Author's note:
This is another chapter where I use Japanese names for a certain group of cards. Mostly for dramatic effect than for anything else.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
The story behind the man who we're facing now goes back to my father's time.
In the first Duelatopia, he faced Ren's father, using a Mask Deck. He beat him good, humiliating the young Clive Marris.
Fast-forward nineteen years. Ren met him when we attended Duelatopia, and he hadn't seemed to have aged a day. Ren was only too happy to duel him again to avenge his father, and faced a new deck, a Demon Matador Deck. Ren beat him this time, and that was the last we saw of him until now.
I had assumed that this man, The Phantom Duelist, was nothing more than some duelist assassin with a flair for the dramatics. But now he has shown up working for Daala, as Lord of the Frozen Wastes. He's even told us his real name.
There's more to him than we once believed. Looking him in the eye, the only eye I can see due to his helmet, I see a dark soul… One that hides many secrets…
I have a feeling that he's held back his true strength up to now. And now, with his true name revealed, his true power will come forward…
I'm in for the fight of my life…
0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
CHAPTER FIFTY
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
The Dark Half
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0
The four Elemental Heroes slunk back in fear as the masked man held up a small remote and pushed a button on it.
Then, the four Duel Spirits turned into grains of light and vanished.
"HEY!" shouted Yumi. "Where did they go?"
"Take it easy," replied the masked man. "They're okay… I don't want to kill them just yet…"
He held up four Duel Monsters cards – the four Monster Cards depicting the four Heroes.
"Let them go, Deathstroke, or Slade, or whoever you are!" demanded Yumi. "Or so help me, I'll…"
"Patience, Yumi," he replied. "It's a trait I had to learn long ago…"
"So, Deathstroke, huh?" asked Ren. "Not exactly the most subtle name… And the Terminator? Arnold Schwarzenegger would want a word with you if he wasn't dead."
The man's eye narrowed.
"I used that name long before that silly movie was ever released," he said, "so if anyone ever owed anyone royalties, he owed them to me.
"But you can just call me Slade. Now that all pretenses are done away with, there's no need for formalities any more. I suppose you have questions…"
"Who… are… you?" snarled Yumi. "We thought you were just some duelist for hire, but clearly there's something more…"
Slade looked at her.
"Yes…" he said. "A lot more…"
He crossed his arms.
"I'm much older than you might believe, you know…" he said. "I was out and about long before your father ever met me, Ren. Long ago, when I was in the U.S. military, I volunteered for a top-secret super-soldier program.
"I underwent experimental testing, that altered my chemical, biological, and even genetic structure. It made me stronger, faster, and almost impossible to harm. One scientist said I had also gained the ability to use ninety percent of my brain capacity, this being a time when it was thought that most humans only used ten percent of it. But whatever the case, I had become smarter, becoming a combat and tactical genius like none other.
"Most folks didn't see another benefit I had acquired. I only had to sleep two hours out of every twenty-four. And I only had to eat one meal a day. The reason was, my metabolism had greatly slowed, and my body was making much greater use of my energy intake. And as I didn't find out until much later, this included the side effect of aging much slower than the average man, greatly increasing my organ longevity. Even as I passed the age where most men retire, my eyesight and hearing never faded, my blood pressure remained perfect, and my muscles didn't deteriorate. I was nearly immortal.
"After I was ousted from the military for defying orders, I became a mercenary and assassin. I became one of the best. You know how it goes… The old good-guy-bad-guy thing…
"But eventually, I learned something the hard way. Immortality is a gift that humans were never meant to have.
"The world changed, and I didn't. My old enemies retired, and I found myself fighting their protégés. My allies retired or went to jail, and I was forced to make deals with new ones. I wondered if this would happen when a third generation appeared. I got sick of it. I threw down my weapons, and quit for good, hoping to find some sort of reason to exist.
"Becoming a duelist for hire helped, but not as much as I'd hoped. It was like a watered-down version of what I had used to be. I almost envied your grandfathers, Yumi, who dueled in real Shadow Games. I figured that such dangerous contests might at least make a duel more meaningful.
"You think I'm crazy, don't you? You think no-one in their right mind would want to duel in a Shadow Game. Well, trust me, I'm sure that a Shadow Game is no different than many of the other dangerous situations that I've been in.
"I was at the point of despair. I kept working as a duelist assassin, accepting jobs from idiots like Rasputin just to make an income so I could eat… Not that I had to eat that much… I had used every deck strategy under the sun… Monarchs, Dragons, Archfiends, Ancient Gears… I got bored with them all…
"And then… I met Daala…
"Daala showed me a whole world behind the veil, one where she can change the world into something wonderful, something that will give me the reason to exist that I was looking for.
"I came fully out of retirement. I'm done working for dark powers now…"
He glared at the small group.
"I'm ready to become one again…
"I've created my most powerful deck. I've already defeated and enslaved the Elemental Heroes, and if you want to save them…"
He produced a deck, and shuffled the four cards into it.
"It's your move, my friend."
"I'll take you on!" shouted Ren.
"Oh, that's very flattering, Ren," replied Slade, "but I'm through dueling sidekicks. This time, I insist on dueling the Queen of Games herself. After all, there's no glory in winning unless you triumph over the best."
He produced a Disk from his back (which, oddly, was standard-issue) and slipped it on his left arm.
"Fine…" said Yumi. "And if I win, you let those four go?"
"I suppose," said Slade. "But beware…
"With them in my deck, I've taken down some of the most powerful duelists in the Twelve Dimensions. Lorelei the Symphonic Arsenal and Mazera DeVille are but two powerful Duel Spirits who refused to deal with Daala. They regretted it once they faced this deck."
"I'm not afraid of you," said Yumi, lying.
"You might be once you see my Deck Lord," replied Slade. "He's someone that your grandfather might remember from the first time he encountered Marik, the time he faced Bandit Keith when Keith was Marik's mind slave…"
A bonfire of black flames appeared behind him, and a hideous Fiend appeared in it. It looked like sort of a bulky, humanoid crocodile, covered with a bony exoskeleton and horns all over, with huge claws. It wore a purple cape with a high collar.
"Zera the Mant?" exclaimed Erik.
"What the heck does a Ritual Fiend have to do with Elemental Heroes?" asked Chelsea.
"Uhm…" said Zane. "I believe… Not a thing…"
"And there are far better Ritual Monsters than that," added Sam.
"True, he's only a fan card nowadays," replied Slade, "but he fits my needs, with a Deck Lord ability I can use to my advantage."
Yumi gestured, and Dark Magician Girl appeared behind her.
"Let's stop stalling!" she shouted.
"Game on!"
(Slade: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Yumi: 8,000)
"Mokey Mokey," said a voice beside Ren.
Ren looked down, and the little Fairy was floating beside him.
"Quiet down, little guy!" he whispered. "If he sees you, he might decide to make s'mores…"
Yumi quickly drew her first card.
Perfect! she thought. I drew Mirror Force in my opening hand! And I have Old Vindictive Magician too. This will help me get an early lead…
"I set a Monster, and a facedown card," she said.
A hidden Monster and a reversed card appeared.
"Your move…"
Slade's one good eye narrowed. He drew a card.
"I use my Deck Lord Power," he said, as Zera the Mant started to glow with dark energy.
"Already?" said Ren.
"It's an Extraordinary Power called Dark Alchemist," continued Slade. "I get to take a specific Spell Card from my deck."
A Spell Card slipped out of his deck, and he took it.
"Also, when I choose to use it, it cannot be countered or negated.
"I choose to use it NOW. I play Dark Fusion."
"Dark Fusion?" gasped Ren.
"I don't like the sound of that…" said Chelsea.
They didn't like the look of it either. The card's art depicted a very nervous-looking Avian and Burstinatrix, as a fiendish, shadowy form loomed over them.
"It's a special type of Fusion card," explained Slade. "It can only be used to summon Fiend-Type Fusion Monsters.
"That makes no sense!" shouted Chelsea. "The Hero Fusions aren't Fiends!"
"How little you know…" said Slade. "I use it to fuse Elemental Heroes Avian and Burstinatrix…"
The two Heroes appeared in front of them. Then, both of them gasped as they erupted in flames.
"What are you doing to them?!" shouted Yumi.
"You'll see…" said Slade.
The two pillars of flame merged into one pillar, forming a humanoid shape.
"I summon…" announced Slade, "Evil Hero Inferno Wing."
Yumi stepped back as the creature appeared. It was clearly feminine, dressed in red shorts, a halter top, and a long cape. She had large, black, feathered wings, talons on her feet, and large claws. She had spiky hair, and punk glasses underneath it.
She made an evil smile at Yumi. (2,100/1,200)
"Mokey Mokey!" shouted the Fairy.
"An Evil Hero?" gasped Ren.
"So Dark Fusion turns two superheroes into a super-villain?" asked Chelsea.
"Sure seems that way," replied Sam.
"Your Inferno Wing is nothing more than a cheap copy of Flame Wingman!" shouted Yumi.
"Not at all," replied Slade. "She's far more powerful than that loser. But anyway, since she was summoned using Dark Fusion, normally, she'd be immune to all targeting effects on the round she was summoned."
At least my Mirror Force will still work, thought Yumi. It doesn't target.
"But, my Deck Lord has another power," continued Slade. "It's called Invincible Evil. It makes a Monster immune to ALL card effects on the round it's summoned with Dark Fusion."
"Say WHAT?" shouted Yumi.
"Inferno Wing," ordered Slade. "Attack her Monster with infernal burst!"
Inferno Wing grinned, and put her hands together, forming a ball of white-hot flames. She threw it at the facedown card. Old Vindictive Magician briefly appeared before being burnt to a crisp.
Then Yumi clutched her chest and screamed.
"You already see one advantage Inferno Wing has over Flame Wingman," said Slade. "She inflicts trampling damage. And one other thing…"
Yumi looked up to see Inferno Wing standing over her. The Evil Hero grinned, and pointed her claw.
Yumi screamed as a blast of flames covered her. She fell to her knees.
"When Inferno Wing destroys one of your Monsters," continued Slade, "you lose Life Points equal to that Monster's Attack or Defense Score, whichever is greater. So you lose 600 more Life Points."
Two facedown cards appeared behind Inferno Wing.
"I'll end with two facedown cards, and then you can make your move. That is, if you can find the strength to stand."
(S: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Y: 5,900)
Yumi struggled to her feet.
"Sorry, Slade," she said, "but you won't keep me down that easily…"
She drew a card.
"I play The Shallow Grave," she said, playing a card. "Now, we both must Special Summon a Monster from our Graveyards in facedown Defense Mode."
A facedown Monster appeared on both sides of the field.
"Are you really that anxious to lose 2,100 more Life Points?" asked Slade.
"Not a chance!" replied Yumi. "I'm sacrificing my Monster…"
The facedown Monster vanished.
"…to summon Chaos Command Magician!"
In a burst of energy, the powerful Chaos mage appeared, holding aloft his scepter. (2,400/1,900)
"All right!" shouted Chelsea.
"Attack!" ordered Yumi. "Chaos Magic! Send Inferno Wing back to Hell!"
Lightning flashed, and Chaos Command Magician fired a burning blast of multicolored light. Inferno Wing screamed, and then burst in an explosion of fire and smoke.
"He got her good!" cheered Ren.
"And I'm willing to bet that Evil Heroes are just as much NOMIs as Elemental Hero Fusions," added Zane. "We won't be seeing her again."
"But you will be seeing someone new, thanks to my Trap Card," said Slade.
One of his facedown cards lifted.
"Activate, Hero Signal."
A spotlight with an odd signal in it shot out of the card and hit the ceiling.
"Since my Monster was destroyed, I get to Special Summon an Elemental Hero from my deck, up to Level Four."
Clayman appeared, crouching in Defense Mode. (800/2,000)
Yumi looked at the rest of her hand.
"I'll play one more card, and that will be all," she said.
A second facedown card appeared.
(S: 7,700) - - - - - - - - - - (Y: 5,900)
Slade drew a card.
"I'll simply set a card of my own, and that will be all," he said.
Another facedown card appeared on his side.
Yumi drew another card.
"I summon Magician's Valkyria!" she exclaimed.
In a flash of light, Valkyria appeared.
"I hate to do this, Clayman," she shouted, "but you'll thank me later! Chaos Command Magician, attack!"
Chaos Command Magician pointed his scepter.
"Activate, Negate Attack," said Slade.
His facedown card lifted, and the Spellcaster's bolt was deflected by an invisible shield.
"In that case," said Yumi, "I end my turn…"
Slade made a draw.
"I play… Pot of Greed," he said.
The evil jug appeared with a laugh, and he made two draws.
"I'll use one of these right away," he continued. "Mystical Space Typhoon."
He played the card, and the cyclone sped towards Yumi's first facedown card. Her Mirror Force lifted up and shattered.
"Next," said Slade, "I play Reinforcement of the Army. Now I can add Sparkman to my hand."
A card appeared in his hand.
"Now, I use my Dark Alchemist ability again…"
A second Dark Fusion appeared in his hand, and he quickly played it. Sparkman appeared on the field, and he and Clayman were consumed in flames, just as Avian and Burstinatrix had been…
"I summon Evil Hero Lightning Golem," said Slade.
The flames formed into one again, and then into a hulking shape. He looked similar to Thunder Giant, but with more emphasis on metal in the armor, and a more pronounced lightning theme. His eyes glowed with electrical energy. (2,400/1,500)
"So this is Thunder Giant's evil twin?" asked Yumi.
"Yes," replied Slade. "But unlike that weakling, Lighting Golem can destroy any Monster once per round, and I don't have to discard a thing.
"Since I know that effect won't work on Chaos Command Magician… Lightning Golem, take out Valkyria."
Magician's Valkyria stepped back in fear as Lightning Golem reached for her, his hand crackling with electricity…
"Not so fast!" shouted Yumi.
A dome of energy formed around Valkyria, and Lightning Golem was pushed backwards.
"Huh?" said Slade.
"I used my own Deck Lord power," said Yumi. "You see, Slade, ever since Dark Magician Girl absorbed King Dragun's power, she's become infused with the power of the Core, and she's been able to manifest the more benign powers of Chaos. This is basically our way of giving the finger to Shogarr."
Dark Magician Girl giggled.
"It's called a Chaos Shield," continued Yumi. "If I pay 500 Life Points, then for one time only, any Spellcaster has the same ability as Chaos Command Magician."
Slade looked at Yumi.
"I still have Lightning Golem's normal attack!" he said.
"No you don't," replied Yumi, as her facedown card lifted. "Activate, Threatening Roar!"
A roar echoed over the field.
"Threatening Roar doesn't affect your Monsters at all," said Yumi, "so it can keep your Golem from attacking."
Then I end my turn," said Slade.
(S: 7,700) - - - - - - - - - - (Y: 5,400)
"This doesn't make sense!" shouted Chelsea. "Since when are the villains stronger than the heroes?"
"Actually, Chels," said Ren, "in popular media, nine times out of ten, that's the case. The villains usually are more powerful than the heroes. I mean think about it… If the heroes were more powerful, they'd defeat the villains too easily, and it would make a pretty dull story."
Yumi drew a card.
She set it in her Disk, and a facedown card appeared. Then Valkyria knelt and shielded herself in Defense Mode."
"There," she said.
Slade made a draw.
"My Golem's effect may be ineffective due to your Deck Lord power," said Slade, "but I can keep forcing you to pay to use it. Lightning Golem, destroy Valkyria."
Lightning Golem reached for Valkyria again.
"I pay 500 Life Points again!" shouted Yumi.
Lightning Golem was pushed backwards again.
He turned to Slade and frowned.
"Fine then," he said. "Attack! Hell lightning!"
Lightning Golem fired a burst of burning lightning at Valkyria. Yumi's voice couldn't be heard as her facedown card flipped up, and Draining Shield covered her.
"Well…" said Slade. "Seems you are not one to be taken lightly… I have to end my turn…"
(S: 7,700) - - - - - - - - - - (Y: 7,300)
Yumi drew a card.
She played it, and the Pot of Greed appeared on her own side of the field. She made two draws.
His deck is strong, she thought, but it does have a weakness… If I took away the Elemental Heroes, there'd be no more Evil Heroes.
Let's see how far Slade is willing to go to protect them…
"I move Valkyria to Attack Mode," she said.
Valkyria stood up.
"Valkyria, attack his facedown Monster! Magic illusion!"
Valkyria fired her burning blast. Burstinatrix appeared on the facedown card, and was blown to pixels.
"Now, I play Magical Dimension," continued Yumi, as the Quickplay Spell appeared. "I sacrifice Valkyria…"
Valkyria vanished.
"…and Special Summon Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer!"
In a burst of dark energy, Kycoo appeared, chanting his dark spell. (1,800/700)
"Now, I use the second effect of Magical Dimension to destroy Lightning Golem!"
Lightning Golem groaned, and then exploded in a burst of sparks.
"Chaos Command Magician, attack Slade directly!"
The mage cast his Chaos Magic. Slade shielded himself with his arm, and strained under it.
"Kycoo, spell of banishment!"
Kycoo called lightning to his hands, and threw it at Slade. The masked man staggered backwards.
(S: 3,500) - - - - - - - - - - (Y: 7,300)
"Now I activate Kycoo's effect!" exclaimed Yumi. "I get to remove two Monsters in your Graveyard from play. And I choose to take away Burstinatrix and Clayman!"
"Oh no you won't!" shouted Slade.
His facedown card lifted.
"I activate Hero's Rule 2!" he exclaimed. "This Trap Card foils any attempt to manipulate a Graveyard, and destroys the card that tries to do so!"
Kycoo screamed, and then exploded into pixels.
"Did you really think I'd let you disarm me so easily, Yumi?" asked Slade.
Yumi chuckled.
"Actually," she said, "no. No, I didn't."
"Huh?" asked Slade.
"You called Flame Wingman and Thunder Giant losers and weaklings," she said. "But I think you're more afraid of these Heroes than you lead on."
"WHAT?" exclaimed Slade, sounding angry for the first time. "I'm not afraid of them! I'm not afraid of anything!"
"You were proud of your victories over Lorelei the Symphonic Arsenal and Mazera DeVille…" said Yumi. "You owe those victories to the Evil Heroes… But you owe them to the Elemental Heroes!
"I wonder… I just wonder… What would happen if those four managed to somehow escape? Where would you be, Slade? You'd be nowhere, that's where. Your deck is nothing without them.
"That's how it goes… Villains just can't survive without heroes…"
"I'm perfectly capable of dueling without them!" said Slade, sounding a little irked. "And it's still your move!"
Yumi looked at the two cards in her hand.
She took one of them, and set it in her Disk. A facedown card appeared.
"I'm done," she said.
Slade drew a card.
"I play my O-Oversoul," he said, as a Spell Card appeared. "Now, I can bring Burstinatrix back from the Graveyard."
Burstinatrix appeared, hovering over Slade's side of the field. (1,200/800)
"Maybe you were right," said Slade, as he took another card from his hand. "Maybe I have to show them more respect… After all, they had some very powerful weapons when they came trying to take this castle… Weapons that I confiscated for my own use.
"Like this one, the Spell Card, Burst Impact. When Burstinatrix is on the field, it lets her destroy every Monster except herself."
"HUH?" said Yumi.
Burstinatrix held out her hand, and a fireball formed in it. It grew… And grew, and grew, and grew, until it was bigger than she was.
Then she threw it, and Chaos Command Magician screamed before shattering into pixels.
"Also, you lose 300 Life Points for each Monster that was destroyed," continued Slade.
"So I noticed," muttered Yumi.
"Odd…" said Slade. "And now she's forced to attack the one who would be her savior… Such irony…
"Burstinatrix, attack her directly. Burstfire attack."
Burstinatrix flew over the field, with fire in her hands.
"I activate my own hero card!" shouted Yumi, as her facedown card lifted. "A Hero Emerges! Now, you have to choose a card in my hand! If it's a Monster, I get to Special Summon it!"
"All right!" laughed Erik. "Yumi has only one card in her hand!"
"Slade will have no choice but to pick that one," replied Zane.
Magician's Valkyria appeared on the field. (1,600/1,800) Burstinatrix backed off and landed.
"The attack is called off," said Slade. "I end my turn."
(S: 3,500) - - - - - - - - - - (Y: 7,000)
Yumi drew a card.
Just what I needed, she thought.
"Valkyria, attack Burstinatrix!" she shouted.
Valkyria cast her magic illusion. Burstinatrix didn't move or react in the slightest, even when it hit her. She burst into shards.
Yumi placed the card she had drawn on her Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.
"It's your move," she said.
(S: 3,100) - - - - - - - - - - (Y: 7,000)
Slade drew a card, and looked at the three cards in his hand.
Man, this guy has a serious game face, thought Yumi.
"I'm almost glad you did that, Yumi," said Slade. "Because now, since I have no Monsters on my side of the field, I can Special Summon Evil Hero Hell Brat."
He played a card, and a cackling laughter echoed over the field. A Fiend appeared that looked humanoid and reptilian, with claws, a long tail, and two sets of fan-shaped wings, one set on his back, and one set growing out of his cowl. He had a nasty grin. (300/600)
"Since that was a Special Summon," continued Slade, "I can sacrifice him, to summon an Evil Hero who is totally independent of the Elemental Heroes…"
Hell Brat vanished.
"I summon Evil Hero Malicious Edge."
A new Fiend appeared. If Hero Monsters were based on existing comic book characters, this one seemed to have been taken from the same mold as Wolverine, but looked far more sinister, wearing black, leather, studded armor that was covered with spikes, with flared shoulder-guards. (2,600/1,800)
"Wait a second!" shouted Sam. "That guy's Level Seven!"
"True," said Slade, "but he can be summoned with one sacrifice if my opponent controls at least one Monster. And unlike the previous two, he isn't a Fusion of two Elemental Heroes, so he doesn't have their morals submerged inside him to hold him back in the slightest.
"And he has another effect as well. Like Inferno Wing. He inflicts trampling damage.
"Attack her facedown Monster. Needle burst."
Malicious Edge leapt up, and pointed, shooting a shower of spikes at the facedown card. Morphing Jar appeared, and was blown to dust.
"ERGH!" shouted Yumi, holding her chest.
(S: 3,100) - - - - - - - - - - (Y: 5,000)
She slowly drew five cards. Slade discarded the one card in his hand, and made five draws. He looked them over.
"I end my turn," he said. "And since I did, another effect of Hell Brat activates, and I get to draw another card."
He made a sixth draw.
Yumi slowly made a draw.
She looked at Skilled Dark Magician in her hand.
Setting him in Defense Mode would be worse than putting him in Attack Mode, she thought.
"I summon Skilled Dark Magician," she said.
In a flourish, the black-robed sorcerer appeared. (1,900/1,700)
"Then I move Valkyria to Defense Mode."
Valkyria knelt, and shielded herself.
"And I end my turn."
Slade drew a card.
"I play The Warrior Returning Alive," he said. "Now Sparkman returns to my hand."
A card slipped out of his discard slot.
"Now… I think I'll summon him."
In a flash of light, Sparkman appeared. (1,600/1,400)
"Next, I Equip him with Spark Blaster."
Sparkman held out his hand, and a large, space-age pistol appeared in it.
"Spark Blaster is a special weapon that only Sparkman can use. I think he may have invented it. Anyway, I can use it a total of three times, and each time, I can change the battle position of a Monster.
"So here's once."
Sparkman fired a blast of electricity from the Blaster, and Valkyria gasped. She stood up into Attack Mode.
"Twice…" said Slade.
Sparkman fired again, and Skilled Dark Magician cringed. He knelt in Defense Mode.
"Next," said Slade, taking a card from his hand, "I play Premature Burial, to bring back the Monster I discarded when Morphing Jar was flipped. Evil Hero Hell Gainer."
He played the card, and a new Fiend appeared. This one had a bony, rocky, armored carapace, a tail, and was covered with horns. (1,600/0)
Then, he vanished in a ripple of light.
"Where'd he go?" asked Ren.
"Hell Gainer possesses the ability to travel two rounds into the future," said Slade. "And when he does that, another Fiend on the field gains the ability to attack twice per round."
"Oh no…"said Chelsea.
Malicious Edge leapt up, and fired his needle burst at Valkyria. She screamed and shattered. Yumi sweat and held her chest. Then he fired another burst at Skilled Dark Magician, and he shattered as well. Yumi held her chest again.
"Sparkman, attack Yumi directly," ordered Slade. "Static shockwave."
Yumi screamed as Sparkman fired a blast of electricity, striking Yumi.
(S: 2,300) - - - - - - - - - - (Y: 1,500)
"Now that that's done," continued Slade, "I'm going to use the last charge of Spark Blaster… On Sparkman himself, to move him into Defense Mode."
Sparkman fired again, and the sparks surrounded him. He knelt and shielded himself. The Spark Blaster shattered into shards.
"I set one card facedown," continued Slade, "and end my turn."
A facedown card appeared.
Yumi sweat heavily as she drew a card.
Okay… she thought. Exactly when did I lose control here?!
"I throw down three facedown cards!" she shouted, as three cards appeared in front of her in flashes of light.
"Then, I play Monster Reborn! I'll bring Valkyria back."
Valkyria appeared again, crouching in Defense Mode. (1,600/1,800)
"I end my turn."
"You never learn, do you?" asked Slade, drawing a card.
"Malicious Edge, destroy her again."
The Evil Hero leapt into the air again.
"I activate… Call of the Haunted!" shouted Yumi.
One of her facedown cards flipped up, and a coffin appeared on her side of the field. It opened, and Yumi's other Valkyria stepped out. (1,600/1,800)
"Yumi's Valkyria lock!" exclaimed Erik.
"She just might have a chance!" replied Sam.
"Wonderful," said Slade, as Malicious Edge landed. "I'll end my turn there."
Yumi drew a card.
She quickly set it, and another facedown card appeared.
She nodded.
She didn't attack Sparkman, thought Slade. What is she up to?
He drew a card, and looked at it. It was his second Malicious Edge.
Well, it's her problem. Hell Gainer will be back momentarily. I can sacrifice Sparkman to summon this, and then use Hell Gainer's effect again. Then I'll have two Malicious Edges that can attack twice.
"It's my second Standby Phase since Hell Gainer made its jaunt," said Slade, "so now it returns."
Hell Gainer appeared in a shimmering light. (1,600/0)
"Now…" he continued taking a card from his hand.
"That was just what I was waiting for, Slade," said Yumi, as one of her facedown cards lifted.
"Common Sacrifice?" said Slade, looking at it.
"That's right," said Yumi, "since you have three Monsters, I can sacrifice your two weaker ones."
Slade stepped backwards in shock, as Hell Gainer and Sparkman vanished into grains of light.
"And I get to summon a Level Seven or higher Monster," continued Yumi. "So let's all hear it for Cosmo Queen!"
In an explosion of energy, the Queen of the Galaxy appeared. She frowned at Slade. (2,900/2,450)
Slade's eye narrowed.
"My turn isn't done, Yumi," he said. "I play a facedown card, and a facedown Monster."
A concealed Monster and a facedown card appeared.
"Then, I play Coins from Heaven."
A bright light flashed on the ceiling, and gold coins fell. Slade quickly drew four cards, and Yumi drew five.
"I set a second facedown card, then move Malicious Edge to Defense Mode, and end my turn."
Another facedown card appeared, and Malicious Edge knelt and shielded itself with its claws.
Yumi quickly drew a card. The Valkyria in Defense Mode quickly moved to Attack Mode.
"Cosmo Queen, turn Malicious Edge into cosmic dust!"
Cosmo Queen blasted her cosmic nova, and the Evil Hero exploded into particles.
"Valkyria, attack the facedown Monster!"
The first Valkyria cast her magic illusion, and a second Hell Brat appeared on the card. It was blown to pieces.
"Second Valkyria, attack Slade directly!"
The second Valkyria aimed her staff at Slade.
"I don't think so," replied Slade. "Activate… Sakuretsu Armor."
One of his facedown cards lifted, and a plane of shimmering force appeared around him. Valkyria screamed and shattered into pixels.
"What?" said Ren. "HUH? He could have destroyed Cosmo Queen… But he decided to use that on Valkyria?"
"Maybe…" said Zane. "Maybe he wanted Malicious Edge to be destroyed. I'm taking a wild stab here, but maybe, just maybe, there's an Evil Hero version of Miracle Fusion…"
"Mokey Mokey," said the Fairy.
"It's no use trying to talk to me," said Ren. "I can't understand a word you're saying…"
Slade slyly looked at Zane and then at Ren. He noticed the Mokey Mokey, but if he even cared, he didn't show it.
"I set a Monster in Defense Mode," said Yumi, "and my turn is over."
A facedown Monster appeared.
Slade drew a card.
"Perfect," he said. "I use my Dark Alchemist power to get my third Dark Fusion."
Zera the Mant glowed, and the Spell Card appeared in his hand.
"Next, I play Dark Factory of Mass Production. This lets me add Burstinatrix and Clayman to my hand."
Two cards slipped out of his discard slot.
"Just how many ways does he have to recover those Heroes?" asked Erik.
"I'd say… a lot," replied Sam.
"Now, I play Dark Fusion again," continued Slade.
Clayman and Burstinatrix appeared on the field, and erupted in fire again.
"I summon… Evil Hero Hell Sniper."
Another Evil Hero formed out of the two, this one a bulky Fiend in red armor, with a large laser cannon on his right hand. He knelt in Defense Mode. (2,000/2,500)
"So long as he's in Defense Mode," continued Slade, "he can do this every round."
Hell Sniper blasted flames from his cannon, striking Yumi. Yumi screamed and fell to her knees.
(S: 2,300) - - - - - - - - - - (Y: 500)
"At least that was your last Dark Fusion…" groaned Yumi.
"Yes and no," replied Slade.
One of his two facedown cards lifted.
"I activate the Trap Card, Hidden Book of Spell. Now I get to take two Spell Cards from my Graveyard, and add them to my deck."
Two Dark Fusions slipped out of his discard slot. He placed them on his deck.
"Then I reshuffle," he said, as he shuffled. "So I can indeed use Dark Fusion again, if that becomes necessary.
"I set one more card facedown, and it's your move…"
Another facedown card appeared.
Yumi drew a card.
Let's hope his facedown card isn't something that will stop my attack, she thought.
"Cosmo Queen, attack!" she shouted.
"I activate De-Fusion!" shouted Slade.
Hell Sniper vanished into two orbs of light, and the orbs formed into Clayman (800/2,000) and Burstinatrix (1,200/800) in Defense Mode.
"Seems I'm safe from a direct attack this turn," said Slade.
Yumi frowned. Cosmo Queen fired her blast, and Clayman shattered into pixels. Then Valkyria cast her spell, and Burstinatrix shattered.
"For someone who's trying to save them," said Slade, "you have a funny way of showing it."
"Save it, Slade," said Yumi. "They're Duel Monsters, they know it comes with the job description. But I know that by attacking, I'm hurting you."
"Indeed…" said Slade, as he drew a card.
He looked at Yumi with an evil look.
"And I'm ending this now, Yumi…" he said. "I just drew Foolish Burial."
He played the card, and then took his deck, spreading the cards out.
"Now, which Monster should I cast into the grave?"
He chose a card.
"Ah… Granmarg the Rock Monarch!"
He quickly discarded it.
"What's the point?" asked Ren.
"Because as your friend surmised," replied Slade, "Evil Heroes do indeed have their own version of Miracle Fusion… And I'm going to use it to summon one of the mightiest of the Evil Heroes.
"This Evil Hero is a Fusion of any Fiend and any Rock. And its Attack Score is equal to the combined Attack Scores of the Monsters I fuse to summon it…
"And to summon it… I play Dark Calling!"
An evil-looking Spell Card appeared on his side of the field. Granmarg and Malicious Edge appeared behind him.
"By removing Granmarg and Malicious Edge in my Graveyard from play, I can Fusion Summon Evil Hero Dark Gaia!"
The two Monsters burst into flame, and combined into a vortex of energy. There was a roar, and a sound like a volcano erupting. A Fiend that was fifteen feet high rose next to Slade, a creature made of rock and lava, with wings, horns, and claws. (5,000/0)
"MOKEY MOKEY!" screamed the Fairy.
It got up, and sped out of the room as fast as it could.
"Five-thousand Attack Points?" shouted Sam.
"And by the way," continued Slade. "Any Monster summoned with Dark Calling is assumed to have been summoned with Dark Fusion. So your facedown cards really don't worry me right now…
"And Dark Gaia has a special effect of its own… When it attacks, all your Monsters in Defense Mode switch to Attack Mode, and their Flip-Effects are negated.
"Dark Gaia… End this! Attack Magician's Valkyria with Malevolent Catastrophe!"
"NO!" screamed Chelsea.
Dark Gaia raised its hand, and a burning, flaming ball of fire appeared in it. Yumi's facedown Apprentice Magician flipped into Attack Mode quickly. (400/800)
Yumi backed up… The Evil Hero hurled the ball like a burning meteor. Yumi's friends could barely make out a Trap Card being activated just as the impact hit, causing an explosion that shook the whole room…
(S: 2,300) - - - - - - - - - - (Y: 0)
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
In Daala's throne room, she was watching, and she laughed with glee.
"Finally!" she laughed, as she started to type on her computer. "Finally one of my men does something right…
"Well, best get this done with… Not gonna make the same mistake I did with Sam… Yumi isn't getting away now that I have the chance…"
She typed in the command.
"Huh?" she said. "Error message?"
She typed in some other commands.
"Huh?" she said. "Joan's dictum is still protecting Yumi? But how?"
She looked back at the screen. A look of puzzlement appeared on her face.
Due to all her equipment readings, the duel was still in progress. No winner had been recorded yet.
"Okay, that's the why…" she muttered. "But that doesn't explain the how… I clearly saw her Life Points fall to zero… Darn smoke… I can't even see the playing field…
"Better check the record of the duel."
She typed in some commands. The play-by-play of the turn appeared.
"Slade Fusion Summoned Dark Gaia… Da-da-da-da-da… Slade attacked Valkyria with Dark Gaia… Da-da-da-da-da… Apprentice Magician switched to Attack Mode… Yumi took 3,400 points of damage… Yumi activated…"
Then a look of shock appeared on Daala's face.
Then she laughed. She threw herself on her couch and laughed hysterically. She laughed so hard, she nearly rolled onto the floor.
"Ho boy…" she chuckled. "Man, I didn't see THAT coming!
"You are a stubborn one, Yumi…
"You just don't know when to quit."
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Meanwhile, Slade wasn't finding the situation funny at all. He was arguing with his Deck Lord.
"What do you mean you can't?" he said to Zera, angrily.
Zera the Mant shrugged and shook his head.
"I won the duel, so you're supposed to absorb her Deck Lord!" he said, getting frustrated. "So do it already!"
"Better take another look, Slade," said Yumi's voice through the smoke. "It ain't over till it's over, and it ain't over yet."
"Your Life Points are zero, Yumi," said Slade, as the smoke started to clear. "That pretty much means it's over…
"Wait a second… Where did your Dark Magician come from?"
It was true. Dark Magician was standing there. (2,500/2,100)
"Uhm, I'm confused…" said Ren.
"What else is new?" asked Sam.
"Why is Yumi still here?" asked Erik.
"Because," said Yumi, "I knew this duel would likely be my toughest to date. So I included in my deck the rarest Trap Card my family possessed. I've been saving this for a special occasion.
"As soon as your attack hit, I activated it. A powerful Trap called Relay Soul. This card literally saved my grandfather's life in his duel against Dartz. It let me Special Summon a Monster to the field from my hand – such as Dark Magician – the instant my Life Points hit zero.
"Now, my Life Points may be gone, but I can continue this duel, so long as he remains on the field."
(S: 2,300) - - - - - - - - - - (Y: X)
Slade's eye narrowed.
"And they say the bad guys don't play fair…" he growled.
"What goes around comes around," scowled Yumi.
She sighed.
"He summons a Monster with five-thousand Attack Points that's immune to card effects, and he's complaining about how fair my cards are…"
Slade looked at the three cards in his hand.
"It's still my move!" he shouted. "I activate Reckless Greed!"
His last facedown card lifted.
"I have to skip my next two Draw Phases, but I get to draw two cards now."
He made two draws.
"And I'm still ending this now! I play Offerings to the Doomed!"
He played the card, and a beam of energy shot at Dark Magician.
"I knew you'd do that," said Yumi, "so I set another Trap for protection…"
Her last facedown card lifted.
"Mystical Refpanel!"
A beautiful feminine form with feathered wings flew out the Trap Card, holding a spherical mirror. She held it up, and the beam was caught in the mirror.
"Now I can redirect the effect of your Spell Card from my Monster to yours."
The fairy aimed the mirror, and the beam shot out of it, towards Dark Gaia.
"I can't catch a break here…" muttered Slade.
Dark Gaia frowned, and held out its hand. It simply caught the beam, and it was deflected.
"You may have saved your Dark Magician," growled Slade, "but you forgot… On the round my Monster is summoned, it is immune to all card effects, including my own.
"I have to end my turn Yumi, but next turn, my Dark Gaia will still be here, and it will still have 5,000 Attack Points."
Yumi drew a card.
"Let's face it," said Slade, "the more you struggle, the more I can…"
"Swords of Revealing Light!" shouted Yumi.
Slade stepped back in shock as the glimmering Swords crashed down around him.
"Swords of Revealing Light?!" he gasped. "You… you drew Swords of Revealing Light?! That was the luckiest draw I have ever…"
"You gotta hand it to Yumi…" said Sam with a sigh. "She can pull a solution out of her ass at the bleakest times."
"I set another Monster, and end my turn," said Yumi, as a facedown Monster appeared. "Don't forget, you can't draw this turn due to Reckless Greed."
Slade looked at the four cards in his hand, which were Dark Triad, Magical Mallet, Chthonian Polymer, and Evil Hero Malicious Edge. He didn't meet the conditions to use Dark Triad right now, and if he used Magical Mallet, he'd have to get rid of it or Malicious Edge, or both. Only a fool would use it to only swap one card.
Damn, he thought. Damn, damn, damn.
Oh well… Those Swords won't last forever…
"In that case, I pass for this turn," he said.
Yumi closed her eyes, and drew a card. She opened them and looked at it.
"I flip my facedown Monster into Attack Mode!" she shouted. "Magician of Faith!"
In a flash of light, Magician of Faith appeared. (300/400)
"I'll use Magician of Faith's effect to recover Monster Reborn, and then play it," she said.
The Spell Card appeared in her hand. She quickly played it, and the glowing ankh appeared. Chaos Command Magician appeared again. (2,400/1,900)
"Next," said Yumi, "I sacrifice Magician of Faith and Apprentice Magician…"
The two female mages vanished.
"For Dark Magician of Chaos!"
In a burst of darkness, the even stronger Chaos mage appeared. (2,800/2,600)
"Now I get a Spell Card back again," continued Yumi. "I choose Monster Reborn again.
"Now, I play it again!"
The ankh appeared again, and Valkyria appeared once again. (1,600/1,800)
"An army of Spellcasters!" shouted Ren.
"Pathetic!" growled Slade. "None of them can hold a candle to Dark Gaia!"
"Oh, really?" said Yumi, taking another Spell Card. "We'll see about that…
"I play another of my grandfather's favorites… The Spell Card, Necromancy!"
The ground in front of Slade began to rumble, and he backed up. Then Avian burst out the ground, and knelt in Defense Mode. (1,000/1,000)
"Avian?" he gasped.
Then Burstinatrix leapt up, and also knelt in Defense Mode. (1,200/800)
"Burstinatrix?" he shouted.
Then Clayman followed. (800/2,000) Finally, Sparkman came last. (1,600/1,200)
"What is going on?" demanded Slade.
"Simple," said Yumi. "Necromancy summons four Monsters from your Graveyard to your side of the field in Defense Mode. And now, the Elemental Heroes are going to help me take down that abomination!"
"And just how are they going to do that?" said Slade, with a scowl.
"I'll show you!" shouted Yumi. "Valkyria, attack Avian with magic illusion!"
Valkyria fired her spell, and Avian shattered.
"Chaos Command Magician, attack Burstinatrix with chaos magic!"
Chaos Command Magician fired his multicolored light, and Burstinatrix exploded.
"Dark Magician of Chaos, attack Clayman! Scepter strike!"
Dark Magician of Chaos slammed his scepter to the ground, and the shockwave tore towards Clayman, blowing him into pixels.
"Dark Magician… Dark… Magic… Attack!"
Dark Magician cast his dark spell, and Sparkman burst into triangles.
"Is there a point to this?" asked Slade, with a hint of annoyance in his voice. "This looks more like target practice than any real strategy."
"I have to agree with Slade," said Chelsea. "What the Hell is Yumi doing?"
"Wait…" said Zane. "Take a look at Dark Gaia."
Everyone looked at the huge Evil Hero. It was groaning, and holding a burning wound in its chest. (2,600/0)
"WHAT?" shouted Slade.
"When a Monster that was summoned by Necromancy is destroyed," explained Yumi, "another Monster loses 600 Attack Points. I destroyed four such Monsters, so Dark Gaia loses 2,400 Attack Points.
"Cosmo Queen… Destroy Dark Gaia with cosmic nova."
Cosmo Queen put her hands together, and formed her dark matter. She hurled it, and Dark Gaia groaned as it hit it. Cracks appeared over its rocky hide, and then, it exploded into a burst of smoke and soot.
(S: 2,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Y: X)
Everyone on Yumi's side cheered.
"Dark Gaia is vanquished," said Yumi. "With that Slade, I end my turn. Remember, you still can't draw due to Reckless Greed, and you're still a prisoner of my Swords for two rounds.
"Care to give up?"
"Never!" shouted Slade.
He held a Spell Card forward.
"I play Dark Triad! Now, I take three Evil Heroes that are Level Five or higher, and return them to my deck."
Inferno Wing, Lightning Golem, and Dark Gaia slipped out of his discard slot.
"Then, I reshuffle, and draw twice."
He shuffled his deck, and made two draws. He looked at the two cards, which were Monster Reincarnation and Evil Blast.
"Next, I play Magical Mallet. I'll reshuffle three of the cards in my hand."
He took Chthonian Polymer, Monster Reincarnation and Evil Blast, and shuffled them into his deck, then made three draws.
Time to go for broke, he thought, looking at the new hand. I've never had to summon my strongest Monster before, but there's a first time for everything.
"I use Dark Alchemist one last time," he said.
Another Dark Fusion appeared in his hand.
"Next," he said, holding up a Spell Card, "I play Twister. I'll pay 500 Life Points to destroy your Swords."
A raging windstorm erupted in the center of the room, and the Swords were blown away.
"Next," he said, "I'll pay half of my remaining Life Points to summon my Deck Lord. Zera the Mant, move to the field."
Zera the Mant nodded, and lumbered in front of Slade. (2,800/2,300)
(S: 750) - - - - - - - - - - (Y: X)
"Is he crazy?" asked Erik. "Cosmo Queen will make a purse out of that guy!"
"Not quite," said Slade. "My Deck Lord will have the advantage once I make a slight adjustment to him…"
The Dark Fusion card appeared on the field.
"To summon the mightiest Evil Hero, I have to fuse Malicious Edge and another Fiend who must be at least Level Six.
"So I fuse together Zera and Malicious Edge in my hand…"
Malicious Edge appeared on the field, and both erupted into flames…
"…to summon Evil Hero Malicious Devil!"
A frightening figure stepped out of the fire. Clearly, there was nothing in this Fiend's appearance at all to even suggest a hero, or even an anti-hero. He was thin, almost gaunt, and dressed in studded black leather, covered with spikes. His cowl had a plume made of blades, and he wore bladed claws on his wrists, and bladed shoulder pads. He had huge, dark wings that reached a twenty-foot span. (3,500/2,100)
"Ho boy, Yumi's doomed…" moaned Ren.
"Not yet, she isn't," replied Zane. "Yumi has Valkyria on the field, so Malicious Devil can't attack any Spellcaster but her."
"Then that's what I'll do!" said Slade. "Attack Magician's Valkyria with Soul Rend!"
Valkyria screamed as Malicious Devil slashed at her with his wicked claw, nearly tearing her in half. She shattered into shards.
"By the way, Yumi," said Slade, "Malicious Devil has a powerful effect. During your turn, any attacks you make must be directed towards him, and should you enter your Battle Phase at all, all your Monsters must attack."
"I can still skip my Battle Phase, Slade!" shouted Yumi.
Slade placed a card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.
"We'll see about that," he said. "And by the way, for added protection, I'm giving him an Equip Spell."
He played his last card.
"It's called Zombie Lineage. Now, if you try to destroy him with a card effect, the Equip Spell is destroyed instead.
"And it's your move…"
Yumi drew a card.
Double Spell… she thought. Hmm…
"Trap activate," said Slade.
"Huh?" said Yumi.
"It's called Battle Mania," said Slade. "This forces all your Monsters to attack this round. I'm afraid that skipping your Battle Phase is no longer an option."
Yumi grit her teeth, and looked at the cards in her hand.
"Search your deck from now until Judgment Day…" said Slade. "No Monster in it can defeat my Devil."
Yumi looked at him. She grinned.
"Maybe not, Slade!" she laughed. "But… There's a Monster in your deck that certainly can!"
"HUH?" gasped Slade.
"I use another of my Deck Lord abilities!" shouted Yumi. "Remember what I said before? Power of the Core. Giving the finger to Shogarr!
"It's called Chaos Life, and once per duel, it lets me Special Summon a Monster from either Graveyard without paying a dime. So long as its Attribute is either Light or Dark."
"Wait…" said Slade. "What the heck do you plan to…"
In a flash of light, Sparkman appeared next to her Spellcasters. (1,600/1,200)
"WHAT?" shouted Slade. "Why did you summon him to your side of the field?"
"I'll show you!" said Yumi. "I play Double Spell! I toss one Spell Card…"
She discarded Hand Control.
"And I can use your Spark Blaster!"
Sparkman held up his hand, and the Blaster appeared in it.
"This can't be!" shouted Slade.
"It is!" laughed Yumi. "Sparkman, move Malicious Devil from Attack Mode, where he's strong, to Defense Mode, where he's not so strong!"
Sparkman fired the weapon. Malicious Devil groaned, and knelt, covering himself with his wings and shielding himself with his claws.
"You wanted an attack?" asked Yumi. "Here's an attack… Dark Magician… Dark Magic Attack!"
Dark Magician fired a beam of dark magic from his scepter, and Slade was thrown backwards as Malicious Devil exploded in a flaming blast.
Slade slowly crawled to his knees… His cards spilled on the ground.
"Beaten…" he gasped.
He slowly started to glow with red energy. Then he vanished into a burst of smoke.
Yumi ran up to the Disk and the dropped cards.
In four bursts of energy, the four Elemental Heroes appeared. They looked at their hands.
"She… She won…" gasped Burstinatrix.
"We're free!" laughed Sparkman.
Zane slowly bent over the rest of the discarded cards. He picked up the Evil Hero Monsters.
Then they burst into flames. Zane dropped them, as the Evil Heroes were quickly reduced to ash.
In the meantime, the four Heroes were crying, and hugging Yumi.
"Easy, people, easy…" said Yumi. "Don't crush me…"
"Good going, Yumi!" laughed Chelsea, slapping Yumi on the back. "I can't believe how you stood up to him! Man, I would have been scared out of my skin, but not you! You were as cool as a cucumber!"
Yumi's hand trembled a little. She looked at the Relay Soul card.
One simple Trap had saved her from Shogarr's grasp. She wasn't as cool as Chelsea thought. She had been more scared than she had been in a very, very long time. She had been petrified.
Had the Pharaoh been as scared when he had fought Dartz, and was forced to use this very card? She had no way of knowing…
Relay Soul was an incredibly powerful Trap Card…
And she hoped beyond hope, that she would never be in a situation where she would have to use it again.
And another thing had saved her skin… The huge ego that Slade had, which all villains seemed to have. He wanted to show the power of his best Monster, so he had attacked Valkyria. If he hadn't done that, she wouldn't have had any free space in her Monster Zone, and wouldn't have been able to summon Sparkman.
Slade likely never realized how big a mistake on his part it was, but if he hadn't made it, he would have won.
Yumi shivered. Then she placed the Relay Soul card in her Side Deck.
She turned to Zane.
"Zane, can you get the Fab Four organized and set up shop here?" she asked.
"Not what I'm used to," said Zane, "but I can try…"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
The sun was setting as the five friends exited the castle.
"Six Realms down…" sighed Sam. "That's all of them… At long last… Now we can take the fight to Daala."
"That's what you think," said someone in front of them.
They all looked up.
"DAALA!" they shouted.
It was indeed Daala, leaning casually against an ice wall.
"What do you want, Daala?" asked Yumi. "You're in big trouble, in case you didn't know it."
"Joan is in bigger trouble," said Daala. "Remember the four Apocalyptic Monsters?"
"Yeah," said Ren. "Joan has them."
"Wrong," said Daala. "They have Joan.
"You remember dueling Ruin, Ren? She mentioned Demise, right?"
"What?" said Yumi. "Where's Demise?"
"After I had failed to breech the walls of Joan's temple for the hundredth time," explained Daala, "I got an idea. I made a deal with Ruin and Demise. The deal was as follows: I'd free their spirits and restore their bodies, and in return, they'd help me take down Joan.
"Now, both of them claim that they can see the Apocalypse in their dreams; I'm not sure if they're right or not, or whether they're just crazy. If I had to guess, I'd say they were crazy. But I used their descriptions to design those four cards.
"Then, since Demise was the stronger of the two, he used a powerful procedure that split his physical body into four parts, becoming four separate Duel Spirits, bonding one to each card. He would then wait until the four cards were brought together in one place, at which point he would begin the process of assuming his true form again, a process that would take about a day on his own. In the meantime, Ruin would serve as my executioner, and would deal the killing blow once Demise brought her in."
She looked at her watch.
"As you likely already guessed, it was my plan all along for you to confiscate those cards… With them in enemy hands, they'd all be in one place inside Joan's temple. Demise, King of Armageddon will be pulling himself together shortly…"
"Joan has those cards in foolproof containment capsules!" shouted Erik. "He'll never escape!"
"I know all about those capsules," said Daala. "I use them myself, frequently. I know that they have to be set to the prisoner's exact Type, Attribute, and Level, or else they're worthless as prisons.
"Well, I have to be running along… Ta-ta…"
She ran down the pathway.
"Let's get her!" shouted Ren.
"WAIT," said Yumi.
She paused.
"Joan has those containment capsules set to hold the Apocalyptic Monsters… Each one is Fiend-Type, Dark-Attribute, and Level Ten…"
She paused.
Then the realization hit.
"Demise is Fiend-Type, Dark-Attribute, and Level Eight! Once he assumes his true form, he'll break out in a second!"
"That was Daala's plan all along…" muttered Sam, pulling out her cell phone.
She quickly started to dial.
"What are you doing?" gasped Chelsea.
"I'm calling Joan to warn her!" replied Sam. "What do you think I'm doing?
"Damn! The line's dead! Daala thought of everything!"
"Okay…" said Erik. "Somehow… We have to cross the whole tundra very, very, very fast. And since Joan won't know to use her own Interdimensional Matter Transporter, we can't get there with ours."
"Well…" said Yumi, "this is the Realm of Wind, right?"
Her eyes started to glow…
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Five minutes later, Simorgh, Bird of Divinity soared across the sky of the Frozen Wastes, followed by three Rocs from the Valley of Haze. Yumi and Sam were perched on Simorgh's back, while Ren, Chelsea, and Erik were riding the other three Winged Beasts. All five of the humans were holding on for dear life.
"Not so high!" screamed Ren. "Not so high!"
"Don't look down!" screamed Chelsea. "Whatever you do, don't look down!"
"Hang on, Joan!" shouted Yumi, "We're coming!"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
COMMON SACRIFICE (Trap Card)
Normal Trap
Image: Sasuke Samurai, Freed the Brave Wanderer, and Marauding Captain, standing in an ominous shrine.
Card Description: You can only activate this card during your or your opponent's Main Phase, when your opponent controls three or more face-up Monsters. Tribute the two Monsters your opponent controls with the lowest ATK. Then, Special Summon a Level Seven or higher Monster from your hand.
Note: "Common Sacrifice" was first used by Jaden in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "The Power Within (Part One)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
MYSTICAL REFPANEL (Trap Card)
Normal Trap
Image: A fairy holding a spherical mirror with a hooded face inside it.
Card Description: You may activate this card when your opponent uses a Spell Card whose effect targets your side of the field. Switch the target of that Spell Card to a target on your opponent's side of the field.
Note: "Mystical Refpanel" is a Japanese card that has not yet been released in the United States. (Its name in Japan is "Fairy Mirror"; "Mystical Refpanel" is the name that was used in the anime.)
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
NECROMANCY (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: A shadowy sorcerer casting a spell in a graveyard crawling with zombies. (This was the card that the art for "Zombie Master" was based on.)
Card Description: Select up to four Monsters at random from your opponent's Graveyard and Special Summon them to your opponent's side of the field in face-up Defense Position. When a Monster Special Summoned by this card is destroyed, decrease the ATK of a Monster on the field by 600.
Note: "Necromancy" was first used by Yugi in the original anime episode "Clash in the Coliseum (Part Three)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
RELAY SOUL (Trap Card)
Normal Trap
Image: A hand handing a smoking, glowing orb to another hand.
Card Description: This card can be activated when your Life Points reach zero and you have at least one Monster in your hand. The duel is not ended at this time. Special Summon one Monster from your hand, disregarding any summoning requirements. You may continue the duel until this Monster is removed from the field, at which point you lose.
Note: "Relay Soul" was first used by the Pharaoh in the original anime episode "A Duel With Dartz (Part Three)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
BURST IMPACT (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: Elemental Hero Burstinatrix in the middle of a fiery explosion.
Card Description: You may activate this card when you have an "Elemental Hero Burstinatrix" face-up on your side of the field. Destroy all Monsters on the field except for "Elemental Hero Burstinatrix". The owner(s) of the destroyed Monsters take direct damage equal to 300 for each of his/her Monsters that was destroyed by this effect.
Note: "Burst Impact" was first used by Jaden in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Amnael's Endgame (Part One)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
ZOMBIE LINEAGE (Spell Card)
Equip Spell
Image: A lady vampire in a white gown holding her hand out to a handsome young man.
Card Description: Equip only to a Monster you control. The Equipped Monster gains 500 Attack Points during your Battle Phase only. If the Equipped Monster would be destroyed by a card effect, you can send this card to the Graveyard to negate the destruction.
Note: "Zombie Lineage" was first used by Skull Knight in "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "What Lies Beneath (Part Two)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
DARK TRIAD (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: The shadowy forms of Inferno Wing, Lightning Golem, and Malicious Edge standing in a dark fog.
Card Description: Select three "Evil Hero" Monsters in your Graveyard that are Level Five or higher and return them to your deck. Then reshuffle your deck, and draw two cards. If, when you play this card, you have no cards on the field and this is the only card in your hand, draw one additional card.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Yumi's Deck Lord: "Dark Magician Girl": "Soul Circle": Once per duel, you may draw one card for each Monster in your Graveyard. You cannot draw more cards with this ability than the hand size limit allows. (Greater Power) "Chaos Shield": If a face-up Spellcaster-Type Monster is targeted by a Monster Effect, you may pay 500 Life Points to negate the effect. (Greater Power) "Chaos Life": Once per duel, during your turn, you may Special Summon one LIGHT or DARK Monster from either Graveyard. If the Special Summoned Monster is destroyed, it is removed from play. (Greater Power)
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Slade's Deck Lord: "Zera the Mant": "Dark Alchemist": Once per turn, during your turn, you may take one "Dark Fusion" from your deck and add it to your hand. When you choose to activate the card searched for by this effect, it cannot be countered or negated. (Extraordinary Power) "Invincible Evil": A Fusion Monster summoned via "Dark Fusion" cannot be affected by any card effects during the turn it is Fusion Summoned (as opposed to only targeting effects). (Intermediate Power)
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Lords of Chaos
The Agony of Kyuss, The Worm that Walks
The following story can be found in the libraries of any practitioner of magic. Kyuss's name is legendary in arcane lore, and his story serves as a warning to those who would seek power that they cannot control.
Scholars of forbidden lore claim that Kyuss lived in an ancient era, long before the oldest kingdoms of the modern day. Exactly where his home nation existed is debatable, as no land is eager to claim him as its own. It was a time of great evil, when humanity dabbled in blasphemous practices and worshipped dark gods. Kyuss was either a mortal necromancer of considerable ability or an evil god's high priest.
The most common theory says that Kyuss was so wicked that his own decadent society exiled him, casting him out for performing forbidden experiments and spreading ominous prophesies. Rather than languishing as an outcast, he became a prophet, and drew to himself followers who clamored to hear his grim words. He spoke of an impending time that he referred to as The Age of Worms, a prophecy that may have seemed like that of the typical doomsayer, if it hadn't come from one with such raw power over the dark forces. They saw him as the gods' servant, if not a god in his own right, and believed if they curried his favor, he would shelter them from the horrific age that he promised would come.
Kyuss eventually discovered the ruins of a civilization that was more ancient still. The structures that remained bore many strange writings, depictions of human sacrifice, and six-armed tyrants ruling over all. Kyuss claimed this site for his own, and commanded his followers to rebuild the city from the wreckage.
Although he ruled as god and king, his disturbing visions and his own discontentment urged him to seek greater power, to find some way to transcend the mortal flesh and become a true god. His path was clear when his followers discovered ancient metal plates, which held terrible secrets, but also confirmed every terrible word he had spoken. Or so he believed.
Through these inscriptions, he discovered the incantations that would let him acquire true divinity, but at a terrible price – the lives of his entire congregation. But no price was too high for this prophet. One bloody night, he instructed his priests to round up every last follower and slaughter them all. And when they were finished, Kyuss murdered the murderers. With his hands stained with the blood of thousands and their screams still ringing in his ears, he turned to a great obelisk that his servants had pulled from the earth and intoned the words to begin the transformation. When he was finished, he stepped into the stone, fusing with the vile rock…
But then, his plans fell apart. He gained his divinity, but lost it in the same instant. He was now neither mortal nor god… He was something far worse…
Kyuss had apparently been double-crossed by a dark force whose might he never comprehended. His visions of The Age of Worms were nothing but lies, and his prophesies were false. The dark entity had granted him great power, but had imprisoned him, limiting his ability to use it. Why? Clearly, as evil as Kyuss was, there were far greater forces of evil influencing the world.
Since then, Kyuss has beat against the bonds holding him, wanting nothing more than release. He was driven mad from his imprisonment long ago, although some would say he was never sane to begin with.
In the rare times he experiences lucidity, Kyuss, or the Worm that Walks, as he is now called, can extend his influence beyond his prison. He does have great power that he retained from that vile ritual, even if he didn't achieve godhood. Vile undead creatures and monstrous vermin have been blamed on him over millennia. Necromancers often contact him through dark rituals, attempting to make deals in exchange for power. Their side of the bargain is always aid in discovering a means to locate Kyuss's prison and free him from it.
It is not known what Kyuss would do if he ever broke free. Considering his power and the atrocities he committed even before he gained it, it likely would not be benign…
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coming up next:
Yumi and party make it to the temple, only to find that they have come too late to stop Demise's attack. Now, Guardian Angel Joan must take a more active role in leadership, and face the powerful demon, with everything on the line. It's Light versus Darkness, Order versus Chaos, Good versus Evil. It's three conflicts in one, and opposites do NOT attract! "Contradiction" is coming up next.