When Daala compared Yumi and herself to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Yumi rebuked that theory, and Daala admitted she had never read the book. Well, I certainly have read Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. When you're an exile in a world that has access to the internet, there isn't much to do but read.
In the book, Dr. Jekyll sought to create a formula that would separate his good side from his darker impulses. But he was only partially successful. He did create a new personality, a creature devoid of conscious, one of pure evil whom he named Mr. Hyde. The problem was, the other identity was still his original one, and was definitely not pure good.
Dr. Jekyll foolishly let Hyde out whenever he felt the need to give in to his dark side. And he didn't realize the mistake he had made until Hyde brutally murdered an innocent man. Jekyll swore never to become Hyde again, but at that point, it was too late. Hyde was quickly becoming dominant, and Jekyll was changing into him against his will. Eventually, Jekyll ran out of an ingredient to make the formula, and wrote an account of his failed experiment, just before Hyde took over completely. Rather than be caught and hanged for murder, Hyde took his own life.
The Devil's Fruit accomplished for Phyllis Ting, by accident, a more successful version of Jekyll's experiment. It divided her into Daala, who is pure evil, and me, who is indeed pure good. Daala has already become dominant, forcing me into submission. But unlike the unfortunate Jekyll, I did not cease to exist, and I have not given up hope that the good side of Phyllis Ting can become just as powerful.
I'm taking one last gamble to try just that… If I fail, Phyllis Ting will suffer the same sad fate as Dr. Jekyll… I can't let it happen…
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CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR
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The Hand
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Joan grunted as she struggled against the chains holding her wrists.
"Give it up, Joan," said Daala. "Those chains can hold an Ultimate Obedient Fiend."
"Do you have that in writing?" asked Joan with a sneer.
"Oh, be quiet," replied Daala. "After all, you hardly have any reason to complain. All you have to do is watch the show."
They heard shouts coming from the entrance.
"And it's about to start…"
Yumi, Sam, Ren, Chelsea, and Erik rushed into the large arena.
"All right, Daala," demanded Yumi, "let Joan go NOW."
"And if I don't?" asked Daala, as she slowly shuffled a deck.
"Don't be ridiculous, Daala," said Sam. "You can clearly see that there are no other exits from this place… And we have you outnumbered five to one!"
"Yeah," said Chelsea. "I mean, you might be able to take out two of us, but all five?"
Daala loaded the deck into her Disk.
"I think I can," she said.
"Yeah," said a voice that Ren recognized. "And to mark this special occasion, we're going to record it!"
Everyone looked up, and saw a balcony above them, where the members of Daala's inner circle (except Curran) were watching. Fujita was holding a video camera.
"Take them out, milady!" shouted Watanabe.
"Get them good!" added Eikou.
"Lovely…" said Ren. "Daala brought her own cheering section…"
"So…" said Daala, with a cheery voice. "Who wants to duel first?"
"I believe that honor belongs to me," said a voice.
Everyone turned around. They watched, as Vita walked it.
"WHAT?" shouted Daala. "Who let a trash like you in?"
Vita tossed something at Daala's feet. It was the stone head of the marilith who had been guarding the entrance.
"Fine…" said Daala, closing her eyes. "Now I won't have to pay her when her contract is up…"
Vita glared at her counterpart for a second.
"Yumi," said Vita. "Dueling Daala here is very dangerous. She may indeed be able to defeat five opponents.
"You see, here, she is closest to the source of her power. In the Core, Daala can draw energy from the very land itself, and every Duel Spirit in Xanadu. She won't get tired. Even you five are unintentionally fueling her."
"You're kidding…" replied Erik.
"And just what are you going to do about it, you weakling?" asked Daala.
Vita stared at Daala again.
"I finally found out the true purpose of this," she said, pointing to the mask. "I've learned a lot since our first battle. It isn't simply to conceal my identity.
"You see, according to divine law, when a new dimension is formed, its rightful ruler is its creator, or whomever that entity designates as ruler.
"The creator of Xanadu was Dr. Edwin Ting. Now, by default more than anything, he gave rulership of Xanadu to his daughter, Phyllis Ting. He had the right to designate anyone he desired as ruler, including himself, and he likely wouldn't have given it to his daughter once he knew how evil she had become. But sadly, he was ignorant of the rules governing other dimensions, so he didn't give anyone else that title. By the time anyone would be able to tell him, it was too late. Phyllis Ting's authority over Xanadu was cemented. The only way that could change was via an agreement that she had been a part of."
"So what's your point?" asked Daala. "I am Phyllis Ting."
"Not quite," replied Vita. "You forget, we both are. The Devil's Fruit split Phyllis in two, creating two separate entities who could claim to be Phyllis Ting. You and me.
"You had big plans for Xanadu back then. And you knew I would have been in the way. You wouldn't have been able to make any decision regarding its governing without my approval, because I would be as much its ruler as you were. You wouldn't have been able to make a deal with Shogarr, or do half the things you did or still plan to do.
"So you defeated me, and bonded this vile mask to my face… What it truly stands for is a symbol of inferiority. So long as it remained, you would be considered the superior half, and wouldn't need my permission for anything. I would be out of the way, so long as I couldn't prove I wasn't inferior."
A Duel Disk appeared on Vita's arm.
"So I'm going to duel you one last time… To prove I'm not inferior… And when I succeed, I'll be able to claim my half of the authority over Xanadu."
"She'll cut Daala's power in half…" gasped Chelsea. "Literally…"
"It will be a cold day in Hell before I share my power with garbage," sneered Daala. "What makes you think I'll agree?"
"Because I'm not the only one here wearing a mask," replied Vita. "I have one advantage remaining over you… If you refuse, I'll force you to show everyone here what's lying behind the false face you're wearing…"
Daala's eyes widened in fright. She looked at the four members of her inner circle.
"Something you want to tell us, milady?" asked Mulner.
"NO!" shouted Daala.
She took her deck out of her Disk, and placed it in a pouch on her belt. Then she took another deck out of another pouch.
"Changing your deck?" asked Vita.
"Garbage like you isn't worth the Dread Council's time," said Vita. "I'll crush you, and maybe I'll be able to find a way to hold you this time."
Vita slowly moved over to Yumi.
"Yumi…" she whispered. "I have one chance at this, and Daala will never give me another one… If it looks like I'm about to lose… Use the Spell Card I gave you… It might weaken her enough for you to gain the advantage."
Yumi sighed. She opened the pouch that held her side deck, and took out the Offerings to the Doomed card.
"Good luck, Vita…" she muttered.
"You know, Vita," said Daala. "This may actually be kind of fun… A little appetizer before I start on the main course might whet my appetite…"
Two Disks activated.
(Daala: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Vita: 8,000)
"Shall we?" asked Daala, making her first draw.
"I set one card facedown, and a Monster in Defense Mode…"
A hidden Monster, and a reversed card appeared.
"And I'll turn it over to you…"
"Fine," said Vita, drawing a card.
"I summon Seraphim Saber!"
In a burst of shining light, a female angel with feathered wings, wearing a long, white toga, and holding a long sword appeared. (1,600/1,500)
"When Seraphim Saber is summoned, I have to choose either Attack Score of Defense Score. Then, for as long as she's on the field, she gains 300 additional points to the chosen value for each additional Fairy on my side of the field. I choose Attack Score.
"Now… Attack her Monster!"
Seraphim Saber flew at the facedown Monster. Dark Mimic LV1 appeared on the card. The Fairy cut through it cleanly in half.
Daala smirked, and drew a card.
"And that will do it for now," said Vita.
Daala drew another card.
"Very well," she said. "I play my Pot of Greed…"
She played the card, and then drew twice.
"Hey, Yumi," she said. "You like Spellcasters? I have a Spellcaster that I guarantee you've never seen before…
"I summon Dark Archetype!"
She played the card, and an explosion of dark shadow appeared on her side of the field. An ugly, fiendish creature appeared, one that certainly didn't suggest a Spellcaster. It wasn't humanoid, standing on all fours, with thick, clawed limbs, a body covered with grey, slimy skin, and a mechanical collar of some sort around its neck with wires attached to it that were embedded in its torso. (1,400/400)
"Ugh!" gasped Yumi. "No, I haven't seen it… And I don't think I wanted to…"
"Yeah, yeah," muttered Vita. "I know all about that thing… It doesn't scare me… Your facedown card is Zero Gazer, right?"
"Well…" said Daala. "Maybe it is, and maybe it isn't… I end my turn…"
A second reversed card appeared.
Vita made a draw.
"I summon… Seraphim Gunner!" she shouted.
She played a card, and in another burst of light, an angel appeared who resembled Seraphim Saber, except she carried a flintlock rifle. (1,800/1,200)
"Seraphim Gunner has the same effect as Seraphim Saber," continued Vita. "Once again, I'll choose Attack Score."
Seraphim Saber rose to an Attack Score of 1,900, while Gunner rose to 2,100.
"Seraphim Gunner, destroy Dark Archetype!"
Seraphim Gunner aimed her flintlock. She squeezed the trigger...
"I activate… Zero Gazer!" shouted Daala, as one of her facedown cards lifted. "This reduces my Monster's Attack Score to zero…"
Dark Archetype fell to zero Attack Points. Seraphim Gunner fired.
"And as soon as I take battle damage," continued Daala, "I get to draw one card."
She made a draw, just before the shell hit, and Dark Archetype burst into pixels.
(D: 5,900) - - - - - - - - - - (V: 8,000)
"That's nuts," said Ren. "There must be an easier way to draw cards…"
"Actually," said Daala. "The more Life Points I lose when Dark Archetype is destroyed, the better. I activate its effect…
"First, I select a Monster from my deck with an Attack Score equal to the amount of damage I took. Like my Lesser Fiend.
"Then, I discard Monsters from my hand whose combined Levels equal that of the Monster I selected. So I'll toss Airknight Parshath, who, like Lesser Fiend, is Level Five."
She discarded a card.
"Finally, I get to Special Summon the selected Monster…"
The four-armed, bare-chested Fiend appeared with a roar. (2,100/1,000)
"Seraphim Saber can't beat that…" muttered Vita. "Fine, I end my turn…"
Daala drew a card.
"I sacrifice Lesser Fiend…" she said.
Lesser Fiend dissolved into grains of light.
"…for Beast of Talwar!"
The orb formed into a far more diabolic-looking Fiend. It was tall and muscular, with green skin, blue, demonic wings, and carrying twin scimitars. (2,400/2,150)
Oh, no… thought Joan. Is she planning to use that accursed card?
"That's crazy…" said Erik. "Beast of Talwar may have 300 more Attack Points, but Lesser Fiend is clearly a better Monster than some plain vanilla Normal one."
I don't know… thought Yumi. Daala is obviously up to something…
"Attack Seraphim Gunner!" ordered Joan with a laugh. "Off with her head!"
Beast of Talwar growled, and flew at Seraphim Gunner, lopping off her head with one clean stroke of his sword. What was left of her shattered. Vita winced a little. Seraphim Saber fell to an Attack Score of 1,600.
"I end my turn," said Daala. "It's your move, trash."
(D: 5,900) - - - - - - - - - - (V: 7,700)
Vita glared at her for a second before drawing.
"I play Pot of Greed!" she shouted, playing the card.
She quickly drew two cards.
"All right, Daala," she said, "I play the Field Spell, Holy Sanctuary!"
She placed a card in her Field Slot, and the dark arena faded away. It was quickly replaced by a beautiful series of fields, with Grecian temples surrounding them. It looked like Nexus, only not in ruins.
"What the heck is this?" asked Watanabe.
"I'll tell you what it is," growled Mulner. "It's a Field Spell that weakens all Monsters except Fairies by 500 Attack Points. Beast of Talwar is in trouble…"
Sure enough, Beast of Talwar fell to an Attack Score of 1,900.
"Holy Sanctuary has another effect," added Vita. "While this card is in play, Fairies can be summoned with one less sacrifice than normal. That means I can summon a Level Seven Fairy with one sacrifice…"
Seraphim Saber vanished into grains of light.
"So, say hello to the diva of my deck… I summon… Athena!"
A glowing portal appeared, and a lovely, yet powerful-looking woman emerged from it. It clearly was the mythical goddess of wisdom, complete with her battle toga, breastplate, helmet, shield, and elaborate spear. She looked at Daala with eyes that glowed pure gold. (2,600/800)
"Athena…" growled Daala. "Phyllis Ting's favorite card…"
"Uh huh…" said Vita. "But you locked her away, and started using that Dragon deck. But I rescued her, knowing someday I would use her for this very duel…
"And I will… Destroy Beast of Talwar! Pride of Olympus!"
Athena shouted a war cry, and charged at Beast of Talwar, jabbing her spear into the Fiend's torso. Yumi and her friends cheered as the demon dropped his swords, and then exploded into pixels.
(D: 5,200) - - - - - - - - - - (V: 7,700)
"I set two cards facedown," said Vita, as two reversed cards appeared, "and I end my turn."
Daala frowned, and drew a card.
Perfect… she thought, looking at it.
"I play Magical Stone Excavation," she said, playing a Spell Card. "So, I'll toss these two cards…"
She discarded Asura Priest and Banisher of the Radiance.
"…to get back my Pot of Greed."
The Pot of Greed slipped out of her discard slot.
"Now, I'll play Pot of Greed…"
She played the card, and drew twice.
Something is wrong, thought Yumi. Daala seems to be purposely discarding as many Monsters as she can…
"Now…" said Daala. "I remove three Light Fairies… And one Dark Fiend in my Graveyard from play…"
Images of Asura Priest, Airknight Parshath, Banisher of the Radiance, and Dark Mimic LV1 appeared behind her, and vanished into nothing.
"I'm getting a serious case of déjà vu here," said Ren.
"Yeah…" said Chelsea. "Isn't that how Johnson summoned Norleras?"
"Not quite," replied Daala. "Norleras is summoned the opposite way, by removing three Dark Fiends and one Light Fairy. But there's more than one Sky Scourge… There are three total, all three of them heralds of the Dread Emperor, who represent minor aspects of Chaos. One represents Light, one represents Dark, and one is the intermediary between the two forces.
"I now summon Norleras's opposite…
"The powerful… Sky Scourge Enrise!"
In a blast of multicolored light, a new Monster appeared in front of her. It seemed to be a Fairy – technically, at least, due to its large, feathered wings. But it wore a metal blindfold over its eyes below long, pale, white hair, had clammy, white skin, and wore leather pants and gloves, and no shirt. Strange tattoos were on its neck and shoulders. (2,400/1,500)
"And since Enrise is a Fairy," continued Daala, "Holy Sanctuary doesn't hurt him."
"Yeah?" shouted Erik. "It's still weaker than Athena!"
Daala laughed.
"Enrise," she said. "Chaos elemental blast!"
Enrise formed a ball of multicolored light in his hands, and hurled it at Athena. The goddess gasped, and then vanished into nothing.
"What… just happened?" asked Chelsea. "How did Enrise win that battle?"
"It wasn't an attack," said Daala. "I didn't even enter my Battle Phase yet. Once per round, Enrise can remove one face-up Monster from play."
"Good grief…" said Sam. "And I thought Ruin was the worst bad apple among Fairies…"
"Of course," said Daala, "if it does that, it can't actually attack in the same round…"
She placed a card on her Disk.
"But since I haven't Normal Summoned yet, I'll summon someone who can. Like Dunames Dark Witch!"
In a burst of light, the pretty female Fairy in a red dress appeared. (1,800/1,050)
"Attack Vita directly!" shouted Daala. "Shadow flux!"
Dunames Dark Witch cast a ball of shimmering darkness at Vita.
"I activate… Magic Cylinder!" shouted Vita, as one of her facedown cards lifted.
"Not so fast!" laughed Daala.
She threw a card into her Disk.
"I activate the Quickplay Spell Card, Both Sides. This lets me sacrifice my Light Monster to summon a Dark one from my deck."
Dunames Dark Witch vanished. Then, with a loud grunt, Giant Orc appeared in her place. (2,200/0) –) (1,700/0)
"And since Magic Cylinder's target left the field, its effect fails."
The Trap Card shattered.
Vita didn't know what to say. She remembered how she had used Both Sides against Daala when she was disguised as Crystal Seer.
"Giant Orc," commanded Daala, "attack Vita directly!"
Giant Orc lifted its club, and charged at Vita.
"I hate to do this…" muttered Vita, "but I have to activate Divine Castle Gate!"
Her other facedown card lifted.
"I have to ditch my Field Spell to activate this," she said, "but the damage I take this turn is halved."
Holy Sanctuary vanished, returning them to the arena. Giant Orc rose back to an Attack Score of 2,200, just before it clobbered Vita with its club. Vita staggered backwards, her Trap Card buffering the attack.
(D: 5,200) - - - - - - - - - - (V: 6,600)
Giant Orc fell backwards on its behind, dizzy and confused.
"Make your move…" said Daala, with an evil grin.
"So now what?" asked Ren. "She lost her best card!"
Yumi looked at the Offerings to the Doomed card.
She slowly placed it in her Disk. She rested her finger on the trigger button…
Vita drew a card. She looked at it.
Miraculous Descent! she thought. I can use this to bring back Athena!
But… I have to do it during my own turn, or Daala will just use Enrise's effect on her again.
"I set a Monster, and then one facedown card," she said, as a hidden Monster and a reversed card appeared. "And I end my turn."
"You're smart," said Daala, drawing a card. "You realize that Enrise's effect doesn't work on set Monsters…
"I sacrifice Giant Orc…"
Giant Orc vanished into an orb of darkness.
"…to summon the third of the Sky Scourges… The intermediary between Light and Dark… Sky Scourge Invicil!"
The orb formed into another creepy-looking Fairy. This one was vaguely female, with small, feathered wings that seemed to be molting, a tight-fitting suit of black leather covered with straps, the same clammy, white skin, and pale, white hair in a style reminiscent of the Bride of Frankenstein. (2,200/1,600)
"And what does this one do?" gasped Sam.
"Invicil's effect depends on what I sacrifice to summon it," replied Daala. "If I had sacrificed a Light Fairy, it would be the same as Spell Canceller. But, since I sacrificed a Dark Fiend, its effect is the same as Jinzo."
Vita's eyes opened wide.
It negates Traps? she thought. My Miraculous Descent is worthless!
"Next," continued Daala, "I play Coins From Heaven."
There was a flash of light, and coins fell from the ceiling. Daala quickly drew five cards, while Vita drew four.
Daala laughed with glee.
"Oh, Joan!" she laughed. "Seems I'm finally going to reveal your big secret!"
Joan glared at her captor.
"What secret?" asked Yumi, looking at Daala with an angry glare.
"The secret that Joan never told you…" said Daala. "You see, when Joan was first cast out of the Higher Plane in the form of Marie the Fallen One, it was for a crime more severe than most…
"When she was first brought before Voltanis, the great judge had his doubts as to whether giving her the possibility of a second chance was wise or not. So Voltanis consulted Shinato himself for advice.
"Shinato used powerful magic to look at future possibilities. He saw that the future of the criminal might take two paths, should the usual punishment be given.
"One path was the one that would become reality if the criminal embraced evil. She would become a powerful and incredibly wicked Fiend, and would forever be an enemy of the Higher Plane.
"But the other path showed that not only would she succeed in finding redemption, but she would become a crusader of Order and Good more powerful than any who had risen from such a state.
"The first possibility worried Shinato, but the second one convinced him to recommend that she be given the possibility of a second chance. So the criminal was cast out of the Higher Plane as Marie the Fallen One…"
"And she took the second path, and became Guardian Angel Joan!" interrupted Ren.
"Naturally…" said Daala, closing her eyes. "Too bad really… If that hadn't happened, it would have saved me a lot of trouble…"
She took a Spell Card from her hand.
"But just for fun… I'm going to show you what might have been… The choice she didn't take… This card was hard to make... Pegasus never approved it past the design stage, but fortunately, the designer's initial sketches and notes were never scrapped.
"I play Monster Reborn to bring back Beast of Talwar."
The golden ankh appeared, and Beast of Talwar appeared again. (2,400/2,150)
"Now, I play Polymerization… To fuse it with Marie the Fallen One…"
Marie the Fallen One appeared on the field. The two Fiends combined into a large, dark, shadowy mass…
"I summon Evil Marie!"
In a burst of dark energy, a diabolic form appeared next to Invicil. It looked like Marie the Fallen One at first glance, but far more evil. Instead of her fancy dress, she was wearing demonic armor, and her black feathered wings had been replaced by larger, bat-like ones. She had more pronounced horns on her forehead, pointed ears, and nastier claws.
She turned to Joan, and made an evil smile. (2,800/2,000)
"ENOUGH!" screamed Joan.
She pulled against the chains holding her, and this time, they could not hold her. She tore free of them with a loud snap.
"Ouch…" she grunted, holding her wrists.
"Impossible…" gasped Daala.
Joan quickly rushed to Yumi and the others.
"Welcome back, Joan," said Erik.
"You can't deny it, Joan!" laughed Daala. "This was tempting, wasn't it?"
"It was the easy way out!" shouted Joan. "Every time I slept, that… thing appeared in my dreams, whispering in my ear, trying to convince me to give in and accept it. She offered me great power if I simply rejected my past and embraced my dark side. But I never took the easy way out! And nothing made me happier than when I became powerful enough to drive her out forever!"
"So noble…" chuckled Daala. "Ah, well… Back to business…
"Invicil, attack the facedown Monster!"
Invicil lifted its hands, and fired a flash of pure light. Dunames Dark Witch appeared on the card, and was blown to pieces.
"Enrise, Marie… Attack directly!"
Enrise formed a ball of multicolored flames and hurled them at Vita. Vita let out a scream as an aura of colored fire surrounded her.
Then Evil Marie formed a sword of pure fire in her hands. She flew at Vita and slammed the sword into her, knocking her over.
(D: 5,200) - - - - - - - - - - (V: 1,400)
Yumi was about to hit the button…
No… she thought. I'll delay it as long as I can…
Vita slowly got up. Sweat was forming from behind her mask.
"My… move…" she gasped.
She drew a card.
"I set a card facedown…" she said, as a reversed card appeared. "Then, I play Valhalla, Hall of the Fallen."
She played a Spell Card, and the scenery behind her changed, turning into a grand cathedral with a huge throne at the end.
"With this card in play, if I don't have any Monsters on the field, I can Special Summon a Fairy every round."
"So it's like Call of the Mummy for Fairies?" asked Chelsea.
"Basically, yes," replied Joan.
"I Special Summon Royal Knight in Defense Mode," said Vita.
A winged seraphim clad in metallic armor, holding a sword appeared. He knelt in Defense Mode. (1,300/800)
"Then I'll set a Monster, and end my turn."
A set Monster appeared beside Royal Knight.
Daala laughed as she drew a card.
"I first gain 200 Life Points from Marie being in my Graveyard…" she said.
"Now it's time to take out the trash. I summon a second Asura Priest!"
She played the card, and one of the most dreaded Monsters to call itself a Fairy appeared; the six-armed, three-faced Spirit Monster dressed in a red cloak. (1,700/1,200)
"All right!" shouted Watanabe. "Show her what it can do!"
"It can attack all your Monsters," said Daala, "and I'll start with your Knight!"
Asura Priest formed a dagger in each hand, and hurled them at Royal Knight, impaling the Fairy. Royal Knight shattered.
"Now, destroy her other Monster!"
Asura Priest threw another set of daggers at the facedown card. Winged Kuriboh appeared on the card, and shattered.
Vita smirked.
"Seems your other three Monsters can't hurt me this turn," she said.
"Evil Marie sure can," replied Daala. "She has two effects. See, if I sacrifice a Dark Fiend, her Attack Score increases by half that Fiend's Attack Score for one turn.
"But, if I sacrifice a Light Fairy, she inflicts damage to you equal to half that Fairy's Attack Score.
"So… I sacrifice Asura Priest to do so."
Asura Priest vanished, and Evil Marie fired a bolt of energy at Vita. Vita screamed and collapsed.
(D: 5,400) - - - - - - - - - - (V: 550)
"No…" gaped Erik. "Daala will win next turn… Enrise is also a Light Fairy… Daala can inflict 1,200 more points of damage by sacrificing it…"
"What do you expect from this worthless piece of trash?" asked Daala. "Yumi… Why don't you save her the embarrassment and use that Spell Card she gave you?"
"You know about it?" gasped Yumi.
"Of course I do…" chuckled Daala. "I may have never been able to find it, but it was hardly a secret. Do you really think it would bother me if my good side was killed? If anything, I'd prefer not being constantly reminded of what I used to be.
"I wanted to kill her so many times… But I simply couldn't. Every time I tried to take an action towards doing so, some strange force inside me made me stop, making my body refuse to obey my mind. It was like a curse that was protecting my good side.
"So go ahead, Yumi… I'll enjoy seeing her dissolve into a pile of sand."
"Joan…" said Sam. "We have to help her… There's got to be something we can do…"
Joan closed her eyes. She put her hands together.
Praying? thought Yumi.
"I end my turn," said Daala. "I doubt you have the strength to make yours… But I'll give you two minutes…"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
In Domino City, it had just turned four AM. But there had been no sleep for Dr. Edwin Ting this night. Insomnia had long been a problem for him.
In his elaborate house in the suburbs, he was sitting on a couch in his study, thinking hard and waiting for the sun to come up, with only the light of a single lamp to illuminate the room.
Words couldn't begin to describe the worry we was feeling right now. What had his daughter done now? What dark crimes had she committed?
He closed his eyes…
Then he opened them with a start.
Quickly, he got up, and crossed the room, walking over to his desk. He opened a drawer, and picked up a deck case.
His deck… The one he himself had used as a duelist on the Pro League… Dueling was never more than a hobby for him, one that he happened to be very good at, but he had never gotten rid of his deck.
He took out the deck, and looked at it. He knew what the top card was even before he looked at it.
He looked at the Monster on the card. The Spellcaster who looked more like an alien…
Mutant Mindmaster… His signature card…
The card started to glow with a soft light…
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Vita's mind was a haze. She was hurt, and she was almost sure she was going to lose. Maybe she truly was inferior… Maybe Phyllis Ting had been evil before she ever touched that accursed Fruit.
But as she looked up, she saw a hand reaching for hers.
She looked up, and her eyes met those of the Duel Spirit. Most would be scared of such a monstrous creature, but Vita quickly recognized it.
"Mutant Mindmaster?" she whispered.
She paused.
"Father?"
"Vita…" said the Spellcaster. "You don't know how happy your very existence makes me…
"I had thought that my daughter was gone… That her soul had been claimed by evil… That no good in her remained…
"I was wrong… The good in her wasn't destroyed… It survived, in you. And that gives me hope… Hope that the true Phyllis can come back, at least in spirit.
"But before that can happen, you must do what you intended to do."
Vita slowly stood up.
"I don't know if I can…" she whispered. "I don't know if I even have the strength to draw a card…"
"Then I'll be your hand…" replied Mutant Mindmaster.
They looked at each other.
They both reached for Vita's deck at the same time…
Then, both of them drew a card.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
"My move!" shouted Vita.
She looked at the card she had drawn.
"And I play Pot of Avarice!"
The card appeared, and Seraphim Saber, Seraphim Gunner, Winged Kuriboh, and Dunames Dark Witch slipped out of her discard slot. She combined them with her deck, and made two draws.
"And I chain-activate Emergency Provisions!"
One of her facedown cards lifted up, and the Pot of Avarice and her facedown Miraculous Descent were consumed by light.
"Next, I play Swords of Revealing Light!"
She played the card, and a blizzard of swords shot from the card, forming a cage around Daala's three Monsters.
"Next, I use Valhalla's effect to Special Summon Hysteric Fairy in Defense Mode."
She placed the card on her Disk, and the fussy, bespectacled Fairy appeared. (1,800/500)
"Then, I play Double Spell. I'll toss one card…"
She discarded her Celestial Transformation.
"…to duplicate your Coins From Heaven!"
The arena lit up again, and coins fell from the ceiling again. Vita quickly drew five cards, while Daala drew three.
"Perfect…" she said, looking at her cards. "I set one Monster, and then play Future Fusion!"
A concealed Monster appeared. Then, she played another Spell Card. Then she looked through her deck, and took three cards from it.
"By sending these Monsters to my Graveyard," she said as she discarded them, "my Fusion Monster will appear in only two turns."
"If you last that long," growled Daala.
"I end my turn," said Vita.
(D: 5,400) - - - - - - - - - - (V: 2,550)
"I draw one card," said Daala. "And I gain 200 Life Points from Marie.
"Next, I summon a second Dunames Dark Witch…"
She played a card, and Dunames appeared again. (1,800/1,050)
"Then, I sacrifice her to use Evil Marie's effect."
Dunames vanished, and Evil Marie cast her bolt at Vita. Vita cringed again, but the Mindmaster braced her, unseen by anyone else.
"Now, I use Enrise's effect to remove Hysteric Fairy from play," said Daala.
Enrise cast its evil spell, and Hysteric Fairy vanished.
"I end my turn!"
(D: 5,400) - - - - - - - - - - (V: 1,650)
Vita took a deep breath.
"Hang in there!" shouted Yumi. "You can still finish this!"
"Our move!" said Vita and Mutant Mindmaster at once.
They both drew a card.
"I throw one card facedown, and set a Monster," said Vita, "and that will be all…"
Another hidden Monster and a reversed card appeared.
Daala angrily drew a card.
"I gain 200 more Life Points from Marie," she said.
"I'll set two cards facedown, and end my turn."
Two facedown cards appeared on her side of the field.
(D: 5,600) - - - - - - - - - - (V: 1,650)
Vita and Mindmaster reached for the deck. They paused, and then drew a card.
The card shone in the light…
The Future Fusion card glowed with energy.
"It's my second Standby Phase since I played Future Fusion," she said. "That means I can summon THIS guy!"
As she said this, a titanic form appeared behind her, the size of a small building. It looked like a giant, white cube, with stubby limbs, proportionately small wings, a question mark on its top, and a blank, expressionless face.
"MOKEY-MOKEY!" boomed the Mokey Mokey King. (300/100)
Everyone looked at the enormous Monster with a look of shock.
"Oh joy…" muttered Daala. "A giant marshmallow… I'll get some giant graham crackers and a truckload of chocolate, and we can make s'mores for a whole boy scout jamboree!"
"Don't underestimate my Monster," replied Vita, as a Spell Card appeared on her side of the field. "I play… Light of Redemption! Now, by paying 800 Life Points, I get to recover a Light-Attribute Monster that was removed from play…"
She held up her hand, and Athena's card appeared in it.
"Now, I sacrifice my two facedown Monsters to summon Athena again!"
The two facedown Monsters vanished, and the mighty goddess of wisdom appeared again. (2,600/800)
"Next, I play Mystical Space Typhoon. And I think I'll destroy… Future Fusion!"
She played the card, and the windstorm erupted on the field. The Spell Card shattered.
"But if she does that…" gasped Chelsea. "Mokey Mokey King goes too!"
Mokey Mokey King exploded into globules of light.
"That's the idea," said Ren. "I've seen this before… When the King goes, the three regular Mokey Mokeys come to take its place!"
Indeed, the three normal Mokey Mokeys appeared next to Athena. (300/100 x3)
"Mokey-Mokey," they said. "Mokey-Mokey, Mokey-Mokey, Mokey-Mokey…"
"This activates Athena's effect, by the way," continued Vita. "Whenever a Fairy is Special Summoned, you lose 600 Life Points. And I just Special Summoned three of them!"
Athena's eyes glowed fiercely. Daala screamed as she was struck by three bolts of lightning.
"Now…" said Vita, playing another card, "I play… Mokey Mokey Smackdown!"
The Spell Card appeared, showing a picture of a very angry Mokey Mokey with an exclamation point on its head instead of a question mark.
"Athena, attack Evil Marie!" commanded Vita.
Athena charged at Evil Marie.
"WHAT?" shouted Eikou. "She's nuts! Evil Marie is stronger."
"You big idiot!" shouted Mulner. "That's the idea! If a Fairy is destroyed, it will trigger the Smackdown!"
Evil Marie swung her sword, and Athena exploded into pixels…
(D: 3,800) - - - - - - - - - - (V: 650)
The results were dramatic. The three Mokey Mokeys freaked out. Within seconds, each one transformed into a Mokey Mokey resembling the one on the Spell Card, and their Attack Scores started to skyrocket… (3,000/100 x3)
"First Mokey Mokey," ordered Vita, "attack Evil Marie!"
The first Mokey Mokey screamed a blast of pure rage at the evil imposter. Evil Marie groaned, and then exploded into shards.
"Second one…" said Vita, "destroy Invicil!"
The second Mokey Mokey screamed, and the Sky Scourge cringed before exploding as well.
"Third time's the charm," said Vita. "Attack Sky Scourge Enrise with Infinite Anger Burst!"
The third Mokey Mokey let out its cry of anger. Enrise hollered, and exploded as well.
"ERGH!" grunted Daala.
(D: 2,200) - - - - - - - - - - (V: 650)
"You miserable little nobody!" screamed Daala. "I'll fix you good…"
One of her facedown cards lifted.
"I activate… Revenge Soul! This Trap Card returns the Monster that was just destroyed to my hand!"
Sky Scourge Enrise slipped out of her discard slot.
"You only have 650 Life Points left, and your Swords are only going to last one more round. Next turn, I'll summon it again, and once they are gone, I'll finish you off!"
"Sorry, Daala," said Vita, "but your next turn will never come…"
Vita's own facedown card lifted.
"I activate Call of the Haunted!"
Daala gasped as Athena appeared again. (2,600/800)
"Attack Daala directly!" shouted Vita. "Pride of Olympus!"
"NO!" yelled Watanabe. "Daala's gonna lose!"
Daala looked at Vita in hate as Athena charged at her…
"I won't let you beat me!" she screamed in rage.
Her last facedown card lifted.
"I activate Contagion of Madness!"
"HUH?" said Erik. "What does that do?"
"It won't stop the attack…" gasped Joan. "But Vita will take half of the damage that Daala takes!"
"But that means…" gasped Sam.
Athena stabbed her spear into Daala, and lightning flashed. Both Daala and Vita were thrown backwards.
(D: 0) - - - - - - - - - - (V: 0)
"I… I can't believe it…" muttered Ren. "It was… It was…"
"It was a draw…" gasped Chelsea.
Vita slowly got up.
"It sure was…" she said, taking a deep breath.
Daala looked at her.
Then Vita took hold of the mask, and slowly started to take it off.
"What are you doing?" shouted Daala. "You can't!"
Apparently, Vita could. She lifted the mask off her face, and tossed it aside. Underneath was a face whose resemblance to Daala's was uncanny.
"But… You didn't beat me…" gasped Daala.
"I didn't have to," replied Vita. "I had to prove I wasn't inferior, remember?
"The duel was a draw… That means we're equal."
"Aw, technicalities stink…" muttered Eikou.
"The mask is gone," said Vita. "So is your mark of inferiority. So I'm taking the power that's rightfully mine."
"I won't let you!" screamed Daala.
She leapt up.
And then she clutched her stomach.
"No…" she gasped. "The disguise…"
"What's happening to her?" shouted Yumi.
"Her disguise is slipping," said Vita. "As soon as the duel ended, half of Xanadu's power was transferred to me. Apparently, she can't maintain the veil with what she has now…"
Daala was indeed starting to change. Her clothes changed first, turning into a golden dress with a blue sash. Her hair grew longer, turning waist-length. Then, horns appeared on her temples, and black, feathered wings appeared on her back.
She took some deep breaths. She looked up with a look of rage.
"What are you looking at?" she sneered.
"Daala is… A Dark Witch?" asked Sam.
"For the love of…" said Ren. "And you had the nerve to call Vita worthless? You're a pretty worthless Monster yourself!"
Daala glared at them.
"You were expecting Silent Magician LV8?" she said, in a voice that was thick with bile. "Or maybe Infernalqueen? No… I took the form of Dark Witch on purpose, and became stuck with it…"
"But why?" asked Yumi.
"Because it's so useless!" replied Daala.
"I still don't see why," replied Yumi.
"Uprisings," growled Daala. "When Xanadu was first forming, before Joan even came, I had problems with many minor rebellions. Several small groups had issues with the way I was governing the place."
"Not surprising," said Erik.
"In most Dimensions," continued Daala, "a Monster's status depends not only on power, but on how useful it is to a duelist. That's why I summoned Dark Necrofear. She was able to use her powers to transform humans who had eaten the Devil's Fruit into Duel Spirits. Of course, she demanded several privileges, such as immunity to all of Xanadu's laws. I agreed, and she transformed me into Dark Witch, a beautiful but rather useless Duel Spirit.
"In this guise, I could infiltrate every uprising undetected, and find out what I needed to know to crush them. Who would suspect a Dark Witch of being the Queen of Xanadu? Who would suspect a plain vanilla Level Five Monster with only 1,800 Attack Points? No-one, that's who…
"Unfortunately, when my hold on Xanadu was threatened by Joan, the first real serious uprising, it would no longer do. Disguises couldn't fool the security of Joan's temple. I told Dark Necrofear to reverse her spell and turn me into something more powerful. And she cruelly told me that her spell was irreversible."
"Irreversible?" gasped Sam.
"I would have locked her up in my dungeons forever," snarled Daala. "But she reminded me that she was immune to Xanadu's laws. I would have ripped up the contract and done it anyway, but then she told me that the contract had been notarized by the Court of Woe, and breaking it would cost me my soul.
"I could only cover this shame with a disguise from that point… Appear human to everyone who looked."
"Irreversible?" gasped Ren. "There's… no antidote?"
Daala laughed.
"That's right, Ren!" she laughed. "Dark Necrofear still works for me, and did it to you under my order. One of the cardinal rules of Duel Spirits is, they can't leave their home dimensions without permission from the ruler. I still have fifty percent authority, and I'll regain the other fifty percent soon… Unless you five get that permission from me, and you won't, you aren't leaving."
"Think again," said Vita.
She grabbed Daala's wrist.
"Your reign is ending right now, Daala. I think I may well be strong enough to undo the curse that split us in two in the first place. It's time to end this nightmare…"
She grabbed Daala's other wrist, and the two started to glow…
"Llymic!" screamed Daala. "HELP!"
Then, a blast of dark energy came out of nowhere, and knocked Vita off of Daala.
Vita fell at Yumi's feet, stunned and dizzy. Everyone looked, and saw Chaos Sorcerer standing behind Daala. It was at this point that everyone noticed the alcove behind Daala. Apparently, he had appeared in it somehow.
"Now, now…" he said. "That simply will not suffice… Fifty percent of the power of Xanadu isn't much compared to the might of the Abyss that is allotted to me, Vita…
"Of course, I'll be the first to admit that underestimating Phyllis's benign half was a dire mistake that I won't repeat… I guess my recommendation to stop wasting resources on bringing you in wasn't exactly the wisest one…"
Yumi glared at him.
"Look, pal," he said. "I want to know what the whole story is… Just who are you?
"Wait… You're another human who was transformed by the Fruit, aren't you?"
Chaos Sorcerer nodded.
"But while Chaos Sorcerer is now my true form," he said, "I have the power to assume my original form at any time…"
A dark shroud enveloped him, and he quickly transformed into the elderly man who had dueled Daala using the Sacred Beasts.
"Lucian T. Borough is the name…" he said. "But you can call me Llymic…
"Master of the dark arts, and since your defeat of Unus the Undying… Favored high priest of the cult of Shogarr the Dread Emperor…"
"I should have guessed," said Yumi. "Daala wasn't alone in this whole endeavor. There was a power behind the throne."
"So all the talk about being a Duel Spirit who was angry about his card being outlawed," said Ren. "It was a lie…"
"No…" said Llymic. "I just dramatized the truth…
"Let me tell you the whole story… It's quite interesting…"
"Why do they always make speeches?" groaned Erik.
"Quiet!" replied Yumi. "We may learn something…"
"Once I was simply a kid with a dream," started Llymic. "My parents took me to see the KC Grand Prix, and it was the high point of my young life. I saw Yugi Mouto, Joey Wheeler, and Seto Kaiba in action, and like most who picked up a Disk for the first time, I wanted to be like them.
"As fate would have it, I went to start my dream at your great-grandfather's card store, that small, unassuming shop in downtown Domino City. I was like a kid in a candy shop that day… So many cards, so many possibilities… What ones to chose?
"And who should walk in, but the great Yugi Mouto himself? I summoned the bravery to ask him for advice. He told me that sometimes the deck picks the duelist. Maybe I would have luck with a random shot.
"So did just that. I decided to buy one booster pack, and see what card fate would hand me. The first card in the pack I bought… Was Chaos Sorcerer.
"The card seemed to glow as I read the description. It was an omen… This card was calling to me.
"Despite the fact that Chaos Sorcerer was becoming more common with each passing month, I resolved to make a Chaos Sorcerer Deck that would surpass all others. And I succeeded, at least in my eyes. I built a deck that anyone using the card would envy, and used it in several duels. Time after time, the card brought me victory, even over others who used the same card.
"But one day, my life came crashing down around me… I learned that the card I had depended on for so long had been declared illegal.
"Broken, they said. Ruining the game, they said. Cookie cutter, apparently. I was crushed.
"I didn't stop dueling, but nothing could replace the card I had grown so close to…
"And then, from nowhere, someone approached me. He told me that it wasn't the Monster I was so enthralled with, but the very concept of Chaos.
"I didn't know at first that this person served the powers of the Abyss, but I did find out later. I didn't truly care. This person opened my eyes to Chaos. He showed me secrets that would scare most men to death. They excited me. Soon, I was learning how to manipulate Chaos on my own, using the primal power that flowed from the Abyss.
"I wasn't swayed in the least when my mentor was consumed in the wildfire created by one of his spells. I delved more, and as years went by, visions came to me. They became more and more vivid, until Shogarr himself appeared before me, and offered me more power in exchange for my services.
"I left my true name behind, and started calling myself Llymic, Lord of Anarchy, after another Elder Evil who was defeated and killed by Shogarr. He was a demonic being from an alien realm beyond the planes we know of who held power over the dark side of Chaos, and whose apocalyptic plan was to extinguish the sun and plunge the world into endless, frozen night. Shogarr opposed him, because this plan would leave nothing for him to reshape when it came time to enact his own plan. Come to think of it, most Elder Evils who are killed perished at the hands of other Elder Evils. They don't like each other. Anyway, naming myself after one of my master's enemies amused him, as he considered it proof positive of his superiority over Llymic.
"He instructed me to form a realm separate from the Outer Planes, the Twelve Dimensions, and the Prime Material. Not an easy feat, but I found a way to do it. I made a deal with a young girl who wanted to rule a dimension formed from her dreams. I combined my magic with her technology to form Xanadu…
"The Devil's Fruit was my idea. I knew what great power it held, and the demonic influence it had. After recruiting Dark Necrofear, I was able to take the form of the Monster I admired most. Sadly, Dark Necrofear only served us under several conditions, and we were not safe from her sadistic trickery. She didn't tell us that she couldn't reverse the effect, so Daala became trapped in the form of Dark Witch after she used it to crush the early uprisings. Fortunately, the magic she had gained, she didn't have to appear as such to her subjects."
"And I suppose you recruited the Big Five?" asked Sam.
"Yes," replied Llymic. "I found them, after I discovered Gozaburo Kaiba's greatest secret…
"During the Cold War, he, like most big weapons dealers, believed that nuclear war was imminent. So he had an elaborate, top-secret bunker built for himself in the Gobi Desert. Most of the construction was done by state-of-the-art automated robotic workers, and what few human workers he needed were driven to the sight in vehicles with blacked-out windows, driven by automated systems, and they were threatened with financial ruin if they breathed a word about its existence. The end result was a bomb shelter that could house a man comfortably for the rest of his life, with a moderately powerful supercomputer inside, equipped with a powerful wireless modem that would be used to contact anyone who survived the holocaust he imagined would occur.
"Noah's punishment for the Big Five was to imprison them in his Virtual World forever, but Gozaburo intervened, downloading them via this modem into a hard drive in the bunker's computer. His plan for them was to reprogram their minds, and turn them into loyal slaves once his current plan succeeded, the ultimate price for betraying him. As you may remember, he was planning to do the same thing to his stepson too, once he defeated him in a duel, but Kaiba defeated him. The bunker was going to be his last resort escape plan as well, but he didn't count on Noah destroying the Virtual World, and cutting off every escape route, including that one. So the Big Five were left in limbo, unable to escape, for decades…
"When I found them, and offered them a chance to work for us, they couldn't agree fast enough. Using the Devil's Fruit, I gave them what Noah couldn't – real bodies. And we made them governors of our new world, a much better offer than the slavery they were subjected to under Noah.
"And we started forming our master plan…"
"Master plan?" asked Yumi. "And are you going to tell us?"
"Indeed I am…" replied Llymic. "Behold…
"The Great Helm!"
Instinctively, everyone looked up. Lowering from the ceiling was a helmet the size of a tool shed. It was made of iron, and of ominous design, and radiated an aura of uncanny power…
…as well as a definite aura of Evil…
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
SERAPHIM GUNNER (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Fairy/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 4
ATK: 1,800
DEF: 1,200
Card Description: When this card is Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned, select either ATK or DEF. Increase the selected value of this card by 300 for every additional face-up Fairy-Type Monster on your side of the field.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
SERAPHIM SABER (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Fairy/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 4
ATK: 1,600
DEF: 1,500
Card Description: When this card is Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned, select either ATK or DEF. Increase the selected value of this card by 300 for every additional face-up Fairy-Type Monster on your side of the field.
Note: "Seraphim Gunner" and "Seraphim Saber" were first used by Yakou Tenma in the "Yu-Gi-Oh R" issue "Advent of the God of Fear!!" Creative credit goes to the writers.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
HOLY SANCTUARY (Spell Card)
Field Spell
Image: A collection of Grecian temples on grassy hills.
Card Description: All Monsters on the field except Fairy-Type Monsters lose 500 Attack Points. The number of Tributes needed to Normal Summon Fairy-Type Monsters is decreased by one.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
DIVINE CASTLE GATE (Trap Card)
Normal Trap
Image: A dragon breathing fire against an iron door inscribed with ancient symbols.
Card Description: Send one "Holy Sanctuary" on your side of the field to the Graveyard. Any damage done to your Life Points during this turn is halved.
Note: "Holy Sanctuary", and "Divine Castle Gate" were first used by Reggie in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" Manga. (Not to be confused with the character named Reggie in the English version of the anime). Creative credit goes to the writers.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
DARK ARCHETYPE (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Spellcaster/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 4
ATK: 1,400
DEF: 400
Card Description: This card's effect may be activated when it is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard as a result of battle. Select a Monster from your deck with an ATK equal to the amount of damage you received from the battle. Then, discard from your hand Monsters whose combined Levels total that of the selected Monster. Then, Special Summon the selected Monster from your deck.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
ZERO GAZER (Trap Card)
Normal Trap
Image: Panther Warrior in an inferno of flames, as two evil eyes lurk behind it.
Card Description: Activate this card when one of your Monsters in Attack Position is the target of an attack. Reduce the ATK of your Monster to zero. After damage calculation, draw one card.
Note: "Dark Archetype" and "Zero Gazer" were first used by Mr. T 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
CONTAGION OF MADNESS (Spell Card)
Quickplay Spell
Image: A man screaming with a ruined city in the background.
Card Description: Activate when you are attacked directly. Inflict damage to your opponent equal to half the ATK of the attacking Monster.
Note: "Contagion of Madness" was first used by the Alister in the original anime episode "Déjà Duel! (Part Two)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
REVENGE SOUL (Trap Card)
Normal Trap
Image: A fiendish, glowing hand rising out of a stagnant lake.
Card Description: Activate when a Monster is destroyed as a result of battle and sent to the Graveyard. Return that Monster to its owner's hand.
Note: "Revenge Soul" was first used by the Spirit of Brron in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Turning the Page (Part Two)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
EVIL MARIE (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Fiend/Fusion/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 8
ATK: 2,800
DEF: 2,000
Card Description: "Marie the Fallen One" plus "Beast of Talwar"
Once per turn, during your Main Phase, you may offer a Monster on your side of the field as a Tribute. Enact one of the following effects depending on the Type and Attribute of the Monster:
LIGHT Fairy: Inflict direct damage to your opponent equal the half the base ATK of the Tributed Monster.
DARK Fiend: Increase the ATK of this card by half the base ATK of the Tributed Monster until the End Phase of the turn.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Lords of Chaos
The Duke of Pain: Rahu the Tormentor
As the Prince of Demons, Demogorgon has several portfolios for mortals who are depraved enough to worship him. One of them is torture. Thus, throughout history, evil mortals who engaged in this morally corrupt profession have often prayed to the Prince of Demons for aid in honing their skills. However, they were much more likely to respect his chief "surgeon", Rahu the Tormentor, for it is this demon who was far more visible to those who practiced the questionable trade.
Rahu is a demon who has served Demogorgon for as long as anyone can remember, and he has long been known to have an interest in human physiology and anatomy that is best described as obsessive. He grew tired of working under his tyrannical master long ago, wasting his talents on souls and other demons, and started making forays to the mortal world, where he could continue his grim work on his favored subjects. It is difficult for demons to come to Earth unless they are summoned, but Rahu has found many ways over the millennia, and if Demogorgon knows of his escapades (or cares about them) he doesn't show it.
Rahu's means of coming to the mortal world are many and varied. Oftentimes, evil human rulers would summon him to extract information from otherwise intractable enemies. Rahu would demand a price for this service, but it would be worth it – most of the time. When summoning any demon, one must be sure not to let his protective wards slip. This was especially true with Rahu, as several employers have found themselves on the receiving end of his screws and saws.
Rahu has found ways to come to the mortal world unsummoned, and is rumored to have been involved in many events where torture was commonplace. He was powerful during the days of Rome and medieval times, when torture was widespread. He may have even invented a few of the more notorious devices used for the profession, such as the thumbscrews and rack.
Sages believe that he was present during the Spanish Inquisition's most active years; while most victims of that tribunal were ultimately spared death, Rahu never really cared whether victims of torture died or not. The more pain he could cause, the more he believed he could learn towards his sadistic practice.
Rahu is not seen in the world of humans much these days. Numerous international laws severely punish any government that uses his craft, so it is not wise to attract him. In addition, with all the suffering he has caused, several bounties have been placed on his head by many organizations that would oppose the forces of the Abyss. The members of all such organizations have been carefully instructed on Rahu's appearance and MO, and know what to do should he ever show up. While in Demogorgon's realm, Rahu is safe from the Wind Dukes, but stepping outside it would be a great risk. Still, Rahu likely will not be able to resist the temptation for long, and in the near future, the Tormentor's days may be numbered.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coming up next:
We leave Yumi and the others for a while, as Sheena and her group rush to join them. But before they can, they have to get past Dark Necrofear. The demon is determined not to let anyone else pass, and an ancient prophesy says that defeating her may well be impossible. Can Sheena do the impossible and defeat this incredible evil? Revealing the name of the next chapter would give too much away. Stay tuned.