What I know of my dad, the illustrious Siegfried Kaiba, I know through pictures and videotapes. He was murdered shortly after I was conceived. Thus, I never knew him on a personal level.
And yet, I owe him a great deal. He loved my mother, and made sure she would want for nothing. His will left her almost everything he had, including the seventy-five percent of stock in KaibaCorp that he owned. With mom owning a controlling share of the company, she pretty much owned the company.
Now, as it always happens when a big company changes CEOs, there were people who were not happy. Many of KaibaCorp's board of directors were upset that the title had been given to Siegfried's lover when many of them thought it should have gone to them. Many of them doubted that the will was authentic, even though Siegfried's lawyers assured them repeatedly that it was.
Even before giving birth to me, mom set them straight. She let them know in no uncertain terms that she was in charge, and it would be either her way or the highway. Most of them relented, and took her way…
But one of them took the highway… One of the most stubborn men I ever had the privilege of meeting.
He gave me a lot of trouble a few years ago… Now I'm finally going to settle it.
Time to duel…
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CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE
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Old Issues
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Phoebe sat at a table in a brightly-lit interrogation room, her expression far less confident than it was when she had dueled both Jaden in Chazz. Her mask was long gone as well; it had been confiscated, along with her Duel Disk. She looked at the door from time to time, but she was smart enough to know that it was guarded. But even if she got past them and escaped this complex, where would she go? How could she ever escape from an alien planet where the rulers controlled every means of transportation elsewhere?
The door opened, and Jaden walked in.
"Hello, Phoebe," he said with a smile.
"Jaden, can I ask you something?" she replied.
"Shoot," he said.
"Neo-Space is like… An inter-planetary empire," she said. "And you're head of government… You have great power, wealth, respect from everyone here…"
"And?" asked Jaden.
"So, why do you still wear that same old red college jersey?" asked Phoebe.
Jaden shrugged.
"Dunno," he replied. "Why do you guys wear scary, black robes? Certainly not because they're stylish."
Phoebe sighed.
"Look Phoebe, I'm sure you know the deal," said Jaden. "Whoever sent you on this mission has obviously decided to abort it, and he's abandoned you. The only way back to Earth is through us. And we'll provide it… So long as you tell us what the whole deal was."
Phoebe let out a longer sigh.
"Okay…" she said, meekly.
Then the door opened, and Chazz stuck his head in.
"Chazz?" asked Jaden.
"Hold that thought, Jaden," said Chazz. "Pollux and Damocles want in on this conversation."
Jaden thought for a second.
"Okay, send them in," he said.
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As the duels were starting with Ren facing Fujita and Erik facing Watanabe, Sam was wandering through the fog, not knowing where it would lead.
She grunted as she pushed her waist-length, blue hair out of her face for what seemed to be the tenth time.
How do Shadow Tamers stand having this much hair? she thought.
She sighed.
She realized that she would likely never get her human body back… Well, if she ever made it back to Earth again, she would make due. She had a personal hair stylist, something that she doubted most Duel Spirits ever went to.
She looked at herself.
And once she got rid of this ridiculous costume, she could live with this change. At least the change had slimmed her down and given her a better figure.
The fog started to clear.
Something's up… she thought.
She looked around as the fog went away.
She was in an office. An executive's office in a big office building. It looked like it belonged to the most important executive in whatever building it was. It was a corner office, with a lot of space, and some very pricy furniture. In front of her was a very large desk made of mahogany, with a comfortable chair behind it.
She recognized this office at once.
"This is mom's office!" she exclaimed.
"That's right," said a voice, coming from the desk. "Welcome, Samantha…"
Sam turned to watch, as Skull Knight slowly materialized, reclining on the chair. He grinned, and put his hands behind his head.
"So good to see you again, Samantha," said the Spellcaster. "It's been what… Two years?"
Sam's eyes narrowed.
"Oh, come on…" he said. "Don't tell me you don't recognize my voice?"
"Yeah, I recognize it…" growled Sam. "It just took me a minute… Mulner…"
"Glad to see you too…" said Skull Knight. "Can I get you a beverage?"
"NO!" shouted Sam. "So, you work for Daala now, and you took the Fruit's power yourself… The demonic knight is so fitting for one like you…"
"Sam, Sam!" laughed Mulner, getting up. "Why do we have to argue?"
"Why?!" exclaimed Sam. "Because you're a big jerk!"
"You wound me," replied Mulner.
"Oh, you want a reason?" asked Sam. "Fine…
"You were my dad's right-hand man, even though you inherited the position from your own dad, who worked for my great uncle. And you had some fantasy where you thought you were next in line to take over KaibaCorp, even though my dad never even liked you.
"When dad left everything to my mom, you expressed to everyone that she was nothing more than a gold-digging bimbo, and that my dad had been seduced. That was bad enough…
"But then, you tried contesting the will, even though you had no proof at all that it wasn't authentic. After your first argument was thrown out of court, you tried again, and then again. You tried for ten years, giving the judge the same BS every time about new evidence, when you really never had anything. Finally, he fined both you and your lawyer for filing frivolous lawsuits, and your lawyer refused to deal with you any more."
Mulner's smile turned into a frown.
"And when I turned sixteen…" growled Sam, "you did something I'll never forgive… You tried to convince me to turn against my mother. You wouldn't take no for an answer, and it turned into a duel. I was pretty surprised. For someone who used to work for KaibaCorp, you were no better than a dueling monkey."
"It was bad enough that Seto Kaiba didn't leave the company to my dad," growled Mulner. "He gave it to yours. He had worked for KaibaCorp since the days of Gozaburo. He may not have had the authority that the Big Five did, but he was loyal to Kaiba when they turned against him, even though he had turned Gozaburo's company into a joke. All my dad ever got for it was a retirement party with an achievement plaque that wasn't even made of real wood."
"That wasn't all he got!" shouted Sam. "His monthly pension alone was more than the average worker makes in a year! He should have gone on an extended vacation and lived the good life, like all corporate bigwigs do when they retire."
"Regardless," growled Mulner. "He deserved more. I swore I would get what he was denied. But your father gave everything to the first tramp he fell in love with…"
"Call my mother a tramp again," growled Sam, "and I'll…"
Mulner stood up and drew his sword.
"You'll do what, Samantha?" he snarled. "In case you didn't notice, you're a weak Level Three Monster, and I'm a strong Level Seven one. I could slay you with one swipe of my blade…"
Sam gulped, and took a step back.
"I'm also not a Fiend," continued Mulner, "so even if you had taken time to learn how to use your powers as a Shadow Tamer, they wouldn't work on me… However…"
The sword vanished, and an Anarchist Disk appeared on his left arm.
"…I've gotten a lot better since we last dueled. I'm Daala's second-in-command now. If you can beat me, I'll let you by."
"And if I lose?" asked Sam.
"Then you're mine," replied Mulner. "And when your mother finally gets here, I'll use you against her like I planned to all along. Whether you like it or not."
Sam chuckled a little. She activated her Disk.
"Say what you will," she replied. "But even with this new body, at least in spirit, I still have Seto Kaiba's blood in my veins. I hope my dad's watching from somewhere, because I'm going to teach one of his most ungrateful employees a lesson he'll never forget."
"We'll see, won't we?" asked Mulner.
(Sam: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Mulner: 8,000)
"You may go first," said Mulner. "A knight must be chivalrous, after all. Even a Skull Knight."
"Aw, you just want the first attack," replied Sam, making her first draw.
She looked at the six cards in her hand.
"I summon Archfiend Soldier," she said.
In a dark shadow, the demonic soldier appeared. (1,900/1,500)
"Then I'll set this, for later…"
A reversed card appeared.
"Interesting," said Mulner. "You use Fiends, and the Fruit chose to give you the form of a Shadow Tamer. What's the symbolism, I wonder?"
"What do you mean?" asked Sam. "They can control Fiends, but…"
"You don't know Duel Spirits like I do, Sam…" replied Mulner. "I know several Shadow Tamers. Yes, they can control Fiends, but they don't do so because they're do-gooder heroines. Shadow Tamers dominate and enslave Fiends, using them to do their bidding. Several times in history, they've been capable of using their slaves to do acts just as evil as the Fiends would have done.
"As you might realize, Fiends don't like them too much. Powerful Fiends put bounties on their heads, and Shadow Tamers who don't watch their backs in places where Fiends are the rulers are often enslaved themselves."
Sam looked at him hard.
"Just move!" she shouted.
Mulner chuckled, and drew a card. Sam really hoped he was lying to throw her off.
"I summon Mythical Beast Barbaros!" he shouted.
With a great roar, a large Beast-Warrior appeared. He looked like a ferocious centaur, except that instead of being part-horse, his bestial parts were those of a great, black lion. His face also had the features of a great cat, with a mane of blonde hair. He held a long lance in one hand, and a steel shield in the other. (3,000/1,200)
"How did you summon THAT with no sacrifice?" screamed Sam.
"Take it easy," replied Mulner. "Due to one of his effects, despite being Level Eight, Barbaros can be summoned with no sacrifice. However, if I do that, he loses a lot of his Attack Points."
Barbaros frowned, and fell to an Attack Score of 1,900.
"Seems our two Monsters have equal scores," said Mulner. "Attacking would accomplish nothing…"
He fit a card into his Disk.
"I'll just set a facedown card of my own, and that will be all…"
Sam looked hard at Barbados, and then at the facedown card.
"Uh, yeah…" she said, drawing a card.
She looked at her hand.
"I sacrifice my rank-and-file Soldier…"
Archfiend Soldier vanished.
"…to summon Gaap, the Divine Soldier!"
In a darker shadow, the larger demon with the exoskeleton and two huge claws on his shoulders appeared. (2,200/2,000)
I can see your strategy from a mile away, Mulner, thought Sam. It couldn't be more obvious. That facedown card is Skill Drain.
As soon as I attack, you'll trigger it. Barbaros will lose its effect, meaning its Attack Score will go up to its base score of 3,000.
What you don't know is, before my Monster reaches yours, I'll activate my facedown Mystik Wok to sacrifice it. Then I'll use Silent Doom to defend myself with Archfiend Soldier.
I'll just play dumb for now…
"I activate Gaap's effect," she continued. "For each Fiend in my hand that I show you, he gains 300 Attack Points for one round."
She flipped a card in her hand around, which was The Masked Beast. Gaap glowed with energy, and went up to an Attack Score of 2,500.
"Gaap, destroy Barbaros! Terror claw!"
The Divine Soldier's eyes glowed, and he made a savage swipe at the Beastking. Barbaros roared, and then exploded into pixels.
(S: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 7,400)
"WHAT?" shouted Sam. "No Skill Drain?"
Mulner chuckled.
"Nope, no Skill Drain," he said. "I summoned Barbaros with a completely different strategy in mind…"
His facedown card lifted.
"It's a Trap called Level Resist Wall. Since you destroyed my Monster, I get to summon from my hand as many Monsters as I can, whose combined Levels equal the Level of the Monster you just destroyed.
"Barbaros was Level Eight. So, I summon Fire Princess…"
In a burst of flame, a stern-faced princess in a flowing, red dress, carrying a wooden staff appeared. (1,300/1,500)
"That's four. Then, White Magician Pikeru."
In a shower of bright motes, a child Spellcaster wearing a white robe and a hat shaped like a Scapegoat, holding a wand with an orb at the end appeared. (1,200/0)
"That's six. And to make eight, Ebon Magician Curran."
In a shower of much darker motes, Pikeru's darker half appeared, the other child Spellcaster wearing a black dress and bunny-eared hood. (1,200/0)
A Gain/Burn Deck! thought Sam.
She looked at Curran.
"Uhm, is that…" she started to ask.
"Nope, that isn't her," replied Mulner. "She's doing something else very important right now… But I don't think she'll mind if I use her card.
"After all, I was the one who took Curran in after she ran away. She needed someone she could turn to after Yumi threw her out. She needed a more powerful and more experienced Spellcaster to teach her how to survive."
"And you obviously didn't tell her that you used to be human," snarled Sam. "So Daala wasn't the one who poisoned her mind with lies. It was you. Is it some habit of yours to seek out youngsters and use them for your own selfish goals?!"
"I do what I have to do," replied Mulner. "And it's still your move."
Sam growled, and looked at the other cards in her hand.
"I end my turn…" she said.
"Then I draw," said Mulner.
"And I gain 1,200 Life Points from Pikeru, four-hundred for each Monster I have…"
Pikeru lifted her staff, and Mulner glowed with energy.
"Then, each time I gain Life Points, Fire Princess burns off 500 of yours."
Fire Princess pointed her staff at Sam, and shot a bolt of fire. Sam screeched as it hit her.
"And Curran deals you 300 points of damage for each Monster that you have!"
Curran threw a small orb of black energy at Sam, and she winced again.
(S: 7,200) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 8,600)
"I'm not done," continued Mulner. "I play… Pot of Greed."
He played the card, and made two draws.
"And I couldn't be happier," he said as a Spell Card appeared on his side of the field. "I play Monster Reincarnation. I'll discard this card…"
He held up a card.
"That's Marie the Fallen One!" shouted Sam.
"It sure is!" laughed Mulner, as he discarded it. "We'll get to that later. In the meantime, I get Barbaros back…"
A card slipped out of his discard slot.
"Now, just as I can summon Barbaros with no sacrifice, I can also summon it with three sacrifices."
"Huh?" said Sam.
Fire Princess, Pikeru, and Curran all dissolved into grains of light.
He's sacrificing his whole strategy? she thought.
Barbaros appeared again, with a far more vicious roar. (3,000/1,200)
"When Barbaros is summoned using three sacrifices," continued Mulner, "he destroys all the cards on your side of the field."
Sam gasped. The Beastking raised his mighty lance, preparing to thrust it into the ground…
"CHAIN!" shouted Sam, as her facedown card lifted. "Mystik Wok!"
Gaap dissolved into light, and Sam glowed with energy.
"I sacrificed my Monster before your Beastking's effect kicked in," said Sam with a grin. "Now he has nothing to destroy, and I gained 2,200 Life Points."
"That's all well and good," said Mulner with a smile. "But now, Barbaros attacks you directly!"
The Beastking galloped towards Sam, and she screamed as he stabbed her hard with his lance. She fell on her behind.
(S: 6,400) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 8,600)
"While you're picking yourself up," he said. "I'm going to activate one of my Deck Lord abilities. It's called Reverse Reincarnation. I send my Monster to the Graveyard…"
Barbaros vanished into grains of light.
"…and in return, I get to bring back the Monsters I sacrificed to summon it."
Fire Princess (1,300/1,500), Pikeru (1,200/0) and Curran (1,200/0) appeared again.
"To end my turn," he said, playing the last card in his hand, "I play Messenger of Peace. For the low price of 100 Life Points per round, this card keeps all Monsters that have 1,500 Attack Points or more from attacking."
Sam sighed. She knew what it did, and it was trouble.
She drew a card.
"I play Silent Doom," she said, playing a Spell Card.
Archfiend Soldier appeared on the field, crouching in Defense Mode. (1,900/1,500)
"Then I set a Monster, and two facedown cards…"
A concealed Monster and two reversed cards appeared.
"And that's all I can do…"
"Then I draw," said Mulner, drawing a card. "And I pay 100 Life Points for Messenger of Peace.
"That means I gain 1,200 Life Points from Pikeru, and 200 from Marie."
He glowed with energy.
"And since I gained Life Points from two sources, Fire Princess gets to use her effect twice!"
Fire Princess aimed her staff, and blasted two fireballs at Sam. Sam shielded herself and staggered as they hit her.
"Then there's Curran!"
Curran shot her dark bolt, and Sam cringed again.
"I'll set this facedown," he said, placing the card he drew in his Disk.
The reversed card appeared.
"Then, my Princess is going to attack your facedown Monster. I have a feeling I know what it is…"
Fire Princess blasted a stream of flame from her staff at the facedown card. The Morphing Jar appeared on the card, and exploded. Mulner laughed.
He quickly drew five cards. Sam discarded the one card in her hand, and made five draws.
"And I'll just keep on going," laughed Mulner, looking at his hand. "I summon Granadora!"
He placed a card on his Disk, and a huge, semi-humanoid lizard with an ugly face full of horns and pointed teeth appeared. (1,900/700)
"Also known as the Swallowtail Spike Lizard. By summoning it, I gain 1,000 Life Points, which means Princess gets to use her effect again."
"Not again…" groaned Sam.
She yelped as the fire hit her again.
"I'll set one more card facedown," said Mulner, "and that will be all…"
Another reversed card appeared.
(S: 4,300) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 10,900)
Sam grumbled as she drew a card.
It was Dark Ruler Ha Des.
Time to teach this guy a lesson… she thought.
"I sacrifice Archfiend Soldier to summon the Dark Ruler!" she shouted.
Archfiend Soldier vanished, and lightning flashed. Dark Ruler Ha Des appeared in a cloud of black smoke. (2,450/1,600)
"Now, I activate my own Deck Lord ability, and it's a dozy! By tossing two cards when Ha Des is on the field, he destroys every card on the field except himself!"
She quickly discarded Gil Garth and Messenger of Hades – Gors.
"Go! Wrath of Ha Des!"
Ha Des lifted his hand…
And then, Sam let out an agonizing scream as a painful backlash hit her. She fell on her back.
She slowly got up, shaking in pain. Mulner was surrounded by violet flames, and his Monsters had not been harmed at all. Her forearms were on fire…
She slowly pulled off her right glove. An ugly scar was on her arm, as if it had been slashed with a knife.
There was likely one on her left arm too…
"Mulner…" she gasped. "What… What did you do?"
Mulner held up the Marie the Fallen One card.
"As Daala's second-in-command," he replied, "I have access to one of the most powerful Deck Lord abilities. It's called Crippling Wave.
"I can activate this whenever you try to use your Deck Lord ability. I merely have to remove a Dark Monster in my Graveyard from play, and pay 1,000 Life Points, and not only is your attempt negated, but all your Deck Lord abilities are disabled until you complete three Standby Phases."
"No… fair…" gasped Sam.
"So who said life was fair?" asked Mulner.
One of his facedown cards lifted.
"I activate Burial From a Different Dimension. Now, I can return Marie to my Graveyard."
He discarded the card.
That means using his power only sets him back one of the two costs, thought Sam. While I wasted two cards. And even if I last three more rounds, he'll just be able to do it again if I try to use my Deck Lord powers…
What do I do?
Then, her eyes were blinded as a curtain of darkness covered them…
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Sam was in a sort of waking dream. She was in a dark place, with fog covering the ground.
She turned around, and saw the tall, hulking form of Dark Ruler Ha Des.
"You!" she gasped.
Ha Des nodded.
"I channeled my power through my card, because I thought you could use a pep talk," said the Dark Ruler. "It's been a long time since we spoke, consort. I see you've changed…"
"Ha Des, you gotta tell me!" gasped Sam, running up to him. "Is what he said true? Are Shadow Tamers really Fiend dominatrixes?"
"Unfortunately, he spoke the truth," sighed Ha Des. "In all realms where Fiends are the rulers, including mine, Shadow Tamers are feared criminals, who use their powers to enslave the populace and have them do their dirty work. Some say that they were given their powers by the Archfiends. But they won't reveal the source of their power. I myself have captured several of them… Not even the threat of execution will make them reveal their secrets…"
A look of panic appeared on Sam's face.
"Ha Des, can you help me?" asked Sam. "Me and the others? You rule the Underworld… You must have libraries, magicians, scientists… That sort of thing. Do you know of any cure?"
"Calm down!" replied Ha Des.
He sadly shook his head.
"I've ruled my realm for centuries…" he continued. "Since the days of the Shadow Games, in fact. In all the books of alchemy and magic that I have studied, I never found any formula that could transform humans into Duel Spirits. This Devil's Fruit is completely new to me."
Sam bowed her head.
"What do I do?" she muttered.
Ha Des put his arm on her shoulder.
"There, there," he said. "I'm here to help now, and all is not lost. If you succeed in your mission, find your way to my realm as soon as you can."
"You want me to find a way to a place where Shadow Tamers are considered criminals?" asked Sam.
"I wasn't always the Duel Spirit you see here now," said Ha Des. "I was once one that was much weaker. But I overthrew the Dark King of the Abyss and evolved into the powerful Fiend I am now. Just like Guardian Angel Joan was St. Joan once.
"Under certain conditions, Duel Spirits can shed their forms, and evolve into something stronger. Maybe I can help you become something that isn't so reviled by my kind…
"Perhaps… Perhaps even Dark Queen Per Sephone can become a reality…"
Sam looked at him.
"Really?" she muttered.
"But first," said Ha Des, "you have to get by that big jerk in front of you. The solution is almost within reach, and you just have to hold out a couple more turns.
"Now finish up…"
Sam opened her eyes.
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Sam looked at the other cards in her hand.
She fit one of them in her Disk, and a third facedown card appeared.
"Move," she said.
(S: 4,300) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 9,900)
"I draw," said Mulner, drawing a card. "Once again, I pay 100 Life Points for Messenger of Peace. Then I gain 1,600 from Pikeru, and 200 from Marie.
"Then Princess and Curran can do their jobs."
Sam shielded herself as two blasts of fire from Fire Princess and a bolt of dark energy from Curran hit her.
"I think I'm just going to end my turn there," said Mulner.
(S: 3,000) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 11,600)
At this rate, thought Sam, I'll be finished in two more rounds. This next draw had better count…
She drew a card.
"All right, Mulner," she said, "I play Pot of Greed."
The evil ceramic appeared, and she drew twice.
"Perfect!" she said. "I play the Spell Card, Shrink!"
"Why bother using that card on my Monsters?" asked Mulner. "You still can't attack them."
"I'm not using it on any of yours," said Sam. "I'm using it on mine."
Dark Ruler Ha Des glowed with dark energy, and his Attack Score fell to 1,225.
"Now, Ha Des is weak enough to get by your Messenger of Peace. So, Ha Des, attack his Fire Princess!"
Ha Des's hand glowed with shadowy energy…
"You made a slight miscalculation!" laughed Mulner. "Fire Princess is now 75 points stronger!"
One of Sam's facedown cards lifted.
"I activate Bark of Dark Ruler!" she exclaimed. "I'll pay 1,300 Life Points, and your Princess falls to a much lower Attack Score."
Fire Princess gasped and held her hand over her chest, as her Attack Score fell to zero. Then she screamed as the Stygian blast hit her, and she was blown to shards.
"ERGH!" grunted Mulner.
"I'll set a Monster, and that will end my turn," said Sam, as a facedown Monster appeared in front of her. "That means my Shrink wears off."
(S: 1,700) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 10,375)
It cost me a little, thought Sam. But part of my problem is taken care of. Let's hope this jerk takes the bait…
"I draw!" said Mulner with a scowl, drawing a card. "And I pay 100 Life Points for my Messenger! Then I gain 1,200 Life Points from Pikeru, and 200 from Marie.
"Then, you lose 600 from Curran."
Curran shot her bolt at Sam, and she grunted again.
"Now, Curran is going to attack your facedown Monster!"
Curran pointed her finger, and blasted a bolt of dark energy at the facedown card. A shadowy, hooded, masked assassin holding a knife appeared on the card. It was blown to bits.
"Sorry, Mulner," said Sam, with a laugh. "You just activated Night Assailant's Flip-Effect. Now, I get to send one of your Monsters packing. Think I'll choose Pikeru."
Pikeru screamed, and then shattered into shimmering lights.
"Why you…" growled Mulner.
He looked at his hand.
"I set two cards facedown, and that will end my turn!"
Two facedown cards appeared.
(S: 1,100) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 11,675)
Sam looked at her deck.
C'mon deck… she said. Give me a winner…
She drew.
Yes!
"First, I play Enemy Controller!" she shouted.
The large video game pad appeared.
"Now, I can move your Granadora to Defense Mode!"
Granadora knelt, and crossed its arms over its chest.
"Next, I summon Skull Knight #2. Ironic, isn't it?"
In a burst of dark energy, the armored, skeletal Fiend appeared. (1,000/1,200)
"Then, I play Monster Reborn! I'll summon a Monster from your Graveyard!"
The holy ankh appeared, and White Magician Pikeru appeared on her side of the field. (1,200/0)
"Pikeru, attack Ebon Magician Curran!" shouted Sam.
Pikeru and Curran looked at each other with stern looks. Pikeru blasted a bolt of shimmering magic. Curran shot back with a blast of shadowy darkness. They collided, and both Spellcasters were blown to bits.
"Skull Knight #2, destroy Granadora!"
Skull Knight made a slash with its sword, and the large lizard exploded into bits.
"And due to Granadora's effect, you lose 2,000 Life Points when it's destroyed."
Mulner groaned as an aura of red energy surrounded him.
(S: 1,100) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 9,675)
"With that, Mulner, I end my turn. Seems I've taken out your whole side."
"We'll soon see," said Mulner. "I draw one card…"
He drew a card. He looked at it.
"I pay 100 Life Points to keep Messenger of Peace. Then I gain 200 from Marie.
"Then I play… Magic Planter. I send my Messenger of Peace to the Graveyard to draw two cards."
He played a Spell Card, and a cluster of vines shot up, consuming the Spell Card. He made two draws. He looked at them.
He smirked.
"I see you have no cards left in your hand, Samantha. That is a shame. Well, maybe I can help…"
One of his facedown cards lifted.
"I activate The Gift of Greed. This Trap Card requires you to draw two cards."
"What?" shouted Sam.
She made two draws.
"You're crazy…"
"Not as crazy as this," said Mulner, as a second facedown card lifted. "I'm activating a second Gift of Greed!"
"WHAT?" shouted Sam.
She looked at him with a puzzled expression. Then she drew two more cards.
"That's the stupidest thing you've ever done," she said. "Letting me have four free cards…"
"It will seem smarter in a minute," said Mulner, taking a card from his hand. "I let you have four more cards so I couldn't possibly miss when I played this one."
A Spell Card appeared.
"It's called Temptation of the Goddess. Now, I get to see your hand. And if there's a Level Four Monster there, I get to force you to Special Summon it in Attack Mode."
Sam gave him a strange look. She turned her hand of cards forward.
"Malice Doll of Demise will do," said Mulner with a grin.
Sam placed the card on her Disk, and the evil puppet holding an axe appeared. (1,600/1,700)
"And just how is this helping you?" asked Sam.
"Here's how," replied Mulner, as his last facedown card lifted. "It's a Trap Card called Comparable Level, and I can activate it when you summon a Monster. I now get to Special Summon Monsters from my hand whose combined Levels total the Level of your Doll."
In two flashes of light, a second Curran and a second Pikeru appeared. (1,200/0 x2)
"They won't last long," replied Sam. "You got rid of your Messenger, remember?"
"I don't intend to keep them," replied Mulner. "I sacrifice both of them…"
Pikeru and Curran vanished into grains of light…
"I summon… Mondo the Meanie!"
In a giant shadow, a huge, hulking Monster loomed over Mulner's side of the field. As Sam got a clear look at it, it seemed almost comical – a giant, monstrous infant of sorts, with a scowl on its face, wearing a black pair of trousers and a small beanie on its head. (2,700/2,000)
"Hold on…" said Sam. "I recognize that Monster… He's the ogre that Pikeru and Curran are fighting on the Trial of the Princesses Equip Spell. So that's his name?"
"Yeah," replied Mulner. "Curran told me some inside information about this card. She and Pikeru had to defeat this creature to earn their birthrights, the reason being, it possessed both their powers, slightly enhanced. Powers of Light and Dark…"
"A being of Chaos," muttered Sam.
"You got it," replied Mulner. "Mondo, flatten that sorry excuse for a Skull Knight!"
The monstrous infant roared, and lifted its fist…
"Not so fast!" shouted Sam, as one of her facedown cards shot up. "I activate Shadow Spell!"
A mass of chains shot out of the floor, and wrapped around Mondo the Meanie. The ogre growled, and struggled, but they held fast, and its Attack Score fell to 2,000.
"So you last one round longer," said Mulner, placing his last card into his Disk.
A facedown card appeared.
"But not much longer. I end my turn."
(S: 1,100) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 9,775)
"Then I draw," said Sam, drawing a card.
She was relieved to see the nasty scar on her arm from Mulner's Crippling Wave finally disappear.
She looked at the card. Pot of Avarice.
"And my Trap Card activates!" shouted Mulner. "Dust Tornado!"
His facedown card lifted, and the fierce wind tore across the field. The chains binding Mondo snapped, and it roared with rage as its Attack Score rose back to 2,700.
"You've lost, Samantha," said Mulner. "As soon as I start my turn, Mondo's effect will increase my Life Points by 600 for each Monster I have, but more importantly, will deal you 400 points of damage for each one you have. Do the math. You lose."
"Not if I get rid of him first," replied Sam. "I play Pot of Avarice!"
She played the card, and Night Assailant, The Masked Beast, Archfiend Soldier, Morphing Jar, and Gil Garth slipped out of her discard slot. She shuffled them into her deck, and made two draws.
"Okay, Mulner," she said. "I play a Monster Reincarnation of my own."
The Spell Card appeared, and she discarded Opticlops.
"I'll bring back Gaap, and then sacrifice Skull Knight #2 to summon him."
The skeletal Fiend vanished, and Gaap appeared again. (2,200/2,000)
"That means I get to Special Summon a second Skull Knight from my deck!"
A second Skull Knight #2 appeared. (1,000/1,200)
"You remember Gaap's effect, right?" she continued. "By showing you a Fiend in my hand, he gains 300 Attack Points."
She turned one of her three cards around, revealing it to be Dark Queen Per Sephone. Gaap rose to an Attack Score of 2,500.
"Next, with Ha Des on the field, I can Special Summon Per Sephone."
She played the card, and the fiendish beauty that resembled her old self appeared, bearing her claws. (2,200/1,200)
"Next, I play a Spell Card," she said, as another card appeared. "The Puppet Magic of Dark Ruler. I'll remove my Skull Knight and Doll from play…"
Skull Knight and Malice Doll of Demise vanished into ripples of light.
"…and in return, I get to summon a Fiend from my Graveyard whose Level matches their Levels combined. Here comes Gors!"
In an explosion of dark energy, the Messenger of Hades appeared, holding his zanbatô aloft. (2,700/2,500)
"Wait a minute…" said Mulner.
"Finally," said Sam, "I'll toss this…"
She discarded her last card.
"…to use Per Sephone's effect, and Special Summon Archfiend Soldier from my deck."
Archfiend Soldier appeared in a burst of black smoke. (1,900/1,500)
The five Fiends glared angrily at Mulner…
"Gors…" ordered Sam. "Attack Mondo the Meanie!"
"With pleasure, my queen," replied Gors, lifting his weapon.
The Messenger shouted a war cry, and leapt at the huge ogre. Mondo met the attack with its fist, and an explosion rocked the whole room, blowing both Monsters to shards.
"I have over 9,700 Life Points!" shouted Mulner. "Do you have enough there to finish me off?"
"Well, why don't we find out?" asked Sam. "Ha Des, attack directly with Stygian blast!"
Ha Des cast his dark spell, blasting Mulner with wicked flames. The Skull Knight screamed.
"Gaap," ordered Sam. "Terror claw!"
Gaap leapt at Mulner, and raked at him with its huge claws.
"Per Sephone, dark claw!"
Per Sephone flew at Mulner, and slashed at him with her long talons.
"Archfiend Soldier, sword of Perdition!"
The Archfiend flew at Mulner and made a savage swipe with his blade. Mulner staggered backwards.
(S: 1,100) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 725)
Mulner held his chest. Sweat fell down his forehead.
"Not bad…" he gasped. "Not bad… But I still have some Life Points left, and…"
Then he stopped short, as Sam's last facedown card lifted.
Call of the Haunted.
In another explosion of energy, Gors appeared again, (2,700/2,500)
"Gors, finish him off," said Sam. "Demonblade."
Gors flew at the demonic knight, slamming the zanbatô into him, and sending him falling to the floor.
(S: 1,100) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 0)
Mulner got up, gasping for breath, and glared at Sam with hate.
"This isn't over, Samantha…" he cursed.
"Your Life Points are at zero, Mulner," said Sam. "That's about as over as it can get."
Mulner stood up.
"The only thing I have to say to you is…" he said.
A portal opened behind him.
"…catch me if you can!"
He fled through the portal, and Sam started to chase him, hot on his heels.
That's right, Samantha, thought Mulner. Chase me… Your friends will follow, and pretty soon, I'll have the last laugh after all…
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
MYTHICAL BEAST BARBAROS (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Beast-Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 8
ATK: 3,000
DEF: 1,200
Card Description: This card may be Normal Summoned or set without Tribute, or by Tributing three Monsters. If you Normal Summon this card without Tribute, the ATK of this card becomes 1,900. If you Normal Summon this card by Tributing three Monsters, destroy all cards on your opponent's side of the field.
Note: "Mythical Beast Barbaros" is a Japanese card that has not yet been released in the United States.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
COMPARABLE LEVEL (Trap Card)
Normal Trap
Image: An equal sign between one big monster with a star on its chest and five small monsters with stars on their chests.
Card Description: Activate this card when your opponent Normal Summons or Special Summons a Monster. Special Summon from your hand Monsters whose combined Levels exactly equal that of the Level of the summoned Monster.
Note: "Comparable Level" was first used by Yakou Tenma in the "Yu-Gi-Oh R" issue "Unsurpassable." Creative credit goes to the writers.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
LEVEL RESIST WALL (Trap Card)
Normal Trap
Image: Two warriors running towards two swords imbedded in the ground. In front of them are three sets of stars: A set of three stars and a set of two stars over a set of five stars.
Card Description: You can activate this card when a Monster you control is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard. Special Summon from your hand Monsters whose combined Levels exactly equal that of the Monster that was destroyed.
Note: "Level Resist Wall" was first used by Yakou Tenma in the "Yu-Gi-Oh R" issue "Offense and Defense of the Summoned God." Creative credit goes to the writers.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
TEMPTATION OF THE GODDESS (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: A beautiful, blonde woman with angelic, feathered wings. (The woman on this card looks a great deal like Pegasus's deceased wife, Cecelia.)
Card Description: Look at your opponent's hand. If he/she has a Level Four Monster that can be Normal Summoned, you may Special Summon that Monster to his/her side of the field in Attack Position.
Note: "Temptation of the Goddess" was first used by Lucien in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Don't Fear the Reaper". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
MONDO THE MEANIE (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Fiend/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 8
ATK: 2,700
DEF: 2,000
Card Description: This card cannot be Special Summoned. When this card is Tribute Summoned, the Tributed Monsters must be LIGHT and/or DARK. During your Standby Phase that this card is face-up on your side of the field, increase your Life Points by 600 points for each Monster on your side of the field and inflict 400 points of direct damage to your opponent for every Monster on his/her side of the field.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Sam's Deck Lord: "Shadow Tamer": "Wrath of Ha Des": When you have a "Dark Ruler Ha Des" face-up on your side of the field, you can discard two cards from your hand to destroy all cards on the field except "Dark Ruler Ha Des". You cannot declare an attack on a round in which you use this effect. (Greater Power) "Immortal Ruler": You may disregard the summoning restrictions for "Dark Ruler Ha Des" and Special Summon it from your Graveyard using the appropriate card. (Minor Power) "Summon Subjects": When "Dark Ruler Ha Des" is face-up on your side of the field, you may spend 800 Life Points to Special Summon a Level Four or lower Fiend-Type Monster from your Graveyard. You may use this effect once per turn, during your Main Phase. (Minor Power)
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Mulner's Deck Lord: "Skull Knight": "Crippling Wave": You may activate this effect when your opponent activates a Deck Lord's Power. Remove from play from your Graveyard one DARK Monster and pay 1,000 Life Points. Negate the use of the Deck Lord Power. Your opponent then cannot use any of his/her Deck Lord's Powers until three of his/her Standby Phases have passed. (Extraordinary Power) "Reverse Reincarnation": Target one Monster on your side of the field that was Tribute Summoned. Send the targeted Monster to the Graveyard. If the Monsters used as Tribute to Tribute Summon the Monster are in your Graveyard, Special Summon them to your side of the field. (Greater Power)
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Lords of Chaos
The Dreadnaught of Agony
It may not be entirely correct to classify the Dreadnaught of Agony as a Lord of Chaos. After all, it isn't even a living creature. But this weapon that may tip the balance of the Blood War is something that cannot be ignored by the powers of Order and Good.
In the history of the War, demons and devils alike have always loved fortresses. Their strongholds are built not only with fortification in mind, but intimidation. The denizens of the Lower Planes are hard to scare, but most mortals find it unsettling to approach a building shaped like a giant skull (for instance).
The Dreadnaught of Agony is a fortress that is currently under construction on the first layer of the Abyss. Construction was started five decades ago, and it is apparently going according to schedule. (Demons are immortal, so they think big, and their projects take a long time.) The supervisor of the project is a Blood War general named Belfazar, but no-one is sure who he answers to. Most assume that a project this grandiose has either Demogorgon, Orcus, or Graz'zt behind it.
The Dreadnaught is not only huge, it is mobile. It resembles, at first glace, a huge, metal battleship on rollers, with demonic architecture. When complete, the Dreadnaught will be able to roll into battle, being both a base and a weapon for large-scale skirmishes. Details include an armored hull, cannons and mortars powered by magical energy, and other dangerous weapons.
At first, this is not remarkable as far as demonic war engines go. Mobile fortresses were built by them and by devilish forces several times in the past. But one aspect of it puzzled many until recently. A prison was built inside it, one that held about two-hundred mortal prisoners, presumably enemies of the lord who is funding the fortress's construction. Why the lord decided to convert part of this fortress into a prison was unknown, until recently, when the craft's most powerful weapon was tested.
The weapon is called a "torment cannon" by those who have seen it demonstrated. Apparently, the pain that the prisoners are subjected to is channeled into generators that charge this weapon. When fully charged, it can fire a blast that can conceivable lay waste to a small city – or a fairly large regiment of troops.
How this terrible weapon was built, no-one is certain. It would take magic well beyond the capabilities of any demon lord. The Wind Dukes are worried about the power of this weapon, and the possibility that even more deadly devices are slated to be installed in the Dreadnaught. Plans may well be underway to halt the completion of the fortress before it can actually be used for any Blood War efforts.
After all, if this sort of technology proves a success against the devils, other enemies of the demons may be next…
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coming up next:
Of all of Yumi's group, Chelsea probably got the worst out of their dealing with Dark Necrofear. The curse of vampirism seems to have been inflicted on her due to her wanting to help. Not exactly the best fate for a hero.
But next chapter, she'll have to deal with it, as another vindictive individual from the past shows up, one who holds a deck designed to defeat hers. Chelsea's toughest battle is about to come, and she has very little to support her.
"Unrequited" is coming up next.