What was the only card in Sartorious's deck that was real at the time? If you said "Monster Reincarnation" (seen in his duel with Chazz when Chazz shuffled his deck) you were successfully able to Name that Card!
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
As we walk through the Frozen Wastes, a sense of foreboding slowly works its way into my bones.
On the surface, this is the Realm where Wind is the strongest Attribute. But if I had to guess, I'd say that it also borders the Core in some way.
The proofs of this theory keep coming. The lordship of this place is uncertain, but whoever rules it is someone who the Elemental Heroes, Monsters famous for being the stars of Jaden's deck, tried to take down and failed. That Archfiend of Gilfer that Ren dueled seemed to have Shogarr's interests in mind.
And now… We've stumbled upon an experiment that would bring back terrible memories of another entity of Chaos for Yumi's grandfathers.
Zane has made a heavy wager, and it's up to me to do the business end of it. I have to do my best not to let him down… The things that my opponent has agreed to ante… We can't let Daala keep them…
0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Cold War
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0
Nicholas and Olga walked into the reception area of the dojo, which was typical for such a place. A trophy rack containing awards that students representing the dojo had won (lots of them) was against the wall, and Japanese style paintings hung over cushioned couches.
"Well, I guess we should…" said Olga.
"Welcome," said a voice from the other door.
They turned towards the woman who had come out to greet them.
In her youth, this woman was a picture of beauty, even when she was wearing armor and holding a katana blade. Her flowing blonde hair and violet eyes had made her a reflection of her mother, albeit more muscular with a more serious expression.
She was in her fifties now, and her armor had been put away in favor of a green kimono. But she was still beautiful; her hair still had its color, she was still fit, and her face was still unblemished.
"I've been expecting you," she said.
"It's an honor, Ms. Valentine," said Nicholas.
The woman made a slight smile.
"You can call me Jade," she said.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
As this was happening, Yumi's party was not having a very good time. Despite Chelsea's fire, it was getting colder, and the wind was picking up. Clouds were quickly forming.
"Man, Clear Monsters, Lords of Nothingness," muttered Erik. "Why do bad guys always summon hideous things? Why can't they ever use Monsters like the Ice Cream Sandwich Man?"
"Or the Double Pepperoni Pizza Creature?" added Sam.
Ren looked at the sky.
"Think it might snow?" he asked.
"I'd count on it," replied Zane. "We'd best find shelter before this squall starts."
As if to answer them, a plume of smoke appeared over a ridge above them.
Smoke meant fire, so they carefully made their way up the icy hill. What was at the top surprised them.
It looked like a temple of some sort, made entirely of black marble. It was covered with carved frescos, most of them depicting frightening monsters that they couldn't identify.
Or could they? Yumi looked at one of them carefully. It looked sort of like the odd traditional Japanese statuary from the Jomon Period, commonly called a Dogū. Only this one was more fiendish than any clay Dogū she had seen in a museum.
I could swear I heard about something like that once before… she thought.
"This is a new structure," said Zane, "and it's likely dangerous in there. But a storm may be much more dangerous.
"Follow my lead."
As snow started to fall, they followed him into the temple.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Inside the temple, they were met by a welcome sight – a roaring fireplace.
The whole room seemed to be a big library of some sort, with lots of books on shelves lining the walls. (Ren glanced at one, but the title was in a language he could not read.)
As they warmed themselves by the fire, Yumi's attention was drawn to a glass display case on the other side. She motioned to Zane, and they went over to it.
"Guys!" she shouted, as she looked in it.
Everyone ran over. The display case had six Monster Cards in it.
"Are those…" gasped Sam.
"Yeah…" muttered Yumi, starting to sweat. "I've only been told descriptions of these, but I recognize them…
"These were Dartz's Monsters."
"I never thought I'd see them," gasped Ren. "I'm actually kinda curious as to how they work."
Yumi nervously pointed to one, a Fiend that looked like it was made of fire. It had 1,500 Attack Points and zero Defense Points.
"That's Orichalcos Malevolence," she said. "It was the least broken… Its effect was simply the ability to change the battle position of one Monster every round."
She pointed to another Monster. A hulking, ugly ogre with a spiked harness and collar and chains on its wrists. It had 400 Attack Points and 1,500 Defense Points.
"Then there was Orichalcos Gigas," she said. "If it was destroyed, and its controller was willing to skip his next Draw Phase, he could Special Summon it back during the next End Phase, with 500 more Attack Points. And this bonus stacked each time."
"Plus it got the standard 500-point bonus from The Seal of Orichalcos," added Zane.
"Yes," said Yumi, "but these two guys were small potatoes compared to Dartz's actual strategy. It started with this card."
She pointed to a Monster that looked like a diabolic eye surrounded by tentacles. It had 500 Attack and Defense Points.
"Orichalcos Kyutora. When it was attacked, all battle damage was reduced to zero, and the controller got to Special Summon this…"
She pointed to a Monster that looked like a demonic bronze statue. (This was the one that looked the Dogū that she had seen outside.)
"It was called Orichalcos Shunoros. And when it was summoned, its effect Special Summoned its two limbs…"
She pointed to the last two cards in the case.
"Orichalcos Aristeros and Orichalcos Dexia. Aristeros and Dexia could not be destroyed so long as Shunoros was on the field, and while their Attack and Defense was normally zero, both became equal to the Attack Score of the Monster they were battling, plus 300."
"Plus the bonus from the Seal," added Chelsea.
"Right," muttered Yumi. "As for Shunoros itself, its Attack Score started at the amount of damage Kyutora's effect negated. My grandfather and Sam's uncle made a big mistake in that duel by trying to end it early, activating Meteorain and attacking it with Dragon Master Knight. As a result, Shunoros started with a lot of Attack Points.
"And every time it destroyed a Monster in battle, it lost Attack Points equal to the Attack Score of the destroyed Monster."
"It lost Attack Points?" asked Erik. "But… Eventually then, it would be defeated…"
"That was the idea," replied Yumi. "If it was destroyed, the controller got to summon…"
She gulped.
"…The Divine Serpent… That card isn't here, fortunately."
"I haven't had a chance to work on that one yet," said a cheery voice.
Everyone turned to the back of the room, where someone had entered.
It looked like a creepy, fiendish mad scientist, dressed in a white coat, formal shirt and vest, trousers, and tie. His grey hair was unkempt, and he had diabolic horns growing out of his head, pointing backwards. He wore thick glasses, and had slate grey skin.
"Kozaky?" said Zane, surprised.
"I see you folks are admiring my handiwork," said Kozaky, with a smile. "Working on these cards has been anything but easy… I only had descriptions to go by. There are no websites with information on such cards. Kinda surprising, actually… Nowadays, you can find almost anything on the internet."
"Listen, fellah," said Yumi, "I don't know what your intentions are. If you're planning on recreating The Seal of Orichalcos, stop before it's too late! That thing is evil."
"Oh, NO!" replied Kozaky. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no! I wouldn't dream of it! As you say, The Seal of Orichalcos is an evil thing, that threatened humans and Duel Spirits alike.
"You see, I'm working on an experiment for Daala, to try to duplicate Dartz's cards so they'll work without the Seal."
As they were speaking, the Goblin of Greed poked his head in the entrance.
The Orichalcos Monsters? he thought. Very interesting…
"Of course, like I said," continued Kozaky, "it's been hard. Those cards don't even function yet. All they can do now is look intimidating. But slowly but surely, I'm making progress, and…"
"Look, Kozaky!" shouted Zane. "Nothing good can ever come from those six cards!"
He lifted his Disk.
"I'm willing to duel you to get them out of Daala's hands… And I'll wager my entire deck against those six cards!"
"Zane!" shouted Sam. "Are you sure?"
Underneath his glasses, Kozaky's eyes nearly popped out of his skull.
The Cyber Tails Deck? he thought. I'd be the strongest duelist in Daala's army…
"Think of it, Kozaky…" said Zane, with a grin. "You're only a Normal Level One Monster. Only duelists who run Human Wave Decks like you… If it weren't for your brains, no-one would give you the time of day… This deck could make you important…"
True, thought Kozaky. But then… I'm not stupid…
"I might be willing to make that wager," he said. "But I'm certainly not dueling you, Truesdale. If I'm allowed to choose my opponent, I'll accept."
Zane looked at him.
"Fine," said Zane, closing his eyes.
A Disk appeared on Kozaky's arm.
"Then I choose Erik," he said.
"ME?" shouted Erik.
Zane looked at him.
"Erik," he said. "You have to win… Those six cards cannot stay in Daala's hands. She could commit all sorts of atrocities with them.
"You can beat this small fry…"
And if I don't, thought Erik, I'll never be able to look Zane in the face again!
He stepped up to Kozaky.
"Okay, Dr. Caligari," he said. "Let's do this."
Both Disks activated.
"Game on!" they both shouted.
(Erik: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Kozaky: 8,000)
This should be amusing, thought the Goblin, as he watched.
"My move," said Erik, drawing a card.
He looked at his hand.
"I'll set a Monster and a facedown card, and that will end my turn."
A facedown Monster and a facedown card appeared.
"Ooh, sneaky!" chuckled Kozaky, drawing a card. "Well, let's see here.
"Living in the Frozen Wastes tends to have its advantages, don't you know… I've made friends with some very unique Duel Spirits…
"I summon one right now… This lovely lady! Cold Enchanter!"
"Huh?" asked Erik. "Who's she?"
As the Monster appeared in a shower of ice crystals, it was clear that "she" was a coldly beautiful and icy woman, dressed in a low cut robe, fancy hat, and high boots. She held a long staff topped with a snowflake symbol. (1,600/1,200)
Erik raised an eyebrow.
"A Fairy?" he asked.
"An Aqua," replied Kozaky. "Attack his Monster! Chill blast!"
Cold Enchanter shot a blast of ice and frost from her staff. Toy Soldier appeared on the card, and was frozen in a block of ice before shattering.
"Trap activate!" shouted Erik. "Call of the Haunted! Now he's coming right back!"
His facedown card lifted up, and a miniature coffin appeared on his side of the field. Toy Soldier hopped out. (800/300)
"Hmm, so he did," said Kozaky. "Still my turn…"
He played a Spell Card.
"I play Frigid Ice Pillars. This gives my Monster a little accessory."
Two six-foot pillars made of ice rose out of the floor to either side of Cold Enchanter.
"I'll toss a card facedown, and that will be all."
A facedown card appeared.
"My move," said Erik, drawing.
He looked at his hand.
"I use Toy Soldier's effect, to call out two more of them."
In two flashes of light, two more Toy Soldiers appeared.
"Next… I play Forced March!"
He played the Spell Card.
"Sorry," said Kozaky, as his facedown card lifted, "but this time, I'm leaving you cold. Activate Instantaneous Freezing!"
"Huh?" said Erik.
Then he gasped as the Forced March card fell facedown on the field, and froze over.
"Instantaneous Freezing negates the effect of your card," chuckled Kozaky, "and then freezes it to the ground. And it won't defrost until three of my End Phases have past."
"Fine!" shouted Erik. "I have another option…"
He played another card.
"I Equip one Toy Soldier with Chthonian Alliance. This raises his Attack Score by 800 for each Monster on the field with the same name. You're the intellectual… You do the math…"
The Toy Soldier in the center glowed with a dark aura. (2,400/300)
"Now, attack Cold Enchanter!"
Toy Soldier fired his musket. However, Cold Enchanter ducked behind one of the two pillars, and the pillar shattered, shielding her from the bullet.
"My Frigid Ice Pillars aren't just for show," chuckled Kozaky. "They gave her two Counters, and each one lets her dodge one attack."
Erik took a deep breath.
"Fine…" he said. "I end my turn…"
Kozaky drew a card.
"I play the Field Spell, Absolute Zero Barrier," he said.
He placed a card in his field slot, and the whole library changed, turning into a chilling ice cave. Chelsea conjured up her fire again quickly.
"What does this do?" asked Erik.
"I'll show you," said Kozaky. "I discard one card to use Cold Enchanter's effect and place an Ice Counter on your Equipped Toy Soldier."
He discarded a card, and the Toy Soldier gasped and turned a shade of blue.
"Cold Enchanter gains 300 Attack Points for each Ice Counter on the field," continued Kozaky.
Cold Enchanter rose to (1,900/1,200)
"But your Toy Soldier won't be so lucky. Because in this Field, any Monster that has one loses 500 Attack Points, and can't attack."
Toy Soldier fell to an Attack Score of 1,900.
"Cold Enchanter," ordered Kozaky, "attack one of the un-Equipped Toy Soldiers!"
Cold Enchanter cast her icy hex, and one of the weaker Toy Soldiers iced over and shattered.
"Ergh…" muttered Erik.
(E: 6,900) - - - - - - - - - - (K: 8,000)
"And with him gone," said Kozaky, "your Equipped one gets even weaker."
The Equipped Soldier fell to 1,100 Attack Points.
"I'm done," said Kozaky.
Erik drew a card.
"Since my Toy Soldier can't attack," he said, "I'll sacrifice him, by using Crowning of the Emperor!"
He played the card, and the Toy Soldier vanished. Toy Emperor galloped onto the field. (2,300/800) Cold Enchanter fell back to 1,600 Attack Points.
"Attack Cold Enchanter!" he shouted.
"Forget?" asked Kozaky. "She still has one Pillar left."
Cold Enchanter hid behind the remaining Pillar as Toy Emperor charged. It shattered under a swing of his sword, but she was safe.
"I set a Monster in Defense Mode, and move my last Toy Soldier to Defense Mode," said Erik.
A facedown Monster appeared, and Toy Soldier knelt and held his gun in his lap.
"I set a card facedown, and end my turn."
A facedown card appeared.
"My move…" said Kozaky.
He drew a card.
"Well…" he said. "It's been fun using Cold Enchanter, but now it's time to say goodbye…
"I sacrifice her…"
Cold Enchanter vanished into grains of light…
"…to summon Mobius the Frost Monarch!"
The infamous Monarch loomed over the field. The ten-foot-tall giant made entirely of ice, wearing a blue cape. (2,400/1,000)
"I guess we all saw that coming, huh?" muttered Sam.
"By a mile," replied Chelsea.
Mobius blasted its chilling breath, and Erik's facedown Forced March and Draining Shield turned to ice and shattered into bits.
"Now, wipe out his Toy Emperor!" ordered Kozaky. "Ice blight!"
Mobius breathed a cone of chilling frost, and Toy Emperor was frozen solid. He shattered into shards.
Looks like Kozaky has Erik just where he wants him, thought the Goblin of Greed. Guess Zane won't be winning those cards…
Which means Kozaky will be tired when I come in later and take them from him… I could probably name my price when I got back to Lower Planes if I had copies of those things…
(E: 6,800) - - - - - - - - - - (K: 8,000)
"Your move…" said Kozaky, with a grin.
Erik quickly drew a card.
"All right…" said Erik. "I play Pot of Greed."
He played the card, and quickly made two draws.
He looked at them.
"All I have to do," he said, "is set one card facedown, and that's all."
A facedown card appeared.
Kozaky chuckled and drew a card.
"Mobius, wipe out his Toy Soldier!" he shouted.
Mobius breathed its blight again…
"Go, Mirror Force!" shouted Erik.
His facedown card lifted up, and the holy light washed over the field. Mobius exploded into ice crystals.
"All right!" shouted Ren. "It finally worked!"
"Mmm, unfortunate," replied Kozaky. "But at least now I can activate this…"
He played a Spell Card, and snow started to whip through the icy cavern.
"Ice Age Panic. Since I have no Monsters on the field, I get to Special Summon any Earth Monster I desire from my deck. So I can bring out my Big-Tusked Mammoth."
A Monster even bigger than Mobius lumbered onto the field. It was a giant, wooly pachyderm, with huge, curving tusks. It let out a great trumpet that shook the cavern. (2,000/1,000)
"I've seen stronger Earth Monsters," said Chelsea.
"True, but Big-Tusked Mammoth has a powerful effect," replied Zane. "None of Erik's Monsters can attack the turn they're summoned."
Erik looked at the last card in his hand. Then he drew.
"I Flip-Summon Toy Magician into Attack Mode," he said.
His facedown Monster flipped up, and Toy Magician appeared. (1,600/1,500)
"When Toy Magician is flipped, I get to destroy one Spell or Trap Card for each Toy Magician present."
The ice cave started to crack and crumble, and then collapsed into shards.
"Next, I set one card facedown, and summon Toy Wind-Up."
A facedown card appeared, and Toy-Wind-Up appeared, holding its blunderbuss. (1,000/700)
"And I end my turn."
Kozaky chuckled as he drew a card. He looked over the three cards in his hand.
"You think I'm going to fall for that?" he laughed. "Not one, but two Monsters in Attack Mode that are weaker than my Mammoth? Your facedown card is clearly deadly.
"I'll just set one card of my own facedown, and end my turn."
A facedown card appeared behind the huge elephant.
Erik quickly drew.
He looked at the card. It was Blockman.
I'll save this guy, he thought.
His facedown card lifted.
"I activate Shrink!" he exclaimed.
Big-Tusked Mammoth was reduced to half its size, and an Attack Score of 1,000.
"Eh?" said Kozaky.
Toy Magician aimed his scepter at the Beast, and with a blast of energy, it was blown away.
"Now, Toy Wind-Up attacks directly! Blunderbuss blast!"
Kozaky screamed as the weapon ignited and the shell hit him.
"Now I use Wind-Up's effect to summon another one," continued Erik.
A second Wind-Up appeared. (1,000/700)
It fired another blast at the mad scientist.
"Sweet Mother McCree!" screamed Kozaky, as he was hit a second time.
In a burst of light, a third Wind-Up appeared. (1,000/700) It fired its weapon, and Kozaky fell over.
(E: 6,800) - - - - - - - - - - (K: 4,400)
Kozaky got up, panting for breath.
"Your move," said Erik.
"Well…" chuckled the mad scientist. "Seems I kinda sold you short…"
He drew a card. Then he played one.
"I'll summon Lord of Dragons."
He played the card, and the famous the black-cloaked, draconic Spellcaster appeared. (1,200/1,100)
"Attack one of his Toy Wind-Ups!"
Lord of Dragons put his hands together, and blasted a bolt of darkness at one of the Wind-Ups. It exploded into pieces of metal.
"That's all for me."
(E: 6,600) - - - - - - - - - - (K: 4,400)
"Huh?" asked Chelsea. "Erik can take that out without half-trying! What does Kozaky expect to do with it?"
"You got me," replied Zane.
Erik looked at Lord of Dragons and Kozaky's facedown card. Then he drew a card.
He looked at it.
"I activate my Trap," said Kozaky, as his facedown card lifted. "Frozen Soul. Now, since My Life Points are at least 2,000 points less than yours, you have to skip your Battle Phase."
"There's your answer," said Yumi.
"In that case," said Erik, "I'll just switch my offensive Monsters to Defense Mode, and end my turn."
Both Toy Wind-Ups and Toy Magician knelt and shielded themselves.
Kozaky drew a card.
"I play my own Pot of Greed," he said, playing it.
He made two draws. Then he grinned.
"I activate The Flute of Summoning Dragon!" he said with a laugh.
The golden flute appeared in Lord of Dragons' hand. He put it to his lips, and it let out a haunting chime.
"So… Say hello to Blizzard Dragon and Dragon Ice!"
The first Dragon that appeared was familiar. They had seen Daala use it. (1,800/1,000) The second one was more humanoid, more muscular, scalier, and had a face that looked like a skull-like mask. (1,800/2,200)
"Blizzard Dragon, attack one Toy Wind-Up!" ordered Kozaky. "Cryogenic cold wave!"
Blizzard Dragon breathed a wave of ice at the first Wind-Up, and it froze in a block of ice and shattered into bits.
"Now, my Dragon Ice attacks the last one!"
Dragon Ice breathed a similar wave, and the third Wind-Up froze and shattered.
"Lord of Dragons, destroy the last Toy Soldier!"
Lord of Dragons put his hands together and cast a dark spell. The final Toy Soldier exploded.
"Fortunately, they were in Defense Mode," said Erik.
"Fortunately," said Kozaky. "I doubt that Toy Magician is much of a threat, but I'll use Blizzard Dragon's effect anyway."
Blizzard Dragon blasted a bolt of ice at Toy Magician, and the plastic Spellcaster froze solid in a block of ice.
"Now he can't attack or even change his battle position until the end of your next turn," laughed Kozaky. "My turn is over."
Erik drew a card.
"I play Toy Memorial," he said, playing the other one. "Now, I get to draw one card for each card with the word 'Toy' in its name in my Graveyard, so long as I skip my Battle Phase. I have Toy Emperor, three Toy Soldiers and three Toy Wind-Ups"
He quickly made seven draws. He looked them over.
"I set two cards facedown," he said, "and then summon Blockman.
Two facedown cards appeared. Then, in a flash of energy, the bulky man made of Legos appeared in front of him. (1,000/1,500)
"That will be all."
The ice entrapping Toy Magician melted and crumbled into nothing.
Kozaky chuckled and drew a card.
"I sacrifice Lord of Dragons…" he said.
The Spellcaster vanished.
"To summon Frostosaurus!"
A bone-chilling wind tore through the room as a huge Monster appeared on Kozaky's side of the field. It looked a huge Apatosaurus, sculpted completely out of ice and covered with snow. It let out a hoarse roar. (2,600/1,700)
"Look at the size of that thing!" gasped Ren.
"Dragon Ice," ordered Kozaky, "attack his Blockman!"
Dragon Ice opened its jaws…
"Activate… Zero Gravity!" shouted Erik.
One of his facedown cards lifted. Toy Magician stood up into Attack Mode, while Blockman knelt and shielded itself, and Dragon Ice, Blizzard Dragon, and Frostosaurus all sat down, and curled up in Defense Mode.
"So you last another turn," said Kozaky, fitting his last card into his Disk. "I play a facedown…"
A facedown card appeared.
"Then I use Blizzard Dragon's effect on Toy Magician again."
Blizzard Dragon lifted its head, and blasted its breath, entrapping Toy Magician in a coffin of ice again.
"And I end my turn."
Erik quickly drew a card.
"I activate Blockman's effect," he said. "Since this is the second turn he's been on the field, I can sacrifice him…"
Blockman vanished into grains of light.
"…and get two Block Tokens in return."
Two Tokens that looked exactly like Blockman appeared, crouching in Defense Mode. (1,000/1,500 x2)
"Next, I sacrifice both Tokens…" he said.
The two Block Tokens vanished into grains of light.
"To summon Puppet King!"
In an explosion of energy, Puppet King appeared, looming over the field. (2,800/2,600)
"GO!" shouted Erik. "Break the ice and destroy Frostosaurus!"
Puppet King charged, and hit the huge Dinosaur with his fist. The giant creature shattered into shards of ice.
"I'm beginning to get… annoyed!" shouted Kozaky.
"It's your move…" muttered Erik.
The ice imprisoning Toy Magician crumbled again.
Kozaky drew a card.
Then he laughed. He started laughing like a lunatic.
"Uh, I think he got a good draw…" said Sam.
"That I did," chuckled Kozaky. "I just drew the star of my deck. But she needs help before I summon her…"
His facedown card lifted.
"I activate DNA Transplant. I get to name one Attribute, and every Monster on the field becomes that Attribute.
"I name… Water."
"I don't get it," replied Erik.
"You will," replied Kozaky. "I sacrifice Blizzard Dragon and Dragon Ice…"
Both Dragons shattered into shards of ice. Slowly, the shards began to take shape…
"…to summon her majesty… The Ice Queen!"
He played the card, and a powerful female figure appeared. She was beautiful, and dressed in royal raiment, but she had icy skin and hair, and radiated an aura of pure cold. She held a staff made of white crystal, with a crystalline design on the tip. She opened her eyes, and they glowed blue and cold. (2,900/2,100)
"Oh no," said Sam. "She's stronger than Puppet King!"
"True," said Kozaky. "She could defeat Puppet King. But that's not my intention. She has a potent special ability.
"Once per round, I can pay 500 Life Points, and she can take control of a Water Attribute Monster for the rest of the round. And thanks to my Trap Card, all Monsters on the field are Water."
Erik gasped.
The Ice Queen pointed her staff, and Puppet Queen looked confused. He was pulled over to Kozaky's side of the field.
"Now to business," said Kozaky. "Your majesty… Put the chill on Toy Magician!"
The Ice Queen's eyes glowed. She pointed her staff, and shot a blast of chilling vapor. Toy Magician was covered with ice and frost, just before he shattered into icy shards.
"Puppet King…" ordered Kozaky, "attack him directly!"
"Go, Fortress of Sand!" shouted Erik, as his facedown card lifted.
The huge sand castle appeared behind him, just as Puppet King lunged.
"My castle has 3,000 Life Points, and that's just enough to protect me!"
Puppet King threw a punch, and half of the castle collapsed.
"Well then," said Kozaky. "I end my turn, which means you get Puppet King back."
Puppet King appeared back on Erik's side of the field.
(E: 5,300) - - - - - - - - - - (K: 3,900)
Erik drew a card.
I can't believe this! he thought. Seven cards, and not a single one that can help me!
All I need is one card…
"I move Puppet King to Defense Mode," he said, as Puppet King knelt and shielded himself.
"Then, I summon Card Blocker."
The small, toy soldier appeared holding his sword and shield. He quickly knelt in Defense Mode. (400/400)
"That's all," he said.
Kozaky chuckled again as he drew a card.
"I play… Pot of Avarice," he said.
He played the card, and Cold Enchanter, Lord of Dragons, Blizzard Dragon, Dragon Ice, and Mobius the Frost Monarch slipped out of his discard slot. He shuffled them into his deck, and drew twice.
"I play Tribute to the Doomed!" he laughed, playing one of them. "I'll discard one card to destroy your Card Blocker!"
He discarded the other card, and waves of energy struck Card Blocker. He shattered into shards.
"Now, I'll pay 500 Life Points again so that The Ice Queen can do her job."
The Ice Queen gestured, and Puppet King was pulled over to Kozaky's side again.
"Don't they make a cute couple?" asked Kozaky, as Puppet King moved to Attack Mode. "What's a Queen without a King, I always say…"
Erik just glared at him.
"Puppet King, tear the rest of his Fortress down!"
Puppet King lunged, and hit the remains of the sand castle with his fist. What was left of it collapsed.
"Ice Queen, attack him directly with arctic punisher!"
The Ice Queen's frigid spell blasted forward, hitting Erik. He screamed as numbing cold ripped though him.
He fell to his knees.
(E: 3,400) - - - - - - - - - - (K: 3,400)
"I end my turn," said Kozaky.
Puppet King reappeared on Erik's side of the field.
Erik looked up to see that Puppet King was looking down at him with a look of horror. The Duel Spirit couldn't believe what had happened.
"It's okay…" whispered Erik. "Wasn't… Wasn't your fault…"
But I gotta do something, fast! One more round of this, and not only will I lose, Zane will lose his deck! I'll never forgive myself!
"As Jaden would say…" he muttered, getting up, "here goes… something!"
He drew a card. He held it up to the light.
"I summon Armor Breaker!" he shouted.
In a flash of light, the small toy soldier with a huge helmet shaped like a mallet appeared. (800/800)
"Next, I remove one Spell Card from play…"
Toy Memorial slipped out of his discard slot.
"To Special Summon Spell Striker!"
The small toy wizard holding his wand appeared. He made a big smile. (600/200)
"Eh?" said Kozaky.
"Okay, boys," said Erik, "let's DO it!"
Armor Breaker leapt into the air and started to spin around. He quickly transformed into something resembling more a real mallet. Spell Striker caught it and held it aloft.
"Time to finish this!" shouted Erik. "Spell Striker, attack Kozaky directly!"
Spell Striker flew at the mad scientist swinging the mallet. Kozaky grunted as the toy Warrior hit him with it.
"Finish this?" asked Kozaky. "You barely made a dent!"
"Really?" asked Erik. "Well, when a Monster deals damage using Armor Breaker, he gets to destroy one card on the field!"
"Huh?" asked Kozaky.
Spell Striker slammed the mallet into the ground, and a tremor rocked the room. A huge crack opened in the floor. The Ice Queen screamed, just before she plummeted into the crevice.
"What have you done?" screamed Kozaky.
"I think I've just beaten you," said Erik. "Puppet King, put this guy on ice! Attack directly with Majestic Checker!"
Puppet King glared at Kozaky with an angry look.
"Uh…" gulped Kozaky, looking at the huge Warrior. "You aren't really that mad at me, are you?"
Puppet King slugged the mad scientist hard in the stomach, with such force that Kozaky flew against the wall and into the bookshelf. To add insult to injury, a volume landed on his head.
"I do believe he was," said Yumi.
(E: 3,400) - - - - - - - - - - (K: 0)
Erik's opponent was not only out of Life Points, he was out, period. The last blow had him seeing stars and mumbling something about the square root of seven.
"Good job, Erik," said Zane. "And it looks like we've won the wager…"
He walked up to the glass case. Then he reached into his satchel and took out a studded, leather glove.
"What are we going to do with them?" asked Ren.
"I'll keep them safe until we get back to Joan," said Zane putting the glove on. "Anyone who wants them is going to have to beat me, and I didn't become Joan's second-in-command due to my good looks."
He punched through the glass case with his gloved hand, shattering it.
He carefully cleared away the glass, and then started to gather the cards.
"Joan will know what to do with these cards…"
The Goblin of Greed watched. He frowned.
If I want them then, he thought, I'll have to lift them before I confront Chelsea. Getting them off of Zane will be hard…
Hard, but not impossible…
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Daala was working hard at her mainframe. She intended to punish Kozaky severely for accepting that wager once she got her hands on him, but now she had other concerns.
She was working on the program that had created the AI version of Raiden, the one that could create AI versions of video game characters.
But she had learned her lesson with Raiden. She would not use this program to give life to a hero character again.
Her next subject would not only be a villain, but a remorseless, unfeeling, unrelenting villain, one who possessed no concern for others, one who did not know the meaning of mercy, one who would not accept a surrender nor would surrender himself. One who would not give up until his prey was defeated. He would have to duel, but he would duel without emotion.
Only this type of duelist had any chance of defeating Hell Kaiser.
She hit the Run command. Slowly, an image of the creature appeared on the screen.
"Bring me Zane," she said.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Nicholas and Olga sipped tea while seated on a mat on the floor. Their host wasn't as talkative as they'd have liked.
"So…" said Jade, finally speaking. "Are you two interested in classes here? We have much to offer. And very reasonable rates."
"Truthfully, Jade," said Nicholas, "it isn't your martial arts skills that interest us… It's your expertise in Duel Monsters."
Jade just looked at him.
"You used to be one of the greatest," he continued. "You were one of the finalists of the first Duelatopia, alongside Yumi's parents. You were…"
"I'm retired," she said. "I leave Duel Monsters and the heroics that come with it for the new generation.
"I've heard of you, Nicholas… You and your Six Samurai Deck… You're creating quite a stir in Kaibaland on weekends lately…"
"Yeah, and I know about your history too, Jade," said Nicholas. "Your own sensei was someone who was attempting to teach his students in the same way that they did in the Feudal Era, the same style of the real Samurai. In a way, you adapted the same traditions. The Code of Bushido. Concepts like honor and loyalty… Things that aren't thought of much today…
"And yet, as a duelist, you never used the Six Samurai, preferring to use a different class of Samurai-related cards… And I heard why you didn't…
"I heard a rumor that the Six Samurai hid a great secret. Your sensei introduced you to dueling, and he entrusted you with that secret. You didn't use the Six Samurai yourself because you didn't want to be tempted to take the secret for your own use."
Jade slowly sipped her tea.
"This secret you speak of," she said. "Let's say, for a moment, that it does exist… Perhaps a special card of some sort… Well… You certainly would expect me to protect it with all my power, would you not?"
"Sure," said Nicholas. "I realize that you can't just give it away… But I do know that great secrets tend to have ways of being earned.
"So…"
He stopped short.
She was looking at him.
She was looking at him directly in the eye.
He couldn't look away. He couldn't look away from those big, violet eyes.
What was she doing? Was it some sort of trick?
Jade finally closed her eyes, and nodded. She stood up and put her cup down.
"Wait here," she said. "I have to get dressed."
She turned and left the room.
"Get dressed?" said Olga. "Nicholas, what if she's going to get her armor and sword?"
"We run away in terror," replied Nicholas. "But… I think we may want to stick around for now…"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
THE ICE QUEEN (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Spellcaster/Effect
Attribute: Water
Level: 8
ATK: 2,900
DEF: 2,100
Card Description: Once per turn, you may pay 500 Life Points to take control of one WATER Monster on your opponent's side of the field until the End Phase of the current turn.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
ABSOLUTE ZERO BARRIER (Spell Card)
Field Spell
Image: A man in a robe confronting a dragon in an ice cavern.
Card Description: Each Monster on the field loses 500 Attack Points for each "Ice Counter" on it. Monsters with at least one "Ice Counter" cannot declare an attack.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
INSTANTANEOUS FREEZING (Spell Card)
Quickplay Spell
Image: A man in a heavy cloak in an icy cavern, his cloak being buffeted by winds.
Card Description: Negate the activation of a Spell or Trap Card and set it facedown on the owner's side of the field. That Spell or Trap cannot be activated until your third End Phase after the activation of this card.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
FRIGID ICE PILLARS (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: A man on a tundra approaching a yeti who is hiding behind two ice pillars.
Card Description: Place two "Ice Pillar Counters" on a face-up Monster on the field. When that Monster is targeted by an attack, you can remove one "Ice Pillar Counter" to negate that attack.
Note: "The Ice Queen", "Absolute Zero Barrier". "Instantaneous Freezing", and "Frigid Ice Pillars" were first used by Alexis at various times in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" Manga. Creative credit goes to the writers.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
ICE AGE PANIC (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: A blizzard over a range of icy mountains, with a beam of light falling from the sky towards the center.
Card Description: You may only activate this card when you have no Monsters on your side of the field. Special Summon one EARTH Monster from your deck.
Note: "Ice Age Panic" was first used by Noah in the original anime episode "Brothers in Arms (Part Two)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coming up next…
IS Jade going to get her armor and sword? If she is, then the next chapter is probably going to be incredibly short…
All kidding aside, next chapter, Jade decides to come out of retirement, and challenges Nicholas to a battle to test to see whether her secret should stay hidden or not. But if you're expecting Jade to use her old deck, you'll be disappointed. A completely different deck has been prepared for this purpose, and the creatures in it are not nearly as nice as the ones in her old deck. All cards have a story behind them, and the Six Samurai are no different… What are they hiding?
"Reenactment" is coming soon…
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Name that Card!
When Kagemaru unleashed the Sacred Beasts for the first time, his deck had only Monster that we saw aside from the three Sacred Beasts. Can you name it?