It's all come down to this…
Joan is either dead, or is a prisoner of the enemy. But an even greater representative has arrived from the Higher Plane to guide us. Joan's defeat will not be in vain!
Freed's army, Joan's army, and the five of us stand ready. We're taking the fight straight into the heart of the problem. None of us know whether or not we'll be coming back or not, but if we are defeated, we will die knowing that we made a stand.
It will be a battle of Order versus Chaos. A battle of ideas that will be fought both with swords and Duel Disks…
We've worked hard to get to this point… And there's no turning back now…
Pharaoh… If you're watching from some better place, it's time for me to fulfill the purpose that the prophesy spoke of so long ago. You said you had faith in me when you left, and I'll have faith in myself.
I don't know what we'll find…
But we'll find out…
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CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX
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Battlezone
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Not many people knew it, but the throne room where Daala had resided in up to now, where she reclined on her couch being pampered by attendants, was only her secondary throne room.
At this moment, she was sitting on the true seat of power of Xanadu. She was in a vast chamber made of black crystal, lit by candelabras holding candles made of black wax and torches. She sat on a throne made of gold, decorated with demonic skulls.
She had traded in her trendy outfit for a black, low-cut, evil sorceress-style dress. She looked beautiful in a sinister way.
It was no longer time to play. It was time to be serious.
Behind her was a thick curtain. She glanced at it every now and then, making sure it was undisturbed.
In front of her were five Duel Spirits and one human – The Big Five, and Slade. Skull Knight stood off to the side.
She sighed.
"The Big Five…" she muttered. "I can't see how I was anything more than generous to you.
"I had you rescued from that lonely place you were stuck in. I made you my governors. I even shared my precious Devil's Fruit with you, so that you finally got what you wanted all along, and then some."
"And we are incredibly grateful," said Nezbitt.
"Zip it, Nezbitt!" snapped Leichter. "We're in enough trouble!"
"And yet…" muttered Daala, "when push came to shove, you did the same thing you did when you worked for Noah… You messed up."
Slade sighed and crossed his arms.
"Your excellence," he grumbled. "Can you scold me separately? I don't recall ever joining this group of losers."
"Oh, stuff a sock in it, Slade!" shouted Krump. "You messed up just as much as we did!"
"Did I ever tell you how much I just love penguins, Krump?" asked Slade, glaring at him.
"Uh, you do?" asked Krump.
"Yes…" said Slade. "Let's exchange recipes sometime."
"Enough!" shouted Daala. "I've taken Joan prisoner, so once her army is defeated, you six can get your lordships back, as much as you don't deserve it…"
"If you've taken her prisoner," said Gansley, "I think you should kill her now."
"Gansley is right," added Johnson. "In every movie I've seen, every villain makes the same dumb mistake when he captures the hero – he waits instead of killing him when he has the chance."
"True, I could dispose of Joan now," said Daala. "It would end our troubles quickly…
"But, by keeping her alive, and letting her dictum stand for now, I can enact a plan that will help me get what I need to magnify the power emitted from the Core a hundredfold, increasing all of our powers!
"To do so, I need powerful Duel Spirits. I was thinking that five of them should be enough… Now, if I were to kill Joan, the most powerful ones available would be you five…"
"The plan is fine!" gasped Krump. "Whatever it is…"
"Yeah, I like it…" stammered Johnson. "But… Uhm, forgive me for asking… Who else are you thinking of?"
"Five individuals who have already proven far stronger than you five," said Daala, as she sat down.
She paused.
"Now…" she said. "As I just said, I'm not Noah. I'm willing to give you jerks one more chance, as much as you don't deserve it. You six will be in charge of leading my personal army when the resistance gets here. In the meantime…"
She took a card out of her dress.
"…I have a powerful card that I'm just dying to give away. But I only have one, and there are six of you…"
The six of them gasped when they saw what it was.
"As the member of the Big Five with the most seniority," said Gansley, "it should rightly go to me!"
"That's just another way of saying you're old, Gansley!" replied Nezbitt. "Old and senile!"
"Why do you want it, Nezbitt?" asked Krump. "It isn't even a Machine!"
"By all rights, I should get that card," said Slade. "I rightfully won that duel with Yumi. She cheated."
"On the contrary," said Johnson, "Relay Soul is a perfectly legal card. On the other hand, the Evil Heroes were never authorized for use by Industrial Illusions. If anyone cheated in that duel, it was you."
Gansley glared at Johnson.
"Well ex-cuse me," he replied. "Do you ever read Shakespeare, Johnson? There's a good quote of his from Henry VI, Act IV, Scene II."
"I know that quote," said Gansley. "It went, 'The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers'."
"No arguing!" shouted Daala. "Here's what we'll do. Each you will form groups of two, and then duel. The winners of the three duels will then duel in a triangle duel. The winner of that duel will get this card."
She leaned back in her throne as Skull Knight walked over.
"The rest of the inner circle are in the prison level, milady," he said. "So far, most prisoners who once worked for you are willing to accept your offer."
"Good," said Daala. "Get them their decks and Disks. Soon, the Core is gonna be a battlezone."
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Yumi could not believe the irony…
Noah Kaiba had been a person with an incredible ego. In his virtual world, he was so powerful, he believed he was a god. This was reflected in the decks he used when challenging Kaiba and Yugi.
Against Kaiba, he used a deck that was titled "The Seven Turns of Creation". As he dueled, his Monsters, Traps, and Spells were an allegory for the history of the Earth. He started with Monsters that represented Grecian deities. Then he used the Spell Card Giant Flood to simulate the Great Flood that God used to purge the world of evil (and at the same time, revealed his Deckmaster, Shinato's Ark, which represented the biblical Noah's Ark). His deck went on to eras like the age of dinosaurs, the Ice Age, and finally the modern age. His final move in that duel was to summon Shinato, King of a Higher Plane, which represented the Apocalypse.
After Noah defeated Kaiba (although he cheated by using Mokuba as a shield) he used a different deck against Yugi – a Spirit Deck, which seemed to represent the afterlife and beyond, continuing the theme of his first deck. Shinato remained as his Deckmaster, and it was very powerful, granting him any Life Points that Yugi lost. Still, despite an overwhelming advantage, he was defeated.
Now, Noah, despite this god complex, was only a genius in scientific matters. He may have studied world religion as part of the many social sciences he studied, but his true personal beliefs were another story. He had no knowledge of actual magic, and didn't know that other dimensions were hidden behind the veil of his sight. He didn't know that Duel Spirits existed, and had no way of knowing that Fairies lived in a complex society, ruled over by a real Shinato.
Yumi would have found it hard to disbelieve that fact after all she had seen in the last week. But now, if she ever had any doubts, they were completely gone.
Mostly because the true Shinato, King of the Higher Plane was seated on the immense throne before her and her allies.
The Fairy monarch looked at them, and rubbed his chin.
"Uh, people?" said Ren. "Should we kneel?"
"Kneeling is optional for non-Fairies," said Shinato's powerful voice.
"So…" said Yumi, in awe. "It was you who was supporting Joan all along…"
"Yes," said Shinato. "I was the one whom Dr. Ting's call for help truly reached.
"I investigated. I was alarmed when I saw that a new dimension had been created, and its ruler was recruiting Duel Spirits. I was even more alarmed when the key point of her recruitment was a promise to be free of the treaty that forbids them from invading Earth.
"And I was most alarmed when I saw Shogarr's influence. I had to act.
"As the highest representative of Order in the Twelve Dimensions, I had to stop this threat of Chaos. Naturally, my responsibilities as sovereign of the Higher Plane kept me from personally coming here until I was truly needed. Fortunately, Joan was willing to do so."
"So, you sent Joan to form a rebellion," replied Sam.
"Yes," said Shinato. "And she has done her job admirably. Now, it is time for me to do my job. Do your armies stand ready?"
"They will in about a half-hour," replied Zane.
"Same here," said Freed, "but there's a big crack in the crystal spire. Can you fix it?"
Shinato looked at the spire.
"Hmm," he said, rubbing his chin.
"This crack was caused by an influx of chaotic energy. Likely the result of a duel where a powerful Light Monster was defeated by a powerful Dark one."
"Maybe Joan's Judgment Dragon was destroyed by something that Daala summoned," said Erik, "which was what caused Joan to lose."
"Perhaps," said Shinato. "But yes, I can fix it. However, I need a Spirit who represents a different contradiction. Such as a high-Level Monster with a low Attack Score."
"We can use Doubleguy," said Mako to Aster.
"There's no true Spirits in my cards," said Aster. "Only the real Aster's cards had the Spirits of the Destiny Heroes in them. They were unique."
"Wait!" shouted Ren.
He took a card from his deck.
"Use Black Lotus!"
Shinato looked at the card. He concentrated.
Black Lotus appeared in front of them. She closed her eyes, and held her hands together, as if she were praying.
Shinato chanted.
"Spirit's power, make a match. Use your strength to form a patch."
Then Black Lotus glowed with energy, and she flew into the crystal. In a burst of light, she was absorbed into it, and the crack vanished, as if it were never broken. The crystal glowed with soft, white light.
"Gather your troops outside," said Shinato. "It's almost time…
"And one more thing. You have thus far only fought Daala's forces. But you cannot ignore the possibility that Daala's demonic patron will send her aid."
"Shogarr…" muttered Yumi. "I'm the one he wants…"
"But fear not," said Shinato. "I have been an ally of the Wind Dukes of Aaqa for years. I told them of my concern, and they added Xanadu to the list of places they are monitoring.
"In other words, should Shogarr decide to send his demonic troops to oppose you, do not give up, whatever you do. The Wind Dukes will know, and if you can last long enough, help is sure to arrive."
"Yeah…" muttered Sam. "The only question is, will that help arrive on time?"
"The point is," said Yumi, "if it happens, there's a chance they will, so we hang on until our last amount of strength is spent.
"We're in dangerous waters now… It's not gonna be easy…"
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Leichter screamed as a direct attack from Power Annihilator slammed into him. He fell to his knees.
"Well done," said Daala, walking up to Gansley. "You have earned this."
She handed him the card.
"Now, all of you get to your positions. The rebellion will be here soon."
With all of them – except Gansley – grumbling, they left the chamber.
Daala grinned, and looked at the curtain.
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Yumi looked out at the two battalions that had formed.
On one side was Freed's army, a large squadron of Warriors armed with swords and clad in armor, all of it finely made. Freed himself and Marauding Captain stood at the forefront.
On the other side was an equally large group of Duel Spirits and AI programs, comprised of the Xanadu population that Joan had recruited. The Elemental Heroes stood in the forefront, the Amazoness tribe made up one part, and various other Monsters filled the gaps. All of them were armed with Duel Disks.
Yumi and her friends along with Sheena and the five guides who had accompanied them through their six missions stood in front of the temple, with Shinato looming behind.
"Okay!" shouted Yumi. "Now let's go over the plan one more time…"
She pointed to Freed's group.
"The Gold Squadron's job is to handle any part of Daala's army that fights using weapons other than Duel Disks."
She pointed to the other group.
"Red Squadron's job is to engage anyone who summons using Disks by summoning Monsters of their own.
"In the meantime, the infiltration team, which is me and this group, will infiltrate Daala's palace and confront Daala's source of power directly.
"I take it no more needs to be said… May the powers of Order guide you all…"
She turned to Shinato.
"We're ready…"
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The King of the Higher Plane's eyes glowed with pure light…
An orb of light appeared over Gansley's castle in the Tzimisce Woods…
A second one appeared over Krump's castle at the edge of the Sea of Infinite Tears….
A third appeared over Johnson's fortress in the Burnt Paradise…
A fourth appeared over the Infernal Clock in Darkspire…
A fifth appeared over Leichter's castle in the Flaming Peaks…
And the last appeared over Slade's fortress in the Frozen Wastes.
The crystal spire glowed with intense light…
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The army looked around. The first thing they saw was flashes of lightning.
They were on a blasted, rocky badlands. The sky was dark, and full of swirling, angry clouds. Dead trees dotted the barren land.
They were in the Core.
"Look out for the enemy!" shouted Freed.
"I'm looking," said Burstinatrix. "And here they come!"
Coming over the hill ahead was a swarm of Monsters. Whiptail Crows, Ocubeam, Morinphen, and Reapers of the Cards came by air, while Pitch-Black Warwolves, Vorse Raiders, Stone Ogre Grottos, and Hitotsu-Me Giants came by foot.
"Attack!" shouted Freed.
Freed's army and the army of Monsters collided. The warriors seemed to gain the upper hand at first, cutting down the grunts as they pressed forward.
"Brain Crusher at ten o'clock!" shouted Marauding Captain.
It was indeed Brain Crusher, and Weevil Underwood was riding it.
"Hee, hee," he chuckled, activating his Disk. "This should bug you a little…"
In a flash of energy, a swarm of Killer Needles appeared.
Meanwhile, an Amazoness Swordswoman screamed as a blast hit her, blowing her to shards.
Her sisters angrily looked up, and saw Emma Frost hovering in the air next to Mental Sphere Demon, smiling evilly.
The four Elemental Heroes flew forward with Disks in hand.
"Now's our chance!" shouted Avian. "If we can reach the next hill…"
Then Drillroid burrowed out of the ground, blocking their path.
"Where do ya think you're going?" asked Bandit Keith.
Stealthroid, Truckroid, and Expressroid appeared. Keith held up his Vehicroid Connection Zone card, and the four melded together into Super Vehicroid Stealth Union.
Meanwhile, Freed's men were cutting through a group of Ancient Gear Soldiers. But as they were doing so, Doresain appeared, and two of the Soldiers vanished. Ancient Gear Golem loomed over the field.
"Let's hope Yumi's group is having better luck than we are…" said Freed.
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Yumi's group was in sight of Daala's palace, thanks to Chelsea's Interdimensional Matter Transporter. The whole place was built on an island in the center of a vast lake of lava.
"Well, she has style," said Sheena.
"Aster!" said Zane. "Time to use that Spell you've been saving!"
"Gotcha!" said Aster, opening the Field slot on his Disk. "I play Bridge Over Destiny! London Bridge is falling down."
With an explosion of energy, a bridge that did indeed look like London Bridge appeared, spanning over the lava.
The eleven duelists wasted no time, running across it…
…only to find their path blocked. The Big Five and Slade were on the opposing side.
"What do you clowns want?" asked Mako. "You guys are pathetic."
"Don't make fun of us!" replied Gansley. "Despite what you did, we're still the law in Xanadu!"
"You're still the law, huh?" asked Atticus. "Yumi! You and your four friends go ahead of us. The six of us will handle the Keystone Cops!"
"All right…" said Yumi.
"Be careful, Sam!" shouted Sheena.
The six governors of Xanadu and the six rebels faced off. Six duels started at once…
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Daala moved over to the curtain and moved it aside.
Joan was standing there, alive, but certainly not in great shape. She was tied down by two Shadow Spells, and a Mask of the Accursed was bonded to her face, rendering her blind and mute. Daala was taking no chances.
Daala grinned, and took hold of the Mask. She lifted it off of Joan's face. Joan only glared at her.
"You're likely wondering why you're still here, Joan," she said. "Well, it won't be for long. Very soon, I'm shipping you to Shogarr, gift wrapped."
"I heard what you said, Daala," whispered Joan. "I'm the bait for some trap, aren't I?"
Daala nodded.
"And guess what?" she replied. "Right before I do away with your would-be heroes, they're gonna learn your shame."
"You're too late," replied Joan. "They know about Marie."
Daala took a card out of her dress.
"Do they know about this?" she asked.
Joan gasped.
"HOW?" she shouted. "That card was never approved for design by I2! It shouldn't exist!"
"There are ways to get anything you want, if you want it enough," said Daala. "I'm a girl who gets what she wants. Lights out now…"
She thrust the Mask back on Joan's face.
Joan's head sadly drooped as Daala closed the curtain.
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Meanwhile, Aster was facing Krump. Krump seemed to have the advantage, and then some. He had three Monsters on the field: Gogiga Gagagigo (2,950/2,800), which he had Equipped with Glory Level Talisman, Flying Penguin, which he had Equipped with Penguin Sword (1,200/1,000) –) (2,000/1,00), and Sea Serpent Warrior of Darkness. (1,800/1,500) He also had Level Tax on the field. Aster's side was clear. Aster had 4,000 Life Points remaining, while Krump had 6,000. Fortunately, it was Aster's turn.
"I'm drawing!" shouted Aster.
He drew a card.
"And I summon Destiny Hero Divineguy!"
In a flash of energy, the masked, armored Hero with the large, metal discus on his back appeared. (1,600/1,400)
"Ha!" laughed Krump. "He's not strong enough to beat any of my Monsters!"
"He will in a minute," said Aster, opening his Field slot. "I play Dark City!"
With a rumble, the buildings of a dark, foreboding metropolis with the full moon in the sky rose around the two duelists.
"In Dark City," continued Aster, "the Destiny Heroes gain 1,000 Attack Points whenever they attack Monsters that are stronger than they are. And my Hero is gonna attack your Flying Penguin!"
Divineguy flew towards Flying Penguin. His Attack Score rose to 2,600.
"This activates his effect, by the way. I get to destroy an Equip Spell, and then burn you for 500 points of damage. So I think I'll destroy Glory Level Talisman!"
Krump squawked as the Trap Card burst, and a red aura surrounded him. Divineguy slashed at Flying Penguin, and the fowl exploded. Krump's Life Points fell to 4,900.
"I set two cards, and end my turn," said Aster, as two facedown cards appeared.
"You'll pay for that," said Krump, drawing a card. "Sea Serpent, attack Divineguy!"
The Warrior of Darkness charged, and speared the Hero with his trident. Aster cringed as his Life Points fell to 3,800.
"I activate Destiny Signal!" he shouted.
One of his Trap Cards lifted, and the spotlight shone over Dark City. Defendguy appeared crouching in Defense Mode. (100/2,700)
Krump sneered. He pointed, and Gogiga Gagagigo's mighty claw crashed down, smashing the Hero.
"It's your move…" he growled.
Aster drew.
"I play Destiny Draw," he said. "I'll toss one Destiny Hero, so I can draw twice."
He discarded a card, and made two draws. He smirked.
"Next," he said, as a Spell Card appeared, "I play D-Mind. Since I have no Destiny Heroes on the field, I can summon a Level Three or lower one from my deck, like Diehardguy."
In a burst of energy, the wildhaired, bare-chested hero with shells on his arms appeared. (800/800)
"Next, I Normal Summon Destiny Hero Departedguy."
The Hero that appeared this time resembled Claude Raines as the Invisible Man. He was a mysterious-looking figure in a formal suit, with his head covered in bandages. He held a walking stick with a knob shaped like a skull. (1,000/0)
"Then, since the Destiny Hero I discarded when I played Destiny Draw was Destiny Hero Diabolicguy, I can remove him from play to summon a second Diabolicguy from my deck."
The Hero that appeared next looked more like a Fiend than a Warrior, with horns, claws, wings, tails, and goat-like legs. (800/800)
"I lose 800 Life Points due to your Level Tax," he said, as his Life Points went down to 3,100, "but I can take it.
"Now… I sacrifice all three of my Destiny Heroes…"
Diehardguy, Departedguy, and Diabolicguy all vanished into pixels.
"Meet the epoch of Destiny!" shouted Aster, as a huge form started to rise on his side of the field. "Destiny Hero Bloo-D!"
The demonic creature Aster had summoned left little to the imagination. It had leathery wings, fiendish armor, and huge, talon-like protrusions. Its left arm ended in a large claw, while its right ended in a diabolical dragon's head. It roared in bloodlust. (1,900/600)
"Good lord…" said Krump. "It does exist…"
"Bloo-D is Level Eight, so I lose another 1,900 Life Points due to your Level Tax," said Aster, as his Life Points went down to 1,200, "but it's worth every one. I activate Bloo-D's effect… It can absorb an enemy Monster, and steal half of its Attack Score."
Bloo-D lifted its terrible wings, catching Gogiga Gagagigo in a powerful suction. The Reptile roared before it shattered into bits.
Bloo-D's wing membranes started to bulge as its Attack Score went up to 3,375.
"Attack his Sea Serpent!" shouted Aster. "Vengeful Rain!"
Blood-D spread his wing, and a driving shower of gore shot at Krump's Monster. Krump screamed as Sea Serpent Warrior of Darkness burst, and his Life Points fell to 3,325.
"I'm not done," said Aster, as his other facedown card lifted. "I first activate Blood Roar.
"Then, I play Drain Time."
He played his last card, and a Spell Card appeared.
"Now, since Bloo-D is on the field, I can name one Phase of the turn, and we both have skip that Phase the next time it would occur. I name Draw Phase.
"And I end my turn."
Krump snarled.
"I can't draw, huh?" he said, looking at the two cards in his hand. "Fine…"
"That means it's your Standby Phase now," said Aster, "so my Blood Roar gets a counter."
Krump looked at him.
"I set a Monster…" he said.
He played the card, and a facedown Monster appeared.
"And that's all I can do…"
"I have to skip my Draw Phase too," said Aster. "I move right to my Standby Phase, and since Departedguy was sent to the Graveyard last turn, he's Special Summoned this turn."
"Big deal!" replied Krump. "He only has 1,000 Attack Points."
"You didn't let me finish," said Aster. "He's Special Summoned to your side of the field."
Departedguy appeared on Krump's side of the field in Attack Mode. (1,000/0)
Bloo-D blasted its Vengeful Rain again, and Departedguy exploded. Krump screamed again as his Life Points fell to 950.
"It's your move," said Aster.
"I draw," gasped Krump, drawing a card.
"And my Blood Roar gains another counter," said Aster.
Krump looked at the two cards in his hand.
Hey… he thought. I have Defender Iceberg and Revenge Sacrifice! With my Monster on the field, I can turn this around!
"I play one facedown card, and end my turn."
A facedown card appeared.
"Draw," said Aster, drawing a card.
"Now I activate the effect of Blood Roar. Since it has two counters, and Bloo-D is on the field, I can destroy one face-up Monster, and deal damage to you equal to half its Attack Score."
Krump laughed out loud.
"Talk about dumb!" he laughed. "I don't have a face-up Monster!"
"Krump, Krump, Krump…" said Aster. "You think too small…"
Krump looked at Aster.
Then he looked at Bloo-D. It sank in.
"Oh… no…" he said.
"You were a big accountant once, Krump," said Aster. "Surely you can handle a simple division problem."
Then Bloo-D exploded in a burst of nasty residue, and Krump screamed as his Life Points fell to nothing.
He collapsed, and vanished into grains of light.
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Using Chelsea's Trap Card again, the team of five had made it to the back gate of the castle.
They were surprised to see that the only guards were four Chthonian Soldiers.
"Only four guards?" asked Sam.
"Maybe Daala doesn't think anyone would be stupid enough to break in this way," said Erik.
"Or maybe all of her important troops are needed in the battle," said Yumi. "I just hope Freed's forces aren't being decimated too badly."
The Chthonians were shocked to see a Dark Blade, Vampire Lady, Gil Garth, and Toy Magician leap at them. In only a few minutes, they were cut down.
Yumi held up a card, and Vampire Lady and Dark Blade vanished. Dark Magician of Chaos appeared. He aimed his staff, and blasted the gate open.
"Be prepared for anything," said Yumi. "Let's go."
They ran into the gate, into the palace proper.
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Meanwhile, part of the outskirts of the palace had been transformed into A Legendary Ocean, due to Mako's confronting Johnson. Mako also had Ocean's Keeper (1,500/1,200) –) (1,700/1,400) and 2,500 Life Points remaining. Johnson had Shadowslayer in Attack Mode, and was ahead with 7,100 Life Points.
"Ocean's Keeper, destroy his Shadowslayer!" shouted Mako.
The Fish speared the Fiend with its trident. Johnson grunted as his Life Points fell to 6,800.
"I set a card facedown, and end my turn," said Mako.
"I'm going to throw the book at you," said Johnson, drawing a card.
He played it, and Hysteric Fairy appeared on the field. (1,800/500)
"Dismiss his Ocean's Keeper. Attack!"
Hysteric Fairy blasted a beam of light from its glasses, and Ocean's Keeper exploded. Mako's Life Points fell to 2,400.
"I use Ocean's Keeper's effect," said Mako. "When it goes to Davy Jones, I get to pull one of two Monsters from my deck."
He took a card from his deck.
"It's your move," said Johnson. "Care for a rebuttal?"
Mako drew.
"I play Premature Burial to bring back Ocean's Keeper," he said.
He played the card, and his Life Points fell to 1,600 as Ocean's Keeper appeared again. (1,500/1,200) –) (1,700/1,400)
"Then, I sacrifice it, to Special Summon Thousand-Eyes Jellyfish in Defense Mode."
Ocean's Keeper vanished, and a large sphere covered with eyes appeared in front of Mako. (300/2,100) –) (500/2,300)
"Now, I get to see every card in your hand."
Johnson frowned as the images of his three cards appeared above him – A Feather of the Phoenix, Graceful Charity, and Foolish Burial.
"Interesting," said Mako. "I set one more card facedown, and end my turn."
A second facedown card appeared.
"I draw," said Johnson.
Mako could see the card he drew. It was Grave Squirmer.
"I play Graceful Charity," said Johnson.
Mako played close attention as Johnson drew Monster Reincarnation, Sky Scourge Norleras, and Dimension Fusion. He discarded Dimension Fusion and Monster Reincarnation.
I know what you're planning, you old pirate, thought Mako.
"I end my turn," said Johnson.
Mako drew.
"First, I play Pot of Avarice," he said.
Five Monsters slipped out of his discard slot. He reshuffled his deck, and drew two cards.
His facedown card lifted.
"Next, I bring back Deepsea Macrotrema with Call of the Haunted."
A small, vicious-looking Fish appeared next to the Jellyfish. (600/100)
"Now, I use both these small fish as bait…"
Both his Fish vanished. The sea began to stir and shift…
"I summon the biggest fish in this pond… Arise, Superancient Deepsea King Coelacanth!"
The Monster that appeared was a Fish that looked almost too big to be real. It was bigger than Fortress Whale, and looked like a cross between a giant shark and an enormous moral eel. Its scales were rough, and had the consistency of stone. (2,800/2,200) –) (3,000/2,400)
"Three-thousand Attack Points?" gasped Johnson.
"And that's not all," said Mako. "By discarding one card, my King can call forth as many of his loyal subjects from my deck as possible."
He discarded a card, and two 7 Colored Fish (1,800/800) –) (2,000/1,000), one Abyssal Kingshark (1,700/600) –) (1,900/800), and another Ocean's Keeper (1,500/1,200) –) (1,700/1,400) appeared.
"Of course," said Mako, "there is a catch. The Monsters I summoned with this effect can't attack, and their effects are negated. But I can sacrifice Ocean's Keeper again to Special Summon Cranium Fish."
Ocean's Keeper vanished, and the big fish with the equally big brain appeared. (2,400/1,000) –) (2,600/1,200)
"Cranium Fish, attack Hysteric Fairy!"
Cranium Fish blasted a wave of mental energy at the Fairy, and it exploded into shards of light.
"Wait a minute…" said Johnson.
"Coelacanth," shouted Mako. "Attack his honor directly!"
Johnson hollered as the giant Fish let out a huge roar, knocking him over. His Life Points tumbled to 3,000.
"And with that," said Mako, "I end my turn."
Johnson got up. He drew a card.
I don't have enough Life Points to pay for Norleras's effect AND Dimension Fusion! he thought. I'll have to improvise…
"I play A Feather of the Phoenix," he said.
He discarded his Foolish Burial. Pot of Greed slipped out of his discard slot, and he placed it on top of his deck.
"Now…"
"Surprise," said Mako, as his facedown card lifted. "I have a Trap… Imperial Iron Wall!
"When this card is in play, Monsters can't be removed from play."
"WHAT?" said Johnson. "But that means…"
"It means you can't summon Norleras," said Mako. "Because you can't satisfy its summoning requirements.
"So, what are you gonna do now?"
Johnson looked at the other two cards in his hand.
"I play Monster Reborn to bring back Hysteric Fairy in Defense Mode," he said.
Hysteric Fairy appeared, crouching in Defense.
"Then I set a Monster."
A facedown Monster appeared.
"And I end my turn."
When he attacks my Grave Squirmer, he thought, I can destroy his Trap Card. Then maybe I can gain the advantage.
Mako drew a card. It was Mermaid Knight.
"I activate Cranium Fish's effect," he said, discarding it. "By discarding a Water Monster, it can destroy a facedown card."
Cranium Fish shot a beam of energy at Johnson's facedown Grave Squirmer, and it exploded.
"Now to finish this!"
Cranium Fish blasted the energy again, and Hysteric Fairy exploded. Then Coelacanth roared again, and Johnson screamed as his Life Points fell to zero.
He collapsed, and burst into shards of light.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
After running through several hallways, Yumi and her allies had apparently entered an indoor arboretum.
"Who'd have thought Daala was a big fan of plants?" asked Erik.
"Be careful," warned Sam, as they ran through the indoor forest. "This place is likely crawling with Insect Monsters…"
They stopped short.
"Speak of the devil…"
On a huge tree up ahead were about a dozen Cocoons of Evolution. And they were starting to move. Clearly, they were almost ready to hatch.
"What do we do?" shouted Ren. "We can't fight off that many Great Moths!"
Yumi drew a card.
"I summon Blast Magician!" she shouted.
In a blast of fire, the red-cloaked Spellcaster appeared. (1,400/1,700)
"Everyone, start playing Spell Cards!" she shouted. "With each one, he can destroy a Cocoon!"
That seemed like a good idea, so they all started drawing cards. Erik played Pot of Greed. Chelsea played Call of the Mummy. Ren played Reinforcement of the Army. Each time, Blast Magician aimed his staff, and a Cocoon fell to the ground in flames.
Just as he was about to take aim at the last one, however, it burst open, and the Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth emerged. (3,500/3,000)
"Now what?" shouted Chelsea.
Sam played a card. Blast Magician vanished, and Dark Ruler Ha Des appeared. (2,450/1,600)
"Erik! On my mark!" she shouted.
The huge Moth flew at Ha Des.
"NOW!"
"I play Shrink!" shouted Erik.
The Moth shrunk to half its size, and an Attack Score of 1,750. Ha Des cast his demonic blast, and it exploded.
"Let's not stop now," said Yumi. "Let's keep going!"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Back at the palace outskirts, Atticus was facing off against Nezbitt.
Nezbitt had Machiner's Force on the field, (4,600/4,100) and General Commander Covington (1,000/600) and 5,500 Life Points remaining. Atticus had Red-Eyes Black Dragon in Attack Mode (2,400/2,000), Troop Dragon in Defense Mode (700/800) and a facedown card, with 4,000 Life Points remaining.
"Your fairy tale Dragons are no match for my Monsters made of steel," said Nezbitt, drawing a card. "I sacrifice Covington to summon Machine King."
Covington vanished, and the monarch of Machines appeared. (2,200/2,000) –) (2,400/2,000)
"Machiner's Force, obliterate his Red-Eyes."
The huge Machine aimed its missile launcher.
"I activate… Staunch Defender!" shouted Atticus, as his facedown card lifted. "Now, you can only attack the Monster I choose, and I choose my Troop Dragon."
The missiles fired, and Atticus braced himself as Troop Dragon was blown to bits.
Atticus raised his hand, and a second Troop Dragon appeared. (700/800)
Nezbitt growled.
"I end my turn," he muttered.
Atticus drew a card.
"I summon Attachment Dragon," he said.
He played the card, and a very small, thin, green Dragon appeared. (100/100)
It flew at Machiner's Force, and wrapped its claws and wings around the big robot's shoulders.
"What's happening?" shouted Nezbitt.
"Attachment Dragon can attach to one of your Monsters," said Atticus, "and force it into Defense Mode."
Machiner's Force knelt down, and crossed its arms.
"And it can't move back to Attack Mode either. Next, I activate Big Bang Shot, to give my Red-Eyes a little boost."
He played a card, and Red-Eyes went up to an Attack Score of 2,800.
Now, Red-Eyes, destroy Machine King! Inferno Fire Blast!"
Red-Eyes blasted a stream of fiery death, and Machine King exploded. Nezbitt growled as his Life Points fell to 5,100.
"I'll set a card facedown, and take a break," said Atticus, as a facedown card appeared.
Nezbitt drew a card.
"I use Machiner's Force's effect," he said. "I sacrifice it, to Special Summon the three Monsters I sacrificed to summon it."
Machiner's Force vanished, taking Attachment Dragon with it, and Machiner's Soldier (1,600/1,500), Sniper (1,800/800), and Defender (1,200/1,800) all appeared in Defense Mode.
"I set two cards facedown, and end my turn."
Two facedown cards appeared.
Atticus quickly made a draw.
"I sacrifice my Red-Eyes…" he said.
Red-Eyes vanished into grains of light.
"…to summon Tiger Dragon!"
With a primal roar, a new Dragon appeared. Its hide was covered with tiger's stripes, and its face was a cross between that of a Dragon and that of a predator cat. (2,400/1,800)
"When Tiger Dragon is summoned by sacrificing another Dragon, I can destroy two facedown cards."
Nezbitt gasped as his Mirror Force and Call of the Haunted shattered.
"Next," said Atticus, "I remove my Troop Dragon from play…"
His Troop Dragon faded into a ripple of light.
"…to Special Summon my Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon!"
An even bigger Dragon appeared. This one seemed to be a version of the more common Red-Eyes made entirely of metal, with glowing red eyes. (2,800/2,400)
"Now, I use my Metal Dragon's effect, to Special Summon my normal Red-Eyes back from my Graveyard."
He played the card, and Red-Eyes appeared again. (2,400/2,000)
"And finally," he said, taking the last card in his hand, "I sacrifice my Red-Eyes, to summon the Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon!"
Red-Eyes vanished again, and the huge, pitch-black, ultimate evolution of the Red-Eyes appeared. (2,400/2,000)
"With seven Dragons in my Graveyard, it gains 2,100 more Attack Points."
(4,500/2,000)
"Fine, attack my Machiners," said Nezbitt. "They're in Defense Mode, so I won't take any damage."
"Uh-uh," said Atticus.
His facedown card lifted.
"I activate Dragon's Rage!"
Nezbitt stepped back in shock…
Three powerful streams of fire shot from the jaws of the three Dragons, incinerating the three Machiners. Nezbitt screamed as his Life Points plummeted to zero, and then he burst into pixels.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Meanwhile, Yumi and her friends had made their way into a comfortable-looking chamber, full of large, satin pillows and couches, with the smell of incense and perfume in the air. Relaxation music was playing.
And the place wasn't uninhabited.
"Look…" said Ren. "We're really sorry we barged in… But why don't we just all have a drink and talk this over, and we can handle this without resorting to violence?"
The six Harpie Ladies in the chamber seemed to not want to do that. They all bore their claws, and grinned evilly at the five duelists. (1,300/1,400 x6)
"Guess they don't feel like talking…" said Sam.
Their Disks activated, and Archfiend Soldier (1,900/1,500), Skilled Dark Magician (1,900/1,700), and Dark Blade appeared (1,800/1,500).
The Harpies grinned and stepped aside…
Then Harpies Pet Dragon loomed up behind them. It roared. (2,000/2,500) –) (3,800/2,500)
"Uh… oh…" said Chelsea.
The Dragon breathed a stream of fire, eradicating Skilled Dark Magician. Yumi cringed.
The Harpies got in a crouching position. They were clearly going to pounce for the kill once their Dragon eliminated all of their enemies' Monsters.
Sam wasn't going to let them. She quickly placed a card in her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.
"Hey you ugly, sorry excuse for a Dragon!" she shouted. "Over here!"
The Dragon growled angrily…
It breathed its fire at Archfiend Soldier. Sam quickly activated Hate Buster, and the Dragon screamed. It exploded into a blast of fire.
The six Harpies were stunned at first. Then they all fell to their knees, sobbing.
Yumi motioned towards the other exit, and her friends followed her out. The Harpies made no move to stop them, deciding that they would rather survive.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Meanwhile, Sheena was in big trouble.
She was dueling Leichter, and he clearly had the upper hand. His side of the field had EBE Abductor (1,000/500) which was Equipped with Heart of Clear Water; EBE Epsilon (1,500/1,600), and three Monsters that his Abductor had stolen from Sheena – two Insect Knights (1,900/1,500) and one Neo Bug (1,800/1,700). He had his full Life Point total of 8,000. Sheena's side was clear, and she only had 2,000 Life Points left.
"Make your last move," said Leichter. "I'm ending this next turn…"
Sheena drew a card. She looked at it.
She placed it on her Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.
"That the best you could do?" asked Leichter, drawing a card. "Neo Bug, destroy it!"
Neo Bug charged at the facedown card. Flying Kamakiri #1 appeared on it, and was crushed.
"I use my Monster's effect," said Sheena. "To summon a second Kamakiri."
A second of the large mantises appeared. (1,400/900)
"EBE Epsilon, attack that one!" shouted Nezbitt.
Epsilon slashed at the bug, and Sheena's Life Points fell to 1,900. But a third Kamakiri appeared. (1,400/900)
"Insect Knight, destroy it!" shouted Leichter.
"Insect Knight slashed at the Insect with its sword. Sheena's Life Points fell to 1,400.
"I use that one's effect," she said. "To summon my Flying Scorpion."
In a flash of light, the large, winged arachnid appeared. (1,500/1,200)
Leichter growled. He pointed, and the second Insect Knight cut Flying Scorpion in two. Sheena's Life Points fell to 1,000.
"I use Flying Scorpion's effect," she said. "To Special Summon an Insect from my Graveyard. Pinch Hopper in Attack Mode."
The large grasshopper appeared. (1,000/1,200)
"Well, I could easily destroy that," said Leichter. "But then, you'd be able to Special Summon any Insect from your hand. And I'm not taking that risk just yet. I end my turn."
Sheena drew a card.
"I play… The Spell Card, Insect Costume," she said, as the Spell appeared. "I toss one Insect from my hand…"
She discarded her Aztekipede.
"Then, I get to take a better Insect from my deck."
She took a card from her deck.
"Then, I get to destroy one Insect on the field."
Pinch Hopper shattered into pixels.
"That means I can Special Summon this… My Grasschopper!"
A new, much larger Insect appeared. It looked more like a mantis with scythe-like claws than any sort of grasshopper. (2,350/1,000)
"Grasschopper is a Gemini Monster," she explained. "So, I use my Normal Summon this round to activate its effect…"
Grasschopper glowed with green energy.
"And what's its effect?" asked Leichter.
"The ability to attack every Monster on your side of the field," replied Sheena.
"What?" shouted Leichter. "Well… Fine. Do it! I dare you! My Abductor can't be destroyed by your attack, and next round, it will be able to steal your Grasschopper."
Sheena played another Spell Card.
"I Equip my Monster with Fighting Spirit," she said. "Now, it gains 300 more Attack Points for each Monster you have on the field."
"It does?!" shouted Leichter.
Grasschopper's Attack Score rose up to 3,850.
"Attack his EBE Abductor!" shouted Sheena.
Grasschopper slashed at the small alien, and Leichter screamed. His Life Points went down to 5,150.
"Now take out the rest of them!" ordered Sheena.
Grasschopper slashed at EBE Epsilon and the rocky alien shattered. Leichter fell to 2,800 Life Points, and Grasschopper fell to an Attack Score of 3,550.
Grasschopper continued, smashing Neo Bug. Leichter's Life Points fell to 1,050 and Grasschopper's Attack Score fell to 3,200.
Finally, Grasschopper cut one of the Insect Knights in two, and Leichter fell to his knees as his Life Points fell to zero. He screamed, and then exploded into shards of energy.
"Unbelievable…" said Sheena.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Yumi and company were running down a vast, wide hallway with Magician's Valkyria (1,600/1,800) and Vampire Lady (1,550/1,550) flying in front of them.
"Wait…" said Yumi. "I refuse to believe that this hallway isn't guarded somehow…"
As if to answer her, three large shapes rose out of the floor. They formed into Millennium Golems. (2,000/2,200 x3) They stared at the duelists with their single eyes.
"Man, oh man…" said Erik, playing a card.
Valkyria and Vampire Lady vanished, and Puppet King appeared. (2,800/2,600)
"How many of these creatures are we gonna have to smash before we get to their master?"
Puppet King slugged one of the Golems, and it shattered into shards of rock…
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Back at the perimeter, Freed's army was not having a very good time. The grunts they had encountered first had given way to more powerful Monsters. Weevil had summoned Insect Queen to join his Brain Crusher. Doresain had summoned several Ancient Gear Beasts to accompany his Golem. Emma had brought out Magical Android to fight alongside Mental Sphere Demon. And Keith had summoned Super Vehicroid Jumbo Drill, forming a lethal tag team with his Stealth Union.
So, every member of Freed's army was shocked to see the four Elemental Heroes bravely charge the group of titans.
"Are they crazy?" asked a Command Knight.
"They dress in funny costumes and fight crime," replied Freed. "I'd say that all superheroes are a little crazy."
Avian placed a card on his Disk.
"I remove one Wind Monster from play," he said, "to summon Garuda the Wind Spirit."
In a blast of Wind, Garuda appeared, flying next to him. (1,600/1,200)
"Clayman, over to you!"
"You got it!" replied Clayman, playing a Spell Card. "I play Polymerization, and fuse Big Piece Golem and Medium Piece Golem, to summon Multiple Piece Golem!"
Two Rock Monsters appeared in front of him. One looked like a big boulder with a face, hands, and feet. The other one was humanoid and made of rough stone.
They flew into the vortex, and a large golem made of brick and stone appeared. (2,600/1,300)
"Over to you, Burstinatrix!" he shouted.
"Right!" shouted the heroine, playing a Spell Card. "I play Gift of the Martyr, sacrificing Garuda to give its Attack Points to Multiple Piece Golem!"
Garuda vanished, and the Golem increased to an Attack Score of 4,200.
"Attack!" shouted Clayman. "Clobber Super Vehicroid Stealth Union!"
Multiple Piece Golem punched the huge Vehicroid, and it exploded into scrap.
"It's gonna take more than that to stop us, you wimps!" shouted Emma.
"We're just gettin' started," said Clayman. "I activate Multiple Piece Golem's effect, and send it back to my Fusion Deck to summon Big Piece Golem and Medium Piece Golem."
Big Piece Golem appeared (2,100/0) followed by Medium Piece Golem (1,600/0).
"An' when Medium Piece Golem is summoned when Big Piece Golem is on the field, I get ta summon Small Piece Golem."
A smaller Rock Monster appeared, looking like a tree stump made of stone. (1,100/0)
"How cute!" laughed Weevil. "Like the Three Bears!"
"You won't be laughing long!" said Sparkman. "I sacrifice Big Piece Golem, Medium Piece Golem, and Small Piece Golem… Begone!"
The three Golems vanished.
"I summon… Gilford the Lightning!"
Lightning flashed, and the mighty form of Gilford appeared in the center of the field. (2,800/1,400)
"Uh… Oh…" said Emma.
Gilford unsheathed his mighty sword, and held it to the heavens. Lightning flashed, and then multiple bolts of lightning stuck the land. Emma's Psychics were blown to gibbets. Keith's and Doresain's Machines were atomized. Weevil's Insects were burned to ashes, including the one Weevil was riding, burning Weevil himself.
The grunts in the opposing army screamed as lightning struck them, and they were all struck dead.
Freed's army cheered.
"All we gotta do now," said Marauding Captain, "is clean up."
Then the ground started to rumble. The human duelists on Daala's side all looked at each other. Looks of fear crossed their faces.
Then, they lay flat on the ground, face-first.
"Daala double-crossed us!" cursed Weevil. "We should have never agreed to this…"
"Shut up, Underwood!" screamed Emma.
"What's going on?" asked Marauding Captain.
Then, three hideous creatures flew out of the very blasted earth. They looked like gaunt, ghoulish demons, with bare skulls for faces, and black, feathered wings like those of a vulture. (1,600/1,600 x3)
Each one of them held up a Megamorph card, and they each rose to Attack Scores of 3,200.
"We can clean up…" muttered Freed. "But we're gonna need some extra-strength detergent…"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Yumi and her friends were running though a vast antechamber.
"Keep going, everybody!" shouted Yumi. "I think maybe we're getting closer!"
Then they stopped. Thundering footprints were moving towards them.
With a roar, an Ultimate Tyranno turned the corner and glared at them. (3,000/2,200)
"Okay, now I'm sure we are."
"Daala has way too much free time," said Sam, drawing a card.
"I play Curse of the Masked Beast! I sacrifice Mad Archfiend and Opticlops to summon The Masked Beast!"
The two Fiends appeared on the field. They vanished into black bonfires, and the huge, masked demon appeared. (3,200/1,800)
The Fiend charged at the huge Dinosaur, and clubbed it with its cudgel. The Dinosaur roared, and shattered into black shards.
"That was too easy," said Yumi. "Keep alert, people. I have a feeling that the real danger is yet to come…"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
At the palace entrance, Jesse was dueling Gansley. Both duelists were feeling fatigue.
Jesse had Topaz Tiger (1,600/1,000) and Amethyst Cat (1,200/400) on the field, plus three Crystal Beasts and a facedown card in his Spell Zone. He had 3,000 Life Points remaining. Gansley had Power Annihilator (1,800/1,800), two Power Bombards (1,000/1,000 x2) and had Power Zone, Power Spirits, and Ring of Fiendish Power active, one facedown card, and 3,100 Life Points remaining.
"It's been swell, Anderson," said Gansley, drawing a card, "but it's time to end this… Power Annihilator, attack his Cat! Power Pulse Slash!"
Power Annihilator leapt up in the air.
"I activate… Rainbow Path!" shouted Jesse, as his facedown card lifted. "Now, I just have to send one Crystal in my Spell Zone to the Graveyard, and your attack is negated."
The Emerald in his Spell Zone vanished. Power Annihilator stopped short.
"I also get to take a specific card from my deck."
He took a card from his deck.
"Then it's your move…" growled Gansley.
Jesse drew a card.
"I play Rare Value," he said. "Now, you choose a Crystal, and I send it to my Graveyard."
"Oh, your Mammoth then!" shouted Gansley.
The Amber in his Spell Zone vanished, and Jesse drew two cards.
"Next, I summon Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus," said Jesse.
In a ray of light, Pegasus appeared. (1,800/1,200)
"I use his effect to place Ruby Carbuncle in my Spell Zone."
The Ruby appeared next to the Cobalt.
"Next, I play Mystical Space Typhoon, to destroy your Ring of Fiendish Power!"
He played the card, and the cyclone blasted the Spell Card to pieces.
"Now, I can attack your Bombards before I deal with your Annihilator."
"You still need a Monster with at least 3,800 Attack Points to destroy that one!" shouted Gansley.
"And are you saying I haven't got one?" asked Jesse, with a big grin.
"You don't mean…" gasped Gansley.
Jesse played a card, and a blast of light shot into the air. It formed into a giant rainbow, pulsating with energy.
Before Gansley's unbelieving eyes, the legendary Rainbow Dragon appeared. (4,000/0)
"It's true!" gasped Gansley. "Joan actually was able to duplicate Jesse Anderson's ace card!"
"And thanks to your own Power Zone," said Jesse, "you're in big trouble."
"Tiger, Pegasus… Destroy his Bombards!"
"I activate Emergency Provisions!" shouted Gansley. "I'll send Power Spirits and Power Zone to the Graveyard to gain 2,000 Life Points!"
The two Spell Cards vanished, and his Life Points rose to 5,100.
Topaz Tiger's Attack Score rose to 2,000. It slashed at Power Bombard, ripping it in half. Sapphire Pegasus blasted a beam of energy at the second Bombard.
"Rainbow Dragon…" ordered Jesse. "Attack with Rainbow Refraction!"
Rainbow Dragon breathed a beam of multicolored light at Power Annihilator. Its Attack Points went up to 2,800, but it was hardly enough. It exploded, throwing Gansley backwards.
His Life Points fell to 2,100.
He threw a card on his Disk.
"I Summon Ruklamba the Spirit King in Defense Mode," he said.
Ruklamba appeared, crouching in Defense. (1,000/2,000)
"I cut Amethyst Cat's Attack Score in half so she can attack you directly," said Jesse.
Amethyst Cat fell to 600 Attack Points. She pounced, and slashed at Gansley. His Life Points fell to 1,500.
"I set two facedown cards, and that will be all," said Jesse.
Two facedown cards appeared behind him.
Gansley angrily drew a card.
The card I won from Daala! he thought. Now I can defeat his big Dragon…
He played a card.
"I play Monster Reincarnation," he said. "I toss one card…"
He discarded a card.
"And I get Power Annihilator back.
"But as happy as I am to have it back in my hand, I'm even happier to have that other card in my Graveyard, because it was Ojamagic. Now, I get my three Ojamas."
Three cards appeared in his hand.
"Now, I activate Ruklamba's effect, and sacrifice it, to Special Summon all three of them."
In three flashes of light, the three goofy-looking gremlins appeared. (0/1,000 x3)
"Now…" said Gansley, "I sacrifice my three Ojamas…"
The three Ojamas vanished.
"To summon the master of disaster… Behold… The Wicked Dreadroot!"
In a burst of dark, shadowy flames, the third of the Wicked Gods, the one that did not appear in Yumi's dreams of the invasion of Neo Space, appeared. It was huge, muscular, and hulking, with claws, demonic wings, ram-like horns, and an armored carapace. (4,000/4,000)
"Dreadroot radiates an aura of fear that weakens all Monsters on the field except himself," said Gansley, "cutting their Attack Scores in half. Not even your Dragon is immune."
Rainbow Dragon roared as it fell to an Attack Score of 2,000. Amethyst Cat fell to 600, Topaz Tiger fell to 800, and Sapphire Pegasus fell to 900.
"Time to finish this," said Jesse. "Dreadroot, attack his Amethyst Cat with Fierce Knockdown!"
Dreadroot roared, and lifted its mighty claw.
"Save me, Jesse!" screamed the Cat.
"Don't worry!" shouted Jesse, "I'm getting you guys out of here! I activate Rainbow Dragon's effect! By sending all my Crystal Beasts on the field to the Graveyard, including the ones in my Spell Zone, Rainbow Dragon gains 1,000 Attack Points for each one!"
The Cat, Tiger, and Pegasus, as well as the two Crystals in his Spell Zone vanished, and Rainbow Dragon rose to an Attack Score of 7,000.
Gansley laughed.
"Then Dreadroot's effect is just reapplied, fool!" he said. "And your Dragon is given a new score."
Rainbow Dragon fell to 3,500.
Then one of Jesse's Trap Cards lifted.
"I activate The Transmigration Prophesy!" he shouted. "I'll take Sapphire Pegasus and Topaz Tiger, and return them to my deck!"
As if that will help!" shouted Gansley. "Dreadroot, destroy his Dragon!"
Dreadroot started to attack again.
"I activate my other Trap!" shouted Jesse, as his last facedown lifted. "Crystal Split! I send one Crystal Beast from my deck to the Graveyard, and Dreadroot gets a taste of its own medicine!"
He slipped Topaz Tiger into his discard slot. Gansley gasped as Dreadroot fell to an Attack Score of 2,000.
"Now finish this, Rainbow Dragon!" shouted Jesse. "Rainbow Refraction!"
Rainbow Dragon blasted its breath weapon, and the Wicked Dreadroot screamed before it exploded in a fiery blast. Gansley's Life Points hit zero, and screamed too, before he dissolved into mist…
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Back at the perimeter, the three strange demons were decimating every Monster that Freed's army tried to defend with. Each summoned Monster was burned to ashes with dark flames, and every real Spirit was fleeing.
"What are these things?" shouted the Command Knight.
"Angels of Entropy!" replied Freed. "They're spawned wherever large quantities of chaotic magic are formed. The last time I saw one was the last time the two Envoys fought each other!"
Burstinatrix played a card.
"Swords of Revealing Light!" she shouted.
The three Angels of Entropy screeched as the glimmering swords appeared in front of them.
"That won't hold them for long," she said. "Any ideas?"
"If it holds them long enough for me to summon my Super Conductor Tyranno," replied Sparkman, "we can beat them."
"NO!" shouted Freed. "That's just what they want you to do!
"Whenever these things are spawned, it's a kamikaze mission. When one of them dies, they create something called a Chaos Storm. It tears a hole in the very fabric of reality, turning the whole world inside out, upside-down…"
"In layman's terms?" asked Avian.
"If they die, they drag us all down with them," said Freed. "And they know it will happen, and they welcome it."
He took a card from his own deck.
"But they have one weakness… And I know it…
"Everyone stand back!"
He walked up to the three Angels, and placed the card in his Disk. A facedown card appeared. Then he sheathed his sword.
"Not a braver Spirit alive…" muttered Marauding Captain.
"Hey you butt-ugly worms!" shouted Freed. "Yeah, you!"
The Angels turned to Freed, and their eyes glowed red.
"You three look in a reflective surface lately?" he shouted. "I'll bet when you were born, the doctor slapped your mother!"
The three demons shrieked again.
"Know what the difference is between guys like you and manure?" yelled Freed. "Manure is useful!"
That did it. The three Angels threw their claws against the barrier, and it shattered. They dive-bombed at the Matchless General.
"Go, Trap Card!" shouted Freed. "Dimensional Prison!"
The three Angels of Entropy screeched as the Trap Card lifted, and a flash of light covered them. They vanished into nothing.
Freed took some deep breaths. Sweat poured down his face.
"Not bad, general," said Marauding Captain. "But… How did you banish three of them with one Dimensional Prison?"
"Technically, I didn't," replied Freed. "Those things have no individuality. They can only exist in teams of three. Do away with one of them, and the other two lose all their power and fade into nothing."
He looked towards the castle in the distance. Then he looked at the battlefield where many of his men's wounds were being treated by medics, and Daala's men, who had seemingly given up after the Angels appeared, were being apprehended.
"It seems we've won the first round," he said. "Daala doesn't seem to have a second wave ready yet. It's all up to the ones who went ahead for now…
"Heaven help them…"
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Yumi and her friends had entered a large room. They stopped to catch their breaths.
"We gotta rest for a minute," muttered Chelsea. "We…"
She looked around in fear.
"What is this place?"
They were in what looked like a combination of an evil temple and a dueling arena. The room was circular and had a lot of free space. Above them was a balcony that spanned the whole circumference. An altar was at one end, flanked by braziers and sinister idols. Torches lit with violet flames provided illumination.
"Hey guys," said Erik. "Come over here."
They all went to where he was standing, at a glass case at the far end of the temple.
Inside the glass case was a group of crystal cubes, and a card was sealed inside each of them. Monster Cards.
Most of them were easy to identify. They were Grave Squirmer, Giant Germ, Aswan Apparition, Nuvia the Wicked, Lesser Fiend, Infernal Incinerator, Maju Garzett, Invader of Darkness, Infernal Flame Emperor, Vennominaga the Deity of Poisonous Snakes, and Gate Guardian.
There was also an empty cube to the right of Gate Guardian.
"What are these cards for?" asked Ren. "What's the common thread?"
"Well, they're mostly Fiends…" replied Sam. "And the ones that aren't Fiends are evil creatures who would be right at home with Fiends."
"And…" said Yumi. "They're all different Levels. Grave Squirmer is Level One, Giant Germ is Level Two, and so on, until you get to Gate Guardian at Level Eleven."
She pointed to the empty cube.
"That one must be for a Level Twelve Monster. Whatever Daala wants to use these cards for, she must not have one yet that she can use.
"Level Twelve Monsters are pretty hard to come by…"
"She has F.G.D.," replied Chelsea.
Yumi shrugged.
"Maybe she can't use it for some reason…" she replied.
"Maybe we should stop this plan before we find out more about it," said Erik. "Let's try to bust this case open…"
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In the front of the palace, Zane was confronting Slade.
Zane had Cyber End Dragon (4,000/2,800) and two facedown cards, and 4,000 Life Points remaining, while Slade had two facedown cards, and 3,000 Life Points remaining.
"Time to show you who the true master of machines is, Truesdale," said Slade, drawing a card.
"I activate Call of the Haunted."
His facedown card lifted, and a Proto-Cyber Dragon appeared. (1,100/600)
"Now, I play Inferno Reckless Summon," he said, playing a Spell Card. "That means I can summon three real Cyber Dragons."
In flashes of light, three Cyber Dragons appeared. (2,100/1,600 x3)
"Next, Polymerization."
He played the card, and the three Cyber Dragons flew through a vortex. In another flash of light, a Cyber End Dragon appeared on Slade's side of the field. (4,000/2,800)
Zane snarled.
"Now, I activate Rare Metalmorph," said Slade. "This makes my Dragon stronger than yours…"
(4,500/2,800)
"Attack."
The stronger Cyber End Dragon roared…
"I activate… De-Fusion!" shouted Zane, as a facedown card lifted.
"That won't work, Truesdale," replied Slade. "Rare Metalmorph also lets my Dragon resist the effects of one Spell Card."
"Who said I was using it on yours?" asked Zane.
Zane's Cyber End Dragon vanished, and his three Cyber Dragons appeared in Attack Mode. (2,100/1,600 x3)
"Next," he said, as another facedown card lifted, "I activate the Trap Card, Cybernetic Hidden Technology! I sacrifice one Cyber Dragon to destroy your Cyber End Dragon!"
One of his Cyber Dragons vanished.
"Not so fast!" shouted Slade. "I have a De-Fusion of my own!"
He quickly played the card, and his Cyber End Dragon vanished, replaced by three Cyber Dragons again. (2,100/1,600 x3)
"Since your Trap Card's target was no longer there, it missed.
"Now let's continue… Two of my Dragons attack two of yours."
Two Dragons on each side of the field blasted beams of energy at their enemies. In a tremendous explosion, the four Cyber Dragons were blown to scrap.
"I'm not done with you," said Slade. "My last Cyber Dragon attacks directly."
The third Cyber Dragon breathed it Strident Blast, hitting Zane dead-center.
"And now my Proto-Cyber Dragon attacks."
The smaller Machine breathed a blast of energy, hitting Zane as well. Zane's Life Points fell to 800.
"Are you quite done?" asked Zane.
"Make your move…" said Slade.
Zane drew a card.
"I'm taking you out now, Slade," he said, showing it to him. "I just drew… THIS!"
"Your Power Bond doesn't scare me," said Slade. "With no Monsters on the field and only one other card in your hand, you can't possibly perform a Fusion Summon. It's impossible."
"Impossible, Slade?" asked Zane. "I'm sure people would have thought that the military experiment that made you immortal was impossible. I'm sure they'd have thought that creating Xanadu was impossible. Before Neil Armstrong walked on the moon in 1969, people said THAT was impossible! Mankind has been doing impossible things for ages, Slade. When you get right down to it, very few things are truly impossible.
"And neither is my ability to make a Fusion Summon. I play Cybernetic Fusion Support!
"Now, by removing my three Cyber Dragons from play, and paying half my Life Points, I can use Power Bond to summon the Cyber End Dragon!"
His Life Points fell to 400, and with a great roar, Cyber End Dragon appeared, twice as big as it was before. (4,000/2,800) –) (8,000/2,800)
"Attack!" shouted Zane. "Super Strident Blaze!"
Cyber End Dragon blasted its triple bolts of burning doom, blowing the opposing Cyber Dragon to nothing.
When Zane looked, Slade was gone. He was the winner, and Slade had apparently been atomized with his Monster.
He looked and saw his five allies regroup. It was clear that the Big Five had fallen a second time. Hopefully, this would be the last time.
"Time to get back on track," he said.
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"It's no use people," said Sam. "This glass just won't break."
"We're wasting time here!" shouted Yumi. "Let's keep going!"
"Uhm, Yumi?" said Ren. "That might be hard…"
"Huh?" said Yumi.
Ren was trying to push the door open.
"It's locked, Yumi," he said. "We're trapped in here…"
Yumi paused.
"Don't panic, people…" said Yumi. "There's got to be a way out… We'll find it…"
I hope… she thought.
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DRAIN TIME (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: A pocket watch with the letter D on the inside of the cover, with the numbers floating off the face.
Card Description: Activate only when you have a "Destiny Hero Bloo-D" face-up on your side of the field. Select one of the following: Draw Phase, Standby Phase, Main Phase 1, Battle Phase, Main Phase 2, or End Phase. Each player must skip their next Phase of the one that was selected.
Note: "Drain Time" was first used by The D in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Ultimate Destiny". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
BLOOD ROAR (Trap Card)
Continuous Trap
Image: Destiny Hero Bloo-D in an explosion of dark energy.
Card Description: If a "Destiny Hero Bloo-D" is on your side of the field, you may place one "Blood Counter" on this card during each of your opponent's Standby Phases (max. 2). During your turn, you may send this card with two "Blood Counters" to the Graveyard to destroy one face-up Monster on the field and deal damage to your opponent's Life Points equal to half of the destroyed Monster's ATK.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
D – MIND (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: Destiny Hero Daggerguy leading Pitch-Dark Dragon, Goblin Elite Attack Force, and Return Zombie into battle.
Card Description: If you do not control any face-up "Destiny Hero" Monsters, you may Special Summon one Level Three or lower "Destiny Hero" Monster from your deck.
Note: "Blood Roar" and "D-Mind" were first used by Aster in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "The Forbidden Ritual (Part Two)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
BRIDGE OVER DESTINY (Spell Card)
Field Spell
Image: The Destiny Signal looming over London Bridge at night.
Card Description: Once per turn, during your Main Phase, you may Special Summon from your Graveyard a "Destiny Hero" Monster that was destroyed as a result of battle (only this card's controller may use this effect). If a Monster Special Summoned by this effect is destroyed, it is removed from play.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
ATTACHMENT DRAGON (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Dragon/Effect
Attribute: Wind
Level: 1
ATK: 100
DEF: 100
Card Description: You may Equip this card to a face-up Monster your opponent controls as an Equip Spell Card. Change the battle position of the Equipped Monster. The Equipped Monster's battle position cannot change for as long as this card remains Equipped.
Note: "Attachment Dragon" was first used by Atticus (as Nightshroud) in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Doomsday Duel (Part One)" Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
INSECT COSTUME (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: A flying beetle flying above a grasshopper.
Card Description: Send one Insect-Type Monster in your hand to the Graveyard. Search your deck for one Insect-Type Monster and add it to your hand. Then, you may destroy one Insect-Type Monster that you control.
Note: "Insect Costume" was first used by Uryu in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D" episode "Creepy Crawlies". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
CRYSTAL SPLIT (Trap Card)
Normal Trap
Image: A martial artist in a blue gi karate chopping a large gem in half.
Card Description: You may only activate this card during your opponent's turn. Select one "Crystal Beast" Monster in your deck and send it to your Graveyard. Reduce the ATK of a face-up opposing Monster by half until the End Phase of the current turn. If the opposing Monster is destroyed during the turn this card is activated, the Monster's controller may draw one card from his deck during the End Phase of the turn.
Note: "Crystal Split" was first used by Jesse in a fourth season episode of "Yu-Gi-Oh GX". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
CYBERNETIC FUSION SUPPORT (Spell Card)
Quickplay Spell
Image: A high-tech machine generating energy towards a central point.
Card Description: Activate this card in response to your activation of a Spell or Trap Card that is used to Fusion Summon a Machine-Type Fusion Monster. If the cards listed as Fusion Material Monsters for the intended Machine-Type Fusion Monster are in your Graveyard, you may pay half your Life Points to remove those Fusion Material Monsters from play instead of paying the summoning conditions listed on the Spell or Trap Card.
Note: "Cybernetic Fusion Support" was first used by Zane in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "The Graduation Match (Part Two)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
ANGEL OF ENTROPY (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Fiend/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 4
ATK: 1,600
DEF: 1,600
Card Description: When you have three copies of this card face-up on your side of the field, all copies of this card gain the following effects:
When one "Angel of Entropy" leaves the field, remove all other copies of "Angel of Entropy" on your side of the field from play.
When an "Angel of Entropy" would be destroyed as a result of battle, before applying damage calculation, destroy all cards on the field.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Lords of Chaos
The Puzzlement of Rule-of-Three
To the casual dimensional traveler, the fiendish wise man who calls himself Rule-of-Three doesn't seem like a Lord of Chaos. For one thing, he doesn't seem like that bad a guy, despite the fact that he's a demon. One might meet him in a tavern in a civilized part of the Lower Planes (of which there aren't many) and find him in a friendly mood, eager for someone to talk to, and willing to give a little advice.
For another thing, Rule-of-Three isn't a true demon. He's a half-demon, a hybrid of demon and human. It's rare for demons to produce offspring with humans, but it happens from time to time. Sometimes a human is seduced by a demon – most often, by a succubus – or it happens as part of some evil ritual or bargain.
Rule-of-Three is the embodiment of the universal axiom that he is named after, that important things in the universe come in sets of threes. (Some fortunate souls have seen the seraphim warrior of Heaven named Unity of Rings, who represents another axiom. If there is another being named Center of All, he has never been seen by mortals.) Rule-of-Three seems to be a sorcerer of no small skill, but he keeps his true level of power concealed. He is an expert on the culture and society of the Abyss, and will share this knowledge with anyone who wants to deal with demons. True to his name, his advice always comes in three parts. (His usual advice for those who need to go to the Abyss is, remain inconspicuous, get the job done fast, and leave as quickly as possible.)
Rule-of-Three is as chaotic as his demonic father. He always requires three articles of payment for his counsel, but this always changes, and is often strange. One might have to present him with three riddles, or three types of pastry, or three antique tin soldiers. The better the advice he gives, the more exotic the price he wants. Strangely, he never asks for souls or other things that demons usually want. If you get past the part that he's a demon, Rule-of-Three often comes across as friendly and likeable, a living contradiction as far as his race is concerned.
One might think that Rule-of-Three is little more than an eccentric information dealer. But spies for the Wind Dukes of Aaqa have uncovered their own information that hints at his possible true motives. Rule-of-Three is often seen in Graz'zt's realm, and is seen going places that only the demon lord's most trusted henchmen are allowed to go. Clearly, Rule-of-Three serves Graz'zt in some manner.
The most alarming thing about Rule-of-Three is his secret meetings with devils. He tries to conduct these meetings in the most private settings, but occasionally, they are observed. Not much is garnered from these meetings with minor officers of Hell, but Rule-of-Three seems to want to negotiate with higher-level diabolic forces for some reason.
This has led to a very frightening theory among the Wind Dukes – that Rule-of-Three is involved in a plan to end the Blood War peacefully and form a partnership between demons and devils, creating a united alliance of Evil that could oppose Heaven. Possibly, Graz'zt approves of this plan, and perhaps even initiated it.
Most think that such a plan would never succeed. The very nature of the demons and devils would prevent peace. But the apocalyptic repercussions that would occur if such a plan ever succeeded have got the Wind Dukes' eyes squarely on this half-demon. Striking at him directly would not be wise, as he has powerful friends who would take his side if any were to oppose him. The Wind Dukes are thus searching for proof that this evil plan does indeed exist. Once they have it, if it is true, the curiosity surrounding Rule-of-Three will likely turn to fear, and they'll be able to strike him down. Of course, Rule-of-Three may be hiding powers that they don't know of…
Truly a mystery is Rule-of-Three…
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Coming up next:
As Yumi and her friends look for a way out of that creepy chamber, they find that they aren't alone in there. Now, Ren and Chelsea must bond together like they never have before. A team duel, perhaps? Maybe. But the dueling will continue, as the assault on the Core continues, and Joan's forces continue to advance.
And the true secret of the Devil's Fruit will be revealed. What is the hidden power of this strange plant that grew in fiendish soil using a sleeping devil king as its fertilizer?
"Hidden Agenda" is coming up next.