What Level Four Zombie has the effect that "Vampire Lord" has which "Vampire Lady" doesn't? If you said "Gernia", you were successfully able to Name that Card!
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I'll admit… When that woman Cho forced Nicholas into that life-or-death duel just a few hours ago, I was petrified with fear. Nicholas may not be my real brother, but he's the closest thing I have to one. And in the two years since I've known him, he's done what a good brother should do: Protect his sister every way he can.
Now, I'm the one who's dueling for my life, and Nicholas can't do a thing about it. But somehow, I'm not as afraid. Am I more concerned for him than I am for myself? Am I more confident in my own ability to duel than I am in his?
Maybe a little of both, I guess. But I do know that I face a formidable foe. And something isn't right about this whole setup.
You know, I used to think that the most evil Monsters in the game were Fiends. It seems I was just proven wrong.
It's no Shadow Game, but it's just as deadly. It's time to duel.
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CHAPTER NINETEEN
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Devil in the Dark
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It was eight o'clock.
The part of town where the Domino Sun building was located wasn't the best part of town. If you were to compare Domino to Gotham City, this part of town would be Crime Alley, the place where Bruce Wayne's parents were killed, where he made a pilgrimage to every year.
It was a slum that was full of condemned buildings and other firetraps, most of which held the criminal element. The only legitimate businesses in this part of town were a few grocery and liquor stores, all of which had security guards standing out front (most likely armed, which was illegal). Locals called this part of town by the name, roughly translated, "Rickety Town".
Not that Nicholas and Olga were afraid. They had been through slums like this many times while working for the mob.
Olga looked at the old Domino Sun building using a small set of binoculars.
"Sad," said Nicholas. "You know the reason why places like this get shut down, right? No one reads newspapers any more. Not with the news available twenty-four hours on the idiot box."
"Well, this is clearly the place," said Olga. "There are armed guards at every vantage point.
"So just how are we going to get in, pray tell?"
"Easy," said Nicholas. "We're going to use the same plan that Jolly Jack used to infiltrate the corsair's base in The Emerald of Orcus Island."
Olga paused, remembering that old pirate movie.
"You mean we're going to get ourselves captured on purpose?" she shouted.
"Bingo," said Nicholas. "It's the only way I can think of to confront the boss."
"What makes you think they won't simply shoot us and junk our bodies?" shouted Olga.
"Oh, I have a feeling that Katsu will want to see us," said Nicholas. "See, I looked up some stuff that our old legal guardian was into in this part of the world… Quite interesting, I must say…
"Just follow my lead."
He walked up to the front door. Olga reluctantly followed.
Nicholas opened the front door. As he expected, a group of men wearing three-piece suits and sunglasses with weapons were right inside the door.
"Hi there," he said. "Who do we talk to about getting a subscription?"
The guards frowned, and pointed their guns at them.
Nicholas smirked, and lifted his hands above his head.
"You'd best know what you're doing, Nicholas…" said Olga, through her teeth.
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On the lower level, as Nicholas has assumed, a group of high-tech printing presses were running, printing out illicit 10,000 yen notes. A man in an expensive-looking suit walked into the room, towards another man.
"Still working on the project, Hiro?" he asked.
"Not really, boss," said the other man. "I got writer's block."
"You can't get writer's block, Hiro," said the man with a frown. "You aren't a writer."
"That doesn't prove anything," said Hiro. "I have athlete's foot, and I'm not an athlete either."
"Katsu-sama," said a guard above the catwalk, "we found some folks who you wanted to see…"
Nicholas and Olga were led down the catwalk at gunpoint. The man who was just addressed raised an eyebrow.
"Well, well," he said. "Joshua St. John and Madelyn Clair… Or would you prefer if I addressed you by your real names?"
"And you're Katsu Hideo," said Olga. "You look a little young to be a mafia don. By the way, I could tell you where to get some much better aftershave."
Katsu frowned.
"I got started early," he said. "And as for you two, I heard you were the ones responsible for disrupting my operations at the Mermaid Cups.
"Although I never liked that bathhouse anyway… Drafty…"
Figures, thought Olga. He doesn't care one bit what happened to Cho. She was as expendable to him as a paper napkin.
He walked up to them.
"Anyway," he said, "my real argument with you two is a little exchange I had with your father…"
"Since my father is a drunken bum who's doing time in an English prison for killing someone while driving under the influence in a stolen car," said Nicholas, "I assume you mean Rasputin. He's not someone I ever considered to be my father."
"Call him whatever you desire," said Katsu. "I call him a double-crosser. He cheated me out of a rare jade dragon statuette from the Shang Dynasty. He was supposed to send a messenger to deliver it to my representative in Hiroshima. The 'messenger' was no more than a deliveryman from a public parcel service, and all he had was a replica made of glass.
"That statuette was worth millions…"
"Oh, I remember that," said Olga. "If you want it back, you're too late. It was sold to a buyer from France.
"Come to think of it, given his accent…
"Yes, if I were you, I'd try Sweden. Maybe Norway."
Katsu frowned at them again.
"Rasputin is dead," he said, "so his debts fall squarely on his heirs. You two."
"We rejected him," said Nicholas. "We left the crime business for good."
Katsu chuckled.
"There's no retirement in this business," he said. "Like it or not, when you signed up, your name was engraved in stone."
He rubbed his chin. Then he held Olga's chin.
"Such beauty…" he muttered. "Such a shame…
"So… If you two are incapable of paying me what you owe, I'll just have to take a payment in blood…"
Olga just stared at him. Katsu looked at Nicholas.
"I could just have you shot execution-style, but I won't. That would be crude. Tell you what, Nicholas…"
He snapped his fingers.
Two of his henchmen opened two briefcases. Inside were two sets of very unpleasant-looking devices that looked like shackles for the wrists, ankles, and neck.
"These are the proper pain bands for a duel like the one you had with Cho," he said.
"Fine!" shouted Nicholas. "I'll duel anyone here using them!"
"Oh no…" said Katsu. "Your sister will duel. And she'll duel me personally.
"Once it is over, I'll consider the debt paid, and you can go."
Nicholas looked at his sister.
"Olga…" he said.
"But she won't be so lucky," said Katsu. "She will suffer the same fate as Cho."
"What if I beat you?" asked Olga.
Katsu chuckled.
"Well then," he said, "if that happens, my second-in-command will see to it that you both are free to leave. But defeat me? Olga… I wouldn't be the leader of Usagi if I had ever lost…"
He turned to the henchmen holding the briefcases.
"Help her put those on," he said.
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Olga was incredibly nervous. More so than she had been in a long time. The fact that the shackles were kind of tight didn't help any.
"Olga," whispered Nicholas. "Keep your mind focused. You can beat this guy if you put your mind to it. You were in the finals of Duelatopia. You think this jerk could have made it there?"
"Thanks," said Olga.
"Enough talk," said Katsu, loading his deck into his own Disk. "It's time to see just how well Rasputin has taught you."
"I'm more than ready, you lunatic," said Olga.
Both Disks activated.
"Game on!" they shouted.
(Olga: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Katsu: 8,000)
"Take her apart boss!" shouted one of the mobsters.
"Blow her away!" shouted another of them.
"Silence!" shouted Katsu. "I can still be chivalrous when I must, so you may make the first move."
"How thoughtful," said Olga, drawing a card.
Better play it safe for now, she thought.
She placed a card on her Disk, and a defensive Monster appeared.
"That's all for now," she said.
"Then I draw," said Katsu, drawing a card.
"And I start by playing the Spell Card, Climax Hour."
A Spell Card appeared, showing the image of a wild-eyed family watching television.
"Uh… Never heard of that one," said Olga.
"Here's how it works," said Katsu, as the Spell Card vanished. "Its effect doesn't activate until three turns from now. If, during my Draw Phase of that turn, the card I draw is a Monster, I can summon it to the field instantly, disregarding any summoning conditions it might have.
"In the meantime, I'll summon Plague Wolf."
He played the card, and a rotting, undead wolf appeared. (1,000/1,000)
"Attack her Monster! Breath of pestilence!"
Plague Wolf breathed a gout of rot and decay at the facedown card. A Skelengel appeared on the card, and was eroded into dust.
"Now I get to draw one card," said Olga.
"Then it's your move," said Katsu.
Olga drew another card.
"I summon Absorbing Kid from the Sky!" she shouted.
She played the card, and in a beam of light, a short, chubby kid with feathered wings, wearing shorts, a t-shirt, and sandals appeared. (1,300/1,000)
"Your Kid needs to go on a diet," said Katsu.
"Maybe," said Olga. "But not just yet. Attack his Plague Wolf!"
Absorbing Kid from the Sky inhaled, and Plague Wolf broke up into pieces, which the young Fairy drew in and swallowed.
"BLEACH!" he said, sticking his tongue out.
"I guess Zombies don't taste so good," said Olga, as she glowed with energy. "But now, I gain 300 Life Points for each Level of your Monster. Since it was Level Three, I gain 900.
"And it's your move."
(O: 8,900) - - - - - - - - - - (K: 7,700)
Katsu growled, and drew a card.
"I throw two cards facedown," he said, as two facedown cards appeared. "Then I summon Mist Archfiend."
In a burst of smoke and mist, a diabolic looking Fiend appeared. It had horns, wings, long claws, and mist and smoke in place of its lower body. (2,400/0)
"Oh, come on," said Olga. "Summoning a Monster that powerful with no sacrifice must have some sort of catch."
"Of course it does," said Katsu. "But first…
"Destroy her Kid! Death fog!"
A blast of foul smoke shot from the Archfiend's jowls. Absorbing Kid gasped, and was rotted alive, turning into a pile of ashes.
Olga cringed as the pain bands activated, and electricity flowed through her.
"I'm ending my turn now, and that means that the 'catch' comes into effect. Since I summoned Mist Archfiend with no sacrifice, it's destroyed, costing me 1,000 Life Points."
Mist Archfiend burst into pixels, and he winced a little.
(O: 7,800) - - - - - - - - - - (K: 6,700)
I'm still in the lead, thought Olga, drawing a card. And now's my chance to really get ahead…
She looked over her cards.
"While you're considering," said Katsu, "I'm going to activate one of my facedown cards."
One of his two facedown cards lifted, revealing a Trap Card with the image of a nest of ugly-looking grubs.
"Den of Needle Worms," he said. "When I activate this Trap, I send the top five cards on my deck to the Graveyard."
He took the five cards off the top of his deck and looked over them. Then he discarded them.
"The point behind this odd strategy will come to light soon," he said.
"Whatever," said Olga. "I summon Dunames Dark Witch."
She played the card, and the pretty, female fairy in a red dress appeared. (1,800/1,050)
"Attack him directly!" she shouted. "Shadow flux!"
Dunames shot a bolt of sparkling, shadowy energy at Katsu.
"I think not," he said, as his other facedown card lifted. "Activate… Dimension Wall. Now the battle damage that was meant for me is taken by you instead."
Olga screamed as the attack was blasted right back at her. Then the pain bands activated again, and she fell on one knee.
Olga got up, with sweat pouring down her face. The thugs watching all cheered.
"That's all I can do…" she muttered.
(O: 6,000) - - - - - - - - - - (K: 6,700)
Katsu drew a card. He looked at the other two cards in his hand.
"I play… Pot of Greed," he said, playing the card he had just drawn.
He quickly drew two cards.
Excellent, he thought, looking at them.
"Now I summon… Giant Orc."
He played a new card, and a huge ogre appeared in front of him, holding a giant bone club. (2,200/0)
Olga grit her teeth…
"Attack her Dark Witch!" he shouted. "Bone basher!"
Giant Orc slammed his club down, smashing Dunames to pieces. Olga cringed as the pain bands activated again.
"Clever," muttered Olga. "But now your Orc has to move to defense. Not that he has any."
Giant Orc dropped its club, and then fell on its behind in a daze.
"It's still my turn," said Katsu. "I play this… A Feather of the Phoenix. Now, I toss one card…"
He discarded Monster Reincarnation from his hand.
"…and I can take any card from my Graveyard that I desire, and place it on top of my deck."
He played the card, and a card slipped out of his discard slot. He placed it on top of his deck.
It's clearly a card he discarded with Den of Needle Worms, thought Nicholas. It could be nearly anything…
"And I end my turn," said Katsu.
(O: 5,600) - - - - - - - - - - (K: 6,700)
"Then watch out!" said Olga, drawing.
"I play Celestial Transformation!" she shouted, throwing a card into her Disk. "This lets me Special Summon a Fairy to the field from my hand, so long as I cut its Life Points in half. And I think I'll summon Royal Knight."
In a burst of energy, a metallic Fairy with wings, armor, and a longsword appeared on the field. (1,300/800) –) (650/800)
"Attack if you will," said Katsu. "My Orc is in Defense Mode, so I won't lose any Life Points."
"You don't get it do you?" asked Olga. "Royal Knight is just here for a sacrifice…"
Royal Knight vanished.
"I summon Airknight Parshath!"
In a burst of light, the winged centaur in his radiant, holy armor appeared, holding his glowing sword. (1,900/1,400)
"Oh no!" shouted Katsu. "My Orc…"
"Is like a sitting direct attack," said Olga. "Airknight, destroy his Orc with celestial blade!"
Airknight Parshath flew at Giant Orc and slashed with his sword, blowing the Fiend to pieces.
"ERGH!" shouted Katsu.
Strange, thought Nicholas. Those pain bands should have hurt him more than that…
"Now, I get to draw one card," said Olga, as she looked at him strangely.
She made one draw, and looked at it.
The card she drew was Guardian Angel Joan.
She gave it a long look. She had drawn this card so many times…
But strangely, the smile on Joan's face seemed to be reaching out to her even more now, as if the card were trying to tell her something…
And perhaps it was…
"It's your move, Katsu," she said, adding it to her hand.
(O: 5,600) - - - - - - - - - - (K: 4,800)
Katsu took some deep breaths.
"Come on, boss!" shouted a thug. "She's walking all over you!"
"Silence!" shouted Katsu. "The time has arrived…"
"No!" shouted Nicholas. "He's right… This is the third round since he played Climax Hour!"
"And thanks to my combo of Den of Needle Worms and A Feather of the Phoenix," said Katsu, "I'm about to draw the most powerful Monster in my deck…"
He drew a card, and darkness started to blanket the room…
"I summon… Diabolos, King of the Abyss!"
With a roar, a huge creature that practically radiated darkness itself rose behind Katsu. Whether this Monster was a Dragon or a Fiend, it was hard to tell. It had the basic shape of a Dragon, but a hide covered with sharp plates, wicked claws, and a bladed crest surrounding its head. Its eyes glowed with an evil light.
It let out a roar of pure bloodlust. (2,800/1,000)
"Good lord!" shouted Olga. "I can barely look it in the face!"
"Normally, Diabolos would require two sacrifices, and both would have to be Dark Monsters," said Katsu. "But my Spell Card made things easier, didn't it?
"Diabolos, kill her Airknight with dark hellfire!"
The King of the Abyss breathed a blast of dark flames from its maw, and Olga screamed as Airknight Parshath was obliterated. She fell over on her behind.
(O: 4,700) - - - - - - - - - - (K: 4,800)
Olga pulled herself up. She panted for breath.
"I think it's my move…" she muttered.
She reached for her deck.
"Hold it," said Katsu.
"What?" said Olga, annoyed.
"Diabolos has an effect that I get to enact during your Draw Phase," said Katsu. "Before you draw, I get to look at the top card on your deck, and then decide whether to keep it on top, or place it on the bottom.
"So, Diabolos…"
The Dragon's eyes glowed, and the image of Pot of Greed appeared in front of Katsu.
"I think I'll put that on the bottom," he said.
Olga growled, and placed the card on the bottom of her deck.
"NOW I'll draw," she said, drawing a card.
She looked at the card. Then she went over the other five cards in her hand.
"I'll set a card facedown," she said. "Then a Monster in Defense Mode."
A facedown card and a facedown Monster appeared.
"Then, I'll remove two Light Monsters from play to summon Soul of Purity and Light."
Dunames Dark Witch and Absorbing Kid from the Sky slipped out of her discard slot. Then a shining, glowing, almost transparent angel with wings appeared, kneeling and shielding herself in Defense Mode. (2,000/1,800)
"And I end my turn."
Let's just hope that thing doesn't have a trampling effect, she thought.
"Shoring up your defenses, huh?" said Katsu, drawing a card.
He played his other card.
"I play Recurring Nightmare! Now I get to recover two Dark Monsters from my Graveyard, so long as both of them have a Defense Score of zero."
Two cards slipped out of his own discard slot.
"Now, I summon Giant Orc again."
Giant Orc appeared in another burst of darkness.
"I should remind you," said Olga, "my Soul deducts 300 Attack Points from your Monsters during your Battle Phase."
Diabolos roared, and its Attack Score fell to 2,500.
"It's still more than strong enough to annihilate her!" shouted Katsu.
Diabolos fired its hellfire at Soul of Purity and Light, and she was burned up.
"But I won't be using my Orc this turn," said Katsu. "It's your move."
There's only one reason why he'd refrain from attacking with a Giant Orc, thought Nicholas. This could be bad…
"Don't forget," said Katsu, "I get to see your top card first…"
A card appeared in front of him. It was Dust Tornado.
"I say bottom again," he said.
Olga placed the card on the bottom of her deck, and then drew.
"I place a second card facedown," she said, "and then a second Monster in Defense Mode."
A new facedown Monster and a second facedown card appeared.
"It's your move."
Katsu drew a card.
Not quite time for this yet, he thought.
"Diabolos, take the one on the right!"
Diabolos blasted its flame, and Hysteric Fairy appeared on the card, just before it was atomized.
"Giant Orc, take the other one!"
Giant Orc lunged forward with its club. Bountiful Artemis appeared on the card, and was smashed to bits.
Giant Orc tumbled over into Defense Mode again.
"Now…" said Katsu, speaking English and holding up a card, "Say hello to my little friend!"
"That was possibly the worst Al Pacino impression I have ever heard," said Olga.
"Well, I can still summon Second Goblin," said Katsu.
He played the card, and a very small Fiend appeared. It had a bald head, and wore a sweater, black trousers, and an eyepatch. (100/100)
It hopped on Giant Orc's shoulder and then mopped the ogre's brow with a towel. Giant Orc slowly came to its senses and got up, picking up its club and standing up again.
"Second Goblin is a Union Monster that can be Equipped to Giant Orc," said Katsu. "Once per round, it can wake the big guy up, and move him into Attack Mode.
"And it's your move…
"Once again, I look at your top card…"
A card appeared in front of him. It was Negate Attack.
"Oh, definitely the bottom," he said.
Olga placed it at the bottom of her deck, and then drew.
"Try as much as you like, Katsu," she said, placing a card on her Disk, "but I will beat you!"
A facedown Monster appeared.
"That's all."
"Then I draw…" said Katsu.
He looked at the card. It was Kuriboh.
"Feh," he said.
"I summon Mist Archfiend again!"
Mist Archfiend appeared again in a burst of smoke. (2,400/0)
"I'm gonna finish you off!" shouted Katsu. "Giant Orc, destroy her last Monster!"
Giant Orc charged. Radiant Jeral appeared on the card, and was smashed into green shards.
No… thought Nicholas. If both these next attacks go though, she loses…
"Mist Archfiend, attack her directly!"
Mist Archfiend shot its death fog at Olga, and she screamed, both from the impact, and the shock from the bands. She fell to her knees.
"That's it, Olga," said Katsu. "On your knees. Just how I like my women."
"Go… to… Hell!" she shouted.
Katsu frowned.
"Diabolos, finish her off! Direct attack!"
The King of the Abyss roared…
"I activate Miraculous Descent!" screamed Olga, as one of her facedown cards lifted. "Now, I can bring back a Fairy that was removed from play!"
Dunames Dark Witch appeared, kneeling and shielding herself in Defense Mode. (1,800/1,050)
Diabolos blasted its hellfire, and she was incinerated.
Sweat poured down Olga's face. She watched as Dunames's card fell into the Graveyard.
You saved my life… she thought. Thank you…
Katsu growled. Giant Orc tumbled into Defense Mode again.
"Once again, my Second Goblin's effect activates, moving Giant Orc from defensive to offensive."
Second Goblin mopped the giant's brow again, and it got up.
"Tell me about it," muttered Olga. "I can smell him from here, and he's the most offensive thing I've ever caught whiff of."
"You won't be making jokes for long," he said. "I end my turn."
"That means Mist Archfiend is destroyed," said Olga, as she slowly got up, "and you lose 1,000 Life Points."
Mist Archfiend shattered into shards. Strangely, Katsu didn't seem to react at all as his Life Points went down.
Seems my suspicions are correct, thought Olga. But I won't be able to defend against that thing a second time… This next draw had better be the best ever, or I've had it…
(O: 2,300) - - - - - - - - - - (K: 4,800)
"My move," she said.
"One minute," said Katsu.
A card appeared in front of him. It was Monster Reborn.
"Bottom," he said.
Olga placed it on the bottom of her deck, and then drew a card.
She looked at what it was. She looked at her other two cards – one of which was Guardian Angel Joan – and her facedown card on the field.
A sly smirk crossed her face.
"I throw a new card facedown, and summon Winged Kuriboh!" she shouted.
A new facedown card appeared, and then the small, cute Kuriboh with wings appeared. It let out a gentle coo. (300/200)
Katsu chuckled.
"Nice try," he said. "That's would have been a clever trick if you had thought it out better, but unfortunately, you didn't.
"You obviously want me to think that the facedown card you just set is the incredibly powerful Transcendent Wings, right? If it had worked, then when I attacked, I'd lose 5,000 Life Points, and you would be the victor…
"Well, it couldn't work. Do you know why? Because I happen to know that you need to discard two cards from your hand to play that Spell Card, and you only have one in your hand. I'm willing to bet that you don't even have Transcendent Wings in your deck, you don't understand how it works, and putting that fuzzball in it was nothing but a pathetic attempt to emulate Jaden Yuki."
Olga bowed her head.
"Guess you're too smart for me…" she said, sadly.
"My move!" said Katsu. "I draw…"
He drew a card.
"Then I attack! You're finished. Diabolos, destroy that rodent!"
Diabolos roared. It blasted its flame at Winged Kuriboh…
"Gotcha!" said Olga, looking up.
"Gotcha?" said Katsu. "What gotcha?"
Olga's first facedown card activated.
"I activate Jar of Greed!" she shouted.
"WHAT?" shouted Katsu. "Jar of Greed?"
"Now I get to draw one card," said Olga, quickly drawing a card, "meaning I have just enough cards to activate…"
The facedown card she had just set lifted.
"…Transcendent Wings! See? I knew exactly how it worked!"
She tossed the two cards in her hand, and Winged Kuriboh started to glow with a blinding light. Two huge, angelic wings sprouted from it, and a golden, draconic shape wrapped around it, transforming it into its evolved form of Winged Kuriboh LV10. (300/200)
"GO!" shouted Olga. "Wrath of the Divine!"
"NOOO!" screamed Katsu.
It was too late…
Giant Orc and Diabolos, King of the Abyss screamed as light shot out of their orifices. Then they both exploded into globules of light, knocking the crimelord on his back.
(O: 2,300) - - - - - - - - - - (K: 0)
Winged Kuriboh vanished in a sparkle of light.
"Thanks…" said Olga, weakly.
"No way…" muttered one of the thugs.
"She beat Katsu…" said another one.
There was a long pause.
"I got dibs on his parking space," said the first one.
"Hey, look!" shouted someone.
Katsu sat up. He rubbed his head.
"He's still alive!" shouted someone else.
"Of course he is," said Nicholas, who was holding Olga close. "I was suspicious when your pain bands apparently weren't hurting you much, Katsu. And now I'm sure… You just took 5,000 points of damage, and those bands didn't even faze you.
"You deactivated them before the duel even started. While Olga had to suffer through it, you were in no danger at all.
"It seems you can dish this sort of duel out, but you can't take it. I'd say at first that success in this business may have gone to your head, and you think you're above everyone else…
"But I think the more likely reason is, you're a coward at heart."
Katsu got up, fuming with anger.
"You dare call me a coward?" he said with a scowl. "We'll see who's a coward!"
He pointed to his men.
"Kill them both! Now!"
Then, to his surprise, everyone in the room pointed their guns at him.
"Why should we listen to you?" said one thug. "You are a coward!"
"We've all been tortured by this abominable dueling system you thought up," said another one, "and now we learn you won't take it yourself?"
"This is mutiny!" shouted Katsu, raising his hands.
"No it isn't, Katsu," said Nicholas. "This is just the reaction when the leader of a crime family breaks certain underworld taboos. And you broke a bunch of them."
"I say we cut his throat," said one thug.
"Naw, I got a better idea," said another. "Let's force him to duel with the pain bands for real, using an initiate's deck."
"Now people, we can work something out…" said Katsu, nervously.
All good ideas, thought Nicholas, but seeing how everyone here is far from innocent, I have a better one.
He spoke into his shirt lapel.
"Detective Akuma, it's about to get ugly in here... Anytime you want to come in…"
"Say what?" said Katsu, in surprise.
At that moment, every door leading into the room was kicked in, and a squad of police officers carrying heavy duty weapons rushed in. They positioned themselves on the catwalks and around the circumference of the room. All of them aimed their weapons.
Detective Akuma appeared with a revolver, which he pointed at Katsu.
"Everyone drop their weapons and get on the floor!" he ordered. "Everyone here except the two kids are under arrest!"
"You were wearing a wire?" shouted Katsu, as all the thugs dropped their guns.
"Did you really believe Olga and I would walk into a Yakuza den without support from the police?" asked Nicholas. "You say that our names in organized crime were engraved in stone. I say we took a sledgehammer to the stone and left anyway."
"That's right," said Akuma. "These youths told us that your counterfeiting operation was likely in this building, but we weren't about to make an illegal raid. So they volunteered to get evidence of illegal activity.
"And as soon as the chief heard that you were forcing her to duel using highly illegal equipment, it was enough for him to wire over a search warrant."
He turned to Olga.
"Sorry we took so long, but squad car fax machines aren't top of the line."
"Understandable," muttered Olga.
Akuma walked down and looked at the printing presses, full of counterfeit yen.
"Nice, Katsu, nice," he said. "With this evidence alone, you're gonna be put away for a long time."
"I'm not saying anything without my lawyer present," said Katsu with a scowl.
"Really, Katsu?" said Akuma, as the crimelord was handcuffed. "Well guess what… From what I just heard, your men all want to kill you right now. I don't think it will be much of a problem to get them all to cut plea bargains in exchange for testifying against you.
"And you aren't going to be very happy in prison either. Most Yakuza leaders aren't respected much after they've been beaten by a teenager.
"You have the right to remain silent…"
"I choose to waive that right," said Katsu, "you dirty…"
The rest of what he said was too obscene to repeat.
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"Are you sure you don't need medical attention, Ms. Warren?" asked Akuma.
Olga and Nicholas were sitting on a curb drinking coffee as the last of Katsu's men were being hauled away.
"Seriously, I'll be fine," she said.
"Look," said Akuma, "it isn't department policy, but I might as well tell you this…"
He took a Duel Monsters card out of his coat and handed it to Olga.
"Every place we've raided that had anything to do with this Xanadu thing turned up one of these. In fact, there was one in there just now.
"I'm willing to let you have it, but please… Leave the police work to the police from now on. We were willing to work with you here, but had you done this on your own, you'd have been arrested too."
An officer came up and said something to him.
"Excuse me for a minute," he said.
As he walked to a squad car, Nicholas and Olga looked at the Monster Card. It was a Level Six Spellcaster called Mutant Mindmaster. It had zero Attack Points and 2,500 Defense Points. Its appearance suggested more a Fiend than a Spellcaster – actually, it looked more like an alien.
"Never saw that one before," said Nicholas.
"Wait…" muttered Olga. "I know this card…"
She thought for a minute.
"Where have I seen this card?
"Yeah… This was the ace card of Dr. Edwin Ting."
"Come again?" asked Nicholas.
"He was a Pro League duelist until he retired about ten years ago," said Olga. "Known for wearing sweaters that he likely bought at a thrift shop, even though he was incredibly wealthy. When he retired, he was about forty years old or so, and he was in the top tier of the League…
"And get this… Being a duelist was just a hobby. He was a computer programmer for a government agency, who got a doctorate in computer science from Harvard!"
Nicholas looked at her with a look of shock.
"Olga…" he said, taking out his cell phone, "we may have found a smoking gun…"
He dialed Sheena's number.
"Sheena?" he said. "Yeah, it's me… Look… I need you to find an address for a Dr. Edwin Ting…"
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Midnight.
Yumi tossed and turned in her sleep.
She dreamed she was in Neo-Space again, but in a different location. Jaden was nowhere in sight. The place seemed to be a farm of some sort – odd vegetables were growing in organized rows, and a grain silo and a greenhouse could be seen in the distance.
A duel was taking place, and Yumi recognized one of the duelists. It was Alexis Rhodes, another of Jaden's allies whom she knew had gone with him to Neo-Space. The other duelist was a man dressed in a male version of the costume worn by that woman who had the Eraser. Same mask, and a black robe tied around the waist with a sash.
Alexis had one of her signature Monsters on the field – Cyber Blader, a woman dressed in tight purple and red spandex (or else she was naked and covered with body paint) and a visor, with long, black hair, and ice skates. (2,100/800) Her opponent, on the other hand, had something that looked weird. It seemed to simply be a featureless, formless, sphere of blackness.
Alexis seemed to be winning at the moment. She had 7,000 Life Points remaining, while her opponent had 6,000.
Behind Alexis, two creatures were shivering in fear. Yumi recognized them as two Neo-Spacians, an Air Hummingbird and a Dark Panther.
"You can't win," said the male duelist, as the globe of blackness started to shift and change shape. "No matter how powerful a Monster you summon, The Wicked Avatar will always be 100 Attack Points stronger. It's invincible!"
The Wicked Avatar?? thought Yumi.
It seemed true. The globe of darkness formed into an exact copy of Cyber Blader, only still made of darkness. (2,200/2,200)
"Get real," said Alexis. "The Wicked Gods may have been almost invincible once, but after that thing was beaten by Obelisk, the guy who was using them got smart, and tore them up. Sure, they were able to regenerate themselves, but at the cost of most of their powers.
"And since you have one Monster on the field, Cyber Blade can't be destroyed in battle. Think you can win by chipping my Life Points away 100 at a time?"
"Don't forget," said the man, as he drew, "due to my Avatar's other effect, you still can't activate Spells or Traps for one more turn…
"I Equip my Avatar with Shooting Star Bow – Ceal. This lets it attack directly. Now, normally, that would decrease its Attack Score by 1,000, but due its continuous effect, its Attack Score can't be lowered.
"And I think I'll give it a second Equip… Twin Swords of Flashing Light – Tryce. This lets it attack twice in one round. Again, the Spell would normally reduce its Attack Score by 500, but my Monster isn't affected by that handicap."
Yumi couldn't believe what she was hearing. He was going to attack directly with a Monster with 2,200 Attack Points? Twice?
It seemed he was. Yumi could almost feel the strike from where she was as the Avatar kicked Alexis in the stomach the first time, and she almost screamed as it punched her upside the head.
Alexis fell to her knees as her Life Points tumbled to 2,600.
"Get up, Alexis!" shouted Yumi.
Alexis lifted her head. She looked around…
"I'm over here!" shouted Yumi.
Alexis slowly got up. Yumi didn't know what the deal was. Could she be heard but not seen?
Alexis drew a card.
"I summon Cyber Tutu!" she shouted.
She played the card, and an adorable little girl wearing spandex, ballerina slippers, a skirt, and a visor appeared. (1,000/800)
"Your Avatar's strength is a liability now," said Alexis. "When the only Monsters you have on the field have more Attack Points than she does, Tutu gets to do a pirouette on your face!
"Attack directly!"
Cyber Tutu leapt up and kicked the masked man in the chest. He grunted as his Life Points fell to 5,000.
"Ooh, you'll pay for that…" he growled.
"I'll set three facedown cards," said Alexis, as three cards appeared in three flashes. "I end my turn, meaning that the two rounds are up. I can use Spells and Traps again."
"Good luck!" said the man, drawing a card.
He chuckled when he saw what it was.
"I summon… Big Eye!" he shouted.
In a burst of energy, a Fiend with red skin and eyes all over its body appeared on the field. It seemed to be a little confused at the fact that it was summoned in Attack Mode. (1,200/1,000)
"Since I have two Monsters on the field," said the man, "Cyber Blader's second effect activates. She's no longer invulnerable, but her Attack Score doubles to 4,200."
Cyber Blader glowed with brilliant energy. (4,200/800)
"And that's bad for you, because the stronger she gets, the stronger my Avatar gets."
The Avatar glowed as well. (4,300/4,300)
"No…" said Yumi.
"Avatar… Attack her directly!"
The Wicked Avatar flew at Alexis.
"You fool…" said Alexis. "You did exactly what I wanted you to do…"
One of her facedown cards lifted.
"I activate… Foolish Revival!"
"Huh?" said the man. "Foolish Revival?"
"This lets me choose a Monster in your Graveyard," said Alexis, "and then summon it to your side of the field in Defense Mode. I think I'll choose your Newdoria."
In a burst of energy, a thin, lanky Fiend with sharp claws, wild hair, studded leather armor, and a blindfold over its eyes appeared on the man's side of the field. It crouched in Defense Mode. (1,200/800)
"Now that you have three Monsters," said Alexis, as Cyber Blader fell back to an Attack Score of 2,100, "Cyber Blader's third effect activates, negating the effects of all Spells, Traps, and Effect Monsters on your side of the field."
"But that means…" said the man. "My Avatar's Attack Score…"
"Falls to zero…" said Alexis.
The Wicked Avatar lost its shape, reverting back to a sphere, and its Attack Score fell to nothing.
"Curse you!" shouted the man. "I'll kill your little ballerina anyway! Big Eye, attack Cyber Tutu!"
Big Eye rushed at Tutu…
"Not the best idea!" laughed Alexis, as another facedown card lifted. "Go, Doble Passe!"
"Huh?" said the man.
Tutu quickly dodged the attack, and Big Eye's claw slashed into Alexis instead. She grunted as her Life Points fell to 1,400.
Then Cyber Tutu leapt up, and licked the man across the face again. He screamed as his Life Points fell to 4,000.
"My move!" shouted Alexis, drawing a card.
"Cyber Blader, destroy The Wicked Avatar!"
Cyber Blader skated towards the huge sphere, and slashed with the blade of her ice skate. The devil god burst into globs of black goo. Its owner screamed as his Life Points fell to 1,900.
"Cyber Tutu, you're up."
"Not again…" groaned the man.
He couldn't stop it. Cyber Tutu kicked him in the chest once again, dropping his Life Points to 900.
"And I'm not done!" shouted Alexis.
Her last facedown card lifted up, showing a Quickplay.
"I play Prima Light! Cyber Tutu, step aside and make room for…"
Cyber Tutu vanished into grains of light.
"…Cyber Prima!"
In another burst of light, another dancer appeared, this one wearing a silvery bodysuit, with platinum blonde hair, and a Mardi Gras style mask. (2,300/1,600)
"Attack his Big Eye and end this!" she shouted.
Cyber Prima gave a savage kick, blowing Big Eye to pieces. The duelist screamed as his Life Points fell to zero…
Yumi woke up with a start.
She gasped for breath.
"First Neo-Space is attacked by someone using The Wicked Eraser," she muttered. "Then The Wicked Avatar…
"Someone had better warn them about Dreadroot…"
She sighed.
"I need a glass of milk…"
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Yumi wandered into the kitchen of the temple. As she did, torches along the walls lit up.
Let's see, she thought, if I were a Lord of the Higher Plane, where would I keep the clean glasses?
"Yumi?" said a gentle voice.
She turned and saw her host, her body glowing softly in the dim light.
"Oh, uh, Joan…" muttered Yumi. "Uh… I was just trying to get a glass of milk… Why are you up?"
"As I said before, I need no rest," said Joan, as she opened up a cabinet.
Water vapor escaped the cabinet, which was apparently used as a refrigerator. She took out a bottle of milk.
"Besides," said Joan, as she poured it into a glass, "I knew that more Sprits would come to the temple under cover of darkness. And a Celtic Guardian and a Warrior Lady of the Wasteland just left… Representatives for the Bronze Knights."
"Come again?" said Yumi.
"A mercenary regiment of Warriors, almost all of them Earth," said Joan. "They have decided to pledge their support."
She handed her the glass.
Yumi changed the subject.
"Joan…" she said. "What do you know about Shogarr, the Dread Emperor?"
Joan sighed.
"His tyrannical power is infamous," she answered, "in all dimensions where Duel Spirits live…
"You see Yumi, beings like Shogarr are hard to classify… Some say he's a demon lord, and they leave it at that. But his power far surpasses the more well-known rulers of the Abyss, such as Demogorgon and Orcus… He more properly belongs to a group that is most often referred to as Elder Evils…"
Yumi looked at her intently.
"They're powerful beings that have been around since before the Blood War," said Joan. "Some have supernatural roots, others cosmic backgrounds. They are beings who were around before the definitions for Good and Evil were established, and before there were laws defining the forms and abilities of living things. They're few in number, but even the gods tremble at the mention of their names…
"The Elder Evils are beings of pure Chaos and Madness. Their plans usually involve destruction on an apocalyptic scale. Fortunately, they can usually only put their plans into practice under specific circumstances.
"Their names are the stuff of legend… Pale Night… Tharazdun…"
"Cthulhu …" whispered Yumi.
Joan shook her head.
"Cthulhu is one of the Great Old Ones," she said. "They are not Elder Evils because, while incredibly powerful, they don't reach that level of power. They're on the same level as standard demon lords. Cthulhu only got so much attention because a series was named after him. However, the beings that Lovecraft named Outer Gods are indeed Elder Evils, and they are among the most powerful ones. Many are even stronger than Shogarr.
"The most powerful of them is the one that Lovecraft called Azathoth the Blind Idiot Piper, a creature that supposedly embodies Chaos itself. That would make one assume that it is the most powerful force of Chaos in the universe, but when you think of it, Chaos wouldn't be able to spawn a conceptual embodiment, due to the randomness of its own nature. The contradictory nature leads some to believe that Azathoth doesn't really exist. Indeed, there's no way to prove its existence… It is believed that its aura of chaos is so powerful, its mere presence consumes all lesser beings, so any who saw it wouldn't live to tell about it.
"Fortunately, the beings that Lovecraft described aren't intelligent enough to put plans of destruction to fruition unless some smarter being guides them. Most Elder Evils are have either minimal intelligence, or are mindless.
"The rare ones that are smart… They are the most dangerous.
"Perhaps you have studied Jaden Yuki's career?"
Joan nodded.
"Theorists of the Higher Plane believe that Jaden may have been combating one of the Elder Evils through his school years, without even knowing it."
"How?" said Yumi.
"Well, let's look at the facts," said Joan. "Jaden faced threats from two major sources. One was the Light of Ruin. The other was Nightshroud, the ruler of the World of Darkness.
"Evil forces of Light and Dark both opposed him…
"And Yumi… What is the result in Duel Monsters when Light and Dark combine?"
Yumi's eyes opened.
"Chaos…" she muttered.
Joan nodded.
"We have a feeling," she said, "that the Light of Ruin and Nightshroud may have been high-ranking servants of one of the Elder Evils, sent to start a plan in motion that would bring about Armageddon.
"For all we know, it may have been Shogarr, and his intent was to make it so the plan which you were chosen to oppose would not be opposed. If either being's plan had succeeded, the world would have been his early, and Yumi Mouto couldn't have been born into a new life.
"Another apparent proof that Jaden was one of these beings is the fact that he fought the Sacred Beasts on more than one occasion. Those creatures are almost pure Chaos. No-one knows who the true master of those creatures is, but it's clearly someone with great power over Chaos."
Yumi slowly drank her milk.
"Chaos is an unrelenting force," muttered Joan. "A tragic tale told in the Higher Plane proves it…"
"Eh?" said Yumi.
"Legends say that Archlord Zerato had a brother," said Joan. "A younger brother. One day, the story says that when the older brother and most of his army had left the Sanctuary on a campaign against the Archfiends, a group of pilgrims came to the divine temple, bearing a gift… A flawless, black gemstone with a dozen facets.
"It wasn't their fault. They had nothing but good intentions. They didn't know that the Dark Jewel was an artifact created in ancient times by primal demons, infused with the very essence of the Abyss.
"The younger brother sensed the Dark Jewel's evil nature, and tried to destroy it. But its curse took hold of him, poisoning him with pure Chaos. His sanity started to erode, and his soul began to darken.
"He nobly fought it for as long as he could. While he knew he couldn't save himself, he grabbed the vile thing, and flew to the very border of the Higher Plane, where he threw it into the endless void. His heroic action prevented its curse from spreading to the rest of the Higher Plane… But he would never be the same.
"He had become dark and marred, and his virtuous soul turned evil…
"No one knows where he went, or what he is planning, but prophecies state that the cursed brother will one day return as an enemy. In whispers, he is referred to as Darklord Zerato now… The title causes any Fairy who hears it to mourn…"
Tears fell down her cheeks.
"So how do I oppose Shogarr at all?" asked Yumi. "Jaden fought some pretty serious duelists…"
"I don't know, Yumi," said Joan. "Elder Evils are normally immortal and invulnerable. Not even the gods can slay them. They can only be defeated via one method, a method that is as legendary as they are. The prophesy said that Shogarr would be opposed by a by a young mortal woman, with fair skin and golden hair. Shogarr himself seems pretty certain that it's you, and since he has made more than one attempt at your soul, he likely sees you as a serious threat. Clearly, unless he made a serious mistake in his research, he will be vulnerable when the time comes for your battle.
"But… the prophesy said you would oppose him. It did not say who the victor would be."
"Nuts," said Yumi. "I'll never sleep now…"
Joan chuckled.
She handed Yumi a Spell Card.
"What's this?" asked Yumi.
"Mesmeric Control," said Joan. "Duel Spirits use them both as ways to subdue enemies, and as sleep aids. It will let you sleep through the night. And unlike the tranquilizers used by humans, it has no side effects, and is not addictive at all."
Yumi looked at the card.
"Pleasant dreams, Yumi," said Joan, as she left the room. "You'll need all your energy for tomorrow."
Yumi sighed, and went back to her room.
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CLIMAX HOUR (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: A family of wild-eyed spectators watching a television.
Card Description: This card's effect resolves during your third Draw Phase after activation. If the card you draw is a Monster Card, you may disregard its summoning requirements and Special Summon it.
Note: "Climax Hour" was first used by Jaden in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Duelfellahs" Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
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DOBLE PASSE (Trap Card)
Normal Trap
Image: A ballerina in a red, fancy dress dancing.
Card Description: Activate this card when your opponent attacks a face-up Attack Position Monster you control. The attack becomes a direct attack on your Life Points. The Monster that was the original target of the attack then attacks your opponent directly.
Note: "Doble Passe" has been used by Alexis many times in "Yu-Gi-Oh GX", originally in "A Duel in Love". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
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PRIMA LIGHT (Spell Card)
Quickplay Spell
Image: Cyber Prima dancing in a large spotlight.
Card Description: Tribute one "Cyber Tutu" that you control. Special Summon one "Cyber Prima" from your hand.
Note: "Prima Light" was first used by Alexis in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Hearts are Wild". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
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DEN OF NEEDLE WORMS (Trap Card)
Normal Trap
Image: A group of Needle Worms, crawling in a refuse pile.
Card Description: Send the top five cards on your deck to the Graveyard.
Note: "Den of Needle Worms" was released in "The Duelist Genesis", now available in Japan.
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Coming up next:
Anyone who has seen GX knows that not all Light Monsters are necessarily nice. Some are downright evil. Some, however, are just big jerks.
In the next chapter, the team travels into the Burnt Paradise, and they are soon discovered by a Sand Gambler, who has unique reasons for working for Daala and wanting to challenge Yumi.
"Showdown" is coming up next.
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Name that Card!
There are real-life equivalents to situations in the anime where cards are so rare, common duelists can't get them. This card is legal for the TCG, but I wouldn't count on getting one. It was a promo for the first Pharaoh's Tour, and never mass produced for the TCG, so only twenty copies of it exist outside of Japan. Can you name it?