When Xanadu was first established into what it is today, Shogarr granted me the title of its monarch – but he was wary of giving such a responsibility to one so young, who had only recently pledged allegiance to him.
I was queen, but I had to abide by certain conditions. I had to follow the tutelage of a much more experienced master of the dark arts, who would serve as my chief advisor, and who would be exempt from any edicts or laws I formed for the governing of Xanadu.
And eventually, I would have to prove that I was worthy of keeping the Crown, by defeating this mentor in a duel.
Shogarr was quite generous, a trait almost unheard of among demons. He'd allow me a total of six attempts. But if I failed all six, I'd lose my status as queen of Xanadu, and be demoted… All the way down to slave.
My first attempt was three years ago. I failed. I prepared for the second time, only to find that his deck had changed completely. I failed again, and the next three times. His deck changes with each attempt, and becomes harder each time.
I'm at the peak of my strength, but tonight is my final chance. If I lose, my future will be dark and bleak.
I'm still queen of Xanadu… It's time to see if I truly deserve to call myself by that title…
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CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
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Arise
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Daala walked into the large, ominous arena, where just last night, she had been with Curran.
She was startled by something that had recently been added. A soulgem had been erected to the side, one which lacked an occupant. The strange part was, it was mounted on an odd tripod that she didn't know the purpose of.
"Llymic!" she shouted. "Llymic, where are you? I'm here, and I'm on time! Let's get this over with!"
A dark flame appeared in the center of the room.
A figure stepped out.
It was Chaos Sorcerer.
He pulled a pocket watch out of his robe, and looked at it.
"Five minutes early," he said. "Not bad…"
"Look, Llymic, you can drop the masquerade," said Daala. "The disguise doesn't fool me."
"Disguise?" asked Chaos Sorcerer. "You know as well as I do, kid, Chaos Sorcerer is my true form now."
"I don't care!" shouted Daala. "I want to talk to Llymic, not another Duel Spirit in a loud outfit. I get enough of them as it is."
"You are a Duel Spirit in a 'loud outfit', in case you forgot," replied Chaos Sorcerer. "You've been one for a long time, even though you hide it from everyone."
"Don't remind me…" growled Daala. "That is one secret I'll keep hidden for as long as I'm queen, and unless you want to defy Shogarr's order, you'll keep it a secret too. Now, I want to see Llymic, not Chaos Sorcerer."
"As you wish…" said Chaos Sorcerer.
A dark shadow enveloped him. After a few seconds, he had changed from Chaos Sorcerer to an elderly, but still robust man, with white hair and rough skin the consistency of tanned leather. He was dressed in short, black robes that were held in place by a tight sash.
Daala took the Dark Exemplar out of her pouch.
"I found it," she said, holding it up. "Along with Dark Simorgh as a bonus. I hope you're happy."
"Then let's see it and the rest of the deck," said Llymic.
Daala took the deck out of the pouch, and handed it to him. Llymic shuffled the Dark Exemplar into it, and then placed it on an alcove.
"The Dread Council should do its job by the time we're done here," he said. "Its old body would be useless in this deck, but they will combine their magic to give it a new one that will work much better. Whether you'll be able to use the deck or not remains to be seen."
"Then can we just do this?" asked Daala, with a tone of impatience in her voice.
"No, no, no, take your time!" laughed Llymic. "We don't have to duel right away…"
He snapped his fingers, and a table and chairs appeared, on which was a pot of coffee and a plate of scones.
"Care for a little repast? After all, this may be the last time we get a chance to talk…"
Daala sighed.
"It's a little late for coffee…" she said, "but it hardly matters…"
She sat down.
"You might be interested in knowing that the Evil Hero cards you made for Slade were a big flop," she muttered.
"Ah, well…" sighed Llymic. "Perhaps it's for the better. Slade is a wild card… He would obviously have challenged you with them eventually."
"Not that he could have," replied Daala. "He didn't know that any prisoners he apprehended are ultimately under my jurisdiction. If he had tried to use that deck against me, I'd have taken the Elemental Heroes away from him at the last minute, and the deck would have been practically dead."
She looked at the soulgem.
"I suppose that is for me, should I lose?" she asked.
Llymic nodded.
"Yes," he said, "but you won't be going to Shogarr. I've discovered a new way to use soulgems.
"I think I can draw more power from the Core than we are capable of doing so now, and in turn, increase the powers of anyone who draws energy from it. In effect, I can use a soulgem as an amplifier, and a Duel Spirit imprisoned inside as a battery, so long as it's powerful enough…"
"My ultimate fate is to become a battery…" muttered Daala, pouring the coffee.
"Ah, cheer up," said Llymic. "You haven't lost yet. Tell me…
"Are you still using the F.G.D.?"
"And what if I am?" asked Daala.
"Oh, nothing, nothing much…" muttered Llymic. "It's just that the card may be more dangerous than you previously believed.
"Ever wonder why the F.G.D. is never seen in any of the Twelve Dimensions?"
"I figure that a Duel Spirit so powerful isn't allowed to roam free," replied Daala. "I supposed some great hero, like maybe the Dragon Master Knight, defeated it a long time ago, and either killed it or locked it away somewhere."
"No, it wasn't like that at all," replied Llymic.
He sipped his coffee.
"F.G.D. isn't actually native to the Twelve Dimensions," he said ominously. "It's a Duel Spirit of a completely different type… One from another place…
"It's quite a story… Listen closely…
"Long ago, in the days of the Shadow Games, a cabal of foolish wizards violated the laws of the universe in their search for power, discovering spaces 'in-between' the dimensions that should never have been breached. Their arrogance angered the gods, who jealously coveted this knowledge. Those with such knowledge are often tempted to use it, and do things that man was just not meant to tamper with.
"And the gods' fears were not unfounded. They did use this knowledge to bring to the world something terrible. Because the gods saw them as enemies, they sought to protect themselves.
"The cabal sought a weapon with which to threaten the gods, one capable of killing deities. They bent their wills towards a quasi-reality best described as 'perpendicular' to the universe that humans and Duel Spirits call home. The dark enticement of the chance to slay gods called to the mortal world a sentient singularity of scarcely fathomable power and unrelenting destructiveness.
"It appeared to its summoners as a giant, five-headed dragon, because that was the closest analogy that the mortal mind can assign to this completely alien being. It had no real name, so it was called the F.G.D. by its summoners. The Five God Dragon.
"It sought to anxiously fulfill the terms of the contract it had agreed to, to exterminate the gods, but it was instead imprisoned, sealed away in a block of magical crystal formed by a spell that was researched specifically to hold it. The spell couldn't hold any other creature any more than a grass hut could. To hold a creature with might like this, they had to design a spell specifically for it.
"In their hubris, those who had summoned the F.G.D. called on the gods that were aligned against them, and revealed only a hint of their weapon's unbelievable power. They believed that such a display would force the gods to back down. Instead, the deities struck first. What would keep a single member of that insolent cabal from succumbing to madness and releasing the god-killing engine of death? Thus, before the cabal could consolidate their power, they were smote by the gods' mighty hands, and all traces of them were obliterated from the world.
"The gods who remember that fearful time sometimes speak to their few modern followers of their decision, and it strikes fear into them. They wiped out the foolish mages, but they could not undo what they had done. Thus, they were forced to hide away the doomsday weapon and its prison, and erase all records of the thing's existence. Nevertheless, the F.G.D. still lives, conscious and awake, immortal and… crushingly bored.
"Whenever a duelist uses the card that bears the image of the F.G.D., it is no mere Duel Monster. It is the avatar of this being, extending its influence, and gaining power from each Monster that its aspect strikes down. With each duel, the duel energy of both its user and the opponent is siphoned to it, and its prison weakens.
"Should the F.G.D. ever escape, it would have three goals.
"It first seeks revenge. It seeks vengeance for being betrayed by those ancient sorcerers who summoned it. It will try to locate any descendents of them or their people, and lay waste to them and their lands. Innocents will die for the crimes of their ancestors.
"Second, once it has sated its thirst for vengeance, it will attempt to carry out the terms of the contract that it agreed to so long ago. Although its summoners didn't respect their end of the bargain, the F.G.D. possesses a strange sense of honor. It will fulfill its end of the contract by murdering every divine being in existence. Clearly a monumental task, as even opposing one god is difficult, but that is its plan.
"Finally, once it has finished these goals, the F.G.D. will attempt to return to its home reality – if it can. If it is prevented from leaving, whether through a conscious act or because the portal it came through cannot be recreated, it will destroy the universe, one dimension at a time."
There was a long pause.
"So…" said Daala. "Where exactly did the gods stash it?"
Llymic chuckled.
"I don't know, kid, it's just a story!" he replied. "I wouldn't tell you even if I knew… Only fools and madmen go looking for things that scare the gods.
"But anyway… The moral of this story is, know what you're doing before using great powers."
Daala got up.
"Enough beating around the bush!" she shouted. "I just want to duel you, and get this done with!"
Llymic's eyes narrowed.
"Oh, yes, I see we are very serious…" he said, getting up. "Well, I'm serious too… I constructed a special deck specifically for this occasion… And the important cards in it are so powerful, they'll only last for this one duel. Once it's over, they'll be nothing but dust…
"I've taught you everything I can, kid… Consider this your final test…"
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Yumi was dumbfounded.
The shrine was much bigger on the inside than it was on the outside. She was right now wandering down a hallway that seemed to be made entirely out of green crystal. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was Dorothy, entering the throne room of the Wizard of Oz for the first time.
"Come closer," said the commanding voice she had heard from the outside.
Yumi shivered. She cautiously walked towards a large archway, that led inside a large chamber.
She stood back in fright.
Standing in front of her was a huge creature that stood fifteen feet tall. Its whole body seemed to be made of pale green cloth parchment, put together in the shape of a feminine body. Behind the huge Duel Spirit was a ring of magical energy, covered with runes. The creature exuded an aura of pure power.
Yumi didn't know what to say. Fortunately, the Spirit spoke first, not moving its lips, but apparently speaking in a telepathic voice.
"Welcome, Queen of Games," it said. "I am the voice of Boccob, Archmage of the Deities, for words from his own mouth hold secrets that cannot be told. In these Dimensions, I was known as Testament of the Arcane Lords…"
Yumi stared at the huge Monster.
"Whoa…" she said.
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Daala and her mentor, the odd, elderly man who called himself Llymic looked at each other. Their two Disks activated.
"I'm warning you, kid," he said, "I don't intend to hold anything back."
"Neither do I," replied Daala.
"Game on!"
(Daala: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Llymic: 8,000)
"Age before beauty, I always say," said Llymic, drawing his first card.
He looked over his opening hand.
"I summon Archfiend Soldier."
In a burst of energy, the infernal infantryman appeared, holding his sword. (1,900/1,500)
"And I'll leave it at that…" he said.
He's toying with me, thought Daala. There's got to be more to his deck than some vanilla beatstick Fiend.
Well, fine… I'll start slow too…
"I'll set a Monster in Defense Mode," she said, as a facedown Monster appeared on her side of the field. "And I end MY turn."
"Well," chuckled Llymic, making a draw, "you aren't going to get anywhere if you do nothing but defend…
"I'll also set a Monster in Defense Mode…"
A facedown Monster appeared on his side of the field.
"Then I attack with Archfiend Soldier!"
Archfiend Soldier flew at the facedown card, and Sangan appeared on it. He made one slash, and it was cut in half.
"Thank you," said Daala.
She took a card out of her deck.
You were a little too big for your britches, Lord of Dragons, she thought, looking at it, but you can still serve me in this aspect.
"I end my turn," said Llymic, with a grin.
Daala made a draw.
She smiled.
"I play Polymerization!" she shouted. "I'll fuse together Lord of Dragons, and Divine Dragon Ragnarok…"
The two Monsters appeared on the field, and swirled into a dark blur…
In a burst of dark energy, King Dragun appeared on the field. (2,400/1,100)
"When King Dragun is on the field, I get to Special Summon a Dragon every round. So I'll summon Prime Material Dragon!"
In a flash of light, the large Dragon that looked like a plant sculpted into a Dragon's shape appeared next to King Dragun. (2,400/2,000)
"Next, I Normal Summon Mirage Dragon."
She played another card, and the wispy, transparent Dragon made of light appeared. (1,600/200)
"All right!" she laughed. "Mirage Dragon, attack his facedown Monster! Spectrum blast!"
Mirage Dragon fired a beam of multicolored light from its jaws. Morphing Jar appeared on the card, and cackled before being blown to pieces.
Daala chuckled. She couldn't have hoped for better. She had used every card in her hand but two in that last move.
She discarded them, and Llymic discarded the five cards in his hand. Both of them made five draws.
"I'm not done!" she shouted. "King Dragun, attack Archfiend Soldier with Twilight Burn!"
King Dragun blasted a bolt of flames from his scepter, and the Fiend exploded into a burst of ashes.
"Prime Material Dragon, attack Llymic directly!"
Prime Material Dragon breathed a blast of pure, burning light, hitting Llymic and exploding on impact. Llymic groaned.
And then he laughed.
"Bravo," he chuckled. "You managed to pull off a pretty decent combo… Clearly, I managed to teach you something…"
"I will beat you this time, old man," growled Daala. "Just wait…"
Llymic's eyes narrowed.
"That remains to be seen," he said. "Anything else?"
Daala looked at her hand.
"It's your move…" she said.
(D: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 5,100)
Llymic drew a card.
"I play Dual Gate," he said, as a Spell Card appeared. "Now, by removing this card and a second Dual Gate in my Graveyard from play, I get to draw twice."
The card vanished, and he made two draws. He looked at them.
"Next," he said, "I play a Spell Card called Triangle Force."
A Continuous Spell Card appeared on his side of the field. It bore the image of the three Magnet Warriors, Alpha, Beta, and Gamma, flying forward.
"When this Continuous Spell Card is played, I can activate two more from my deck."
Two more copies of Triangle Force appeared. Daala raised an eyebrow.
Llymic's face turned into a wicked grin.
"Now…" he said. "I sacrifice these three Spell Cards…"
The three Triangle Force cards turned to ice, and then shattered. The arena started to darken.
Sacrificing three Spell Cards? thought Daala. What is he…
A titanic, dark form started to rise behind Llymic…
No! thought Daala. There's only one Monster that's summoned like this… But that's impossible… He couldn't have… He wouldn't…
But as Daala watched, and the creature came into view, it was obvious that he could, he would, and he clearly did. It was a giant, winged demon, with a scaly golden hide and wings, gaunt and skeletal. Overall, it looked like a corrupted, evil version of the Winged Dragon of Ra. (4,000/4,000)
"You managed to duplicate Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder?" gasped Daala.
"And that's not all," said Llymic. "But it'll do for now.
"Hamon, attack King Dragun with Cerulean Skyfire!"
Lightning flashed, and a volley of pale, blue lightning bolts shot at King Dragun, blowing him to ashes. Daala cringed.
"And, due to Hamon's effect," continued Llymic. "Whenever it crushes a Monster, you lose 1,000 Life Points."
Daala screamed as she shocked by another blast of electricity.
"I'll set a new Monster in Defense Mode," said Llymic, as a facedown Monster appeared, "and then play the Field Spell, Fallen Paradise."
He placed a card in his Field slot, and the dark arena faded away. It was replaced by a blasted, burned wasteland, full of dead, twisted trees, under an overcast sky.
"It's your move," he said.
(D: 5,400) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 5,100)
Daala sweat as she drew a card.
Mirage Dragon and Prime Material Dragon curled up in Defense Mode, and then a new Monster appeared in Defense Mode.
"That's all I can do…" she muttered.
"Then I draw," said Llymic, drawing a card, "and due to the effect of my Field Spell, I can draw two times during my Standby Phase, so long as I control at least one Sacred Beast."
He made an additional two draws.
He looked at the three new cards.
"I throw down a few facedown cards…" he said.
He fit four cards into his Disk, and four facedown cards appeared.
"Then I attack with Hamon!"
Hamon's Skyfire shot at Prime Material Dragon, and it was fried to a crisp. Daala cringed as she was shocked by lightning again.
"And once again, you lose 1,000 Life Points…"
Daala bowed her head, as smoke poured from her body.
(D: 4,400) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 5,100)
"My move…" she muttered.
She drew a card.
Damn! she thought. You can never get Heavy Storm when you need it.
She paused.
What am I saying? Even I was able to destroy his facedown cards, what then? They wouldn't help me get rid of Hamon…
"I can't do anything…" she muttered. "I pass…"
Llymic smiled evilly, and drew a card.
"I draw two more times due to Fallen Paradise," he said, making two more draws.
"Then I flip Dark Mimic LV1 into Attack Mode."
His facedown Monster flipped up, and the fiendish treasure chest appeared. (100/1,000)
He made another draw.
"Next, I activate Call of the Haunted. I'll bring back Archfiend Soldier."
One of his facedown cards lifted, and with a glow of shadowy energy, Archfiend Soldier appeared again. (1,900/1,500)
"Next, another Trap," he continued, as another facedown card lifted. "Metal Reflect Slime. This card is both a Trap and a Monster."
A morass of silvery slime appeared on his side of the field. It formed into a semi-humanoid, hulking shape, and crouched in Defense Mode. (0/3,000)
"Continuing," he said, as a third Trap Card lifted, "I activate DNA Surgery. Now, I can change every Monster on the field to any Type I desire. I choose Fiend Type."
The change that this card caused was minimal. Two of Llymic's Monsters were already Fiends, one was a formless mass of protoplasm, and as for Hamon, it was impossible for it to look even more like a Fiend. Daala's Mirage Dragon acquired glowing eyes and more pronounced claws, but that was about it.
"Now," said Llymic, taking another card from his hand, "since I changed my Slime's Type to Fiend, I can sacrifice it, along with Dark Mimic and Archfiend Soldier…"
He's kidding! thought Daala.
The three Monsters erupted in dark flames, and then vanished. A second titanic form rose on Llymic's side of the field. It was huge and humanoid, with blue skin, fiendish wings, claws, and a muscular frame. It looked like a sinister version of Obelisk the Tormentor. (4,000/4,000)
First he summons Hamon, then he summons Raviel too? thought Daala. Could he possibly…
"I'm not done…" said Llymic.
His last facedown card lifted.
"I activate The Eye of Truth. This lets me look at the cards in your hand."
The images of six cards appeared above Daala. They were Premature Burial, Tyrant Dragon, Graverobber, Van'Dalgyon the Dark Dragon Lord, Call of the Haunted, and Kuriboh.
"Graverobber?" laughed Llymic. "You actually use that outdated card?"
"I have my reasons," replied Daala. "And your Trap Card will grant me 1,000 Life Points per turn."
"No it won't, because I'm getting rid of it," replied Llymic. "I sacrifice my three Trap Cards…"
The Eye of Truth, Call of the Haunted, and DNA Surgery burst into fire…
"I summon Uria, Lord of Searing Flames!"
In an inferno, the last of the three demons appeared. I was a giant, red-scaled, serpentine creature with huge wings, resembling an evil version of Slifer the Sky Dragon.
"Well, well…" muttered Daala. "The gang's all here…"
"As you know doubt know," replied Llymic, "Uria's Attack Score is 1,000 for each Continuous Trap Card in my Graveyard. And I have four of them there – Metal Reflect Slime, The Eye of Truth, Call of the Haunted, and DNA Surgery."
(4,000/0)
"Peachy…" said Daala.
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Yumi was at a loss for words.
"So…" she said. "You serve the god of magic?"
The Testament nodded.
"The Uncaring is most often content with one goal," it said. "The accumulation of knowledge and its use towards the betterment of humanity.
"But he also knows that all things in the universe must remain in moderation.
"Good, Evil, Law, Chaos, Light, Darkness… Each one must never become too strong so that it becomes dominant. Long ago, when the Queen of Chaos threatened to flood the universe with her creed, he gave the Vaati the knowledge to craft the Rod of Seven Parts, the weapon that could defeat her.
"My lord tries to remain neutral in all matters, even though Chaos and Evil are the ones who most often try to overwhelm the other forces. Just as Shogarr is trying to do now."
"So…" muttered Yumi. "How can you help me?"
"By offering my services until Shogarr is defeated," said the Testament.
The Testament of the Arcane Lords started to glow with an eldritch light. Then it slowly started to vanish, disappearing into motes of energy.
A Duel Monsters card appeared in the air, and floated towards Yumi. She slowly reached out and took it.
It was a card that depicted the Testament itself. It was a Level Ten Light-Attribute Spellcaster with 3,000 Attack and Defense Points.
Yumi read the effect text.
"Wait a minute!" she said. "This effect is only good in a situation where the two-out-of-three match rules are used! That rule isn't used in Xanadu."
"Keep this card in your Side Deck then," said the voice of the Testament. "But keep it with you, for I can help you eventually.
"Here's a card that will be of more use immediately. Take it as well."
Another card appeared in front of Yumi. She slowly reached for it and took it.
"A Fusion Monster?" she asked.
"I believe you have the necessary cards to summon her," said the Testament. "She is a Spellcaster who reflects my master's philosophy in earnest.
"Now, the time has come to plan and prepare. At midnight, Joan's portal will be ready, and her patron will arrive…"
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"Any questions?" asked Llymic.
"Only the freakin' obvious!" replied Daala. "How the HECK did you manage to duplicate the Sacred Beasts?! I can't even duplicate the Destiny Heroes!"
Llymic chuckled.
"Well, I'll gladly tell you," he said.
"Before we met, I was but an average practitioner of the dark arts. But when we discovered the means of creating Xanadu by combining magic with technology, that changed. It changed a great deal.
"Any expert on computers will tell you that computers are more efficient at doing things than humans. They can do things faster, and can do more tasks at once. I simply had to apply this fact to my ability to work magic.
"The first step was the hardest. I had to translate all my spellbooks onto a database. Since they were all handwritten, and in ancient languages, it took a great deal of time, a lot of typing, and a little patience. But it paid off.
"Once my spells, rituals, and incantations were all stored in a hard drive, all it took was the right series of programs, slightly modified with the use of the right hardware, and the benefits of the computer age were applied to the powers of eldritch wizardry! I could cast dozens of spells at once. Rituals that formerly took a day to complete now only took minutes. I became a true master of dark arts using technology."
"Lovely…" replied Daala. "A regular Technomage…"
"Eh?" asked Llymic.
"Oh, it's from an old TV show…" muttered Daala.
"Whatever," said Llymic. "Using this power, I drew upon the chaotic magic of the Abyss, combined it with virtual technology, and after several failed attempts, was indeed able to duplicate the Sacred Beasts.
"Sadly, as I said, even this had limits. These cards will only be good for one duel. Once this duel is over, they'll crumble into dust.
"But enough about that… Let's continue…
"Hamon, attack Mirage Dragon! Cerulean Skyfire!"
Hamon blasted its lightning bolts, and Mirage Dragon exploded.
Daala screamed as lightning struck her again.
(D: 3,400) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 5,100)
"Well?" he asked. "Aren't you going to anything to stop me?"
He paused.
"Fine… I guess this story won't have a happy ending…
"Uria, destroy her last Monster with Hyper Blaze!"
Uria shot a powerful blast of burning death at the facedown Monster. Masked Dragon appeared on the card, and was burned to a cinder.
"I use Masked Dragon's effect!" shouted Daala. "I summon a second Masked Dragon in Defense Mode!"
Another Masked Dragon appeared. (1,400/1,100)
"Well," said Llymic. "I guess you still have some fight in you. Raviel, attack with Shivering Scraper!"
The Lord of Phantasms lunged forward, and crushed Masked Dragon with its mighty claw.
"I use Masked Dragon's effect again," said Daala, "to summon Decoy Dragon."
In a small burst of fire, a cute, baby Dragon appeared, shielding itself in Defense Mode. (300/200)
"You're going to stand up to my titans with that pipsqueak?" asked Llymic.
"I am," replied Daala. "Let me explain how Decoy Dragon works.
"If you attack it, I can Special Summon a Level Seven or higher Dragon from my Graveyard, such as King Dragun, and switch your target to that Monster. And there's no limit the number of times per round that I can do it. So your Sacred Beasts will never get to me."
Llymic looked at her.
"I end my turn," he said.
Daala drew a card.
"I toss down two facedown cards, and end my turn," she said.
Two facedown cards appeared.
"I draw," said Llymic, drawing a card.
"Now I activate Uria's effect. Once per round, it can destroy one facedown card."
Uria spit a ball of flames. The facedown card to Daala's left exploded into fire.
"Call of the Haunted?" asked Llymic. "As if that would have helped.
"Now, I draw twice more due to Fallen Paradise…"
He made two draws.
He could deck himself out if this keeps up, thought Daala.
"Your plan has a fatal flaw, by the way," said Llymic. "You may force me to attack the same Monster over and over again, but you obviously forget, each time Hamon attacks it, you lose 1,000 Life Points. You'll lose in four rounds unless you manage to do something.
"But seeing as you may well find a way to do something before then, I'm going to destroy your Decoy Dragon now. I play Fissure."
A Spell Card appeared.
"This destroys your Monster with the lowest Attack Score, and since you only have one Monster…"
"I don't think so," interrupted Daala. "Call of the Haunted was a decoy too. Now I can activate this!"
Her other facedown card flipped up.
"Dark Bribe," she said. "Now, you get to draw a card, but my Dragon is safe."
The Spell Card shattered. Llymic frowned, and made a draw.
"And that's not all," she continued. "Since I just activated a Counter Trap, I get to Special Summon this guy. Meet Van'Dalgyon the Dark Dragon Lord."
In a burst of darkness, a large Monster that appeared to be half Dragon and half Fiend appeared next to Decoy Dragon. He was humanoid, and had black, plate-like armor, draconic wings, and a demonic face. He knelt and shielded himself in Defense Mode. (2,800/2,500)
"Also," continued Daala, "Van'Dalgyon has three effects. Which one I get to use depends on what type of card I countered when I summoned him. Since Fissure is a Spell Card, you lose 1,500 Life Points."
Van'Dalgyon's eyes glowed with fiery light, and Llymic groaned in pain.
"It's still my move," he said, sounding annoyed. "Hamon, attack Decoy Dragon."
Hamon's lightning flashed, thundering towards the small Dragon. As Daala promised, King Dragun appeared in front of it, curled up in Defense Mode. The bolt struck him, and he was incinerated.
Daala groaned as she was shocked again.
"I'll set a card facedown," said Llymic, "and end my turn."
A facedown card appeared.
Huh? thought Daala. Why did he spare Van'Dalgyon?
(D: 2,400) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 3,600)
She drew a card.
I've almost got all I need to take these things down, she thought. I just have to hang on, and hope I get what I need next round.
"I pass this turn," she said.
Llymic drew.
"I won't use the effect of Fallen Paradise this round," he said. "But I will activate this…"
His facedown card lifted.
"Gift of the Mystical Elf. Now I gain 300 Life Points for each Monster on the field. And I count five."
So that's why, thought Daala.
"Now, onto business," continued Llymic. "Uria, destroy Van'Dalgyon!"
The Lord of Searing Flames blasted its Hyper Blaze, and the Dark Dragon Lord was incinerated.
"Hamon, attack Decoy Dragon!"
The Lord of Striking Thunder blasted its Cerulean Skyfire, and once again, King Dragun appeared to block the blast. He was blown to pieces, and Daala cringed as she was shocked again.
(D: 1,400) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 5,100)
"I end my turn. It's almost over, Daala."
Daala drew another card.
"Only for your three freaks, Llymic!" she said with a laugh.
She played a card.
"I play Premature Burial! I'll drop 800 points to summon a Monster from my Graveyard."
She glowed with red energy, and The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave appeared on her side of the field. (1,300/2,000)
"Now, I sacrifice both my Monsters…"
Decoy Dragon and The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave vanished into grains of light.
"…to summon Tyrant Dragon!"
In a mighty burst of flames, the huge Fire Dragon appeared. It roared. (2,900/2,500)
"I activate Raviel's effect," said Llymic. "When you Normal Summon a Monster, I get a Phantasm Token."
Raviel glowed with dark energy, and a Monster that looked like a miniature version of itself appeared in front of it, kneeling in Defense Mode. (1,000/1,000)
"Not gonna matter in a few minutes," said Daala, holding a Spell Card up. "I play Dragon's Gunfire. Now, since I have a Dragon on the field, I can destroy a Monster with 800 Defense Points or less.
"Guess what, Llymic? Uria may have an overwhelming Attack Score…"
"But its Defense Score is zero…" gasped Llymic, as his eyes opened wide.
A stream of fire blasted from Tyrant Dragon's jowls, and Uria howled in an unholy voice. It exploded into a blast of fiery embers.
"I still have two other Sacred Beasts!" replied Llymic.
"Not for long," said Daala. "I Equip Tyrant Dragon with Megamorph!"
She played the card, and Tyrant Dragon glowed with pure energy. (5,800/2,500)
Llymic gulped.
"Tyrant Dragon," ordered Daala, "destroy Hamon with imperial inferno!"
Tyrant Dragon blasted a stream of flames just as intense as Uria's, and Hamon screamed in agony. It exploded, sending a shower of sparks all over the Fallen Paradise.
"Boy, that was therapeutic," sighed Daala. "Now I use Tyrant Dragon's effect, which lets it attack a second Monster.
"Destroy Raviel!"
Tyrant Dragon breathed its inferno again, and the Lord of Phantasms screamed before exploding into a shower of blue rocks.
Llymic cringed.
(D: 600) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 1,500)
Then Llymic started to chuckle. The chuckle turned into a laugh.
"Well done, kid!" he laughed. "You wiped out all three of them in one turn! Heck, not even Jaden was able to do that!"
Daala looked at him.
"Make your move," she said with a sneer.
"Oh, I will," he said. "And now the true test begins…"
"Huh?" said Daala.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Yumi walked out of the shrine, to find her friends waiting with Vita. Sahkyo, however, was gone.
"Where's our host?" she asked.
"We don't know," replied Sam, sounding somewhat annoyed. "We just turned our backs, and the next time we looked, she had disappeared."
"Maybe she turned into a wolf and ran into the forest," said Ren.
"You watch way too many movies, Ren," replied Chelsea.
Vita sighed, and walked up to Yumi.
"Yumi, I must leave you as well for now," she said. "I guarantee that we will meet again before this is over. For when that happens, I have something that you might need to use."
She handed Yumi a card. Yumi looked at it.
"Offerings to the Doomed?" she asked.
"A magical card," replied Vita. "I've spent years working on it. It can actually kill a Duel Spirit. Or rather, it can kill one specific Duel Spirit.
"Me."
"WHAT?" exclaimed Yumi.
"I believe that if Daala saw her other self die," continued Vita, "the shock to her would be so great, that if it didn't kill her, she would be weakened enough that she could be subdued and captured easily. So, if I'm with you when you finally confront her…"
"We use this as a last resort measure…" muttered Yumi.
"Exactly," said Vita. "For now, I wish you the best of luck.
"You'd best get back to Joan. I fear that the energies of the Core have grown stronger as we have spent time here."
"Agreed," said Chelsea, nervously.
As Vita ran off, Erik looked out into the forest.
"Uh, Yumi?" he said. "Which way did we come in?"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Llymic made one draw.
"I sacrifice my Token…" he said.
The Phantasm Token vanished.
"…to summon my Dark Summing Beast."
In a burst of dark fire, a new Fiend appeared. It was about ten feet tall, and rather stereotypical for a Fiend, with wings, horns, claws, and black scales. (0/0)
"Huh?" said Daala.
"Now, I activate its effect," continued Llymic. "By sacrificing it, I can Special Summon three specific Monsters from my Graveyard, disregarding their summoning conditions."
Dark Summoning Beast vanished.
"Give you one guess who they are…"
Balls of red, yellow, and blue flame flew around the arena. With three angry roars, Uria (4,000/0), Hamon (4,000/4,000), and Raviel (4,000/4,000) appeared again. Daala stepped back in shock.
"Of course," said Llymic, "they can't attack on the round that I summon them this way."
"Then I win!" shouted Daala. "My Tyrant Dragon still has 5,800 Attack Points, and one attack against any one of them, and this duel is over!"
"You're dead wrong," said Llymic.
Then all three of the Sacred Beasts erupted into black flames, and vanished into nothing. A fierce wind started to blow through the arena.
"I know," said Llymic. "You're thinking, is he crazy? Removing from play three of the most powerful Monsters in the game? Well, I simply did it to summon something even better…
"From the lowest layer of the Abyss, comes the embodiment of madness! Arise…
"Armitael, Phantasm of Chaos!"
The creature that appeared, all thirty feet tall of it, was hard to describe. Whoever or whatever had designed this thing had clearly not followed whatever rules had been set for the body structures of sentient beings. And perhaps, that was the whole point. One might say that it was a combination of all three Sacred Beasts, but that was applying a simple explanation to a Monster that was impossible to describe in any simple terms.
It bellowed a roar that conveyed both rage and insanity at the same time, which shook the whole arena, and shook Daala, filling her with panic. (0/0)
"Zero attack points?" she gasped.
"True," said Llymic. "But during my first Main Phase, they gain a little boost."
The giant Fiend glowed with intense energy. (10,000/0)
"Ten-thousand…" gasped Daala.
"Armitael…" ordered Llymic, "attack Tyrant Dragon with Transmigration Wave!"
The colossus put its hands together, and a giant black and lavender orb formed in them.
Daala was so terrified, she forgot at the moment that she had a card in her hand that could save her. Finally, at the last second, she snapped out of it. As the attack struck, blowing Tyrant Dragon to vapor, she threw it into her discard slot.
"Hmm…" said Llymic.
He looked to see Daala gasping for breath, surrounded by a swarm of Kuribohs.
Llymic burst out laughing.
"Not bad, kid!" he laughed. "You know that a little Kuriboh can absorb the damage from the mightiest attack. However, you can only have so many Kuribohs, while my Monster is Chaos incarnate!
"I'll set one card facedown, and that will end my turn."
A facedown card appeared, and Armitael's Attack Score fell down to zero.
It's Attack Score is zero again, thought Daala. Now's my chance…
She drew a card. It was Monster Reborn.
That's the ticket, she thought.
"I set one card facedown," she said, as a facedown card appeared. "Then, I play Monster Reborn!"
The holy ankh appeared on the field, and then Prime Material Dragon appeared in front of her. (2,400/2,000)
"That won't work, kid," said Llymic. "Armitael also can't be destroyed in battle."
"True," said Daala, "but you'll still take damage when I attack."
"Aw, crap…" muttered Llymic. "You're right…"
"Prime Material Dragon…" shouted Daala, "attack the Phantasm of Chaos!"
Armitael roared, as the Dragon blasted its beam of pure light at it…
"You triggered my Trap!" shouted Llymic, as his facedown card lifted. "Hallowed Life Barrier. Now, I just have to discard one card, and the damage to me is reduced to zero!"
He discarded a second Archfiend Soldier.
"In that case," said Daala, "I end my turn."
Llymic drew a card. It was his own Monster Reborn.
"I activate my own Trap!" exclaimed Daala.
Her facedown card lifted. A grinning, giggling gremlin with a pick in its hands and a shovel and a tombstone strapped to its back appeared in front of Daala.
"Wha?" said Llymic. "Your Graverobber card?"
"That's right!" laughed Daala. "And he's gonna snag a Spell Card from your Graveyard!"
A card appeared in the Graverobber's hands. It was Fissure.
"Now," said Daala, "I'm gonna use it, and take down triple-ugly up there!"
The ground erupted in an intense earthquake, and Armitael roared in agony. Burning sparks flew all over its immense hide. Then, it exploded into black shards.
"You may have destroyed Armitael," laughed Llymic, "but you lost the duel. You made a foolish mistake. Graverobber requires you to pay 2,000 Life Points if you actually use the Spell Card, and that's more than you have!"
"Think again," said Daala. "The 2,000 Life Points you lose isn't a payment. It's effect damage."
"So?" asked Llymic.
"Remember him?" asked Daala, pointing to Prime Material Dragon. "He has a powerful effect of his own. While he's on the field, all effect damage to me is negated, and I gain whatever Life Points I would have lost."
She started to glow with golden energy.
"Now does it make sense why I have that outdated card? By combining it with Prime Material Dragon, I gain 2,000 Life Points instead of losing them."
(D: 2,600) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 1,500)
Llymic looked at her.
Then he smirked.
"I'll admit, that's very clever," he said. "But I won't give up…"
He played a Spell Card.
"This card worked for you. I play my own Monster Reborn. And since you robbed my Graveyard, I'll return the favor."
In a flash of light, Van'Dalgyon the Dark Dragon Lord appeared in front of him. (2,800/2,500)
"Then, I summon Slate Warrior."
He played the card, and the blocky, alien-looking Fiend appeared. (1,900/400)
"Van'Dalgyon, destroy her Prime Material Dragon with dark dragonfire!"
Van'Dalgyon formed an orb of black flames in his hands, and threw it forward, blowing the smaller Dragon to shards.
"Slate Warrior, attack directly!"
Slate Warrior shot a blast of green energy from its staff, and Daala groaned in pain.
(D: 300) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 1,500)
"Well, kid," said Llymic. "You have no cards on the field… None in your hand… And only 300 Life Points left. What will you do now?"
Daala hesitated as she looked at her deck.
Everything I've taught you has come down to this moment! thought Llymic. Now prove to me that you're worthy of that crown! Draw, and make me proud!
Daala drew a card.
She chuckled.
"Heh, heh…" she said. "You know, old man… I guess sometimes, Yumi says some pretty smart things… One draw CAN change everything!
"I play Dragon's Mirror!"
In five flashes of light, Decoy Dragon, both Masked Dragons, The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave, and Mirage Dragon appeared in front of her, and then vanished into grains of light. With a roar that consisted of five mouths, the titanic form of F.G.D. rose behind her. (5,000/5,000)
"F.G.D.," commanded Daala, "attack Slate Warrior with Pentecost Holocaust!"
Five blasts of energy shot towards Slate Warrior, and Llymic was thrown off his feet by the impact.
(D: 300) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 0)
Daala fell to her knees, panting for breath, with sweat pouring down her face. She took some deep gasps.
She turned towards the alcove where the portal usually appeared.
"I've fulfilled my terms of the bargain, Shogarr!" she shouted. "I won the duel!"
Llymic chuckled.
"He can hear you," he said, "but I don't think he'll be coming to congratulate you in person.
"So let me do that… Arise… Queen of Xanadu…"
He held out his hand, and lifted her up. They shook.
"Now…" said Llymic, "let's see if the Council has done its job…"
He turned towards the alcove where he had placed the deck. He took it, and started to leaf through the cards.
"Excellent," he said.
The Dark Exemplar was now an actual Monster Card, with a picture and effect text.
Llymic handed the deck to Daala.
"I can't wait to use this against Yumi…" she said.
"Don't be so impulsive…" said Llymic.
He took another deck out of a pouch on his side. He leafed through it until he found a card. He held up a Monster Card.
"As you know, both the Dark Exemplar and the Light Exemplar must show their power to fuel the Great Helm…
"Think of how much power they would generate… If they fought side by side…"
"You mean…" said Daala. "A tag duel?"
"Exactly," said Llymic. "Me and you, against Yumi and… Well, whomever she desires. It's worth thinking about."
He looked at the soulgem and sighed.
"Guess we'll have to find someone else for this…" he muttered.
Daala looked at the soulgem. She made a sly smile.
"Llymic…" she said. "How long would it take you to make four more of these?"
"Uhm…" said Llymic. "Four more? A few hours, I guess. But we can't hold Yumi and her allies with these ones. Only Duel Spirits have the proper…"
He stopped short. Then he laughed out loud.
"Oh, I get it!" he laughed. "You are incredibly diabolical, kid!
"I'll get working on it right away…"
"Good," said Daala. "In the meantime, I'm going to test my new deck out… And I know just who I want my opponent to be…"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Most people got confused about Skull Knights. A lot of folks assumed that they were Fiends. They wore bone armor, had horns on heads that had demonic faces, and carried swords and shields. To cause further confusion, they were Fusion Monsters whose Fusion Material Monsters were both Fiends, and another Monster called Skull Knight #2 actually was a Fiend.
Skull Knights were actually Spellcasters, and as such, they had the magical abilities of any sorcerers. Some of them were capable of casting incantations that could rival the Dark Magician's capabilities at certain times. The Skull Knight who worked for Daala wasn't that strong in terms of spellcasting ability, but one thing he was very good at was opening interdimensional portals. He was the one who had designed the permanent portal in Nexus that led to Earth, and most of his spells went into building it.
He was making a much less powerful one right now. The portal he was working on looked like a small orb of dark energy, hanging in the air. This one wasn't powerful enough for a living creature to go through, but it could be used to communicate and send inanimate objects. One might liken it to a dimensional fax machine.
He was surprised to see Daala walk out of the arena.
"Milady!" he gasped. "You're all right!"
"And I've never been better," said Daala.
She looked at the portal.
"Giving the General a jingle, eh?" she asked. "Good idea."
She gestured, and the portal fully opened. A dark figure appeared on the other side.
"We have good news to report, milady," he said, in a sinister voice. "We have taken over Kaibaland, and our troops are slowly but surely subjugating the city's duelist population."
"Good to hear General," said Daala. "Keep me updated…"
She took her Dragon Deck out of its pouch, and leafed through it.
"I'm going to retire my current deck… Here's a little gift to help you… It's a powerful card if you use it right, but I never managed to use it with much success. Maybe you can use it better."
She threw it though the portal.
"Thank you milady," said the General. "You can be sure I will use it wisely."
Daala gestured, and the portal closed.
She gestured again, and a screen covered with the faces of Duel Spirits appeared.
"Let's see…" she said. "For my next endeavor, I'm going to need someone to go ahead of me… Someone who's just right…
"Ah… He's perfect…"
The screen vanished.
"Let's go, Skull Knight."
They started back the way they had come, at a faster pace and Daala took out her cell phone as they did.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
FALLEN PARADISE (Spell Card)
Field Spell
Image: A dead, twisted tree on a blasted wasteland.
Card Description: A player may draw two cards during his/her Standby Phase if he/she controls at least one of the following Monsters: "Uria, Lord of Searing Flames", "Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder", and/or "Raviel, Lord of Phantasms".
Note: "Fallen Paradise" was first used by Kagemaru in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Rise of the Sacred Beasts (Part One)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
TRIANGLE FORCE (Spell Card)
Continuous Spell
Image: The three Magnet Warriors flying forward, glowing with energy.
Card Description: When this card is activated, you may take two "Triangle Force" cards from your deck and activate them.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
DUAL GATE (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: A man in a dense fog, between two dark portals.
Card Description: Remove this card and a second "Dual Gate" in your Graveyard from play. Draw two cards from your deck.
Note: "Triangle Force" and "Dual Gate" were first used by Jesse (possessed by Yubel) in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "The Ultimate Face-Off (Part One)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
DARK SUMMONING BEAST (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Fiend/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 5
ATK: 0
DEF: 0
Card Description: Offer this card as a Tribute to Special Summon one each of the following three Monsters from your Graveyard, disregarding their summoning conditions: "Uria, Lord of Searing Flames", "Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder", and "Raviel, Lord of Phantasms". Monsters Special Summoned by this effect cannot attack on the round they are Special Summoned.
Note: "Dark Summoning Beast" was first used by Marcel (possessed by Yubel) in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Unleash the Dragon! (Part Two)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
ARMITAEL, PHANTASM OF CHAOS (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Fiend/Fusion/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 12
ATK: 0
DEF: 0
Card Description: Uria, Lord of Searing Flames plus Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder, plus Raviel, Lord of Phantasms
This card can only be Special Summoned via Fusion Summon. This card is Fusion Summoned by removing the above three Fusion Material Monsters on your side of the field from play (you do not use Polymerization). This card cannot be destroyed in battle (damage calculation still applies). During your Main Phase 1, this card's ATK becomes 10,000 until your End Phase.
Note: "Armitael, Phantasm of Chaos" is a Japanese card that has not yet been released in the United States (note that its effect was different in the anime).
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Lords of Chaos
The Chilling Story of Father Llymic, the Killer of Light
A mote of insane thought given life, the Elder Evil that was called Father Llymic was not of this world. He was a force of Chaos that came not from the Abyss, but from some other, completely alien dimension when only madness reigns. In this dimension of insanity, things happen that defy reality.
Father Llymic was accidentally summoned by powerful druids in their experimentation with nature spirits. When using their powers to communicate with the spirits of the North Wind, something went terribly wrong, and an evil force was attracted to the world. A hulking demon of ice, he radiated terrible cold, that if left unchecked, had the potential to freeze all of creation. But he had a weakness that the druids quickly exploited – a crippling vulnerability to light. As soon as he was exposed to the sun, he was rendered helpless. With the help of some real nature spirits, the druids then cast a spell which made use of this vulnerability, and trapped him in a giant block of ice, which they stored in the coldest mountain range. So long as sunlight could shine on his prison, Father Llymic would never escape.
The Elder Evil was asleep, but his dreams took on a consciousness of their own, forming projections of his sleeping mind. This is how he got his name; those who came close to his tomb often saw a kindly-looking old man beckoning them to follow. Those who fell for this ruse were never the same again, because Llymic used this projection to brainwash anyone who came near, turning them into loyal followers. The more recruits he gathered, the more power he achieved towards his goal…
His goal was simple, if daunting – to extinguish the sun itself, so that the light would no longer confine him. Several centuries after he was imprisoned, his goal came close to fruition. His dominated minions were feeding him power, and the days were growing shorter and colder, weakening the power of the sun.
He may well have succeeded, but the world was saved by help from an unlikely source – Shogarr, the Dread Emperor. Shogarr knew that Father Llymic's plan would freeze the entire world and kill all life on it, leaving nothing for Shogarr himself to rule when his own plans became ready to enact, and that would not do.
Shogarr used a powerful spell to bypass the wards constructed by the druids who had imprisoned Llymic. The icy prison was unbreakable, but Shogarr found a way to transport Llymic out of it without breaking it. Using powerful planar travel methods, he sent Father Llymic from his prison to the Abyss, where the sun is not the life-giving force it is in the mortal realm, and could not harm one like Llymic. He was overjoyed to be free of his prison, and be in a place where light could not dominate him, until Shogarr himself appeared personally to confront him. A battle of evil versus evil ensued, and only Shogarr left alive.
No forces of Good or Law truly cared. The world quickly recovered, and an apocalyptic threat was ended. They felt that if the powers of Chaos and Evil wanted to spend time fighting each other, it was all the better for them. Surely, they concluded that an Elder Evil's true greatest enemy was another Elder Evil.
And how would a follower of Shogarr take Father Llymic's name?
That is another story…
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coming up next:
The heroes may have wrested control of Xanadu's Realms from the Lords, but they find that Chaos still rules this land, for they soon become lost in the forest. And while trying to find their way back to Nexus, Sheena guards the temple, only to be challenged by one of Daala's minions. Sheena must duel again, but is there more than meets the eye to this challenge? "Diversion" is coming up next.