Which Attribute Searcher was the first ever seen in the anime? If you said "Mystic Tomato" (played by Arkana in his duel with Yugi) you were successfully able to Name that Card!
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Okay, this one has taken me COMPLETELY off-guard.
It seems Daala has truly sunk to a new low. The Duel Spirit facing me does not exactly fit the profile of the embodiment of evil. On the contrary, her appearance suggests childhood, a blissful and innocent state that we all wish we could never leave. But all mortals must leave it behind eventually, when we are ready to make the jump from childhood to adulthood.
I would think this Duel Spirit was lucky in that regard. Her form is fixed, and she is immortal, so she not only has childhood, she'll have it forever, never having to grow up and face the drudgery of growing old…
Or so I thought. She has more pain in her than any child deserves to have.
The fact that I'm comparing this to fighting my little sister… that alone makes this situation seem like a bad dream. But even worse, the reason she's working for Daala is due to her misguided interpretation of how Yumi treated her. I have no doubt that Daala has been filling her head with lies.
What do I do? If I lose, it will be as far as I go in Xanadu… Daala's death sentence still stands on my group… But if I win, I may hate myself for a long time…
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CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
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Where it Hurts
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The sun rose over Nexus, but it wasn't quite right this time. A chilly wind blew out of the path to Darkspire, and thick clouds tried to obscure the sun at times. It tried its best to burn through them, and it wasn't clear who would eventually win.
Ren had finished breakfast quickly, and was looking at the card Joan had given him closely.
"So, Joan…" muttered Chelsea. "What are the Flaming Peaks like?"
"As its name suggests," replied Joan. "Towering, active volcanoes… Rivers of lava, the smell of brimstone… It is what most imagine Hell to be like."
"Unless you're a Fire Monster," added Sam. "Then it would likely be Heaven."
"Good point," said Joan. "Speaking of which…"
There was a loud chime.
Joan turned towards the door.
"A visitor?" she mused. "But why didn't I detect his presence?"
Yumi looked at her allies.
"We'll go check it out…" she said.
They walked towards the front doors, and they slowly opened.
Yumi gasped in shock. There was a huge Dragon sitting in front of the temple!
Everyone backed away, and their Disks activated. The Dragon was not reptilian, like most Dragons. It brought to mind a huge bird-like creature, covered in golden armor, with wings that suggested metal feathers, and a long tail.
"Uh, Joan?" called Erik. "I think it's for you…"
The giant Dragon looked at Yumi's group as Joan cautiously looked.
"Horus!" she gasped.
"What is Horus doing here?" gasped Chelsea.
"I'd say, anything he wants," gulped Ren.
All at the same time, the five mortals and the Fairy Spirit heard a telepathic voice in their heads. It was deep and commanding, and had an aura of great wisdom.
"Mortals," he said, "listen to what I say, commit it to memory, and hope that your minds make more sense of it than I could.
"Evil comes in the form of dark, armored flame, a presence that causes the very sun from which I was spawned to hide in fear. Be cautious in what powers you use to combat it, for it steals the energy from magics that are used against it to recruit its allies from the dead…
"Beware…"
Then the great Dragon turned and spread his wings.
"Wait…" said Yumi.
"I think you'd better let him go…" muttered Sam. "That is one Duel Spirit I don't wanna mess with…"
They watched as Horus the Black Flame Dragon rose into the sky and flew away, heading towards the Burnt Paradise.
"Odd…" said Joan, ominously. "Horus is an incredibly aloof Spirit. He rarely speaks at all to less powerful beings…
"In fact the last time he did was…"
She gasped.
"When?" asked Yumi.
"Was when Dartz began his plan to wake the Leviathan using the power of the Orichalcos!" gasped Joan.
"What are you saying, Joan?" shouted Erik. "Horus only talks when someone wants to destroy the world? Is that what you're saying?"
Joan slowly nodded.
"He appeared to the Spirit of Dark Magician Girl long before she contacted Yumi's grandfather…" she said, "and delivered a warning, which was as cryptic as that one…
"This may be a sign, children… A sign that Shogarr is making his move…"
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"I should have had a word with mom before we left…" muttered Sam. "Investing in that 20-year annuity may not be as good an idea as she thought…"
"Oh, knock it off!" yelled Chelsea. "I can't believe this! The signs of the apocalypse are starting to come, and you're making jokes!"
"Both of you, stop it!" shouted Yumi. "In case you forgot, when Shogarr finally decides to put his plan into action, I'm the one who has to try to stop him!
"And we still don't even know how he intends to do it… All we know is, it involves some 'Great Helm' of some sort…"
"What is that anyway, a helmet?" asked Ren.
"I would assume so," said Yumi, with a shrug. "But we don't know if this plan of his involves him wearing it, or someone else wearing it, if it's worn at all...
"For all we know, it may involve tricking someone – or even forcing someone – to wear it…"
As they walked down the path, the odd special effect of Xanadu occurred again, and this time, it hit them like a sledgehammer. They were beset with even worse heat than they had been in the Burnt Paradise, made even worse by the fact that a stream of lava was blocking their path.
"ARGH!" screamed Chelsea. "This is…"
"Run back to the border!" shouted Yumi. "We'll be cooked if we stay here!"
Up ahead of them, someone lifted up a card.
Then a blast of freezing air blew across them, and they started to calm down as it cooled them off.
They looked up, and saw the duelist. A handsome young man with long, brown hair, wearing a red shirt with a Hawaii-style floral pattern, and black trousers. The card he was holding was Cold Wave.
He smirked.
"Atticus Rhodes?" asked Yumi.
"That's right!" he said with a grin. "The Blizzard Prince, in more ways than one."
"Not a moment too soon…" said Erik. "I take it Joan put you in charge?"
Atticus nodded.
"The Flaming Peaks are incredibly dangerous," he said. "Ironically, only the Frozen Wastes are worse than this – except, maybe, the Core itself. The wildlife is mostly Fire Spirits and other Spirits who don't mind the heat.
"The Monsters in my deck not only don't mind, they're strong enough to deal with most anything that comes along."
"So," said Yumi, "how far is it to the Lord's fortress?"
"We have a pretty good idea who he is, by the way," said Sam. "Our side decks are ready to make our decks less dependent on Traps when we meet him."
"Actually, not far," said Atticus. "Only about five miles as the crow flies…
"The problem is, in the Flaming Peaks, to travel as the crow flies, you actually have to fly… And with the threat of eruptions, the Sacred Phoenix is the only one who dares do so."
"The Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys?" gasped Chelsea.
"Yeah," chuckled Atticus. "Maybe we'll be lucky enough to see her…"
Yumi sighed.
"Well…"she said. "Lead on…"
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"So, Atticus…" said Yumi, "I heard that the real Atticus Rhodes had two copies of Red Eyes in his deck…"
"Three, actually," said Atticus. "The deck was given to him by Nightshroud, who had a much easier time getting rare cards than your grandfathers did. And the deck had ways to use Red Eyes that they never knew existed.
"But after Nightshroud was beaten by Zane, the deck itself was purged of his influence, and Atticus could use it safely. He even tried to get information from Nightshroud by letting him back on purpose…
"Not the best idea, but it did answer some questions…
"Anyway, Joan was able to duplicate the deck, and since Nightshroud never touched this version to begin with…"
He stopped. His eyes narrowed.
"We're being followed…"
Everyone stopped. They looked around.
"There!" shouted Ren.
He pointed to a low, rocky ridge. A small pair of black protrusions that could best be described as bunny ears were behind it.
"Come over here!" called Ren, rushing to the ridge.
The ears started to move, but Ren quickly grabbed them.
"Let go!" demanded a voice that sounded like a young girl.
Ren lifted the ears up, lifting the girl who was wearing them with them. She looked no more than ten, dressed in a black, fancy dress. The ears were part of a hood she was wearing.
"What the…" said Yumi. "Ebon Magician Curran?"
The Spellcaster frowned. She gave Ren a kick, and he yelled, dropping her.
"So nice to see that you remember, Yumi," she said. "It's been a while…"
"Huh?" said Yumi. "Been a while? We've never met…"
"Have we?" asked Curran, with a bitter tone in her voice. "Think back, Yumi… Think back to when you dueled before Duelatopia…"
Yumi looked at her.
"Oh… My… God…" gasped Yumi.
"What, Yumi?" asked Chelsea.
"Don't you remember, Chelsea?" asked Yumi. "Before I reworked my deck for Duelatopia, it had Ebon Magician Curran in it…
"Curran, don't tell me that the card…"
"As a Duel Spirit, that card was my vessel that tied me to your world, Yumi," said Curran. "I was a part of your deck… And I had fun being a part of it, while it lasted…
"But it didn't last. Eventually, you decided I wasn't good enough, and sealed my card in a deck case."
She sighed.
"And for me, that was torture! You see, Yumi, for a long time, via a cruel twist of fate, I have been cursed with agonizing claustrophobia!"
"Curran…" muttered Yumi, sadly. "I… I didn't know… But… I couldn't find room for you in my deck any more… You didn't fit… My deck was Beatdown, not Burn…"
Curran sighed again.
"For what seemed to be an age, I was locked in that deck case…" she muttered. "Sobbing and shielding myself from the suffocating pressure, and all alone too, because no other cards in that case bore Spirits…
"Just when I thought I would die from it, you opened it, letting me out when you reworked your deck just before your duel with Rasputin in the finals of Duelatopia. I rejoiced. I could breathe the open air. And I held onto hope that I'd find a place in your deck again…
"Sadly, I didn't. But at least I was free of that awful case. I watched as you dueled, still showing loyalty…
"I watched all the way through that terrible duel with Samen. And I even watched as the Lord of the Second Circle, Dispater the Iron Duke himself, appeared to confront you! I was terrified. His evil is well-known, on all worlds, even the one where I was born.
"He saw me before I saw him! I can only assume he regarded me as too insignificant to even bring back to Dis as a slave girl.
"Did I run? No… I was too concerned for you…
"But the breaking point came when you collected Samen's cards, the Six Samurai. You promised to give them a better home… An act of compassion you never considered for me…
"It was too much… I wrenched myself free of that card, hurting myself severely in the process. Then I ran away, crying my eyes out…
"…and I didn't stop running until I found someone who sympathized… Someone who was looking for Spirits interested in serving his mistress."
"Daala…" muttered Yumi.
Curran nodded. A Duel Disk appeared on her arm.
"It's been a long time, Yumi…"she said. "You hurt me, and I'm ready to hurt back."
"Curran, wait!" urged Ren. "Don't you see that Daala is shifting the blame? Yumi had no power to see Spirits… None of us did! We know that you're upset, but…"
"Maybe you'd like to duel me then, Ren," said Curran with a smirk. "I don't want to duel Yumi right now anyway… I'll save her for later."
"Duel you?" asked Ren. "That would be like dueling my little sister!"
"You want me to stand on a stepladder?" asked Curran. "Duel me… Or I'll tell every Spirit I come across that one of Joan's champions was too afraid to duel little Curran."
"Ren…" said Sam, "you'd better duel her. Joan does not need that kind of rumor spreading."
Ren sighed, and placed his deck in his Disk.
He looked at the Disk that Curran was using. It was a Kaibacorp Junior X22, a model designed for grade school children, built at a scale for someone their size (although it wasn't very popular, because parents who allowed grade school kids to duel using Disks were very rare). The situation would almost be humorous if she wasn't so serious.
Curran looked at her deck.
I know more about Yumi and her friends than I led on, she thought. All of them except Erik share one thing in common with their strategies… The Dark Attribute.
And who knows more about the weaknesses of Dark Monsters than a Spirit who is one?
So I can start my plan in earnest… I'll defeat them one by one, and save Yumi for last. By the time I get to her, she'll truly know what it's like to be alone.
"We'll be using Deck Lords, by the way," she said.
"Oh…" said Ren.
Penumbral Soldier Lady appeared behind him in a burst of shadow.
"And as you likely know by now, I'll be my own."
"Fine," said Ren.
"Game on!" they shouted.
(Ren: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Curran: 8,000)
"So, what do you think we can expect from Curran?" asked Chelsea.
"Beats me," said Atticus. "A Burn Deck, maybe?"
Curran drew her first card, and looked at it.
"Let's see you handle this," she said. "I summon…"
She placed a card on her Disk.
"The White Magical Hat!"
In a burst of silvery magic, a tall gentleman wearing a blue tuxedo, a white cape, and true to his name, a white top hat, along with a monocle, appeared. (1,000/700)
"Don't expect him to pull a rabbit out of his hat," said Curran. "I'll set a facedown, and that will be all for now."
A facedown card appeared.
Ren drew his first card.
The facedown card is more than likely a Trap, he thought, and the weak Monster is bait… But I have to do something…
"I summon… Dark Blade!" he exclaimed.
In a burst, the dark, sword-wielding Warrior appeared.
"I was hoping you'd do that," chuckled Curran. "Trap activate…"
Her facedown card lifted up, showing a picture of her and White Magician Pikeru fighting.
"A Rival Appears!" laughed Curran. "This lets me Special Summon a Monster from my hand that's the same Level as the one you just summoned.
"Since Dark Blade is Level Four, I'll summon Voltech Kong."
In a burst of electricity, a large ape with orange fur, surrounded by an aura of electricity appeared. (1,800/1,000)
'Who's that?" asked Ren. "Some distant cousin of Berserk Gorilla?"
"Yes, but he doesn't have as much of an anger management problem," said Curran. "Still your move…"
Ren looked at the two Monsters.
I don't know what her gorilla can do, he thought, but I do know about White Magical Hat, and he can be dangerous. And since she has no more facedown cards…
"Attack the White Magical Hat! Dark sword slash!"
Dark blade made a swipe with his blade. The Spellcaster groaned before being blasted into pixels.
(R: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 7,200)
"Your Hat bit the dust," said Ren.
"Eh, I never liked him much anyway," said Curran with a shrug. "I was just using him to draw you out so I could enact my real strategy."
Ren looked at her.
"I play a facedown, and end my turn."
A facedown card appeared behind Dark Blade.
Curran made a draw, and looked at it.
The Field Slot on her Disk opened, and she placed a card in it.
"I play Luminous Spark!" she exclaimed.
A bright wash of light wafted over the field.
"This Field empowers my Light Monsters, giving them 500 more Attack Points in exchange for 400 Defense."
Voltech Kong changed to (2,300/600)
"Now, I summon Hoshiningen."
In a burst of shining motes, a big star with a smiling face wearing boots appeared in front of her. (500/700) –) (1,000/300)
"Hoshiningen strengthens Light Monsters even more…"
Voltech Kong grew to (2,800/600), while Hoshiningen itself grew to (1,500/300)
"…but Dark Monsters… They aren't so lucky…"
Dark Blade groaned, and fell to an Attack Score of 1,400.
"Yeah?" said Ren. "Well, you activated MY Trap!"
His facedown card lifted.
"Hidden Soldiers. Since you summoned a Monster, this lets me Special Summon a Dark Monster. So I'll summon Familiar Knight in Defense Mode."
The armored, sword-wielding knight appeared, kneeling and holding up his shield. (1,200/1,400) –) (800/1,400)
Curran chuckled.
"He won't protect you…" she said with a grin. "Voltech Kong, attack Dark Blade with primal spark."
Voltech Kong roared, and lifted its arms up. It thrust them forward, and threw a blast of electricity at the Warrior. He burst into shards…
And then Ren screamed in pain as the same electric aura surrounded him.
"Why…" he gasped. "Why did that hurt so much? Shouldn't I have just lost some Life Points?"
Curran grinned a wicked grin.
"It's my Deck Lord ability, Ren," she said. "Pain Mirror! Whenever I crush one of your Monsters, you lose an extra 700 Life Points…
"AND, you also share the pain that your destroyed Monster feels. Fitting, isn't it?"
"What?" gasped Yumi. "That's so powerful… It has to be a Greater Power…"
Curran looked at Yumi.
"Curran, how long have you been working for Daala?" she demanded. "How many of Joan's men are at her mercy because of you?"
"I don't have to answer that, Yumi, and I won't," she replied. "For now, Voltech Kong's effect activates, and you lose one card from your deck for each Light Monster I have."
Ren gasped as two cards flew off his deck and vanished.
"Now my Hoshiningen attacks Familiar Knight. Shining comet!"
A shimmering shower of stars shot from the Fairy with the sound of ringing chimes, and Familiar Knight burst into pixels. Ren screamed again.
"His effect activates…" he muttered. "Both players can Special Summon a Level Four Monster from their hands…
"Armageddon Knight, Defense Mode!"
In a burst of energy, Armageddon Knight appeared, crouching in Defense Mode. (1,400/1,200) –) (1,000/1,200)
"Still want more?" asked Curran. "Mystical Elf, Attack Mode."
The delicate, blue-skinned elf appeared. (800/2,000) –) (1,800/1,600)
She put her hands together and formed an orb of light between them. She threw it at the Warrior and he burst into shards. Ren screamed again.
"And… That should be enough…" said Curran.
(R: 4,500) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 7,200)
Ren slowly took some deep breaths.
I was careless, he thought. I have to remember that she's only a child on the outside. Underneath, she's just like any other Duel Spirit, as hard as it is to believe. One who works for Daala who has a powerful strategy…
He drew a card.
Well, no-one ever said this would be pretty…
He played the card, and Pot of Greed appeared on his side of the field. He drew twice.
"I'll set a couple of facedowns," he said.
Two facedown cards appeared in front of him.
"I activate my own Deck Lord effect," he said, "and thanks to Johnson, I've upgraded her abilities to a Greater Power of her own."
Penumbral Soldier Lady started to glow with energy.
"Once per turn, if I have no Monsters on the field, I can Special Summon a Dark Warrior from my Graveyard without paying a dime. So I'll bring out the one I sent there with Armageddon Knight's effect."
Total Defense Shogun appeared, holding up his shield in Defense Mode. (1,550/2,500) – (1,150/2,500)
"When was he in your…" started Curran.
Then she stopped.
"Oh yeah… Voltech Kong's effect… Of course…
"My move…"
She drew a card.
She looked at it. It was Coins From Heaven.
Should be safe to use this, she thought. After all, I can end this on this turn… Ren won't get a chance to use what he draws.
"I play Coins From Heaven!" she shouted.
The sky opened up, and gold coins rained from above.
Curran drew five cards, while Ren drew four.
Curran quickly chose one.
"I summon White Magician Pikeru," she said.
In a gentle aura of light, a different child Spellcaster appeared. She was dressed in a white gown, held a bejeweled scepter, and wore a hat over her long, blonde braids shaped like a Scapegoat. (1,200/0) –) (2,200/0)
Curran looked at her and made a sad look…
"Why'd you bring her out?" asked Yumi. "I thought the two of you hated each other."
"Yeah," muttered Sam. "Everyone knows about the rivalry between the two of you…"
"That's none of your business!" snapped Curran.
"What?" asked Yumi. "Is something wrong? Is there something you want to tell us?"
"If you must know…" muttered Curran.
She sighed.
"…Pikeru… Isn't around any more…"
"Huh?" asked Sam. "What do you mean?"
"I said it's none of your business!" shouted Curran. "Voltech Kong, attack Total Defense Shogun!"
Kong threw its lightning bolts at the Shogun…
"I activate… Dust Tornado!" exclaimed Ren, as one of his facedown cards lifted. "Now I can destroy your Luminous Spark!"
The Tornado ripped across the field, and the bright light subsided. All four of Curran's Monsters lost 500 Attack Points, and Shogun swatted Kong's bolt aside, causing the ape to fall on its back.
"Now, I'll chain Emergency Provisions," continued Ren, as his second facedown card lifted, "and sacrifice Dust Tornado."
The Dust Tornado vanished into grains of light.
Curran let out a long sigh.
"I move Mystical Elf and Hoshiningen into Defense Mode…" she said.
The elf knelt and folded her arms. The star-man crouched down.
"…and I end my turn…"
(R: 5,500) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 7,000)
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"Pikeru isn't around any more."
That's all she ever told anyone who inquired about White Magician Pikeru, even Daala and Skull Knight. It was all she would say about the one who was painted as the eternal rival of Ebon Magician Curran. Only Pikeru and Curran knew the truth of the matter regarding their supposed rivalry.
Long before Curran had met Yumi, the two Spellcasters lived in the same castle in the dimension where Spellcasters were the rulers. They were thus part of the upper class, although as low-Level Spirits, they were very low on the totem pole of the nobility. But they didn't mind. Despite their rivalry, Pikeru and Curran did share a bond, and though neither of them would admit it, they were, in reality, closer friends than could be found.
One day, an earthquake of insane proportions struck their castle, and it slowly collapsed. As everyone was evacuating, Curran was about to be crushed under a falling chunk of stone from the ceiling, when Pikeru tackled her out of the way. Neither of them were hurt, but both were trapped under the rock, unable to escape… In an enclosed area. Air began to run out…
Finally, a blast of magic shattered the stone that entrapped Curran, enabling her to crawl to safety. She recognized the blast as Pikeru's magic. Curran blacked out at the last moment, and when she finally came to, Pikeru was nowhere to be seen. Curran never saw her again, never knew what happened to her, and the experience left her with terrible claustrophobia.
Crushed and alone, Curran wandered the Twelve Dimensions for some time, until she found a portal and took it…
…which was where she met Yumi. She decided to stay with her to forget about the tragedy, and it worked for a time… Until she was abandoned.
It was too much for any Spirit to take. And when Skull Knight found her, the stronger Spellcaster offered her guidance and a purpose. Curran was so depressed at the time, she was willing to accept anyone's help. Maybe she felt a little sorry for the members of the rebellion that she had to defeat… But Skull Knight had turned her sadness into rage, and she wouldn't be satisfied until her misguided anger was quelled.
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"My move," said Ren, drawing a card.
He looked over the seven cards in his hand.
"I summon Double Pinaska."
In a flourish of rapiers, the mustachioed Spaniard appeared. (1,500/1,500) –) (1,100/1,500)
"He's still weakened by my Hoshiningen," replied Curran.
"I know," said Ren, "so that's what I'm taking out first! Double Pinaska, attack that star-man!"
With one swipe of the buccaneer's rapier, Hoshiningen burst into sparks.
Double Pinaska and Total Defense Shogun rose to their base Attack Scores of 1,500 and 1,550, respectively, while Pikeru and Mystical Elf fell to 1,200 and 800.
"Now my Shogun uses his ability, to attack while in Defense Mode."
Total Defense Shogun swung his sword down, sending a blade of energy towards Pikeru. She let out a pitiful cry, and then shattered.
Curran closed her eyes, and a tear fell down her cheek.
"I'll set this," said Ren, as a facedown card appeared, "and that will be all…"
(R: 5,500) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 6,650)
Curran quickly drew a card. She wiped the last of her tears away.
Then she giggled a little.
"Perfect…" she chuckled. "I drew someone that your Deck Lord probably knows…
"I sacrifice Mystical Elf…"
Mystical Elf vanished into grains of light.
"…to summon Luminous Soldier!"
In a burst of white-hot flames, an armored warrior appeared. His full plate armor was silver, decorated with fiery symbols, and studded with spikes. His helmet was shaped like a sun, and his sword was shaped like a flame. (2,100/1,400)
Penumbral Soldier Lady crossed her arms and looked at him in disgust.
"Oh yeah, I know him…" she growled.
"You don't seem pleased," answered Ren.
"We had issues," growled Soldier Lady. "We were competitors in every area, and he tried to outdo me. To that end, he tried to develop powers that were the exact opposite of mine.
"He only partially succeeded. He gains only 500 Attack Points when battling Dark Monsters, compared to the 1,000 I gain when battling Light ones."
Luminous Soldier scowled at her.
"Oh, what's wrong?" shouted Soldier Lady. "Did I hit a nerve? Don't like being reminded, do you?"
"This is unreal…" muttered Sam. "Now we have a duel within the duel!"
"Enough!" shouted Curran. "I'll show you… Voltech Kong… Attack Double Pinaska!"
The gorilla hurled bolts of lightning at the Spaniard…
"I use his effect!" shouted Ren. "I get to negate one attack!"
Pinaska swatted the bolts aside with his rapier.
"Fine…" muttered Curran. "Luminous Soldier… You attack him."
Luminous Soldier lifted his sword, and charged. His Attack Score rose to 2,600.
"I don't think so!" yelled Ren. "I activate Rising Energy!"
His facedown card lifted, and he discarded his Magical Mallet. Double Pinaska's Attack Score rose to 3,000.
"Take him down!" ordered Ren.
Double Pinaska slashed with his rapier, and Luminous Soldier groaned and dropped his sword.
"Good!" laughed Penumbral Soldier Lady. "I hope it hurts!"
Luminous Soldier burst into globules of light.
(R: 5,500) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 6,250)
"Okay…" muttered Curran. "Seems you're pretty good… I guess being Yumi's henchman does have its benefits…"
"Henchman?" gasped Ren. "I'm no henchman!"
"Really?" asked Curran, as a facedown card appeared behind Voltech Kong. "Just what have you done recently that didn't involve following her?
"Face it… All of you are little more than a bunch of sidekicks riding on Yumi's coattails."
"Hey, watch it!" snapped Atticus. "Show him some respect! I seem to recall that he defeated Ruin. You know, Ruin, Queen of Oblivion?"
Curran's eyes opened.
The usurper? she thought. Ren beat her?
Curran closed her eyes and shook her head.
Oh, what do I care? Daala probably could have done it faster…
"It's your move."
Ren looked at Voltech Kong.
That thing still has more Attack Points than anything I have right now… he thought. This could be a problem…
He drew a card.
That's the ticket…
He chose another one.
"I summon Getsu Fuhma."
In a burst of darkness, the katana-wielding ronin appeared. (1,700/1,200)
"Now… Mystic Plasma Zone!"
He quickly played the card, and the eerie, uncanny darkness covered the whole field. It only made the glow from the nearby lava pits more eerie as they burned with their own light. Total Defense Shogun rose to (2,050/2,100), Double Pinaska to (2,000/1,100), and Getsu Fuhma to (2,200/800)
"Heh…" said Ren with a smirk. "I not only got rid of your Light Field, I set up a Dark one. How do you like that?"
"I absolutely love it!" laughed Curran. "In case you didn't realize it, Dark is my own Attribute! I like it when the lights are a little dim."
"Let's see if you like this," replied Ren. "Double Pinaska, take out Voltech Kong!"
Double Pinaska made a slash with his rapier, and Kong howled. It burst into an explosion of electricity.
"I'd spank you if I could," said Ren, "but I'm going to have to knock some sense into you this way…"
He paused.
"Attack directly…" he said, slowly.
Total Defense Shogun slammed his sword down, and the blade of energy flew towards Curran. She groaned and held her stomach in pain.
Then Getsu Fuhma made a slash with her own blade, and the Ebon Magician fell to her knees.
Ren slowly opened his eyes. He had been too scared to watch. He couldn't stop thinking that he was dueling one of his little sister's friends, and not a Duel Spirit that was a member of Daala's army.
(R: 5,500) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 1,800)
"Curran!" yelled Yumi. "Listen to me… You're losing now, and you know what Daala will do to you if you lose…"
Curran slowly got up. Her hood had been knocked crooked.
"It doesn't have to end like that, Curran," continued Yumi. "You were in my deck once… Some of my family's influence must have rubbed off on you.
"If you just stop this, I'm sure Joan will be willing to forgive everything you've done up to this point."
Curran was trying hard to straiten the hood, but it was twisted pretty good. She finally gave up, undid the string that held it in place, and took it off, throwing it aside.
"Stupid thing was bugging me anyway…" she muttered.
"And what then, Yumi?" she asked. "Work for the rebellion, only to get captured when it ultimately falls and then be charged with treason? That's the one crime Daala will never forgive. I heard her talking about the terrible fate that Aquarian Alessa is going to suffer when she's finally caught."
"You don't have any faith that the rebellion will succeed?" asked Atticus. "You know what the difference between you and Yumi is?"
"Common sense?" asked Curran.
"No," replied Atticus. "You're a pessimist. No-one likes a pessimist."
"I'm pretty sure that lounge lizards who play the ukulele aren't too high on everyone's favorites list either," muttered Curran.
Atticus turned to Yumi and shrugged.
"This is the whole problem, you know…" he sighed. "Duel Spirits are harder to impress than humans…"
"Oh be quiet!" yelled Curran. "It's my move!"
She drew a card.
"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…" she giggled.
"I just drew the Monster that will win the duel for me!
"But before she makes her appearance, I'm going to pierce through this darkness with light so powerful that it paralyzes… A card that Yumi's family knows about too well…"
She threw a card into her Disk.
"Swords of Revealing Light!"
A blizzard of shimmering swords blasted out of the card, forming a cage around Ren and his Monsters.
"Terrific…" muttered Ren.
"Now…" chuckled Curran, playing a card, "I summon someone else whom Yumi is familiar with…
"Silent Magician LV4!"
Everyone gasped as the Monster appeared. They all recognized her only too well. The short, childlike Spellcaster in long, silvery robes and a peaked hat holding a scepter. She was the Monster who had played such a vital role when Yumi had dueled the Pharaoh. (1,000/1,000)
"She can't evolve into her Level Eight form until I draw five times!" replied Ren. "That will be a long time from now!"
"Not unless I give her some help," said Curran, as her facedown card lifted. "I activate Pitch-Black Power Stone."
A large, black sphere with an inverted triangular symbol on it appeared behind Curran.
"My Stone has three Spell Counters, and once per turn, I can transfer one to any other card that can take one. So I'll give one to Silent Magician right now."
Silent Magician rose to (1,500/1,000).
"I'll end with this, and then you go."
A facedown card appeared.
Ren quickly drew a card.
Silent Magician glowed, and grew to (2,000/1,000).
"You had your chance, Curran," he sighed, "but I'm ending this now…
"I play Mystical Space Typhoon!"
He played the card, and the cyclone started to tear across the field.
"All right!" cheered Chelsea. "Ren is going to win!"
"No he isn't," chuckled Curran. "He's making this too easy…"
Her facedown card lifted.
"I activate Dark Bribe. Now you get to draw once, but your windstorm is called off."
The winds subsided. Ren growled, and drew once.
"Oh, lovely…" muttered Atticus. "Bad news, people… Since that card made Ren draw, Silent Magician gets even stronger."
Silent Magician glowed, and rose to (2,500/1,000)
Okay… thought Ren, looking at the card. Maybe that was a bit… Clever…
He placed it in his Disk, and it appeared facedown.
"Now I play Dark Eruption," he said, as a Spell Card appeared. "Since you are a Dark Monster with 1,500 Attack Points or less, I'm sure you don't need me to explain how it works…"
Armageddon Knight slipped out of his discard slot, and he took it.
"I don't think I'll play it now… Instead, I'll just move Getsu and Pinaska to Defense Mode and end my turn."
Both Warriors sheathed their swords and knelt.
"I draw," said Curran. "Then my Power Stone places another counter on Silent Magician."
Silent Magician grew to (3,000/1,000).
"Attack Total Defense Shogun! Solar blast!"
The Spellcaster fired a blast of burning, fiery light at the Shogun, and he exploded. Ren howled and fell to his knees.
"You remember my Pain Mirror ability, don't you?" asked Curran.
"How could I forget?" gasped Ren.
His facedown card shot up.
"I activate Call of the Haunted!" he shouted. "I'll bring my Familiar Knight back."
A coffin appeared on his side of the field. It opened, and Familiar Knight stepped out, holding his sword aloft. (1,200/1,400) –) (1,700/1,000)
"That's all for now…" chuckled Curran.
(R: 4,800) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 1,800)
Ren quickly drew. Silent Magician rose to an Attack Score of 3,500.
Ren lifted an eyebrow.
"I summon the footsoldier of Hell," he said. "Chthonian Soldier!"
The ground burst open, revealing a flaming crack, and a new Warrior leapt out. He was clothed in black plate armor and a helmet, with muscular arms, and held a large scimitar. His eyes glowed with feral light. (1,200/1,400) –) (1,700/1,000)
Curran chuckled.
"Oh, that's awfully clever," she said. "If I attacked that, any battle damage that you took would be inflicted on me as well. If you could attack now, you would win."
"I know," muttered Ren. "I move Familiar Knight into Defense Mode, and it's your move…"
Familiar Knight knelt and shielded himself.
Curran drew a card.
"Since I don't need them any more," she said, "I'll sacrifice Pitch-Black Power Stone and Swords of Revealing Light using Emergency Provisions."
She played the card, and both cards vanished into grains of light. Curran glowed with energy.
Then Silent Magician started to glow with blinding light.
"Now I can evolve my Silent Magician into her Level Eight form… My most powerful Monster stands revealed!"
In a burst of energy, the small, child Silent Magician grew into an adult version of herself, radiant and beautiful in the aura of light that surrounded her. Her eyes glowed with pools of pure brilliance. (3,500/1,000)
"Time for someone new. I summon Copycat."
In a burst of eerie light, a weird figure appeared. It looked like a harlequin of some sort, dressed in a green suit, cape, and floppy hat. It concealed its face with a glowing hand mirror. (0/0)
"Wait until you see what he can do," chuckled Curran.
Copycat turned towards Getsu Fuhma, and she gave a look of shock as her reflection appeared in the mirror.
Then Copycat faded into a blur, and then a sphere of light. Then the sphere transformed… Into an exact duplicate of Getsu Fuhma. (1,700/1,200)
"Like that was a surprise…" muttered Ren.
"And now it's time to break the mold," said Curran. "Copycat, destroy Getsu Fuhma."
The fake Getsu Fuhma slashed at the real one with its sword, and she shattered. Ren screamed again.
"Silent Magician, attack Familiar Knight!"
Silent Magician's solar blast incinerated Familiar Knight, and Ren fell to his knees, sweating.
"His effect activates…" muttered Ren. "I summon Armageddon Knight again…"
Armageddon Knight appeared, crouching in Defense Mode. (1,400/1,200) –) (1,900/800)
"Now I use Armageddon Knight's effect…" he muttered, taking a card out of his deck, "and send one Dark Monster from my deck to the Graveyard."
He tossed the card into his discard slot.
"You keep setting them up," laughed Curran, playing a card from her hand, "I'll keep knocking them down! I use that effect to summon Sage of Stillness!"
In another flash of light, an old man in a blue robe with a long, decorated staff appeared. (1,400/1,000)
Sage of Stillness blasted a bolt of magic from his staff, and Armageddon Knight exploded. Ren fell flat on his back.
(R: 2,700) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 3,800)
Curran fit her last card into her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.
"That ought to do it…"
"WHY?" shouted Yumi.
"Huh?" asked Curran.
"Curran, this is torture!" screamed Yumi. "Why are you doing this? Did I really hurt you this much?
"I'm beginning to think that there's something else, wasn't there? I wasn't the only reason you feel so bitter… Something bad happened to you, and you used me for a crutch!
"Daala has diverted your attention from the true problem, and placed all of the focus on me. You're being upside-down about the whole approach."
She sighed.
"Look, if you just want to tell me, I'm willing to listen. But you have to stop this!"
Curran shook her head.
"Maybe I did have problems, Yumi," she muttered, "but I gave up any hopes a long time ago that anyone would care.
"To paraphrase Humphrey Boggart, I'm no good at being noble, but it doesn't take much to realize that the problems of one little Duel Spirit don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world. People pretend they're willing to help, but in the end, you have to face them alone, no matter how much it hurts."
"Excuse me?" said Ren.
Curran looked up.
Ren's eyes narrowed in anger. The mental block had shattered with the last attack. He didn't see Curran as a child any more.
"My move…" he whispered. "Draw!"
He drew a card.
"I set a facedown, and move Chthonian Soldier to Defense Mode."
A facedown card appeared, and the Soldier knelt and held his sword down.
He nodded.
"So, have you given up now?" asked Curran, drawing a card.
"Sage of Stillness, destroy the Chthonian!"
The Sage fired a blast, and the Soldier burst into shards. Ren didn't flinch this time, even though his Life Points went down.
"You're through!" shouted Curran. "Silent Magician, attack him directly!"
Silent Magician aimed her staff at Ren.
"I activate… Attack Guidance Armor!" exclaimed Ren.
His facedown card lifted up, and the fiendish suit of armor flew towards Copycat, latching onto the evil imposter. Silent Magician fired her blast, and it was incinerated.
"Ergh!" muttered Curran.
(R: 2,000) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 1,000)
"Okay…" snarled Curran. "Maybe I was a little careless there… But my Magician is still standing…
"I'll set a Monster, and that will be all…"
A facedown Monster appeared.
Ren quickly drew.
"Now I activate my Deck Lord effect again!"
In an explosion of dark energy, Crescent Moon Queen appeared, brandishing her two scimitars. (2,600/1,700) – (3,100/1,300)
"All right!" cheered Chelsea.
"His strongest Monster!" exclaimed Erik.
"Take a closer look, people," said Sam. "Silent Magician still trumps her."
"He doesn't have to attack her…" muttered Atticus.
"Attack the Sage of Stillness!" shouted Ren.
"Go, Mystik Wok!" shouted Curran, as her facedown card shot up. "This lets me sacrifice my Sage, and take away your target!"
Sage of Stillness vanished into grains of light.
"Then I'll attack the bigger target," said Ren, "just as soon as I play Rush Recklessly."
He threw a card into his Disk, and Crescent Moon Queen rose to an Attack Score of 3,800.
"Eh?" said Curran.
"Attack Silent Magician!" ordered Ren.
Curran covered her eyes as the Queen made a slash with her scimitar. Silent Magician let out a scream, and burst into shards.
"And now I use my Queen's ability to attack a second time!" yelled Ren.
Crescent Moon Queen rushed at the facedown Monster, and Shining Angel appeared on the card. It was cut down in one mighty swipe.
Curran gestured, and a second Shining Angel appeared in its place. (1,400/800)
Ren sighed. Crescent Moon Queen took some deep breaths, and knelt in Defense Mode.
"Your move…" he muttered.
(R: 2,000) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 2,100)
Curran made a draw. She quickly played the card, and the Pot of Avarice appeared. Voltech Kong, White Magical Hat, Luminous Soldier, Copycat, and her first Shining Angel slipped out of her discard slot, and she shuffled them into her deck. She drew twice.
"I play The Graveyard in the Fourth Dimension…" she muttered, as a Spell Card appeared. "Now, I get to take two Leveled Monsters and send them back to my deck…"
Both Silent Magicians slipped out of her discard slot, and she reshuffled her deck.
She set her last card in her Disk, and it appeared facedown. Then Shining Angel crouched in Defense Mode.
"Your move…"
Ren looked at the facedown card and Shining Angel.
She didn't attack my Queen, he thought. She clearly wants me to destroy Shining Angel in order to get her Magician back. And the facedown card will obviously stop my Queen's second attack…
He drew a card.
His eyes opened wide.
The card Joan gave me… he thought.
He looked at the Spell Card.
Of course… It all makes sense now…
This is the key to beating Curran…
"Here's my move, Curran," he said, throwing it into his Disk. "The Spell Card, Nightmare's Steelcage!"
Curran gasped as the ground around her burst in a series of fiery explosions. Then, a large, metal, domed cage studded with spikes formed around her.
"What are you doing?!" she shouted.
"Protecting myself," replied Ren. "This will keep your attacks at bay for two full turns."
"No…" muttered Curran, starting to tremble.
"I'll leave my Queen in Defense Mode for now," he said. "And it's your move."
Curran didn't reply. She fell to her knees and covered her head with her hands.
"Hello?" said Ren. "I said, your move. Are you going to make it?"
"What's wrong with her?" asked Erik.
"She has claustrophobia, remember?" replied Atticus. "That Spell Card is probably the most lethal weapon Ren could have used."
"Not gonna wait all day, Curran," said Ren. "Tournament rules say that if a player doesn't move in one minute…"
"All right, all right!" screamed Curran.
She didn't stand up, but she managed to draw a card.
"I pass!" she yelled. "Just move! Move fast! Please!"
"I'm drawing…" said Ren, making a draw.
"Let's see here…"
The card was Monster Reborn.
Better think of the best way to use this fast… he thought. I have to either win or get her to surrender, but I don't want to use torture.
Hey, wait a second…
He played the card, and the holy ankh appeared on his side of the field…
Curran opened her eyes a little and saw the Monster that he had summoned…
It was Pikeru. She was crouched in Defense Mode on Ren's side of the field. (1,200/0)
Tears started to fall down her cheeks.
"How… How could you…" she sobbed.
"You can end this any time you want…" said Ren. "It's your move…"
Curran drew a card.
"I pass again…" she muttered.
The Cage crumbled, and collapsed into a pile of rust.
Curran stood up and took some deep breaths. She glared at Ren.
"Well…" said Ren, drawing a card, "you can't say I didn't try…
"I draw one card. Then, thanks to Pikeru, I gain 400 Life Points for each Monster I have on the field. So I gain 800."
He glowed with energy.
"I move my Queen into Attack Mode…"
Crescent Moon Queen stood up.
"Attack Shining Angel!" he ordered.
The Queen slashed at Shining Angel and cleaved it in half.
Then, in a burst of light, Silent Magician LV4 appeared. (1,000/1,000)
"Attack again!" he yelled.
Crescent Moon Queen tried, but Curran's facedown card lifted, and Negate Attack appeared. The sword was deflected by a shimmering plane of force.
"I thought so…" muttered Ren.
(R: 2,800) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 2,100)
"My move…" said Curran.
Tears still ran down her cheeks as she drew a card.
"I play Mystical Space Typhoon…" she said. "I'm getting rid of this Field Spell…"
The cyclone erupted in the center of the field, blowing the darkness away.
"And I'm not gonna wait for you to draw five times either… I play Level Up! This lets Silent Magician grow up right away."
Silent Magician glowed with eldritch light, and quickly grew to her Level Eight form.
Curran took some deep breaths again.
"Attack Crescent Moon Queen…" she sobbed.
Silent Magician fired her blast, and Crescent Moon Queen was blown to pieces. Ren cringed in pain again.
(R: 1,200) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 2,100)
Curran simply stared at him. Ren stared back.
Ren drew a card.
"I tried, Curran, I really did…" he muttered. "But it seems I really don't have any choice left…
"I gain 400 Life Points from Pikeru.
"Then, I play Premature Burial."
He played the card, and Crescent Moon Queen reappeared. (2,600/1,700)
A new Spell Card appeared on his side of the field.
"Now, I play Gift of the Martyr. This lets me send one Monster to the Graveyard, and increase the Attack Score of another by its Attack Score.
"So I'll send Pikeru to the Graveyard, and give her Attack Points to my Queen.
Crescent Moon Queen's Attack Score rose to 3,800 as Pikeru vanished.
Curran's eyes opened wide, as a sudden realization came to her… Maybe she knew it all along, but a mental block had kept her from truly accepting it.
Gift of the Martyr… she thought.
Pikeru… You… You're dead, aren't you? You saved me from that cave-in… And you sacrificed yourself to do it…
She slowly bowed her head…
Crescent Moon Queen's sword cut through Silent Magician, and the Spellcaster shattered.
Curran barely moved as the Warrior's second strike stuck her. She fell to her knees.
(R: 800) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 0)
"Curran?" said Yumi.
Curran didn't get up.
"Oh, leave me alone, Yumi…" sighed the Ebon Magician. "Ren got victory, and I got closure in one of the worst experiences in my life… They say that closure helps a lot when dealing with a tragedy…"
She started to fade away.
"But a fat lot of good it will do me now…"
"Curran!" shouted Yumi.
She was gone. A sad sigh echoed over the burning landscape.
Yumi walked over and picked up the hood that Curran had tossed on the ground. She sadly looked at it…
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Curran had expected to end up in Daala's prison. She certainly didn't expect to be transported to the throne room.
Sure, her hands were shackled together, but she was wondering now if some much grimmer fate didn't await her, now that the Queen of Xanadu was right in front of her.
"Curran, Curran, Curran…" muttered Daala. "You're probably wondering why you're here…"
Curran was smart enough not to say anything. Daala continued.
"If this had happened a few days ago, you would have been locked up… But you kind of got lucky.
"Yumi and her allies are a much more dire threat now. So someone who knows about them as much as you do is far too valuable to throw in prison."
"You mean?" asked Curran, startled.
"You're getting a second chance," said Daala, "just as soon you undergo a procedure to restore your Deck Lord powers. And we're going to change them this time, making them less for shock value and much more practical."
"Uhm, milady," said Skull Knight, who was standing by. "A word?"
Daala looked at him. She stood up, and they walked aside.
"What?" she said.
"Milady…" said Skull Knight, nervously. "The procedure… We make jokes to everyone about how painful it is… But we both know the truth… It is quite agonizing. I'm not sure if subjecting Curran to it is a good idea."
Daala stared at him.
"What's the matter, Mulner?" she asked. "Turning soft?"
"NO!" exclaimed Skull Knight. "I'm just saying… Curran was put through the ringer in that duel, and she used to be one of Yumi's Monsters! If she's tortured with that thing, she may start questioning who she wants to work for!
"And there is another way…"
Daala glared at him.
"Are you suggesting…" she chuckled. "Are you suggesting that I expose Curran to the energies of the Core itself to restore her power?"
"Well…" muttered Skull Knight.
Daala beamed.
"Okay!" she exclaimed. "Done and done! Curran will receive the blessings of the Core…"
The flames surrounding her head started to intensify.
"And once she has it, she will be tested, just like anyone else who gets it, to see if she is worthy of keeping it. And if she fails, she will be banished."
Skull Knight's eyes widened in fear.
"Uh…" he gasped. "Wait a minute…"
Daala walked over to Curran. She gestured, and the shackles fell off.
"Come, Curran," she said. "We're going on a little trip."
"To where?" squeaked Curran, in fear.
"To a place where truth is twisted," said Daala, "reality is tossed, and Chaos is the only rule.
"We'll stop for lunch on the way…"
She put her arms around the small Spellcaster, and they both erupted in a bonfire of black flame. Skull Knight bowed his head as both of them vanished.
"Good luck…" he whispered.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
VOLTECH KONG (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Beast/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 4
ATK: 1,800
DEF: 1,000
Card Description: When this card inflicts battle damage to your opponent's Life Points, your opponent sends cards from the top of his/her deck to the Graveyard equal to the number of face-up LIGHT Monsters on your side of the field.
Note: "Voltech Kong" is a Japanese card that has not yet been released in the United States.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Ren's Deck Lord: "Penumbral Soldier Lady": "Immortal Warriors": If you control no Monsters, and your Graveyard contains no Monsters other than DARK Warriors, you may Special Summon a DARK Warrior from your Graveyard. This effect may be used once per turn, during your Main Phase. (Greater Power)
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Curran's Deck Lord: "Pain Mirror": When an opposing Monster is destroyed by battle or by the effect of a card you control, your opponent loses an additional 700 Life Points. Your opponent also feels the pain that his destroyed Monster feels. (Greater Power)
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
The team continues, slowly but surely, across the Flaming Peaks, and they soon discover that the dangers become even greater with this leg of the journey. The enemy that Gravekeeper's Commandant spoke of finally appears, a Duel Spirit whose hatred towards Penelope can best be defined by frustration and jealousy. Chelsea is forced to duel against a strategy in which her Monsters' greatest advantage is cut off, while her opponent gets more powerful each turn.
"Forsaken" is coming up next.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Name that Card!
F.G.D. is not the only Monster that can only be defeated in battle by Monsters of a specific Attribute. This OCG-only Monster has that distinction as well. But unlike F.G.D., who can only be defeated in battle by Light Monsters, this one can only be defeated by Dark ones. Can you name it?