What Ritual Monster did not have the name of its Ritual Spell on its card? If you said "Relinquished", you were successfully able to Name that Card!
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For this chapter, it represents my first foray into the "third generation" of Yu-Gi-Oh. This is something new to me, and represents a new challenge. So for all involved, bear with me. Also, a lot of the cards used in this chapter will not be released for the TCG until August 9th when the Sneak Preview event for The Duelist Genesis occurs in the United States. I won't waste space at the end of the chapter detailing ever single new card, except for one that I created myself. I'll provide a link if anyone desires to look the cards up.
Anyway, enjoy.
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You'd think as the granddaughter of two duelists whose names are, well, legendary, I'd study up on the game some more.
The duelist I'm facing has Monsters I've never heard of. She possesses special Monsters that I've only heard stories about, whispered among duelists at Kaibaland. Several duelists I know claim they know someone who knows someone who's seen them, but they have a mythic status. And not like Kaiba's three Dragons either. He was all too willing to show them off.
As a result, I've gone into this duel completely unprepared, facing forces I can't comprehend. My opponent must be truly exceptional… She isn't afraid of these creatures, and tames them as easily as someone would a loyal dog.
I'm the Queen of Games. I can't refuse a challenge or back down. But now, I must defend my title like never before…
Time to duel, in a different way…
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CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
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Something Completely Different
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Atticus continued to lead the way through the volcanic mountain range, the Cold Wave Spell radiating an aura from his Disk that held back the terrible heat.
His companions realized that it was likely the only thing that kept them from being deep fried by the flowing lava that bordered the paths, and the pools of it that they carefully circumnavigated.
"Uhm, Atticus?" asked Ren, nervously. "Question…"
"Shoot," he replied.
"How long does that Spell last?" he asked.
"Don't worry," he assured. "Unlike the actual version, it lasts longer than one round."
"What happens if someone comes along with a Mystical Space Typhoon?" asked Chelsea, nervously.
"No problem," replied Atticus, lifting his Disk and pointing to it. "Judgment of Anubis and Curse of Royal already set. A lot of Hunters have tried taking me out that way. They learned the hard way that I'm not that dumb…"
"I'm kinda curious, Atticus," asked Yumi. "If Joan programmed you, is there an AI version of his sister in Xanadu?"
Atticus stopped.
"There… used to be…" he said, sadly. "I'd rather not talk about it…"
"What do you mean?" asked Ren. "Where is…"
Chelsea hit him with her elbow.
"Don't you get it, Ren?" she whispered. "Alexis was part of Joan's army, but she was defeated in a duel. He doesn't know where she is now."
Atticus turned to them and nodded.
"But I know she's alive," he said. "We were programmed to be just as close as the real Rhodes siblings, so if she had been executed, I'd feel it in my gut.
"A lot of Joan's army has lost a friend or sibling since they came into Xanadu… It gives us something to work towards. We look forward to the day when we fight our way into the Core and liberate all the prisoners Daala has taken.
"We're gonna do it… I just know it…"
They walked over a crest, and found their path blocked by a wide lake of lava, with several stones within.
"Now what?" asked Sam.
Atticus studied the layout.
"Follow my lead," he said.
He leapt to the nearest stone, landing on it.
"You gotta be kidding," shouted Sam. "I never learned to swim in water let alone lava!"
"It's easy," said Atticus, "so long as you don't think about what happens if you fall."
He jumped to the next stone.
"Okay…" muttered Yumi. "I'm not thinking about it… I'm not thinking about it…"
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Yumi's party was being watched, as always, but not by Daala at the moment. She had vital plans for them that would be coming to a headway soon, and she was debriefing the one in charge of them.
When Daala had cast her physical body aside, she had freed herself of the restraints of a human woman. She didn't need to do many of the things that humans needed to do to survive, like eat or sleep. She didn't even need to breathe.
She could sleep if she wanted to, however. Sometimes she felt the need to rest, and to dream, something that sentient beings needed to keep sane. She knew that demons didn't sleep, and one theory was that some of the more maniacal ones owed their insanity to insomnia. Thus, she did sleep at times, often with someone to keep her warm.
And while she didn't need to eat, she often did so, to experience taste, another sensation that humans needed.
Since other servants in her army needed to eat, the palace at the Core had a large commissary. And Daala had a private chef as well, whose job was to cook for her and the members of her inner circle. He was an AI program that Daala modeled after her father's old cook that he had eventually fired. His name was Jean-Claude.
There was a reason that her father had fired him. Not that he was a bad cook. He was an excellent cook. The reason was, he was just plain rude, and it was a fault that Daala could not erase when she made the AI program, no matter how hard she tried.
Right now, he was peeling onions, and watching Yumi's party on a screen.
"Tread careful, you fools," he muttered. "One wrong step, and you'll be boiled like Marseille bouillabaisse…"
He wiped tears away from his eyes.
"Cursed onions…" he muttered.
"Jean-Claude?" said a voice.
An Otohime walked into the room. Jean-Claude frowned. He didn't like her at all. Then again, he didn't like any of the members of Daala's inner circle. All they ever did was order him around, and he was sick of it.
"Daala wanted me to give you a message," said the Duel Spirit. "She wants lox and bagels for breakfast tomorrow."
"VAT?" shouted Jean-Claude. "Lox has to be fresh! Do you know how early I'm going to have to get up tomorrow morning to download zat?"
"That's what I told her," said the Otohime. "She said to set your alarm."
"Sacré bleu…" muttered Jean-Claude, clenching his fist.
"Oh, and Jean?" she said, turning away, "I'll be in the library… Bring me a BLT…"
She closed the door.
"Bitch…" he growled.
The door swung open.
"WHAT was that?" she shouted. "Care to say that to my face?"
Jean-Claude shrank back in fright.
"I didn't think so," said the Otohime. "Do your job, Jean. I know it's tradition for the French to be impolite, but doing so to your employers here is not a good idea… You're hanging by a thread as it is."
She turned and left again.
Jean-Claude slammed the peeler down on the ground and sat down with a sulk.
"All I'm good for to zem is 'doing my job'," he thought. "Seems in zis place, in order to be noticed, you need to duel…"
He looked at a Duel Disk on the counter.
"Vell, I can duel, and I vould too…"
He looked at the screen. He saw Sam make it over the lake, the last one across.
"Maybe all I need is a few powerful cards… Oui, zen I could duel as vell as ze rest of zem…"
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Yumi and company had crossed the lava pit, only to find trouble on the opposite side. A very big volcano ahead of them was rumbling, and smoke was pouring out of its crater.
"That thing is starting to stir, if you ask me," said Ren.
"Hey, guys, look," said Erik.
He pointed, and they all saw a building of some sort at the base of the volcano. It was dome-shaped, made of stone, with a single door in the front.
"That looks like Ben Kenobi's hut from the first Star Wars movie," said Erik.
"Yeah, well I doubt that whoever lives there is as friendly as old Ben was," pondered Yumi. "If the owner built it right under a volcano, it's likely adequate shelter for an eruption… But we'd best find out who the owner is…"
They walked up to the door, and saw that it had a name plate on it.
PSIONIC SURGERY
EMMA FROST PRESIDING
"What the heck?" asked Sam. "A surgeon? Not exactly the best place for a medical practice…"
"I've heard that name before…" muttered Ren. "I have a bad feeling about this…"
Yumi pushed open the door, and a blast of cold air greeted them as they walked in.
The interior certainly didn't look like any doctor's office. The whole place was set up with cushioned couches and silk pillows, along with shag rugs. The smell of incense filled the air. It looked sort of like some spoiled princess's bedroom.
"Odd," said Yumi.
They heard a click, and some relaxation music came one. They turned towards another side of the large room, and saw that someone had come in, and turned on a sound system.
It was a tall and very attractive woman, blonde, blue-eyed, and busty. She wore white pants that were incredibly form-fitting, and a white halter top with a high collar, low-cut to reveal her cleavage. Connected to the halter was a white, flowing cape.
"Uhm… Emma Frost, I presume?" asked Yumi.
The woman looked at them with a cold glance.
"Indeed," she said. "So, which of you needs my services?"
"Services?" asked Yumi.
"You wouldn't have come unless Daala sent you," replied Emma. "Psionic surgery… Which of you is my patient?"
"People…"said Ren, nervously. "Out the door, now…"
"Huh?" said Chelsea.
Ren grabbed her, and retreated out the door. Everyone followed. Emma crossed her arms and shook her head in confusion.
"Why'd you do that?" asked Atticus, once they were outside. "We lucked out! She mistook us for members of Daala's army!"
"Yes, but I just remembered who Emma Frost is," replied Ren. "Her appearance kinda helped."
"She looked like she belonged at the Playboy Mansion," muttered Erik.
"She's an old X-Men character," continued Ren, "originally a villain, later a reluctant hero with questionable morals. She was known for having psychic powers, and being among the most powerful in that area.
"One thing that made her stand out in that area was her skill in psionic surgery, a skill that is unusual in even the most powerful telepaths. It basically lets the psychic control individual brain functions in such a way that the physical body can be altered… Mind over matter. A psionic surgeon can cure diseases, heal injuries, and even repair physical disabilities.
"This is clearly an AI program in Emma's shape. Dealing with her may be dangerous."
Everyone paused.
"Or…" said Yumi, looking at the door.
She paused. She gave it a long look.
"Or," she continued, "if we take her down, we can rob Daala of a very powerful resource. If psionic surgeons are that rare, her defeat would be an incredible blow to Daala's forces."
Atticus looked at the door.
"People," said Yumi. "Taking away enemy resources is an important part in any conflict. I'd say that doing away with a powerful healer qualifies."
"Okay…" said Atticus. "But let's be careful regardless…"
They turned and opened the door and walked in.
"Uh, Emma?" said Yumi. "Come to think of it, we…"
What happened next took them completely by surprise. A wave of energy hit them, and they were thrown against the wall.
And they didn't fall down after hitting it. Something was holding them there.
Emma grinned at them, and slipped a Duel Disk on her arm.
"You folks made two mistakes, Yumi," she said. "The first one was not taking advantage of an enemy when you took her by surprise.
"The second one was thinking you could hold that conversation without me hearing. In case you didn't know, I possess clairaudience."
"Heh, heh…" said Yumi, with a grin. "Well, you certainly can't blame me for trying, huh? By the way, I'm guessing you set up shop in Flaming Peaks so you wouldn't catch cold wearing that outfit?"
"Are you criticizing my fashion sense?" asked Emma.
"Course not," replied Yumi. "In fact, you're probably a lot luckier than most costumed folks. You didn't have to make your costume yourself. You just had to put in an order to Fredrick's of Hollywood."
"Uh, Yumi, you mind not insulting her?" asked Ren, nervously. "In case you didn't notice, she kinda has us pinned to the wall?"
"You want a duel, Yumi?" asked Emma, angrily. "Fine… We'll duel…"
Her eyes started to glow like white orbs.
"But we'll duel on my terms…"
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Yumi opened her eyes, unaware that she had closed them.
She screamed.
She was on a small island of stone in a huge lake of lava, in what seemed to be the very crater of a volcano.
She shivered. Memories of the terrible Shadow Game she had fought with Rasputin came rushing back.
"Yumi!" screamed Chelsea's voice.
Yumi got up and turned around. Her allies were standing on a rocky outcropping on the crater's edge.
"How'd we get here?" shouted Yumi.
Then Emma appeared in front of Yumi, thirty paces away, on another island of stone.
"We're in the crater of the volcano above my office," she said. "I used psychoportation to bring us here, a psychic's version of teleportation.
"And that isn't the only thing I did with my powers just now, Yumi. You see, for a little fun, I'm adding a time limit on this duel.
"This volcano is the home of an ally of mine. A very powerful Fire Duel Spirit. I won't tell you who, but he's powerful enough to make the volcano erupt. I gave him a telepathic message, telling him to do so exactly half an hour after the duel starts. And I also told him not to let anyone tell him to stop. No-one, that's right, no-one, not even me, can stop the eruption."
"You'll teleport to safety, leaving us to die fiery deaths…" muttered Yumi.
Emma grinned and nodded.
"And so long as I'm here, your own escape routes are cut off," she said. "I can knock you out of the sky if you even try it. But, if you beat me, I'll have to leave, and you should manage to fly to safety, I suppose."
"My Red-Eyes might be able to do that," whispered Atticus to the others. "I'll have him ready…"
Emma's Disk activated.
"So…"she said. "What are you waiting for?"
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In a deep part of Daala's palace, slightly above the prison, there was a large chamber, and at the far end stood a door. On the door was a sign that read:
NO ENTRY!!
ENTRY FORBIDDEN!!
If the not-to-subtle sign wasn't enough to keep anyone who wasn't supposed to be in this restricted area away, the sentry guarding the chamber was. It was a very powerful and very fearsome Duel Spirit called a Draconic Knight. It was a Level Seven Monster that looked like a humanoid Dragon, wearing the traditional armor of a knight, holding a very large sword and a shield.
Actually, the sword was currently in its sheath, and the shield was slung to its back. It was rather bored with its job; no-one had ever been stupid enough to challenge it for what was behind the door, so its job got tedious at times. Still, Daala paid it well in gold and gems, things that all Dragons coveted, so it didn't complain.
A serving cart rolled into the chamber. The Knight turned to face it, ready to draw its sword…
Then it lifted an eyebrow… It smelled pastrami…
It went over to the serving cart. Sure enough, a pastrami sandwich with Swiss cheese and horseradish was there.
It looked around. It looked down the corridor. It sniffed the air.
After about a minute, it decided that it was all right. It picked up the sandwich.
It didn't see the card underneath it until it was too late. A surge of energy struck it, and a Spellbinding Circle grabbed it.
Jean-Claude crept out of hiding. He smirked.
"If you ever vant to go hunt for a Duel Spirit," he said, "take a chef along. He'll know vat bait to use…
"Vant to catch a Draconic Knight? Pastrami."
He walked up to the door and held up another card. A Blast With Chain materialized on the lock.
"Now… Ze powerful cards inside zis vault vill surrender zemselves to me… And I'll prove my worth at last…"
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"Aw, heck," laughed Emma. "Why not bring your Deck Lord out too? The more the merrier, I always say."
Yumi gestured, and Dark Magician Girl appeared in a shower of motes.
"Ready?" whispered Yumi.
"More than ever," said Dark Magician Girl's telepathic voice. "The power I absorbed from King Dragun has made me stronger than ever!"
"And here's mine!" shouted Emma.
The creature that appeared behind her wasn't even close to being as attractive as Emma. It was a demonic-looking creature with a huge, exposed brain, a full beard, and black, feathered wings. It wore a long, green robe, and held a long rod with a purple orb on the tip.
"My Deck Lord is Ancient Brain," she said. "Not very powerful Attack-wise, but he's got a good head on his shoulders.
"I'd love to explain to you what he's capable of, but we're wasting valuable time…"
(Yumi: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Emma: 8,000)
"Game on!" shouted the two duelists.
"I'll start…" said Emma, making her first draw. "And I summon…"
She placed a card on her Disk.
"Mental Master in Attack Mode!"
A weird Monster materialized in front of her, hovering over the lava. It looked like a brain inside a toaster-sized robotic body, half of which was made of Plexiglas. Two cords were attached to it, with hands on the end. (100/200)
"What the sam-hill?" muttered Yumi.
"I'll set one card facedown, and that will end my turn," said Emma, as a facedown card appeared.
Yumi quickly drew a card.
"Sorry, Emma, but I'm not falling for that," she said. "The facedown card is obviously a Trap, and the weak Monster is bait.
"I'll defend with this, and that will be all."
A facedown Monster appeared.
"My move again?" asked Emma, sweetly, drawing a card.
"I summon Mental Protector."
She played another card, and another weird Monster appeared, this one actually rising up out of the lava. It looked like a blocky, bulky robot made of gold with purple gems in its armor. It had big hands and no legs. (0/2,200)
"Another weak Monster in Attack Mode?" shouted Chelsea. "What is she up to?"
"Doesn't matter," said Emma. "I'm only going to sacrifice it, using Mental Master's effect.
"You see, by paying 800 Life Points and sacrificing a Psychic Monster, except for Mental Master itself, I get to Special Summon a Psychic Monster from my deck, up to Level Four."
"Psychic Monsters?" said Erik.
"How do you define a Psychic Monster?" asked Sam. "What definition do you use to…"
"Psychic is a Type of Monster, moron!" shouted Emma. "Like Warriors!"
She calmed down a little.
"Sure, they aren't nearly as numerous as other Types… Even Reptiles have them outnumbered. But they make up for quantity with a great deal of quality!
"So, I pay 800 Life Points and sacrifice Mental Protector…"
Mental Protector vanished into grains of light.
"To summon Psycho Commander!"
Another Monster appeared, just as weird as the last two. From the waist up, it was a humanoid creature wearing army fatigues with a metal grill for a face. From the waist down, it was a saucer-shaped machine, with a large, futuristic cannon. (1,400/800)
"Psycho Commander, attack her Monster!" ordered Emma. "Id Insinuation!"
Waves of wavy, blue energy shot from Psycho Commander's cannon. Old Vindictive Magician appeared on the card, and was blown to shards.
"I use his effect!" shouted Yumi. "I'll destroy…"
She looked at the two Monsters.
"…Mental Master!"
Mental Master burst into silvery shards.
Best get rid of her summoner, she thought.
"Id Insinuation?" asked Ren. "I've heard of some weird attack names, but…"
"I end my turn," said Emma.
(Y: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 7,200)
Got to be careful… thought Yumi, drawing a card. I have no idea how these… Psychics work…
But here's a solution to one problem…
"I play Mystical Space Typhoon!" she shouted. "There goes your Trap Card!"
The Cyclone tore across the field, and Emma's Trap Card was blown to bits.
"Browning Power?" she asked. "What the heck does that do?"
"It was destroyed," said Emma. "What difference does it make?"
"Fine," said Yumi.
She played a card. Valkyria appeared, hovering over the dangerous pit. (1,600/1,800)
"I'll show you quality," she said. "Attack her Psycho Commander! Magic illusion!"
Valkyria aimed her staff at Psycho Commander.
"Sorry, Yumi," said Emma, "but she should have known better. Psycho Commander has a useful effect.
"Whenever it battles another Monster, I can pay up to 500 Life Points. Then the Monster it's battling loses the same amount of Attack and Defense Points. So I'll pay 300 of my Life Points."
Psycho Commander blasted its cannon, and Valkyria screamed as her Attack Points fell to 1,300. She dropped her staff and clutched her head in pain. Then she exploded into pixels.
"Nuts…" muttered Yumi.
"You think your magicians impress me, Yumi?" asked Emma. "Few would argue that a master of mental powers is any less formidable than an archmage. A psychic that hones his skills well can obtain the same level of power that great sorcerers do. In a different way, of course."
"I set one card facedown and end my turn!" shouted Yumi.
A facedown card materialized.
(Y: 7,900) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 6,900)
"I draw…" said Emma. "And thanks to my Deck Lord, I now gain Life Points equal to half of what I spent in the previous two turns due to the effects of my Psychic Monsters."
She and Ancient Brain glowed with energy.
"You see, Yumi, psychic powers tend to be exhausting if used repeatedly. This is reflected by the fact that the effects of most Psychic Monsters require a Life Point cost. My Deck Lord helps a bit, as do some other cards in my deck.
"Now I summon Psycho Walld."
With a wet, slurping noise, a tall creature that looked more-or-less like a humanoid snail with a muscular torso and a spiral shell on its hindquarters appeared. (1,900/1,200)
"Attack Yumi directly!" ordered Emma. "Ego whip!"
A lash of red energy flew from Psycho Walld and struck Yumi, and she yelled in pain.
Emma pointed, and Psycho Commander blasted its mental energy from its cannon. Yumi fell to her knees.
Emma placed a card in her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.
"That should… do for now…" she said.
(Y: 4,600) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 7,450)
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Jean-Claude stopped to catch his breath. He was in big trouble.
It was his own fault, and he knew it. He should have guessed that the vault had other defenses besides the Draconic Knight.
He didn't even see it coming. As soon as he picked up one card, a whole mob of Millennium Golems appeared. Fortunately, he could run faster than they could – barely.
He had just made it to a room where they couldn't follow. No way creatures that big could fit through the door.
He stopped to look at the one card he had gotten out of this. He supposed that one card was better than nothing…
Curses! he thought. Zis is a Ritual Monster! How can I use a Ritual Monster without ze Ritual Spell?
He read the card text. It was very powerful.
Zere must be some vay to use zis… Think, Jean-Claude, think…
He looked at the card again.
Of course!
He looked at the door.
Eh, zey're still zere. Zey're enchanted guardians… Zey have ze patience of Job…
So I'll use my alternate escape route…
He held up a card. It was Dimensionhole.
A portal appeared in mid-air, and he leapt through it.
"Au revoir!" he shouted. "I'm home free!"
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Yumi slowly got up off the ground.
She drew a card.
She gestured, as her facedown card activated.
"Go, Call of the Haunted!" she shouted.
A coffin rose out of the lava in front of her, and Magician's Valkyria stepped out again. (1,600/1,800)
"Now, I'll sacrifice Valkyria…"
Valkyria vanished into grains of light.
"To summon Chaos Command Magician!"
The powerful Chaos Mage appeared in a burst of light. (2,400/1,900)
"Huh?" gasped Emma. "My Commander's effect can't defeat a Monster that powerful!"
"Your Commander's effect won't work on him at all, actually," said Yumi. "He's immune to all Monster effects that target. And there's nothing that says Psychics are exempt from that rule."
Emma growled. Her own facedown card lifted.
"I activate Psycho Healing!" she shouted. "This Trap Card grants me 1,000 Life Points for each Psychic I have on the field."
Psycho Commander, Psycho Walld, and Emma herself glowed with energy.
Yumi frowned.
"Chaos Command Magician, attack Psycho Commander with chaos magic!"
Chaos Command Magician fired his blast, and the Commander was blown into its component parts.
"Weird…" muttered Ren.
(Y: 4,600) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 8,450)
"My move," muttered Emma.
She drew a card.
"I move Walld to Defense Mode…"
Psycho Walld curled up like a serpent and lay down.
"Then, I summon Clevonce in Attack Mode."
A burst of ones and zeroes appeared in front of her, and a cackling laughter echoed over the lava pit. The Monster that appeared looked like a harlequin at first glance, but only at first glance. Its limbs and head were not truly connected to its body, and its purple and gold clothing was covered with the pattern of a circuit board. Its visor had the mathematical symbols for "greater than/less than or equal to" on it. (1,200/400)
"Okay, that's disturbing…" muttered Yumi.
"I end my turn," said Emma.
Yumi drew a card.
Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer, she thought. One successful attack with this guy, and I won't have to see two of her Psychics again…
She placed it on her Disk.
"I summon Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer!" she shouted.
In a burst of energy, Kycoo appeared, holding his Rosaries. (1,800/700)
"Chaos Command Magician, destroy Psycho Walld!"
The Spellcaster fired his blast, and Psycho Walld exploded into shards.
"Kycoo attack Clevonce! Spell of banishment!"
Kycoo called lightning to his hands.
"Not so fast!" shouted Emma. "Clevonce has a special effect as well. Whenever it's attacked, I can negate the attack if I pay 800 Life Points!"
Clevonce cackled, and a shield of mental energy formed around it. Kycoo's spell bounced off of it.
"In that case," muttered Yumi. "I end my turn…"
I'll attack it with Chaos Command Magician next turn, she thought. He's immune to that effect…
(Y: 4,600) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 7,650)
Emma drew.
"I gain 400 Life Points from my Deck Lord," she said. "Then I play Pot of Greed.
The green jug appeared, and she drew two cards.
"Finally!" shouted Erik. "Finally she uses a card we recognize!"
"I throw two cards facedown, and set one Monster in Defense Mode," she said.
A facedown Monster and two facedown cards appeared.
"Over to you…"
(Y: 4,600) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 8,050)
"Hurry up, Yumi…" said Ren, as Yumi drew. "We only have twenty minutes before this thing blows its top…"
Yumi looked at the card she had drawn.
"I play Premature Burial!" she shouted.
She played the card, and glowed with red energy as Magician's Valkyria appeared again. (1,600/1,800)
"Now, she attacks your facedown Monster!"
Valkyria fired a bolt of energy. The Monster that appeared on the card looked like a nutty female professor with an oversized head, wearing a helmet covered with light bulbs. It was blown to pieces.
"That was my Cabalist," said Emma. "When it's destroyed, I can pay 800 Life Points to add any Psychic I want from my deck to my hand."
A card slipped out of her deck, and she took it.
"You'll need it!" yelled Yumi. "Chaos Command Magician, attack Clevonce!"
The blast of Chaos Magic flew towards Clevonce. The Psychic grinned evilly…
Emma's facedown card flipped up.
"Activate, Draining Shield!" she shouted.
"No…" gasped Yumi.
The blast hit the invisible shield, and energy flowed into Emma.
"When you run a deck with Psychics, Yumi," said Emma, "you can never have too much Life Point recovery!"
Yumi clenched her fist.
"Kycoo, you attack Clevonce!" she screamed.
Kycoo cast his spell of banishment. Emma gestured, and Clevonce erected its mental shield again.
"I end my turn…" muttered Yumi, sadly.
(Y: 3,800) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 8,850)
Eighty-eight-fifty Life Points? thought Yumi. How can I win now?
I don't know if I can…
She closed her eyes for a second.
This was all her fault… She should have recommended running away when Ren told them what Emma could do. But trying to face her was her own idea.
How was she to know that Emma would be this powerful? She was a soldier in a rebellion trying to overthrow a tyrant… It was her responsibility to combat the enemy.
And her plan may well have doomed all of them now…
"My draw…" said Emma.
She drew a card.
"I gain 800 more Life Points from my Deck Lord.
"Then I activate the Trap Card, Psycho Charge."
Her facedown card lifted.
"This lets me take three Psychics from my Graveyard, and shuffle them into my deck."
Mental Master, Psycho Commander, and Psycho Walld slipped out of her Graveyard, and she quickly shuffled her deck.
"Then I get to draw twice."
She made two draws.
"Now I summon a second Mental Protector…"
Another Protector, much like the first, appeared. (0/2,200)
"Now, there's something I didn't tell you about Clevonce…"
"It has another effect?" groaned Yumi.
"Technically, no," said Emma. "But it is a Tuner Monster."
Yumi and her five allies gasped in surprise.
"A Tuner Monster?!" they all shouted at once.
"She's actually going to summon a…" gasped Chelsea.
"I've heard about them…" gasped Sam. "I never thought I'd see them…"
"To invoke this great power," chanted Emma, "I need one Tuner, and five total Levels worth of Monsters… No more, no less…"
Mental Protector and Clevonce started to glow with sparkling light. Then they leapt up into the sky, and the sky turned into a starry field.
"I summon a being from the stars! I tune Clevonce and Mental Protector. Clustering stars form a new force!
"Synchro Summon!
"Behold Magical Android!"
The two Psychics were consumed in the display of stars, and they congealed into a new shape. A tall figure flew out of the ether, this one clearly feminine. She was dressed in a costume that was a cross between robes and armor, all the colors of the rainbow, held an oddly-shaped metal staff in one hand, and a shield shaped like a swirl in the other. (2,400/1,700)
"No… way…" said Ren.
"People…" said Atticus. "Emma is no AI program… There's no WAY artificial life could ever harness the power of Synchro Monsters! The Spirits of Synchro Monsters would never allow it! They're powerful and complex beings, and they won't obey just anyone…"
Emma sighed.
"Yeah, the truth is out…" she said.
Huh? thought Yumi. Her voice just changed… Deeper, and… older…
"I'm not an AI program," muttered Emma. "I'm fully human.
"I was once a champion Pro League duelist. And I was just as beautiful then as what you see here. My opponents feared and respected me for my ability to use the rare Psychic Monsters, and the even rarer Synchro Monsters. I was a terror… If it had continued, I might have been Queen of Games myself…"
"So what happened?" asked Erik.
"I turned forty!" shouted Emma.
She sighed.
"Duel Monsters is a male-dominated game, you know that? Female duelists only get respect if they're hot.
"What was I supposed to do? Do what Mai Valentine did and join an evil cult that used cursed magic in order to be noticed? Or perhaps I had to do what Alexis Rhodes did, and disappear without a trace after traveling on a plane that crashed?
"When my hair started to turn grey, and wrinkles started to form, I started to lose the respect. Cosmetic surgery can only do so much, and is so costly… How I envied Emma Frost… She and other female characters in comic books… They not only have beauty, their beauty is eternal. Comic book characters are ageless.
"I was about to stop dueling professionally and try teaching, when Daala contacted me with an offer that was too good to refuse. I only had to come to Xanadu, where my beauty would be just as eternal as the true Emma Frost, and I'd receive real psychic powers. All I had to do was serve in her army, and use psionic surgery on any other member of her army that needed it."
"Oh, come on…"said Ren. "That's…"
He stopped short.
"Actually, that's a pretty sweet deal… It sure beats teaching…"
"Whose side are you on?" asked Sam, with a frown.
"But anyway," said Emma, taking a card from her hand, "I have no regrets… None at all. I'd been a duelist all my life… It's what I was, and there was no changing it. If I had to become evil to continue playing the game I loved, and get respect while doing it, then consider this my path to Hell. I made my choice, and I'm sticking with it.
"I play the Equip Spell, Synchro Hero! This gives my Monster 500 more Attack Points, and increases its Level by one."
Magical Android rose to an Attack Score of 2,900.
"Attack Magician's Valkyria! Psychic Storm!"
Magical Android's eyes glowed, and a storm of energy surrounded her. A tornado of pulsating, crackling energy shot towards Magician's Valkyria. She screamed right before she was atomized.
"So much for her…" muttered Emma, as a facedown card appeared. "I throw one card facedown. I end my turn, which means Magical Android's effect activates. I gain 600 Life Points for each Psychic Monster I have. I only have Magical Android herself, but every little bit helps."
(Y: 2,500) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 10,250)
"My move…" growled Yumi.
She drew a card.
"I sacrifice both my Monsters…"
Chaos Command Magician and Kycoo vanished into grains of light.
"Come on out, Dark Magician!"
In a flourish, Dark Magician appeared, and brandished his staff.
The Mouto family signature Monster! thought Emma, opening her eyes wide. Oh… When I was on the Pro League, I dreamed of facing him…
"Now, I play Rush Recklessly!" shouted Yumi, playing a card.
Dark Magician's Attack Score rose to 3,200.
"Destroy Magical Android!" she commanded. "Dark Magic Attack!"
Dark Magician fired his mighty blast, and Magical Android screamed. The Psychic exploded into triangles.
"You made a big mistake, Yumi!" shouted Emma. "By destroying my Psychic Monster, you triggered my most powerful Trap!"
Her facedown card lifted.
"Telekinetic Force!"
Another wave of psychic energy shot towards Yumi's side of the field, but this time it came from Emma herself. A wave of mental beams shot from her forehead, striking Dark Magician. He exploded into shards.
"Dark Magician!" screamed Yumi.
"My Trap not only destroys the Monster that destroyed mine," said Emma, "but the base Attack Score of your Monster goes into my Life Points. It's Sakuretsu Armor and Draining Shield all in one handy card!"
Yumi seethed with rage. She threw a card into her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.
(Y: 2,500) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 12,450)
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
In Daala's throne room, Daala and the Otohime were viewing a screen. A young teenager in a very familiar-looking outfit was standing by a stable part of the Flaming Peaks.
Vita was still pinned to the wall behind them, still held prisoner by the fiendish shackles. And she wasn't very happy. Apparently, the Holding Arms and Holding Legs were actual Duel Spirits, but they could best be described as mindless. They couldn't be reasoned with, so she was weighing her other options.
After all, Daala wasn't paying much attention to her right now.
"Are you in position Hiroki?" asked Daala.
"Oh yes," said the young man. "They got sidetracked by Emma, but they should be coming by here in an hour or so."
"Just remember, stay with the plan," replied Daala. "Don't get carried away. Your deck was hard enough to program, and we can't afford to screw up at this stage."
"Don't worry," said the young man. "This duel will be a pleasure."
Otohime frowned.
"I don't like this…" she muttered. "If anyone should take down Erik, it should be me…"
Daala looked at her.
"Don't forget the conditions we set," she said. "You handle Erik if no-one else can handle him."
"I kind of hoped I would take a more hands-on approach," said the Spirit Monster.
Daala frowned.
"Watanabe…" she said. "Do you know why I recruited you, made you a member of my inner circle, and gave you the blessings of the Core? Like all members of my inner circle, I was looking for individuals who had information on Yumi's allies, and motives to use that information against them.
"As far as Erik was concerned, you were not the only one I approached. There were a lot of folks in Domino who didn't like him… Mostly tournament duelists who were humiliated by losing to someone using a Toy Deck…"
"And you're saying I wasn't humiliated by him?" shouted the Otohime. "I worked for years trying to get my tenure, only to lose my chance at it because of that brat!"
"True," said Daala. "And that's likely why you, and no-one else I approached regarding him was willing to abandon her life on Earth, as well as her humanity, in order to take the position. I didn't force you Watanabe, but you agreed, and you now must follow all the conditions.
"You will continue to act as a member of my ruling council. Most members of my army would kill for that chance. And you will act as my advisor for any matter regarding him.
"Because… If you went back to Earth now, you'd soon realize that there are even fewer career opportunities for an Otohime, than there are for a teacher who doesn't have tenure…"
Vita smirked.
So, the members of your inner circle have names, huh? she thought. And apparently, this Otohime used to be human…
Seems you and your partner have been more than willing to share the method in which such a situation can be arranged…
Very interesting… Very interesting indeed…
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
The lava was starting to boil even fiercer. Yumi's friends backed away from the edge until their backs were against the wall.
"I'll never eat lobster again…" gasped Ren.
"We may not have a choice in the matter," said Chelsea. "It doesn't look good for Yumi right now…"
Emma drew a card.
"I summon Power Injector," she said.
The Monster that appeared was both bizarre and ugly. It looked like Frankenstein's monster, complete with bolts in its head, with a thick torso dressed in a blue jacket. On its forearms were two odd objects that looked like crosses between cannons and tanks full of bubbling red liquid. (1,300/1,400)
"I've seen stronger," said Yumi.
"Don't you realize by now that my Monsters all have special powers?" asked Emma. "Power Injector is no different. Every round, if I pay 500 Life Points, it can increase the Attack Points of all Psychics on my side of the field by 500 points.
"And since Power Injector itself is a Psychic…"
Power Injector glowed with energy, and its Attack Score rose to 1,800.
"Attack Yumi directly!"
Power Injector aimed one of its cannons at Yumi, and a blast of foul liquid shot at her…
"Not so fast!" shouted Yumi. "I have a Draining Shield of my own!"
Her facedown card lifted, and the invisible shield surrounded her for a change. She glowed as energy fed into her.
(Y: 4,300) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 11,950)
"What's the point, Yumi?" asked Emma. "I have almost three times as many Life Points as you. Why don't you just give up?
"Tell you what… Just deactivate your Duel Disk, and surrender, and neither you nor your friends will die. I'll just send you to Daala like any other losers. Surely, being prisoners is better than being dead, right?"
Yumi sighed.
Maybe I should… she thought.
She started to lift her left hand.
"Don't you dare!" screamed Sam.
"Huh?" said Yumi.
"I'm with Sam, Yumi," yelled Ren. "It isn't better. I'd rather go down in the history books of Xanadu as having gone down fighting than having given up."
"Excuse me, but can someone tell me where Yumi went?" asked Chelsea. "Cause she seems to have gone away and left behind someone who would consider giving up!"
"But…" muttered Yumi, closing her eyes. "But what if I fail?"
"Weren't you even paying attention an hour ago?" asked Chelsea. "Marie had me in this exact same situation! I wouldn't have been half the duelist I am today without you, Yumi. If I can reverse a situation like this, then you sure can."
Yumi opened her eyes. Why hadn't that occurred to her?
She glared at Emma.
"You were playing with my mind, weren't you?" she asked. "You've been using your powers to inflict subtle manipulation this whole duel to psyche me out, haven't you?"
"I most certainly have not!" snapped Emma.
Yumi glared at her.
"Are you clairvoyant too?" she asked. "Can you see through my eyes and spy on my hand of cards?"
Emma laughed.
"You credit me with powers I clearly don't have," she chuckled.
"Well, whether you do or don't," said Yumi, "I just got my second wind back… Time to turn this around!
"Draw!"
She drew a card.
"I play Monster Reborn! Dark Magician, return!"
The golden ankh appeared, and Dark Magician appeared in a burst of light. (2,500/2,100)
"Next, I'll set this in Defense Mode."
A facedown Monster appeared.
Yumi turned to Dark Magician Girl.
"It's time," she said.
Dark Magician Girl nodded. Then she flew above Yumi, glowing with eldritch energy.
"Soul Circle!" she chanted.
"After so many battles, and so much power gained," said Yumi, "Dark Magician Girl now has a Deck Lord ability that equals the one she had when she was my grandmother's Deckmaster in Noah's world.
"I now get to draw cards equal to the number of Spellcaster Monsters in my Graveyard, so long as I stop drawing when I reach the legal hand size limit."
The images of Old Vindictive Magician, Magician's Valkyria, Chaos Command Magician, and Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer appeared behind her. They faded away, and she quickly drew four cards. She looked them over.
"I'll set one of them facedown…"
A facedown card appeared.
"Then I'll attack with Dark Magician!"
Dark Magician's Dark Magic Attack struck Power Injector, blowing it to particles.
"Heh, heh, heh," chuckled Emma. "My Life Points are so high, I barely felt a thing!"
"I end my turn," said Yumi.
(Y: 4,300) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 11,250)
Emma drew a card.
She smiled a wicked smile.
"I gain 250 Life Points from my first Deck Lord ability," she said. "Then I activate my other Deck Lord ability. I can only use it once per duel. I get to Special Summon from my Deck or Graveyard a high-Level Psychic Monster. If I wanted to, I could bring Magical Android back. But, since this effect costs me Life Points equal to half its base Attack Score, I'm going to summon someone from my deck that isn't as strong.
"So I'll pay 1,150 Life Points to summon my Storm Summoner."
As the creature appeared, it was clear that "Storm Summoner" was a good name for it, because its arrival started a windstorm. It was a bulky, muscular, partially mechanical creature that wore a helmet-harness combination that held a generator of some sort above its head. (2,300/2,000)
"Next, I play the Spell Card, Emergency Teleport. This lets me Special Summon a Psychic Monster from my hand. Of course, it will be removed from play at the end of my turn…
"So… I summon Psycho Jumper."
In a blast of electricity, a new creature appeared. It was an incredibly gaunt humanoid, with pale, white skin, and claws on its hands and bare feet, wearing a brown trenchcoat, black leather pants covered with belts, no shirt, punk glasses, and two headbands covered with spikes. All of its clothing was covered with electrodes, which sparked with energy. (100/1,500)
"…but that isn't going to happen. You see, Psycho Jumper is also a Tuner, and Magical Android isn't the only Synchro Monster I have…"
"Another Synchro Summon?" gasped Ren.
"The Levels of those two Monsters add up to… Eight!" shouted Sam. "Whatever she's summoning is probably the strongest Monster in her deck!"
"Oh, trust me, it is!" laughed Emma.
Psycho Jumper and Clevonce flew into the sky again, and the stars appeared around it again.
"Now I summon a dark star," she chanted. "I Tune Psycho Jumper and Storm Summoner. Clustering stars form a force from the dark side! Synchro Summon!
"Come forth… Mental Sphere Demon!"
This time, the two Monsters were consumed in violet flames. The flames congealed into a much bigger, and much more frightening form.
It landed, and it certainly did look like a demon. It had a bony carapace, diabolical horns, claws, demonic wings, and a long, snaky tail.
It let out a bellowing roar… (2,700/2,300)
"Looks like someone gave my grandpa's Summoned Skull a makeover," muttered Yumi.
"He's no Fiend," chuckled Emma. "He's all Psychic. And just like the leader of your precious rebellion, the Attack Points of any Monster he destroys are added to my Life Points.
"So… Time to start gaining them… Attack Dark Magician! Psionic Crush!"
The sky darkened, and Mental Sphere Demon's eyes started to glow. The air started to warp.
"Not this time, sister!" shouted Yumi. "I activate… Magic Cylinder!"
Her facedown card lifted.
"Pointless," chuckled Emma. "My Demon has another ability. When he's targeted by a Spell or Trap Card, I can pay 1,000 Life Points to negate it."
The Demon gestured, and Magic Cylinder exploded.
"I won't let you destroy him…" said Yumi though her teeth.
She quickly discarded a card.
As the attack started again, Sorcerer of Dark Magic appeared in front of Dark Magician in a phantasmal form. He blocked with his arms, and he strained against the attack. Then, he shattered, but Dark Magician was safe.
"What?" said Emma.
"I used another of my Deck Lord abilities," muttered Yumi. "Martyr Shield. If a Spellcaster Monster is attacked, I can discard a Spellcaster who's a higher Level than the target to negate the attack. Sorcerer of Dark Magic is two Levels higher than Dark Magician. And since Deck Lord abilities count as Monster effects, your Demon couldn't use his effect to negate it."
Emma frowned, and took the last card in her hand.
"I summon Teleki-Attacker," she said.
A new Psychic appeared in a burst of electrical energy. It looked like a man in a red suit with black pants, and a spherical glass helmet that covered its entire head. (1,700/700)
(Y: 4,300) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 9,350)
"My draw!" shouted Yumi, drawing a card.
She looked at it.
"I throw one card facedown," she said, as a facedown card appeared. "Then I set a Monster in Defense Mode."
A facedown Monster appeared.
"Next, I play the Spell Card, Dedication Through Light and Darkness. This lets me trade in my Dark Magician for someone better."
Dark Magician vanished in a dark shadow, and the mighty Dark Magician of Chaos appeared. (2,800/2,600)
Yumi's discard slot glowed, and Monster Reborn slipped out.
I'll save this, she thought.
"Attack her Mental Sphere Demon!" ordered Yumi. "Scepter strike!"
Dark Magician of Chaos twirled his staff, and a burning beam of magic shot towards the monstrous Psychic. He groaned as it hit him.
"I activate Teleki-Attacker's effect!" screamed Emma. "If one of my Psychics would be destroyed, I can pay 500 Life Points, and Teleki-Attacker is destroyed instead!"
Teleki-Attacker exploded into shards.
"Fine," said Yumi. "My turn is over. And my Monster is still stronger than yours."
(Y: 4,300) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 8,750)
"I draw!" shouted Emma. "Then I gain 750 Life Points from my Deck Lord…
"Then I play Pot of Avarice!"
The goofy jar appeared, and Psycho Commander, Cabalist, Psycho Walld, Clevonce, and Magical Android slipped out of her discard slot. She shuffled them into her deck, and drew twice.
"I'm taking down your Magician," she said with a smirk. "One theory in the comic books says that the mutant race is an evolutionary offshoot of humanity. And to illustrate that, I play the Equip Spell, Evolution of Mankind!
"But I'm not Equipping it to my Monster… I'm Equipping it to yours."
She played the card, and Dark Magician of Chaos groaned. His Attack Score fell to 1,000.
"What happened?" gasped Yumi.
"Evolution of Mankind has two effects," explained Emma. "Which one depends on whether I'm winning or losing. If my Life Points were lower than yours, the Equipped Monster's Attack Score would become 2,400. But since mine are higher, it becomes 1,000. And that cuts your Magician down to size.
"Attack! Psionic Crush!"
The air started to warp again…
"Go, Dust Tornado!" shouted Yumi.
"Huh?" said Emma.
Yumi's Trap Card flipped up, and the tornado tore across the field, blowing Evolution of Mankind to pieces. Dark Magician of Chaos shot back up to 2,800 Attack Points…
He aimed his staff at Mental Sphere Demon, and Yumi's allies cheered as the beast exploded in a blast that sent flames flying skyward.
"Ergh…" muttered Emma.
"Your Demon is destroyed," muttered Yumi. "And due to my Monster's effect, he won't be coming back."
"I beg to differ!" growled Emma.
She played the last card in her hand.
"Since I didn't summon this turn, I can play Reality Revision. On my next turn, not only will my Demon be back, but he'll be Level Nine and have 500 more Attack Points.
"And it's your move. Attack me… I don't care…"
(Y: 4,300) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 9,400)
Yumi drew a card.
It's now or never… she thought.
One of her two facedown Monsters flipped up.
"I Flip-Summon Crystal Seer," she said, as the veiled gypsy appeared. (100/100)
She quickly took the top two cards off of her deck, and looked at them. She placed one on the bottom of her deck.
"Now, I sacrifice her and my facedown Monster to summon Cosmo Queen!"
Crystal Seer and the facedown Monster vanished, and the powerful Empress appeared. She gave Emma a stern look. (2,900/2,450)
"Now, I use Monster Reborn!"
The ankh appeared for the second time, and Dark Magician appeared once again. (2,500/2,100)
Emma laughed.
"Go ahead!" she dared. "Attack me with all three of them! I'll still have Life Points left, and when my Demon comes back next turn, I'll just start regaining them!"
"2,900 plus 2,500 plus 2,800…" muttered Yumi, counting. "Gee, I think you're right…"
"Ain't that a shame…" mocked Emma. "And you have no cards left in your hand… No-one else you can summon…"
Yumi gave her a dirty look.
"Wrong…" she said, quietly.
"I pay 1,000 of my Life Points! Dark Magician Girl, move to the field!"
"With pleasure…" said Dark Magician Girl, as she floated forward. (2,000/1,700)
Emma stepped back in surprise.
"Wait a minute…" she gasped.
"Cosmo Queen," ordered Yumi, "Cosmic Nova!"
Cosmo Queen fired a blast of black, sparking energy, and hit Emma in the stomach. She groaned and keeled over.
"Dark Magician of Chaos, scepter strike!"
The chaos mage slammed his scepter to the ground, sending a shockwave that caught Emma in its path. She took a step backwards.
"Dark Magician, Dark Magic Attack!"
Dark Magician cast his lethal spell, and Emma screamed in pain.
"Dark Magician Girl… Finish her off…"
Dark Magician Girl flew up to Emma, and cast one final Dark Burning Attack. Emma groaned…
(Y: 3,400) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 0)
Yumi's Monster's vanished; all except for Dark Magician Girl. She pointed her scepter at Ancient Brain, and the Fiend screamed before bursting into black shards.
Smoke was pouring from Emma Frost's body, but miraculously, she was still standing. She looked like she was going to fall at any second, however.
"She looks kind of dizzy," said Ren.
"What do you expect?" asked Sam. "She just took 10,300 points of damage from direct attacks! I'm surprised she's still alive!"
"Uh, she may not be in a minute…" added Atticus.
Everyone saw what he meant. She was teetering on the edge of the stone island she was standing on.
"NO!" screamed Yumi. "Someone catch her before she falls!"
Dark Magician Girl quickly flew towards Emma, in an attempt to do just that…
It seemed too late. Emma started to fall into the lava…
Then, to everyone's shock, a pair of huge hands reached out of the lava itself and caught her. They gently placed her back up on the island. Dark Magician Girl let out a cry of surprise and backed off.
"What in the name of…" gasped Atticus.
Emma slowly came to as the whole creature emerged from the lava. It was a giant, standing over twenty feet tall, muscular and broad, wearing only a kilt, with strange tattoos on his arms. Instead of hair, his scalp was awash with flames.
Dark Magician Girl backed away towards Yumi in fear…
"Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi?" exclaimed Sam.
"Let me guess…" said Yumi. "Your ally…"
"Yeah…" growled Emma. "Also my bodyguard and heavy lifter. Not to mention the only guy in Xanadu who knows how to prepare Abyssal coffee so mortals are able to drink it. Good stuff.
"By the way, Yumi, I lied when I said that beating me would make me leave… Most members of Daala's army who lose are locked up. But Daala gave me a very sweet deal, as you already know. Since a psionic surgeon is such a valuable commodity, she said she'd forgive me for one loss.
"Unfortunately, since you forced me to use it up, my friend here is gonna deal with you in a far less formal manner.
"Turn them to paste!"
Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi cracked his knuckles.
Yumi gestured, and Dark Magician Girl vanished.
"You want a fight, big guy?" she asked. "Well… We'll see what we can do about that…"
Her eyes glowed with intense light…
Then the lava started to bubble again. A claw burst out of it on Yumi's side…
The whole creature pulled itself up out of the lava. It was a huge, hulking, flaming, almost reptilian creature with a fiendish face, and it was just as big as Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi.
It looked at the Spirit Monster and roared. Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi sneered at it.
"Volcanic Doomfire??" gasped Erik.
"Makes sense," said Atticus. "You fight fire with fire, and you fight giant Fire Monsters with giant Fire Monsters."
The two titans roared with rage and charged at each other. Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi tackled the creature, only to receive a punch to jaw. The Spirit Monster punched Doomfire back in the snout.
Geysers of lava started to erupt around them. Yumi started to panic as she looked around the island she was stranded on.
Atticus threw a card on his Disk, and the giant form of Red-Eyes Black Dragon appeared.
"Move, move, move!" he shouted to everyone. "Move while she's distracted! This volcano is about to blow its top!"
The Dragon bent down, allowing the five humans to climb on its back.
"Grab Yumi and let's get out of here!" shouted Atticus.
Red-Eyes roared, and spread its wings. It turned towards the human in the middle of the lake…
A sign of recognition appeared in its eyes as it flew off the ledge… It clearly knew someone whom the human female was related to…
But before it was halfway, an explosion of flames erupted around the island, and Yumi vanished.
"NOOO!" screamed Chelsea.
Then a second explosion nearly knocked them off their mount. Red-Eyes turned away and flew to safety, leaving the erupting volcano and the two angry Monsters behind.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
They were a good mile from the dangerous volcano now. They could clearly see the lava cascading down its sides.
They didn't even know what happened to Emma at this point, and they really didn't care. They were too busy sobbing. They hadn't spoken a word since Red-Eyes had landed.
They were startled as a voice called them to awareness.
"So, how long are you going to be crying? Gimme a ballpark so I can plan my day."
They looked up. They thought they were hallucinating at first. Yumi was standing there, her clothes burnt and her hair and skin singed, but alive.
"How…" muttered Sam.
Then they noticed that Yumi wasn't alone. A very large Monster was behind her.
"I'm not sure…" said Yumi. "But, uhm… I think it had something to do with her."
The Monster looked like a giant bird of some sort, with golden armor and wings. A plume of flame surrounded its head.
"Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys!" gasped Atticus.
"Yeah…" muttered Yumi. "I kinda blacked out, and… Well, next thing I knew, she was carrying me here in her talons."
She looked at the huge Winged Beast.
"We can't thank you enough…" she started.
Then she was interrupted as a telepathic voice echoed in their heads. It was powerful, stern, and clearly feminine.
"You're welcome," it said. "But far worse matters are at hand, and I can not save you from them when they come to pass.
"Heed my words, and take every step through this fiery wasteland with care. The destructive side of fire has been given life in the most horrible way. She cannot be born unless she first dies, and before she dies, three have to die first, and two of those must surrender their souls to her terrible hunger. But when she is finally born, beware, for whatever barrier you erected to keep her back will not hold…"
The humans stared at the huge Duel Spirit. The Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys spread her wings, and flew into the sky, leaving a trail of flames in her wake.
"Anyone have any idea what exactly that meant?" asked Erik.
Everyone else shrugged.
Yumi watched Nephthys leave, and she held her chin with worry.
First Horus… she thought. Now Nephthys… And both had ominous warnings that we can't make out…
This is getting serious…
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
REALITY REVISION (Spell Card)
Continuous Spell
Image: Magical Android flying out of the Dimensional Fissure, glowing with energy.
Card Description: You cannot Normal Summon, set, or Special Summon a Monster on the turn you play this card. Upon activation, select one of your Psychic Monsters that has been removed from play. On your first Standby Phase after playing this card, if it remains on the field, Special Summon the selected Monster, and increase its ATK by 500 and its Level by one. Then, destroy this card.
All other new cards in this chapter were released in "The Duelist Genesis", due out for the TCG in August (except "Power Injector", "Psycho Jumper", and "Storm Summoner" which are part of the next set, "Crossroads of Chaos"). English names are subject to change.
For anyone who wants to know, "Browning Power" does the same thing as "Solemn Judgment", except it cannot negate a Flip-Summon, and instead of paying half your Life Points, you must sacrifice one Psychic Monster.
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Yumi's Deck Lord: "Dark Magician Girl": "Soul Circle": Once per duel, you can draw cards from your deck equal to the number of Spellcaster-Type Monsters in your Graveyard. You must stop drawing cards when your hand size reaches the current hand size limit. (Greater Power) "Martyr Shield": If a face-up Spellcaster-Type Monster you control is targeted by an attack, you can discard a Spellcaster-Type Monster from your hand that is a greater Level than the attack target to negate the attack. This effect may be used once per turn. (Intermediate Power) "Spellcaster Shuffle": Once per round, you can send one Spellcaster-Type Monster in your hand to your deck. Then, take a Spellcaster-Type Monster from your deck that is at least two Levels lower than the one you sent back to your deck, and add it to your hand. Then, shuffle your deck. (Minor Power)
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Emma's Deck Lord: "Ancient Brain": "Psionic Surgery": During your Standby Phase, increase your Life Points by half of what you paid since your previous Standby Phase for the effects of Psychic-Type Monsters. (Greater Power) "Probability Traveler": Once per duel, you may Special Summon a Psychic-Type Monster from your deck or Graveyard that is Level Five or higher. You must pay Life Points equal to half the base ATK of the Special Summoned Monster. The Special Summoned Monster's effect(s) cannot be used. (Intermediate Power)
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Coming up next:
Daala's plans hit a snag, as Jean-Claude, the errant chef turned thief, takes a moment to ponder his plunder. Anxious to use the prize he pilfered, he confronts Yumi's group, and Atticus steps forward to face the thieving card sneak. The legacy of the Rhodes siblings continues in Xanadu, and fortunately, Nightshroud isn't around to interfere.
"Special of the Day" is coming up next.
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Name that Card!
Zane's Cyber Tails Deck combined Machines with Dragons for brutal and powerful combinations. His original deck, while using mostly Machines, had one Dragon in it, even thought he did not summon it in any duel we witnessed. Can you name it?