Author's note: In the following we chapter, we assume that the history of Duel Monsters uses the version presented in the anime, not the manga. Thus, the Monsters that Sahkyo uses are unfamiliar to the main characters. If we were using the manga version, then they'd likely be much more recognizable. You'll see what I mean soon.
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I never asked Ren, Chelsea, Sam, or Erik to come to Xanadu with me. Daala only required that I come, and only "invited" them as an afterthought. I was more than prepared to go alone. After all, my own death was never my greatest fear in all the troubles I've been in. The thought of one of them dying, or going to a far worse fate, all because of some lunatic's attempt to get at me, was what really scared me.
But Ren and Chelsea were bound by loyalty to come with me, and insisted. Sam said she wasn't going to let me hog all the glory. Erik said he'd go wherever Sam went.
Since then, I've realized that I couldn't possibly have gone as far as I have alone. My friends have stood with me this whole time, and have helped me thought this nightmare world where Chaos rules. Time and again, they have made a difference.
Now, I must make a choice…
One of them must help me in this trial before I can gain the Testament.
What do I do? How can I choose?
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CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
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Freedom For All
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"The choice must be entirely yours," said Sahkyo. "Your friends cannot influence you on this matter."
Yumi looked at Ren, Chelsea, Sam, and Erik. They smiled nervously as they looked back at her.
Look at them, thought Yumi. They'd all probably volunteer in an instant if I gave them that choice…
But the choice is clear… This duel has to be won…
"Ren, Chelsea," she said. "Don't hate me for this… But Sam is the better duelist. I have to go with her."
Sam smiled.
"Looks like you aren't so dumb after all," she said.
She shuffled her deck.
"Move aside, sister, and let the Consort of Ha Des take care of this."
"Don't get cocky, Sam," warned Vita. "Much is riding on this duel."
Sam looked at Sahkyo.
"Okay," she said. "Deck of Freedom, huh? Well, by all means, let's see it…"
Both Disks activated.
"Time to see if Yumi made the right choice," said Sahkyo.
"Game on!"
(Sam: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Sahkyo: 8,000)
Sahkyo made her first draw, and added the card to her hand.
"To begin," she said, "I'll set a Monster in Defense Mode, and also a reversed card."
Two facedown cards appeared, perpendicular to each other.
"And that will be all."
"My move," said Sam.
She made her first draw.
"I summon The Bistro Butcher!" she shouted.
With a fiendish cackle, the diabolic chef appeared. (1,800/1,000)
"Attack her Monster!" she shouted.
The Butcher ran forward, swinging his cleaver…
…only to have it glace off solid wood. The Monster that appeared on the card crouching in Defense Mode was a ten-foot-tall giant who appeared to be half-human and half-tree, dressed only in a fur loincloth. (1,000/2,000)
"You attacked Elemental Hero Woodsman," said Sahkyo. "And attacking him is like attacking solid oak."
"What?" asked Sam. "There's no Elemental Hero named… Woodsman!"
"Do you doubt your own eyes?" asked Sahkyo. "Is your turn over?"
Sam looked at her hand.
"Yes…" she said, slowly.
(S: 7,800) - - - - - - - - - - (Sk: 8,000)
Sahkyo drew a card, and then quickly played one.
"I summon Elemental Hero Knospe in Attack Mode," she said.
She played the card, and another strange creature appeared. It looked like a humanoid plant, four feet tall, with buds for arms, a head, and a torso, and stems for legs. It had bright blue eyes, and leaves on its back, providing the illusion of a cape. (600/1,000)
"And what's he going to do?" asked Sam.
"First of all, Knospe is a she," replied Sahkyo. "And she may be physically weak, but she has some powerful abilities."
"Knospe, attack. Pollen powder."
Knospe pointed her arm bud, and a spray of pollen shot at Sam. Sam started to choke and cough.
"As you can see," said Sahkyo, "Knospe can attack directly, so long as another Elemental Hero is on the field. And when she does that, she gains 100 Attack Points, although she loses 100 Defense Points."
Knospe changed to (700/900).
"Also," continued Sahkyo, "you cannot attack Knospe so long as I have at least one other Elemental Hero on the field, and as you can see, Woodsman is standing strong."
Everyone except Vita gave Sahkyo a strange look. She simply smiled.
"I end my turn," she said.
(S: 7,200) - - - - - - - - - - (Sk: 8,000)
"Hold on, Sahkyo!" shouted Sam. "I want answers!"
"Yeah!" added Chelsea. "Who are these guys? You say these are Elemental Heroes, but Jaden never used them in his whole career."
Sahkyo chuckled.
"These are Heroes of a different variety," she said. "They are connected to Jaden's Heroes in a way that defines their origins.
"Don't you know that superheroes are never born heroes? Heroes are always made. Every story has a beginning, and every hero has an origin.
"Jaden's Elemental Heroes, whom we like to call the Urban Heroes, were once ordinary people. There were intellectuals who studied the building blocks of creation… The primal materials that made up the universe.
"In other words, the elements.
"But as much as they knew, they needed to know more. Their hunger for knowledge was insatiable. Their quest for such took them deep into to the unspoiled wilderness, where they first met a group of powerful nature spirits…
"The original Elemental Heroes. The Nature Heroes.
"These spirits were interested in the humans' work, and they decided to take them on as apprentices. For a while, they existed as teachers and students. And when those humans went back to civilization, they had changed. They had become the Urban Heroes. The ones that Jaden was so familiar with."
"I take it that Wildheart was once a part of the old group," asked Ren.
"You're learning," said Sahkyo with a laugh. "Wildheart was indeed once one of the Nature Heroes, but he left to join the new group to keep an eye on them, and make sure that they would never stray from dogma of the original group.
"Eventually, the Urban Heroes did make the Nature Heroes proud. With some help from the Neo-Spacians, they helped preserve the natural world from the evil pollution of the Light of Ruin.
"So now you know… I believe it is still your turn, Sam."
Sam drew a card.
"All right," she said. "I play, Graceful Charity."
The card appeared, and then glowed. She made three draws.
She looked over her hand, and then discarded Skull Knight #2 and Archfiend Soldier.
"Now, I summon Opticlops."
She played another card, and glowed with red energy as the muscular, one-eyed ogre appeared. (1,800/1,700)
"I set a card facedown, and end my turn," she said.
A facedown card appeared.
Sahkyo drew a card.
"I use Woodsman's effect," she said, taking her deck out of the holder. "During my Standby Phase, I can take one Polymerization card from either my deck or Graveyard."
"Wait a minute!" shouted Erik. "You mean these guys can form fusions too?"
"Who do you think taught the Urban Heroes how to do it?" asked Sahkyo with a grin.
She added the Spell Card to her hand.
"But, I don't think I'll use it just yet. Instead, I'll summon Elemental Hero Lady Heat."
In a burst of flame, a fiery heroine in a flashy, red costume, with long red hair appeared. (1,300/1,000)
"This is crazy," muttered Ren. "Burstinatrix is supposed to be the only female Hero. It even says so on her card."
"I wouldn't be surprised if everything we knew about the Elemental Heroes was proven wrong in this duel," replied Yumi.
"Knospe," said Sahkyo, "attack Sam directly again."
Sam cringed as Knospe's pollen power sprayed onto her again. Knospe changed to (800/800)
"Now I move to my End Phase," continued Sahkyo. "And Lady Heat's effect activates, costing you 200 Life Points for each Elemental Hero I have."
A fireball formed in Lady Heat's hand, and she hurled it at Sam. Sam hollered as it burned at her skin.
(S: 5,900) - - - - - - - - - - (Sk: 8,000)
"It's your move…" said Sakyo.
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At the deepest part of Xanadu that anyone had yet gone, Daala and Skull Knight arrived at a giant set of black, stone doors. Guarding the doors was an intimidating statue carved into them: a six-armed woman with the lower body of a snake, the same demon that had challenged Curran. This was a supposedly a depiction of a marilith, a powerful type of demon known for leading Blood War armies.
Only Daala and a privileged few knew that the statue was a real marilith who served Shogarr. She had agreed to be turned into a statue to serve as a guardian of this sacred place, and would assume her true demonic form to deal with anyone who tried to enter without Daala's permission.
Daala sighed, and turned to Skull Knight.
"Mulner," she said, "do you know the purpose of these flames?"
She pointed to the halo of dark fire around her head.
"I was always too polite to ask, milady," he replied.
"These flames are the Crown of Xanadu," said Daala. "Whoever wears them is the rightful ruler of Xanadu. I wear them now.
"But when I come out of this place, there is a good chance I won't be the one wearing them.
"In fact, there is a very good chance that I won't be coming out at all.
"Thus, this may be my last order to you: Whoever comes out wearing this Crown, if it is not me, serve him as well as you did me. The continued welfare of Xanadu depends on it."
She turned to the stone doors, and they slowly opened. She walked inside.
Skull Knight was dumbfounded. He walked to an alcove in the wall, and sat down.
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Okay, thought Sam. Have to take out Knospe quickly, and take out Lady Heat too… Both of them are big problems…
She drew.
She grinned.
"I activate Call of the Haunted!" she exclaimed.
Her facedown card lifted, and a tombstone appeared on her side of the field. Skull Knight #2 crawled out of the ground. (1,000/1,200)
"Now, I sacrifice Skull Knight, to summon Gaap, the Divine Soldier!"
Skull Knight vanished, and the insectoid Fiend with the two huge claws on his shoulders appeared. (2,200/2,000)
"When he's on the field," continued Sam, "all Monsters move to Attack Mode."
Woodsman stood up, and formed a fighting stance.
"All right!" shouted Erik.
"And I use Skull Knight's effect, to summon another one!" continued Sam.
A second Skull Knight #2 appeared. (1,000/1,200)
"Gaap, attack her Woodsman! Terror claw!"
Gaap lunged at Woodsman, claw first…
"Activate… Hero Barrier!" shouted Sahkyo.
Her facedown card flipped up, and Gaap bounced off an invisible shield.
"This Trap negates one attack, so long as I have at least one Elemental Hero on the field."
"Yeah?" said Sam. "Well I have three more attacks!
"Opticlops, you get him!"
Opticlops charged at Woodsman horn-first, and the Hero burst into splinters of wood.
"Butcher, take out Lady Heat!"
The Bistro Butcher slashed with his cleaver. Lady Heat screamed, and burst into an explosion of flame.
"I get to draw two cards now," said Sahkyo, making two draws.
"Skull Knight, attack Knospe!" ordered Sam.
Skull Knight slashed with his sword, and the diminutive Hero shattered.
Sahkyo cringed.
(S: 5,900) - - - - - - - - - - (Sk: 6,500)
"Whoa, Sam's kicking ass!" laughed Ren.
"That's what attracted me to her," chuckled Erik.
Sahkyo took some deep breaths.
"My move…" she said.
She drew a card.
"I play the Spell Card, Oil Drilling."
She played the card, and the background behind her changed to a scene like an old-fashioned movie scene, showing a group of oil drilling derricks in black and white.
"It was once known as black gold and Texas tea," she said. "Oil was once one of the great treasures of the Earth, due to its usefulness as fuel.
"And this card lets me recover a Fire-Attribute Monster from my Graveyard."
The cinema scene faded away, as Lady Heat slipped out of her Graveyard.
"Now," she continued, "I play Polymerization, to fuse together Lady Heat, and Elemental Hero The Heat."
Lady Heat appeared on the field, and then a male Hero dressed in a masculine version of her costume appeared next to her. They both turned into pillars of flame, and combined.
"I summon Elemental Hero Inferno."
In a burst of flames, a Hero garbed completely in fire engine-red armor appeared, with shoulder guards, a helmet, and designs all over that suggested fire. An aura of flames surrounded him. (2,300/1,600)
"As Jaden himself knew," said Sahkyo, "in this sort of deck, summoning a powerful Monster is rather easy.
"Inferno, attack Gaap with magma storm."
Inferno put his hands together, and formed a large ball of flame. Then he threw a stream of fire forward, and the Divine Soldier was burned to a crisp.
"Ergh…" muttered Sam.
"I set a card facedown," continued Sahkyo, "and end my turn."
A facedown card appeared behind Inferno.
(S: 5,800) - - - - - - - - - - (Sk: 6,500)
Sam drew, and looked at the card.
"I move my Monsters to Defense Mode," she said.
The Bistro Butcher, Opticlops, and Skull Knight knelt and held their weapons in their laps (except Opticlops, who didn't have one).
"Then I set a Monster and a facedown card."
A facedown card and a facedown Monster appeared.
Sakyo drew a card. She nodded, and then added it to her hand.
"Attack her…" she started.
"Go, Shadow Spell!" shouted Sam, as her facedown card lifted.
A mass of chains shot out of the ground, latching onto Inferno's wrists. His Attack Score fell to 1,600.
"That stopped him," laughed Sam.
Then she stopped laughing as Sahkyo's facedown card lifted.
"I activate De-Fusion," said Sahkyo.
The chains shattered, and Inferno turned to a ball of fire. It split into two balls, and formed into Lady Heat (1,300/1,000) and The Heat (1,600/1,200), both in Attack Mode.
"The Heat has a powerful effect of his own," said Sahkyo. "He gains 200 Attack Points for every Elemental Hero on my side of the field."
The Heat burned with fire, and his Attack Score increased to 2,000.
"Lady Heat, attack The Bistro Butcher with cinder shower."
Lady Heat threw a volley of fireballs, and the Butcher groaned before he shattered.
"Heat, attack Skull Knight with savage wildfire."
The Heat threw a single ball of flame, and Skull Knight exploded.
"I end my turn," said Sahkyo, "which means that Lady Heat's effect activates…"
Sam screamed again as Lady Heat hit her with another fireball.
(S: 5,400) - - - - - - - - - - (Sk: 6,500)
Sam drew a card, and looked at it.
This will cost me a Monster too, she thought, but it's the only way I can get rid of those two pyromaniacs…
"I flip my facedown Monster into Attack Mode," she said. "Gil Garth!"
Her facedown card flipped up, and the metal, scimitar-wielding Fiend appeared. (1,800/1,200)
"Go! Attack Lady Heat!"
Gil Garth made a swipe at Lady Heat, and she exploded into a shower of flames.
The Heat's Attack Score fell to 1,800.
"Opticlops, attack The Heat!"
"Huh?" said Sahkyo.
Opticlops charged at The Heat. They collided, and there was a huge explosion. Both duelists reeled.
When the dust cleared, both Monsters had been obliterated.
Sam placed a card on her Disk.
"I'll set this in Defense Mode, and then play Silent Doom."
A facedown Monster appeared. Then the Spell Card appeared, and Opticlops reappeared, kneeling and shielding itself in Defense Mode. (1,800/1,700)
"Then you can go."
(S: 5,400) - - - - - - - - - - (Sk: 6,000)
"Sam's not doing half bad," said Ren, nervously.
"No…" muttered Chelsea, "but Sahkyo is still ahead…"
Sahkyo drew a card.
"I summon Lord Poison," she said.
She played the card, and a rather disgusting Monster appeared. It looked like a vaguely humanoid creature made out of algae, with spikes protruding from its body. (1,500/1,000)
"Lord Poison…" muttered Erik. "That sounds familiar…"
"Marik used it in the four-way duel in Battle City," replied Yumi. "But it was destroyed before he could use whatever effect it had."
"That thing may be ugly," said Sam, "but it's no match for Gil Garth."
"I agree," said Sahkyo. "Lord Poison, attack Gil Garth."
Lord Poison flew at Gil Garth.
"HUH?" shouted Sam. "Fight it off, Gil Garth!"
Gil Garth swung his sword, and Lord Poison exploded.
"Why the heck did you do that?" asked Sam.
"Because," replied Sahkyo, "when Lord Poison is destroyed in battle, I get to Special Summon a Plant-Type Monster from my Graveyard. Except for Lord Poison itself…"
In a burst of energy, Elemental Hero Knospe appeared where Lord Poison had been. (600/1,000)
No wonder Marik never used its effect, thought Yumi. His Graveyard didn't have any Plants in it at the time.
Since he had Mirror Force to protect it, I'll wager he was planning to use it as a sacrifice on his next turn…
"You have no other Elemental Heroes on the field!" laughed Sam. "Next turn, it's curtains for her!"
"Not quite," replied Sahkyo. "You know how a lot of superheroes have dual identities? Alter egos? That is the case with Knospe. She's just a disguise used by the true heroine."
A Spell Card appeared on the field.
"I play Rose Bud. This lets Knospe assume her true form…"
Knospe vanished…
A much taller, far more human-like figure appeared where she had been. It was a young, elf-like maiden, with violet skin and platinum blonde hair, wearing a low-cut dress with trim that was shaped like leaves.
"Meet the spirit of the forest," said Sahkyo. "Elemental Hero Poison Rose."
The Elemental Hero knelt down and crouched in Defense Mode. (1,900/2,000)
"Oh-kay…" muttered Sam. "That's… Interesting…"
"It's your move…" said Sahkyo.
(S: 5,400) - - - - - - - - - - (Sk: 5,700)
Sam drew a card. It was a Spell Card that she had recently switched from her side deck.
She did a quick check of the field. No, she couldn't summon Gaap using this. And she didn't have any other way to defeat Poison Rose.
And she had a feeling that she wasn't going to like her effect much…
She turned the card on her Disk, and Gil Garth moved to Defense Mode.
"That's all," she said.
Sahkyo made a draw.
"I move Poison Rose to Attack Mode," she said, as Poison Rose stood up.
"Then I Equip her with Fairy Meteor Crush."
She played the card, and Poison Rose clenched her fists, she glowed with energy.
"Uh oh…" said Sam.
"Attack Gil Garth," ordered Sahkyo.
Poison Rose's arms turned to thorny vines, and they shot at the Fiend. Quickly, they constricted him, and crushed him into pixels. Sam started to sweat.
"And whenever Poison Rose deals damage," continued Sahkyo, "she gains 200 Attack Points, and loses 200 Defense Points."
Poison Rose's scores turned to (2,100/1,800).
(S: 4,700) - - - - - - - - - - (Sk: 5,700)
"My move!" shouted Sam.
She drew a card.
Her eyebrow lifted as she looked at the Monster on the card.
Okay, I can summon this guy… she thought. But…
She looked at her facedown Monster.
I think I'll wait to see if she takes the bait…
"Pass," she said. "Your move…"
Sahkyo smiled, and drew a card.
"I summon Elemental Hero Voltic," she said.
In a burst of sparks, a new Hero appeared. It was probable that this one had some connection to Sparkman. The costume had the same electric theme, in shades of purple, and electricity coursed all over him. (1,000/1,500)
"Poison Rose, attack Opticlops," ordered Sahkyo.
Rose's vines shot at Opticlops, and crushed him. Sam cringed again.
"And once again," said Sahkyo, "Rose's scores change."
Rose changed to (2,300/1,600).
"Now, Voltic, destroy her last Monster. Shining surge flash."
Voltic blasted a bolt of lightning at the facedown Monster…
The Monster that appeared on the card looked like an old oil lamp, perched on four spidery legs. (900/1,400)
"HA!" laughed Sam. "You attacked my Ancient Lamp! Now, I can redirect Voltic's attack to your other Monster!"
Voltic paused, as he saw Poison Rose's reflection in Ancient Lamp's shiny surface. A look of confusion came over his face.
Then he turned, and fired his lightning at Poison Rose. She swatted it aside, and Voltic gasped before shattering into pixels. Sahkyo cringed.
(S: 4,400) - - - - - - - - - - (Sk: 4,400)
"Very sneaky…" she muttered. "That's all I can do…"
Sam quickly drew a card.
"I play Premature Burial," she said, placing it in her Disk. "I'll give up 800 Life Points, to bring Archfiend Soldier to the field."
She glowed with red energy, and the infernal shocktrooper appeared. (1,900/1,500)
"When was that in her Graveyard?" asked Chelsea.
"I think it was when she played Graceful Charity," replied Yumi.
"I'm only half-done," continued Sam. "I use Ancient Lamp's effect to Special Summon this guy…"
Green smoke poured from Ancient Lamp's spout. It quickly congealed, forming into La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp. He gave a deep chuckle. (1,800/1,000)
"Now…" continued Sam. "I sacrifice La Jinn and Ancient Lamp…"
Both Monsters shattered into shards of light…
"…to summon Belial, Marquis of Darkness!"
In an inferno of black flames, the powerful form of Belial appeared on the field, holding his flaming claymore. (2,800/2,400)
Poison Rose took a step back nervously.
"Belial…" ordered Sam, "attack Poison Rose with flaming sword of Phlegethos!"
Belial's sword erupted in fire. He made a slash at the Elemental Hero, and she shrieked before exploding into pixels.
"Archfiend Soldier, attack Sahkyo directly!"
Archfiend Soldier charged, and slammed his sword into Sahkyo. She gasped, and toppled over.
(S: 3,600) - - - - - - - - - - (Sk: 2,000)
"This duel is almost over!" laughed Ren. "The only Elemental Heroes that can beat Belial are Shining Flare Wingman and Electrum!"
I'm not too sure about that, thought Vita. There's one other Hero that could do the job… The greatest of the Nature Heroes. In the real world, Sahkyo could never have him in her deck… But in Xanadu, anything is possible…
"It's my move…" groaned Sahkyo, getting up.
She drew a card.
"I play… Fifth Hope," she said, as a Spell Card appeared on her side of the field. "This card lets me take five Elemental Heroes from my Graveyard, and shuffle them into my deck…"
Knospe, Poison Rose, The Heat, Voltic, and Lady Heat slipped out of her discard slot. She added them to her deck, and reshuffled.
"Then I get to draw twice."
She made two draws. She looked over her hand.
"Next, I play The Warrior Returning Alive. Now, I get Woodsman back."
The Spell Card appeared on her side of the field, and Woodsman slipped out of her discard slot.
"Then, I summon Elemental Hero Wildheart."
Finally, a Hero that everyone recognized appeared. It was the muscular, tattooed barbarian, dressed in a loincloth and carrying a sword. (1,500/1,600)
"Now, another Spell Card," she said. "Hero's Bond. Since I have one Elemental Hero on the field, I get to Special Summon two others from my hand that are Level Four or less. So, I'll summon Elemental Heroes Woodsman and Stratos."
The next Hero that appeared was one they had seen before. Woodsman appeared on the field, and crouched in Defense Mode. (1,000/2,000) The next one that appeared was dressed in a blue costume with a visored helmet, and metal wings with rotary blades in them, providing lift like some sort of hovercraft. (1,800/300)
"When Stratos is summoned, I get to enact one of two effects. I'm going to use his second effect, which lets me take any Monster from my deck with the word 'Hero' in it."
She took a card from her deck. She looked at Lady Heat.
"Finally, I set two facedown cards, and that will end my turn."
Two facedown cards appeared.
Sam drew a card quickly.
She looked at it. It was Dark Ruler Ha Des.
I could summon this guy… she thought. But those Trap Cards likely aren't bluffs… Maybe I'd better save him for later…
"Belial, attack Wildheart!" she shouted.
Belial lifted his sword, and flew at the Hero.
"Activate… Draining Shield!" shouted Sahkyo.
One of her facedown cards lifted up, and Belial's sword slammed into an invisible shield. Energy flowed into Sahkyo.
"Fine," muttered Sam. "Archfiend Soldier, you attack him!"
Archfiend Soldier slashed with his blade. Wildheart dropped his sword and collapsed before shattering into pixels.
"I activate… Hero Signal!" exclaimed Sahkyo.
Her other facedown card lifted, and the strange spotlight shot into the forest sky.
"I'll use its effect to summon Elemental Hero Ocean," continued Sahkyo.
In a burst of watery bubbles, an aquatic Hero appeared. He was muscular, with blue skin, and a fin on his bald head. He carried a large, two-bladed spear. (1,500/1,200)
Sam sighed.
"I'll set a Monster, and that will be all," she said.
A defensive Monster appeared.
(S: 3,600) - - - - - - - - - - (Sk: 4,400)
Sahkyo drew a card.
"I use Woodsman's effect," she said, "to recover Polymerization from my Graveyard…"
The Spell Card slipped out of her discard slot.
"Next, I use Ocean's effect, which lets me recover one Hero from my Graveyard."
She took Wildheart from her Graveyard as well.
"Next, I summon Lady Heat once again."
In a burst of fire, Lady Heat appeared. (1,300/1,000)
"Now, the Monster you are about to see is one that few have ever seen. This card is unique on Earth. It was designed as an award for a very big Pro League tournament…
"But thanks to the virtual miracle that is Xanadu, I've recreated it. I use Polymerization to fuse Woodsman and Ocean."
Woodsman and Ocean turned into blue and brown swirls, and combined.
"One Hero of the land, one Hero of the sea… Combined together to form the spirit of the living Earth itself!
"I call forth… Elemental Hero Terra Firma!"
The ground began to shake, and Lady Heat and Stratos stepped aside, as a large form rose out of the ground. At first, it looked like Sahkyo had summoned Neos himself, as impossible as that was. At second glace, however, the Hero that appeared, while of similar majestic style, was of a different design. He seemed to be sculpted entirely out of pure, white stone, and had a glowing ruby on his chest. (2,500/2,000)
"Uhm… Very interesting…" chuckled Sam. "But he still isn't a match for Belial. After all, Belial is not of this Earth.
"Unless… Unless he has a…"
"Special effect?" replied Sahkyo. "Yes he does, and it's a powerful one. If I sacrifice another Elemental Hero, he gains Attack Points equal to the sacrificed Hero's Attack Points."
"But that means…" said Ren.
"That means Belial is in big trouble!" shouted Chelsea.
"So…" said Sahkyo, "I'll sacrifice Stratos…"
Stratos vanished into grains of light, and Terra Firma glowed. His Attack Score rose to 4,300.
"Attack Belial!" ordered Sahkyo. "Tectonic smash!"
Terra Firma clenched his fist, and drove it into the ground. The shockwave tore into the Marques of Darkness, blowing him to pieces and throwing Sam to the floor.
"I set one card facedown, and end my turn," said Sahkyo, as a facedown card appeared, "which means Lady Heat's effect activates."
Sam groaned as the flames burned her again. Terra Firma fell down to his base Attack Score of 2,500.
(S: 1,700) - - - - - - - - - - (Sk: 4,400)
Sam slowly got up.
Sam had better be careful, thought Vita. She might try to attack Lady Heat, but it won't work. I have a pretty good idea what that facedown card is.
It's a powerful Trap called Terra Firma Gravity. As soon as Sam declares an attack, all of her Monsters that are Level Four or lower will be forced to attack Terra Firma.
Sam quickly drew a card.
She played it, and Pot of Avarice appeared on her side of the field. Skull Knight, Gil Garth, Gaap, The Bistro Butcher, and Ancient Lamp slipped out of her discard slot, and she shuffled them into her deck. She drew twice.
"I flip my second Opticlops into Attack Mode," she said.
Her facedown Monster flipped up, and Opticlops appeared. (1,800/1,700)
"Next, I play Monster Reborn!"
She played another card, and the holy ankh appeared. La Jinn appeared with another deep laugh. (1,800/1,000)
"Next, I sacrifice La Jinn for Dark Ruler Ha Des!"
La Jinn vanished, and the mighty King of the Underworld appeared with a flash of lightning. (2,450/1,600)
Well, so much for Lady Heat, thought Vita. Ha Des is too high-Level to be affected by that Trap Card.
Unfortunately, when Sam attacks, Archfiend Soldier and Opticlops will be affected by it. That will bring her Life Points down to…
400… This could be bad…
"Now, since Ha Des is on the field," continued Sam, "I can Special Summon Dark Queen Per Sephone!"
She threw the card on her Disk, and Per Sephone appeared, crouched and ready to strike. (2,200/1,200)
"Now, I use Per Sephone's effect," continued Sam. "I toss one card in my hand…"
She discarded her Kuriboh.
"And I get to Special Summon Gil Garth from my deck."
Gil Garth appeared in a burst of shadowy energy. (1,800/1,200)
I stand corrected, thought Vita. If she attacks, she'll lose the duel.
"Finally…" said Sam, taking the last card in her hand, "I play The Puppet Magic of Dark Ruler!"
"HUH?" gasped Vita.
"I remove Gil Garth and Opticlops on the field from play…" said Sam, as the two Fiends vanished into ripples of light. "Then, I add up their Levels, and Special Summon a Fiend from my Graveyard whose Level matches.
"Four plus four equals eight… So guess who's back?"
Belial appeared in a burst of black flames. (2,800/2,400)
Well, thought Vita. Just when I thought I had seen it all…
"Belial, destroy Terra Firma!" shouted Sam.
The Marquis of Darkness made a savage slash with his blade. The huge Elemental Hero shuddered, and then exploded in a flaming, fiery burst.
"Now, Archfiend Soldier, finish Lady Heat for good!"
Archfiend Soldier made a swipe with his own sword, and Lady Heat fell backwards, and shattered for the third time.
"Per Sephone, attack directly!"
Per Sephone flew up and pounced. She grinned as she grabbed hold of Sahkyo…
Then Sahkyo screamed as the lady Fiend slashed with her claws across her stomach.
She clutched her stomach as Per Sephone backed off.
Sam paused, and waited for Sahkyo to look up…
Then she pointed, and the black fire from Ha Des's Stygian blast hit Sahkyo, causing her to topple over.
(S: 1,700) - - - - - - - - - - (Sk: 0)
"All right!" shouted Ren.
Erik ran up and hugged Sam.
"Nice job, baby!" he shouted, "that was one in a million!"
Sahkyo sighed and got up. She walked over to Yumi.
"You have passed the test…" she said.
She looked at Sam.
"The one you have chosen has passed the test…"
She turned and looked at the shrine behind her.
"I see no reason now why whoever is in there would not…"
Then the whole shrine glowed with eldritch energy. Slowly, the stone doors opened.
A voice came from the inside of the shrine. It was deep and commanding, and impossible to ignore.
"Would Yumi Mouto step inside?" said the voice. "And take care, for this ground is sacred."
Yumi looked at the others.
"Wish me luck, folks…" she said.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Night had fallen on the streets of Domino.
A Harpie's Brother was a lot less confident now than he was a minute ago. He had Silpheed, Sonic Shooter, and Winged Rhynos on the field, and all of them were boosted by Rising Air Current.
However, his attempt to play Lightning Vortex was foiled by Olga's Dark Bribe, followed Voltanis the Adjudicator appearing and blowing all three of his Monsters to Kingdom Come.
"I'm not done with you!" shouted Olga. "Voltanis, finish him off with Divine Judgment!"
Harpie's Brother squawked as the divine light struck him, and his Life Points tumbled to zero.
He collapsed on his back, and vanished into grains of light.
"Olga!" shouted Nicholas, running up to her.
"Where have you been?" asked Olga, annoyed. "I had to deal with a whole flock of bird-brains while you were gone."
"I was eavesdropping on a police frequency radio," replied Nicholas. "Apparently, the invasion has started in earnest.
"The police are investigating several apparent abductions. From what witnesses say, several duelists are being attacked by other duelists… Dressed in Duel Monster costumes.
"And the report further says that attempts by police to pursue these assailants have all ended mysteriously. They simply vanish into shadow when chased, and no trace of them is seen again."
"It's like what Sheena said," muttered Olga. "They're only showing themselves to the ones they choose to… Duelists. And they're taking prisoner anyone who they defeat…
"Nicholas… How do we stop this? We can't fight an army!"
"Calm down, Olga, calm down… Let's see… How does one fight an army…
"Well, in history, one of the best ways to bring an army to a halt is to cut off the supply lines. An army without food and equipment is dead weight. Unfortunately, it isn't very easy to cut off supplies when they come from another dimension…
"But… One philosopher I read about in school once compared an army to a living organism. In such a metaphor, the brain of this organism is its commanding officer."
"What are you implying?" asked Olga.
"First," said Nicholas, "we have to identify who the general is who's leading this army of Duel Spirits. If we shake up the next Spirits we meet, we may find out. Then…"
He took a deep breath.
"…then I'll have to confront him, and defeat him. I cut off the head, and the body dies."
"But Nicholas…" said Olga. "Whoever the general of this army is… He's probably the best duelist they've got…"
Nicholas took another deep breath.
"I know…" he said.
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OIL DRILLING (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: An oil refinery, with smoke coming out of its chimneys.
Card Description: Select one FIRE Monster from your Graveyard and add it to your hand.
Note: "Oil Drilling" was first used by Jaden in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" Manga. Creative credit goes to the writers.
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Lords of Chaos
A Tale of Triumph: Vepar, Master of Angry Waters
It is not too often that the Wind Dukes can claim complete victory over one of their chaotic foes. The story of Vepar, however, proves that sometimes, Order can indeed triumph over Chaos decisively.
Vepar was once a very powerful demon who ruled an Abyssal realm called Kolopan. He held power over water and sea life, and he learned early on one vital axiom of the mortal world: to get anywhere worth going, one must cross water. In human lands, the mercantile trade is what makes nations powerful, and water travel dominated the trade routes. So, when demons became interested in humanity and he needed to decide on an area of influence, he devoted himself to gaining followers from an aspect of this profession that appealed to his chaotic and evil nature – the slave trade.
He became powerful in those times. Slavers who profited by kidnapping members of "savage" tribes and transporting them across the sea paid him homage, and for centuries, Vepar grew fat on offerings from those who desired favorable winds and stable weather. Members of those primitive races would curse his name for allowing foreigners to subjugate their people, but he thought even less of them than the slavers did. He thought it a grand irony that in many places, the law supported the practice that he represented. He was a force of Chaos who could laugh in the face of the forces of Law.
Vepar had no idea that humanity's view on the ideal he had chosen to represent would change.
Man became more civilized, and as the years passed, slavery began to be looked down upon. Slavers began to become less respected than they already were, which was really never much to begin with. Most demons rarely care if their followers are liked or not – it's common for religious groups and other do-gooders to oppose such cults. But demons do become alarmed when whole governments take up arms against their followers. As more and more nations outlawed the practice, there was little Vepar could do to stop the steady decline of his followers, and the very fast decline of offerings in his name.
The Wind Dukes of Aaqa, already disgusted by this practice, helped speed Vepar's downfall. They subtly aided all abolitionist efforts, and sabotaged any attempt to keep slavery alive. Each time the practice was abolished for good in an area, a wound was dealt directly to the weakening demon prince.
Finally, the Wind Dukes decided to strike, storming Kolopan itself. Vepar's army was but a shell of what it had once been, and was quickly decimated. Vepar was lucky to escape with his life, fleeing with most of his power gone.
Today, slavery is outlawed in almost every nation, and Vepar will never have the power he once had. There are no longer any mercantile vessels running a slave trade, so where the practice does exist, a demon with power over water is ill-fit to oversee it. He has since worked as a henchman for other demons with power over that element, such as Demogorgon; such positions are demeaning and degrading for one who once had such power, but he has little choice. He exists as a symbol of a fallen force of Chaos, proof that Order can be victorious if pushed in the right direction.
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Coming up next:
Yumi confronts the mysterious entity in the shrine that she and Sam worked so hard to gain access to. But that's just frosting on the double-layer chocolate cake that is next chapter, as Daala confronts her mysterious mentor, for the right to keep the Crown of Xanadu! It's not going to be easy… Who does one support in a duel like this? More is revealed, and more questions pop up, as a chapter I'm calling "Arise" comes next.