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INTERLUDE
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Yumi looked at the situation, as she stood at Joan's side.
It certainly looked like they had achieved victory. Daala was no more, and the young woman who had taken her place had surrendered. Llymic was in chains, and the members of Daala's inner circle were on their knees, as Joan's five generals took them into custody as well. Best of all, Joan wore the Crown of Xanadu now.
Chelsea walked up to Joan.
"I remember Daala saying that permission from the ruler of Xanadu was needed for us to go home," she said. "Well, since you rule Xanadu now, can we go home?"
"As soon as you like, Chelsea," said Joan, with a smile.
Then Llymic laughed.
"Oh, sure, Chelsea!" he mocked. "You're going to be a hit at your senior prom with green skin and fangs!"
"You be quiet!" ordered Zane, who was watching him.
Chelsea's face fell.
"He makes a point thought," said Ren. "Look at us… We've become Duel Spirits… What would we be going home to?"
"It's not reversible!" shouted Mako.
"What do you mean?" asked Sam. "They said…"
"Look at Phyllis!" shouted Mako. "She isn't Dark Witch any more! She turned back when her curse was lifted! There has to be a way…"
Everyone looked at Phyllis in shock. Mako was right. It took the uneducated fisherman to figure it out.
Yumi looked at Joan.
"Dark Necrofear was a liar…" she said. "She likely lied to everyone, including Daala… At every turn…"
They looked at Phyllis.
Phyllis sighed.
"Shogarr knew the secrets of the Devil's Fruit," she said. "And she shared them only with his most trusted followers. The leaders of his cults…"
Joan looked at Llymic. Her eyes glowed with anger. She walked over to him, grabbed him by the collar, and stared into his eyes.
"Listen, Llymic," she said, sternly. "You stand accused of aiding an Elder Evil in an apocalyptic plan. That was bad enough. And to make matters worse, as part of the plan, these five youngsters were tricked into surrendering their human forms, a malicious and wicked act.
"If you ask me, St. Cuthbert may well insist on prosecuting your case. Can you even imagine facing him on the witness stand? Most defense attorneys in history have given up trying to defend their clients and have entered guilty pleas without making any plea bargains, rather than oppose him.
"If you want Voltanis to have any reason to be merciful, you'll tell us the whole story behind that stuff…"
Llymic sighed.
"Very well…" he muttered.
Joan let go.
"But you won't like my answer," replied Llymic.
He cleared his throat.
"Phyllis isn't Dark Witch any more because Daala received that transformation, not Phyllis. The gift of the Devil's Fruit was granted to Daala, not Phyllis, by Shogarr's will. He is the true master of the Fruit. When Daala stopped being Daala, the spell was thus broken.
"The story I told you a while ago about Tyrexxus left a few things out. I'll give you the full story now. Tyrexxus and Shogarr were mortal enemies in many Blood War campaigns. Their rivalry stretched back to a time before most devils could remember. They hated each other with a passion, and each spent countless hours plotting to undo the other. Time and again, the armies of these two beings fought, but none of them ever reached a satisfactory conclusion.
"In what would be the final battle between their forces, their armies met on the Field of Nettles, the legendary battlefield that was the halfway point between Hell and the Abyss. Each of them pushed their troops cruelly, until none could stand except the two lords themselves. And still, neither would yield. They fought each other, devil lord against demon lord, in a fight of swords that lasted days. Even then, the battle ended in a stalemate. But before it ended, Shogarr managed to inflict a wound upon his foe that poisoned Tyrexxus with a deadly curse of Chaos, which would forever link the two enemies together.
"Tyrexxus went home, angered and restless. It was at this point that Levistus's forces, knowing that Tyrexxus was weakest, decided to rebel. Unable to effectively fight back due to the curse infecting his system, Tyrexxus was overthrown, and he fled.
"Tyrexxus wandered into the Grey Waste, with Shogarr's voice haunting his ears and mocking him. With every step, he grew wearier and wearier. Finally, when he reached the Field of Nettles where the battle had occurred, the full effects of Shogarr's curse overcame him, and he collapsed into a deep sleep, which he would never awaken from.
"But even Shogarr could not predict a side effect of the curse. The Devil's Fruit grew from Tyrexxus's entombed form, fueled by the being of Law cursed by Chaos. Shogarr took notice, however. Rather than destroy these plants, he experimented with them, and found them adequate tools. He knew that their power would extend his influence, so long as his curse continued to link him to his old enemy. Although the Fruit was as much a product of demons as they were of devils, the name Devil's Fruit stuck, as its roots came from the slumbering Lord of Stygia.
"The only way the Fruit will ever completely lose its power is if the curse is broken. And that will only happen if Shogarr allows it, or if the curse is forcefully broken by his defeat."
Llymic chuckled.
"So what will you do, Yumi?" he asked. "Travel to the Abyss and ask him nicely to undo his curse on Tyrexxus? Or go there and challenge him to a battle to the death?"
Yumi paused.
Then she looked at the portal to the Abyss.
"No…" she said, slowly. "I don't… think that will be necessary…"
"What is it, Yumi?" asked Sam.
Yumi paused again.
"A feeling…" she said. "I've never felt it before… But somehow, I know what it is…"
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In Tzimisce Woods, Green Baboon, Defender of the Forest sat on a large stump, chewing on a piece of bark.
He looked up, and watched the clouds of early morning float by.
He shivered. Something strange was happening.
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In the Sea of Infinite Tears, The Legendary Fisherman walked ashore of a small island, while his mount waited in the surf.
He looked up at the sky, and rubbed his chin. Something was coming, and it was no storm he was used to. It was something worse. Something very, very bad…
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In the Burnt Paradise, Horus the Black Flame Dragon perched upon a rocky slope. He surveyed the desert, as the sun slowly rose.
The wind started to pick up. Things were uneasy. A cloud covered the sun, making him uneasy as well. What was happening?
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From a balcony near the summit of the Cathedral of Mechanicles in Darkspire, Emes the Infinity looked over the city. The sun couldn't reach through the smog here, but he figured it was likely almost up. He looked into the smoggy sky…
Somehow, a sense of dread crept into his circuits… He likened it to what an organic creature felt when he said it felt like someone just crawled over his grave.
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In the Flaming Peaks, the Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys perched on the rim of a volcano. She surveyed her fiery domain, and looked up into the soot-filled sky.
Strangely, she felt a chill, something that a being of fire rarely ever felt. Something bad was coming.
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In the Frozen Wastes, The Creator stood alone on an icy plateau, looking towards a herd of Sonic Ducks. It stood stoically, waiting for the right moment to do its task, even if the right moment didn't come for years.
Then something broke its concentration. And it knew that only great Chaos could break the concentration of a being like itself that was so dedicated to Law…
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Everyone looked at the portal to the Abyss, as a mass of dark flames started to form in it… Something was definitely about to come out of it…
As everyone watched, a figure that stood seven feet tall strode out of the portal. Yumi and her four friends recognized him instantly – Unus had summoned his avatar when she had dueled him. A tall figure in golden, knight-like, plate armor, with no flesh exposed whatsoever, with a purple, velvet cape. A knight that held no weapon. A dark aura of energy surrounded him.
"Shogarr…" whispered Yumi.
Joan's five generals quickly backed away from their prisoners.
The infamous demon lord put his hands on his hips and looked around. Clearly, even though his face was hidden, it was clear he was not pleased.
"You're not just saving me," started Llymic, "you're…"
Then Shogarr gripped him by the face and shoved him over.
"Quiet!" ordered the Dread Emperor, in a deep, commanding voice. "I'll deal with you later…"
"About time you showed up," said Yumi. "All you've done in this whole sleigh ride is sit in your castle and watch."
Shogarr gave Yumi a dirty look (at least he seemed to) and then walked up to Joan.
"No more games, angel," he said. "I'm assuming control of Xanadu personally, now. Surrender the Crown."
"And if I don't?" asked Joan.
"You didn't really think this whole rebellion thing through, did you?" asked Shogarr. "What did you expect would happen if you actually succeeded? Did you actually think I would sit back and allow the Higher Plane to assume control of my lands?
"Well, I'll tell you right now, I never intended to, and I won't. It was with my good graces that Xanadu was built… I will control it, or I will destroy it."
"You can't!" shouted Zane. "Thousands of Duel Spirits will die!"
"So what?" asked Shogarr. "If a Blood War battle doesn't have at least fifty-thousand casualties, the general abandons the project, because it was clear that the goal wasn't important enough for the enemy to put up much of a defense. The population of Xanadu is nothing to me."
"What is Joan gonna do?" asked Jesse.
"I don't know…" replied Aster. "Shogarr isn't playing around. All I know is, Xanadu will be far worse under Shogarr's rule than it ever was under Daala's…"
Joan closed her eyes. She took a deep breath. She truly didn't know what to do. When she had accepted this mission from Shinato, the possibility that Daala was being supported by a higher power was not confirmed. And ever since it had been confirmed, dealing with him had been a weak part in her plans…
And then, everyone was startled, as a bright light appeared in mid-air.
The bright light expanded, turning into what looked like another portal. Images started to appear in it.
A young man appeared in the forefront of the portal, half-shown, as if he was sitting at a communications device…
"Jaden Yuki!" said Yumi, Ren, Chelsea, Sam, and Erik at once.
"In the flesh," said the young man.
"You…" said Shogarr, in an icy tone.
The portal became clearer, and everyone could make out three people standing behind Jaden – Chazz, Alexis, and Syrus.
"Shogarr," said Jaden, "before you try anything, this is a special one-way portal. You can't attack us from your side."
"What do you want, Yuki?" asked the demon lord, now clearly annoyed. "You've meddled in my affairs enough times over the years, and if you think I'm going to let you do it again…"
"But you meddled in mine, now," replied Jaden, "By trying to invade Neo-Space.
"Pollux, Phoebe, and Damocles have turned informant. At first, they were adamant about remaining loyal to their employer, and wouldn't tell us anything. But eventually, they realized the cold, hard truth of their situation. They were prisoners on an alien planet, light years away from Earth, and they likely would never have seen home again unless they cooperated with us.
"Maybe you should have realized that before your cult sent them here and then abandoned them, huh?
"Anyway, they told us your plans, all of them…
"And I believe these are what you're after?"
He held up two cards. They were Super Polymerization and Yubel – Das Extremer Traurig Drachen.
Shogarr growled a little.
"Now, Shogarr..." he continued, "get it out of your head that you'll ever steal them from me... But, if you're willing to duel Yumi, I'm willing to ante them... If you ante the Great Helm against them."
"Why should I take such a gamble when I have the advantage now?" asked Shogarr.
"Well," said Jaden, as he put the Yubel card aside. "If you go ahead with your plan, and invade the Earth, you may get your wish... We may come back to defend it...
"But, if there was any chance that you'd get your slimy mits on the Super Polymerization card, I'd have no choice but to destroy it before we did. That would mean your whole plan for the Grand Rebirth would go back to the drawing board."
"You're bluffing, Yuki!" shouted Shogarr. "Everyone knows you love your cards too much to destroy one of them!"
"This one is an exception," said Jaden, looking at it. "You forget, this card was crafted using the suffering of innocents, including those of several friends who I was lucky to get back. It brought out my dark side, someone who was evil and merciless, like you. I was able to control that side of me, and I control it to this day... But you know, sometimes I wonder if I could banish the Supreme King from my psyche forever if I were to simply tear up this card..."
He held the card in two hands, as if to rip it.
"One minute to decide..."
Shogarr looked at him with a cold glare.
"You drive a hard bargain..." said the demon. "Fine, it's a bet. But I have a condition. In this duel, Yumi must leave the Testament behind, and use herself as her Deck Lord."
"Uh, I can do that," replied Yumi.
Shogarr turned to face Yumi.
"Oh, and one other thing..." said Shogarr.
He lifted his arms to the heavens, and cast a mighty command...
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In a cafe in a busy part of Domino City, near a big screen, Nicholas and Olga were having breakfast.
Then, a surge seemed to strike all of creation. The screen changed, and Shogarr's face appeared on it. Then the scene shifted to him confronting Yumi.
"I've taken control of every media device on Yumi's world," said Shogarr. "Every television, every internet connection... Everyone will be able to watch as the battle to decide the fate of the universe is fought!
"My dear Yumi... I hope you don't get stage fright..."
"I'm not afraid of you..." said Yumi, even though she looked visably afraid.
"You might be once you see my Deck Lord..." replied Shogarr.
A low roar sounded, and a huge creature rose behind him. It was unmistakenly a Dragon, but an exceptional one. It stood twenty feet tall. It had smooth, green flesh, covered with silver armor. It had large wings, and a long neck, with a silver mask covering its face above wicked jaws, and a mane of orange hair. It stood upright on its powerful hind legs, its long tail trailing behind it.
"That's Chaos Emperor Dragon – Envoy of the End!" yelled Sam.
"I should have guessed," muttered Erik. "Leave it to him to use the most broken card in history as his deck lord..."
Chaos Emperor Dragon seemed to hear this, and it hissed angrily...
"Not yet, my pet," said Shogarr, raising his hand.
"Yumi, be careful!" shouted Phyllis. "Shogarr created the whole Deck Lord system! That Dragon could have Deck Lord abilities that haven't even been documented!"
"Actually," replied Shogarr, "it has no Deck Lord abilities at all...
"But it will have some powerful ones, once I empower it with these!"
He held up six Monster cards. Phyllis gasped.
"Those are the Orichalcos Monsters that Kozaky made!" she gulped. "I locked them in my most secure vault... I never even knew what their ultimate purpose was..."
"I designed that vault," said Shogarr. "I'd be a pretty pathetic sorcerer if I couldn't bypass the magical wards on a vault I designed.
"As for the true purpose of these cards, Kozaky had no idea of it. Yumi... Your grandfather did me a great favor by vanquishing the Leviathan. If there's one thing I didn't want when I enacted my plan, it was competition!"
"Llymic was right," muttered Ren. "An Elder Evil's greatest enemy is another Elder Evil..."
"But the Spirits of these Monsters," said Shogarr, "the demonic servants of the Orichalcos, didn't realize that. Ever since their master's defeat, they've been hiding in remote corners of the universe, too weak to do anything but cower. By making these cards, I was able to contact them, and offer them a new purpose, by serving me...
"And they foolishly accepted. It's time for them to serve that purpose...
"Feed, my pet..."
He tossed the six cards upwards, and the huge Dragon snapped them up like six pieces of candy.
"GAH!" shouted Yumi. "Shogarr... What did you do?!"
Chaos Emperor Dragon started to glow with energy.
"By using those six fools as fuel," said Shogarr, "my Dragon will be the perfect weapon in this battle...
"A battle I hoped would never come... One I tried to prevent since a prophet predicted it five-thousand years ago...
"Yumi... Do you know how many times I tried to get rid of you since that time?"
"I believe this was the third," replied Yumi.
"Oh, please," replied Shogarr. "I made dozens of attempts. The one that your spiritual guide told you about wasn't even the first.
"You see, Yumi, most of the times I started a cult, it failed before it even got close to you...
"Sometimes I gave these cultists great powers... But they fell victim to greed, and decided to use the powers to steal wealth and valuable trinkets instead of concentrating on the goals I set for them. Even worse, more often than not, they ended up squabbling over their spoils, fighting amongst themselves, until the authorities found them and they were hanged as bandits.
"Other times, they disagreed on who should lead their group, their dreams of the rewards they would get upon success going to their heads. Jealousy over some relic that one member had led to murder, and the cult was destroyed from within.
"Time and again, each cult I started to take care of you failed, without you ever knowing you were in danger. Every time you were reborn into a new life..."
"What do you expect?" asked Yumi. "Groups devoted to Chaos aren't very organized. It's their nature."
"Ain't it the truth," said Chelsea.
"I guess my efforts were all wasted anyway," replied Shogarr. "My plans to get rid of you before now were doomed to failure. Prophesies are fickle things, and you simply cannot avoid them...
"But... The prophet that spoke five-thousand years ago merely said that you would oppose me... Who the victor would be, he did not say... So if I simply crush you now, I'll truly be unopposed..."
"I have three words to say to you, helmet-head..." replied Yumi.
Her Disk activated.
"Bring... it... on!"
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END OF INTERLUDE
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Coming up next:
With the whole world watching, Yumi fights her greatest enemy in the final battle to decide the fate of creation. The conclusion to Soul of Silicon is at hand, and you all will have front-row seats. "Ritual" is next. Be here.