It's my birthday… But the present is for you. A new chapter, a day early. Enjoy, while I go get some cake.
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Daala's invasion has started. Her unholy army has begun to cross the threshold from Xanadu into the world of humans.
Like most invasion forces, it has begun small. She has sent scouts on reconnaissance missions to scope out the situation, which will no doubt prepare for the arrival of the larger squads.
The overall successes of campaigns like this depend largely on the success of the starting points. I'm standing before one of the scouts, and if I can defeat him, then maybe an early victory on our side will mean an advantage down the road.
At least… I hope so… And I hope that this duel can do what Nicholas wants it to do… He worked hard to get that card…
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CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
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Beachhead
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The Realm Lord's fortress stood on an icy plateau, and was not easily accessible.
The medieval-style castle could be accessed, if you used the expected way, by a winding, narrow pathway going around the plateau, where one false step would send you tumbling to your doom to the rocks below. And once you got to the top, you'd be a clear target for the sentries guarding the main gate, the only apparent way in.
Yumi's party was not going to play that game. She told Chelsea to use her Interdimensional Matter Transporter to send them right to the top, where they were now hidden behind a group of boulders, able to broadside the two sentries.
They were very modern-looking Duel Spirits. They looked like robotic Warriors, with solar panels on their backs, glowing optic sensors, and laser rifles mounted on their arms.
"What are they?" whispered Ren.
"Search Strikers," whispered Zane. "Wind-Attribute Warriors, although I fail to see what a cybernetic soldier has to do with Wind."
"Only two of them," whispered Sam. "We can take them."
"It only takes one to raise an alarm," replied Zane. "We need to use a little strategy…"
"Strategy, huh?" said Erik. "I got an idea."
Five minutes later, one of the Search Strikers turned his head.
"You hear something?" he said to the other one.
"Eh, it's your imagination," said the second.
Then Spell Striker floated over the ridge and winked at them. It flew to the side.
"You got a good imagination," he continued.
The two Warriors pointed their guns at the small Warrior and followed him as he ducked behind a large boulder…
…and then they were shocked as a Vampire Lady, Dark Blade, Magician's Valkyria, and Opticlops leapt out from behind the rock and tackled them. The four Monsters wrestled them to the ground and tore the guns away from them.
Vampire Lady grinned, and handed a ring of keys to Chelsea.
"Not bad," said Chelsea, as Zane started tying their hands together. "Zane, if we find the Elemental Heroes first, we may gain an advantage when we find the boss."
"Don't worry, I know where they are," said Zane. "I've been here before."
"Huh?" said Yumi.
"I wanted to free them," replied Zane, "but they begged me to flee, telling me that the Lord knew I was coming, and had designed a deck specifically to combat mine. An Anti-Machine Deck.
"In my downloaded memories, I knew that it was facing such a deck that drove the real Zane over the edge. Much as I hated to do it, I couldn't risk staying, and left them behind."
"Don't worry," said Yumi, lifting her Disk. "I've upgraded my own deck a bit, and I'm prepared for the worst…"
As they walked into the castle, a Mokey Mokey floated up the pathway. It looked at them with a curious expression, and followed them inside.
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It was five minutes to five PM, in Domino Square. The same place where, years ago, the first duel of Battle City, Yugi Mouto versus the Rare Hunter, took place.
"Why are we here, Nicholas?" asked Olga.
"I have a feeling," said Nicholas. "I once heard that portals often open at places of historic importance. And in terms of dueling, this square was the sight of several important duels in the history of the game…"
The clock struck five.
Then a shimmering light appeared in front of them. It started to grow into a glowing, blue opening…
"Speak of the devil," said Nicholas. "Be careful, Olga. There's no telling who – or what – will come out of there…"
Emerging from the portal was a frightening creature. The Duel Spirit was clearly a Fiend – all the standard fiendish features were there, claws, horns, and wings that looked like flames. He had mauve skin with odd tattoos, and elaborate gauntlets and leg armor. A very large sword was strapped to his back.
"Well, well," he said, lifting a Duel Disk. "I just get here, and already a couple of duelists to practice on!"
"Guardian Baou?" gasped Nicholas. "Olga, watch out!"
"Olga, eh?" replied Baou. "One minute…"
He tapped his Disk, and a holographic screen came up in front of him.
"Hmm…" he said, looking at the data. "Are you the Olga from Liverpool, or the Olga from Prague?"
"Why should I tell you, Mr. Buttinsky?" snapped Olga.
"Okay…" said Baou, looking at the screen. "Since your accent is clearly British and not Slavic, I'm going with Liverpool…"
"Oops," said Olga, covering her mouth.
"My, my…" chuckled Baou. "Plays a Fairy Deck, I see… Well, I may even enjoy this more than usual."
"How come?" asked Olga.
Baou glared at her as the screen vanished.
"Well, let me think," he muttered, "I'm a Fiend… You use Fairies… Do the math!"
He crossed his arms.
"Fairies were half the reason I left the other Guardians… Elma was stuck up, and downright bossy…"
"Why should I duel you?" asked Olga. "What if I tell you to get lost?"
"Would you rather I find some wayward children as victims?" asked Baou. "Once Daala's invasion begins in earnest, the duelists have to be taken out. They're the only ones who can see us, so they're our biggest threat. Refuse to duel us, and we'll take it out on some poor souls who can't."
"Olga!" whispered Nicholas. "Not to put undo pressure on you, but…"
He took the blank card out of his side deck.
"If you can beat this guy, this may be the battle of Order against Chaos that will awaken The True Master.
"You beat that jerk with Diabolos. You can beat this guy."
Olga turned to Baou.
"All right, horn-head," she said. "I'm sending you back where you came from."
"Good luck!" laughed the Fiend.
"Game on!" they shouted.
(Olga: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Baou: 8,000)
"I'll start this show," chuckled Baou, drawing his first card.
He grinned as he looked at his opening hand.
"I throw down a facedown card," he said, "and then summon Anchor Knight. All hands on deck!"
A reversed card appeared, and then an intimidating creature materialized. It looked like a man made of steel, with a spherical torso, anchors for arms, and a ship's steering wheel on its back. (1,500/600)
"I've seen worse than that," remarked Olga.
"Oh, really?" asked Baou.
He discarded three cards from his had – a Terraforming, a Little Chimera, and an Ultimate Baseball Kid.
"Well, for each card that I just discarded," he continued, "my Knight gets to go postal, and clobber you for 600 points of damage.
"Go! Anchors away!"
Anchor Knight swung its right arm, and the anchor shot forward, attached to a chain. The left one followed, and it made three swings at Olga. She screamed as the heavy anchors plowed into her three times.
She fell to her knees.
(O: 6,200) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 8,000)
"That's just a sample," chuckled Baou. "It's your move."
Olga slowly got up. She growled and drew a card.
"I summon Sunlight Unicorn!" she shouted.
A sunbeam fell from the sky, and a beautiful unicorn descended, landing on the ground. It was pure white, with a sapphire-blue mane and beard. (1,800/1,000)
"How cute," said Baou. "When do the Keebler Elves show up?"
"Yeah, yeah," growled Olga. "Popular media has mutilated the unicorn's image, making them into cutesy, sappy, girly creatures. If you read the original folklore, you'd see that they could be as ferocious as tigers, especially when defending the unspoiled forests.
"And Sunlight Unicorn has a powerful effect. Once per round, I get to check the top card on my deck. If it's a Spell Card, I get to add it to my hand. Anything else, and it goes to the bottom of my deck."
She took the top card of her deck.
"Well, what do you know?"
She turned it forward. It was The Shallow Grave.
"All right!" she shouted. "Show Anchor Knight just how cute you can be!"
Sunlight Unicorn lowered its head, and charged at Anchor Knight, using its horn like a lance. It speared the Warrior, and Anchor Knight exploded into a burst of flames and scrap metal.
(O: 6,200) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 7,700)
"Good effort!" laughed Baou. "Pointless, but good…"
He discarded the UFO Turtle in his hand. An anchor burst out of the ground, and entangled around Sunlight Unicorn's legs, causing it to trip. Anchor Knight pulled itself out of the ground. (1,500/600)
"But I destroyed it!" gasped Olga.
"But by discarding a card," replied Baou, "I can activate its other effect, and bring it back in Defense Mode."
"Ooh…" muttered Olga. "I end my turn."
Baou drew a card.
"I move it back to Attack Mode," he said, as Anchor Knight stood up. "And then play the Field Spell, Molten Destruction."
There was an explosion, and a volcano erupted behind him. Like the name suggested, the Field Spell caused destruction. The streets overflowed with burning, molten lava.
"Since my Knight happens to be a Fire Monster," said Baou, "this Field Spell gives him a boost."
(2,000/200)
"A Fire Monster?" asked Olga. "A Fire Monster who fights with anchors? That doesn't make sense!"
"Well, uhm, uh…" muttered Baou. "Uhm… Okay… It doesn't make sense to me either. But I go with what works. Anchor Knight, attack! Buster anchor!"
Anchor Knight threw its anchor forward, and Sunlight Unicorn screamed before it was blown away.
"Next, my facedown card activates," continued Baou, as his Trap Card lifted. "Violent Salvage. With Anchor Knight on the field, I get back the top three cards from my Graveyard."
UFO Turtle, Little Chimera, and Ultimate Baseball Kid slipped out of his discard slot, and he took them.
"The catch is, I'm not allowed to use them."
"Then what…" stared Olga.
Then it sunk in.
Baou quickly discarded them again, and Anchor Knight glowed. Olga screamed as the anchor hit her in the chest again.
(O: 4,200) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 7,700)
"Olga!" screamed Nicholas.
"I'm fine…" muttered Olga.
She got up. She drew a card.
First thing's first, she thought, looking at it.
"I play Mystical Space Typhoon!" she shouted. "Let's put out this fire!"
A tornado tore through the field, and the lava cooled, and then turned to dust. Anchor Knight fell to (1,500/600)
"Next," said Olga, "I summon Hysteric Fairy."
She played a new card, and the fussy-looking, bespectacled Fairy appeared, holding its tome. (1,800/500)
"Attack Anchor Knight!" shouted Olga.
Hysteric Fairy adjusted its glasses, and shot a beam of light at the Anchor Knight. The Fire Warrior exploded again.
"Crud…" muttered Baou. "I have no cards to discard…"
"That's the idea," said Olga. "I'll throw a card facedown, and end my turn."
A facedown card appeared.
(O: 4,200) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 7,400)
Baou grumbled, and made a draw.
He set the card on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.
"I end my turn," he said.
"Not before I activate this," said Olga, as her facedown card lifted. "Scapegoat!"
Four puffy, multicolored sheep appeared next to Hysteric Fairy.
"My draw," said Olga, drawing a card.
Fire Monsters aren't known for their high Defense Scores, she thought. This might work.
"I use Hysteric Fairy's effect," she said. "By sacrificing two Monsters, I gain 1,000 Life Points. So, I'll sacrifice all four Sheep Tokens to use that effect twice."
The four Scapegoats vanished, and Olga glowed with energy.
"Next, I summon Absorbing Kid from the Sky."
In a burst of light, the pudgy, winged kid appeared. (1,300/1,000)
"Now my Kid attacks your Monster! Go, absorption force!"
Absorbing Kid inhaled deeply. Masked Dragon appeared on the facedown card. It turned to fire, and the Kid swallowed it.
"Thanks to Absorbing Kid's effect, I gain 300 Life Points for each Level your Dragon had. I believe it was Level Three."
"And thanks to Masked Dragon's effect," said Baou, "I get to summon another weak Dragon. And no-one ever uses a Masked Dragon without packing two extras."
A second Masked Dragon appeared in Defense Mode. (1,400/1,100)
Hysteric Fairy blasted a beam from its eyeglasses, and the second Masked Dragon exploded.
Baou gestured, and a third Masked Dragon appeared. (1,400/1,100)
"I end my turn," said Olga.
(O: 7,100) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 7,400)
Baou growled and drew a card.
Then he grinned.
"Time for a recharge," he said. "I play Coins from Heaven!"
He played the card, and a light flashed overhead. He drew six cards, and Olga drew two.
"Now…" chuckled Baou, "let's use them, shall we?
"I play a second Molten Destruction!"
In another explosion, burning lava covered the streets again. Masked Dragon rose to (1,900/700)
"Next, I sacrifice Masked Dragon…"
The Dragon vanished in a plume of smoke.
"…to summon an old favorite of mine… Twinheaded Beast!"
The creature that appeared looked like a huge, fiery centaur, with two bestial heads, each with a flaming mane. It held fire in the palms of both of its hands. (1,700/1,900) –) (2,200/1,500)
"Good lord…" muttered Nicholas.
"And guess what?" continued Baou. "This charming creature gets to attack twice.
"Attack her Kid!"
Twinheaded Beast threw a fireball at Absorbing Kid from the Sky. The Fairy exploded, and Olga cringed in pain.
"AND her Hysteric Fairy!" shouted Baou.
The Beast threw a second fireball, and Hysteric Fairy burst.
(O: 5,800) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 7,400)
Baou chuckled.
"That's enough for one turn," he said. "But next round, he's coming after you."
Olga drew.
She looked at the powerful Monster.
Baou is awfully clever, she thought, but… Maybe he can be tricked.
"I play Monster Reborn," she said.
She played the card, and the holy ankh appeared. Sunlight Unicorn appeared again, sitting on its hindquarters in Defense Mode. (1,800/1,000)
"Then, The Shallow Grave," she continued, playing another Spell Card. "Now, we must each summon a Monster from our Graveyards in facedown Defense Mode."
Two facedown Monsters appeared, one on each side of the field.
"Now, I use Sunlight Unicorn's effect."
She looked at the top card on her deck.
"Aw… crap…" she said.
"Let me guess," chuckled Baou. "You're playing a Fat Fairy Deck, and that card was one of the fattest."
Olga didn't reply as she placed it on the bottom of her deck. "Fat Fairy" was a term in game slang for a Level Seven or Eight Fairy that could be Normal Summoned. Most Fairy duelists used Gellenduo to summon them.
The card she had just put on the bottom of her deck was Splendid Venus, which fit the profile, but frankly, she hated that term.
"I end my turn," she growled.
Baou laughed as he drew a card.
"You don't fool me, Olga," he said. "I was paying attention… That facedown Monster can only be Hysteric Fairy or Absorbing Kid, and both of them have weak Defense Scores.
"I flip my Anchor Knight to Attack Mode."
His facedown Monster flipped up, and Anchor Knight appeared again. (1,500/600) –) (2,000/200)
"Now, I summon Molten Zombie."
In a burst of flames, and hulking, lumbering brute that appeared to be made of lava appeared. (1,600/400) –) (2,100/0)
"Molten Zombie, Anchor Knight, destroy her Monsters!"
Anchor Knight threw its anchor at the facedown Monster. Hysteric Fairy appeared on the card, and shattered.
Molten Zombie belched a cloud of flaming gas at Sunlight Unicorn, and the equine Fairy was burned up.
"Twinheaded Beast…"
"Hold it right there!" shouted Olga. "You fell right into my trap! When I have two or more Monsters on the field, and all of them are destroyed in the same Battle Phase, I get to summon this from my hand!
"Tualatin!"
She threw a card on her Disk, and a huge creature appeared in an explosion of light. It looked like a cross between an angelic knight and a jet plane, with pure silver armor. (2,800/2,500)
"How's THAT for a Fat Fairy?"
"Eh, nothing I can't handle," replied Baou, frowning.
"Oh?" said Olga. "Tualatin has a powerful effect. When it's summoned like this, I get to name one Attribute. Then, every Monster on the field that matches the named Attribute is wiped out."
"HUH?" gasped Baou.
"Think I'll name…" muttered Olga. "Fire."
Tualatin glowed with radiant energy. Baou cringed, as Anchor Knight, Molten Zombie, and Twinheaded Beast burst into explosions of embers.
"You also are not allowed to Normal Summon or Special Summon any Fire Monsters until Tualatin is no longer on the field," continued Olga.
Baou growled. He looked at the cards in his hand.
"Yes!" shouted Nicholas.
He held up the blank card.
"Did you see that? Did you?"
The card made no verbal response. But it was glowing dimly in the weak light.
Baou placed two cards in his Disk.
"I set two cards facedown, and end my turn!" he shouted, as two facedown cards appeared.
"You're all sizzle," said Olga.
She drew a card.
"…and no steak!
"I play the Sanctuary in the Sky. Time for a change of locales."
She fit the card into her Field Slot, and the molten wasteland faded away. It was soon replaced by the cloudy paradise in the sky, with the ancient stone temple looming behind Olga.
"Even if you manage to summon something," she said, "I'm not hurt at all from any battle involving Fairies here.
"But I can still hurt you.
"Tualatin, attack him directly! Triangle Force!"
Tualatin put its hands together, and formed a blazing energy triangle. It gestured, and the projectile blasted at Baou, knocking him over.
(O: 5,800) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 4,600)
"I set a Monster in Defense Mode, and end my turn," said Olga.
A facedown Monster appeared next to Tualatin.
"My draw…" growled Baou.
He laughed out loud when he saw what the card was.
"I play Brain Control!" he laughed. "I'll pay 800 Life Points to take your Tualatin!"
The fiendish brain appeared over the field. Waves of mental energy poured from it, and Tualatin was pulled over to Baou's side.
"You're gonna sacrifice my Tualatin!" screamed Olga.
"Yes, but not in the way you think," replied Baou. "But first thing's first… Attack her Monster!"
Tualatin fired its Triangle Force at the facedown Monster, and Radiant Jeral appeared on the card. It shattered into green triangles.
"Next, my facedown cards activate," said Baou. "First, DNA Transplant."
His first facedown card lifted.
"Now, I name one Attribute, and all Monsters on the field become that Attribute. I name Fire.
"Next…"
His second facedown card lifted.
"Spiritual Fire Art – Kurenai. Now, I sacrifice one Fire Monster, and my opponent takes damage equal to that Monster's Attack Score.
"And since I changed Tualatin to Fire…"
Olga gasped. Tualatin turned into a huge ball of fire, and it shot at her. She screamed as it plowed into her, knocking her over.
(O: 3,000) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 3,800)
"Burn, baby, burn," chuckled Baou, taking a Spell Card. "Next, I play Blasting Vein. I'll destroy my DNA Transplant card, and draw two cards."
Fiery cracks appeared in the Trap Card, and it burst into a shower of embers. He made two draws.
"Now that Tualatin is gone, I'll summon Tenkabito Shien."
There was a galloping of hooves, and a Samurai warrior strode onto the field on a coal-black horse. He was dressed in the rich clothing of nobility, had a neatly-trimmed topknot and goatee, and carried a large nodachi. His eyes burned like embers. (1,500/1,000)
Aw, man… thought Nicholas. How can I convince The True Master if Baou uses THAT card? It's like a Samurai turning traitor!
"Finally, I'll Equip him with the fiery Salamandra."
He played the Equip Spell, and Shien's sword blazed with fire. (2,200/1,000)
"And that's all!"
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In Xanadu, Daala nervously watched the clock.
Nine o'clock would be here before she knew it, but before that happened, one last incredibly important plan would have to be overseen.
She dialed her cell phone.
"Is Brron still asleep?" she said into it.
"Still sleeping like a very, very ugly baby," replied the Shadow Tamer on the other end.
"Good," replied Daala. "If he so much as starts having night terrors, let me know."
She hung up.
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"I'm not gonna let you win, Baou…" grumbled Olga, making a draw.
She looked at the Spell Card, and then played it.
"I play Akashic Record. Now, I get to draw two cards. However, if either of them has been used already, I lose both of them."
She made two draws, and looked at them.
"Fortunately," she said, turning them forward, "both are new."
She set a card on her Disk.
"I'll set a Monster, and that will be all."
Baou made a draw.
Hmm… he thought. This might come in handy…
He set two cards in his Disk, and two facedown cards appeared.
"Shien, attack her Monster!" he commanded.
Tenkabito Shien galloped forward and made a slash with his blade. The twin Fairies of Gellenduo appeared on the card, and held fast. (1,700/0)
"Sorry to ruin your plans," said Olga, "but Gellenduo can't be destroyed in battle."
"In that case," said Baou, "my turn is over."
Olga drew a card.
She felt a warm light emitting from the card as she looked at it. Ever since Yumi and the others had gone to Xanadu, this card seemed to have more power than it had before.
"Gellenduo has another effect," she said. "When it's sacrificed to summon a Light-Attribute Fairy, it can count as two sacrifices.
"So I sacrifice it…"
Gellenduo vanished.
"To summon Guardian Angel Joan!"
A beam of light fell from the clouds, and in a flourish of shimmering motes, Guardian Angel Joan descended. (2,800/2,000)
"Ho boy…" muttered Baou.
"Attack Tenkabito Shien!" shouted Olga. "Divine Flame Strike!"
Joan cast a mighty divine smite from her palms, and Tenkabito Shien was blasted out of existence.
"And when Joan crushes an enemy, I gain Life Points equal to his Attack Score!"
"Don't celebrate too soon," said Baou.
Then Olga noticed that he had activated his Trap Card.
"Dark Healer?" asked Olga. "What does that do?"
"I added it to my deck when I knew I would be dueling a Fairy duelist," explained Baou. "It's a Continuous Trap whose effect will activate each time you increase your Life Points. The amount you get each time will be cut in half.
"Where does the other half go, you may ask? It's for my benefit… But it is transformed into the ability to draw one card."
He quickly made a draw.
Olga frowned. She looked at the other cards in her hand.
"I end my turn!" she shouted.
(O: 4,100) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 3,800)
Baou drew another card.
"I play my Pot of Avarice."
He played the card, and took Ultimate Baseball Kid, Tenkabito Shien, Anchor Knight, Molten Zombie, and Twinheaded Beast from his discard slot. He shuffled them into his deck, and drew twice.
"Time to get serious," he said, "I play the Spell Card, Arms Hole."
The Spell Card appeared on his side of the field.
"Now, by sending the top card from my deck to the Graveyard…"
He took a card off his deck and discarded it.
"I get an Equip Spell back…"
A card slipped out of his discard slot.
"Like my Salamandra. Of course, in exchange for that, I can't Normal Summon this turn. But I can play Monster Reborn to summon UFO Turtle in Defense Mode."
He played the card, and the fiery, mechanical turtle appeared. (1,400/1,200)
"Next, I activate my facedown card. The Transmigration Prophesy."
His facedown card lifted. Monster Reborn and Molten Destruction slipped out of his discard slot. He combined them with his deck, and reshuffled.
"Next, I play Golden Sarcophagus."
The Spell Card appeared, and the golden chest rose out of the ground.
He took a card out of his deck and looked at it.
Monster Reborn. In just two rounds, he'd be able to use it again.
It lowered into the chest, and the chest closed. Then it sank into the ground.
"And I end my turn."
He's up to something, thought Olga, drawing a card, and I don't like it…
"I set two facedown cards," she said, as two reversed cards appeared.
"Then I attack with Joan!"
Joan cast her searing light, and UFO Turtle was reduced to slag.
Baou chuckled.
"Now you gain 700 Life Points," he said, "and I get to draw one card."
He made a draw.
"And I also get to summon another weak Fire Monster. Like another UFO Turtle."
A second of the fiery Attribute searchers appeared. (1,400/1,200)
Olga sighed.
"My turn is over," she said.
(O: 4,800) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 3,800)
Baou grinned as he drew a card.
"I Equip Salamandra to UFO Turtle," he said.
He played the card, and UFO Turtle rose to (2,100/1,200)
"And now…" he said, playing a card, "I sacrifice it, along with every other card in my hand…"
He discarded his hand, and UFO Turtle erupted into a huge bonfire.
"…to summon the Infernal Incinerator!"
The creature that appeared was hideous. It looked like a cross between a giant, six-legged lizard, and some bestial demon. Its hide was scaly and red, and it was covered with spikes and spines. (2,800/1,800)
"It isn't just a pretty face," continued Baou, "it gains 200 Attack Points for each Monster on your side of the field."
(3,000/1,800)
"Attack Joan! Demon Hell burner!"
With a roar that sounded like a blast furnace rupturing, the Fiend blasted a wave of flame at Joan, engulfing her in it and reducing her to ashes.
"HA, HA, HA, HA!" laughed Baou. "Oh, I'm going to get a medal for this!"
Olga sadly watched as Joan fell into the Graveyard.
She hung her head.
"What do I do?" she whispered.
"Don't give up, Olga!" urged a voice.
Olga lifted her head.
She looked at her Disk, and saw that her discard slot was glowing.
"J… Joan?" she whispered. "Is that you?"
"It's another 'me'," said the voice. "I'm using this card to try to talk to you, because I think you need it.
"And you can't just throw down your cards and give up yet. You don't know what's at stake!
"Baou is only the beachhead. He's just a scout for the greater army. If you lose here, he'll have a positive report to bring back to his commander. They'll have much more confidence when the real invasion starts. That's bad. Very bad.
"On the other hand, if he's beaten, they'll come with more caution. You might have a better chance.
"Baou may have a powerful Monster, but you have a stronger one. If you keep going, I have faith that you will use it to overcome him."
The glow stopped.
Olga looked at Baou.
"It's my move!" she shouted.
At least I hope so… she thought, looking at the two cards in her hand. I have one Monster, one Spell Card…
…and two facedown cards… But I can't do much except stall with any of them…
She drew a card.
"I play my own Pot of Avarice!" she shouted, playing it.
Sunlight Unicorn, Hysteric Fairy, Absorbing Kid from the Sky, Tualatin, and Radiant Jeral slipped out of her Disk, and she added them to her deck and shuffled. She drew twice.
She was shocked when she saw what one of them was.
"Father…" she whispered.
It was the card…
The card her father had given her…
The rarest card in her deck… The card he had pulled so many strings to get for her when she had become interested in dueling…
It was the card that held her father's soul.
She looked at Baou as she added it to her hand. Her eyes narrowed.
"I remove two Light Monsters in my Graveyard from play," she said, "to summon Soul of Purity and Light!"
Two cards slipped out of her discard slot, and a winged, feminine form made of silvery mist appeared in front of her. (2,000/1,800)
"Then, I play Celestial Transformation. Now, I can Special Summon a Fairy, so long as I cut its Attack Score in half."
Dunames Dark Witch appeared on the field. (1,800/1,050) –) (900/1,050)
"Don't forget," said Baou, "my Infernal Incinerator gains more Attack Points."
Infernal Incinerator grew to an Attack Score of 3,200.
"Oh, really?" replied Olga. "Well, I sacrifice both my Monsters…"
Dunames Dark Witch and Soul of Purity and Light vanished.
"To summon Neo-Parshath the Sky Paladin!"
The clouds parted, and a majestic form flew down. It was a giant, winged centaur, covered with gold armor, his wings attached to a gold frame. He held a long sword in one hand, and a golden shield in the other. (2,300/2,000)
"Now, my facedown card," continued Olga, as one of her Trap Cards lifted. "Aegis of Gaia! Now, I gain 3,000 Life Points!"
"Have you forgotten my Dark Healer?" asked Baou. "That gain is cut in half, and I get to draw a card."
He made one draw.
(O: 6,300) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 3,800)
Perfect! he thought, looking at it. My Heavy Storm. Now I can tear down this accursed Field Spell.
Then he looked at Neo-Parshath.
"HUH?" he gasped.
(4,700/2,000)
"How'd he get so strong??" he shouted.
"That's his effect," replied Olga. "When the Sanctuary is in play, and I'm ahead on Life Points, he gains Attack Points equal to the difference.
"Neo-Parshath, destroy his Infernal Incinerator!"
Neo-Parshath flew at the demon, and made a great slash with his sword. The fiery demon howled, and then exploded. Baou braced himself from the flaming debris.
(O: 6,300) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 2,100)
"I'm still standing!" laughed Baou.
I'll get Monster Reborn from my Sarcophagus next turn, he thought. And with Heavy Storm, I'll blow away both the Field Spell and Aegis of Gaia, and that oversized Fairy will be reduced to its base Attack Score!
"I activate my other Trap!" shouted Olga.
"Huh?" said Baou.
Olga's last Trap Card lifted.
"Miraculous Descent!" she exclaimed. "Now, I get to bring back one Fairy that's been removed from play!"
Guardian Angel Joan appeared in another blinding light. (2,800/2,000)
"Oh… no…" said Baou.
"Attack him directly!" ordered Olga. "Divine flame strike!"
Joan flew at the Guardian, and blasted her holy flames. The Fiend screamed, and was propelled backwards.
(O: 6,300) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 0)
Guardian Baou chuckled as he lay on his back.
"Not bad…" he laughed. "Not bad… Guess I won't be getting a medal after all…
"But you can be sure that you'll be on our army's hit list when the main force comes! They'll be going after the strong ones first!
"You won this battle… The war has only started…"
Then he burst into globules of light.
"Olga, look!" shouted Nicholas.
He ran up to her, holding the card.
"You did it, Olga!" he gasped. "It's changing!"
Slowly, a picture formed on the card, then Level stars, then statistics, then effect text.
Nicholas started to read the writing on the card. He wasn't the easiest Monster to summon if you wanted to make full use of his effect, but if you pulled it off, he was incredibly powerful.
Olga nodded.
"Let's do it, bro," she said. "Let's hunt us some Duel Spirits…"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
With Zane leading the way, Yumi and company wandered down a large, torch-lit hall of the castle.
The whole place was strange. It seemed to have a mechanical theme of sorts, not unlike the Infernal Clock. But they had not had to deal with any guards.
Zane walked up to a large set of double doors.
"Here," he said. "Unless they've been moved, the Elemental Heroes are in here."
He took the keys, and unlocked the door. He carefully pushed the door open.
Inside the room was a vast computer room, with a giant mainframe on every wall. And the four Elemental Heroes – Avian, Burstinatrix, Clayman, and Sparkman – were indeed inside. They were prisoners, held in capsules not unlike the one that the Goblin used to hold Penelope.
All four of them took notice when the duelists entered. They rushed up to them.
"Who are you?" asked Burstinatrix, nervously.
"Let's just say, Joan sent us," said Chelsea, looking at the controls for the capsules.
"Bad news people," said Zane. "These digital locks are far more complex than the ones on the Goblin's capsule. It could take an hour before I cracked all four."
"He'd find you before then," sobbed Burstinatrix. "He's a madman…
"Ever since we were captured, he's forced us to serve in his deck. Daala sends him to the Twelve Dimensions when he needs a duelist to handle someone she can't negotiate with."
"That's monstrous!" exclaimed Yumi. "Someone working for Daala is using an Elemental Hero Deck?"
"Who is this guy anyway?" asked Erik.
"That would be me," said a voice at the other end of the room.
"No…" sobbed Burstinatrix. "He's already here…"
Everyone looked…
It was someone they had seen before, Ren particularly. He could never forget him, as his father had seen him as well. It was a man dressed in a black outfit that resembled armor. Over his head was an egg-shaped helmet with one slot for an eye, the left one. The right side of the helmet was bronze, while the other half was black.
"The Phantom Duelist?!" shouted Ren. "You're running this place?"
"Mmm, yes," said the figure, "but I don't use that name any more, Ren. I'm quite tired of it. It was a rather cheesy pseudonym…
"You know, I have a more proper name… I never told it to you or your father… I might as well reveal it, since it makes no difference now…
"Colonel Slade Wilson, aka Deathstroke the Terminator.
"Realm Lord of the Frozen Wastes, a new title I recently added.
"And believe me… Things are going to be very different from here on in…"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
SUNLIGHT UNICORN (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Fairy/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 4
ATK: 1,800
DEF: 1,000
Card Description: Once per turn, you can look at the top card of your deck. If it is a Spell Card, add it to your hand. If not, place it at the bottom of your deck.
Note: "Sunlight Unicorn" was first used by Ruka in an episode of "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D". Possibly, this card will be released as a real card in "Crimson Crisis".
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
AKASHIC RECORD (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: A dinosaur skull lying with a few bones.
Card Description: Draw two cards from your deck. If a copy of either card has been used previously in the duel, remove both from play.
Note: "Akashic Record" was first used by Jesse (possessed by Yubel) in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "The Ultimate Face-Off (Part Two)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
ANCHOR KNIGHT (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Fire
Level: 4
ATK: 1,500
DEF: 600
Card Description: Discard one card from your hand to inflict 600 points of direct damage to your opponent. This effect may be used three times per turn, during your turn. If this card is destroyed as a result of battle and sent to the Graveyard, you may discard one card from your hand to Special Summon it in face-up Defense Position.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
VIOLENT SALVAGE (Trap Card)
Normal Trap
Image: Anchor Knight amid the waves of the ocean, plunging its fist into the waves.
Card Description: You may only activate this card when an "Anchor Knight" is face-up on your side of the field. Take the top three cards on your Graveyard and add them to your hand. These cards cannot be set, summoned, or activated.
Note: "Anchor Knight" and "Violent Salvage" were first used by The Masked Knight of Anger in the multi-part "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Triple Play". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
DARK HEALER (Trap Card)
Continuous Trap
Image: Nurse Reficule the Fallen One lurking behind a visibly nervous Hysteric Fairy.
Card Description: The effect of this card activates whenever your opponent activates an effect that increases his/her Life Points. Reduce the amount of Life Points gained by your opponent by half. Then, draw one card from your deck.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Lords of Chaos
The myth of Zargon the Returner
The following story was until recently completely unknown, until an ancient tome was recovered from a destroyed caravan led by a harvester devil bringing important documents to a lord of Hell. Whoever destroyed the caravan is not known, but whoever did so killed the harvester devil and his servants and took anything they perceived as valuable, which apparently did not include the books and documents. The book was a tome of confidential files headed for an infernal safe house. Apparently, this Lord of Chaos is one that the devils wanted to keep secret.
Everyone knows the story… Of how Lucifer and his army were polluted by the evil energies of the demonic forces, turned against Heaven, and were cast into Hell. Not many know, however, that Hell existed before this event. And Hell was not unpopulated at the time.
Before Lucifer's fall, the place that would be called Hell was known as Baator, and it was the home of foul creatures who can simply be called ancient baatorians. Their ruler was a vile creature called Zargon. He was a true monster, a tentacled, one-eyed, horned thing, and his kingdom was a disgusting place overrun by rivers of slime.
When Lucifer and his rebellious host fell, they set about claiming the territory for their own, and were no strangers to fighting creatures like this. They destroyed most of the ancient baatorians, and enslaved others. A very small number survived, and fled to deeper parts of Baator. It is said they went into hibernation – only foolish devils go looking for them today, for it is said that they may have grown stronger in their eons-long sleep.
Zargon himself survived, and fled to the Abyss, arriving in a layer whose lord had recently been assassinated in a coup. He quickly used his own powers to overthrow the ones who had done so, and took over himself, turning the layer into a fetid swamp of slime and filth. He decided that if he could not rule Baator, he'd ally himself with the creatures who opposed the new rulers of it.
Zargon is neither demon nor devil, but over the millennia, he has grown in power, and become a mad force of Chaos. He has become a true Elder Evil, and seeks the same goals as any of them: destruction of all he comes across. He has made very few allies over the centuries; only demons who are able to survive the most dangerous layers of the Abyss are able to approach him. His minions include not only such demons, but other disgusting creatures, beings of ooze and muck who hail from a more primordial time.
Zargon is not as powerful as others who dream of the goals he has set. But he still clings to them, planning for a time when he will reveal himself to mortals, and flood the world with his vile slime. Still, some who know of Zargon wonder if there may be more to him than simply a destructive force. A being who predates Lucifer's fall may well know secrets of the origin of the universe, and with such secrets may come unimaginable power…
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coming up next:
The Realm Lord stands revealed! But how did Slade go from duelist assassin to minion of Daala? Since when does Slade work for anyone but himself anyway? Next chapter, he explains everything, and then challenges Yumi to an all-out battle, which may be her toughest fight yet. It's all coming up in "The Dark Half", coming soon.