What card had the dubious honor of being the first to be on every part of the Restricted List? If you said "Magician of Faith", you were correctly able to Name that Card!
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My name is Daala, the Queen of Xanadu, at least for the time being.
I've already admitted to being a terrorist. We've gotten that unpleasant business out of the way. Now, most terrorists are motivated by their perverted interpretations of either political or religious beliefs, making them viewed as radical at best, or insane at worst. Thus, they tend to have few allies who aren't also terrorists, and many enemies.
Now, I have no use for politics, and I don't pretend to use religion as an excuse for what I'm doing. At least, not one that fits the usual definition of a religion. I'll keep my motivations concealed for now. But I'm still a terrorist, and I've made several enemies.
I may have made a very dangerous one… I may have stirred up the hornet's nest…
No, worse than that…
I may have brought about the Wrath of the Spider Queen!
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CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
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Wrath of the Spider Queen
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Sheena opened her eyes.
She was in a large, circular room, with marble pillars on the wall. Light came from odd crystals in the ceiling, thirty feet above.
Ahead of her was a dark portal of sorts.
"I'm in an entrance hall," she mused. "That portal should be the way into Xanadu proper…
"Well, what am I waiting for?"
Before she could take a step, two glowing, female eyes appeared in the portal in front of her. She stepped back.
Stepping out of the portal was a woman of sinister beauty. She wore a red, low-cut leotard, with bat-like designs over her waist and chest, and blue rune-like markings. Most remarkably, she had horns, and six arms, each of which wore blue, velvet gloves.
"Succubus Knight?" said Sheena.
The Duel Spirit looked at Sheena with an annoyed glance.
"So, you came on your own?" she pouted. "I was hoping for Nicholas… Didn't expect the head of KaibaCorp to take such an active role."
"So, are you one of Daala's servants?" asked Sheena.
"Not right now," said Succubus Knight with a sigh. "Sadly, my official title at the moment is favored slave."
"I don't understand," said Sheena. "Daala sent a slave to guard the entrance? Sounds like putting a match in charge of dynamite."
"I'll explain," said the Warrior with a smirk. "Ever hear of how criminals once had to serve as indentured servants as forms of reduced sentences?"
"Uh huh," replied Sheena. "Was popular back when another way of dealing with criminals was to ship them to Australia."
"Yeah, well, I used to be one of Daala's henchmen," purred the Duel Spirit. "I was a bounty hunter. As a Succubus Knight, I made a practice of seducing male victims. Once they fell for my charms, they didn't resist when I tied them up and brought them in, where Daala could do to them as she wished."
She chuckled.
"She even rewarded me by giving me a few of them as brainwashed slaves… I lived like a queen for a while…"
"Good lord…" gasped Sheena.
"However," sighed the Knight, "I made the mistake one day of taking a fancy to Daala's current lover, a captured and brainwashed member of the resistance. He was so muscular and handsome… I figured a short fling wouldn't hurt…"
She sighed again.
"I was caught."
"Not very smart of you," said Sheena, putting her hand on her hip.
"Indeed," muttered Succubus Knight. "I was thrown in prison…
"But Daala gave me another chance a couple of hours ago. I simply had to apprehend whoever Sheena sent to Xanadu, and I would be freed. But if anyone got past me, I'd go back to my cell.
"If it were Nicholas, all I'd have had to do was lure him into accepting a kiss, something I could easily do…"
Sheena laughed.
"But you can't seduce women!" she exclaimed. "Well, just try to stop me. I'll have you know, I received training as a Duelatopia Centurion, the crème de la crème of security forces…"
Succubus Knight grinned.
"And I am a Warrior-Type Duel Spirit who has survived as one for over six centuries," she replied with a sneer. "Your training does not impress me."
Sheena stopped short.
She's over six-hundred years old? she thought. Even if she only had to fight for her life once a year, she's defeated over six-hundred enemies…
"We Warrior Spirits have watched humans who have been renowned as fighters," purred Succubus Knight. "Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Chuck Norrris… They all made us laugh. None of them can hold a candle to any of the Warriors of the Twelve Dimensions. We knew how to fight like champions the instant we were born."
"So why are you just standing there instead of attacking?" asked Sheena.
A Duel Disk appeared on Succubus Knight's upper-left arm.
"Because, there are traditions that I have to follow," she said. "I could just beat you up, sure, but then I'd be thought of as a bully and a poor sport among other Spirits. Among civilized Spirits, there's one way to handle a conflict between two adversaries."
"So then," asked Sheena, "we handle this like duelists?"
"Sure," purred Succubus Knight. "It might even be fun."
And with the powerful cards that Daala loaned to me, she thought, beating this human will be a cakewalk.
Sheena loaded her deck. Both Disks activated.
"Game on!" they both shouted.
(Sheena: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Succubus Knight: 8,000)
"I'm drawing!" started Succubus Knight, drawing a card.
She looked over her hand.
"I'll start by playing the Spell Card, Gold Sarcophagus."
With a rumble, a solid gold chest with the Eye of Wdjat on the front lifted out of the ground.
In a flash of energy, all of the cards in her deck appeared in a hologram in front of her. She quickly pointed to one.
The Sarcophagus opened, and the selected card lowered inside. The chest shut, and lowered into the ground.
"We'll get to that later," she said, as a concealed Monster appeared, "I throw a Monster in Defense Mode, and I'll leave it at that."
Sheena drew a card. She looked at it.
She closed her eyes and held the card to her heart.
Siegfried… she thought.
Only a week before he was killed, he had given her two cards. A Ritual Spell, and a Ritual Monster, two cards that he had commissioned Industrial Illusions to make special. They would never be released to the public, and would be for her exclusive use, to be used in future Duelatopia tournaments in her role as the fearsome Eliminator, Shelob the Spider Savant.
These two cards were an expression of his love for her, and the last gift he gave to her when he was alive.
The card she had drawn was the Ritual Spell. Unfortunately, a Ritual Spell is no good without the Ritual Monster, so she couldn't use it right now.
She chose another one.
"I summon… Chainsaw Insect!" she shouted.
With a roar of chainsaws, a huge beetle with serrated mandibles appeared. (2,400/0)
"And I'm not done," she continued, as a Spell Card appeared. "I play Double Summon. "This lets me make a second Normal Summon this turn.
"So I'll also bring out Insect Knight!"
In a burst of energy, the mantis warrior holding his serrated sword and shield appeared. (1,900/1,500)
Succubus Knight fidgeted a little.
"Insect Knight… Attack!"
Insect Knight flew at the facedown card, and Sangan appeared on it. The furry, three-eyed Fiend was cut down.
"I'm sure you know about Sangan's effect," chuckled Succubus Knight, looking through the cards in her deck.
She took one, and then held the deck with her lower set of arms.
"Advantage number forty-three of having six arms… It makes shuffling during a duel so much easier."
Sheena couldn't deny it as she watched the Warrior shuffle with her extra arms.
"I'm not done with you!" shouted Sheena, as her opponent put the deck back. "Chainsaw Insect, attack directly!"
Chainsaw Insect scurried up to Succubus Knight and chomped its mandibles around her waist. She grunted and sweat, but didn't scream.
She panted for breath as it let go.
(S: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (SK: 5,600)
"My move…" she muttered, drawing a card.
"I throw down a facedown, and have this defend me."
A facedown card and a facedown Monster appeared.
"Your move."
Sheena quickly drew.
"I summon… My Brown Recluse!" she shouted.
In a burst of energy, a huge spider appeared next to Chainsaw Insect. It had a brown exoskeleton, long legs, and a marking on its back resembling a violin. (2,300/0)
"Here's a quick lesson in arachnid biology," said Sheena. "The brown recluse, also known as the fiddler spider, is a venomous arachnid whose poison is almost as lethal as the more well-known black widow. Like most spiders, they weave webs… But unlike most, they leave their webs at night to hunt for food, much like mammalian predators do."
"What is this, a duel or a biology lesson?" snapped Succubus Knight.
"We'll see who laughs last," said Sheena. "Brown Recluse, attack!"
The spider scurried at the facedown Monster. Marshmallon appeared on the card, and the spider's huge mandibles just bounced off of it. (300/500)
Sheena screamed as a red aura surrounded her.
"Didn't quite go as you planned, huh?" asked Succubus Knight. "By the way, I activate this…"
Her facedown card lifted.
"Solemn Wishes. This grants me 500 Life Points whenever I draw one or more cards."
"Now, my Brown Recluse moves to Defense Mode," growled Sheena.
The large spider sat down and shielded itself with its legs.
"I'll set a card facedown, and end my turn," she said, as a facedown card appeared in a flash of light.
(S: 7,000) - - - - - - - - - - (SK: 5,600)
"First I'll retrieve the card I put in the Sarcophagus," she said.
The Gold Sarcophagus rose out of the ground and opened. The card floated out, and she took it.
"Now I play Pot of Greed," she continued, as the evil jar appeared. "So I gain two more cards, and 500 more Life Points."
She made two draws, and the gold shower rained on her again.
"Next, I play the Spell Card, Desperado Manager. I can use this if I have at least one card in my hand. Then I get to draw two cards."
The Spell Card appeared, and she drew twice. The gold shower rained on her again.
"And then I take any three cards from my hand, and place them on the top of my deck."
She chose three cards in her hand, and placed them on the top of her deck quickly.
"I'm just getting started," she continued. "I play another Spell called Remove Bomb. This lets me remove the top five cards on my deck from play. And for each one of them that's a Monster, you lose 300 Life Points.
"So let's see…"
She took five cards off of her deck and held them up. Three were Monsters (clearly she had put them there herself), and the other two were Mystical Space Typhoon and Tribute Doll.
Three bombs rolled towards Sheena. She braced herself as they exploded.
(S: 6,100) - - - - - - - - - - (SK: 7,100)
The cards that Succubus Knight had held up vanished, but Sheena had seen them quite clearly.
There's only one reason anyone has those Monsters in her deck, she thought. It's a very hard trick to pull off, but if she actually manages to do it…
"I'm not done yet," chuckled Succubus Knight. "Next, I play Foolish Burial. Now I get to send another Monster from my deck to my Graveyard."
The Spell Card appeared, and she tossed a card into her discard slot.
"But it isn't staying there. I play The Warrior Returning Alive. Now I can retrieve the Warrior I just sent to my Graveyard."
She played the card, and the card slipped out of her discard slot. She took it.
"Now it's time to summon it," she said, taking another card from her hand. "Wondering what the card was that I put in that chest?
"I play Dimension Fusion!"
So that's it… thought Sheena.
"It costs me 2,000 Life Points," said Succubus Knight, as she glowed with a red aura, "but now, Kazejin, Suijin, and Sanga of the Thunder are all summoned to the field."
In three large bursts of energy, three large Monsters appeared. One was a large green torso with arms, and the kanji symbol for wind on the front. (2,400/2,200) The next was a large, blue torso with claws, a demonic face, and the kanji symbol for water on the front. (2,500/2,400) The last was a large, gold and brown torso with claws, and the kanji symbol for thunder. (2,600/2,200)
(S: 6,100) - - - - - - - - - - (SK: 5,100)
"The Warrior you searched for…" muttered Sheena. "It could only be…"
"That's right!" exclaimed Succubus Knight in triumph, as the light in the room dimmed. "I sacrifice my three elementals, to summon the mighty, all-powerful, unstoppable Gate Guardian!"
The three deities vanished, and a titanic form loomed above Succubus Knight. Resembling nothing less than its three component Monsters stacked one on top of each other, it glowed with a dark aura of menace as it glared at Sheena with its eyeless face. (3,750/3,400)
"So…" purred Succubus Knight. "Is the great Shelob the Spider Savant impressed?"
Sheena shook her head.
"No, not really," she said. "Maybe I'm a little impressed with Daala for managing to find out that I was Shelob. The identities of the Duelatopia Eliminators were very closely guarded secrets."
"WHAT?" yelled Succubus Knight, clearly angry. "I managed to summon one of the hardest-to-summon Monsters in the game!"
"Don't get me wrong," said Sheena. "Gate Guardian, is powerful, and it is indeed an icon of Duel Monsters.
"But consider this: What would have given you more of an advantage, Gate Guardian, or keeping Kazejin, Suijin, and Sanga of the Thunder on the field?"
Succubus Knight gave her a dirty look.
"I hate it when my opponent makes sense!" she shouted.
She took the last card from in her hand.
"I Equip Gate Guardian with Fairy Meteor Crush," she said, placing it in her Disk. "You'll notice that your Brown Recluse is in Defense Mode, with zero Defense Points.
"Attack her Brown Recluse! Tempest surge!"
What could best be described as a small thunderstorm started to form around the giant Warrior…
"Go, Spell Card!" shouted Sheena, as her facedown card lifted. "Mystik Wok! Now I can sacrifice Brown Recluse before your attack hits!"
Brown Recluse vanished into grains of light, and Sheena glowed with energy.
"Ah, fine," said Succubus Knight. "Gate Guardian, attack Chainsaw Insect!"
A blast of water charged with electricity shot from the titan, and Chainsaw Insect exploded.
"Since your Bug battled," she continued, "I get to draw another card, meaning my Trap Card activates."
She drew a card, and the shower of gold fell on her.
She looked at the card she had just drawn.
"Still my turn," she said. "And since I haven't Normal Summoned yet, I'll set this, and that will be all."
A new defensive Monster appeared.
(S: 7,050) - - - - - - - - - - (SK: 5,600)
"My move…" said Sheena.
She drew a card.
"I play MY Pot of Greed."
The jar appeared, and she drew two cards.
"I move Insect Knight to Defense Mode…"
Insect Knight knelt, and held its sword down.
"Then another Monster in Defense Mode."
A facedown Monster appeared.
"Then I toss this facedown."
A facedown card appeared in a flash of light.
"And that's all."
"Then I draw," said Succubus Knight, drawing a card. The shower of gold fell on her again.
"Go, Dust Tornado!" exclaimed Sheena, as her facedown card shot up. "There goes your Fairy Meteor Crush!"
The tornado tore across the field, and the Equip Spell blew apart.
"Seems you'll have to take me out the old fashioned way," she said with a smirk.
"We'll see about that," said Succubus Knight. "I flip my facedown Monster into Attack Mode. Here's an Insect for you… The Magical Merchant."
Her facedown Monster flipped up, revealing a humanoid bug with blue skin, wearing traveler's shorts and carrying a large satchel. It held a collection of odd objects in its six hands. (200/700)
"Due to its Flip-Effect, I get to pick up cards from my deck until I reach a Spell or Trap Card…"
She picked up one card, and then a second.
She grinned as she saw what the third one was.
"…and as for these two Monsters, they go to the Graveyard."
She discarded an Unshaven Angler and a second Suijin.
"Now, my suggestion to you is, brace yourself. I play the Spell Card that my Merchant gave me… It's called Unspeakable Cruelty."
Sheena had never seen the Spell Card that appeared, and she did NOT like the look of it at all. The artwork depicted Demise, King of Armageddon and Ruin, Queen of Oblivion crushing the Earth between their hands.
"I can use this card when I have a Monster whose Attack Score is at least 3,000," chuckled Succubus Knight. "By sacrificing two other Monsters, it can attack directly."
Sheena's eyes opened wide.
Magical Merchant and Marshmallon vanished.
Sheena barely knew what hit her. Gate Guardian's tempest surge hit her with the force of a sledgehammer, throwing her clear across the room.
(S: 3,300) - - - - - - - - - - (SK: 6,100)
When Sheena got up, her ears were ringing. Or so she thought. Then she realized that Succubus Knight was actually laughing at her.
"To think I thought that seducing men with my powers and enslaving them was the biggest thrill I could ever have," she laughed. "I had been a temptress for so long, I had forgotten what it was like to be a Warrior Spirit… I had forgotten what a true fight was like! How much it got the blood flowing, the heart pumping!
"The thrill of pounding your opponent to a pulp until she begs for mercy… I had forgotten how satisfying it was!"
Sheena stood up.
"That's easy to say when you have a Monster with over 3,000 Attack Points backing you up…" she snarled. "I'm taking you and your big lummox down."
"Oh, we'll see about that," chuckled Succubus Knight. "I play a facedown."
She played her last card, and facedown card appeared behind Gate Guardian.
"My move!" shouted Sheena.
She drew a card.
"I play… Graceful Charity. Since you're a Duel Spirit, I trust I don't have to explain such a common card."
She quickly drew three cards. She looked over them and the other two cards in her hand.
She discarded Saber Beetle and Multiplication of Ants.
"All right!" she shouted. "Now your giant is gonna fall. Reveal… Man-Eater Bug!"
Her facedown Monster flipped up, revealing the savage, four-limbed predatory Insect. (450/600)
The huge Bug drooled. It leapt at Gate Guardian…
"Not so fast!" shouted Succubus Knight.
Her facedown card lifted.
"I activate My Body as a Shield! This lets me pay 1,500 Life Points to protect my Gate Guardian and wipe out your Insect."
Man-Eater Bug exploded in mid-leap.
"Sure, it's expensive," she said, "but when you use a deck where a NOMI Monster plays such an important part, it's a necessity.
"So what are you gonna do now?"
Sheena sighed.
"I'll set a Monster, and that will be all."
A facedown Monster appeared next to Insect Knight.
(S: 3,300) - - - - - - - - - - (SK: 4,600)
Succubus Knight drew, and the rain of gold fell on her again.
"This is like target practice," she said with a scowl. "Gate Guardian, annihilate her mystery Monster!"
Gate Guardian blasted its tempest surge, and a large, black beetle appeared on the card. It was quickly washed away.
"Thank you," said Sheena, with a sinister look. "That was my Skull-Mark Ladybug. And when it gets swatted, I gain 1,000 Life Points."
"I'm beginning to get angry!" snarled Succubus Knight.
She placed a card on her Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.
(S: 4,300) - - - - - - - - - - (SK: 5,100)
Sheena made her draw and looked at it.
"I set this, and a card facedown, and that will be all," she said.
A new facedown card and a facedown Monster appeared.
"Humph," grunted Succubus, Knight, drawing. The shower of gold fell on her again.
She looked at the card.
"Ready for more pain?" she asked. "I play Premature Burial. Think I'll bring back my Marshmallon."
Marshmallon appeared again in a flash of light. (300/500)
"Next," she said, "I flip Magician of Faith into Attack Mode."
Her facedown Monster flipped up, revealing the female mage with the ponytail and crescent-topped staff. (300/400)
A card slipped out of her discard slot.
"Your Unspeakable Cruelty Spell Card, right?" asked Sheena, with a sinister smirk on her face.
"That's right," said Succubus Knight, playing it. "I'm sure you remember how it works…"
Magician and Faith and Marshmallon vanished into grains of light.
"Go, Trap Card!" exclaimed Sheena. "Magic Drain!"
Her facedown card flipped up.
"Here's the deal, demon," she said. "If you can discard a Spell Card, your Spell works. Otherwise, it's a big waste."
Succubus Knight growled. She clearly had no cards left in her hand, Spells or otherwise.
The Unspeakable Cruelty card shattered.
"Gate Guardian, attack her facedown Monster!" she shouted.
The tempest surge shot forward again. Neo Bug appeared on the card and was blown to bits.
"You can't keep defending forever," warned Succubus Knight.
(S: 4,300) - - - - - - - - - - (SK: 4,800)
I just need the right card, and I won't have to, thought Sheena.
She made a draw.
Hmm, she thought.
"I play a new card facedown," she said, fitting the card that had already been in her hand into her Disk.
A facedown card appeared.
"Then, I play Card of Demise!"
She played her last card, and the ominous guillotine appeared behind her. She drew five cards.
Still not there, she thought, looking at them. Oh, Siegfried, where are you when I need you?
She placed one of the cards on her Disk, and a new facedown Monster appeared.
Succubus Knight drew a card. Once again, the shower of gold fell upon her.
"I activate Pot of Avarice," she said, playing it.
Kazejin, Suijin, Sanga of the Thunder, Sangan, and Magician of Faith slipped out of her discard slot. She reshuffled her deck, and then drew twice. The shower of gold fell on her again.
"Not bad," she muttered. "I summon Kaiser Sea Horse."
In a flash of light, the armored fish-man with a glossy, blue exoskeleton, holding a spear appeared. (1,700/1,650)
"Kaiser Sea Horse, destroy Insect Knight!" she ordered.
The Sea Horse charged Insect Knight, and speared it with its weapon. The Insect shattered into pixels.
"Gate Guardian, take care of her last Monster."
As Gate Guardian blasted its tempest surge, an odd Insect appeared on the card. It looked like a big arachnid with a barbed tail, and dragonfly wings. It shattered into shards.
"You just squashed my Flying Scorpion!" laughed Sheena. "And when that happens, I get to Special Summon an Insect from my Graveyard. Except for Flying Scorpion itself, that is. So I'm bringing back Brown Recluse."
Brown Recluse appeared once again. (2,300/0)
"Whatever," said Succubus Knight. "It's your move."
(S: 4,300) - - - - - - - - - - (SK: 5,800)
Sheena made one draw. One of the ropes on the guillotine snapped.
"I play… my own Pot of Avarice," she said.
She played the card, and took Neo Bug, Chainsaw Insect, Man Eater Bug, Flying Scorpion, and Saber Beetle from her discard slot. She quickly reshuffled.
She was about to draw two cards.
Then she paused.
As Sheena looked at her deck, she felt a warm feeling… She felt like someone was holding her…
Now it was time. She had no doubt…
She made two draws. She smiled as she looked at them.
She quickly took another one from her hand.
"First, I play Premature Burial!" she announced. "Return!"
She glowed with a red aura, and Insect Knight appeared again. (1,900/1,500)
"Now, my facedown card activates!"
Her facedown Spell Card lifted up.
"A Ritual Spell?" gasped Succubus Knight.
"That's right!" said Sheena. "Wrath of the Spider Queen!"
A sinister-looking altar with a spider motif, two flaming braziers shaped like fiendish spiders, and a pentagram on the floor appeared in the arena.
"For this powerful ceremony, I need to offer eight Levels worth of Monsters. So, I offer Brown Recluse, and Insect Knight."
Flames surrounded the two Insects, and they were quickly consumed.
"Now… Let's all welcome, her royal majesty… The Spider Queen!"
The altar exploded, and a large form appeared where it had been…
It was clear where the inspiration for this Monster had come from. From the waist up, she looked like a sinister version of Sheena herself, with quite a few liberties taken – her skin was glossy black, her eyes were red, her hair pale-white, and her ears pointed. She wore a decorated metal halter and a silver tiara. She clutched an obsidian scepter with an emerald at the end, carved in the shape of a spider. She resembled a cross between Sheena and some sort of dark elf.
That was from the waist up. From the waist down, she wasn't human at all. Her lower body was a giant black widow spider. Although she was smaller than Gate Guardian, this frightening combination was far more intimidating as she glared at Succubus Knight. (2,600/2,800)
"Oh… kay…" muttered Succubus Knight, nervously. "Heh… That's hardly strong enough."
"We'll soon see," said Sheena. "Say goodbye to your ability to increase your Life Points. I play Mystical Space Typhoon!"
She played the card, and the cyclone tore through the room. The Solemn Wishes card was blown to bits.
"Next," said Sheena, "I summon Leghul."
She played another card, and a large worm with a nasty pair of mandibles appeared. (300/350)
"As you likely know, Leghul can attack you directly."
Leghul flew forward and bit Succubus Knight on the arm.
"BITCH!" screamed Succubus Knight.
"Call me all the names you want," said Sheena. "For now, it's lunch time."
"Huh?" said Succubus Knight. "You're gonna stop to eat?"
"Not my lunch time," said Sheena, pointing to The Spider Queen. "Hers."
The Spider Queen aimed her scepter at Leghul, and fired a blast of green energy. Leghul was turned into black particles, and The Spider Queen absorbed them, glowing with energy.
"See, like her friend Insect Queen," explained Sheena, "if her majesty wants to throw down, she needs to eat first. So a sacrifice has to be made before she can attack.
"Destroy Kaiser Sea Horse!"
The Spider Queen's eyes glowed with an evil light, and she blasted a bolt of eldritch energy from her scepter. Succubus Knight grunted as Kaiser Sea Horse exploded into pixels.
"And I end my turn…" said Sheena.
(S: 3,500) - - - - - - - - - - (SK: 4,600)
Succubus Knight angrily drew a card.
She looked at it. It was Sanga of the Thunder.
DAMN! she thought. I could have summoned this if that spider-whore hadn't destroyed my Sea Horse!
I'm gonna commit matricide…
"Gate Guardian, kill The Spider Queen!" she ordered.
Gate Guardian blasted its tempest surge. The arachnid monarch screamed and shielded herself.
But when the brief storm subsided, she was still there… Soaking wet, and incredibly angry.
"What?" said Succubus Knight, her eyes opening wide.
"The Spider Queen is a goddess, Succubus Knight," explained Sheena. "She's hard to kill. I may have lost a few Life Points from your attack, but I discarded one of the cards in my hand to activate her effect, and keep her from being destroyed in battle."
"She still can't defeat my beast!" shouted Succubus Knight.
"She will soon," said Sheena.
"I end my turn!" yelled Succubus Knight.
(S: 2,350) - - - - - - - - - - (SK: 4,600)
Sheena drew a card. The second rope on the guillotine snapped.
"Okay, since I'm so nice," said Sheena, "I'm gonna show you the card I just drew…"
She flipped the card in her hand around.
"Ta-da! It's my Golden Ladybug!
"Why am I showing you this, you may ask? Because if I show you Golden Ladybug during my Standby Phase, I gain 500 Life Points."
"Next, I'll set a Monster, and move The Spider Queen to Defense Mode."
A facedown Monster appeared, and the Queen crossed her arms and sat on her abdomen.
(S: 2,850) - - - - - - - - - - (SK: 4,600)
"Then I draw!" shouted Succubus Knight.
She drew a card and looked at it. It was The Warrior Returning Alive.
Then a painful groaning came from Gate Guardian. Succubus Knight looked up, and its stats fell to (2,950/2,600)
"What happened?!" she shouted.
"Your Gate Guardian attacked my Queen last round, remember?" said Sheena with a grin. "That was a fatal mistake. Any Monster that attacks her majesty is cursed with a Spider Venom Counter, which saps away 800 of its Attack and Defense Points during each of its owner's Standby Phases."
"NO!" screamed Succubus Knight. "I won't lose! Daala isn't putting me back in that cramped capsule!"
She threw a card on her Disk.
"I summon Whirlwind Prodigy!"
In a gust of wind, a young boy dressed in leather clothing, with pointed ears appeared. (1,500/1,600)
"Attack the facedown Monster!"
Whirlwind Prodigy pointed, and a blast of wind shot at the facedown card. A large beetle with four stars on its back appeared, and was blown to pieces.
"That was my 4-Star Ladybug of Doom," said Sheena.
Whirlwind Prodigy gasped, as glowing stars appeared all over him.
"And its effect destroys all Level Four Monsters."
Whirlwind Prodigy burst into pixels.
"Gate Guardian!" screamed Succubus Knight. "Attack the Spider Queen!"
Gate Guardian blasted its tempest surge at the Queen. Sheena quickly discarded her last card, which was Golden Ladybug, and she stood fast once again.
"Heh, now you're panicking," said Sheena. "Do that, and you'll lose for sure."
"I… have to end my turn…" stuttered Succubus Knight.
Sheena drew a card. The third rope on the guillotine snapped.
"I'll simply move The Spider Queen to Attack Mode," she said.
The Spider Queen stood up.
"Make your move…"
Succubus Knight grit her teeth as she drew. Gate Guardian groaned again, and fell to scores of (2,150/1,800).
The card she had drawn was Suijin.
She looked at Sheena angrily. She turned the card on her Disk, and Gate Guardian knelt and crouched in Defense Mode.
"My move," said Sheena, drawing a card.
The fourth rope on the guillotine snapped, leaving only one.
"First, I summon Samsara Lotus," she said.
She played one of her two cards, and a large plant appeared on the field. It was indeed a lotus, with humanoid features on its stem. (0/0)
"Next," she continued, "I remove one Insect from play…"
Golden Ladybug slipped out of her discard slot. She quickly pocketed it.
"…to summon Aztekipede, the Worm Warrior!"
The floor burst open, and a large arthropod burst out. It looked similar to Doom Dozer, but not as big, with a green exoskeleton and blade-like mandibles. (1,900/400)
"Aztekipede," she commanded, "destroy the Gate Guardian!"
The Worm Warrior lunged at Gate Guardian, and rammed it in the chest. The giant groaned and then collapsed, before exploding in a burst of elemental energy.
"Now that that's taken care of," said Sheena, "my Queen is gonna take care of you."
The Spider Queen pointed her scepter at Samsara Lotus and drained it dry, absorbing it.
"Attack her directly!" ordered Sheena.
Succubus Knight screamed as the monarch's blast hit her. She fell over on her behind.
"I end my turn," said Sheena. "And that means, due to its effect, since I have no Spell or Trap Cards on the field, Samsara Lotus comes back."
In a burst of energy, Samsara Lotus reappeared in Attack Mode. (0/0)
(S: 2,850) - - - - - - - - - - (SK: 2,000)
Succubus Knight slowly got up.
She drew a card.
It was Dark Mimic LV1.
Okay… she thought. This guy is not gonna do it… It's time to stop fighting via the traditional method and start fighting a more reliable way…
…dirty.
She set it on her Disk, and it appeared facedown.
"Your move," she said with a sinister smirk.
"I draw!" exclaimed Sheena.
She quickly drew a card.
She jumped as the guillotine blade crashed down behind her. The card she had just drawn vanished.
"Five rounds have passed since I played Card of Demise," she said, "so I lose my hand…
"And since my Samsara Lotus is on the field, I lose 1,000 Life Points…"
She groaned a little as she and the Lotus glowed with dark energy.
"But you're through!" she shouted.
"Hold it right there!" yelled Succubus Knight, reaching behind her back.
"Hey," said Sheena. "You can't win them all."
"But I am gonna win this one," snarled Succubus Knight, "unless you want me to drop this."
She held something up with her left hand. It looked like a sphere the size of her fist, with a button on top.
She quickly pushed the button.
"Armed," said a computerized voice.
"Armed?" said Sheena in surprise. "What is that thing?"
"An implosion device," said Succubus Knight. "Kind of like a bomb, but where a bomb causes an explosion, this causes an implosion.
"Attack if you want, but I'll drop this if you do. And if that happens, this pocket dimension that we're in will implode in on itself, and be utterly destroyed. Both the portal behind you and the one behind me will also be destroyed, and we'll both be blown into Xanadu."
"You're nuts!" laughed Sheena. "I want to get into Xanadu!"
"True," growled Succubus Knight. "But if that happens, how will you get out?"
Sheena stopped short.
"These two portals and this chamber between them is currently the only link between our two worlds," said Succubus Knight. "If I drop this thing, you'll get in, but no-one is going back to Earth until a new one can be built. I don't know when, if ever, that will be done. You'll be trapped.
"And so, might I add, will the five teenagers you came here to save. Is that what you want?
"So… Surrender right now, and I won't have to drop the bomb, so to speak…"
"You're insane…" whispered Sheena.
"No…" growled Succubus Knight, "I just don't want to go back to Daala's prison. You'd understand if you'd been there yourself… And you will soon enough…"
Sheena closed her eyes tightly. She touched the pouch on her hip that held her side deck. The place where she had put the virus program, which she now assumed had taken the form of a card.
I have the only weapon that can possibly defeat Daala… she thought. If I lose here, I'll never get a chance to use it… Daala will confiscate it… And she'll destroy it once she finds out what it does…
Tears flowed from her eyes.
Daala might learn a new way to seize control of my company's computer… She might attack the Earth again… I can't let that happen…
Heaven forgive me…
She opened her eyes.
She was about to give the command to sacrifice Samsara Lotus…
And then she stopped short.
Something was coming out of the portal behind Succubus Knight.
Sheena paused again, as the whole figure emerged. It was Vita – Sheena hadn't seen her yet, but the fact that this strange, masked woman seemed intent on sneaking up on her enemy gave her the idea that possibly, this was an ally.
"Well, Spider-Girl?" asked Succubus Knight. "What's it gonna be?"
"I'm… I'm thinking…" muttered Sheena.
"You've got three seconds!" threatened Succubus Knight, holding up the implosion device. "One… two…"
She never got to three. She never saw it coming.
Vita grabbed the Duel Spirit in a headlock, and then grabbed her wrist. The Warrior struggled, as the masked woman wrenched the deadly bomb out of her hand.
"Ms. Arachne!" shouted Vita. "You're all clear! Finish her off!"
"You little!" screamed Succubus Knight as Vita dove for cover.
Sheena gestured, and The Spider Queen drained the power from Samsara Lotus.
"No…" gasped Succubus Knight.
Aztekipede the Worm Warrior lunged at the facedown Monster, and the Dark Mimic was snapped up like a snack.
Succubus Knight screamed as one final direct attack from The Spider Queen hit her.
(S: 1,850) - - - - - - - - - - (SK: 0)
Only a smoking stain on the floor remained where Succubus Knight had been.
As Sheena's two Monsters vanished, she turned to look for the masked woman, but she was gone. She clearly had fled through the portal.
Sheena took some deep breaths. She looked through the portal, and clearly saw the ruined buildings of Nexus.
"Well," muttered Sheena, "I'm in…"
She walked towards the portal.
"Well, hurray for me. Things just got a whole lot more complicated. Somehow, I feel that it's just gonna get worse from here…"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Succubus Knight's head was swimming.
She slowly came to. She was lying on a stone floor.
She stood up…
And then she found that her arms, all six of them, were in chains.
She cried out in shock. Then she looked around, and saw that it was the least of her problems. She was in a place that looked like an evil-looking temple, with demonic statues and flaming incense burners, along with candles made of black wax.
"What… What's going on?" she cried.
"What's going on?" said Daala's voice. "I brought you here for your punishment, Succubus Knight!"
Daala appeared out of the shadows, holding a scepter that seemed to be made entirely out of black crystal, with the tip carved in the shape of a simple helmet.
"Daala… What punishment?" gasped Succubus Knight. "You said that if someone got through, you'd just send me back to my cell…"
"That was before," snarled Daala. "This is now. Since then, your crimes have increased, both in number and severity.
"For one thing, unapproved use of a weapon, which you clearly stole.
"Second, threatening an opponent in order to get her to surrender. That, my friend, is worse than cheating…
"But your most severe infraction at this point was actually making a threat to destroy the only portal to Earth, which you clearly would have made good.
"Succubus Knight… That portal is instrumental to our plans. The loss of KaibaCorp's computer set us back badly enough… Had you destroyed that portal, do you know how far we would have been set back?"
"Uhm… A week?" said Succubus Knight, meekly.
"A week?!" shouted Daala. "We'd have had to construct a new portal from scratch, and that would have taken at least a year! And with Joan's temple in Nexus, it would have been too dangerous to even start constructing it until she was captured and the rebellion was crushed!"
She punched Succubus Knight in the face, and the Warrior fell over.
"On your feet!" ordered Daala, pulling her up.
"I didn't know!" pleaded Succubus Knight.
"Ignorance is no excuse," growled Daala. "You wanted to avoid being sent back to that cramped capsule? You'll find it far more desirable than what I have planned for you now.
"For threatening to wipe out the key portal, you are now found guilty of treason."
"NO! Please!" begged Succubus Knight.
She fell to her knees.
"Don't kill me, please…"
Daala chuckled.
"Yes, yes, you believe, like all residents of Xanadu, that treason is punished by death," she said. "Well, you're about to learn, as all condemned prisoners learn at the moment their sentence is carried out, that Xanadu actually has no death penalty. Whether the sentence is carried out by me or the executioner, their punishment is much, much different.
"If I had to guess, I'd say you'll wish I had killed you before long…"
She raised the scepter.
"Therefore… I sentence you to be banished."
"Banished?" gasped Succubus Knight. "Where are you sending me?"
"I'm sending you to a place that's under someone else's jurisdiction," said Daala. "Once you're there, he will decide your fate.
"Farewell…"
The scepter glowed.
"Dread Emperor," chanted Daala. "I offer you the body and soul of this Duel Spirit as a sacrifice. Do with both as you see fit."
Succubus Knight screamed as an aura of dark flames surrounded her.
"NO!" she screamed. "Don't…"
She couldn't finish whatever she intended to say. She screamed one more time, and then vanished in a plume of smoke.
The chains fell to the ground with a clatter.
Daala turned away from the altar.
"Unbelievable…" she muttered. "As if Arachne getting into Xanadu wasn't bad enough…
"To think that it was Vita who stopped her. That worm actually did me a favor, even if it wasn't her intent."
She sighed. Vita was likely the resident of Xanadu she despised more than anyone. A long time ago, there was a bounty on her head, and Daala's troops were instructed to capture her. Many tried, and eventually, one succeeded.
But Vita couldn't be held. She escaped from Daala's prison, which was a Xanadu first. The hunt started again. Eventually, the capture was made again. But quickly, Vita escaped again, a Xanadu second.
After this happened a third time, Daala decided that it was a big waste of time and resources to even try, and decided to simply leave her alone.
As for why Daala hated her so much… Well, it for a reason that only the two of them knew…
But the fact that Vita was taking an interest in Yumi and the others had hardly gone unnoticed. If it continued, maybe steps would have to be taken again…
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
As this was happening, Aster, Yumi, Sam, and Erik were driving down the streets of Darkspire.
"Aster," called Yumi. "Cathedral of Mechanicles? I know that name… Mechanicles… It was a card that my dad used…"
"It's a Fusion Monster," replied Aster. "A fusion of Machine King and Queen Machine.
"Whether or not a Duel Spirit version of it truly exists is debatable. However, some Machine Spirits with some intelligence started a sect of sorts a long time ago, claiming that it did exist, and that it was the god of machine life."
"You gotta be kidding," muttered Sam.
"I'm deadly serious," said Aster. "This sect isn't very popular, but a few dedicated groups exist in the Twelve Dimensions.
"Some time ago, some Machines in Darkspire built a Cathedral. The Realm Lord didn't object at first. And folks had to admit, the choirs that Machines sang at the services were interesting, to say the least. But last year, Daala herself ordered it shut down. No-one knows why. The only reason that was given was 'conflict of interests'."
"Clearly, Daala doesn't allow Freedom of Religion among her subjects," said Erik.
"It's just another reason to overthrow her," said Yumi.
"So," said Erik, "if this place's location is hidden from all Spirits except for Machines, we can assume that the executioner is one, right?"
"Don't forget, the executioner isn't bound by any laws," replied Sam. "It might be able to see through any veil that this place tries to use to hide itself."
"Exactly," said Aster. "So expect anything."
They looked towards the cathedral as it loomed over them in the street ahead.
"Chelsea… Ren…" pleaded Yumi. "Hang in there…"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
REMOVE BOMB (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: A remote control directing a crane lowering a bomb into a shaft.
Card Description: Remove the top five cards on your deck from play. For each Monster removed from play in this manner, inflict 300 points of direct damage to your opponent.
Note: "Remove Bomb" was first used by Syrus in a fourth season episode of "Yu-Gi-Oh GX". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
UNSPEAKABLE CRUELTY (Trap Card)
Normal Trap
Image: Ruin, Queen of Oblivion and Demise, King of Armageddon crushing the Earth between their hands.
Card Description: Target a face-up Monster on your side of the field with an ATK of 3,000 or more. Offer as a Tribute two Monsters you control, other than the targeted Monster. The targeted Monster may attack your opponent directly this turn. You may not attack with any Monsters except the targeted Monster on the turn you use this card.
Note: "Unspeakable Cruelty" first appeared in "Tilting the Balance" by Man Called True. Creative Credit goes to him.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
BROWN RECLUSE (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Insect/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 4
ATK: 2,300
DEF: 0
Card Description: If this card attacks, it is changed to Defense Position at the end of the Battle Phase. This battle position cannot be changed until the end of your next turn, except with a card effect.
Note: "Brown Recluse" first appeared in "Mandate of Heaven".
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
FLYING SCORPION (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Insect/Effect
Attribute: Wind
Level: 4
ATK: 1,500
DEF: 1,200
Card Description: When this card is destroyed as a result of battle and sent to the Graveyard, you may Special Summon an Insect-Type Monster from your Graveyard, except for a "Flying Scorpion".
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
WRATH OF THE SPIDER QUEEN (Spell Card)
Ritual Spell
Image: A dark, sinister altar with a spider motif, with two dark-skinned, female cultists in decorated armor kneeling and chanting before it.
Card Description: This card is used to Ritual Summon "The Spider Queen". You must also offer as a Tribute from your hand or deck Monsters whose total Levels equal eight or more.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
THE SPIDER QUEEN (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Fiend/Ritual/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 8
ATK: 2,600
DEF: 2,800
Card Description: This card can only be Ritual Summoned with the Ritual Spell Card, "Wrath of the Spider Queen". If this card would be destroyed as a result of battle, you may discard one card from your hand to prevent it from being destroyed. (Damage calculation still applies.) You cannot declare an attack with this card without offering one Monster on your side of the field as a Tribute. Put one "Spider Venom Counter" on a Monster that battles this Monster. A Monster cannot have more than one "Spider Venom Counter" at one time. A Monster with a "Spider Venom Counter" loses 800 points from its ATK and DEF during each of its owner's Standby Phases.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coming up next:
Can Ren and Chelsea hold on for a little longer? They'd better, because next chapter, the remaining members of the team find the way in to the Cathedral of Mechanicles blocked by one of Daala's few enforcers who isn't a Duel Spirit, a genius of strategy who holds an MD ("Monster Doctor", of course). Yumi duels to get past, but is soon put between "The Rock and the Hard Place". It's coming soon.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Name that Card!
This Monster is based on a character named Jake, the protagonist of a Konami video game that has the same name as the Monster's card. Can you name it?