Author's note: A reviewer brought up an interesting point. You folks are all wondering just what the purpose of my Lords of Chaos articles at the end of each chapter are about. Well, the entities that I am describing all cannot be included in this fic, I know.
I am including these little stories to help other authors. Maybe you will find some ideas when writing stories of your own, Yu-Gi-Oh or otherwise. After all, not every Yu-Gi-Oh story can use Zorc or the Orichalcos.
With that in mind, anyone who desires has my permission to use any storyline I created in the Lords of Chaos section when writing their own stories. I should point out that I borrowed the ideas for a lot of them from other sources (Jubilex is a famous figure in the Dungeons & Dragons RPG, for example). But anyway, if you get any ideas from these small stories, you may use them with my blessing.
On with the story.
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Even though I was the granddaughter of two great duelists, I started out small. As a duelist myself, I evolved, and changed. My first deck wasn't all that great… But I got better, and changed it gradually, adding cards to it until it became the powerful deck it is today.
But for every card that I added to my deck, I had to take a card out that I felt wasn't as good as the new one I put in.
I couldn't see Duel Spirits then, and I had no idea that a card I had in my deck, one that I had used many times, housed one of them. And when I took that card out of my deck to make room for another, I had no idea that that the Spirit would feel rejected.
And I truly had no idea that she'd come back. Daala has recruited her, and filled her mind with lies. Her anger has been turned towards me in the worst way. What happened was all a misunderstanding, but she can't seem to realize that.
Now, I'm just as much a Spirit as she is, and she's blocking my way to Daala. If I can't talk any sense into her, I'll just have to defeat her. I'm so sorry it had to come to this…
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CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE
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Guessing Game
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As Yumi wandered through the fog, calling her friends' names on occasion, a lot was on her mind.
She knew that breast enlargement surgery was incredibly expensive… But was reduction any cheaper?
She looked at herself. Most girls dreamed of having a figure like this, and now that she had it, she wasn't sure she wanted it. She was practically top-heavy. How did the real Dark Magician Girl even find clothes that fit?
Would Nicholas accept her like this?
What was she saying? What male duelist in the world wouldn't kill to hug Dark Magician Girl? If she ever got home, every boy in Domino would be drooling over her… But she wasn't sure if that's what she wanted…
How did she ever get into this?
As she thought this, the fog started to clear.
Unlike her four friends, as she looked around, she didn't find anything immediately familiar about the large room she was in. She had certainly never been in this room before, and she certainly didn't like the look of it. It looked like a combination of a temple of some sort and a spaceship hangar. On the far end of the room were two ominous statues of bearded men in robes seated on thrones, each one to one side of a doorway shaped like a hexagon. Above the doorway was a large object shaped like a pyramid.
Yumi sighed.
"Not too bad…" she thought. "At least I can see the exit…"
Then, as she started to walk towards it, someone came out of that exit…
Yumi couldn't believe it. It was Curran.
Curran waved her hand, and a metal door slammed down behind her, sealing the exit (one with a big letter B on it).
"Hello, Yumi," she said. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"
"I don't have time, Curran," replied Yumi. "I know you're upset, but now is not the time to settle our differences. Now let me by!"
"And if I don't?" replied the small Spellcaster, with a pout on her face.
"Notice that I'm Dark Magician Girl now?" asked Yumi. "I'm stronger than you are. I don't want to hurt you, Curran, but if you force me to…"
Curran smirked, and held up a small device. She pushed a small button on it.
There was a loud hum, and the eyes of the two statues started to glow. Then Yumi felt like a huge weight had been dropped on her shoulders. She struggled, but something forced her to her knees.
"Curran!" she gasped. "What did you do? What is going on? I can barely move…"
"Don't you recognize this room at all?" asked Curran.
Then it finally came to Yumi.
"This room…" she gasped. "It's one big Level Limit – Area B!"
"You got it," said Curran. "Starting to realize the downsides of your condition yet? There are a lot of them, and all Duel Spirits have to deal with them.
"This room doesn't affect me, since I'm Level Two. But you're Level Six, meaning that as long as the power is on, you're helpless."
"Curran, please!" gasped Yumi. "Did I really treat you that badly?"
Curran walked up to Yumi. She took something out of her dress that looked like an amulet with an onyx setting.
"What do you think, Yumi?" asked Curran. "You weren't the one who was stuffed in a deck case for who knows how long…"
She fastened the amulet around Yumi's neck.
"I could just bring you to Daala right now… Have you locked up just like I was… But that would be too easy… Tell you what…
"You agree to duel me with a little house rule, and manage to beat me, I'll let you by."
She backed away from Yumi, and hit the button again. The eyes stopped glowing, and Yumi felt the pressure mercilessly lift.
"I can turn it back on at any time," said Curran, "so don't try anything."
"House rule?" asked Yumi, as she stood up. "What kind of house rule?"
"Simple," said Curran. "We duel, and we play 'Twenty Questions' at the same time.
"Here's the rules. You think of a Monster. Any Monster in the game. Then, whenever I start my turn, I'll ask a question that you can answer with a 'yes' or 'no'. I get one question per turn.
"If I manage to guess the Monster you're thinking of, you lose the duel. But, to be fair, if I guess wrong, I lose. Naturally, I'm allowed twenty questions, meaning the duel will last twenty of my turns at most."
Yumi sighed.
"I guess I don't have a choice…" she replied.
Curran picked up her child-size Disk and placed it on her arm.
"Oh, by the way, Yumi," she said. "That pendant I gave you is a Spellcaster's lie detector. You tell me a fib, I'll know."
"All right!" shouted Yumi. "I… I got one…"
Perfect, thought Curran. This ought to be easy… I already think I know which Monster she chose. The shock of being transformed has her mind on one specific Monster… It's hard for her to think of anyone else.
"Another thing, Yumi," she said, "if you happen to have Nightmare's Steelcage in your deck, don't think it will work like it did for Ren. Taking in the energies of the Core have worked wonders for me. My claustrophobia is all gone now."
"I'm so happy for you…" muttered Yumi.
"Game on!" they shouted.
(Yumi: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Curran: 8,000)
"All right…" muttered Yumi, drawing her first card. "Here we go…"
She chose two cards from her hand.
"I summon Skilled Dark Magician."
In a display of dark energy, the robed mage appeared. (1,900/1,700)
"Then I'll set this, and you can go…"
A facedown card appeared.
"Very well," said Curran, drawing a card. "First question… Is the Monster a Spellcaster?"
Yumi took a deep breath.
"Yes…" she muttered.
Curran grinned. She chose one of her cards. She placed it on her Disk, and a set Monster appeared.
"I end my turn," she said.
Yumi drew a card.
I've got to beat her before she figures it out, she thought.
"I summon Magician's Valkyria!" she shouted.
In a blast of light, Valkyria appeared, brandishing her staff. (1,600/1,800)
"Attack!" she shouted. "Magic illusion!"
Valkyria cast her spell, and a Mystic Tomato appeared on Curran's card. It was blown to pieces.
Huh? thought Yumi. Why'd she have that? I thought she played a Light Attribute Deck…
"I use its effect to summon a second Mystic Tomato," said Curran, as another of the silly Plants appeared. (1,400/1,100)
Yumi looked at it for a minute.
"Go ahead…" she said to Skilled Dark Magician.
He cast a more powerful Spell, and the Tomato exploded. Curran cringed a little.
(Y: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 7,500)
"I summon Allure Queen LV3!" shouted Curran.
In a cloud of pink smoke, a mysterious female Spellcaster appeared. She was dressed in a formal dress and hat that suggested nobility, and carried a gold staff topped with a gem-encrusted crescent. (500/500)
"Uhm, that isn't very strong…" said Yumi.
"Allure Queen is more powerful than you think," said Yumi. "She's a specialist wizard, unlike most of your Spellcasters."
"Huh?" said Yumi.
"Any other moves you'd like to make?" asked Curran.
Yumi looked at her cards.
"I… end my turn…" she said.
Curran drew a card.
"Second question," she said. "Is the Monster Dark-Attribute?"
Yumi sighed again.
"Yes," she said.
Curran grinned again.
Two more questions, and I'll be sure, she thought.
"Anyway, Yumi," she said, looking at her cards, "a specialist wizard is a magician who chooses to focus on one particular school of magic, unlike most of your Spellcasters, who are generalists. By specializing, one can become very powerful in her school, at the cost of giving up the wider variety of spells that generalists have access to.
"Allure Queen's school of specialty is enchantments."
"Enchantments?" asked Yumi.
"The magic of controlling others," replied Curran. "A powerful enchanter can control the wills of others, and bend their minds to her own. Allure Queen can enchant and enslave other Monsters.
"Now then… I'm going to use my Deck Lord ability, and it's changed since we last met. Every round, I can choose one Monster on the field, and change its Level to any I desire.
"I choose to change Skilled Dark Magician's Level from four to two."
"What's the point?" asked Yumi.
"You surely noticed that Allure Queen is a Leveled Monster, right?" asked Curran. "At this stage of her growth, her Level Three form, Allure Queen's powers only works on Monsters that are Level Three or less."
Allure Queen stared at Skilled Dark Magician with an evil smile, and her eyes glowed with red light.
"Not so fast!" shouted Yumi. "I activate my Chaos Shield Deck Lord ability. I pay 500 Life Points, and for one round, my Skilled Dark Magician becomes immune to Monster effects.
"Sorry, Curran."
"Not as sorry as you're going to be," replied Curran.
Allure Queen apparently wasn't impressed. Her eyes continued to glow, and then Skilled Dark Magician's eyes glowed with the same light. Then, he was yanked over to her side.
"HEY!" shouted Yumi. "It… It didn't work?"
"I have another Deck Lord ability," said Curran. "It's called Override. I can use it whenever you use a Deck Lord ability that targets a Monster. If I have a Monster whose Level is higher, yours doesn't work. And if you recall, I lowered Skilled Dark Magician's Level to two, which is lower than Allure Queen's."
Yumi growled.
"So, by doing this," continued Curran, "your Monster is Equipped to Allure Queen like a Spell Card. If you attack Allure Queen now, Skilled Dark Magician takes the fall for her."
She chose another card from her hand.
"However, you won't be able to attack her at all until you get past these guys. I summon Queen's Bodyguard."
In a blur of energy, three figures appeared on Curran's side of the field. It was three men in fancy lavender suits and domino masks, holding decorative swords. (1,700/1,200)
"With them on the field, you aren't allowed to attack Allure Queen. And now they're going to attack Valkyria!"
The three Queen's Bodyguard gang-rushed Valkyria, and she covered her head as three swords came down on her, blowing her to pieces.
"Allure Queen, direct attack!" ordered Curran.
Allure Queen pointed her staff at Yumi…
"I activate… A Hero Emerges!"
Her facedown card lifted. Curran gasped.
"That card…" she muttered.
"That's right, Curran…" sighed Yumi. "You know, I remember my first tournament… This Trap Card prevented me from losing. My opponent destroyed my Dark Magician with his Offerings to the Doomed, and was about to make two direct attacks with his Hayabusa Knight. I would have lost if I didn't have this Trap Card.
"I'm certain you remember what Monster I summoned with it…"
Curran just looked at Yumi for a second or two…
She actually remembered that? she thought.
"Yeah…" she muttered. "It… It was me…"
Yumi nodded.
"He couldn't do anything but call off his attack and end his turn," continued Yumi, "and on my next turn, I summoned Skilled Dark Magician, and we finished him off."
"That was a long time ago!" shouted Curran. "If I have to choose, I choose far left!"
"Perfect!" replied Yumi, throwing the card on her Disk. "I summon Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer!"
In an aura of dark energy, Kycoo appeared. (1,800/700)
"My attack is called off," muttered Curran. "It's your move…"
(Y: 7,400) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 7,500)
Yumi drew. She looked at her hand.
"I set a Monster," she said, as a concealed Monster appeared.
"Then I attack with Kycoo! Spell of banishment!"
Kycoo called lightning to his hands, and shot it at Queen's Bodyguard. The three fighters hollered, and then burst into pixels.
"Now I activate Kycoo's effect," said Yumi. "And I remove your two Mystic Tomatoes from play."
"So be it," said Curran.
She took the two cards from her discard slot, and tucked them into her dress.
"I end my turn, Curran," said Yumi.
And I think I can take out her Allure Queen, she thought. The Monster I set is Old Vindictive Magician. I don't think that her Equipped Monster can protect her from card effects.
"My draw now," said Curran.
She made a draw and looked at it.
"Next question…" she said, adding it to her hand. "Is the Monster blonde?"
"No," replied Yumi.
Curran's confident expression suddenly turned to one of confusion.
Not blonde? she thought. It's… It's not Dark Magician Girl?
She paused for a second.
"O…kay," she said. "Continuing… Since Allure Queen is Equipped with a Monster, I can sacrifice her Level Three form this round…"
Allure Queen vanished, taking Skilled Dark Magician with her.
"…in order to summon her stronger form. I summon Allure Queen LV5!"
In another cloud of pink smoke, Allure Queen appeared again. However, she was dressed in a more form-fitting and darker outfit, but no less fancy. (1,000/1,000)
"In this form, Allure Queen's powers work on Monsters that are Level Five or lower."
Allure Queen's eyes glowed with evil light again, and Kycoo's eyes glowed with the same light. Kycoo was yanked over to Allure Queen's side.
"Nuts…" muttered Yumi.
At least Kycoo can't attack as an Equip, she thought. And when she attacks my facedown Monster…
"Now," continued Curran, "I summon the second part of my plan… By the way, I claim this to be a complete coincidence, without it having anything to do with Erik whatsoever…
"I summon Dark Lucius LV4!"
She played another card, and a cloud of foul, black smoke appeared on her side of the field. From out of the smoke came a very sinister-looking Fiend, a muscular creature with a bony exoskeleton and sharp spurs pointing out of its back. (1,000/300)
"Urk!" gasped Yumi.
"I have a pretty good idea what that facedown card might be," said Curran. "But it won't work, because Dark Lucius negates the effects of any Monster he destroys.
"Dark Lucius, destroy it with Serrated Shadow Slash!"
Dark Lucius lunged at the facedown card with his claw, and Old Vindictive Magician appeared on the card, seconds before he was torn to pieces.
"Allure Queen, attack Yumi directly!" commanded Curran. "Dark Allure!"
Allure Queen pointed her staff, and shot a burst of sparkling, shadowy energy at Yumi. Yumi winced as it hit her.
"I set two cards facedown," said Curran, as two reversed cards appeared, "and then you can go…"
(Y: 6,400) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 7,500)
Yumi drew. She looked at her hand, and then looked at the field.
Those facedown cards are probably Trap Cards to protect those two guys, she thought. And even if they aren't, if I summon a Monster in Attack Mode, I can't destroy Allure Queen this round… She'll steal my Monster again on her turn.
I'd best play it safe…
She placed a card on her Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.
"It's your move, Curran," she said. "Next question…"
Curran drew a card.
"Uhm…" she said. "Is the Monster female?"
"Yes," said Yumi, quickly.
Curran looked even more confused.
A Spellcaster, Dark, female, she thought, but not blonde? Who is she thinking of?
I'll worry about it later…
"I sacrifice Allure Queen to evolve her to her final form," she said, as Allure Queen and Kycoo vanished. "Allure Queen LV7!"
The third form of Allure Queen appeared, dressed in a far more elaborate costume and a much fancier staff, surrounded by wisps of flame. (1,500/1,500)
"In this form, Allure Queen's powers work on any Monster.
"Then, since Dark Lucius destroyed a Monster last turn, I can sacrifice him for his Level Six form."
Dark Lucius vanished, and in his place rose a larger, better armored version of himself, holding a dark version of Warrior Dai Grepher's sword. (1,700/600)
"You know, Yumi…" said Curran, as she slowly rearranged the cards in her hand. "My home Dimension is a wonderful place… Full of great and marvelous places… The Library Arcane is one such place."
"Huh?" said Yumi. "What are you talking about?"
"I went there several times," said Curran. "Any Spellcaster is allowed in if they want to do research…
"But… There's one wing of the Library that I never went in. I was too scared to. It's called the Dark Archive.
"Don't get me wrong. There's no rule that says a Spellcaster isn't allowed to go in there. Anyone is welcome to do so… After getting permission from the special sentry who stands outside the door.
"She's called Maiden of Macabre. No-one knows just who she is… Most assume she's some servant of whoever owns the Dark Archive, but if her employer ever checks up on her, no-one has ever seen it. She's willing to let anyone in… So long as she's paid.
"But money has no value to her. She takes other things. Sometimes she wants some ability or skill you have. Sometimes she wants one of your memories. Sometimes she wants a piece of your very soul. And if you agree to give her what she wants, she cuts it out of you with the enchanted scythe that she carries, a weapon so sharp that it can cut through the psyche!
"If you refuse to pay her, the door to the Dark Archive doesn't open, plain and simple. And anyone foolish enough to fight her… Well, it will likely be the last thing he does, because she uses what she takes from those who do pay her to get stronger. She's a specialist wizard herself, who specializes in necromancy. The magic of death.
"It's worth it if you do get in. I knew many Spellcasters who did research in that wing… They possessed great magical power aplenty. The ability to control the elements of nature, and raise the most powerful Spirits from the nether regions. It's even rumored that a book exists somewhere in the Dark Archive that holds a spell that can raise the dead."
"Is there a point to all this?" asked Yumi.
"Sort of," said Curran. "I was too scared to even talk to Maiden of Macabre, Yumi, let alone ask what she wanted from me to let me into that wing. But I'm not scared any more! If I ever go back to my home Dimension, I'm going straight to the Library Arcane and dealing with her!
"In the meantime… Would you like to meet her?"
"Huh?" said Yumi, in shock.
Curran played a card, and a dark form started to materialize on her side of the field, until it took frightening shape. The creature looked like an evil Geisha of some sort, with an elaborate kimono and headdress. Like Curran had said, she carried a large, nasty-looking scythe. (1,700/0)
"Before I attack," said Curran, as one of her facedown cards lifted, "I activate Foolish Revival. This lets me Special Summon Old Vindictive Magician to your side of the field in Defense Mode."
In a burst of energy, Old Vindictive Magician appeared on Yumi's side of the field, kneeling and shielding himself with his staff. (450/600)
"Huh?" said Yumi. "Why?"
"Next," said Curran, "I play Book of Moon. To flip him into facedown position."
She played a Spell Card, and Old Vindictive Magician was replaced by a facedown card.
"You see Yumi, the only way Dark Lucius can evolve further is if he negates the effect of a Monster, and I can't be sure your other Monster will do the job.
"Dark Lucius, attack Old Vindictive Magician! Serrated Shadow Sword!"
Dark Lucius made a slash with his weapon. Old Vindictive Magician reappeared on the card, and exploded into shards.
"Maiden of Macabre, attack Yumi's other Monster! Scythe of Souls!"
The Maiden's eyes glowed with evil light. She swung her scythe at the facedown card, and Magician's Valkyria appeared on it. (1,600/1,800) Valkyria parried with her staff, and the Maiden backed off.
"Oh well…" said Curran. "Moving to my second Main Phase, I use Allure Queen's power again…"
Allure Queen's eyes glowed, and Valkyria gasped, right before she was pulled over to her side. Yumi growled with an annoyed look.
"I end my turn, Yumi," said Curran. "Make your move…"
(Y: 6,400) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 7,400)
Yumi drew a card.
She quickly set it in her Disk, and a reversed card appeared.
"That's all I can do…" she muttered.
Curran smirked, and drew a card.
She looked at it. It was Level Down!?
This should be useful if that card is a Mirror Force, she thought.
"Next question," she said. "Is the Monster high-Level?"
"No…" muttered Yumi.
Curran looked at Yumi with the same confused look.
Maybe… Magician's Valkyria? thought Curran. No wait, she's Light…
"I evolve Dark Lucius into his ultimate form!" she shouted.
Dark Lucius vanished into a cloud of thick, dark smoke.
"Dark Lucius LV8!"
From out of the cloud came the most frightening version yet. He looked like he was clothed in demonic, spike-studded plate armor, with four diabolic wings. He carried a two-handed sword that he was holding one-handed. (2,800/900)
"Activate Trap!" screamed Yumi, in terror. "Threatening Roar!"
Her facedown card shot up, and a roar echoed over the whole Level Limit room.
"In that case…" said Curran, "I end my turn…"
Yumi sweat as she drew a card.
She sighed, and placed it on her Disk. A facedown Monster appeared.
"I end my turn," she said.
"Well, let's see," said Curran, drawing a card. "Another question… We're up to number six, I believe. Is the Monster Level Four?"
"No," replied Yumi.
"Hmm…" muttered Curran, looking at the facedown Monster. "Dark Lucius's Level Eight form can not only negate the effects of Monsters he destroys, he removes them from play…
"But, I already got rid of your Old Vindictive Magician… You haven't played any Spell Cards yet, so Magician of Faith doesn't scare me… And Apprentice Magician wouldn't scare me much either. But that facedown Monster may just be another Monster with high defense…
"So, I'm using my Deck Lord effect, to reduce Dark Lucius's Level all the way from eight, to one."
"Why?" asked Yumi.
"So I can Equip him with this," replied Curran. "Opti-Camouflage Armor."
She played a Spell Card, and Dark Lucius glowed with golden light.
"This Equip Spell lets a Level One Monster attack directly.
"So, attack her directly, Dark Lucius!"
Dark Lucius swung his sword at Yumi, and she screamed as it slammed into her. She fell on her behind.
"Now, Maiden of Macabre," ordered Curran, "attack the facedown Monster!"
The Maiden charged at the facedown Monster. Morphing Jar appeared on the card, and the one-eyed creature cackled before she slashed it to ribbons.
Yumi took some deep breaths. She discarded the two cards left in her hand, and made five draws. Curran discarded her three cards, and made five draws of her own.
"By the way," said Curran. "Maiden of Macabre's effect now activates. Whenever she slays a Monster, she gains 200 Attack Points."
(1,900/0)
"Allure Queen, direct attack!"
Yumi cringed as Allure Queen cast her dark spell at her. She fell on one knee.
"It's your move…" said Curran.
(Y: 2,100) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 7,400)
Yumi slowly drew a card.
It was Goddess With the Third Eye.
She looked at the other cards in her hand.
I have what I need to summon Dark Paladin, she thought. But… Her facedown card is still a problem, and if I lose Dark Paladin, getting him back will be almost impossible…
Wait… I have another Fusion Monster I could summon… The one that the Testament gave me…
Time to try her out…
"All right, Curran!" she exclaimed. "I play Polymerization!
"I fuse together my namesake, Dark Magician Girl, with Goddess With the Third Eye…"
A twin of Yumi appeared on the field, along with the Goddess. They combined in an aura of pure light…
"Goddess will assume the role of Dryad in this case… To form a Spellcaster who proves that you can't always look at the world in terms of black and white… To be specific, a lady in grey!
"I summon Sorceress of Conflict!"
A portal opened, and a new Spellcaster stepped out of it. She wore a halter top, a long skirt, and a hat similar to Dark Magician Girl's over her long, platinum blonde hair, all a grey shade. She carried a long wand, which had a white mask of comedy on one end, and a black mask of tragedy on the other. (2,400/2,400)
"She… She exists?" gasped Curran.
"You've heard of her?" asked Yumi.
"Only in the scriptures of the Church of Boccob!" gasped Curran. "She's supposed to be some sort of mediator between the extreme forces of the universe… The keeper of balance… The one who stands in the middle of every metaphysical conflict!"
Yumi shrugged.
"Next," she said, "I play Monster Reborn, to bring back someone I discarded when Morphing Jar was triggered…"
The holy ankh appeared, and Dark Magician appeared in a flash of light. (2,500/2,100)
"Dark Magician…" ordered Yumi. "Attack Allure Queen! Dark Magic Attack!"
Dark Magician cast his mighty spell, and Allure Queen groaned as it hit her. Magician's Valkyria shattered.
"Allure Queen survived," said Curran. "She sacrificed Valkyria to withstand the attack."
"But you still took damage," said Yumi. "And there's nothing to protect her now…
"Sorceress, attack Allure Queen!"
Sorceress of Conflict pointed her staff, and shot a spiraling beam of light and dark energy at Allure Queen.
"I activate Sakuretsu Armor!" shouted Curran, as her facedown card lifted.
The Sorceress screamed, and she was blown to shards.
"Well, that's too bad," muttered Yumi. "However, moving to my second Main Phase, I can activate my Chaos Life Deck Lord power, and bring my Sorceress right back. And I'm betting that your Override ability doesn't work if I target Monsters that are in the Graveyard."
Curran frowned. Yumi had bet right. Sorceress of Conflict reappeared in a burst of energy. (2,400/2,400)
"Next," said Yumi, "I play Swords of Revealing Light."
She fit the card in her Disk, and a swarm of swords shot out of it, surrounding Curran and her three Monsters.
"Before I end my turn," said Yumi, "I get to use one of her two effects. I can either raise my Life Points by 700, or burn off 700 of yours. I'm going to raise mine."
The Sorceress held the white mask to her face, and Yumi glowed with energy.
"Now, I end my turn."
"That means my own Deck Lord effect wears off," muttered Curran, "meaning my Equip Spell is destroyed."
The Opti-Camouflage Armor card shattered.
(Y: 2,800) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 6,400)
Curran drew a card, and looked at the six cards in her hand.
"Next question…" she muttered. "Is the Monster Level Three?"
Yumi sighed again.
"No…" she said.
This is bad, she thought. Like anyone does when she plays Twenty Questions, she's narrowing it down…
"Then, I use Allure Queen's effect again!" shouted Curran. "And this time, she's taking your Dark Magician! And since I have a Level Eight Monster on the field, don't bother trying to use your Chaos Shield to stop me."
Allure Queen's eyes glowed again, and Dark Magician was pulled over to her side.
"I have your family's signature Monster, Yumi!" she laughed. "I couldn't think of a better way to beat you!"
"Show Dark Magician some respect, Curran," said Yumi. "I seem to remember another tournament I was in, where he helped you a great deal…
"In fact… It was one where I was facing a lockdown strategy. It wasn't Level Limit, it was Gravity Bind… But you remember, don't you?"
Curran gasped.
"You… you remember?" she asked.
"Yes…" said Yumi. "Our opponent's Human Wave strategy had us pinned down… But then, I brought you out to the field, and then sacrificed Dark Magician using Gift of the Martyr, making you strong enough to do enough damage to win the duel."
Curran's head drooped a little.
"I… I set a facedown card, and end my turn…" she said.
A reversed card appeared.
Yumi drew a card.
The two cards in her hand were Dark Magician of Chaos and Premature Burial. She'd need more than that…
"I use another Deck Lord ability," she said. "Soul Circle. Now, I can draw once for each Monster in my Graveyard, so long as I don't exceed my hand size limit."
Magician's Valkyria, Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer, Goddess With the Third Eye, and Old Vindictive Magician appeared behind her, as she drew four cards.
"I play… Heavy Storm!" she shouted, playing one of them.
She played the Spell Card, and a fierce storm blew over the field. The Swords blew away, and Curran's Mirror Force lifted up and shattered.
"You destroyed your own Swords!" shouted Curran.
"Yes," said Yumi, "but since Dark Magician was being treated as an Equip Spell, he's gone too!"
Allure Queen braced herself against the wind, as Dark Magician faded away.
"Now," said Yumi, "I play Premature Burial, to bring Dark Magician back."
She glowed with red energy as she played the card, and Dark Magician appeared again. (2,500/2,100)
"Your Allure Queen has nothing left to protect her!" shouted Yumi. "Dark Magician… Destroy her!"
Dark Magician cast his dark spell, and Allure Queen screamed. Finally, she shattered into black shards.
"Sorceress… Attack Maiden of Macabre!"
Sorceress of Conflict cast her own powerful Spell, and the Maiden screamed before she exploded into a burst of dark energy.
"I set one card facedown," said Yumi, as a reversed card appeared. "Then, I end my turn, and use my Sorceress's effect to increase my Life Points again."
Yumi glowed with golden energy again.
(Y: 2,700) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 4,900)
Curran frowned as she drew a card.
"Time for a new question…" she muttered. "Is the Monster Level Two?"
Yumi looked nervous.
"Yes…" she said, quietly.
Curran looked completely stumped.
Is it Apprentice Magician? she thought. No… Wait… She's blonde… Did Yumi ever use Card Ejector? No, wait, she's Level Three… And Earth…
"I'm no idiot, Yumi…" she said, looking at her cards. "Dark Lucius is stronger than both your Monsters… You obviously want me to walk right into that facedown card you just set.
"So I'm just going to end my turn without doing anything…"
"Fine with me," said Yumi, drawing a card.
She looked at it, and then added it to her hand.
Her facedown card lifted.
"I activate Rush Recklessly!" she shouted.
Dark Magician rose to an Attack Score of 3,200.
"Go!" shouted Yumi. "Destroy Dark Lucius!"
Dark Magician cast his spell again, firing directly at the imposing Fiend. Dark Lucius groaned before being blasted into shards.
"Looks like I'm going to have to knock some sense into you, Curran," said Yumi. "Sorceress, direct attack!"
Sorceress of Conflict cast her spell again, and Curran gasped as it hit her. She tumbled over on her behind.
"Curran, listen to me!" said Yumi. "My Rush Recklessly card… Doesn't that bring back a memory too?"
Curran slowly got up. She looked at Yumi.
"It was the final round of the Kaibaland Invitational…" said Yumi. "My opponent had Don Zaloog and Royal Decree set up. All I had was you, and this card facedown. But it was enough… It was enough to beat his Don Zaloog, and win the duel. You helped me take home the trophy that day…"
Curran turned her head with a sad look.
"Yumi…" she muttered. "We… We did have a lot of good times… So… Just why did you take me out of your deck?"
"Well, answer me this, Curran," replied Yumi. "Why did you put aside your Light Attribute Deck in favor of these Leveled Monsters?"
"Because…" said Curran. "Because I changed…"
"I thought so," said Yumi. "Just like I changed. My deck changed. I got more powerful cards, and I needed to make room for them…
"But Curran… If I had known that your card held a living Spirit inside it… Heck, if I had known that Spirits even truly existed at the time… I wouldn't have locked it in a deck case. Maybe I would have invested in some binders… The least I would have done was find a duelist who played a Burn Deck who would treat you better than I could."
Yumi sighed.
"I end my turn, and I use Sorceress's effect to burn off 700 of your Life Points."
The Sorceress put the black mask to her face, and Curran cringed a little as a red aura surrounded her.
(Y: 2,700) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 1,400)
Curran slowly drew a card.
"Another question…" she muttered. "Uhm…"
She paused.
"Need a question…" she mumbled. "Need a question…"
She paused again.
Then she thought of something.
"Is the Monster in your deck?" she asked.
Yumi hesitated. She didn't answer for a few seconds.
"No…" she finally said.
Curran's eyes opened wide.
"I know who it is!" she shouted. "I figured it out! It's…"
"Hold it, Curran!" interrupted Yumi. "Don't say another word!"
"Why?" asked Curran.
"We're playing Twenty Questions, remember?" replied Yumi. "Taking a guess at the answer counts as one of your questions, and you said you'd only make one question per turn. You already made it for this turn."
Curran made a pout.
"Okay, I guess you're right…" she said. "So I'll just make the most of this turn…"
She played a Spell Card.
"I play Level Modulation. Now, you get to draw two cards, but I get to bring back Dark Lucius LV6."
Yumi quickly drew two cards. She was surprised when she saw what one of them was.
The Level Six version of Dark Lucius appeared. (1,700/600)
"You're probably wondering why I brought back the Level Six version and not the Level Eight one. Well, a Monster that I summon with Level Modulation can't attack this round.
"But, if I play the Spell Card, Level Up!, then I can trade my Level Six Dark Lucius for another Level Eight one, and he can certainly attack."
She played the Spell Card, and Dark Lucius quickly morphed into the fully evolved form. (2,800/900)
"Of course, since I took a shortcut to summon him, he loses his effects. But he still has 2,800 Attack Points.
"Attack her Sorceress!"
Dark Lucius made a slash with his blade. Sorceress of Conflict screamed right before she was cut in half, and the remains shattered.
Curran sighed.
"I end my turn," she said.
(Y: 2,300) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 1,400)
Yumi quickly made a draw.
"Sorry, Curran, but I have to end this now," she said.
"I play Magical Dimension! I'll sacrifice Dark Magician…"
Dark Magician vanished into grains of light.
"…to bring out Cosmo Queen!"
In an explosion of multicolored smoke, the powerful queen of Spellcasters appeared, seemingly towering over Curran. The Ebon Magician looked at her with a look of terror. (2,900/2,450)
"Empress…" she gasped.
"And via the other effect of Magical Dimension," said Yumi. "Dark Lucius is destroyed…"
Dark Lucius groaned, and then shattered into pixels.
"Cosmo Queen…" said Yumi.
Cosmo Queen looked at Curran. She held out her hands, preparing to cast her cosmic nova…
"NO!" screamed Curran.
She fell to her knees with tears in her eyes.
"Mercy, please!" she begged. "I give up!
"Just don't let her hurt me, Yumi, please…"
Yumi turned to Cosmo Queen.
"What do you think?" she asked.
Cosmo Queen slowly nodded. She crossed her arms.
(Y: 2,300) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 0)
Yumi walked up to Curran.
"Curran, she won't hurt you," she said. "Calm down…"
"It was me, wasn't it?" asked Curran, still crying. "I was the Monster you were thinking of the whole time…"
"Yeah…" replied Yumi. "I figured that was one you'd have a hard time guessing, because it was so obvious. And it made the duel last long enough."
Curran sat down.
"So stupid of me…" she sobbed. "Cosmo Queen is in your deck… I can't go home again now… She'd have me locked up for all I've done…"
"Curran…" said Yumi. "It isn't too late… You know, it was a little bit my fault for what happened to you… Of course, attacking us and siding with Daala wasn't the right thing to do…
"But… You know… If you'd be willing to forgive, then so would I…"
She started to shuffle the cards in her deck.
"Curran… My deck has still changed a lot… I might be able to make room in it for another low-Level Monster… If you'd be interested again…"
Curran looked at Yumi with a look of shock.
The she slowly smiled…
She held out her hand, and Yumi reached for it.
Then, Curran slowly dissolved into grains of light. The next thing Yumi knew, she was holding a card in her hand. It was Ebon Magician Curran.
Yumi looked through her deck.
"Gonna have to figure out what to take out quickly," she thought. "There's no telling what…"
Then she paused.
She looked at a strange Equip Spell… One that was clearly not there before.
"How did this get in here?" she asked.
She read the card description. Her eyebrow lifted slightly.
The doorway out slowly opened. Yumi quickly removed Secret Village of the Spellcasters and added Curran's card.
"I'll figure it out later," she said, as she headed for the exit. "The others might need help."
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
In the true Core, the deepest part of Xanadu, Joan was standing on a stone pedestal, her arms shackled by thick chains. Fortunately, the power in the Mask of the Accursed had long been spent, and Daala didn't have another one.
She watched as Daala watched five holographic screens, which were providing feedback of the five duels.
Joan smiled as she saw Colossal Fighter destroy Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon, and Fujita's Life Points tumble to zero. She smiled again as Toy Dragon's blast struck Watanabe, finishing her off.
She continued to watch. Gors struck Mulner, taking out the last of his Life Points. Then Chelsea delivered the final blow personally to Eikou.
Finally, when Curran's defeat was all but assured, she spoke up.
"You had a funny taste in choosing your inner circle, Daala," she said. "The only thing guiding all of them was a blind drive for revenge against Yumi and her allies. You didn't really expect them to win, did you?"
"No, frankly I didn't," replied Daala.
Joan looked at her with a look of confusion.
"I chose those five as members of my inner circle for one reason," explained Daala. "Information. Each of them could provide useful information on one member of Yumi's group, and was all too willing to give it to me.
"I never truly intended them to duel their 'victims' as I called them. They existed as symbolic opponents."
"So what changed?" asked Joan.
"Dark Necrofear," replied Daala. "When it became necessary for her to inflict your would-be saviors with the true gift of the Devil's Fruit, I needed to give Yumi and the others a little test-run, to see how powerful their new bodies were.
"Seems they're pretty powerful… Just as I'd hoped…"
"You… you…" gasped Joan. "Dark Necrofear transformed them on your order? The no humans allowed rule…"
"…could have been bypassed easily if they had simply defeated Dark Necrofear," replied Daala. "Dark Necrofear isn't just a Fiend, Joan, she's a true demon. And rule number one about dealing with demons… Don't believe a word they say…"
"But why?" gasped Joan. "What benefit is it to you to turn Yumi and the others into Duel Spirits?"
"Well…" said Daala. "I think it would save a lot of time if I explained that when everyone was here… Which should happen very shortly…"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Yumi ran down the dark corridor.
She stopped short as she approached a nexus up ahead. A shadow was approaching.
Her Disk activated.
She leapt out to approach the enemy. Another Disk activated.
Then, Yumi and Sam breathed sighs of relief.
"It's only you…" sighed Yumi.
"Yeah," muttered Sam. "I was chasing a an old shark I used to know, but he seems to have given me the slip…"
They heard footsteps, running from the other direction. They quickly turned, and saw Ren, Chelsea, and Erik running towards them.
"ERIK!" shouted Sam.
"You guys are all right!" gasped Yumi.
"We had to fight off some buzzards," said Chelsea, "but we're okay, all things considered."
"People," said Erik, slowly, "I'm beginning to think that the Devil's Fruit is not the boon I originally thought it was."
"Don't worry," said Ren. "There's an antidote."
"What makes you so sure?" asked Chelsea.
"When villains have an evil formula," replied Erik, "there's always an antidote."
"This isn't a comic book Ren," said Sam. "How would it benefit whoever planted that stuff to keep an antidote for it?"
"There's a very good reason!" replied Ren. "What if he ate it, and got a result he didn't like? It would benefit him greatly to have an antidote!
"Now where's the boss-lady?"
"Uh, guys?" replied Erik.
He pointed forward, and they looked at the large, stone doors that led to the arena, the true Core of Xanadu, with the marilith statue guarding it. A sense of dread crept into them as they looked upon the demonic carvings.
The statue's eyes glowed, and the doors slowly swung open.
"The end phase is behind those doors, people…" said Yumi.
"Get ready, Daala… There's no escape this time…"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
SORCERERSS OF CONFLICT (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Spellcaster/Fusion/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 7
ATK: 2,400
DEF: 2,400
Card Description: "Dark Magician Girl" plus "Dryad"
This card is also considered a LIGHT Monster. During your End Phase, choose and activate one of the following effects:
Increase your Life Points by 700.
Inflict 700 points of direct damage to your opponent.
Note: "Sorceress of Conflict" first appeared in "The Mandate of Heaven".
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Yumi's Deck Lord: "Dark Magician Girl": "Soul Circle": Once per duel, you may draw one card for each Monster in your Graveyard. You cannot draw more cards with this ability than the hand size limit allows. (Greater Power) "Chaos Shield": If a face-up Spellcaster-Type Monster is targeted by a Monster Effect, you may pay 500 Life Points to negate the effect. (Greater Power) "Chaos Life": Once per duel, during your turn, you may Special Summon one LIGHT or DARK Monster from either Graveyard. If the Special Summoned Monster is destroyed, it is removed from play. (Greater Power) "Martyr Shield": If a face-up Spellcaster-Type Monster you control is targeted by an attack, you can discard a Spellcaster-Type Monster from your hand that is a greater Level than the attack target to negate the attack. This effect may be used once per turn. (Intermediate Power) "Spellcaster Shuffle": Once per round, you can send one Spellcaster-Type Monster in your hand to your deck. Then, take a Spellcaster-Type Monster from your deck that is at least two Levels lower than the one you sent back to your deck, and add it to your hand. Then, shuffle your deck. (Minor Power)
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Curran's Deck Lord: "Dark Rankings": Once per round, you may change the Level of one face-up Monster to any Level you desire. This change in Level lasts until your opponent's next End Phase. (Extraordinary Power) "Override": If your opponent uses a Deck Lord power that targets a face-up Monster, and you have a face-up Monster that is a higher Level than the targeted Monster, negate that effect. (Greater Power)
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Lords of Chaos
The Great Bull Demon; Baphomet
As creatures of chaos and evil, demons represent the most base and despicable of human impulses. Is it any wonder then, that Baphomet, one of the most notorious of demon lords, is a proven thief in terms of his inspirations?
The legend of the Minotaur is well-known to every student of mythology. Before he ascended the throne of Crete, Minos struggled with his brothers for the right to rule. Minos prayed to Poseidon to send him a snow-white bull, as a sign of approval by the gods for his reign. He promised to sacrifice the bull as an offering, and as a symbol of subservience. A beautiful white bull rose from the sea, but when Minos saw it, he coveted it for himself.
Enraged, Poseidon punished Minos by making his wife fall madly in love with the bull. Minos still would not kill the bull, and would not even halt this strange relationship, and he finally realized the extent of his folly when his wife gave birth to the savage Minotaur. Minos didn't dare kill the Minotaur, for fear of angering Poseidon further, but because this monster only ate human flesh, Minos was forced to wage wars and force other countries into horrid treaties just to supply it with victims. This went on until the hero Theseus slew the beast.
That was the end of the first minotaur, but not the last. It isn't clear where Baphomet came from, but he seems to be young as far as demon lords go. Eventually, evil humans from uncivilized tribes were able to discover the secrets of barbaric rituals that could transform them into creatures that resembled the Cretan Minotaur. But Poseidon had nothing to do with these rituals. Baphomet had stolen this idea, and had chosen the monster's form as his own.
Since that time, Baphomet has ruled a realm of the Abyss called the Endless Maze (a reflection of the Labyrinth built by Daedalus to imprison the original Minotaur) and in history, barbaric tribes who have made bargains with him have received his savage gift. Heroes have fought these imitations on numerous occasions, just as they have all strange beasts that they come across. These minotaurs seem to lose what little intelligence they have upon being transformed, as Baphomet values strength and savagery, and little else.
The Wind Dukes of Aaqa think of Baphomet as an annoyance, and care little if he wants to copy Poseidon's work. (After all, Poseidon was the god of the sea, and was pretty chaotic himself.) They'd either ignore him or simply do away with him, but are cautious for one reason – he shares an unknown relationship with Pale Night, who shares his realm in the Abyss. Pale Night is far more powerful, and exactly what agreement the two demons have is unknown, as the two are never seen interacting with each other. However, anyone who attempts an assault on the stronghold of one of these two demon lords is likely going to have to face the forces of both of them.
Of course, any demon that has any sort of deal with Pale Night cannot be ignored. The Wind Dukes are trying to figure out just what the details are (not an easy task) to make certain Baphomet is not a bigger threat than he appears…
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coming up next:
The five are now one again, and they confront Daala in the Core itself. Daala prepares her final stand, but something happens that no-one prepared for. What, you may ask? I'm not telling. "The Hand" is coming up next. Why is it called "The Hand"? Be here next time to find out.