What Quickplay Spell that can be used to destroy "Scapegoat" has the four Scapegoats on its artwork? If you said "Tornado", you were successfully able to Name that Card!
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My true name is not known to beings who are not at least equal to my own rank in the hierarchy of the Higher Plane. Humans and Duel Spirits call me Voltanis the Adjudicator.
I am known as the highest representation of Law among Duel Spirits. I would even have authority over Shinato, if by some tragic catastrophe, he would turn rogue. I have functioned as a judge in disputes whenever laws, treaties, and contracts among them have been broken. It is against my nature to brag, but of all the laws that govern the Twelve Dimensions, there are none that I am not aware of.
Still, I like to think of myself as a judge, and as such, I serve the law; it does not serve me. I know I must temper justice with mercy. I must take into account all mitigating factors in my decisions, and weigh every piece of evidence. And it isn't my job to enforce the laws… It's just my job to interpret them, and carry out their purposes.
As such, I know that there are exceptions to all rules, even this one…
Chaos and evil have poisoned the mind of a child of the Higher Plane… It is time I intervened…
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CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
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Vision
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It was at the point of Erik's duel where he was about to summon Air Fortress Ziggurat.
Below the computer room, in a dark chamber in front of a locked door, Marie the Fallen One brooded.
She nervously looked at the deck in her Disk again. She was planning to use it, and hopefully use it against Chelsea again. Even if the card that Daala had given her to put in it had made her uneasy.
A lot was going through her mind, however.
"I'll say she 'blew it' a long time ago. 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…"
Why couldn't she get those words out of her head? She didn't want to believe them… But they had struck at her deeply, and held more meaning than anything she had perceived.
As she thought this, she was surprised as a shimmering portal started to appear in front of her. She slowly got up.
A familiar smell wafted from the portal.
Saffron and roses? Could it be?
She paused.
It was too much of a temptation for her. She had to investigate.
She walked into the portal. Nothing held her back.
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Marie emerged into a sight that she thought she would never see again. She was in a beautiful garden, with huge trees weighed down by ripe fruit, lovely flowers, and cool fountains in the distance, all under a sapphire blue sky. Clouds passed overhead, some of which had ancient temples perched on them.
"The Higher Plane…" she whispered. "I'm home…"
"Yes," said a voice that was deep and commanding, "but only for a few minutes."
Marie turned around startled.
Facing her was an intimidating figure, about eight feet tall. He (identified as male only by his voice) was covered in purple robes or armor (it was hard to tell which), and was faceless, except for a gemstone that suggested an eye. Behind him were two vast wings that seemed to be floating behind him, rather than attached to his body. He held a long scepter topped with a blue gem.
Marie's eyes narrowed with an annoyed look as she looked up at Voltanis the Adjudicator.
"So why did you call me here?" she asked. "If you're going to give me a lecture, I really don't have time.
"If you're going to arrest me for associating with Daala, then just do it."
"I will do neither," replied Voltanis. "Though maybe I should do both. You think that I've given up on you, Cassandra, but I haven't. However, I'm nearing that fine line."
Marie sighed. It had been so long since anyone had used her actual name. "Cassandra" was her Fairy name, and she wasn't allowed to use it as a Fiend.
She looked at him.
"I know about that special card in your deck…" said Voltanis.
"Let me guess," replied Marie, "you're going to tell me that if I use it, my last chance will be gone forever."
"On the contrary, just the opposite," replied Voltanis. "Soon, those mortals will be coming to meet you. You will challenge Chelsea again, and I want you to do everything in your power to use that card against her."
Marie looked at him.
"Is this some sort of joke?" she asked.
"Have you ever known me to joke?" asked Voltanis.
He held up his hand.
"Now begone."
Marie was lifted off her feet, and thrown back through the portal. She fell on her behind, back in the dark chamber.
She slowly got up as the portal vanished.
"Why would he tell me to…" she asked.
She thought for a minute.
"Oh, I get it!" she exclaimed. "Reverse psychology, right? Well, sorry, but I'm not gonna fall for that."
She looked at the deck.
"You made a big mistake, your honor. If you try to punish me for using this card, I'll have the perfect excuse…"
She started to sweat.
Deep down, she knew that there was more to this than that…
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The team, now five again, walked down a stairway, Erik supporting Sam who was still rather weak.
"How you holding up?" he asked.
"Where's Hiroki?" she muttered.
"We'll worry about him later!" exclaimed Yumi. "Don't even think about going after him right now!
"He beat you good, Sam, and you're in big trouble! You lost that duel… I don't know if Joan can protect you anymore, and Daala might just be biding her time before she decides to come get you…"
"Anyone know where Vita went?" asked Ren.
They all looked around. The masked woman had apparently vanished again.
"Man, you gotta be a magician to keep her around for longer than a few minutes," said Chelsea.
Then, as they reached the bottom of the stairway, they stopped short.
Marie was crouched down on the floor, holding her knees to her chin, watching them enter with a solemn look.
She quickly got up.
"I knew you'd come," she sighed. "I didn't have much faith in Leichter's ability to hold you back…"
Yumi looked at the locked door behind her.
"So, are you the jailer, Marie?" she asked.
"Well, sort of," replied Marie. "Daala told me to watch the prisoners until you got here, so that makes me the jailer by default, I guess…
"But you're free to liberate them… I just want a rematch."
Chelsea looked at her.
"Oh, really?" she asked. "Without your Deck Lord Power? It won't be as easy without it."
"The advantage is yours if you think so," said Marie. "Just let me duel you again, and once it's over, one way or another, no matter where you go in the Twelve Dimensions, I'll never bother you again."
Chelsea looked at her.
Something is wrong, she thought. When we last met, she was cruel and merciless. Now, she's uncertain of herself… In fact, she seems a little scared. What happened between now and then?
"Chelsea, maybe we should think this thing through…" said Yumi. "Maybe I should duel her…"
"Don't worry, Yumi," replied Chelsea. "I beat her once, I can do it again."
She stepped up and faced the fallen angel.
"Let's do this."
Both Disks activated.
"Game on!" they shouted.
(Chelsea: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Marie: 8,000)
Chelsea made one draw.
"I summon Zombie Werewolf," she said.
Zombie Werewolf appeared, and let out an angry snarl when he saw Marie. (1,200/1,200)
"I end my turn."
"What's Chelsea doing?" asked Ren. "That's the same opening move she made last time."
"Well, there's a chance Marie won't have Banisher of the Radiance in her opening hand…" replied Erik.
Marie drew a card.
"I summon Indomitable Fighter Lei Lei," she said.
She played the card, and a hulking creature appeared in a burst. It was a tall, muscular brute, wearing a breastplate and helmet, with the lower body of an ape. (2,300/0)
HUH? thought Chelsea. That's no Counter Fairy!
She looked at Marie.
"Change decks, Marie?" she said with a small laugh. "And he isn't as intimidating as he seems. I happen to know that he has to move to Defense Mode after he attacks, and his Defense Score is a big zero."
"I end my turn," said Marie.
So then she isn't going to attack, thought Chelsea. She's using him as an offensive wall…
She drew a card.
"Zombie Werewolf moves to Defense Mode," she said.
Zombie Werewolf knelt, and crossed his arms.
"Then I'll set another Monster in Defense Mode."
A facedown Monster appeared.
"And that's all."
Marie drew a card.
She added it to her hand and took another one.
"I summon Goblin Attack Force," she said.
She played the card, and a small squad of five goblins, dressed in leather armor and helmets, carrying clubs appeared. (2,300/0)
"Another high-Attack Score Level Four Monster?" asked Erik.
"I play a card facedown, and end my turn," said Marie.
A facedown card appeared.
Yumi looked at the two Monsters.
Marie is clearly planning something, she thought. Just what, I have no idea.
Chelsea drew a card.
She set a new Monster in Defense Mode.
"That's all," she said.
Marie drew.
Her hand shook as she looked at the card. She had seen the card before when looking through the deck, but that was only when Daala had told her to use it. Now, both Daala AND Voltanis were telling her to do so.
Two opposing forces wanted her to use this card… And she really didn't know the reasons behind either of them. Daala had simply told her that it was instrumental to her plans, and that it would be a potent weapon against the rebellion. Why then, did Voltanis want her to use it?
She added it to her hand and chose another one.
"I, uhm, I summon Zombyra the Dark," she said.
A dark portal appeared, and a powerful form flew out of it. It was a dark, costumed superhero in black, wearing a skull-like mask and a cape with a high collar. (2,100/500)
"Something wrong, Marie?" asked Chelsea. "I'm beginning to think that you're not all into this."
"I'm completely into this!" shouted Marie. "Nothing has changed at all! I'm still going to beat you and cast you and your accursed Monsters into the fiery bowels of Hell!"
"Yeah, yeah," chuckled Chelsea, drawing a card. "'Bowels'? A little too high on the melodrama there, Marie…
"I'll just play a facedown, and end my turn."
A facedown card appeared.
Marie quickly drew.
"Here's a guy you'd remember," she said. "Majestic Mech – Ohka!"
She played the card, and the radiant, celestial lion appeared. (2,400/1,400)
"Ohka, attack the facedown Monster on the left!"
Ohka opened its jaws, and bright flames appeared in them.
"Go, Trap Card!" shouted Chelsea. "Widespread Ruin!"
Her facedown card flipped up, and Ohka exploded into a burst of colored lights.
Marie put her hand on her hip.
"Well, that was pointless," she said. "Ohka would have been gone when I ended my turn anyway.
"And since you used that Trap Card…
"Zombyra, you attack."
Zombyra flew at the facedown Monster, and Vampire Lady appeared on the card. He punched her hard, and she shattered.
Zombyra groaned, and his Attack Score fell to 1,900.
"Goblin Attack Force, attack the other facedown Monster!"
The small squad charged, and Blood Sucker appeared on the card. The goblins pummeled it with their clubs, and it shattered.
"Take the last one, Lei Lei!" ordered Marie.
Indomitable Fighter Lei Lei snarled. He dropped to all fours, and rushed at Zombie Werewolf, tackling it and blowing it to pieces.
"I use his effect," said Chelsea. "I get to summon a stronger one."
A second Zombie Werewolf appeared in Defense Mode. (1,700/1,200)
Goblin Attack Force sat on the group and started to drink from wine flasks. Lei Lei slumped over and fell asleep.
"I set down two more facedown cards, and end my turn," said Marie.
Two more facedown cards appeared.
Chelsea drew a card.
"I summon a second Vampire Lady," she said.
She played the card, and the sultry vampiress appeared. (1,550/1,550)
"I activate a Trap Card," exclaimed Marie. "Threatening Roar!"
One of her facedown cards lifted, and a roar echoed over the field.
"Okay, fine," said Chelsea. "I'll leave Zombie Werewolf in Defense Mode then… You still can't switch those two guys to Attack Mode next turn."
"I don't intend to," said Marie, drawing a card.
She quickly added it to her hand.
"I sacrifice my three Monsters…" she said.
Lei Lei, the Goblins, and Zombyra vanished. A windstorm started to pick up in the room.
Everyone was startled as that terrible sound echoed through the chamber… The neighing of that demonic horse.
"YOU, Marie?" asked Chelsea. "You have the fourth Horseman?"
Marie nodded.
"And here she is," replied Marie. "Death, the Pale Horseman!"
As the creature appeared, it became clear that the word "Horseman" may have been inaccurate. This creature was clearly female. It was a svelte woman with pale skin, dressed in a long, dark robe, low-cut in front, with a long cloak and hood. Her eyes glowed with pale light, and her face was emotionless. (2,500/2,500)
"Death is… A girl?" asked Yumi.
"Never even occurred to you, did it?" said Marie, with a nervous chuckle.
She looked at her Monster…
Then she was startled, as the lighting in the room suddenly dimmed. She started to see dark shadows out the corners of her eyes.
She shook her head, trying to get the fog out of it.
"Now I activate a Trap Card," she said, as one of her two facedown cards lifted. "Skull Invitation. This inflicts 300 points of damage on a player whenever a card goes to her Graveyard."
"You sure you want to do that?" asked Chelsea. "The same applies to you, you know."
"I'm well-aware," said Marie. "Death, attack Vampire Lady!"
The Pale Horseman simply lifted her finger, and it glowed with pale light. She made a quick slash, and Vampire Lady gasped in shock, right before she was sliced in half. Her remains shattered.
The Skull Invitation card glowed, and Chelsea groaned.
"Now I activate my other Trap," said Marie, as her last facedown card lifted. "Desperate Battle. Now, my Monster can attack a second time, so long as I cut 1,000 Attack Points off her score."
Death fell to an Attack Score of 1,500. She made the slash again, and Zombie Werewolf was cleaved in half.
The Skull Invitation card glowed again, hurting both of them this time.
"I summon my third one," said Chelsea.
A third Zombie Werewolf appeared. (2,200/1,200)
"I end my turn," said Marie, as Death rose to an Attack Score of 2,500 again.
She looked around nervously. She could see those mysterious shadows clearer now, and it was clear that no-one else in the room could see them. What were they? They weren't any tricks of lights…
(C: 6,450) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 7,700)
Chelsea drew a card.
It was Vampire Lord.
All right! she thought, looking at her hand. I have Vampire Genesis too… She has no facedown cards… Now I can end this before it begins…
"I sacrifice Zombie Werewolf to summon Vampire Lord!" she shouted.
Zombie Werewolf vanished, and the tall vampire appeared. She cringed as Skull Invitation glowed again. (2,000/1,500)
"Now, I remove him from play, to summon Vampire Genesis!"
Vampire Lord vanished, and the huge, muscular vampire deity appeared. (3,000/2,100)
"Yes!" shouted Ren.
"Destroy the Pale Horseman!" ordered Chelsea. "Crimson shroud!"
Vampire Genesis collapsed into the burning, red cloud, and flew at Death…
Death and Marie grunted, but the Horseman only staggered back a little. Genesis reformed and fell to his knees.
"Death cannot be destroyed in battle," said Marie. "Your Monster, however, won't be so lucky…"
Chelsea gasped in surprise as Vampire Genesis shattered into pixels.
"Any Monster that so much as touches the Pale Horseman pays with its life," said Marie.
Chelsea groaned as Skull Invitation glowed again. She took another card from her hand and played it.
"I play Symbol of Heritage," she muttered.
Zombie Werewolf appeared on the field, crouching in Defense Mode. (1,200/1,200)
(C: 5,850) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 7,200)
Marie drew a card.
The shadows around her were starting to take shape… They started to form eyes and limbs. She tried hard to ignore them.
"I summon Des Wombat," she said.
Most folks who didn't live in Australia didn't know what a Wombat was. As far as facts went, it was a quadruped, herbivorous, burrowing marsupial that resembled a rodent about a meter long with sharp claws and large teeth.
This Monster looked pretty much like its real-world counterpart, but was much larger. It looked at Chelsea and her Monster with a very curious expression. (1,600/300)
"With this critter on the field," said Marie, "all effect damage to me is reduced to zero."
"Meaning you don't take any damage from your own Skull Invitation, right?" asked Chelsea.
Marie nodded.
"Not to mention the fact that it's stronger than your Werewolf," she replied.
Des Wombat scurried over and charged Zombie Werewolf, headbutting it in the chest. The Zombie shattered. Chelsea groaned as the Trap Card glowed again.
"Death, attack her directly," ordered Marie.
Chelsea stepped back in horror as the Pale Horseman loomed over her. She reached over with one hand and simply grabbed Chelsea in the face. Chelsea screamed as an unearthly chill tore through her…
(C: 2,750) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 7,200)
"ERK!" gasped Marie.
She gripped her stomach.
What had happened? It was almost as if Death had attacked both of them. She felt like someone… No, several someones had clawed at her.
Then she noticed that the room around her was smoldering, like hot coals. And the shadows had taken fiendish forms. They were looking at her with evil smiles.
Had they attacked her just then?
"Chelsea…" she muttered. "Can't you see them?"
Chelsea looked at her.
"See what?" gasped Chelsea, still a little winded from Death's attack. "Just finish your move so I can think of a way to bring this thing down."
Marie looked nervously at the two cards in her hand.
She placed one in her Disk, and it appeared facedown.
"I end my turn," she said.
Chelsea drew a card. She looked over the four cards in her hand.
"I set two cards facedown, and then play Mirage of Nightmare," she said. "That will be all."
Two facedown cards and the Mirage Card appeared.
"No Monsters?" shouted Ren. "She's toast!"
Marie quickly drew.
The smoldering coals had now turned into fires. The shadowy demons were chuckling at her.
"I get to draw three extra cards now," said Chelsea.
She made three draws.
"Fine…" said Marie. "Three-hundred won't help you…
"Death, attack directly again!"
Death loomed over Chelsea again.
"I activate Red Ghost Moon!" shouted Chelsea.
Her Trap Card flipped up, and she discarded The Kick Man from her hand.
Marie's hand went for her Disk to trigger her own Trap.
Then she paused.
A sinister voice reached her ears.
"G'wan!" it chuckled. "It couldn't be easier!"
Marie saw who had spoken. The shadows had spoken for the first time.
She quickly changed her mind.
The harvest moon appeared over Chelsea, and the Pale Horseman was stopped short. Chelsea glowed with energy.
"Now, Emergency Provisions!" exclaimed Chelsea. "I'll send Mirage and Red Ghost Moon to the Graveyard to gain 2,000 more Life Points!"
The two cards vanished, and she glowed with energy again.
"That move may have cost me 1,200 Life Points due to Skull Invitation, but I gained 4,500, for a net gain of 3,300."
"Chelsea always gets A's in math," laughed Ren.
(C: 6,050) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 7,200)
Marie cringed again, as she felt another claw scraping at her, in the buttocks, no less. She nervously took another card from her hand.
"I'll set a Monster in Defense Mode, and then you go," she said.
A facedown Monster appeared.
Chelsea drew.
Marie looked around. The fires around her had turned into an inferno full of choking smoke, and the shadows had completely taken shape. Terrible, horrible shape…
She knew… She now knew exactly what it was she was seeing…
"Time to defeat Death," said Chelsea. "I play Call of the Mummy."
She played the Spell Card.
"Now, I summon your old friend… Come on out, Penelope!"
In a flash of light, the Lady of the Night appeared, brandishing her staff. (1,000/200) – (4,200/200)
She glowed. Call of the Mummy and Skull Invitation shattered. Then Marie's facedown Trap Card lifted and shattered.
"HUH?" shouted Yumi, when she saw what it was.
"What?" shouted Ren.
"She could have…?" exclaimed Erik. "She didn't?"
"She's crazy!" exclaimed Sam, who had recovered a little.
Chelsea looked at Marie.
"Why…" she started.
"I'll tell you if Penelope manages to defeat Death," replied Marie. "If she can, I'll know that I made the right choice…
"But I don't know if she can… If Penelope simply attacks, I'll take some damage, but Death's effect will kill Penelope."
Chelsea took another card from her hand.
"I play Monster Reborn!" she shouted. "I'll raise Majestic Mech – Ohka from your Graveyard!"
In a flash of light, the ankh appeared, and Ohka appeared next to Penelope. (2,400/1,400)
"Now, I remove both Monsters from play…"
Penelope and Ohka vanished into grains of light.
"To summon Penelope, the Divine Avenger!"
The shining portal appeared, and with a majestic flourish, Penelope's other self flew out, her wings spread, and her sword aloft, radiating divine light. (2,800/2,500)
The shadowy demons around Marie howled in fright…
"She gains Attack Points equal to Ohka's Attack Points…" said Chelsea.
(5,200/2,500)
"And, one card on the field is annihilated!"
The Pale Horseman showed emotion for the first time, as Penelope lifted her sword. She screamed as the Divine Avenger's blade made a slash, cutting her in twain.
The shadowy demons around Marie dissolved into nothing, the flames died down, and the lights came back around her.
"I still have her normal attack," continued Chelsea. "Attack Des Wombat with avenging blade"
Penelope struck the Beast with her longsword, and Des Wombat was smashed to pieces. Marie didn't even flinch.
(C: 6,050) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 3,600)
"Now talk, Marie!" shouted Chelsea. "You had Solemn Judgment set! You could have stopped me from summoning Penelope! Heck, you could have stopped me from activating Red Ghost Moon! You threw this duel, and I want to know why!"
Marie sighed.
"I had a good reason," she said.
She paused.
"Chelsea… As a fallen angel, my ultimate goal is to win my way back to Heaven. I had pretty much consigned myself to the fact that I wouldn't be able to do so…
"Daala gave me that card, thinking I might hate you enough to use it effectively… But the evil Spirit inside of it reacted with the curse placed on me by Voltanis in a way that not even Daala could have predicted."
"How?" asked Chelsea, opening her eyes wide.
Marie sighed again.
"As I said, the goal of a fallen angel is to regain Heaven," she said. "That card was giving me… a vision.
"It was showing me a vivid look at the alternative…
"And it scared me…"
She looked Chelsea in the eye.
"We both have Life Points left, Chelsea," she said. "I'll leave it up to you whether we finish this duel or not… But if you choose to do so, I swear… No more strings attached. The Horseman will stay dead, and we'll finish like honorable duelists. And once this is over, I'll do whatever I have to do to make amends."
"What about Daala?" asked Chelsea.
Marie chuckled.
"Daala has no authority over this duel," said Marie. "Death is still in my Graveyard, and its Spirit is so infused with Chaos, no being's authority functions. They defy any attempts to enforce any form of law. Daala was taking a big risk with all four of the Horsemen."
Chelsea smirked.
"Well then…" she said. "Why not?"
She took a card from her hand.
"I set a Monster in Defense Mode, and end my turn."
A facedown Monster appeared, and Penelope vanished in a ripple of light.
"Hey…" said Ren. "What happened to Penelope?"
"The Divine Avenger only stays on the field for one turn," said Chelsea. "Then she goes back to my Fusion Deck."
"So both of them have lost their ace Monsters," said Sam. "I guess maybe now it's fair…"
Marie drew a card.
She set it in her Disk, and it appeared facedown.
"That's all," she said.
Chelsea made a draw.
"I'll set this facedown too," she said, as a facedown card appeared. "Then I'll flip Pyramid Turtle to Attack Mode."
The facedown card flipped, and a large, sandy turtle with a pyramid for a shell appeared in its place. (1,200/1,400)
"Attack her facedown Monster!" she shouted. "Dust of decay!"
Pyramid Turtle breathed a cloud of sand and grit at the facedown Monster. The Morphing Jar appeared on the card, and was eroded into sand.
Chelsea grinned. Marie discarded the one card in her hand and drew five, while Chelsea simply drew five.
Chelsea looked over the five cards.
"Okay…" she said. "Think I'll end my turn there…"
Marie drew a card.
"I play Pot of Avarice," she said, playing the card.
The goofy jug appeared.
"But I won't go back on my word… Death is staying where she is."
Zombyra the Dark, Indomitable Fighter Lei Lei, Goblin Attack Force, Des Wombat, and Morphing Jar fell out of her discard slot. She shuffled the five Monsters back into her deck, and drew two cards.
"Now I'll throw two cards facedown…"
Two facedown cards appeared.
"And I'll summon an… acquaintance of mine… Nurse Reficule the Fallen One."
In a burst of wind, a female figure appeared. It looked like a woman who was swathed in bandages from head to toe, with dark hair that looked somewhat like blades. She had wings that were more bat-like than the feathered wings of the typical angel. (1,400/600)
She turned to Marie and made a slight smile.
"Another fallen angel?" asked Sam.
"Fallen angels tend to keep informed of each other's activities," replied Marie. "After all, who else can we find to commiserate with? Once you've been thrown out of Heaven, not many folks trust you unless they're in the same boat.
"Anyway, I end my turn."
Hmm… thought Chelsea. She didn't attack Pyramid Turtle, clearly because she doesn't want me to use its effect just yet…
She drew a card.
"I summon… Zombie Master!"
She played the card, and in a burst of darkness, the undead lord appeared. (1,800/0)
"Hold, it, Chelsea," said Marie. "I have a Trap, and this time I'm gonna use it."
A facedown card flipped up.
"It's called Dark Cure. Now, whenever you summon a Monster, you gain Life Points equal to half the Monster's Attack Score."
"I gain Life Points?" asked Chelsea, as she started to glow with golden energy. "Are you nuts?"
"Not really," said Marie, "you see, Reficule has a powerful effect… She converts any Life Point gain on your part to effect damage."
Reficule's eyes glowed with red light. Then the golden glow around Chelsea turned to a red glow, and Chelsea cringed in pain.
"Zombie Master can still beat her…" she muttered.
Another facedown card lifted.
"Not once I activate this," said Marie. "It's called Brutal Potion, and it Equips to my Monster."
A set of shackles appeared on Reficule's wrists, and a spiked harness appeared around her neck.
"Now, once per turn, whenever you take effect damage, her Attack Score gets a 1,000-point boost until the End Phase."
(2,400/600)
Chelsea looked at the rest of the cards in her hand.
Using Zombie Master's effect would just cause me more damage, she thought.
"I'll move my Turtle to Defense Mode, and that will be all," she said.
Pyramid Turtle withdrew into its shell.
(C: 5,150) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 3,600)
Marie drew a card.
"Here's someone you'll remember," she said. "Your old friend, Indomitable Fighter Lei Lei."
In a burst of energy, Lei Lei appeared again. (2,300/0)
"Now, I activate a facedown card…" she said, as a Trap Card lifted. "It's called Gift Card. This Trap gives my opponent a little gift… 3,000 Life Points."
"Crud," said Ren. "I get it… Reficule will convert that to damage."
"Yeah," said Yumi. "Seems she's like Bad Reaction to Simochi."
"Only worse," said Sam. "Monsters can't be destroyed using Heavy Storm."
Chelsea screamed as the red aura surrounded her again, only much more intense.
She gasped for breath.
"And don't forget the effect of Brutal Potion," continued Marie, as Reficule's Attack Score rose to 2,400.
"I'll keep on going, Chelsea. I'll play Rain of Mercy."
As she played the Spell Card, clouds formed on the ceiling, and rain started to fall in the chamber.
"This Spell increases the Life Points of both players by 1,000."
"But with Reficule there, only you'll benefit," muttered Chelsea. "I, on the other hand, will lose 1,000 Life Points."
The fact that the raindrops started to burn her skin like acid was all the proof she needed that she was right.
She started panting.
(C: 1,150) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 4,600)
"You know…" said Chelsea, with a grin. "After you decided to ditch that evil card and play fair… You aren't half bad…"
Marie smirked.
"Then maybe the vision was for the best," she said.
"Reficule, attack Zombie Master with infectious wrath."
Reficule threw out her arms, and her very hair came to life. It reached out like a swarm of tentacles and grabbed Zombie Master, pulling him close.
Reficule grinned, as part of her hair formed a sharp blade, and made a swipe, cleaving the Zombie in half.
"You know…" said Sam. "I'm beginning to think that whatever Reficule did to get thrown out of the Higher Plane was worse than anything that Marie did…"
(C: 550) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 4,600)
"Lei Lei, destroy Pyramid Turtle!" ordered Marie.
Lei Lei roared again, and bull-rushed the turtle, crushing it with his fist.
"Well…" said Chelsea. "So much for that… But now I can Special Summon a Zombie with 2,000 Attack Points or less."
"Oh?" asked Marie. "Are you sure you want to do that?"
"Marie is right…" said Erik. "There isn't much that Chelsea can summon. With only 550 Life Points left, and with Marie's combo of Dark Cure and Reficule, she'll receive a lethal blow if she summons anything with 1,100 Attack Points or more…"
Chelsea nervously looked at the cards in her deck.
"I summon… this," she said.
In a burst of darkness, Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower appeared in Defense Mode. (400/1,500)
"Only 400 Attack Points," she said, as the red aura surrounded her again. "So I only lose 200 Life Points. I'm safe for now."
Lei Lei slumped down and fell asleep.
"Then I end my turn," said Marie.
(C: 350) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 4,600)
Chelsea slowly drew a card.
"I set one Monster, and one facedown card, and I end my turn," she said.
A hidden Monster and a facedown card appeared.
Marie drew a card. She smiled.
"I summon Burning Algae," she said.
She played the card, and a large, burning bush with a fiendish face on the trunk appeared. (500/1,500)
"No!" shouted Ren. "If that goes to the Graveyard, Chelsea would gain 1,000 Life Points… But because of Reficule, she'll lose it instead!"
"But how is she going to send it to the Graveyard?" asked Sam.
"With this," replied Marie. "The Spell Card, Tribute to the Doomed."
She played the card, and then discarded Zombyra the Dark.
"Not so fast!" shouted Chelsea, as one of her facedown cards lifted. "I activate Spell Shield Type-8! This negates your Spell Card!"
A weird machine appeared on the field and started spinning. The Tribute to the Doomed card was shredded into confetti.
"Even better," said Chelsea, "since Tribute to the Doomed targets a Monster, I don't have to pay a cost."
"Clever," said Marie. "I end my turn."
Chelsea drew a card.
Her eyes opened wide.
She slowly placed it in her Disk, and it appeared facedown.
"Go ahead…" she said.
Marie drew.
"I Equip Reficule with Cestus of Dagla!" she exclaimed.
Reficule's hands glowed with golden energy, and two weapons that looked like crescent-shaped blades appeared in them. Her Attack Score rose to 1,900.
"Reficule… Attack Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower!"
Reficule lifted the Cestus, and flew at the Bone Tower.
"I activate… Malevolent Catastrophe!" shouted Chelsea, as one of her two facedown cards lifted.
"Huh?" said Marie.
"Now, since you ordered an attack, all Spells and Traps on the field are destroyed!" continued Chelsea.
Chelsea's other facedown card, the Cestus of Dagla, and Marie's Brutal Potion and Dark Cure were blown to bits. Marie tried to punch the Bone Tower with her fist, but it did nothing.
"I had to destroy my own Trap Card too," said Chelsea, "but that's okay, because it was Zombie Bed. And since it was destroyed, I get to Special Summon a Zombie from my Graveyard. And now that Dark Cure is gone…"
Vampire Lady appeared, striking a pose. (1,550/1,550)
"And since I just Special Summoned a Zombie, Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower's effect activates, and you lose two cards from your deck."
Two cards flew off the top of Marie's deck.
Marie chuckled,
"You aren't too bad either," she said. "I'll move Burning Algae to Defense Mode and end my turn. Have any more?"
"You bet!" shouted Chelsea, drawing a card.
"I'll flip my facedown Monster into Defense Mode. My third Vampire Lady!"
Another Vampire Lady appeared. (1,550/1,550)
"Next, I'll Equip one of them with Axe of Despair."
She played a card, and the Axe appeared again, this time in one of the vampires' hands. (2,550/1,550)
"Next, I'll sacrifice Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower to summon Ryu Kokki."
The Bone Tower vanished, and a much larger Zombie made of bones appeared. Ryu Kokki loomed over the field. (2,400/2,000)
"Now, Book of Life! I'll summon Zombie Master back from my Graveyard."
In another burst of energy, Zombie Master appeared again. (1,800/0) Zombyra the Dark fell out of Marie's discard slot.
"Finally… I'll use Zombie Master's effect."
She discarded Vampire's Curse from her hand. Lightning flashed, and Zombie Werewolf appeared, howling at some nonexistent moon. (1,200/1,200)
"Stronger Vampire Lady, attack Reficule!"
The armed Vampire Lady slashed at Nurse Reficule the Fallen One with her axe, and the fallen angel screamed. She shattered into dark shards.
"Second Vampire Lady, attack Burning Algae!"
The unarmed Lady gave the burning bush a kick, and it burst into a shower of embers. Chelsea glowed with golden energy.
"Zombie Werewolf, destroy Indomitable Fighter Lei Lei!"
The Werewolf pounced, and raked at the Beast-Warrior with his claw. Lei Lei was blown to pieces.
"Ryu Kokki… Zombie Master… Attack directly."
Marie the Fallen One screamed as Zombie Master shot bolts of lightning that shot through her. Then she fell backwards as Ryu Kokki clobbered her with its fist.
She let out a long sigh…
(C: 1,350) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 0)
"All right, Marie…" said Yumi. "Now… The keys to the cells, if you don't mind?"
Marie slowly got up.
She turned around, and lifted the keys off of a hook on the wall that were behind her.
Yumi was dumbfounded. She hadn't noticed that they were there…
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Sam had completely recovered by now, and was slowly shuffling her deck. She was secretly hoping that Hiroki would show up again, but he had disappeared.
They were standing in front of Leichter's castle, while Marie was looking out towards the wasteland of the Flaming Peaks.
"So what will you do now, Marie?" asked Chelsea.
Marie hung her head.
"I honestly don't know," said the Fallen One. "I strayed from the track… It's going to take something very special to gain the Higher Plane's favor again…
"Maybe once I find my way out of Xanadu, I'll head to Dark World. The place was thrown into practical anarchy when the Supreme King fell, and the Dark World Fiends haven't been able to form a proper government. Both the humans and Duel Spirits alike who live there suffer from terrible poverty. If any place has a need for charity now, it's there."
She started to walk off.
"Should we just let her go?" asked Erik.
"We have another concern," said Yumi.
She held up the Death card, which Marie had given her.
"If Daala had no authority over those four duels, that means that when Ares, Want, and Chaos Sorcerer lost, they left via their own free wills."
Everyone looked at each other.
"The cards were left on purpose!" they all shouted at once.
Yumi quickly started dialing on her phone.
"Joan?" she said. "It's me… We're heading back, and we have some information that's might be of interest…
"What? Okay, I'll tell her…
"Chelsea, she says to use your Interdimensional Matter Transporter card."
Chelsea gave a strange look. She looked through her deck.
She took the card, and placed it in her Disk. The odd machine appeared.
Then they were covered by a wave of weird light.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Minutes later, they were in an inner sanctum of the temple, where Joan, who had used a second Interdimensional Matter Transporter, had brought them there quickly.
Joan had quickly taken the Death card, and placed it in a capsule made of transparent material (clearly not glass) surrounded by wards. The other three Horseman cards were in separate capsules.
"Joan," said Erik, "why are you keeping them here and not sending them to… I dunno, Switzerland?"
"Erik's right," said Ren. "They're clearly going to be used as part of some attack on the temple."
"I had suspected that for a long time," replied Joan, "but the Spirits in these cards will now be helpless. These capsules are foolproof prisons.
"Foolproof, so long as the settings are not changed from the Type, Attribute, and Level set to contain these Spirits: Fiend, Dark, and Level Ten. And only I can change the setting."
She waved her hand, and a light turned green.
"Light green, capsule clean," she said.
She turned to Sam.
"Sam, stand still," she said, picking up a small box.
"What?" asked Sam.
Joan picked up a wooden brush, and started to paint a strange rune on Sam's forehead.
"You were defeated, Sam," said Joan. "My dictum can no longer protect you. Daala could arrest you at any time, unless I do this…
"This sigil will provide further protection. More fragile than my dictum, but it will do.
"There. Just don't play with it."
Sam took a makeup mirror out of her purse and looked at it.
"So I have to wear this until I leave Xanadu?" she asked.
"Sam," said Joan, "technically, this violates the rules. Fortunately, Daala cannot appeal to any higher powers, because she breaks far more rules on a daily basis.
"And be careful. All it will take is one more loss for this sigil to crumble into nothing.
"Now, we have neglected our guests long enough…"
"Guests?" asked Yumi.
Joan led them out to the common room of the temple. There, sitting with a teacup in his hand, was the powerful, armored man with his sword slung to his back. The Command Knight was standing behind him.
"Folks," said Joan, "this is an old college of mine… Freed the Matchless General."
"It's a pleasure," said Freed. "As I said before, Joan, my army stands ready. As soon as you plan your assault on the Core, we'll be ready to march."
"We won't be ready until we have secured the last Realm," said Joan.
"The Realm of Wind…" muttered Yumi.
Joan nodded.
"The Frozen Wastes," she said. "An icy tundra. Most think that Hell is fire, but some are sure it is ice. If so, this is their Hell."
"All of the Big Five have been defeated. Whoever rules this land, we have no idea. Only one group has ever made it as far to the fortress of the mysterious Realm Lord. I recruited four powerful Duel Spirits to undertake the mission to gather information on the Lord.
"The Elemental Heroes."
"There are more than four of them," replied Erik.
"The four original ones?" asked Chelsea.
Joan nodded.
"I'm guessing they didn't come back…" replied Yumi, somberly.
Joan shook her head.
"We assume they are prisoners now," she replied. "Since then, only one member of the rebellion dares patrol the Frozen Wastes… He's my second-in-command, and the strongest duelist in my army. I'll arrange for him to meet you any time you are ready…"
"Huh?" said Freed.
A pouch on his belt started to glow.
"What's that?" asked Ren.
"I was…" started Freed. "I was given custody of a card that had a very powerful Spirit… I was told that it would choose its master…"
The pouch burst open.
"I think it wants to choose!"
A mote of light flew out of the pouch, and into the air. It flew over the assembled duelists.
It flew towards Sam, but then flew away. Then it flew towards Yumi, but flew away again.
Then it flew towards Ren.
It didn't fly away.
The mote slowly transformed into a card. It floated towards Ren, and he reached out with his hand.
He took it. He looked at it.
"No…" he said in disbelief.
"Yes!" said Freed. "The Spirit apparently wants to be with you, Ren."
He took something else out of the pouch.
"You're probably gonna need this too."
He handed Ren another card.
"What you choose to do with them is up to you…"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
It was nine PM.
Sam was sitting in the main room of the temple, going over her cards.
"Sam?" said a comforting voice.
Sam turned, and saw her mother come in.
"It's late," said Sheena. "You're gonna need your strength tomorrow."
"Hiroki's still out there," muttered Sam.
Sheena sighed.
"Sam, it was all I could do to get a message to Nicholas and Olga," sighed Sheena. "Getting in touch with his father is out of the question.
"I don't know why he betrayed us, but for whatever reason, he's become very dangerous. And hunting him down for revenge is not a good idea."
Sam opened the pouch that contained her side deck, and took out a card.
"I know mom, I know," she said. "But this whole situation seems a little upside-down if you ask me."
She looked at the card.
"He told me during that duel that Daala had worked on his deck for months… That would imply that he's worked for her for months… But we saw him at that… Travesty of a party you threw two months ago."
"Sam, it was my PR guy's fault that it turned out the way it did," sighed Sheena. "He'll never work for Kaibacorp again."
"Well, if Hiroki bore any resentment towards me then, he was hiding it pretty well," said Sam.
"And when I was being held prisoner, I was half-conscious, and I had… A vision, a dream… It's hard to explain, but it made me doubt whether everything is as it seems."
"Might he be brainwashed?" asked Sheena.
"That would be the easy answer," muttered Sam. "I really don't think the answer is so clichéd."
She looked at the card again.
"There's something else… And sooner or later, I'm gonna find out what it is…"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Daala was in the center of an arena of sorts, located in a subterranean location. This arena had no seats for spectators. It only had monstrous-looking statuary on the walls surrounding the sandy floor.
In front of her was a very nervous and scared-looking Ebon Magician Curran, holding her Duel Disk.
"Here's the deal, Curran," said Daala. "I've given you the power of the Core. Now I have to test you.
"The one in charge of distributing that power is going to send a duelist. You're going to duel it. I'm not allowed to help you any more than I have.
"If you win, it will just go back.
"If you lose, it will go back, and take you with it. And I have no control over what happens to you after that.
"Understand?"
Curran slowly nodded.
Daala slowly turned to the front of the arena.
"She's ready," she said.
A dark portal slowly opened, and a large form slithered out. It stood seven feet tall. From the waist up, it might have resembled an attractive human female, except that it had six arms. From the waist down, it had a long serpent's tail instead of legs.
Curran gasped and took a step back. The demon grinned at her, the same way a cat tended to grin at a cornered mouse. A Duel Disk appeared on its upper-left arm.
"Duel," it said, in a sinister voice.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
ZOMBIE BED (Trap Card)
Normal Trap
Image: A sinister-looking coffin made of green stone.
Card Description: This card is activated when it is destroyed while facedown on your side of the field. Special Summon one Zombie-Type Monster from your Graveyard.
Note: "Zombie Bed" 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
DESPERATE BATTLE (Trap Card)
Normal Trap
Image: A small kid in a boxing outfit standing up to a hulking muscleman in a boxing outfit.
Card Description: Activate only during your own Battle Phase. Select one Monster that has attacked. Reduce the ATK of the selected Monster by 1,000 until the end of the Battle Phase. The selected Monster may attack a second time.
Note: "Desperate Battle" was first used by Crowler in a fourth-season episode of "Yu-Gi-Oh GX". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
DEATH, THE PALE HORSEMAN (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Fiend/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 10
ATK: 2,500
DEF: 2,500
Card Description: This card cannot be Special Summoned. This card can only be Normal Summoned by offering three Monsters as a Tribute. This card cannot be destroyed as a result of battle (damage calculation still applies). When this card battles a Monster and does not destroy it, the Monster that battled it is destroyed at the end of the Battle Phase.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coming up next:
The heroes don't waste any time. Coming up next, they start to venture into the Frozen Wastes, where another powerful Duel Spirit greets them with another enigmatic warning. Plus, they soon learn that this Realm is the one closest to the Core, when Ren in confronted by the Archfiend of Gilfer, a Duel Spirit who calls himself the Lord of Nothingness. Chaos starts to become far more dangerous in "Blank Slate", coming soon.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Name that Card!
A lot of fans of the original anime wondered just why Joey wasted space in his deck with a Monster as weak as Swordsman of Landstar. The answer is simple: According to anime rules (which are not the case in real rules), the effect of this other card that he was known to use only worked on Monsters that had 500 ATK or less. Can you name it?