0
SCAB BLAST (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: Scab Scar-Knight seen from the front, flying forward.
Card Description: Inflict 200 points of direct damage to your opponent's Life Points for each "Scab Counter" on the field. If this card is in your Graveyard, you may skip your Draw Phase to instead add this card to your hand from your Graveyard.
Note: The proceeding six cards were first used by Prof. Stein in the multi-part "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Win Mr. Stein's Duel". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0
0
0
NECROMANCY (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: A cemetery crawling with zombies, while a shadowy figure wearing a cloak casts a spell in the background.
Card Description: Select up to four Monsters at random from your opponent's Graveyard and Special Summon them to your opponent's side of the field in face-up Defense Position. If a Monster Special Summoned in this manner is destroyed, decrease the ATK of a Monster on your opponent's side of the field by 600.
Note: "Necromancy" was first used by Yugi in the original anime episode "Clash in the Coliseum (Part Three)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0
0
0
I realize that Ren's been working overtime. Well, as of right now, he's taking a long break.
Coming up next:
The confrontation with the Lord of The Sea of Infinite Tears will have to wait. Next chapter, Nicholas and Olga continue their quest, and delve deep into the Domino City underworld.
The Samurai lived by a strict code. They based their whole lives by a code of honor, and would die to protect it. But another faction existed in feudal Japan, one that was not founded on honor. On the contrary, it was honorless. In the next chapter, Nicholas pits his Six Samurai against these Warriors, in a chapter called "Rivalry", coming soon.
0
0
0
Name that Card!
This Fusion Monster cannot be Fusion Summoned using any Fusion Substitute Monsters. But it can be summoned using tokens as the Fusion Material Monsters – of a certain type. Can you name it?