Could you identify every Monster?
They were: "Ojama King", "Sleeping Lion", "Behemoth the King of All Animals", "Giant Rat", "Burglar", "3-Hump Lacooda", "Des Koala", "Synchar", "Bazoo the Soul Eater", "Great Bill", "Lesark", "Dig Beak", "Nekogal #1", "Nimble Momonga", "Wimee", "Dark Grey", "Fusionist", "Mystical Sheep #2", and "Rescue Cat".
That's a lot!
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"Cowards die many times before their deaths;
"The valiant never taste death but once."
So said Julius Caesar in Shakespeare's tragedy that bears his name. Caesar's wife was having nightmares about her husband being murdered (which turned out to be prophetic, as you later discovered) and he tried to comfort her with this quote. What he meant was, he found it strange that men feared death so much, when death was an inevitable thing that happened to everyone. He had been a strong and brave man who had not wasted time anticipating death.
I like to consider myself 'valiant'… I wouldn't have come to Xanadu if I wasn't, and I wouldn't have accepted this challenge in this place where Caesar would be right at home, facing creatures who wouldn't deny his philosophy…
But while I don't anticipate death, if I don't get my game on, so to speak, I'm going to have to accept its inevitability more than ever…
Duel…
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CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
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Perfect Tempo
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One hour later, Daala was speaking to someone via a screen.
"Freed the Matchless General?" she shouted.
"That's what the surviving witnesses said, milady," said a voice. "They said he was looking for Joan."
Daala's fist slammed down on the armrest of her couch, shattering it. She stood up and started to pace.
"This is bad…" she muttered. "Really bad… Freed commands the most powerful army in the Twelve Dimensions… If he's come here personally to meet with Joan…"
She clenched her fist again.
"If Joan convinces him to help the resistance, we're in big trouble…"
"What should I do, milady?" asked the voice.
"Send word to every minion you have," said Daala. "I'm doing the same for the rulers of the other three Realms I still control. Whoever defeats Freed the Matchless General may have forty cards which he may choose from cards taken from defeated members of the resistance!"
"Right away, milady," said the voice. "And we'll… Uhm…"
There was a pause.
"Really? Uh, does that include Aster if we apprehend him first?"
"Any at all!" shouted Daala. "Now make the announcement! We can't waste any more time!"
"Yes, milady…"
In the largest building in Darkspire, its Lord turned off the screen.
"If that's the case," he said, "I'll devote more time to completing the Hunter. If I cancel my other plans he should be ready to face Aster by tomorrow…
"And then I'll find Freed personally…"
He looked at his deck, and drew a card off of it. He looked at the powerful Monster.
"I almost feel sorry for Freed… Once he faces this, he'll no longer be able to call himself the Matchless General…"
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But tomorrow, as the song goes, was a day away.
Leaving the rocky area behind, the group soon came to a large expanse of sand dunes again. Only the position of the sun enabled them to tell they were going the right way as they trudged through the deep sand, which was starting to get into their shoes and other parts of their clothing.
"Man…" muttered Yumi. "I suddenly wish I had found room for grandpa Joey's Red Eyes in my deck. We could have just flown there on his back."
"Not a good idea," said Jesse. "We'd have stuck out like a sore thumb. You ride into the sky on a big, black Dragon, and sooner or later, something stronger is going to come out and shoot you down.
"There are rumors of both a Felgrand Dragon and a Super Conductor Tyranno making their lairs in this Realm… If one of them saw Joey's Red Eyes, it would think it was the Spirit of the real Red Eyes, and every high-level Monster wants a piece of him."
"Really?" said Sam. "What about the Blue Eyes?"
"Oh, those guys don't live in any dimensions where Duel Spirits live," said Jesse. "They've been bound to your world for a long time. They're special Duel Spirits.
"Kaiba was entrusted as their keeper by his beloved in his former life, and Kaiba inherited the role in his most recent life. And Siegfried inherited it from him…
"And now that the cards are in the museum in Duelatopia, they've gone to sleep, and it is said that their dreams spawn the Spirits of new Dragons. Among Duel Spirits, they're like celebrities that no-one ever sees."
"Whoa…" said Ren.
Chelsea coughed.
"Man, I've got sand in my ears!" she shouted. "And in my hair! And…"
She spit.
"…and in my mouth!"
The wind started to pick up.
"Uh, people…" said Jesse. "I think we're in trouble."
"A sandstorm is starting…" said Yumi.
"No…" said Jesse.
He stepped up the next sand dune.
"It looks like the sandstorm is a barrier of some sort," he said. "I don't know how we're going to…"
And then the storm parted.
A building appeared inside the storm, about three-hundred feet ahead. It looked like how Roman Colosseum would look, as if it were new and not in ruins.
"Uh…" said Chelsea, "we aren't really going down there, are we?"
"Well," said Jesse, "one rule for desert survival is, always take shelter in a sandstorm…
"But… I've never seen that place before… It must be a new structure."
"When Jaden and his allies saw a place that looked like this," said Ren, "it had been built by Tania, one of the Shadow Riders…"
"Well, we can count Tania out as being the one who we'll find down there," said Yumi. "Even if she's still alive, she and Jaden parted on friendly terms, more or less. And as for any real Amazons, they're allied with Joan now, remember?"
"Still," said Sam, "I don't believe for one minute that it's unoccupied."
"People, I hate to say this," said Erik, "but what choice do we have? It's either that or take our chances in this storm."
Everyone looked at the Colosseum.
They nodded. They covered their mouths with the tops of their shirts, and walked down to the large structure.
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"Friends! Romans! Countrymen!" shouted Ren, as they walked into the huge arena. "Lend me your ears!"
"He'll give them back, we promise," added Chelsea.
"Will you two shut up?" shouted Sam. "Maybe whoever lives here doesn't know we're here yet."
"Oh, I'm afraid it's too late for that, Samantha," said a voice from the other end.
They turned, and saw a figure seated on a marble throne at the other end.
At first, they thought it was Ares. However, looking closer, they saw that the armor was of a different design. It suggested more Roman than Greek. The man carried a bronze sword by his side, and a large, circular, and also bronze shield on his left arm.
"And you are?" asked Sam.
The man took off his helmet and set it aside. He seemed to be somewhat older than Ares had looked, and the style of his hair and beard was different, and both were graying with age.
"You may call me Scipio," he said. "Keeper of the Colosseum, and guardian of the mid-border."
"Mid-border?" said Jesse.
"The sandstorm," said Scipio, as he stood up. "It forms a border across the middle of the Realm. If you try to go though it without a Duel Spirit as a guide who can part its sands, you'll likely be flayed alive by its stinging winds.
"Only certain Duel Spirits can do so. I'm afraid that I don't sense the presence of one that qualifies in any of your decks. Only Beast-Warriors that are at least Level Eight can open a pathway."
He stood up. His shield glowed and changed shape, turning into a bronze Disk.
"Let me guess," said Sam. "You want to duel, and if one of us can beat you, you'll arrange for one to come here."
"I have one residing in my deck," said Scipio. "If you defeat me, he'll remain, and he'll gladly guide you through the storm.
"If not, whoever is left will have to find another way through it."
"Level Eight Beast-Warriors?" muttered Ren.
"I can only think of two," said Yumi. "Sengenjin, and Mythical Beastking Barbaros. Sengenjin is only a fan card that was never used much...
"Barbaros on the other hand… Well, if he uses it, let's just say that he's a tough Monster to deal with…"
"I suppose you work for the Realm Lord," said Sam.
Scipio frowned.
"Technically," he said. "But I try to avoid him when I can. I have no patience for his confusing dialogue."
"Confusing dialogue?" muttered Ren.
"Johnson, maybe?" said Chelsea. "He always spoke in 'legalese', pardon the expression."
"This is serious, people," said Yumi. "We might be stuck here if we can't win this."
"You already dueled, Yumi," said Sam. "I can take this guy."
Scipio chuckled. He shuffled his deck.
"You know…" he said, "in the original gladiatorial contests, some gladiators were women…"
"True…" said Sam. "Anything to make a fight interesting, especially when the fighters were expendable. But this one is going to bring the crowd to its feet."
"Uh Sam?" said Erik. "There is no crowd…"
"Oh, that may quickly change…" said Scipio.
The two Disks activated.
"But first…" said Scipio, "we need a few more players… Bring out your Deck Lord."
"Huh?" said Sam. "Oh… Yeah…"
Messenger of Hades – Gors appeared behind her.
"Now meet mine," said Scipio.
A sinister form appeared behind him. It was a female figure, reclining on a couch that had appeared with her. She seemed to be part woman and part snake, wearing a gold and red halter top and holding a ruby scepter.
"Her name is Serpentine Princess, and I wouldn't underestimate her," said Scipio.
"Serpentine Princess?" said Ren. "What does she do?"
"Uhm, I think her effect is," said Yumi, "she lets you Special Summon a Monster from your deck when she is sent from the field to your deck."
"Sent from the field to your deck?" said Chelsea. "When the heck would that ever happen?"
"She was designed to combo with Fiber Jar," said Yumi.
Serpentine Princess bowed her head.
"But, Fiber Jar has been illegal for some time," said Yumi. "The only legal cards that can do it are Morphing Jar #2 and Monster Recovery. And since the Monster her effect summons has to be Level Three or less, she's really fallen out of use."
"Cheer up…" muttered Scipio to the Princess. "You'll prove to them you still have worth…"
He spoke up.
"My Princess may not be able to fight like she used to without Fiber Jar," he said, "but given the unique nature of the Monsters in my deck, her Deck Lord ability is quite potent.
"Now that everything is in place…"
"Game on!" they both shouted.
(Sam: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Scipio: 8,000)
"Let's start off with a bang!" shouted Sam, drawing a card.
"Perfect!" she said. "I'll summon Malice Doll of Demise."
She played the card, and the wicked wooded doll appeared. (1,600/1,700)
"Now I play a fiendish Spell Card… Ectoplasmer!"
She played a Spell Card, and it appeared on her side of the field.
"I'll throw down a facedown card," she said, as a facedown card materialized. "Now, I'll move right to my End Phase, and sacrifice my Doll for Ectoplasmer's effect. Go!"
Malice Doll of Demise slumped over, and a ghostly spirit flew out of it. It flew at Scipio with a scream, striking him in the chest.
The Doll vanished, and Scipio held his chest.
(S: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 7,200)
"Not bad for a first move…" he said. "Although I see that it left you completely defenseless."
"Attack me if you want," said Sam. "I can take it."
He drew a card.
"Maybe so," said Scipio. "But it's time to begin the true show… I play Graceful Charity."
He played the card, and the angel appeared above him… But she was somewhat different this time. She was wearing armor and a helmet similar to his, and carried a sword.
Her feathers fell on his deck, and he drew three cards.
"I think I'll discard… Wild Nature's Release, and Gladiator Beast Torax," he said.
He discarded the two cards.
Huh? thought Sam. Okay… Wild Nature's Release I've heard of… But who the heck is Gladiator Beast Torax?
"Moving right along," said Scipio. "I summon Gladiator Beast Secutor."
He played the card, and a horn sounded from somewhere. A trapdoor in front of him opened and a Monster rose out of it. It looked like a lizard-man, dressed in a toga. Mounted on its back were two large, odd, mechanical devices that might have been cannons of some sort… It was hard to tell. (400/300)
"I'm guessing your gladiator doesn't win many matches," said Sam. "Not with an Attack Score that low."
"Don't be too quick to judge," said Scipio. "Most gladiators only lose one match in their entire careers… Because the match that they lose is the one in which they perish.
"Anyway, since I now have one Gladiator Beast on the field, I can Special Summon my Test Tiger."
"Huh?" said Sam. "There are more of these… Gladiator Beasts?"
A new creature leapt onto the field. It was clearly a tiger, dressed in a colorful costume. (600/300)
Jesse turned to see the Spirit of Topaz Tiger watching beside him.
"That a friend of yours?" asked Jesse.
"It's a long story," growled the Crystal Beast. "Basically, he started hanging out with the wrong crowd. These Gladiator Beasts aren't exactly the nicest Monsters you'll ever meet."
"Now," said Scipio, "I can use Test Tiger's effect, and sacrifice it to summon another Gladiator Beast from my deck. And by the way, when a Gladiator Beast is summoned by Test Tiger's effect, it gains the same powers it would have gotten if it were summoned by another Gladiator Beast's effect."
"Say again?" said Sam. "I'm losing you."
"Test Tiger, begone," said Scipio, as the Tiger vanished. "Come forth, Gladiator Beast Bestiari!"
Another Monster rose out of the trapdoor. This one was a Winged Beast of some type, with green feathers, armor, and metallic wings, with blasters mounted on his arms. (1,500/800)
"Like I said," said Scipio. "Bestiari gains the ability he would have gained if he was summoned by the effect of another Gladiator Beast. That ability is the power to destroy one Spell or Trap Card.
"Bestiari, destroy Ectoplasmer!"
Bestiari aimed one of his blasters and pointed at the Ectoplasmer card. He fired a bolt of energy, and it was blown to pieces.
"Well, so much for that edge," said Sam.
"Attack…" started Scipio.
"Activate, Threatening Roar!" shouted Sam.
Her facedown card flipped up, and a loud bellow echoed across the field.
"Afraid you can't attack me this turn."
Yumi can be a pain in the ass sometimes, she thought, but she has good taste in cards.
"In that case," said Scipio, "I end my turn."
Sam quickly drew a card.
"Due to its effect, my Doll is Special Summoned to field," she said.
Malice Doll of Demise appeared again, chuckling evilly. (1,600/1,700)
"Next, I summon The Bistro Butcher!"
She played a new card, and the fiendish chef appeared. (1,800/1,000)
"Butcher, carve up that bird! Attack Gladiator Beast Bestiari!"
The Bistro Butcher lunged at Bestiari, and made a slash. The Winged Beast shattered into pieces and Scipio cringed.
"Thanks to your Butcher," said Scipio, "I get to draw two cards."
He made two draws.
"Fine," said Sam. "Malice Doll of Demise, attack the other one! Cleaver heaver!"
Malice Doll of Demise threw its axe at Secutor, and the Reptile was blown to bits. Scipio cringed again.
"And that's all for me," said Sam.
(S: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 5,700)
"A minor setback, you can be sure," said Scipio, drawing a card.
"First I play… Pot of Greed."
He played the card, and the green jug appeared. He drew twice.
"Now I play the Spell Card, Gladiator's Return. This lets me take three Gladiator Beasts from my Graveyard, and return them to my deck."
He played the card, and three cards – Secutor, Bestiari, and the one he discarded with Graceful Charity – slipped out of his discard slot. He combined them with his deck, and reshuffled.
"Now, I get to draw once."
He made one draw.
"Time for a new gladiator…"
The trapdoor opened again…
A strange creature rose out of the trapdoor. It looked like an aquatic fish-man, with blue scales and flippers. Mounted on its back were two devices that looked similar to Secutor's cannons. (800/400)
"Meet Gladiator Beast Murmillo," said Scipio.
"What the heck are these things?" asked Yumi.
"Your Monsters are all third-rate!" laughed Sam.
"Don't be so quick to judge," said Scipio, taking another card from his hand.
"What are gladiators without spectators to watch them fight? They're nothing, that's what they are… I play a Field Spell…
"Take us to Colosseum – Cage of the Gladiator Beasts!"
He placed a card in his Field Slot, and the whole arena around them changed. The most obvious addition was that the seats now had a crowd of cheering spectators. And they weren't human. The human duelists on the floor looked up, and saw that they were all Duel Spirits, most of them Beast-Warriors. Yumi could make out several Battle Ox, Battle Steer, Beaver Warriors, Vorse Raiders, Panther Warriors, Boar Soldiers… Practically anything in Duel Monsters that was half-human and half-animal. There were also a few Winged Beasts; Yumi saw the three Harpie Lady Sisters in some VIP seating, and here and there was a Sonic Shooter and a Hunter Owl (she wasn't quick to point it out to Chelsea).
"Talk about a rowdy crowd," said Chelsea.
"Yeah," said Jesse. "All they need are some torches and a castle to raid."
"Uhm, these are holograms, right?" asked Erik, nervously.
The Colosseum itself had changed too, having acquired a more bestial theme, with gargoyles and statues depicting great cats, dinosaurs, and birds of prey.
Ren looked at the menagerie of spectators.
"Uhm…" he said. "Somehow, I don't think that Sam is the crowd favorite here…"
"As you said," said Scipio, "Murmillo isn't very strong… Thus, I can play the Spell Card, Secret Pass to the Treasures. Because he's so weak, this lets him get past your Monsters, and strike at you."
"Not again…" muttered Sam.
Murmillo's two cannons glowed, and then a blast of water shot out of them, hitting Sam and knocking her down. The bestial crowd cheered.
"Ooh, he's gonna pay for that!" she shouted.
"Sorry," said Scipio. "You can't reach him now…"
"What do you…" started Sam.
As she said this, Murmillo knelt on the trapdoor, and retreated back into the floor.
"HEY!" shouted Sam. "Where'd he go?"
"Back to my deck," said Scipio. "Gladiator Beasts never stay around for an encore."
"It's tag team," said Topaz Tiger, with a growl. "That's the whole system with these things. Whenever one of them survives a fight, it can retreat back to the deck. Then a new one comes out, and it gets special powers as a result of being summoned by the previous one. As a result, they're very hard to hurt!"
"Thus," said Scipio, "I summon Gladiator Beast Dimacari."
He played a new card, and a new Monster emerged from the trapdoor. This one appeared to be a humanoid ram of some sort, with blue fur, wearing a breastplate and a kilt. It lifted its fists, which looked partially like hooves. (1,600/1,200)
"His appearance triggers two effects," said Scipio. "First, my Deck Lord. Whenever I Special Summon a Monster from my deck using an effect that involves sending one to my deck, I get to draw one card."
Serpentine Princess glowed, and he drew once.
"Next… Observe…"
On the top of the Colosseum, a large beacon lit, sending flames into the air.
"Each time one of us Special Summons a Monster from our decks to the field," said Scipio, "my Colosseum lights one beacon, and for each one, all Gladiator Beasts gain 100 Attack and Defense Points."
Dimacari glowed with energy. (1,700/1,300)
He played a Spell Card.
"I'm not done. I play Gladiator Beast's Respite. Now, I take two cards with the words 'Gladiator Beast' in my hand, and shuffle them back into my deck."
He added two of the three cards in his hand to his deck, and quickly shuffled.
"Now, I get to draw three times."
He made three draws.
He looked over the new cards.
He placed two of them in his Disk, and two facedown cards appeared.
"And with that, I conclude my turn."
"FINALLY!" shouted Sam.
(S: 7,200) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 5,700)
"Now I recognize the name!" shouted Yumi.
"What?" said Ren.
"Scipio," said Yumi. "He was a general of the Roman Empire, known mostly for defeating Hannibal during the Second Punic War. Clearly, this guy is another virtual construct."
"Well, that explains the gladiator theme," said Erik. "If only we knew what Sam was up against…"
Sam drew a card and looked at Dimacari.
I have absolutely no idea what I'm up against, she thought. He obviously knew that Dimacari is still weaker than The Bistro Butcher, so one of his facedown cards is likely something else to stop an attack.
She looked at the card she had just drawn.
But now I can get rid of his main edge…
"Sorry, Scipio," she said, "but I'm sending this crowd home early, and tearing your Cage down. I play Mystical Space Typhoon!"
She played the card and a cyclone started to form from it.
"A dire mistake lass!" exclaimed Scipio. "My Colosseum is hardier than most structures!"
He took one of the last two cards in his hand.
"I have a second Colosseum right here! And by sending it to the Graveyard, I can prevent the one on the field from being destroyed!"
He quickly discarded it, and the cyclone died down.
"Crud," said Sam. "Well, time to go for broke… I summon Gil Garth."
She played a new card, and the metal, sword-wielding Fiend appeared on the field. (1,800/1,200)
Sam was startled as the crowd started to boo.
"Yeah, yeah, you're all not the first ones to hate me," she said. "Butcher, attack Dimacari!"
The Bistro Butcher rushed at the Gladiator Beast, swinging his cleaver.
"I activate, Defensive Tactics!" shouted Scipio, as one of his facedown cards lifted.
As The Bistro Butcher swung his weapon, Dimacari blocked with his gauntlets, and the cleaver's blow was deflected. Dimacari gave the Fiend a solid kick with his hoof, and he fell backwards.
"Since I have at least one Gladiator Beast on the field," said Scipio, "Defensive Tactics prevents my Monsters from being destroyed in battle this round, and reduces the battle damage to zero."
"Sounds like a fancy version of Waboku," said Sam, putting her hand on her hip.
Scipio laughed.
"This Trap has a benefit that Waboku doesn't have," he said, holding up the card. "After it's triggered, it doesn't go to the Graveyard, it goes to bottom of my deck."
He slid the card under his deck.
"At least he won't get to it again," said Chelsea.
"Actually, he might," said Jesse. "If his strategy involves summoning Monsters from his deck, he has to shuffle each time he does it. He may well draw it again."
"That's probably the whole point to that effect," said Yumi.
"I end my turn," said Sam.
Scipio drew a card.
"Let's continue," said Scipio. "I summon Witch Doctor of Sparta."
He played a card, and a dark figure appeared next to Murmillo. It was a sorcerer clad in dark robes and a cape, his head fully covered by a helmet made from a bull's skull. (400/2,000)
"Now I activate… Shield Spear," he said, as his other facedown card lifted. "This Trap increases my Monster's Attack and Defense by 400."
Dimacari glowed again. (2,100/1,700)
"Now, my gladiator attacks… And since he was summoned by the effect of another Gladiator Beast, Dimacari can do it twice!"
"HUH?" said Sam.
"Attack her Butcher and Gil Garth!" ordered Scipio. "Ram slam!"
Dimacari charged at Gil Garth, and slugged him hard with his fist. The Fiend shattered.
Then he turned and kicked The Bistro Butcher with its hoof, and he shattered too.
"Now, retreat Dimacari…" said Scipio.
Dimacari knelt on the trapdoor, and he retreated into the floor, just as Murmillo had.
"Now that I've whetted the crowd's appetite," he said, "the time has come to bring out one the champions of my Colosseum…"
The crowd began to cheer louder, as the trapdoor opened again.
"Emerge, Gladiator Beast Alexander!"
The Monster that appeared was a large, muscular creature with the head of a lion, wearing golden armor with golden wings on his back. He radiated a powerful aura of light. (2,400/600)
"Super…" said Sam.
"Alexander is so powerful," said Scipio, "that he refuses to emerge unless it's right after Dimacari leaves. And since he was summoned via the effect of another Gladiator Beast, he is now immune to Spell Cards. To be fair, that includes my own. So my Colosseum has no effect on him.
"However, I get to draw one card due to my Deck Lord…"
He drew one card.
"…my Colosseum nonetheless gains a second beacon…"
A second bonfire erupted on the opposite side of the first.
"And finally…"
Witch Doctor of Sparta cast a dark hex, and fired a blast of black magic, hitting Sam in the chest.
"OW!" she shouted. "What gives?"
"His curse will cost you 500 Life Points," said Scipio, "each time a Monster is Special Summoned from either deck."
(S: 6,100) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 5,700)
"And my turn is over," he said.
"About time," said Sam, drawing a card. "Do your turns always take this long?"
She looked over her hand.
Nuts, she thought. He brought out Alexander the Great himself, and I have nothing that can beat him, even if he wasn't immune to Spell Cards. If only I had Ha Des…
Yumi looked at Alexander.
I'm beginning to see how Scipio's strategy works, she thought. It's a tempo. And he's trying to make it perfect.
Summoning each Monster leads to another, and if my guess is right, unless Sam manages to break this tempo, it will cumulate in the summoning of an incredibly powerful Monster, that may well be too difficult to defeat…
Come on Sam, do something…
"I move Malice Doll of Demise to Defense Mode," said Sam.
The puppet knelt, and shielded itself with its axe.
"Now I set this in Defense Mode."
A facedown Monster appeared.
"And that will do it."
Scipio drew a card.
He looked at the Monster on the card, who was a Level Seven Gladiator Beast named Octavius.
Eh, he's more trouble than he's worth, he thought.
"Alexander, attack her Malice Doll of Demise!" she shouted. "Great slash!"
Alexander spread his wings and took to the air. Then he swooped down of the Doll, and his wings turned to blades, slashing the puppet in half. The remains shattered.
"Good job," said Scipio.
"Don't tell me he's going to send a Monster that powerful back to his deck?" asked Ren.
"Oh, but indeed I am," said Scipio.
Alexander knelt, and was lowered through the trapdoor.
"I now summon a gladiator known for his ability to take punishment far more than his ability to dish it out… Come to the field, Gladiator Beast Hoplomus!"
A new and much larger Monster emerged from the trapdoor. It was a hulking, rocky ogre, dressed in plate armor, with the head of a rhinoceros. He knelt and crossed his arms, clearly in Defense Mode. (1,000/2,100)
Serpentine Princess glowed, and Scipio drew a card.
Then the Witch Doctor pointed, and cast his curse at Sam again.
"Ergh…" muttered Sam.
Scipio chuckled, as a third bonfire lit.
"Since Hoplomus was summoned using another Gladiator Beast's effect," he said, "his Defense Score becomes 2,400. And then the effect of my Colosseum is applied."
(1,300/2,700)
"Now I Equip Hoplomus with one the Gladiator Beasts' weapons. The Gladiator Beast's Battle Manica."
He played a Spell Card, and Hoplomus's right arm glowed. A fancy gauntlet appeared on it.
"With this Equipped to a Gladiator Beast, he can't be destroyed in battle."
"Maybe so," said Erik, "but wouldn't it be destroyed if you used the effect to return him to your deck?"
Scipio chuckled again.
"I set a card facedown," he said.
A facedown card appeared behind Hoplomus.
"My Witch Doctor moves to Defense Mode, and my turn is over."
Witch Doctor of Sparta knelt and crossed his arms.
(S: 5,600) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 5,700)
Sam quickly drew a card.
Okay, she thought. Time to take a risk.
"I flip Morphing Jar into Attack Mode," she said.
Her facedown Monster flipped, and Morphing Jar appeared. (700/600)
"Now we gotta ditch all the cards in our hands and draw five more."
Scipio shrugged. They discarded their cards, and made five draws.
"Perfect!" shouted Sam. "I play Premature Burial, to bring back Gil Garth."
She played the card, and Gil Garth appeared again. (1,800/1,200)
"Now… I sacrifice my Morphing Jar…"
Morphing Jar vanished into a dark shadow. Thunder rumbled over the Colosseum.
"I summon Dark Ruler Ha Des!"
Ha Des appeared, looming over Sam's side of the field. The crowd was silenced… (2,450/1,600)
"You think you can frighten me by calling on the power of the King of the Underworld?" said Scipio. "Humph. Even he cannot defeat Hoplomus."
"True," said Sam, "but your gladiator isn't who he's gonna aim for. Ha Des, wipe out his Witch Doctor! Stygian blast!"
Ha Des blasted his dark flames, and Witch Doctor of Sparta was burned to a crisp. The crowd started to boo again.
"Aw, shut up!" shouted Sam. "I end my turn."
(S: 4,800) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 5,700)
Scipio drew a card.
"Hoplomus, move to Attack Mode," he said.
"Huh?" said Sam, as the gladiator stood up.
"Attack her Gil Garth!" shouted Scipio. "Rhino rampage!"
"What are you doing!" shouted Sam. "Gil Garth is stronger!"
Hoplomus charged at Gil Garth like the rhino he resembled, and the Fiend caught him by the horn, shoving him backwards.
"True," said Scipio, "but due to the Manica, he isn't destroyed. And nothing ever said a Gladiator Beast had to win a battle to use its effect.
"Thus, Hoplomus retreats…"
Hoplomus knelt, and descended into the trapdoor.
"As for your friend's presumption," continued Scipio, "when a Gladiator Beast is returned to my deck while armed with one of its weapons, the weapon does indeed go to the Graveyard…"
Then a card slipped out of his discard slot.
"However," he continued, "when it is sent to the Graveyard that way, it is quickly returned to my hand.
"And now, it's time to bring out another champion…
"Come out, Gladiator Beast Spartacus!"
"Huh?" said Yumi. "Spartacus? As in the legendary gladiator of Rome who led a slave uprising?"
"He wasn't successful," said Erik.
"Still," said Jesse, "I have a feeling this guy is gonna mean business."
Indeed, that seemed to be the case. The Monster that rose out of the trapdoor this time seemed far more ferocious that any gladiator yet. It was a seven-foot tall, humanoid Dinosaur, with spines all over its body, holding a large halberd. (2,200/1,600)
Serpentine Princess glowed, and Scipio drew a card. Then a fourth bonfire lit. (2,600/2,000)
"Spartacus will only enter the arena if Hoplomus precedes him," said Scipio. "Now I use his effect, which lets me take another Gladiator Beast weapon from my deck."
A card slipped out of his deck.
"Now," he said, taking a card from his hand. "It's time for some teamwork. Making a return appearance, Gladiator Beast Bestiari."
He placed another card on his Disk, and another Monster rose out of the trapdoor. This one they had seen before – the Winged Beast with green feathers and blasters on his wrists. (1,500/800) –) (1,900/1,200)
The three Harpie Ladies stood up in their seats and started cheering loudly.
"Looks like Bestiari has his own fan club," said Jesse.
"But neither of these two gladiators will be here for long," said Scipio. "You see, whenever Spartacus is on the field with a fellow gladiator, the two of them can combine to form a much stronger fighting force."
"You mean… A fusion?" asked Sam.
Scipio chuckled.
"With Gladiator Beasts," he said, "it's not simply a fusion…
"It's Contact Fusion! Spartacus… Bestiari… Combine!"
Contact Fusion? thought Yumi, her eyes opening wide. That's the type of special fusion that Neos can do with the Neo-Spacians! These Gladiator Beasts can do it too?
Spartacus and Bestiari leapt into the air, and they collided in a flash of light…
A new Monster fell to the floor of the arena with a crash. He looked similar to Spartacus at first glance – same Dinosaur body with the same skin texture. But he wore far more elaborate gauntlets and a fancy kilt. He carried a huge battle axe. (2,600/1,500) –) (3,000/1,900)
"Oh, just great," muttered Sam.
"Meet Gladiator Beast Gaiodiaz," said Scipio, playing two cards. "To make him even stronger, I'll Equip him with both the Manica, and the Gladiator Beast's Battle Gladius."
The Manica appeared on Gaiodiaz's left arm, and his axe vanished, replaced by a fancy short sword. His Attack Score rose to 3,300.
"And that will end my turn."
(S: 4,800) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 5,200)
Sam nervously drew a card.
All right, she thought, looking at it. This can't destroy that thing so long as he has that gauntlet, but at least I'll be safe for one round.
"I throw a card facedown, and move Gil Garth to Defense Mode," she said.
A facedown card appeared behind Ha Des, and Gil Garth knelt and shielded himself.
"My move," said Scipio, drawing a card.
He looked at it, and added it to his hand.
He smirked.
She moved Gil Garth to Defense Mode, but kept Ha Des in Attack Mode, he thought. I know exactly what that facedown card is…
"Gaiodiaz, slay her Dark Ruler!" he shouted. "Berserker slash!"
Gaiodiaz rushed at Dark Ruler Ha Des, thrusting his Gladius…
"I activate, Bark of Dark Ruler!" shouted Sam, as her Trap Card lifted. "I'll pay 900 Life Points, and your Gladiator will have to back off!"
"No he won't," replied Scipio.
His own facedown card lifted.
"A Counter Trap?!" shouted Sam.
"It's called Parry," said Scipio. "I simply return one Gladiator Beast in my hand to my deck, and your Trap is negated."
He took a Monster named Gladiator Beast Laquari from his hand and reshuffled it back into his deck, and the Bark card was blown to bits.
"No…" thought Sam.
Gaiodiaz stabbed Ha Des, and the Dark Ruler exploded into a burst of dark smoke. The menagerie of Monsters in the crowd let out a loud cheer.
"Gaiodiaz has a powerful effect, by the way," said Scipio. "When he defeats an opponent, my opponent loses Life Points equal to its Defense Score. So you lose 2,450 total.
Sam screamed and fell to her knees as a dark aura surrounded her, leeching the life from her skin.
"My turn is now over," said Scipio.
"No new Beast?" asked Ren.
"I don't feel like bringing any new ones out yet," said Scipio. "If that becomes necessary, I will."
And it would be pointless anyway, he thought, looking at his hand. Until I draw a Gladiator Beast that I can Normal Summon, I can't summon one that's even stronger than Gaiodiaz.
(S: 1,450) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 5,200)
Sam slowly stood up. She drew a card. She looked at it.
"I play Pot of Greed," she said, playing it.
She slowly drew two cards. She looked at them.
"Ready, Gors?" she said to the Fiend behind her.
Gors nodded.
"I play Monster Reborn!" shouted Sam.
The ankh appeared on the field.
What came next was a surprise. The Monster that appeared was Dark Ruler Ha Des, crouching in Defense Mode. (2,450/1,600)
"Impossible," said Scipio. "He can't be summoned from the Graveyard."
"Normally, that's true," said Sam. "But due to my Deck Lord's new power, which he got by draining the energy from a moth, I can disregard that liability and indeed Special Summon Ha Des from the Graveyard.
"And now it's time for a change of scenery."
She opened her own Field slot and played a card.
"I play Domicile of the Dark Ruler!"
Scipio gasped as the Colosseum with its bloodthirsty crowd faded away, and a new Field formed. It was a blasted wasteland, full of lava pits and twisted trees. A terrible palace of skulls rose behind Sam. Gaiodiaz fell to a score of (2,900/1,500).
"That's all for me," said Sam.
Scipio drew a card angrily.
He smirked when he saw what it was.
This one will do nicely, he thought.
"Gaiodiaz, attack the Dark Ruler again!" he commanded.
Gaiodiaz slashed with his blade, but this time, he couldn't scratch Ha Des.
"You see the effects of my Field Spell?" asked Sam. "It can only be here so long as Ha Des is on the field, but so long as it is, Fiends can't be destroyed in battle."
"So be it," said Scipio. "It won't last long.
"I activate Gaiodiaz's other effect. By sending him back to my Fusion Deck, I can summon not one, but two Gladiator Beasts!"
The trapdoor was gone, so Gaiodiaz merely vanished.
"So now I summon Gladiator Beasts Laquari, and another gladiator making an encore, Murmillo!"
The first gladiator to appear was a Beast-Warrior who seemed to be part boar and part tiger. He was surrounded by a ring of burning flames. (1,800/400) The second one was another one they had seen before – the aquatic, finned fish-man with blue scales and cannons mounted on its back. (800/400)
"I get to draw one card due to my Deck Lord's effect," said Scipio, drawing a card. "And Murmillo didn't get a chance to use his effect last time, but he will now. When he is summoned via the effect of another Gladiator Beast, one Monster on the field is destroyed."
Murmillo's eyes glowed with golden light. Sam gasped as the Dark Ruler exploded into black shards.
"And with him gone, your Field Spell goes as well," said Scipio.
The palace behind Sam crumbled into a pile of rubble, and the wasteland vanished, returning them to the empty arena.
"Fine," said Sam, "but at least I can bring Ha Des back…"
Her facedown card lifted, revealing Call of the Haunted.
"Don't forget," she said, "with my Deck Lord, I can break the rules, and use cards that Special Summon from the Graveyard on Ha Des."
Ha Des appeared again in a burst of fire and smoke. (2,450/1,600)
"He won't last long," said Scipio. "From my hand, I summon Gladiator Beast Darius."
He played another card, and another gladiator appeared. This one looked like a humanoid stallion with black fur, wearing a breastplate, shoulder pads, and a kilt, holding a whip that crackled with electricity. (1,700/300)
"Just how many of these guys do you have?" asked Sam.
Scipio chuckled.
"One more…" he said. "And I saved the best for last…
"When Laquari is on the field with two other Gladiator Beasts, all three of them can perform a triple Contact Fusion, to summon the champion of champions… A name that's legendary among the Gladiator Beasts…"
All three Gladiator Beasts leapt into the air, and collided in a burst of light…
A creature that was fully eight feet tall crashed down in front of Scipio and let out a roar. The best way to describe him was to say that he was an amalgamation of all the other Gladiator Beasts. He had Alexander's wings, Secutor's cannons (mounted on his shield, rather than his back), Spartacus's tail, and so forth. His face was a combination of a tiger and a fierce wolf, and he burned with an aura of flames. He looked more than ready to fight.
"Meet the champion of the Gladiator Beasts," said Scipio, "Gladiator Beast Heraklinos!"
(3,000/2,800)
"Oh, crud…" muttered Erik.
"Now, to make him stronger," said Scipio, "I'll Equip him with both the Manica and the Gladius."
The two weapons appeared on Heraklinos's right arm. (3,300/2,800)
"You might as well surrender," said Scipio. "My Monster is unbeatable now."
"Says who?" said Sam.
"Says his incredibly powerful effect," said Scipio. "You see, if you try to play either a Spell or Trap Card, he can negate it if I simply discard one card."
He held up his hand.
"As you can see, I have five cards to discard. And after you draw, you'll only have three cards to play.
"Don't forget, due to the Manica, my Monster can't be destroyed in battle."
This is it, thought Yumi. The end result of his perfect tempo… Oh, Sam, God help you…
Scipio chuckled.
"Your move…" he said.
Sam paused.
She looked at the two cards in her hand, which were Curse of the Masked Beast and Pot of Avarice. Both of them would be worthless right now, even if he couldn't negate them.
She took a deep breath.
She drew a card.
Her eyes opened wide.
It's the card mom gave me! she thought. The one she had I2 design especially for me!
She held the card to her heart.
If I'm lucky, I just may be able to win this duel yet…
"Your Heraklinos may have a powerful effect, Scipio," she said, "but he has one major weakness – he can't negate Monster effects."
"Well… That's true…" muttered Scipio.
He looked at his hand.
She likely drew Night Assailant, he thought. Or maybe Newdoria. What she doesn't know is, I have Nobleman of Crossout in my hand, which I can use to obliterate any Monster that she sets in Defense Mode.
"Gil Garth, move to Attack Mode!" ordered Sam.
"Huh?" said Scipio.
Gil Garth stood up.
"Now…" said Sam. "It is my pleasure to introduce a lady who's making her debut appearance in Duel Monsters. She's Level Six, but when Ha Des is on the field, she can be Special Summoned…
"I summon… Dark Queen Per Sephone!"
She threw a card on her Disk, and a dark shadow fell across the field…
A feminine form materialized, appearing as a fiendish woman of cold beauty. She had wings, small horns, and pale skin, and was dressed in a black leather halter and short skirt. She wore gold bracelets and anklets, and a tiara set with a red ruby.
Then Yumi and the others got a good look at the Monster. It was an image of Sam herself, what she might have looked like as a Fiend. She had the same hair, same eyes, and the same expression…
(2,200/1,200)
Yumi smirked.
Figures, she thought. In mythology, Persephone was Hades's consort, and the Queen of the Underworld. Now Sam has found a way to truly become the Consort of Ha Des…
"And just how is she going to help?" asked Scipio.
"I'm activating her effect," said Sam. "By tossing one card, I can Special Summon from my deck a Fiend-Type Monster that's Level Four or less."
She discarded her Pot of Avarice.
"So… I summon… Snipe Hunter!"
In a burst of energy, a nasty little winged imp dressed in black leather appeared. It held what looked like a toy gun, with a roulette wheel on top with the numbers one through six on it. (1,500/600)
"Here's how it's gonna go, Scipio," said Sam. "I choose one card on the field. And I think I'll choose… Oh, I dunno, your Gladiator Beast Heraklinos.
"Then, I toss one card…"
She discarded the last card in her hand.
"Then my Snipe Hunter is going to give that little roulette wheel on that little toy pistol of his a spin. If it lands on the one or the six, well… I lose. But anything else, and the card I just chose is blown into a million pieces."
"Hey, wait a minute…" said Scipio.
"Snipe Hunter," said Sam, "you know what to do…"
Snipe Hunter let out a cackle, and spun the roulette wheel… Everybody tensed as it spun…
It started to slow, it went past the six, then slowly past the one…
It landed on the two.
Snipe Hunter fired a blast of energy from the pistol, and Heraklinos was blown to atoms.
"Ergh…" muttered Scipio, holding his chest.
"Yeah!" shouted Ren.
"Time to end this!" shouted Sam. "Ha Des, attack directly!"
Ha Des fired his Stygian blast, and Scipio hollered.
"Gil Garth, you next!"
Gil Garth gripped his scimitar in both hands, and charged at Scipio, slashing at him with the blade. Scipio's armor was smashed to pieces, and he was knocked over.
He slowly got up and scowled at Sam.
"Per Sephone…" said Sam. "Attack directly with dark claw!"
Per Sephone flew at Scipio, and slashed across his chest with her long nails, leaving four deep gashes. He groaned, and fell to his knees…
(S: 1,450) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 0)
Serpentine Princess shrieked as she saw Scipio fall. Then Gors pointed at her, and she screamed as she glowed with dark flames.
The screams died, as the flames consumed her.
Gors nodded to Sam, and then slowly vanished.
"So now what?" asked Ren.
Scipio started to glow with red, fiery energy. He started to slowly blur, and change shape, becoming bigger and more muscular.
In a minute, Scipio was gone, and Gladiator Beast Heraklinos was where he stood – albeit without the shield he had when he had been summoned during the duel. His Disk replaced it. He slowly stood up.
He turned to everyone who was watching.
"Scipio?" asked Sam, opening her eyes wide.
"An illusion," said the Gladiator Beast, in a much deeper and powerful voice than Scipio's. "I couldn't assume my true form if I wanted to use Serpentine Princess. But it doesn't matter now."
He sighed.
"Well, humans, I believe the deal was that I was to guide you through the storm…"
"Really?" said Sam. "No tricks?"
"No…" he said with another sigh. "I'm not the vindictive sort.
"You know, most gladiators have to be reasonably tough to survive long in such a profession… Ones like Secutor are rare.
"But on the other hand, very powerful ones like me are rare too, because sooner or later, every gladiator meets his match. Defeat is something we learn to accept."
He started walking towards the exit.
"Everyone stay close to me," he said. "I can only protect you from the stinging sands so long as you stay close…"
Chelsea looked up.
"Hey, Daala," she said. "Are you watching? If you are, it seems your plan to stop us fell flat on its face!"
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"No it didn't, Chelsea," said Daala, who was indeed watching. "Heraklinos may not have known it, but his job was merely to slow you down. I never dreamed he would have actually succeeded in using his own card.
"So I'd say my plan worked admirably…"
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Outside the building, Heraklinos raised his hand, and a pathway opened in the raging storm.
Suddenly, something came to Chelsea… Something had sort of… Called out to her.
Something is waiting for me on the other side of that storm, she thought. I don't know what…
Whatever it is, I want to find out…
Whoever is calling, I'm coming…
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DARK QUEEN PER SEPHONE (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Fiend/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 6
ATK: 2,200
DEF: 1,200
Card Description: If you have a "Dark Ruler Ha Des" face-up on your side of the field, you may Special Summon this card from your hand. You may not have more than one "Dark Queen Per Sephone" face-up on your side of the field at one time. This card cannot be the target of an attack if there is a "Dark Ruler Ha Des" face-up on your side of the field. Once per your turn, you may discard one card from your hand to Special Summon a Fiend-Type Monster from your deck that is Level Four or less.
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DOMICILE OF THE DARK RULER (Spell Card)
Field Spell
Image: A hideous palace of bones standing on a dark wasteland.
Card Description: If there is no "Dark Ruler Ha Des" face-up on your side of the field, destroy this card. Fiend-Type Monsters on both sides of the field cannot be destroyed in battle (damage calculation still applies).
Note: "Domicile of the Dark Ruler" first appeared in "Dark Messiah".
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Scipio's Deck Lord: "Serpentine Princess": "Gladiator Purse": Every time one or more Monsters is Special Summoned from your deck to your side of the field via an effect that involves a card being sent back to your deck or Fusion Deck, draw one card. (Greater Power)
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Sam's Deck Lord: "Messenger of Hades – Gors": "Summon Subjects": When "Dark Ruler Ha Des" is face-up on your side of the field, you may spend 800 Life Points to Special Summon a Level Four or lower Fiend-Type Monster from your Graveyard. You may use this effect once per turn, during your Main Phase. (Minor Power) "Immortal Ruler": You may disregard the summoning restrictions for "Dark Ruler Ha Des" and Special Summon it from your Graveyard using an appropriate card. (Minor Power)
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Coming up next:
Why won't Chelsea's ghost whisperer abilities work on Xanadu? Do Duel Spirits have no afterlife? Or do their ghosts simply just not want to speak to a human?
To find out why, and possibly restore her abilities, Chelsea will have to duel a hard battle against someone who claims to know a piece of Penelope's legacy that was previously unknown. And she may come out stronger for the experience.
It's coming up in "These Shattered Senses", coming soon.
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Name that Card!
This Normal Monster was released long before the Dark World Fiends were. However, its flavor text had the first ever mention of Dark World, albeit not capitalized. Can you name it?