Hey folks. I'm still taking votes, and I'll accept them up to midnight on Saturday. If you haven't gotten your vote in, don't miss your chance.
And now back to our fanfic.
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He's the Spirit of a broken card… One that's been illegal for a long time.
When we first met him in the Sea of Infinite Tears, he told us a story that may have been taken from the history books of Hell, one which explains the cursed fruit that we used to gain power. He threatened to kill us if Ren couldn't beat him. Fortunately, Ren proved to be better than he was.
Now he claims that his duel with Ren was done for laughs. He's much more serious now.
He stands between us and the Master Programmer. Behind us is an army of Machines, and the only way to stop them is to get past him TO the Programmer.
And to make things worse, I haven't been more nervous about facing an opponent than I have been since I dueled Claret. Something is clearly different this time…
Only one way out of this, and it isn't gonna be easy…
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CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
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The Plague
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There wasn't much in the world – any world – that frightened Adrian Gecko. After all, he had dared to tame the Spirit of Exodia, and he was one of the select few duelists brave enough to stand up to Yubel alone, who had used Armitael the Chaos Phantom against him.
Right now, however, he couldn't help but be nervous.
He was facing the Steel Legion, an army of Machines programmed to be ruthless in every sense of the word, to disregard their own safety, and to not comprehend the concept of mercy in the slightest.
Several of them were Gadgets. There were also Mechanicalchasers, Cannon Soldier MK-2s, Reflect Bounders, and even Cyber Dragons.
And in front of them was the general of this squadron… The most intimidating Machine of all, Perfect Machine King. The ten-foot-tall, armored, heavily armed Machine glared at Adrian.
"You're either very brave, or very stupid, Gecko," mocked the King, in a voice that sounded much more human than the typical Machine. "Most humans OR Duel Spirits who knew that the Steel Legion was coming would have run ten miles by now."
Adrian lifted his Disk. The King laughed.
"You're serious?" it laughed. "So, you want to humiliate yourself before we put you out of your misery?"
"Doesn't a dying man get a last request?" asked Adrian.
The King chuckled again.
"So be it," it said. "If that's how you desire to meet your end…"
It pulled a switch on its left arm, and a Disk made of gunmetal grey steel unfolded.
"Give us some space!" it shouted to its troops.
"I should warn you, Gecko, just as I'm the Perfect Machine King, I have a perfect record as a duelist."
"Nobody's perfect," replied Adrian. "And I happen to know that Emes the Infinity scored higher than you on the last IQ test."
"That test had a margin of error!" shouted the King.
That's it, Adrian, thought Adrian. If you can duel this blowhard and keep it occupied, maybe, just maybe, you'll distract the Legion long enough for the others to get to the Master Programmer.
Even if I lose… I'll go down hoping that Daala's reign will end because of this…
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Below the room, Aster's Monster had punched through several floors, taking the group on a direct route down, down to the subbasement of the Infernal Clock.
They were now in a cavernous complex. It reminded them of the creepy places that Sigourney Weaver trekked through, hunting for aliens in several old movies so many years ago.
And they weren't alone.
Getsu Fuhma's sword sliced through a Cannon Soldier, cutting it in half. At the same time, Vampire Lady's fist came down on a KA-2 Des Scissors, crushing it.
"I don't like this," muttered Yumi. "All we've seen so far are weak Machines. Clearly, we're being led into something."
They followed the hallway, with their Monsters leading the way.
"Look," said Aster.
Up in front of them was a large, iron vault door. Printed on it were the words: "RESTRICTED AREA!! ENTRY FORBIDDEN!!"
"A huge metal vault with a not-too subtle warning," said Aster, taking a card from his deck. "The Programmer is either behind that door, or something just as valuable is."
Vampire Lady and Getsu Fuhma vanished, and Destiny Hero Dreadguy appeared. He grabbed hold of the door, and ripped it off the hinges.
He tossed it aside…
Then a bolt of magical energy shot out of the room inside. Dreadguy screamed and shattered into shards.
"Look sharp everyone!" warned Yumi.
They looked into the room. The Master Programmer was there, all right. At least that was what they assumed the huge computer was…
But standing in front of it was a very familiar Duel Spirit.
"Hello, folks," said Chaos Sorcerer. "Did you miss me?"
"Yeah," growled Ren, "like I missed a toothache. We thought you were dead."
Chaos Sorcerer closed his eyes and shook his head.
"Ren, Ren, Ren," he scolded. "I know you read a lot of comic books… Don't you know the five rules regarding the deaths of villains?"
"Eh?" said Ren.
"Rule one:" started the Sorcerer. "If the body isn't found, there's no proof of death. So the villain isn't dead. He survived.
"Rule two: If the body IS found, it likely isn't the real body. So he survived.
"Rule three: If the body is found and it IS the real body, his soul likely didn't die with it. So he survived.
"Rule four: If the body is found, it is the real body, and his soul went with it, someone else will become the villain. So at least in spirit, he survived.
"Rule five: If the body is found, it is the real body, his soul went with it, and no-one else becomes the villain, well then, he wasn't a villain that was worth fighting in the first place.
"You didn't even get past rule one."
Ren glared at him.
"What do you want?!" he shouted.
"I want to go to New York City and see the next production of Wicked on Broadway," said Chaos Sorcerer.
"You are trying our patience pal," snarled Sam.
"He asked what I wanted, didn't he?" asked the Spellcaster. "But business before pleasure, I always say… You folks weren't planning on messing with the Master Programmer, were you?"
"You want me to kick your ass again?" asked Ren.
"I don't want to duel you," replied Chaos Sorcerer. "I'm in the mood for something of a different flavor.
"How about you, Erik?"
"Me?" asked Erik.
A Disk appeared on Chaos Sorcerer's arm.
"Duel me," he said. "Defeat me, and I'll be on my way."
Erik nervously looked behind him.
Chaos Sorcerer's eyes glowed.
"Try to get past me any other way," he said with a grin, "and it might get ugly…"
"Guys, he's trying to delay us," said Erik. "Nezbitt's army is probably right behind."
"We'll watch your back, baby," said Sam. "Take him out for good this time."
Erik activated his own Disk.
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Back at the antechamber, Adrian seemed to have an advantage in one area and a disadvantage in another. He had Cloudian – Eye of the Typhoon (3,000/1,000) in Attack Mode, naturally, two facedown Monsters, and 3,500 Life Points remaining. Perfect Machine King had two facedown Monsters, two facedown cards, Gear Golem the Moving Fortress in Defense Mode, (800/2,200) and 3,900 Life Points remaining.
"My draw!" laughed the King, drawing a card.
"First thing's first," it said. "I'm taking out your big cloud."
One of his facedown cards activated.
"My Zero Gravity Trap Card. Now, all Monsters that are face-up switch modes."
Gear Golem rolled into Attack Mode, while Eye of the Typhoon shielded itself in Defense Mode.
"No!" gasped Adrian. "Cloudians can't defend! If they try to…"
Eye of Typhoon exploded into pixels.
"Isn't that too bad?" said the King. "Next, I Flip-Summon Bokoichi the Freightening Car."
One of his facedown Monsters flipped up, revealing itself to be a freight car with a fiendish-looking face. (500/500)
"Then I'll play Machine Duplication," it continued, playing a Spell Card. "Why stop at one…"
Two more Bokoichis appeared.
"When three is much more fun?"
I can see what's coming from a mile away, thought Adrian.
"Next, I'll flip my other Monster," said the King.
His other facedown Monster flipped up, revealing a steam locomotive, again with a fiendish-looking face. (1,400/1,000)
"Dekoichi the Choo-Choo," muttered Adrian. "Like that's a surprise…"
"Now I get to draw one card," said the King.
"And you get to draw an additional one for each Bokoichi," added Adrian. "I know, I know…"
Perfect Machine King drew four cards.
"Did you know what I was going to do next?" asked the King. "I haven't Normal Summoned yet, so I'll sacrifice Gear Golem…"
The Moving Fortress vanished.
"To summon Metal Shooter."
A new robot appeared, this one very high-tech. It was pear-shaped, streamlined, hovered on an energy platform, and had two arms that ended in what looked like blasters. (800/800)
"Big deal," said Adrian. "It has 800 lousy points."
"Not for long," replied the King. "When Metal Shooter is Normal Summoned, it gains two counters, and each one grants it 800 more points."
Metal Shooter grew to an Attack Score of 2,400.
"In addition," it added, "if you try to destroy it with a card effect, it can survive by getting rid of one of the counters.
"Next, I'll play the Spell Card, Sniper Mode."
As he played the card, hatches opened on the three Bokoichis, and nasty-looking rifles emerged. Adrian looked at them nervously.
"We'll get to that later… Now, Metal Shooter, attack his first facedown Monster with plasma cannon!"
Metal Shooter lifted its arm, and it glowed with pure light. It blasted a beam of brilliant energy at the facedown Monster. A small, puffy cloud appeared and was vaporized.
"You just destroyed my Cloudian – Sheep Cloud," said Adrian. "And when that happens, I get to summon two Sheep Cloud Tokens in Defense Mode."
Two small, puffy clouds appeared in front of him. (0/0 x2)
"Dekoichi," ordered the King, "attack his other Monster!"
Steam blew from Dekoichi's stack, and its wheels started to turn. It sped at the facedown card. A second Cloudian – Sheep Cloud appeared, and was run over.
"Nice," said Adrian. "Now I have four Tokens."
Two more Sheep Cloud Tokens appeared.
"They won't protect you," said the King. "You see, thanks to my Sniper Mode, all Machine Monsters that are Level Three or less can attack directly this turn."
Adrian froze in fear as three glowing crosshairs appeared on his chest…
Three shots rang out, and he clutched his chest in pain. His Life Points fell to 2,500.
"Well then," said the King, "guess I'll activate my other Trap Card…"
His other facedown card lifted.
"Virus Cannon! Now, for each Monster I choose to sacrifice, you have to discard one Spell Card from your deck."
Dekoichi and the three Bokoichis vanished.
Lovely, thought Adrian, taking his deck. But… Maybe I can use this to my advantage…
He quickly discarded four cards.
"I'll end by setting one more facedown card," chuckled the King, as a facedown card appeared. "My turn is over, so the effect of my Sniper Mode expires. It's your move."
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Erik noticed something. The Disk that Chaos Sorcerer was using was standard issue.
"That isn't an Anarchist Disk," he muttered.
"Ah, yes," chuckled Chaos Sorcerer. "Well, I was willing to use one when I dueled Ren back at the Sea… It was all for fun back then…
"But this duel is simply too important to leave to the whims of chance. I'll duel this time using a deck I created myself.
"Now… Shall we?"
(Erik: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Chaos Sorcerer: 8,000)
"My draw," said Erik, making his first draw.
He looked at the six cards in his hand.
"I summon my Toy Tank," he said.
With a loud beeping and whirring noise, the large, plastic tank rolled onto the field. (1,300/1,100)
"Then I'll set these, and that will be all."
He fit two cards into his Disk, and two facedown cards appeared.
Chaos Sorcerer chuckled.
"A toy tank," he laughed, as he drew. "Takes me back…
"I'll have this defend me, and that will be all."
A facedown Monster appeared in front of him.
"Hmm…" said Erik, drawing another card.
He had expected an attack, truthfully.
"I summon Toy Magician!" he shouted.
In a burst of light, the plastic, colored mage appeared. (1,600/1,500)
"Now, my Toy Tank attacks your Monster!"
Toy Tank's turret glowed, and it blasted a beam of energy from its cannon. Mother Grizzly appeared on the card, and exploded into a splatter of water.
"I'm sure a duelist as experienced as you knows how Attribute searchers work," said Chaos Sorcerer. "I think I'll summon a second Mother Grizzly."
Another Mother Grizzly appeared. (1,400/1,000)
"Toy Magician, destroy it," ordered Erik.
Toy Magician cast his spell, shooting a blast of plasma motes at the second Mother Grizzly. It exploded just as the first one had.
"Now that you're out of attacks," said Chaos Sorcerer, "I'll use its effect to summon my Devil's Slime Mold."
With a wet, slurping sound, a creature that looked like a Fiend made of thick liquid rose up from the floor. (500/500)
"Ga-ross!" gasped Sam.
"Yes, that's usually the first impression one makes upon seeing this Monster," answered Chaos Sorcerer. "These handsome creatures are formed in areas where Fiends live and large amounts of garbage is dumped.
"But enough about stuff you could read in any good textbook… Anything else?"
"Just move," said Erik.
(E: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (CS: 7,800)
"I draw one card," said Chaos Sorcerer, making a draw. "Then, during my Standby Phase, if Devil's Slime Mold is in Attack Mode, I can pay 500 Life Points to get a bonus… And summon a second one from my deck."
He glowed with an aura of red energy, and second of the Slime Molds appeared. (500/500)
"In fact, I think I'll use that effect twice, and summon a third one as well."
He glowed again, and a third Mold appeared. (500/500)
"And just what are you going to do with three weak…" started Erik.
Then he caught himself.
"Oh… no…" he muttered.
"That's right, Erik," said Chaos Sorcerer with a sinister smile. "I plan to use these weak Monsters as sacrifices…"
The three Slime Molds erupted into dark flames…
A stale wind started to blow through the subbasement. They heard the noise again…
…the neighing of that demonic horse…
"It's another one!" shouted Yumi. "He has another of the Horsemen!"
"Indeed," chuckled Chaos Sorcerer, with an evil grin. "I call forth Pestilence, the White Horseman!"
The creature appeared in an explosion of energy…
Erik stepped back when he saw the thing. It looked like a man suffering from an advanced case of leprosy, its skin covered with ugly sores and lesions, wrinkled and scarred – clearly, this case had never been treated. But unlike a typical sufferer of that dreaded disease, it stood up straight, with no trace of a limp or any sign that its motor functions were impaired. It was dressed in a pure, white toga, that was spotlessly clean, in start contrast to its blemished skin. (2,500/2,500)
Erik looked nervously at the new Horseman…
"Something wrong, Erik?" asked Chaos Sorcerer. "I haven't even gotten to my Battle Phase yet…
"Well, best do that now… Attack his Toy Tank! Winds of sickness!"
Pestilence opened its mouth, opening it far wider than it should have been able to, revealing a huge maw with terrible fangs. It blew a dark, foul blast of air mixed with filth in Erik's direction, and he staggered back as it hit the Toy Tank.
(E: 6,800) - - - - - - - - - - (CS: 6,800)
Erik took some deep breaths.
"Something's… not right…" he muttered.
He looked. Toy Tank was still there. It seemed to be dirty and rotting in a few places, but it had not been destroyed.
"Not that I'm complaining," mused Erik. "But… Why did my Tank survive?"
"Pestilence can't destroy Monsters that it battles," explained Chaos Sorcerer.
"Say what?" asked Erik.
"Yes, I know," said Chaos Sorcerer. "But before you think that's a benefit, my Monster has a few other effects.
"First off, every time it battles a Monster, that Monster gains a Plague Counter. A Monster with two of them is destroyed.
"Second, the illness that it causes to all of your Monsters while it is on the field fills them with a fever-induced rage. All of your Monsters that are in Attack Mode must attack during your turn.
"Anyway…
"I throw down a few facedown cards, and then Equip Pestilence with Mist Body."
He played all five of the cards in his hand. Four facedown cards appeared, and Pestilence became surrounded with a misty aura.
"Your move…"
Erik drew a card.
"Hmm…" he said.
"Think I'll activate two of them right now," laughed Chaos Sorcerer, as two of his facedown cards lifted.
"Final Attack Orders, and Light of Intervention."
"Well that's a surprise," muttered Chelsea. "Now Erik can only summon in Attack Mode."
"And when his Monsters attack that thing," said Ren. "He'll lose… 1,700 Life Points."
"Not quite…" said Erik. "My Monsters may have to attack… But they don't have to attack Pestilence."
"What are you talking about?" asked Chaos Sorcerer. "It's the only target."
Erik played a card.
"I summon another Toy Magician," he said.
As second of the toy mages appeared. (1,600/1,500)
"Now I play… Forced March! For this round only, if I cut my Monsters' Attack Scores in half, they can attack directly!"
"Oh crap…" muttered Chaos Sorcerer.
Both Toy Magicians fell to Attack Scores of 800, while Toy Tank fell to 650.
"Get him!" shouted Erik.
Toy Tank blasted its cannon, and the Toy Magicians shot showers of sparks out of their scepters. Chaos Sorcerer fell over, and his hood fell off his head.
"I throw down a facedown, and that will be all," muttered Erik, as a facedown card appeared.
(E: 6,800) - - - - - - - - - - (CS: 4,550)
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Back in the antechamber, Adrian drew a card.
"All right, scrap pile," he snarled. "First, I play a facedown."
A facedown card appeared.
"Now, I'm using these Sheep Clouds to gain back some strength. I play Token Thanksgiving. This destroys all my Token Monsters, but I gain 800 Life Points for each one."
The four Sheep Clouds vanished, and he glowed with energy as his Life Points went up to 5,200.
"Next, it's time to change locales…"
He placed a card in his Field Slot.
"I play Royal Castle of the Fog!"
A misty fog covered the whole area, and then a huge, medieval-style castle with five towers loomed behind Adrian. The ceiling turned into a dark sky.
"What, no moat?" asked Perfect Machine King.
Adrian closed his eyes and chuckled.
"Now I summon a king of my own," he continued. "Fog King, that is."
He played a card.
"I don't see any Fog King," said the King.
"Look up," said Adrian.
Perfect Machine King looked, and saw the Monster on the Castle's central tower. It was a knight-like creature in full plate armor and a cape, holding a sword. (0/0)
"Fog King is Level Seven," explained Adrian, "but I can summon him with one sacrifice, or none at all. And his Attack Score becomes equal to the combined Attack Scores of the Monsters I sacrificed to summon him."
His opponent laughed out loud.
"You summoned it with NO sacrifice!" he laughed. "That means its Attack Score is zero!"
"Still my turn," continued Adrian. "I Equip him with Royal Sword."
Fog King's sword vanished, and a much fancier sword appeared in his hand.
"And I end my turn. By the way, so long as Fog King is on the field, neither player is allowed to sacrifice Monsters."
This doesn't make sense… thought Perfect Machine King, drawing a card. His King still has no Attack Points…
"Metal Shooter, attack his Fog King at once!"
Metal Shooter fired, hitting Fog King. The tower he was on erupted in flames.
"So much for him," chuckled the King.
"Think again," said Adrian, as his facedown card lifted. "You triggered my Spirit Barrier, so I take no damage, so long as I have a Monster on the field.
"And as for Fog King, take another look…"
Fog King was now on the tower to the left of the one that was on fire.
"Let me explain this setup," started Adrian. "My Castle has five towers, each one representing a space on my Monster Zone. If Fog King would be defeated in battle, he can survive by jumping to another tower. However, that lights a beacon on the one he was previously on, and I can't use the ones with beacons on them.
"Also, there's his Royal Sword. Each time he battles, it gains a Crest Counter, which boosts his Attack Score by 800 per Counter."
Fog King rose to (800/0)
"And when it has four Crest Counters, I can send Fog King and his sword to the Graveyard, to blast you for a mighty blow with 4,000 points of damage behind it!"
"WHAT?" shouted Perfect Machine King.
"My move!" yelled Adrian.
He drew.
"Fog King, attack Metal Shooter!"
Fog King bravely leapt off the tower at the Machine.
Curses! thought Perfect Machine King. With his Spirit Barrier there, if I use my facedown Limiter Removal, my Monster will be wasted!
Metal Shooter fired again, causing another explosion.
Fog King reappeared on the third tower, and rose to a score of (1,600/0)
"I throw one card facedown, and end my turn," said Adrian.
A facedown card appeared.
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Chaos Sorcerer fastened his hood back on his head.
"Stupid thing," he muttered. "Should trade this in for one that's more manageable... How the heck does Dark Magician keep that dumb hat of his on his head all the time anyway?"
"You got me," said Yumi. "I'll be sure to ask him the next time my cards talk to me."
"Whatever," snarled Chaos Sorcerer. "My move!"
He drew a card.
He frowned when he looked at the card he had drawn. It was Pot of Greed.
"You drew a very useful Spell Card, right?" asked Erik. "Too bad you can't use it… All five of the slots in your Spell Zone are being used!"
Yes, that is the double-edged sword of this strategy… thought Chaos Sorcerer.
One of his facedown cards lifted.
"I activate Fatal Abacus," he said. "This card lets you count your way to the end, because it inflicts 500 points of damage on a player whenever one of his Monsters is sent to the Graveyard.
"Now, attack his Toy Tank! Winds of sickness!"
Pestilence started to blow its vile breath towards Toy Tank…
"Go!" shouted Erik, as one of his facedown cards lifted up. "Mirror Force!"
The holy light started to intensify…
"Not so fast!" shouted Chaos Sorcerer. "I activate a facedown card of my own. The Spell Card, My Body as a Shield!"
One of his facedown cards flipped up.
"Sure, it costs me 1,500 Life Points, but it protects my Monster from your Mirror Force."
Erik's Trap Card was blown to pieces.
"Nice try, Erik," muttered Sam.
The vile attack plowed into Toy Tank, and it started to warp and rot even more.
"Since it has two Plague Counters," said Chaos Sorcerer, "it's destroyed…"
Toy Tank exploded. Fatal Abacus glowed, and Erik cringed in pain.
Nuts, thought Erik. Since that doesn't count as destroyed by battle, I can't use its effect…
"And one more thing… When a Monster is destroyed by Pestilence's effect, you also lose 200 Life Points for each Level it had. Sorry if I left that out. Since Toy Tank was Level Four, you lose 800 more Life Points."
Erik cringed even more.
(E: 4,300) - - - - - - - - - - (CS: 3,050)
"Now that that's out of the way," said Chaos Sorcerer, "I have a free space, so I'll play Pot of Greed."
The evil jar appeared, and he made two draws. He looked at the two cards.
"I'll end my turn there. Don't forget, on your turn, your Monsters must attack."
Erik drew a card. He looked at it.
"My pleasure…" he growled.
"I sacrifice both Toy Magicians…"
Both of his Magicians vanished.
"…to summon Puppet King!"
In a burst of energy, Puppet King appeared, towering over the field. (2,800/2,600)
"All right!" cheered Ren. "Puppet King is stronger than Pestilence!"
"Yeah, but Pestilence still has that Mist Body," said Aster. "So it can't be destroyed in battle."
"Puppet King," ordered Erik, "attack the White Horseman with Majestic Checker!"
Puppet King charged at Pestilence and walloped it on the chin with his fist. The White Horseman fell over, but didn't shatter.
"My Horseman is unharmed," chuckled Chaos Sorcerer. "Yours, on the other hand, gains a Plague Counter for that move."
Puppet King groaned, and rotting sores started to form over its wooden body.
"I end my turn…" growled Erik.
(E: 4,300) - - - - - - - - - - (CS: 2,750)
"Then I draw," said Chaos Sorcerer, drawing a card.
"Then I summon Plague Wolf."
Another Monster appeared, this one a rotting, undead zombie wolf, foaming at the mouth with fur falling off its flesh in handfuls. (1,000/1,000)
"Good boy," he said. "Now, I activate its effect, and double its Attack Score."
Plague Wolf rose up to (2,000/1,000).
"Pestilence, attack Puppet King."
Pestilence's foul wind blew at Puppet King. Puppet King swatted it aside, and the Horseman fell over again.
Then Puppet King groaned again, and exploded into pixels.
Fatal Abacus glowed again, and Erik groaned.
"Puppet King was Level Seven," said Chaos Sorcerer, "so now you lose 1,400 more Life Points."
Erik screamed as the pain tore through his body. It was more than pain… It was like a nasty fever, like he was literally burning up inside.
"Feeling sick Erik?" asked Chaos Sorcerer. "Feeling fever? Chills? Slight headache? Loss of appetite? That is to be expected… This creature represents disease in all its forms.
"And I can spread even more… Plague Wolf, attack him directly."
Plague Wolf blew a second gust of foul wind at Erik…
"Trap activate!" gasped Erik. "Fortress of Sand!"
His Trap Card lifted, and a huge sand castle appeared behind and over him. Plague Wolf's blast blew away a chunk of it, but he was safe.
"Pity," said Chaos Sorcerer. "And when I end my turn, Plague Wolf will be destroyed because I used its effect…
"So I'll use Mystik Wok to sacrifice it before that happens."
He played the card, and a huge wok appeared behind him with a fire burning underneath. Plague Wolf appeared, and dark smoke fed into Chaos Sorcerer.
"It costs me 500 Life Points from Fatal Abacus," he said, "but I gain 2,000 back.
"And with that, I end my turn."
(E: 2,800) - - - - - - - - - - (CS: 3,950)
Meanwhile Yumi had been watching down the hallway behind them. As she was, she saw several shadows appear behind the corner.
"People…" warned Yumi. "We're gonna have company soon…"
She, Ren, Chelsea, Sam, and Aster stood at the door, and watched as the shadows grew larger.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
"Your move, your highness…" goaded Adrian.
Fog King's sword now had three Crest Counters, giving him an Attack Score of 2,400, while the Castle had three beacons burning. Emes still had Metal Shooter, and a Monster in Defense Mode.
I won't be beaten by this human… thought Perfect Machine King, as it drew a card.
It looked at its card, and quickly set it facedown.
"Your move," it said.
Adrian drew.
"Trap Card, activate!" shouted the King, as its facedown card shot up. "Dust Tornado!"
The Tornado flew across the field, and the Royal Sword flew from King Fog's hands, exploding against the walls of the Castle.
"You triggered my own Trap!" shouted Adrian, as his facedown card flipped up. "Crest Burn! Now, for each Crest Counter that the Sword had when it was destroyed, my Castle gains one beacon!"
Fog King vanished, as the two remaining towers of Royal Castle of the Fog erupted in bonfires.
"WHAT?" shouted the King. "That renders your entire Monster Zone unusable! Why would you do something so stupid?
"Because I had not one, but two plans to beat you," said Adrian. "Now that beacons are lit on all five of my Castle's towers, I can activate another of its effects, which I can do by sending the Castle itself and every card in my hand to the Graveyard."
The Castle vanished.
"I have to skip my Battle Phase this round too, by the way.
"And what do I get in return, you may ask?
"I get any four cards I want from my Graveyard. And I'm going to get the four Spell Cards you made me discard with your Virus Cannon.
"And now I'm going to play all four…
"First, Dark Room of Nightmare."
He played the card, and a Continuous Spell appeared.
"Now, you take an extra 300 points of damage whenever you take effect damage. Like when I play Meteor of Destruction!"
He played the second card, and a ball of flaming energy struck Perfect Machine King. The Machine cringed as its Life Points fell to 2,600.
"Want more?" asked Adrian. "I play Tremendous Fire!"
The King screamed. Adrian's Life Points fell to 4,700, while its Life Points fell to 1,300.
Adrian slowly played the last card, which was another Tremendous Fire. Perfect Machine King screamed again as Adrian's Life Points fell to 4,200, and its own fell to zero.
Perfect Machine King collapsed, and slowly vanished into grains of light. The rest of the Steel Legion looked around, looking somewhat unsure of what to do.
Just as I hoped, thought Adrian. Their general is gone, and they're confused. But they won't be for long.
He looked at the torn-up floor behind him where Yumi's group had escaped through. He deactivated his Disk.
So I'd best skedaddle before they become un-confused. And once I'm in the clear, I'll make a phone call.
He turned tail and leapt down the opening.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Erik sweat as he drew a card.
He looked at his arm. Red welts were forming on it.
He looked at the Monster in front of him. He shivered in fear.
"I play Toy Memorial," he said, weakly. "I have to skip my Battle Phase, but I get to draw once for each Toy Monster in my Graveyard.
"And that means…That means my Monsters won't be compelled to attack this round. You can't force me to attack if another card makes that impossible."
Chaos Sorcerer frowned.
"You don't have to tell me how to play the game," he grumbled.
Erik drew three cards. His eyes lit up when he saw what they were.
"Now I activate Emergency Provisions," said Erik, as his facedown card lifted. "I'll sacrifice Toy Memorial and Fortress of Sand to gain 2,000 Life Points."
The sand castle and the Memorial card vanished, and Erik glowed with energy.
"It's feed a cold, starve a fever, Erik," corrected Chaos Sorcerer.
"Now, I summon Spell Striker," said Erik, ignoring him.
He played a card, and the toy wizard with the horned helmet appeared. (600/200)
"Next, I play a Spell Card. It's called Toy Box."
He played a card, and a large box with a goofy, smiling face and two bendy arms appeared in front of him. (0/0)
"Huh?" said Chaos Sorcerer. "Some sort of token?"
"That's right," muttered Erik. "My Toy Box can't be attacked, and it's impervious to Spell Cards. Also, when I summon it using that Spell Card, I can take two Monsters with the word 'Toy' in their names on the field or in my hand, and hide them in the Toy Box."
Toy Box's lid opened, and two of the cards in Erik's hand turned to globes of energy. They flew inside the Toy Box, whose lid slammed shut.
"And what happens to them in there?" asked Chaos Sorcerer.
"You'll find out later," sighed Erik. "That's all for me."
(E: 4,800) - - - - - - - - - - (CS: 3,950)
Meanwhile, Erik's allies were guarding the door, with Skilled Dark Magician, Dark Blade, Zombie Master, Gil Garth, and Destiny Hero Diehardguy in front of them.
The Machines started to march towards them. Mighty Guards came first, then DUCKER Mobile Cannons, then Twinbarrel Dragons.
"CHARGE!" shouted Yumi.
Their five Monsters plowed into the mechanical forces. Diehardguy crushed the smaller Machines with the shells on his arms, while Dark Blade and Gil Garth cut through the artillery with their swords. Skilled Dark Magician and Zombie Master fired bolts of dark energy, blowing more of them to scrap.
"My move!" yelled Chaos Sorcerer.
He drew a card.
"Pestilence, attack Spell Striker!" he shouted.
Pestilence blew its disease-laden breath, and Spell Striker groaned.
"Due to his effect," said Erik, "my Life Points are unharmed."
"Then I'll set this," said Chaos Sorcerer, setting a facedown card.
"And I activate the effect of my Toy Box," said Erik. "I get to Special Summon one of the Monsters I put in there."
The Toy Box's lid opened, and Erik's third Toy Magician hopped out. (1,600/1,500)
"I end my turn," said Chaos Sorcerer.
"I draw…" muttered Erik.
He drew a card.
"And look at this!" he said, as more sweat ran down his face. "I play Mystical Space Typhoon!"
He played it, and the cyclone tore across the field. The Mist Body card shattered, and the aura surrounding Pestilence blew away and faded.
"Now, I use the effect of Toy Box again!"
Toy Box opened again, and this time a much bigger Toy leapt out.
It was Toy Dragon. (2,300/2,000)
The Toy Box vanished.
"Guess what, Chaos Sorcerer?" laughed Erik, nervously. "He gets 400 more Attack Points for each other Toy on the field, and Toy Magician is standing strong."
(2,700/2,000)
"Oh, crap…" muttered Chaos Sorcerer.
"Attack the White Horseman!" commanded Erik. "Shooting star shower!"
A blast of glowing, sparking motes shot out of Toy Dragon's jaws, and Pestilence exploded into a cloud of dust.
"And thanks to your own Fatal Abacus," added Erik, "you lose an extra 500 Life Points!"
Chaos Sorcerer groaned.
"I activate a Spell Card!" he shouted, as his facedown card flipped up.
"Great Fall?" asked Erik. "Wait, I remember that…"
"You should," replied the Sorcerer. "Want used it. Since a Level Ten Monster was destroyed, I get to draw twice."
He made two draws.
"Don't forget, your Dragon still gets a Plague Counter."
"Well, I'm not done with you!" continued Erik. "Toy Magician, Spell Striker, attack him directly!"
Chaos Sorcerer screamed as Toy Magician's sparkle blast and a shock from Spell Striker's wand hit him.
(E: 4,800) - - - - - - - - - - (CS: 1,050)
Erik took some deep breaths. He looked at his arm in relief. The red welts were fading to nothing, and the burning sensation was going away.
"Well, that's one way to cure an illness that you can't get from a doctor," he chuckled.
Meanwhile, the last of the Machines outside had just fallen.
"That was almost too easy…" said Chelsea.
Then they heard something. It sounded like a large vehicle being driven towards them.
As they watched, a huge Gatling Dragon, followed by several Gadgets, turned the corner.
"And when something is too easy," muttered Ren, "it gets harder quickly…"
Three blasts from the huge Machine vaporized Skilled Dark Magician, Zombie Master, and Diehardguy, and their owners shielded themselves.
"Go, Destiny Signal!" shouted Aster, as a facedown card lifted.
The spotlight shot towards the ceiling, and Destiny Hero Defendguy appeared in Defense Mode.
"Let's see it get by that," he said.
"Erik?" said Sam. "You think you can hurry?"
"I'm trying!" shouted Erik.
"My move," said Chaos Sorcerer.
He drew a card.
"I play Giant Trunade," he said.
He played the card, and a tornado blew over the field. His Light of Intervention, Fatal Abacus, and Final Attack Orders disappeared, returning to his hand.
"Next," he said. "I play Magical Mallet. I'll send these three cards back to my deck…"
He placed the three Trap Cards in his deck, and reshuffled.
"Then I'll make three draws."
He drew three times.
"I'll set one Monster, and one card facedown. And then you go. This duel is not over yet."
A facedown card and a facedown Monster appeared.
Erik drew a card.
Pot of Avarice? he thought. Nuts… I can't use this right now…
"Attack his facedown Monster!" ordered Erik.
Toy Dragon blasted its shooting star shower at the facedown Monster, but Chaos Sorcerer gestured, and his facedown card flipped up. The Negate Attack card appeared, and the blast hit an invisible shield.
"Fine, fine," said Erik. "Your move now."
Yumi held up a card.
"I sacrifice two Monsters…" she said.
Gil Garth and Dark Blade vanished.
"To summon Cosmo Queen!"
Cosmo Queen appeared in a burst of dark energy.
She blasted her cosmic nova, and Gatling Dragon erupted into a mighty explosion of flaming debris and scrap metal. The Gadgets ran for cover.
"Looks like they're running scared!" laughed Ren.
"No…" muttered Aster. "They're falling back so that something even worse can come…"
Chaos Sorcerer drew a card.
"I play Awakening From Beyond," he said. "Now, you get to draw two cards, but I get a Monster back from my Graveyard."
Erik drew two cards. A card slipped out of Chaos Sorcerer's discard slot.
"Give you one guess what it is," he said, turning the Pestilence card forward.
"What about sacrifices?" asked Erik. "As in, you need three of them?"
Chaos Sorcerer chuckled.
"I flip Lekunga into Attack Mode," he said.
His facedown card flipped up. The Monster that appeared looked like a green, slimy sphere with one big eye and several tentacles. (1,700/500)
"Some sort of Fiend?" asked Erik.
"No, a Plant," replied Chaos Sorcerer. "And now I activate its effect. By removing two Water Monsters in my Graveyard from play, I get a Lekunga Token."
Both Mother Grizzlies slipped out of his discard slot, and a Monster that looked like a smaller version of Lekunga appeared next to it. (700/700)
"And I think I'll use that effect a second time."
Two Devil's Slime Molds slipped out of his discard slot, and a second Token appeared.
"Now, I sacrifice Lekunga and its two Tokens…"
The three Monsters shattered into shards.
"…to summon Pestilence again!"
In another display, the diseased Fiend appeared again. (2,500/2,500)
"Attack Toy Magician!" ordered Chaos Sorcerer.
Erik screamed again, as the winds of sickness plowed into Toy Magician.
(E: 3,900) - - - - - - - - - - (CS: 1,050)
"I set two cards facedown, and end my turn," said Chaos Sorcerer, as two facedown cards appeared. "Let's see what else you have."
Erik looked at the two cards he had drawn with Awakening From Beyond.
He drew another card.
Toy Dragon already has one Plague Counter, he thought. Sorry old pal, but I gotta do this…
"I move Toy Magician and Spell Striker to Defense Mode," he said, as the smaller toys knelt and shielded themselves.
"Toy Dragon, attack Pestilence!"
Toy Dragon blasted its shooting star shower again.
"Activate Draining Shield!" shouted Chaos Sorcerer.
An invisible shield formed around Pestilence, and energy flowed into Chaos Sorcerer.
"Thanks for the recharge, pal!" laughed the Sorcerer.
His other facedown card lifted.
"And now, my Trap Trip. This lets me get a Trap Card right back from my Graveyard…"
The Draining Shield slipped back out of his discard slot.
Erik scowled. He placed two cards in his Disk, and two facedown cards appeared.
(E: 3,900) - - - - - - - - - - (CS: 3,750)
Yumi and the others watched as a dark shadow crept across the hallway where they had come.
"Now what?" she said.
A huge Monster came into view. It looked vaguely like a dragon, cobbled together from gears, spare parts, and various pieces of junk. It was thirty feet long, and had a forty-foot wingspan.
"The Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon!" gasped Aster.
The huge Machine blasted multiple balls of burning lava from its jaws, and Cosmo Queen screamed before exploding into pixels.
Yumi quickly set a Monster.
"Duel faster, Erik!" she yelled.
"My move!" laughed Chaos Sorcerer, drawing a card.
"I'll set a card facedown…"
A facedown card appeared.
"Now I attack your Toy Magician with Pestilence!"
The blast hit Toy Magician, and it started to rot and decay. It shattered into bits.
"Don't forget its effect," said Chaos Sorcerer. "You lose 800 Life Points. Consider yourself fortunate that it was in Defense Mode."
Erik groaned and started to sweat again.
(E: 3,100) - - - - - - - - - - (CS: 3,750)
"And your Dragon is cut down to size."
Toy Dragon fell to its base Attack of 2,300.
"It's your move," said Chaos Sorcerer.
The Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon blasted its weapon, and Defend Guy was smashed to bits.
Yumi's facedown Monster flipped up, and Magician's Valkyria appeared. Then she played another card, and a second Valkyria appeared.
"Both of you," she said, "you're our last defense. We're counting on you."
The two Valkyria nodded, and turned to face the Dragon.
Erik drew a card.
"It all comes down to this…" he muttered.
"I summon Toy Wind-Up!" he shouted.
He played the card, and the tin soldier holding his blunderbuss appeared. (1,000/700) Toy Dragon rose to an Attack Score of 2,700 again.
"Now, Call of the Haunted!"
One of his facedown cards lifted up, and Puppet King appeared again. (2,800/2,600)
"Puppet King… Attack Pestilence!"
Puppet King charged at the White Horseman.
"Once again," said Chaos Sorcerer, "I activate Draining Shield."
His Trap Card lifted up.
"Actually pal, you don't," said Erik.
His own facedown card lifted up.
"Solemn Judgment!" yelled Erik.
There was a flash of lightning, and an old man in a toga with a beard, carrying a cudgel with two beautiful muses behind him appeared.
"I have to cut my Life Points in half, but so much for your Draining Shield."
The Trap Card was blasted to pieces.
Puppet King punched Pestilence, and the White Horseman burst again.
"Toy Wind-Up, attack directly! Blunderbuss blast!"
Toy Wind-Up fired his weapon, and Chaos Sorcerer screamed.
"And when Toy Wind-Up damages your Life Points," said Erik, "I get to summon another one."
A second Toy Wind-Up appeared. (1,000/700) Toy Dragon's Attack Score rose to 3,100.
The second Wind-Up fired, and Chaos Sorcerer screamed again.
"Toy Dragon…" commanded Erik. "Attack directly with shooting star shower!"
Chaos Sorcerer's scream echoed through the whole subbasement as the final blast hit him.
(E: 1,550) - - - - - - - - - - (CS: 0)
When Erik looked again, it seemed that the blast had vaporized him, leaving only a burned-out Duel Disk.
Once again, the body isn't found… he thought.
"Sam!" he shouted, running up to the Master Programmer. "Come here! You know more about computers than I do!"
Sam left the others and ran up to it.
"We gotta hurry," she said. "There's enough robots out there to remake all six episodes of Star Wars, and Yumi's Valkyria Lock is the only thing holding them back."
She hit a button on the screen.
"INPUT PASSWORD," it said.
"Okay, Adrian said it was a Spell Card," she said.
"There are hundreds of Spell Cards!"
"It's likely a very rare Spell Card," added Erik. "One which plays a very important part in Nezbitt's deck."
Outside, a Red Gadget held up a Spell Card.
"That's Tribute to the Doomed!" gasped Chelsea.
One of the Valkyria screamed as her partner was seized by mummy wrappings and pulled under the ground.
Then the Dragon blasted its flaming breath at her, and she was incinerated.
Aster quickly played a card.
"Destiny Hero Devilguy!" he shouted.
The Dark Hero appeared, and floated towards the huge Machine. He gripped it with his claw, and the creature disappeared.
"Wait, wait, I think I've got it…" said Sam.
She typed in. "Clockwork Night".
"Access Approved."
A card image came on the screen. It was the Robotic Knight card.
"I just gotta change this data to Joan's," said Sam, "and put her name last."
She quickly changed "Machine" to "Fairy", and then changed "Fire" to "Light".
A Green Gadget punched Devil Guy, and the Destiny Hero shattered.
"Hurry up in there!" shouted Aster.
Sam quickly changed the Level from Four to Seven. Then she changed ATK from 1,600 to 2,800.
"Uh, people, what's Joan's Defense Score?" she shouted.
"2,000!" yelled Aster.
"Right," said Sam, making the change.
Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon reappeared and roared.
"Just a few seconds more," said Sam, as she deleted the words "Robotic Knight".
She carefully typed in "Guardian Angel Joan".
She hit the Enter key.
The screen flashed, and the Robotic Knight card shattered into pixels. Guardian Angel Joan's card materialized.
The huge Dragon moaned. It slowly landed. The Gadgets looked confused.
"Did we do it?" asked Sam.
Yumi's cell phone rang.
"Joan?" she gasped, answering it.
"Well done, children," she said. "I have word on another line that the Machine forces of Darkspire are under control."
"Another line?" asked Yumi. "Who?"
"Adrian Gecko," said Joan. "He claims he wants to defect. Honestly, I didn't even know he was working for Daala. But if his claim to have defeated Perfect Machine King is true, such help is welcome."
Yumi sighed.
"Well…" she said, "as long as you have him on the line, ask him what the quickest way out of here is, will you?"
She looked at the Master Programmer.
"And, uh, when you arrange to set up shop here, you might want to include someone who's really good at guarding things…"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Daala poured smoking, green liquid into a wine glass. Nezbitt was in front of her.
She slowly sipped the drink.
"Well, Nezbitt?" she said.
"I made the scan, milady," he said. "I'm afraid the Key was not with Samantha."
Daala paused.
"Interesting…" she mused.
"You aren't angry?" asked Nezbitt.
"No…" said Daala. "Actually, I'm not…"
Five screens came on around her, showing profiles of Yumi, Ren, Chelsea, Sam, and Erik.
"We may have lost control of four Realms…" she said. "But now, we've scanned all of them but one…"
She looked closely at Erik's face.
"The cold, hard process of elimination puts the Key squarely in that one's head…
"Tomorrow, they will no doubt continue, attempting to take the Flaming Peaks…
"And that is where we will drop our subtlety and secrecy, and stop playing by their rules. We will give Erik an offer he will not dare refuse…
"And I have the perfect duelist to get what we need to make that offer…"
She got up and picked up her Duel Disk.
"Skull Knight," she said, to her second-in-command by the door. "I'm going out for a walk. I'll be in the Burnt Paradise."
"But milady!" said Skull Knight. "Joan's men control that area! What if they see you?"
"Ah, I hope they do," said Daala. "Crushing a member of the rebellion might make me feel good.
"I'll show them who truly rules Xanadu…
"Oh, before I leave… Is your protégé ready?"
"Uh, yeah…" mumbled Skull Knight, nervously. "I wanted to talk to you about that… Look… I don't think having her duel Yumi just now is a good idea."
Daala looked at him.
"Why?" she asked.
"Don't get me wrong," said Skull Knight, "I have a lot of faith in the lass… But maybe she should wait before taking Yumi down… Wait until she's more powerful…"
Daala sighed.
"Skull Knight," she scolded. "I've given her a lot of leeway so far. It's time she proves that she has true value. She will duel one of them tomorrow. If not Yumi, have her choose a target.
"And be sure she knows full well what her punishment will be if she fails."
She turned and walked out.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
The Master Programmer had kept most Machines in Darkspire loyal to Nezbitt. However, Nanobreakers were a species that Aster had made friends with a long time ago. Some said that these Machines had not always been Machines, that the first ones had been Warriors who had gained strength through cybernetic technology.
In the antechamber, everyone watched as one of them worked the controls to the large tanks that held the prisoners captive. The vile liquid started to recede.
"Easy," she said. "They're in a very deep sleep right now… If they wake up too fast, it will be quite a shock…"
Erik sighed, and looked at the Pestilence card, that Chaos Sorcerer had left behind.
He knew he had best give it to Joan along with the others…
But still… He could swear that when he held the card so that he was seeing it out of the corner of his eye, there was a wicked smile on the thing's face that he couldn't see when he looked at it directly.
"I have a bad feeling about this…" he muttered.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
FORCED MARCH (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: A squad of exhausted Toy Soldiers marching up a staircase.
Card Description: During the turn you activate this card, the ATK of the Monsters on your side of the field is halved, and they may attack your opponent directly.
Note: "Forced March" was first used by Bonaparte in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Dormitory Demolition". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
TOY BOX (Spell Card)
Quickplay Spell
Image: A box with arms and a smiling face, with the top open, filled with toys.
Card Description: Special Summon one "Toy Box Token" (Machine/Earth/Level Two/0 ATK/0 DEF). The "Toy Box Token" cannot be targeted by an attack, and is unaffected by Spell Cards. The "Toy Box Token" cannot attack and cannot be Tributed. Upon activation of this card, you may take one or two Monsters on your side of the field and/or in your hand with the word "Toy" in their names and remove them from play. Once per turn, during either player's turn, if the "Toy Box Token" remains on the field, you may Special Summon one of the Monsters that was removed from play by this effect. Once all removed Monsters are Special Summoned via this effect, destroy the "Toy Box Token".
Note: "Toy Box" was first used by Little Yugi in the "Yu-Gi-Oh R" issue "Toy Magic!!". Creative credit goes to the writers.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
PESTILENCE, THE WHITE HORSEMAN (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Fiend/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 10
ATK: 2,500
DEF: 2,500
Card Description: This card cannot be Special Summoned. This card can only be Normal Summoned by offering three Monsters as a Tribute. This card does not destroy Monsters that it battles (damage calculation still applies). All opposing Monsters in Attack Position must attack during their owner's turn if they are able to. When a Monster battles this card, it gains one "Plague Counter". A Monster that has two "Plague Counters" is destroyed after damage calculation is applied. If a Monster is destroyed via this method, its owner loses 200 Life Points for each Level of the destroyed Monster.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
TRAP TRIP (Trap Card)
Normal Trap
Image: A hand moving towards a mousetrap that is baited with candy.
Card Description: Select one Trap Card from your Graveyard and add it to your hand after showing it to your opponent.
Note: "Trap Trip" was first used by Mad Dog in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "No Pain, No Game". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
AWAKENING FROM BEYOND (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: A ghostly face superimposed over a group of coffins.
Card Description: Your opponent draws two cards. Select one Monster in your Graveyard and add it to your hand.
Note: "Awakening From Beyond" was first used by the Pharaoh episode "The Final Duel (Part Three)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
ROYAL CASTLE OF THE FOG (Spell Card)
Field Spell
Image: A castle with five towers, with a burning beacon on each tower, with misty fog below.
Card Description: If a Monster you control would be destroyed in battle, you can prevent it from being destroyed by moving it to another space on your Monster Zone (only the controller of this card can use this effect). If this effect is used and there are no free spaces on your Monster Zone, the Monster is destroyed. When this effect is used, this card gains a "Beacon Counter" (max. 5). For each "Beacon Counter" on this card, one space in your Monster Zone cannot be used for as long as this card is in play. You may send this card with five "Beacon Counters" and every card in your hand to the Graveyard to select four cards from your Graveyard and add them to your hand. If you use this effect, you cannot conduct your Battle Phase that turn.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
ROYAL SWORD (Spell Card)
Equip Spell
Image: Fog King holding a sword with four glowing lights on it.
Card Description: Equip only to "Fog King". When the Equipped Monster battles, place one "Crest Counter" on this card (max. 4) at the end of the Battle Phase. The Equipped Monster gains 800 Attack Points for each "Crest Counter" this card has. If this card has four "Crest Counters" you may destroy the Equipped Monster to inflict 4,000 points of damage to your opponent.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
CREST BURN (Trap Card)
Normal Trap
Image: A glowing orb, pulsating with light.
Card Description: Activate only when a "Royal Sword" that you control is destroyed. Place a number of "Beacon Counters" on a "Royal Castle of the Fog" that you control equal to the number of "Crest Counters" that were on the destroyed "Royal Sword".
Note: "Royal Castle of the Fog", "Royal Sword", and "Crest Burn" were used by Adrian in a third-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
VIRUS CANNON (Trap Card)
Normal Trap
Image: A robot shaped like a spider with a laser cannon on its front tipped with a crystal.
Card Description: Tribute any number of Monsters on your side of the field (except tokens). For each Monster Tributed, your opponent selects one Spell Card from his deck and sends it to the Graveyard.
Note: This is the actual OCG version of "Virus Cannon" which was based on a Spell Card used by Kaiba in the anime. The anime version was far more powerful (and broken). It has not been released in the United States.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
METAL SHOOTER (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Machine/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 5
ATK: 800
DEF: 800
Card Description: When this card is Normal Summoned, place two counters on it. This card gains 800 Attack Points for each counter it gains via its effect. If this card would be destroyed by a card effect, negate the destruction by removing one of its counters.
Note: "Metal Shooter" has not been released in the United States, although it has been released in other countries that use the TCG version of the game.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
SNIPER MODE (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: A heavy-duty assault rifle, with a crosshairs behind it.
Card Description: During the round this card is activated, Machine-Type Monsters that are Level Three or less can attack directly.
Note: "Sniper Mode" was first used by David in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" Manga. Creative credit goes to the writers.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coming up next:
The heroes head back to the temple, and while they're doing that, Daala does indeed find someone during her evening stroll who's willing to oppose her. But it isn't what she was expecting at all. A duelist appears who knows far too much, and who has the item her army has been looking for. Without them to support her, the Queen of Xanadu makes a wager whose outcome will have dire repercussions either on her, or on her enemies.
"All or Nothing" is coming up next.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Name that Card!
One Konami video game has a hero character that was made into a card. The final boss of the game was also made into a card; the boss was a creature that transformed three times, and had to be defeated repeatedly. The art on the card depicts its final form. Can you name it?