What Monster can only be defeated in battle by Dark Monsters? If you said "Ally of Justice – Catastor", you were successfully able to Name that Card!
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"Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."
So it says in The Lord's Prayer. But mortals are not the only ones who should hope for this blessing. Even in Heaven above, all is not perfect. Among angels, haloes slip at times, and the beings who represent the greatest Good and Order succumb to temptation.
Dispater himself told Yumi that he and seven others, along with Lucifer himself, were once among the most powerful of the celestial hosts. The fact that beings of ultimate Good can be tainted by Evil and turn into fallen angels… Well, it's sad. Never once do you hear of the situation going the other way, and the evil creatures of the netherworld turning good.
Joan is a living example of this flaw in the system. She was once Marie the Fallen One, an outcast angel, expelled from the Higher Plane for some crime which she describes as theft of power. She got her act together, and was eventually forgiven and readmitted.
Now I learn that it's worse than I thought. It seems that most of those that were in Joan's situation do not succeed…
And the one I'm facing now has given in to frustration at not being able to do so, and chosen me and my best Monster as a target of her rage.
I can't change the system… All I can do is protect myself…
Duel…
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CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
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Forsaken
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The pathway through the Flaming Peaks was rocky and uneven. As Atticus led the party, the small volcanoes surrounding them sent smoke billowing into the air, making the light somewhat dim.
They grew uneasy, as they were sure someone was watching them. Now and again, they saw a dark figure out of the corner of their eye. But whenever they turned to look with a full glance, it was gone.
Chelsea stopped and put her hand on her hip.
"I'm getting really sick of this," she muttered.
"Whoever's watching, come out and face us!"
There was silence for a few seconds.
"You're imagining things," laughed Atticus, nervously.
He took his ukulele off of his belt.
"This will cheer you up…"
He started to play and sing.
"I once knew a Monster named Clark… He scared me each day at the park…
"But the park was all right, I could play there at night…"
Then everyone was startled, as someone else sung the last line:
"'Cause Clark was afraid of the dark."
"Who?" shouted Yumi.
Then they saw someone, right in front of them, crouched on a rock. It was a fiendish-looking female, with ebony skin, small horns, black feathered wings, and blonde hair with bangs. She wore a white and pink dress and sandals. Most remarkably, she had gold crosses printed on her wrists.
Everyone gasped.
"Marie the Fallen One?" shouted Chelsea. "I thought Joan was Marie the Fallen One!"
"You think too small, little girl," said Marie, in a bitter tone.
She leapt down from the rock.
"That goodie-goodie was far from the only Fairy whom Voltanis cursed with this abominable form, and she likely won't be the last. This is the punishment he gives criminals whom he believes there's still hope for."
"Something tells me that you don't like the conditions he set," said Ren, nervously.
"No," said Marie, still in that bitter tone.
She sighed.
"I knew what everyone before me had done," she muttered. "I thought I knew the rules that were set out for me… If my time was spent in an a life of charity where all of my energy and all material wealth I acquired went to the selfless help of those who needed it, then eventually, the stain on my record might be lifted, and the light would be restored.
"Ever since I was thrown out of the Higher Plane, wearing the form of a Fiend, I tried. I tried hard. I did what I supposed to do in order to work my way back up. I practically lived the life of an ascetic to do so… The only things I owned that I didn't give away were the clothes on my back, my deck, and my Disk… A Duel Spirit who can't duel is a dead one…"
"It's no different than what Joan did," replied Atticus.
"So why is she special?" yelled Marie. "I've been at it so long, and have been passed up so many times, I'm starting to get fed up! Sure, I get a smile now and then, and a pat on the back, but I want recognition!"
"Marie, look…" said Chelsea.
"What right do you have to give me advice?" asked Marie, lifting up one of her claws. "When I first heard you of all people were working for Joan, that was the straw that broke the camel's back for me. My efforts aren't good enough… But she accepts a duelist who uses vampires. Creatures whose very existence is a blasphemy!"
"What?" gasped Chelsea. "It… It isn't like that…"
"Penelope's existence was the one that practically spat in my face," groaned Marie. "Heaven seems to have no problem loving a vampire, but it won't show me the same love."
"Hey, lay off!" shouted Ren.
Marie gestured, and a Duel Disk appeared on her arm.
"Duel me, Chelsea," she urged. "Show me some iota of proof that your Monsters are more deserving of what they get than I do."
"Marie, this is a mistake!" yelled Yumi. "Whether intentionally or not, you're helping Daala! If you thought Heaven rejected you before, you haven't seen what will happen once they hear about this!"
Marie gestured, and a ball of dark energy formed in her hand. She threw it at Yumi, hitting her in the stomach. Yumi gasped, and fell over.
"Don't!" yelled Chelsea. "Fine… I'll duel you…"
She activated her Disk.
"Then present your Deck Lord," said Marie, with a sly smile. "I'll enjoy consuming his energy…"
Chelsea gestured, and Vampire Genesis appeared behind her.
Marie activated her own Disk.
"Game on!" they both shouted.
This is clearly the enemy that the Commandant spoke of, thought Chelsea. I guess the frustration over her punishment and the jealousy sparked by learning about Penelope just caused her to snap…
(Chelsea: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Marie: 8,000)
"I draw!" exclaimed Chelsea, drawing her first card.
She looked over her six cards.
"I summon Zombie Werewolf!"
In a burst of dark energy, the vicious wolfman appeared, and let out a howl. (1,200/1,200)
"And I'll leave it at that."
"Clever," chuckled Marie, drawing a card. "You think you can fool me summoning that weak Monster with no apparent protection?
"Well, I know his powers. If I strike him down, you'll be able to summon one who's even stronger…
"But that isn't going to happen…
"I summon Banisher of the Radiance!"
In a burst of light, a weird Monster appeared. It was a legless, faceless creature made of metal, with red metal wings and a pulsating orb in its chest. (1,600/0)
"When this charming creature is around," explained Marie, "all cards that would normally go to the Graveyards are removed from play."
"Oh no…" muttered Ren. "Chelsea's Werewolf has to go to the Graveyard to use its effect…"
"This was likely Marie's plan all along," said Atticus. "She's likely using some sort of RFG Deck to shut down Chelsea's strategy completely. Without a Graveyard, Zombies are practically powerless."
"Eradicate her Werewolf!" shouted Marie. "Orb of annihilation!"
Banisher of the Radiance threw a pulsating energy ball, and Zombie Werewolf burst into globs of light that vanished into thin air.
"I'll throw three cards facedown," said Marie, as a trio of facedown cards appeared behind the Banisher, "and then it's your move…"
(C: 7,600) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 8,000)
Chelsea muttered something, and then drew a card.
"This is gonna hurt me more than it does you," said Marie.
One of her facedown cards lifted.
"I activate Destruction of Destiny. This lets me discard three cards from the top of my deck. However, for each one that isn't a Monster, I lose 1,000 Life Points."
"Say what?" asked Chelsea.
Marie took the three cards off of her deck.
She chuckled a little and held them forward. They were Solar Flare Dragon, Chaos Greed, and Heavy Storm.
"Heh," chuckled Chelsea. "Maybe you should have thought that through some more."
Marie groaned as she was surrounded by a dark aura, and the three cards disappeared.
"Just continue your move," she muttered.
Chelsea looked at the card she had drawn.
Zombie Master! she thought. His effect may be shut down due to her Monster, but he's stronger than Banisher of the Radiance!
"I summon Zombie Master!" she shouted.
Zombie Master started to appear in an aura of darkness.
"Did you think these were just bluffs?" replied Marie, as another of her facedown cards lifted. "I activate Forced Back. This negates your summoning, and sends Zombie Master back to your hand."
Chelsea gasped as Zombie Master vanished and the card appeared in her hand.
"That's playing dirty!" she shouted.
Marie simply smirked.
"Oh, just move…" muttered Chelsea.
(C: 7,600) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 6,000)
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Meanwhile, Daala was watching with a smirk on her face.
"Looks like Marie has Chelsea right where she wants her…" she said, leaning back on her couch.
"And she's not the only one," said a voice.
Daala got up with a start. She knew that voice.
She spun around, and saw Vita standing at the entrance.
"How did you get past the guards?" she sneered.
"Oh, please," said Vita. "I know this place like the back of my hand.
"I came to challenge you, old friend. But since my deck isn't ready…"
She took a step forward, and formed a fighting stance.
Daala laughed, and assumed the same stance.
"Karate, huh?" she giggled. "Boy, this takes me back…
"This will be a pleasure…"
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Marie drew a card.
"During my Standby Phase, my Deck Lord effect kicks in," she said. "I only have one, but it's potent.
"It's called Banished Energy. For each of my own Monsters that I've removed from play, I gain 300 Life Points."
She glowed with golden energy.
"Now then, I summon Bountiful Artemis."
She played the card, and another strange creature appeared. Again, it appeared to be made of metal, and was vaguely feminine. She had no legs; her lower body was perched on a cone-shaped spire. She had large, metallic wings, and a flowing, purple cape. (1,600/1,700)
"People, this is bad," said Atticus. "Forced Back and Bountiful Artemis in the same deck? I know this deck…"
"What?" asked Sam.
"This is a Counter Fairy Deck," replied Atticus. "It's likely full of Counter Traps and Fairies whose effects work in synchronization with them."
"Not completely," said Marie. "It actually has another feature that I prepared special.
"Banisher… Artemis… Attack Chelsea directly!"
The two Fairies formed orbs of energy in their hands and hurled them at Chelsea. She staggered under the onslaught.
She bent over and gasped for breath.
(C: 4,400) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 6,300)
"The fun has only begun, darling!" laughed Marie. "I set another card facedown, and end my turn."
A new facedown card appeared.
"Oh, I bet it has," growled Chelsea, drawing a card.
"I play Heavy Storm!"
She played the card, and a fierce storm started to blow over the field.
"Typical…" chuckled Marie. "What you didn't know was, in your effort to destroy my Trap Cards, you only helped me activate one of them."
One of the two facedown cards flipped up.
"Dark Bribe. Now, you get to draw one card, but your Storm is quelled."
Chelsea growled as the winds died down, and she drew once.
Call of the Mummy, she thought, looking at it. If that other facedown card is another Forced Back, it can't negate a Special Summon…
"By the way," said Marie, "since Dark Bribe is a Counter Trap, Bountiful Artemis's effect is activated, and I get to draw one card."
She made a draw.
Chelsea played the card she had drawn.
"I play Call of the Mummy!" she exclaimed.
The Spell Card appeared on her side of the field.
"Now, I'll use it to Special Summon Vampire Lady in Defense Mode."
Vampire Lady appeared, sitting on her haunches and crossing her arms. (1,550/1,550)
"Now, I'll summon Zombie Master again."
She played the card, and Zombie Master appeared, looking incredibly angry. (1,800/0)
Chelsea paused.
Nothing… she thought. Time to go for broke…
"Zombie Master…"she ordered, "attack her Banisher!"
Zombie Master threw his arms forward, and shot a volley of lightning bolts at Banisher of the Radiance.
"Go, Negate Attack!" shouted Marie.
Her other facedown card lifted, and the lightning was absorbed by an invisible shield.
"Guess what, Chelsea?" she asked. "Negate Attack is also a Counter Trap."
Bountiful Artemis glowed, and she drew one card.
Chelsea looked at the rest of her cards.
"I end my turn…" she sighed.
Marie drew a card.
"I gain 300 Life Points from Banished Energy," she said, "then I summon Majestic Mech – Ohka!"
In an explosion of light, a Fairy appeared that was all-too familiar, and not very-well liked by any player who didn't use it. It looked like some radiant lion, made of gleaming, silvery metal with rose highlights and feathered wings. (2,400/1,400)
"Peachy…" muttered Chelsea.
"Attack her Zombie Master!" shouted Marie. "Righteous flame!"
Ohka breathed a blast of burning hot light from its jaws, and Zombie Master was burned to a cinder.
"Righteous flame…" muttered Erik. "Talk about a hypocrite…"
Bountiful Artemis gestured, and threw her own orb at Vampire Lady, and the vampiress dissolved into nothing.
"That's just to start, darling," chuckled Marie. "You likely have only one turn left. Then you'll be the one who disappears without a trace."
Banisher of the Radiance threw his orb and hit Chelsea in the chest. She fell to her knees.
(C: 2,200) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 6,600)
Man… thought Chelsea. I'm really getting clobbered here… She's right… One more round of this and I've had it…
"I end my turn…" said Marie.
"That means Ohka goes away!" yelled Sam. "And since your Banisher is on the field, it's removed from play."
Ohka vanished into grains of light.
"I think that's the whole idea, Sam," said Atticus, shaking his head.
Chelsea slowly got up.
"My move…" she muttered.
She drew a card.
She quickly placed it in her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.
She bowed her head.
Marie laughed.
"So that was the best you could do, huh?" she asked.
She drew a card.
"I gain 600 Life Points from Banished Energy…
"This is the end. Artemis, Banisher… Finish her off."
Artemis threw her orb of light at Chelsea.
"GO!" shouted Chelsea, as her facedown card lifted. "Red Ghost Moon!"
The spooky harvest moon appeared behind her, and she discarded The Kick Man in her hand.
"I may have to sacrifice one of my Zombies, but it's Negate Attack and Draining Shield all in one!"
She glowed with energy.
"So I see…" muttered Marie.
She played a card.
"I summon Banisher of the Light."
In an aura of energy, a tall, pious-looking priest in a long vestment appeared, holding out his hand. (100/2,000)
"Why'd she put that guy in Attack Mode?" asked Erik.
"Likely to draw Chelsea's fire away from her other two Monsters," said Atticus. "And if she doesn't attack him and does attack Banisher of the Radiance, she can switch him to Defense Mode, and her strategy will still be unharmed."
(C: 3,800) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 7,200)
"My draw," said Chelsea, drawing a card.
She grinned as she looked at it.
IHow lucky can you get?/I she thought.
She turned to Vampire Genesis. He smiled, and nodded.
"I use Call of the Mummy to summon Vampire Lord!" she shouted.
In a flourish of dark energy, the elegant vampire appeared, forming a fighting stance. (2,000/1,500)
"Attack Banisher of the Light!" she shouted. "Children of the Night!"
Vampire Lord lifted his cape, and a swarm of bats shot at Banisher of the Light. The holy man exploded into pixels.
"Ergh…" groaned Marie.
"Now I activate his effect," said Chelsea with a grin. "I declare Spell Card."
Marie simply grinned back.
She took a Spell Card from her deck and held it up. It vanished.
"Uh, was that Spell Card what I think it was?" asked Erik.
"If it is, we'll find out in a minute…" sighed Sam.
"Your move…" muttered Chelsea.
(C: 3,800) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 5,300)
Marie drew a card.
"With one more Monster added to my Removed From Play pile," she said, "I gain 900 Life Points.
"And as your friends suspected, the Spell Card I chose to discard last round was this one…"
A Spell Card appeared in her hand.
"Card From a Different Dimension. Since it was removed from play last round, it goes to my hand this round, and we both draw two cards."
Both she and Chelsea made two draws.
"I'll set one card facedown, and then summon Layard the Liberator."
A facedown card appeared, and then another weird Fairy appeared. It was another legless, faceless, metal creature with six arms and wings. (1,400/1,500)
"Chelsea, be careful!" shouted Atticus. "That thing…"
"I know, I know!" replied Chelsea.
"I end my turn," said Marie.
(C: 3,800) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 6,200)
Chelsea drew a card.
It was Rush Recklessly.
Layard the Liberator is another Counter Fairy, she thought. If either of us activates a Counter Trap, she gets to recover two of her Fairies that have been removed from play.
I'm guessing the facedown card is probably another Negate Attack to stop my Vampire Lord from destroying her Banisher. Then she'll use Layard's effect to get back Ohka.
She looked at the Spell Card she had drawn.
But her plan has one flaw… She doesn't know that when she attempts to attack my vampire with Ohka, I'll turn the tables completely…
She placed it in her Disk.
"I set one card facedown," she said, as it appeared facedown.
"Then I attack with Vampire Lord!"
The swarm of bats flew at Banisher of the Radiance. Marie's facedown card flipped up, and just as Chelsea had expected, it was Negate Attack.
"Now," said Marie, "the effects of both Artemis and Layard activate."
She drew one card. Then, two other cards appeared in her hand.
"I set one Monster in Defense Mode, and end my turn," said Chelsea, as a Defensive Monster appeared.
"My move…" chuckled Marie, drawing a card.
She looked at it, and smiled evilly.
"I gain 300 Life Points from Banished Energy," she said.
"Then, Banisher of the Radiance attacks your facedown Monster."
The Banisher threw its orb, and a second Vampire Lady appeared on the card. She was disintegrated.
"Now…" said Marie. "I'm going to fight you and your creatures with the enemy that vampires count as their greatest. A powerful, unrelenting force that they run in fear from. A great power that they can't possibly combat, because even confronting it would spell their doom…"
"What are you talking about?" said Chelsea, opening her eyes wide.
"I'm talking about… the sun!" laughed Marie. "Life-giving radiant rays from above, which cause the horrors of the night to wither and die. Even Penelope feared this great power…"
"And it was a cruel joke!" yelled Chelsea. "She was a pious holy woman all her life… The sun was a representation of the powers that she worshipped, the noble path she had dedicated herself to… But due to the curse that had been inflicted upon her, she was forced to hide herself from it…
"It was like she could never look the holy powers she worshipped in the face. One has to wonder what went through her mind in the hours before dawn as she searched for a place to conceal herself from the light…"
"Well, you're about to feel its incredible power firsthand," said Marie. "I summon Solar Flare Dragon!"
She played the card, and in a blast of flame, a large, fiery serpent appeared in front of her. (1,500/1,000)
"Now, I'll play the Spell Card Dimension Distortion. Since I have no cards in my Graveyard, this lets me Special Summon a Monster that has been removed from play. And I'll summon the one I discarded when I played Destruction of Destiny."
In another burst of flame, a second Solar Flare Dragon appeared. (1,500/1,000)
"A Solar Flare Lock!" shouted Chelsea.
"Correct, darling," said Marie with a grin. "You can't attack a Solar Flare Dragon so long as I have another Pyro Monster on the field. And both of them are Pyros, so they protect each other from attacks. It's only a matter of time now…
"I move Artemis and Layard into Defense Mode."
The two Fairies crossed their arms and shielded themselves.
"I end my turn, which means that the effects of my Solar Flare Dragons kick in."
The two Pyros breathed streams of flames at Chelsea, and she screamed loudly.
"And since I'm ending my turn with a hand that consists of eight cards, I must now discard two of them."
She held up Ohka and Banisher of the Light, and they vanished.
"Your move…"
(C: 2,800) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 6,500)
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Vita and Daala exchanged blows, Vita throwing most of them. But all of the punches and kicks she aimed at her foe were blocked aside.
"I know all of your moves, Vita!" shouted Daala. "Know why? Because I taught 'em to you!"
Then Vita threw a kick that connected, hitting Daala in the stomach and throwing her backwards.
"Whoa…" said Daala, getting up. "There's a new one…"
"I found a Legendary Jujitsu Master who was willing to teach me a few moves," said Vita.
"You don't say?" muttered Daala. "Ah, well, I'm sick of this anyway…"
She gestured, and two cards appeared in her hand.
"Holding Arms!" she shouted, as one of them glowed.
"Huh?" said Vita.
Then a golden rod with a pair of shackles on each end and the Eye of Wdjat in the center appeared. She screamed as it latched onto her two wrists and she was lifted into the air.
"Holding Legs!" shouted Daala, as the other card glowed.
A similar set of shackles appeared, and latched onto Vita's ankles.
She was thrown violently against the wall, and held fast.
"Comfy?" asked Daala. "That fool Marik may have been insane, but he had some good taste in cards."
"Cheater!" growled Vita.
"Cheating?" replied Daala. "It isn't cheating if you use your own abilities. Not my fault you didn't know that I learned a few new ones since we spoke last.
"Now, why don't we watch the rest of Chelsea's duel, huh?"
She lay back on her couch, and wiped her brow.
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"This doesn't look good, people," said Atticus, shaking his head. "I faced this strategy before. I would have lost if it weren't for one Trap Card…"
"Is this a Trap Card Chelsea would have?" asked Erik.
"I sincerely doubt it…" sighed Atticus.
Chelsea slowly drew a card.
Her eyes lit up when she saw what card is was.
Hey… she thought. I got an idea…
"I throw one card facedown…" she said, as a facedown card materialized.
"Then Vampire Lord attacks Banisher of the Radiance!"
The swarm of bats shot at Banisher of the Radiance, and the metallic Fairy exploded into shards. Marie cringed.
"All right!" shouted Ren. "Now Marie can't remove any more Monsters from play!"
"Big deal!" she laughed. "As if I need him anymore."
"I can still use Vampire Lord's effect," said Chelsea. "And I'm naming Trap Card this time."
Marie frowned. She took another copy of Forced Back from her deck, and discarded it.
"I end my turn."
(C: 2,800) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 6,100)
Marie drew a card.
"I gain 900 Life Points again… Then I'll play a facedown…"
A facedown card appeared.
"And I think I'll just end there."
Chelsea screamed as the two streams of flame hit her again.
(C: 1,800) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 7,000)
"My move…" muttered Chelsea. "And your two Dragons are going down…"
She drew a card. Then she opened the Field Slot on her Disk, and placed a card in it.
"I play… Infernalvania!"
Like all Field Spells, the whole landscape changed, transporting them to a broken badlands full of twisted trees. A spooky vampire's castle materialized behind Chelsea.
"In Infernalvania," said Chelsea, "all I have to do is toss one Zombie from my hand, and all Monsters on the field are wiped out."
Marie laughed out loud.
"The same goes for your Monsters, darling!" she laughed. "And you forgot that this Field Spell has a serious handicap. You aren't allowed to summon after you use its effect. So I may lose my Monsters, but you'll be completely defenseless from my next attack."
"Think again," said Chelsea. "When I use the effect of this Field Spell, my Vampire Lord will totally safe…"
Her facedown card lifted.
"I activate… Interdimensional Matter Transporter!"
A machine resembling a metallic, futuristic Christmas tree appeared behind Vampire Lord, and he vanished in a flash of light.
"Now," chuckled Chelsea, discarding her second Zombie Master, "I activate the effect of Infernalvania!"
Thunder rolled, and then four bolts of lightning struck, vaporizing Bountiful Artemis, Layard the Liberator, and the two Solar Flare Dragons.
"You are gonna pay for that…" growled Marie.
"I end my turn," said Chelsea, "which means Vampire Lord comes back."
The machine glowed, and Vampire Lord appeared again in a wave of light.
"All right!" shouted Ren. "Chelsea finally took out her side!"
"I'll build a new side!" yelled Marie, drawing a card.
"I gain 900 Life Points…
"Next, I play Mystical Space Typhoon!"
She held up the Spell Card, and a tornado tore through the whole arena. The castle behind Chelsea was blown to rubble, and the broken landscape was reduced to dust.
"Now, I activate my facedown Soul Release," she said, as her facedown card lifted. "I'll remove five of my Monsters from play."
Both Solar Flare Dragons, Banisher of the Radiance, Bountiful Artemis, and Layard the Liberator fell out of her discard slot. She held the cards up and they vanished.
"Now, I play a facedown…"
She fit a card in her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.
"And then I call upon a being that can channel the power of the sun even more than those Dragons…
"I summon Helios – The Primordial Sun!"
The lights dimmed, and a new creature appeared. It looked like a tall, slim humanoid, made entirely of bandage wrappings. In place of a head was an orb of pure solar energy that shone like a beacon. Vampire Lord shielded his eyes.
"For each Monster that has been removed from play between the two of us," explained Marie, "Helios has 100 Attack and Defense Points. And so far, there have been a total of thirteen."
(1,300/1,300)
"I end my turn."
(C: 1,800) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 7,900)
Chelsea drew a card. She looked at it.
Better be careful, she thought.
"Vampire Lord…" she ordered. "Attack Helios!"
Vampire Lord spread his cape.
"I activate this!" shouted Marie, as her facedown card lifted. "Planet Alignment!"
The sky darkened, and the bodies of the cosmos appeared behind her.
"With Helios on the field, this mighty Spell can move whole planets, and the cataclysm it causes wipes out your Monsters and deals you 300 points of damage!"
Vampire Lord groaned, and then exploded into pixels.
"Heh…" said Chelsea. "Don't you know what happens when Vampire Lord is destroyed by a card effect?
"In the meantime…
"I use Call of the Mummy to summon Ryu Kokki in Attack Mode."
She played a card, and the huge bone ogre appeared. (2,400/2,000)
"Then I'll set a Monster in Defense Mode."
She set a card, and a facedown Monster appeared.
"I'll throw another card facedown, and then play Mirage of Nightmare."
A facedown card appeared next to her other one, and the Mirage card appeared.
(C: 1,500) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 7,900)
"My move…" chuckled Marie, drawing a card. "And with five more of my Monsters removed from play, I gain 2,400 Life Points."
"Her Life Points are over ten-thousand!" shouted Ren. "How the heck is Chelsea ever gonna get them to zero?"
"That's just it," replied Marie. "She won't."
"Yeah?" said Chelsea. "Well, thanks to my Mirage, I get four cards."
She made four draws.
"And now, I activate Emergency Provisions!"
Her Quickplay Spell lifted, and the Mirage card was consumed.
"You still can't beat me," replied Marie. "Especially since I'm summoning Barrier Statue of the Heavens."
She played the card and a new Fairy appeared – sort of. It more looked like a statue of a Fairy, surrounded by a radiant halo. (1,000/1,000)
"A Barrier Statue?" gasped Sam. "Yumi, I remember those things!"
"How could we forget…" muttered Yumi.
In Duelatopia, Rasputin had sent two brainwashed duelists after her and Sam. One of them had used Barrier Statue of the Drought against them. It wasn't very strong, but it prevented any duelist from Special Summoning any Monster that wasn't an Earth Monster. Their two opponents used almost all Earth Monsters, but Yumi and Sam used mostly Dark ones.
"Anyway," said Marie, "now, neither of us can Special Summon any Monsters except Light Monsters.
"And I'm going to Special Summon one right now by sacrificing Helios…"
The Primordial Sun vanished.
"I summon Helios Duo Megistus!"
A new Monster appeared in Helios's place. It looked like it had been cut from the same cloth as The Primordial Sun, but it was chubbier, its solar orb was larger, and its body had vaguely feminine features.
"Duo is twice as good as her brother," said Marie, "because she gains 200 Attack and Defense Points for each Monster that's been removed from play."
(2,600/2,600)
"Attack Ryu Kokki!" she shouted. "Solar singer!"
A blast of fiery energy shot from Duo's solar orb at Ryu Kokki…
"Go, Rush Recklessly!" shouted Chelsea.
Her facedown card lifted, and Ryu Kokki's Attack Score shot up to 3,100. It swatted the blast of flame aside, and Duo exploded in a fiery burst of light.
"Your sun just went supernova," mocked Chelsea.
"Not yet, it didn't," replied Marie, as a facedown card appeared. "I play a facedown. Then move to my End Phase, and activate Duo's effect."
In a burst of light, Duo reappeared in front of Marie.
"She's not only back," continued Marie, "she's stronger than she was before!"
(2,900/2,900)
(C: 2,500) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 9,800)
Chelsea nervously drew a card.
Darn… she thought. With that Barrier Statue there, I can't use Vampire Lord's effect to bring him back…
I could attack the Barrier Statue with Ryu Kokki, but I have a feeling I know what's coming next, and if Ryu is in Attack Mode, it might be bad…
She turned the card on her Disk, and Ryu Kokki crouched in Defense Mode.
"Go ahead…" she snarled.
"I draw," chuckled Marie, "and once again, I gain 2,400 Life Points…"
She glowed with a fiery aura of golden energy.
"I sacrifice Helios Duo Megistus to summon something stronger yet!" she declared. "It's the most powerful of its siblings, and it's three Monsters in one…"
Duo vanished.
"Helios Trice Megistus!"
The Monster that appeared did indeed seem to be three in one. It looked like three miniature versions of Helios, with oversized solar disks for heads. They levitated in a triangular pattern.
"And for each Monster removed from play, they have 300 Attack and Defense Points."
(3,900/3,900)
Chelsea grit her teeth.
"Attack Ryu Kokki!" ordered Marie. "Phoenix Prominence!"
The three solar beings burned with fire, and a huge, flaming bird flew from them, soaring towards Ryu Kokki. The Bone Dragon Ogre exploded into burned bones.
"Now I use Trice's effect," continued Marie. "When it destroys one Monster, it gets to attack again!"
The Phoenix flew forward again, towards Chelsea's facedown Monster. Pyramid Turtle appeared on the card, and exploded into dust.
"I use Pyramid Turtle's effect…" growled Chelsea.
"No you won't!" laughed Marie. "You can't Special Summon any Monsters that aren't Light, remember?"
"Oh, I remember," replied Chelsea. "I remember very well!"
An explosion of energy appeared on her side of the field, and Penelope appeared in front of her, looking incredibly angry. Chelsea's Call of the Mummy and Marie's facedown Dark Bribe were both blown to pieces. (1,000/200)
"Wha… Buh… How…" stammered Marie. "You mean… She's a Light Monster??"
Chelsea nodded.
"That's impossible!" screamed Marie. "She's… She's a vampire!"
"A vampire who kept her soul," replied Chelsea. "One who rejected their evil and the darkness they represented, and vowed to crush them whenever she could. She was a vampire who hated what she was, and turned against their foul race. Thus, she is a being of light.
"And she gains power from each creature of the night who perishes. For each Zombie in my Graveyard, she gains 400 more Attack Points."
(2,200/200)
Marie laughed out loud.
"Good thing I removed most of them from play," she chuckled. "She isn't even close to being strong enough to beat Trice."
"We'll see," said Chelsea. "It's my move…"
(C: 2,500) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 12,200)
She drew a card.
"I play… Graceful Charity."
She played the card, and the angel of charity appeared. Her feathers fell on her deck, and she drew three cards.
She looked at the cards in her hand, and discarded Zombie Bed and Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower.
"With another Zombie in my grave, Penelope gets even stronger."
(2,600/200)
"Still not enough," replied Marie.
"Now I'll play Monster Reborn!" shouted Chelsea.
"You don't have another Light Monster in your Graveyard!" screamed Marie.
"True," replied Chelsea. "So I'll get one from yours."
The holy ankh appeared, and then Helios Duo Megistus appeared next to Penelope. (2,600/2,600)
"Argh!" gasped Marie.
"Duo, destroy her Barrier Statue!" ordered Chelsea. "Solar singer!"
Duo blasted her burning stream of solar flames, and Barrier Statue of the Heavens exploded in a conflagration of light.
"Ergh…" muttered Marie. "How dare you!"
"I'm not done!" continued Chelsea. "Now that it's gone, I'm going to Special Summon a few more Monsters.
"First, I use one of my Deck Lord abilities. I remove two Zombies from play…"
Zombie Master and Pyramid Turtle slipped out of her discard slot, and Penelope fell to an Attack Score of 1,800.
"…to summon another Zombie from my Graveyard. So guess who's back?"
Vampire Lord appeared again. (2,000/1,500)
"FOOL!" sneered Marie. "Don't you realize that if you remove Monsters from play, you only make Trice stronger?"
Helios Trice Megistus rose to (4,500/4,500), while Helios Duo Megistus rose to (3,000/3,000).
"If they like power," said Chelsea, "I'll give them even more! I play Book of Life! I raise Ryu Kokki from my Graveyard, and then remove your Barrier Statue from play as well!"
Ryu Kokki appeared in front of her. (2,400/2,000) Penelope fell to (1,400/200), while Trice rose to (4,800/4,800). Meanwhile, Helios Duo Megistus rose to (3,200/3,200).
"I'll throw this facedown, and take a break."
A facedown card appeared.
(C: 2,500) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 10,600)
"I draw!" yelled Marie, drawing a card. "And with one more Monster in my Removed From Play pile, I gain 2,700 Life Points.
"Helios, kill Penelope!"
Helios Trice Megistus burned with flames, and the Phoenix blasted towards Penelope.
"Now who's being foolish?" asked Chelsea. "Activate… Widespread Ruin!"
Her facedown card lifted. Everyone cheered as the three suns exploded in a flaming blast.
"Seems Marie was so overcome with jealousy, she forgot to be careful," said Atticus, shaking her head. "She wanted to attack Penelope so much, she didn't even consider the facedown card."
Marie frowned. She looked at the three cards in her hand.
She placed a card on her Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.
"Attack me if you want," she said. "My Life Points are high enough to take it."
(C: 2,500) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 13,300)
Chelsea drew a card.
"Oh?" she said. "We'll see about that. I pay half my Life Points… Vampire Genesis, move to the field!"
"As you wish," said the huge vampire, stepping forward. (3,000/2,100)
"Is Chelsea crazy?!" shouted Ren.
"I have to agree with Ren," said Marie with a grin. "You do know that with him on the field, he's vulnerable to an attack."
"True," said Chelsea, "but not if I end this now. I'm Equipping him with Axe of Despair."
The huge, ugly axe appeared in Vampire Genesis's hands. (4,000/2,100)
"All right!" shouted Chelsea. "Penelope… Destroy her facedown Monster!"
Penelope shot a blast of burning light from her staff. Magician of Faith appeared on the card, and was blown to bits.
Marie grinned, and a Spell Card slipped out of her discard slot.
"Your Planet Alignment card, right?" asked Chelsea. "And the last card in your hand other than Card From a Different Dimension is clearly another Primordial Sun.
"Well sorry… But I'm never giving you a chance to use them!
"Vampire Genesis, get her!"
Vampire Genesis lunged at Marie, and delivered a fierce chop with the Axe of Despair. Marie screamed.
"Vampire Lord, children of the night!"
Vampire Lord opened his cape, and the swarm of bats flew at Marie. She shielded herself as they bit and clawed at her.
"Helios, solar singer!"
Helios Duo Megistus blasted its solar fire, and Marie screamed again.
"Ryu Kokki… Bone basher!"
Ryu Kokki lumbered up to the fallen angel and gave a mighty slam, throwing Marie backwards.
(C: 1,250) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 1,700)
Marie the Fallen One slowly got up, and panted for breath.
"Well, Chelsea…" she gasped. "I admit you had me worried there for a minute… But I still have Life Points left… And when my turn comes…"
"Still my turn, Marie," interrupted Chelsea. "And I'm using one of my other Deck Lord abilities. I can use it at any Phase of my turn, even my Battle Phase.
"It's called Vampire Evolution. It lets me sacrifice a Zombie Monster in order to Special Summon one from my hand that's exactly one Level higher.
"So, I'll sacrifice my Level Five Vampire Lord…"
Vampire Lord vanished.
"To summon Lich Lord, King of the Underworld!"
In a burst of darkness, the robed, undead sorcerer appeared. (2,400/1,200)
Marie bowed her head.
"Still my Battle Phase," said Chelsea. "Attack her directly! Unholy blight!"
Lich Lord aimed his staff, and cast a powerful dark spell. Marie barely moved as it hit her.
(C: 1,250) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 0)
"All right!" cheered Ren.
He ran up and hugged Chelsea.
"Ren, please…" gasped Chelsea.
Vampire Genesis lifted his claw, and Marie started to glow with a dark aura.
"That's it," muttered Marie. "Hug your boyfriend for now…
"And take pride in this victory. You haven't seen the last of me, Chelsea, and I won't be defeated again! I promise you!"
Then she burst into pixels.
"Where do you think she went?" asked Sam.
"From whence she came…" muttered Atticus. "From whence she came…"
"Can't you ever say 'I don't know'?" asked Erik. "Kinda feel bad for her though… She had the same chance that Joan had to get forgiveness, but she blew it…"
"I'll say she 'blew it' a long time ago," said Yumi, shaking her head. "The thing is, she never learned a very important part about redemption… Actively seeking forgiveness defeats the purpose of receiving it. Such a thing cannot be gotten… It can only be given…"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Ten minutes later, Daala was speaking to Marie over a screen.
"So, did it feel good to get it out of your system?" she asked, rather annoyed.
Marie merely bowed her head.
"That's what I figured," said Daala. "Now get back to your proper station, and be ready to face them again with your proper deck. Heck, you can even duel Chelsea again if you want. But I have enough to worry about without being disturbed by things like this."
"You're already disturbed, Daala," said Vita. "And your army has nothing to do with it."
Daala turned to her prisoner.
"Do you want me to gag you?" she sneered.
Vita chuckled.
"Do it!" she laughed. "Of course, you'll have to take this mask off to put a gag on me… Are you willing to do that? In your own throne room where you receive guests and servants?"
Daala glared at her.
"Nice try…" she sneered. "The mask stays on, Vita. The one thing about you I can still control is using it to hide what you are, and it's going to stay hidden for as long as I'm in charge.
"And now that I've gotcha, I'm keeping you close by until I figure out a way make something that will hold you that you won't break out of. If my current plan works, it may be easy.
"For now, consider yourself lucky… You have a front-row seat to the best duels in Xanadu."
She chuckled, and continued to watch as Yumi's party trekked across the Flaming Peaks.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
PLANET ALIGNMENT (Spell Card)
Quickplay Spell
Image: The planets of the solar system, lined up in perfect alignment.
Card Description: You may only activate this card when you have a "Helios – The Primordial Sun" face-up on your side of the field. Destroy all Monsters on the field except for "Helios – The Primordial Sun" and inflict 300 points of direct damage to your opponent.
Note: "Planet Alignment" was first used by Banner in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Amnael's Endgame (Part Two)". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
CARD FROM A DIFFERENT DIMENSION (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: A weird machine, crackling with energy, with a Duel Monsters card being created inside it.
Card Description: When this card is removed from play, return it to the owner's hand during his/her next Standby Phase. Then, both players draw two cards from their respective decks.
Note: "Card From A Different Dimension" was first used by Zane in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "The Graduation Match (Part One)". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
INFERNALVANIA (Spell Card)
Field Spell
Image: A broken wasteland with a creepy vampire's castle on a hill.
Card Description: Once per turn, during a player's own turn, a player may discard one Zombie-Type Monster from his/her hand to destroy all Monsters on the field. A player who uses this effect may not Normal Summon, Special Summon, or set a Monster for the remainder of the turn in which he/she uses this effect.
Note: "Infernalvania" was first used by Camula in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Field of Screams (Part One)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
HOLDING ARMS (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Fiend/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 4
ATK: 500
DEF: 0
Card Description: When this card attacks an opposing Monster, battle damage to both players is reduced to zero and neither Monster is destroyed. This Monster and the attack target cannot declare an attack for three of your opponent's turns or until this Monster or the attack target is removed from the field.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
HOLDING LEGS (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Fiend/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 4
ATK: 800
DEF: 600
Card Description: When this card is Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned, return all Spell and Trap Cards on the field to their respective owners' hands.
Note: "Holding Arms" and "Holding Legs" were first used by Marik in the multi-part original anime episode "Mind Game". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Chelsea's Deck Lord: "Vampire Genesis": "Zombie Swap": You may shuffle one Zombie-Type Monster from your hand into your deck to search your deck for a Zombie-Type Monster that is an equal or lower Level than the one you sent back to your deck. You may use this effect once per round. (Intermediate Power) "Vampire Evolution": You may Tribute one Zombie-Type Monster to Special Summon a Zombie-Type Monster from your hand that is one Level higher than the Tributed Monster. This effect may be used at any Phase of your turn, and may be used during your opponent's turn. (Intermediate Power) "Graveyard Sacrifice": You may remove two Zombies in your Graveyard from play to Special Summon one Zombie from your Graveyard. This effect may be used a total of three times, once per turn. (Minor Power)
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Marie's Deck Lord: "Banished Energy": During your Standby Phase, gain 300 Life Points for each of your Monsters that have been removed from play. (Greater Power)
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coming up next:
The dangerous trek across the Flaming Peaks continues. Daala's plan for the heroes at this leg begins, and they learn that Horus is not the only powerful Duel Spirit who has become uneasy. To make matters worse, they meet a duelist who has apparently come from the pages of comic books, who uses cards with powers that few have been able to withstand. What is the secret behind this strange individual?
"Something Completely Different" is coming soon.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Name that Card!
Most of the time, the effect text for a Ritual Monster includes the name of the Ritual Spell required to summon it. One Ritual Monster does not, even though the Spell was still required, possibly because there was not enough room on the card to list it. Can you name it?