What Spell Card's image was inspired by Milton Bradley's The Game of Life? If you said "Back to Square One", you were successfully able to Name that Card!
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Author's note:
This chapter features a character who appeared in the anime, who used mostly anime-only cards. As was often the case, when the show was translated into the English dub, the character's name and most of his cards' names were changed.
As usual, the dub names ruined the whole idea behind the character, and were at times, silly. Therefore, in this chapter, I will do my best to use the original names, of both the character and his cards. I just hope I can get the translations as accurate as possible, because I'm no expert.
I hope this doesn't cause too much confusion.
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I'm gonna ask you a question. Be honest when you answer, okay? How many live theater performances have you been to in the past year?
If you answered honestly and you're a guy like me, I'll bet the number you said small or zero. And if you went to any, they were probably parts of field trips that your teachers dragged you to.
I just don't understand dramatic theater that much. Sam is good at it, but she had a lot of private tutors. My English teacher assigns the works of the great William Shakespeare all the time, giving us at most three days to read them. When we complain about the short time, his response is that they can perform these plays in two hours, so I guess my argument falls flat. Of course, my English teacher has a bad sense of humor. His response when we ask what the play is about is always, "It's about a hundred pages, so start reading."
Anyway, Joan said this would help me relax, and if it can do that, I'm willing to try. I'm going to have to risk my life again once this is over, after all.
One thing's for sure…
If I ever make it back to Domino, I'm going to start going to more shows.
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CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
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Amphitheater
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Early the next morning, Yumi was dreaming again.
She dreamt she was once again, back in Neo-Space, in front of a very large, very important looking building. A duelist was in front of the building, and he seemed to be both dueling and guarding the entrance at the same time.
Yumi recognized him quickly. It was another of Jaden's allies, the short, bespectacled, and rather geeky-looking Syrus Truesdale. Like all of the members of Jaden's group she had seen so far, he apparently hadn't aged at all since the fateful plane flight where he was last seen by earthlings.
His opponent was dressed in the same outfit and mask as the previous two invaders, but he seemed to be somewhat older, with graying hair.
Syrus had Drillroid (1,600/1,600) in Defense Mode, and 4,500 Life Points remaining. His opponent had a Monster that Yumi recognized as The Tricky. (2,000/1,200) He had 5,100 Life Points left.
"It's pointless to keep fighting, Syrus," said the man. "You're going to lose no matter what you do, and once that happens, no-one will be here to help. Your allies may not know it yet, but the three emergency distress signals they responded to were three carefully crafted false alarms. They won't even receive your real distress signal, much less get here, until it's too late.
"My offer still stands, by the way… Release Pollux and Phoebe, and we can forget that all of this ever happened."
"Pardon me if I say I don't believe you, Damocles," said Syrus. "This invasion of yours is ending here and now."
"Have it your way," said Damocles, drawing a card.
"I remove my Slate Warrior from play, in order to summon Slipheed."
In a whirlwind of energy, a tall man with white hair in a pure white suit, holding a scepter appeared. (1,700/700)
"Even if you destroy him," said Damocles, "it will cost you one card from your hand.
"Destroy Drillroid with gust blast!"
Slipheed cast a powerful spell, and a whirlwind of energy shot at the Machine, blowing it to scrap.
"Tricky, attack directly with trick illusion!"
The Tricky cast a bolt of multicolored lights. Syrus hollered as his Life Points fell to 2,500 and his glasses flew off his face.
He took some deep breaths. He bent down and picked up his glasses, which were now half-broken.
Damocles burst out laughing.
"Well…" he said. "Looks like you have a choice. You can surrender, or continue to duel me blind in one eye."
Syrus frowned, and then threw the spectacles away.
"The glasses are strictly for show these days," he said. "When we came to Neo-Space, the natives gave us perfect health. I can see just fine without them.
"Heck, they were even able to restore Jim's right eye entirely, that he lost when he was a kid. The healing power of Neo-Space can work miracles."
"Really…" said Damocles, holding his chin. "You might consider getting rid of them for good then. You look better without them."
"I don't need your advice!" shouted Syrus, drawing.
"I play Graceful Charity!"
He quickly drew three cards. He looked over his hand, and then discarded two cards.
"I summon Submarineroid!"
Another Machine broke surface in front of him. It was a large, cartoonish submarine, with eyes on the front. (800/1,800)
"Go!" he shouted. "Subterranean sneak attack!"
Submarineroid dove underground, and started to rush towards Damocles…
"Huh?" he said.
"Things always look different when you're staring down the barrel of a submarine, huh?" asked Syrus.
Then an explosion burst around Damocles. He screamed as his Life Points fell to 4,300.
Submarineroid reappeared on Syrus's side of the field.
"It moves into Defense Mode," he said, as it crossed its arms. "I throw one card facedown, and I end my turn."
A facedown card appeared in a flash of light.
Damocles angrily drew a card.
"Okay, Truesdale," he said. "I was hoping it wouldn't come to this, but you're making me mad.
"I play System Down! I pay 1,000 Life Points, and all Machines on your side of the field and Graveyard are removed from play."
His Life Points fell to 3,300. Syrus gasped, as Submarineroid vanished.
"Time to finish you off!" shouted Damocles. "Tricky, attack!"
The Tricky started to cast his spell…
Syrus quickly discarded a card. A weird creature resembling a hang glider with eyes appeared in front of him, and The Tricky's spell was deflected.
"What was THAT?" shouted Damocles.
"My Kiteroid," said Syrus. "By discarding it, I can reduce the damage from a direct attack to zero."
"Do you have another one?" asked Damocles. "Silpheed, you attack!"
Syrus cringed as the Fairy blasted him with his own spell. His Life Points fell to 800.
"That's all for now…"
Syrus drew a card.
"Time to end this!" he shouted, taking the three cards in his hand. "I play… Power Bond!"
"Huh?" said Damocles.
"I'll fuse Steamroid and Gyroid together," said Syrus, as the two Vehicroids appeared behind him and swirled into one vortex. "And summon Steam Gyroid!"
A large Machine appeared, looking if anything like a large steam locomotive with helicopter blades and a grinning face on the front. It glowed with an aura of pure power. (2,200/1,600) –) (4,400/1,600)
"Tell me, Syrus, did that brother of yours ever tell you why he gave you that card in the first place?" asked Damocles. "I'd love to hear the reason."
"Yes he did, as a matter of fact," said Syrus, "and I really don't think what happens between me and my family is any of your business!"
"Well, he was an idiot to trust you with it, because you just made a fatal mistake!" laughed Damocles. "Even if you attack Slipheed, I'll still have 500 Life Points left, and when you end your turn, Power Bond's side effect kicks in, dealing you 2,200 points of damage, which is more than you have left!"
Syrus grinned.
His facedown card lifted.
"Activate… Call of the Haunted!" he shouted.
"And that's supposed to scare me?" asked Damocles. "Thanks to my System Down, the best Monster you have in your Graveyard is Steamroid. It still won't be enough."
"Wrong," said Syrus. "Your Spell Card didn't get a certain one that I tossed with Graceful Charity."
"Please," said Damocles. "You can't fool me. I played that card after you used Graceful Charity."
"I bring back Dragonroid!" shouted Syrus.
In a burst of energy, a very large Vehicroid appeared. It looked like a comical dragon robot, colored fire engine red, with claws and a long tail, standing upright. (2,900/1,000)
"That… That's impossible…" gasped Damocles. "How could it have resisted my Spell Card?"
"Because Dragonroid isn't a Machine all the time," said Syrus. "It's a Machine when it's in my deck, hand, and on the field. But when it's in the Graveyard, it's a Dragon. So System Down missed it.
"You think this is the first time I dueled someone who used System Down? I was in the Pro League, remember? My opponents put that in their deck all the time.
"And just like them, you're finished.
"Steam Gyroid, Dragonroid, take him down."
Dragonroid blasted a cone of frost from its mouth, and The Tricky burst into shards. Then Steam Gyroid sped at Slipheed. Damocles screamed and collapsed as his Life Points fell to zero.
Yumi woke up with a start.
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Yumi walked into the common room, where breakfast had been set out again. Once again, Joan was nowhere in sight, and a note had been left. She picked it up and started to read.
Children,
Once again I must consult my peers in my home plane. I should be back soon. I should tell you that, given your results so far, my superiors are becoming more optimistic, and the support they have given me is growing.
Once you have refreshed yourself, take the back door from this temple and follow the winding road. You will come to the Amphitheater, where one waits for the duel I promised Ren.
Once that is done follow the map to the entrance to Route 13. Your guide will be waiting to escort you to Darkspire, and then to the Realm Lord's fortress.
I stress incredible caution once you get there. No less than five of my duelists have made it that far, and all are missing. We can assume at this point that one of the remaining two members of the Big Five rules this Realm, but which one, I cannot say. Leichter took the form of a Monster of the Dark Attribute, but on the other hand, Darkspire is a popular place for Machine Spirits, so it might also fit Nezbitt.
I cannot stress the importance of this mission. Along with Light, Dark is one of the most powerful Attributes in Duel Monsters. Darkspire holds great power, and seizing it for ourselves would certainly be beneficial.
One final thing. If you are challenged by a duelist whom you suspect holds the third Apocalyptic Monster, be well-prepared. Utilize your side decks, and add any cards you believe would help against incredibly powerful Monsters. And one point I cannot stress among all others: Should you confiscate the card from one of these duelists, do not, under ANY condition, use it yourself!
Stay safe. May Shinato's hand guide you.
- Guardian Angel Joan
Yumi folded the letter and reached for the pot of hot chocolate.
"Wonder who the Lord is this time?" she said out loud.
"If it is Nezbitt, he shouldn't be too hard," said Sam, as she and the others walked in.
"Sam's right," said Ren. "He was a big coward. He forced Duke, Tristan, and Serenity to duel him, because he knew they were amateurs. And to make things worse, they beat him anyway."
"So he was a big coward AND a big loser," said Chelsea.
"He may have gotten better," said Yumi, handing them the note.
"Come to think of it," said Erik, as Ren read the note, "the Big Five were all losers way back then. Johnson would have been beaten right away if he hadn't resorted to cheating. And in the end, he fell for the oldest trick in the book."
"Ah, Leichter wasn't half bad," said Sam. "He just didn't know that challenging Seto Kaiba was a good way to lose."
"Well, Gansley, Krump, and Johnson certainly got better," said Chelsea, "even if their attitudes didn't. Those guys need to be cut down a peg. Krump may not have been my first hard duel, and he won't be the last… The difference was, beating him felt good."
"Well, let's eat breakfast and find this guy," said Ren. "I need this more than anything… I had the worst nightmare last night…"
"Oh?" said Yumi.
"Yeah…" muttered Ren. "Strangest nightmare… I was dueling, and my opponent summoned a Monster I had never seen before… It must have been Level Seven or higher, since he sacrificed two Monsters… And it looked like a cross between a Fiend and a Dragon, sealed inside a glass prism…
"And it killed Crescent Moon Queen with its breath… Her screams…"
He held his chest.
"Hang on, Ren," said Chelsea, putting her arm around him. "If such a Monster exists… Uhm… Uh…"
She paused.
Man, I hate talking myself into a corner, she thought.
Yumi held her chin, thinking.
"What Monsters were used as sacrifice?" she asked.
"I didn't recognize them either," said Ren.
Yumi sighed.
Strange things were afoot…
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Inside Daala's palace, right outside her throne room, Skull Knight was speaking to two other Duel Spirits, a Vanity's Fiend and an Exarion Universe. They were two other members of Daala's inner circle, but not quite as loyal as Skull Knight.
"You're kidding," said the Vanity's Fiend. "Daala was beaten?"
"And to think we were afraid of her!" said the Universe. "We can take her out right now…"
"Quiet!" exclaimed Skull Knight. "She's in a rotten mood… I had to give her my own stash of mocha fudge ice cream last night to keep the chef from being flogged. Not that he didn't deserve it, but I didn't want the guy who was in charge of making dinner to be tortured.
"If she hears you two…"
"She'll do what?" said the Fiend. "It's time for a change."
"Oh, really?" said a voice.
They all turned around, and saw the Chaos Sorcerer walking towards them.
"Did I just hear talk of treason?" he said.
"Not from me…" said Skull Knight, backing up. "It was them…"
"And who's gonna stop us?" asked the Universe. "You? You yourself lost to Ren."
Chaos Sorcerer chuckled. He slipped a Disk onto his arm, which oddly enough, was a standard one, rather than the strange one that he had when he dueled Ren.
"You two are free to go in there and challenge Daala for the crown," he said. "But you have to get by me first."
"You know," said Vanity's Fiend, lifting his own Disk, "I see no problem with that…"
"Well, let's make it interesting…" said Chaos Sorcerer. "I'll take you both on at once!"
Simultaneously, three Disks activated…
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"So…" said Chelsea, as they walked down the dirt road. "We're looking for some sort of amphitheater?"
"That's what the note said," said Yumi. "Although I'd think that if there was a theater in this place, we would have…"
They stopped short.
"…seen… it… already…"
In front of them was a structure that was indeed an amphitheater. It looked very old, just like everything in Nexus.
It was a very large, outdoor stage, the back a dome shape for amplifying sound, in front of rows of seats. Statues were posed at various points, and the two masks of Comedy and Tragedy were perched at the apex.
Yumi shook her head as they walked down to the huge stage. The spatial laws of Xanadu got pretty creepy at times.
"Well, we're here," said Ren. "So who's in charge?"
"Say there!" said a voice from the stage. "Are you folks here for the show?"
They looked up, and saw a man who had apparently come from backstage. He was dressed in a very odd costume – odd to say the least. It was a traditional Japanese costume; a flowing robe with a long, white wig, and white makeup with red lines on his face. He also wore a standard-issue Duel Disk on his arm.
"Who are you?" said Sam. "Some sort of cosplay duelist?"
The costumed duelist crossed his arms.
"I am Kabukid," he said. "Duelist and showman, who was once the best performing duelist on the Pro League circuit."
"Performing duelist?" asked Erik.
"Wait, I heard about this guy…" said Yumi. "Jaden Yuki mentioned him in his autobiography… He dueled him in the Genex tournament. This guy was able to combine dueling with acting in order to entertain."
"Indeed," said Kabukid. "Ah, yes, I remember Jaden… Such spirit for one so young…
"But enough of that… Who has come to be my opponent?"
"This guy is another AI program, right?" asked Chelsea.
"Who cares?" chuckled Ren, "I like him already!"
He climbed up onto the stage.
"Okay, pal, I think that would be me."
"Very well, Nii-Chan," said Kabuki. "The rest of you have a seat…"
Nii-Chan? thought Ren. Whoa, I barely even know this guy…
"Before we begin, lest I forget," said Kabukid, "I assume you have one of these?"
He pulled one of Joan's feathers out of his robe.
Ren nodded and took out his own.
"Daala would love to tear this theater down," said Kabukid, "but the members of the resistance are sure to run to defend it at the first sign of trouble. And I'm no slouch myself."
Ren readied his Disk as his allies sat down.
"Ladies and gentlemen," said Kabukid, "thank you all for coming. It is my pleasure to present, in duel form, 'Yoshitsune's Thousand Cherry Trees'.
"Lights…"
Then the lights around them dimmed, which was incredibly odd, seeing as they were outdoors. A spotlight fell on the stage.
Kabukid made a bow. Ren shrugged, and then bowed back.
"Game on," he said.
(Ren: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Kabukid: 8,000)
"You ever seen that one, Sam?" asked Chelsea.
"I may be rich, Chelsea, but I'm not that much into high-society events," replied Sam.
Kabukid made his first draw and quickly chose a card.
"It begins!" he said. "If I may quote from the immortal Bard, 'All the world's a stage, the men and women merely players'.
"If such a statement is true… Welcome to my world…"
He placed the card into his Field Slot.
"I play Kabuki Stage – Big Bridge!"
As he played the card, a foggy mist rose around them, and the backdrop of the huge amphitheater behind him opened, showing some elaborately painted scenery. It depicted a wooden bridge over a river, with a meadow on the other side, with a rainbow in the sky.
"Uh, very pretty…" said Ren.
"Next," said Kabukid, "I'll summon one of my stars… I bring a flower to the set… Yoshitsune, the Tengu Beauty!"
In a burst of energy, a female figure appeared in mid air. She wore a white martial arts battle dress, had a fancy hairstyle, and carried a katana by her side.
She gracefully landed on the stage. (800/800)
"Odd," said Erik. "I always thought that Yoshitsune was more… Masculine…"
"In Kabuki, it's quite common for men to play female roles," said Yumi.
And I expected him to be stronger, thought Ren.
"Next, I play a facedown card, and then play Footsteps of Fharlanghn," said Kabukid.
A facedown card appeared, followed by a Continuous Spell. It bore the image of a man in traveling clothes and a long beard, traveling down a scenic path.
"End scene," said Kabuki.
"Uh, I take that to mean you're ending your turn…" said Ren.
He drew a card.
He looked over his six cards.
Not bad… he thought. I have a feeling that Yoshitsune is tougher than she looks, but it's not like my life is riding on this duel…
"I'm summoning a leading lady of my own," he said. "Go, Getsu Fuhma!"
With a war cry, the dark, lady ronin appeared, brandishing her katana. (1,700/1,200)
"Attack his Tengu!" he shouted. "Whirlwind blade!"
Getsu Fuhma leapt at Yoshitsune.
"My star won't let your upstage her!" shouted Kabukid. "She has a special ability… Since Getsu Fuhma has more than 1,000 points, my Tengu can move into Defense Mode."
Yoshitsune knelt down and crossed her arms.
"She still won't survive this attack!" said Ren.
"Yes she will," said Kabukid. "Because if she's in Defense Mode, she gains the ability to dodge one attack per turn."
Yoshitsune leapt up, and over Getsu's head, clear of her sword.
I was right… thought Ren. She's tougher than she looks…
"That's not all," said Kabukid. "Due to your attack, the effect of my Stage activates, and a new character is introduced from my hand…
"Presenting, Mataza the Zapper!"
He played the card, and a stern-faced ronin in green, leather armor, wearing a headband and holding a katana, materialized next to Yoshitsune. (1,300/800)
"Oh, just great…" muttered Ren.
He knew how dangerous Mataza could be… He had him in his own deck.
"I'll throw this facedown, and end my turn."
A facedown card appeared behind Getsu.
Kabukid drew, and looked at the card.
"I activate Pot of Greed," he said.
He played the card, and the green jar appeared in front of him.
"And in response to that, I activate this…"
His facedown card activated.
"Serial Spell. Now, I just discard the last card in my hand…"
He discarded his last card, which was Arms Hole.
"…and Pot of Greed's effect activates twice."
A second Pot of Greed appeared next to the first. Both of them vanished, and he drew four times.
"Man, this guy is good," said Chelsea.
"Yeah, but I doubt that Pot of Greed is the only card he could use Serial Spell with," said Yumi. "Ren had better be careful."
"Now, I move Yoshitsune back to Attack Mode…" said Kabukid.
Yoshitsune stood up.
"And then I give Mataza the powerful Halberd of the Sohei!"
Mataza's sword vanished, and a long naginata appeared in his hands. His Attack Score went up to 1,800.
"Mataza, attack Getsu Fuhma!" ordered Kabukid.
Mataza charged at Getsu, halberd-first.
"Not so fast!" shouted Ren. "I activate Rush Recklessly!"
His facedown card lifted. Getsu's Attack Score shot up to 2,400.
"So I'm cutting his act short!"
"Not quite," said Kabukid. "He can use that Halberd as a shield."
Getsu slashed at Mataza with her katana, and Mataza parried the blow with his weapon. The Halberd of the Sohei shattered into splinters, but he was unharmed.
Then the blade of the Halberd flew at Ren, and he grunted in pain.
"Also," said Kabukid with a chuckle, "when that happens, you lose 500 Life Points."
(R: 7,500) - - - - - - - - - - (K: 7,400)
"Yeah?" said Ren with a frown, taking a card from his hand. "Well, if this Stage of yours is a Field Spell, that means I can use it too. I summon Familiar Knight!"
In a burst of energy, the knight in shining armor appeared next to Getsu. (1,200/1,400)
"You forget," said Kabukid, "Mataza gets two attacks."
Mataza drew his katana, and slashed at Familiar Knight with it. The Knight shattered into pixels.
"Now I'm using Familiar Knight's effect!" shouted Ren. "We can both summon a Level Four Monster from our hands. And I'm going with Dark Blade!"
In another burst, the dark, armored Warrior appeared with his two scimitars. (1,800/1,500)
"Well, if I simply must," said Kabukid. "I summon Armed Samurai – Ben Kei!"
In a dark shadow, another Warrior appeared on Kabukid's side of the field. It was a battle-worn soldier, his tunic pierced with arrows, holding a pitted and well-worn naginata. He carried a pack of weapons slung to his back. (500/800)
"Ho… boy…" muttered Ren.
"To end this scene on a high note," said Kabukid, "I play Fairy of the Spring."
He played the card, and a glowing, humanoid form holding two long rods appeared behind him.
"Now the Halberd of the Sohei returns to me, so it will be making a return appearance next scene."
He took the card from his discard slot.
"And with that, my turn comes to a close…"
(R: 7,400) - - - - - - - - - - (K: 7,400)
Ren drew a card and surveyed the field.
Okay, he thought. I could take out Yoshitsune now…
But he has that nasty Halberd again, and even if he gave it to her, she wouldn't be strong enough to defeat either Getsu Fuhma or Dark Blade.
On the other hand, Mataza is a problem…
And Ben Kei plus Equips is always bad news.
I'll save her for later.
"Getsu, attack Mataza!"
Getsu Fuhma slashed with her katana. Mataza the Zapper was thrown backwards and shattered.
"Dark Blade, attack Ben Kei! Dark sword slash!"
Dark Blade made a savage cut with his sword, and the Armed Samurai burst into pixels.
"That's all for now…"
(R: 7,400) - - - - - - - - - - (K: 5,700)
"Not bad," said Kabukid. "If a bit crude…"
He drew a card.
He placed it in his Disk, and it appeared facedown. Then he played another card.
"Now I play The Warrior Returning Alive. Ben Kei will return once more."
The card slipped out of his discard slot. Then he played it, and Ben Kei appeared again. (500/800)
"Our first act is almost over," he said. "One more scene remains before the interlude, and I promise, it will bring an ovation. For now, it's your move…"
Ren slowly drew.
I don't like that facedown card, he thought. But, seeing as I can't get rid of it…
"I summon Double Pinaska!"
With another war cry, the rapier-wielding Spaniard somersaulted onto the field. (1,500/1,500)
"Attack Ben Kei!" he shouted.
Double Pinaska charged at the Armed Samurai…
"Not this time!" shouted Kabukid. "Activate… Negate Attack!"
His facedown card lifted up, and a wave of energy emitted from the card, pushing Double Pinaska back.
"Ho… kay," said Ren. "In that case, I end my turn…"
Kabukid quickly drew a card.
"Now, the Halberd of the Sohei goes to Ben Kei," he said.
The Halberd appeared in Ben Kei's hands, and his Attack Score rose to 1,000.
"And now… I play Great Mié."
"Great what?" said Ren.
"This Spell Card takes 500 Attack Points from your Monsters, and adds them to mine," said Kabukid.
All five Monsters on the field glowed with energy. Yoshitsune rose to an Attack Score of 1,300, while Ben Kei rose to 1,500. Meanwhile, on Ren's side of the field, Dark Blade decreased to 1,300, Getsu Fuhma to 1,200, and Double Pinaska to 1,000.
"Super…" muttered Ren.
"Ben Kei…" ordered Kabukid, "attack his Dark Blade!"
Ben Kei rushed at Dark Blade.
"Not so fast!" shouted Ren. "I activate Double Pinaska's special ability, to deflect your attack!"
Double Pinaska rushed in front of Dark Blade, and parried Ben Kei's thrust with his rapiers . He gave the Samurai a kick, and he fell backwards.
"And I activate Ben Kei's effect," said Kabukid, "letting him attack an extra time for each Equip Spell he has.
"Attack that armored rogue!"
Ben Kei slashed at Dark Blade again, and the knight exploded into shards.
"Yoshitsune, attack Getsu Fuhma!"
The Tengu Beauty leapt into the air gracefully and drew her katana…
She slashed at Getsu, and the ronin fell to her knees. She burst into pixels.
"Act One comes to a close," said Kabukid, as the backdrop behind him closed, "but our production is far from over. I'll send my Stage to the Graveyard to set the scene for Act Two…
"Kabuki Stage – Cherry Blossom Mountain!"
Cherry blossoms started to fill the air as the backdrop opened again, with new scenery. This time, it depicted a sugarloaf mountain, surrounded by a forest of cherry trees and fluffy purple clouds.
"At this point, the effect of Footsteps of Fharlanghn comes into play," he said. "Due to the fact that a new Field Spell was played, I can now draw two cards."
He made two draws, and looked at the cards.
"And now, a new character enters the fray," he said, playing a new card. "The lovely Shizuka, the Heavenly Dancing Girl."
He played a card, and a new female figure appeared in front of him. It was a lovely young woman in traditional Japanese costume and a fancy hairstyle, holding a decorated fan. (300/600)
"Eh?" said Ren.
"Now, I give her this…" said Kabukid. "Drum of the Fabled Curse."
He played a new Equip Spell, and Shizuka glowed slightly for a few seconds.
Strange, thought Yumi. That Equip Spell didn't seem to do anything. Ren had better watch himself.
"I set this," said Kabukid, as a facedown card appeared. "My turn now ends, and with it, so do the effects of Great Mié."
Yoshitsune fell back down to an Attack Score of 800, while Ben Kei fell to 1,000. Double Pinaska rose to 1,500.
(R: 7,100) - - - - - - - - - - (K: 5,700)
"So, what'd I miss?" said a voice next to Yumi.
Yumi turned her head, and saw Jesse sitting in the chair next to her.
"Jesse?!" she said.
"Nice to see you too," he said. "I heard that Kabukid was helping Ren before you guys went out… Kabukid is a great morale boost…"
"Why?" said Sam. "Does he always lose?"
"No…" said Jesse. "He's got style. Style is something that most people in Xanadu sincerely lack. Most of Daala's men are a bit on the crude side. After all the big, scary Monsters, Kabukid's a refreshing change of pace.
"I just hope this ends before he brings out his star Monster… It's pretty big and scary itself…"
"Ho boy…" said Yumi.
"Okay, let's see here…" said Ren, drawing a card.
"I play… Graceful Charity!" he exclaimed.
He played the card, and quickly drew three cards. He looked them over.
Damn, where's Heavy Storm when you need it? he thought.
He discarded Dark Eruption and Penumbral Soldier Lady.
"Next," he said, "I play Premature Burial, to bring Penumbral Soldier Lady back to the field."
He played the card, and the armored, dark, female Warrior with a longsword and shield appeared. (2,100/1,400)
"Next, I play my own Warrior Returning Alive. I'll bring back my own Dark Blade, and summon him."
Dark Blade slipped out of his discard slot. He played the card, and the armored Warrior appeared again. (1,800/1,500)
"Now, Dark Blade, attack…
"Huh?"
His command had apparently started something… A storm of cherry blossoms.
"HA, HA, HA!" laughed Kabukid. "It's my signature move! Whenever a battle occurs on Cherry Blossom Mountain, the attacker's target is chosen at random!"
Dark Blade raised his sword, and a figure started to appear in the middle of the storm.
It came into view. It was Shizuka.
"HA!" laughed Ren. "She was the one I was aiming for, sucker!"
"You might have reconsidered once you knew about her effect," said Kabukid, as Dark Blade flew at the Heavenly Dancing Girl. "When she's attacked, I gain 600 Life Points."
"Well, you're about to lose a lot more," said Ren.
"Not as many as you think," said Kabukid. "Remember her Drum of the Fabled Curse? Since she has it, I can now summon Battle Claw Kitsune, and redirect the attack to her."
"Huh?" said Ren. "Who?"
Then, in a burst of energy, a new feminine figure appeared, but this one was not as innocent-looking as Shizuka. It was a wild-looking young woman, dressed in peasant's clothing, with sharp claws in place of hands. (800/800)
Dark Blade swung his sword, and the Kitsune was blown to pixels.
"Ergh!" grunted Kabukid. "Enjoy that while you can. Anyone who battles Battle Claw Kitsune is slain at the end of the scene."
"Nuts," said Ren. "Sorry about that, Blade…
"But let's try this again…
"Penumbral Soldier Lady… Attack!"
Penumbral Soldier Lady lifted her sword, and the storm of cherry blossoms started again. A figure appeared in them…
She was heading right for Shizuka again.
"Aw, naw!" shouted Ren.
"Once again, I gain 600 Life Points," said Kabukid. "And once again…"
A second Battle Claw Kitsune appeared with a hiss. (800/800) Penumbral Soldier Lady swung her sword, smashing her to bits.
"Third time's the charm," muttered Ren. "Double Pinaska, attack!"
Double Pinaska lifted his blades, and the storm started again. Ren was relieved to see Ben Kei appear out of the storm this time.
"Don't forget," said Kabukid, "he still has the Halberd of the Sohei."
Double Pinaska slashed with his rapier, but Ben Kei blocked with his weapon. The Halberd shattered, and the blade flew into Ren. Ren cried out in pain.
"All right…" muttered Ren. "So that round was a big bust. I guess I'll set these facedown, and end my turn…"
Two facedown cards appeared behind Double Pinaska. The two phantoms of the Kitsune appeared behind Dark Blade and Penumbral Soldier Lady. The two Warriors shattered into shards.
(R: 5,800) - - - - - - - - - - (K: 4,100)
Kabukid drew a card and looked at it.
"My friends," he said, "it's time to bring us to the closing act of our play…"
The backdrop closed again.
"We bid adieu to Cherry Blossom Mountain, and in its place I bring you… Kabuki Stage – The Rough Seas!"
Lightning flashed, and the backdrop opened again, revealing a scene of a stormy ocean, with a ship tossing amid the waves.
"Once again, Footsteps of Fharlanghn activates…"
He drew two cards, and added them to his hand.
"With this backdrop in place," he continued, taking a card from his deck, "each duelist may take a high-level player from his deck each round, which is just what I need to bring out my true star…
"Shizuka, Ben Kei, exit stage left…"
Shizuka and Ben Kei vanished into grains of light.
A double sacrifice? thought Ren. Whoa, this must be some Monster…
"Come forth!" shouted Kabukid. "Ghengis Ghun the Dragon Lord!"
Lightning flashed again, and a huge Monster appeared, not on the stage, but above it. A giant, oriental dragon with a thick, serpentine torso and golden scales loomed over the field, with flames in its eyes. (2,800/2,300)
"Aw, man…" said Yumi. "Ren's in trouble… Big time…"
Ren's eyes slowly moved to one of his facedown cards…
"Now, I play Pot of Avarice," said Kabukid, playing a Spell Card.
Shizuka, Ben Kei, Mataza, and both Kitsune slipped out of his discard slot, and he shuffled them into his deck. He made two draws.
"Hmm," he said, looking at them. "Now, my Trap Card activates… Reinforcements!"
His facedown card lifted up, and Ghengis Ghun rose to an Attack Score of 3,300.
Ren gulped.
"Ghengis Ghun, attack his Spaniard!" ordered Kabukid.
The Dragon Lord opened its huge jowls. Amazingly, it had a cannon in its mouth.
A blast of pure energy blasted from the cannon. Ren cringed as Double Pinaska was blown to atoms.
"Beauty," shouted Kabukid, "attack him directly!"
Yoshitsune leapt at Ren, and drew her katana again…
She slashed at him with her weapon, causing him to fall on his back.
Kabukid placed a card in his Disk and a new facedown card appeared.
"And… That should be all for now…" he said.
(R: 3,200) - - - - - - - - - - (K: 4,100)
Then Ren started to laugh.
"What's so funny?" asked Kabukid.
"Man…" said Ren, getting up. "To think… I used to think that live theater was boring!
"I guess it's true what they say… You just have to look at something in a different way, and you'll find the beauty in it."
"Indeed," said Kabukid.
"My move," said Ren, drawing a card.
"And I play Card of Demise. Now I get to draw until I have five cards."
He made three draws. He looked them over.
"Next, I'm going to use the effect of your Field Spell to add a Monster of my own to my hand."
A card slipped out of his deck and he took it.
"And since you have two Monsters, and I have none, I can Special Summon him… The Fiend Megacyber!"
In an explosion of dark energy, the armored, cybernetic Warrior appeared. (2,200/1,200)
"Not quite strong enough," said Kabukid.
"I was getting to that," said Ren. "Next, I summon Armageddon Knight."
He played a new card, and the Dark Warrior in worn, rusty armor, wearing a scarf and holding a cutlass appeared. (1,400/1,200)
"When he's summoned, I get to send a Dark Monster from my deck to the Graveyard."
A card slipped out of his deck. He looked at it, and then discarded it.
"Now I play… Double Spell. I toss this…"
He discarded his copy of Magical Mallet.
"…and I can use one Spell Card in your Graveyard. And the one I think I'll use… is your Great Mié."
The art for Double Spell turned into that for Great Mié. All four Monsters on the field glowed, and Yoshitsune fell to an Attack of 300, and Ghengis Ghun fell to 2,300. Armageddon Knight rose to 1,900, while The Fiend Megacyber rose to 2,700.
"Not a bad idea," chuckled Kabukid. "Do you suppose it will actually work?"
"Let's find out!" shouted Ren. "Fiend Megacyber, attack that big Dragon!"
The Fiend Megacyber bore his blades, and then made a great leap, flying towards Ghengis Ghun. The huge Dragon roared.
"Time for a plot twist!" shouted Kabukid. "I activate the Trap Card, Thousand Strings!"
His facedown card lifted, and a mass of strings shot out of it. All the Monsters on the field – Yoshitsune, The Fiend Megacyber, Armageddon Knight, and Ghengis Ghun itself – were ensnared and tangled in them.
"This Trap Card negates your attack, and strips all Monsters on the field of all their strength!" laughed Kabukid.
Ren watched, as the Attack Scores of all four Monsters fell to zero.
"Uhm… Interesting…" he said. "Well then… I guess it's time for that plot device that always makes for a good movie, at least…"
One of his facedown cards lifted.
"The ironic surprise ending! Go, Call of the Haunted!"
Another burst of dark energy appeared on the field, and Crescent Moon Queen appeared, holding her scimitars aloft. (2,600/1,700)
"HUH?" shouted Kabukid.
"And now…" said Ren, as his second facedown card lifted, "Rising Energy!"
He quickly discarded the last card in his hand, and the Queen's Attack Score rose to 4,100.
Crescent Moon Queen leapt at the huge Dragon Lord, and with one swipe of her sword, cut it in twain. Kabukid cringed, and fell over as the remains shattered.
(R: 3,200) - - - - - - - - - - (K: 0)
The Monsters and the backdrop vanished.
Ren walked up to Kabukid.
"Need a hand pal?" he asked. "I have no idea how you can duel wearing that costume."
Kabukid sighed.
"I guess I need to practice more…" he said. "The ending didn't turn out quite according to script…"
"Don't sweat it," said Ren. "You almost had me. I think I saw what you were planning."
"Oh?" said Kabukid.
"Yeah," said Ren. "If I hadn't won that turn, you would have used the effect of your Stage to get a second Ghengis Ghun. Then you would have sacrificed Yoshitsune and the powerless Ghengis Ghun for a full-strength one, and come close to finishing me off.
"Bottom line is, you aren't bad."
Yumi sighed.
"Well said," she said, standing up. "Now, I hope that we've had enough entertainment. We've dilly-dallied enough.
"Any time you guys are ready, Darkspire is waiting."
"I sure am ready," said Erik.
"Well, be careful!" said Sam. "This time, if we meet up with Ansatsu or Doma the Angel of Silence, or Ocubeam, or some other Spirit of an outdated card, don't insult it like you did with Shapesnatch. These creatures can be pretty sensitive…"
"There are so many old Monster Cards that no-one uses any more because they're high-Level, weak, and have no effects," muttered Erik. "Maybe they should form a club…
"Hey, that's an idea!"
"What?" said Chelsea.
"I'll suggest it to Joan," said Erik. "She can make offers to any Duel Spirits that are scorned for lack of value in the game. The recruits for the rebellion will come in even faster!
"I mean, if Shapesnatch is any indication, they can still duel with cards that are better than their own."
Everyone looked at him.
"Not a bad idea…" said Jesse. "Hey, I'll stick around and mention it to her when she gets back. I'll be sure to tell her it was your idea."
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Vanity's Fiend and Exarion Universe fell to the floor with a crash.
"Well, let's see now…" said Chaos Sorcerer, as his Disk deactivated. "What to do with you clowns… I could report this to Daala… She'd have you locked up and tortured for plotting against her, of course. And that's if she's in a good mood.
"Which she isn't…
"But… I'm feeling rather generous today… I think I'll keep my mouth shut for now, so long as there's no more talk of treason.
"You two can consider this your once-in-a-lifetime, gods-know-why-I'm-being-so-nice-to-you, get-out-of-jail-free ticket. And you only get one."
The two Spirits got up, as he turned and walked away.
"Skull Knight…" muttered Vanity's Fiend, "you're second in command, right?"
"Uh, yeah…" said Skull Knight.
"Well what the devil is he?" asked the Universe.
Skull Knight sighed.
"I don't know for sure," he said, "but I believe that Daala has a… benefactor of some sort who lives outside of Xanadu. I think that Chaos Sorcerer may well be an intermediary between her and this benefactor.
"Whatever the case, Chaos Sorcerer is definitely an ally, not a servant. He exists outside the rules of Xanadu. And you'd best not make him mad."
They both looked in the direction where he had gone.
"So Daala is keeping secrets from us?" said Universe with a scowl.
"They're hers to keep," said Chaos Sorcerer's voice.
The two Spirits jumped at this comment.
They had no idea he had still been listening.
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YOSHITSUNE, THE TENGU BEAUTY (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 4
ATK: 800
DEF: 800
Card Description: If this card is attacked by a Monster with 1,000 Attack Points or more while in Attack Position, switch it into face-up Defense Position. While this card is in face-up Defense Position, you can negate one attack against it per turn.
0
0
0
SHIZUKA THE HEAVENLY DANCING GIRL (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Fairy/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 3
ATK: 300
DEF: 600
Card Description: When this card is targeted by an attack, increase the Life Points of the controller of this card by 600.
0
0
0
BATTLE CLAW KITSUNE (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Beast-Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 4
ATK: 800
DEF: 800
Card Description: A Monster that engages in battle with this card is destroyed at the End Phase of the turn.
0
0
0
GHENGIS GHUN, THE DRAGON LORD (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Dragon
Attribute: Dark
Level: 8
ATK: 2,800
DEF: 2,300
Flavor Text: This powerful dragon lord rules the seas. It is believed to have divine powers.
Note: In the anime, this card had an orange border, indicating that it was an Effect Monster. However, Kabukid did not reveal or use its effect. Thus, it is presented here as a Normal Monster.
0
0
0
THOUSAND STRINGS (Trap Card)
Normal Trap
Image: A Kabuki actor amid a tangle of strings.
Card Description: This card can be activated when a Monster engages in battle. Negate the attack and reduce the ATK of all face-up Monsters on the field to zero. The ATK of Monsters affected by this card remain zero until they are no longer face-up on the field.
0
0
0
KABUKI STAGE – BIG BRIDGE (Spell Card)
Field Spell
Image: A wooden bridge, under a blue sky with a puffy cloud.
Card Description: All Monsters that are Normal Summoned or Special Summoned must be summoned in Attack Position. When a player declares an attack, his opponent may Special Summon a Level Four or lower Monster from his hand. By sending this card to the Graveyard, you may search your deck for one Field Spell with the words "Kabuki Stage" in its name and activate it. This effect may only be used once per turn.
0
0
0
KABUKI STAGE – CHERRY BLOSSOM MOUNTAIN (Spell Card)
Field Spell
Image: A sugarloaf mountain surrounded by pink clouds and cherry trees.
Card Description: All Monsters that are Normal Summoned or Special Summoned must be summoned in Attack Position. When a player declares an attack, and his opponent has two or more Monsters on the field, the attack target is chosen at random. By sending this card to the Graveyard, you may search your deck for one Field Spell with the words "Kabuki Stage" in its name and activate it. This effect may only be used once per turn.
0
0
0
KABUKI STAGE – THE ROUGH SEAS (Spell Card)
Field Spell
Image: A stormy ocean scene, with a ship tossing in the water.
Card Description: All Monsters that are Normal Summoned or Special Summoned must be summoned in Attack Position. Once per turn, during his Main Phase, a player may search his deck for a Monster that is Level Five or higher and add it to his hand. By sending this card to the Graveyard, you may search your deck for one Field Spell with the words "Kabuki Stage" in its name and activate it. This effect may only be used once per turn.
0
0
0
HALBERD OF THE SOHEI (Spell Card)
Equip Spell
Image: Armed Samurai Ben Kei thrusting a halberd forward.
Card Description: This card may be Equipped to a Warrior-Type Monster. Increase the ATK of the Equipped Monster by 500. When the Equipped Monster would be destroyed as a result of battle, destroy this card to negate the destruction (battle damage still applies). If this card is destroyed in this manner, inflict 500 points of direct damage to your opponent.
0
0
0
DRUM OF THE FABLED CURSE (Spell Card)
Equip Spell
Image: A wooden drum covered with skins.
Card Description: When the Monster Equipped with this card is the target of an attack, Special Summon one "Battle Claw Kitsune" from your hand or deck. Then, conduct the battle as normal and switch the target of the attack to "Battle Claw Kitsune".
0
0
0
GREAT MIÉ (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: The face of a man wearing Kabuki makeup, with red lines on the left half and blue lines on the right.
Card Description: Decrease the ATK of all face-up opposing Monsters by 500 and increase the ATK of all of your face-up Monsters by 500. These changes last until the End Phase of the turn this card was activated.
Note: The proceeding eleven cards were first used by Kabukid/Orlando in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "The Art of the Duel". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0
0
0
FOOTSTEPS OF FHARLANGHN (Spell Card)
Continuous Spell
Image: A man in traveling clothes and a long beard, traveling down a scenic path.
Card Description: You can only activate this card when there is a Field Spell face-up on your side of the field. If the current Field Spell is removed from the field via any method that doesn't involve playing a new Field Spell, destroy this card. Each time a new Field Spell is played that does not have the same name as the one that was on the field at the time the new Field Spell was played, draw two cards from your deck.
0
0
0
KITEROID (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Machine/Effect
Attribute: Wind
Level: 1
ATK: 200
DEF: 400
Card Description: Discard this card from your hand to reduce the battle damage from a direct attack to zero. If this card is in the Graveyard and was not sent there via this effect, you can, once per duel, reduce the battle damage from a direct attack to zero.
Note: "Kiteroid" first appeared in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX episode "What Lies Beneath (Part Three)", but Syrus did not use it in an actual duel until the fourth season. Creative credit goes to the writers.
0
0
0
DRAGONROID (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Machine/Effect
Attribute: Wind
Level: 8
ATK: 2,900
DEF: 1,000
Card Description: When this card is in the Graveyard, it is considered a Dragon-Type Monster.
Note: "Dragonroid" was first used by Syrus in a fourth season episode of "Yu-Gi-Oh GX". Creative credit goes to the writers.
0
0
0
Coming up next:
Enough recreation. Time to get back to business. Before they can even get to Darkspire, the team has to transverse a dangerous stretch of road, where an enigmatic figure named the Mechanic rules. Erik is forced into a duel against toys of a different type. Don't miss "Lethal Highway", coming soon.
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Name that Card!
The card that you received for attending the Duel Monster 1 Tournament on February 21st, 1999, was very unremarkable as far as Monsters go. However, since this was the only place you have ever been able to get this card for the TCG, it is now considered priceless. Can you name it?