"The Ninth Millennium Item"

Chapter Three

Last time, on The Ninth Millenium Item: Ammon sent the Shadow Puppet Scoby through Portal 13 to win the Millenium Goblet from the Fanfair Goblin. Scoby was very successful, and we left him as he returned home.

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It was the day after Scoby had brought his master the Millenium Goblet, and the room was a mess from the previous night's feasting. Razoul was snoring loudly, Dextel was singing like a canary (and I mean that quite literally) in his sleep, Ammon was cozing with a couple of slatterns, and Scoby was resting with a smile of peaceful bliss. Only Minkth was active, but he was very disturbed.

He knew that he would be the next to find another Millenium Item, but he didn't think his deck was ready. He knew precisely what would happen if he failed, and it wasn't pleasant.

Something caught the Shadow Puppet's eye as he took a glance around the room. A loose card was lying on the floor under a bag of Lays brand potato chips. Minth glided over to it and lifted it in his palm.

It was Ocean Dragon Lord - Neo Daedelus, a card that had no use to Minkth and his fairy deck. What is more, he did not think there was a Levia Dragon in the house, which made the card absolutely useless.

He went over to the card album just to check to make sure, but he was wrong. A very shiny Levia Dragon awaited him, as did a Tribe-Infecting Virus and a Mobius the Frost Monarch. Dare he take them?

Just as Minkth closed the card album, Ammon awoke with a loud yawn. The two girls, Lada and Chirse, ran out of the apartment giggling.

"What is this mess!?!" Ammon shrieked. Then he saw the Millenium Goblet. "Oh yeah, right."

He thought for a moment, then shouted, "WAKE UP YOU FOOLS! I have enough troubles without discovering that my minions like to arise after I do!"

Dextel grunted as he awoke, then said happily, "Are we having pancakes for breakfast?"

"No, we're not having pancakes! Who do you think I am, the Pillsbury Dough Boy?"

"No, I think you're Santa Claus!"

Ammon slapped his face in dismay.

"So what are we having for breakfast?" Razoul wondered.

"Absolutely nothing. We're dieting."

"We are? If I had known that I would've eaten four three-layer cakes last night," Dextel said.

"Then you would be as fat as a pumpkin right now. But we have other matters to attend to."

"Such as?"

"The next Millenium item! And the perfect one to retrieve it is Minkth."

"Yes, Master. I won't let you down," the Shadow Puppet replied.

"Good. Now, the opponent you're going to be battling speaks an unknown language, just like the Fanfair Goblin."

"Do I need to say 'Erom on slodi' just like Scoby?"

"No, because this new challenger speaks an entirely different language and would not understand that. Besides, I'm giving you this!" Ammon extended a pendant-like contraption to Minkth's outstretched hand.

"Great! What is it?"

"It's a Language Translator! No matter what language different people speak, they can understand each other if one of them is wearing this!"

"Hey, wait a sec," Scoby felt cheated. "If you had one of those why didn't you give it to me?"

"Because I don't like you, you're a loser, and I'd rather see you falter!"

"Then what do you keep me around for?"

Ammon ignored this question. "Okay, to Portal 14 Minkth, and we wish you the best of luck!"

"I don't," Scoby muttered.

Minkth went on his way, and disappeared in a flash of light.

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When he landed at his destination, he saw he was standing at the top of a 700-foot tall castle.

Across from him stood a man whose skin was purple and whose yellow veins flashed from within him. "HelloI am Zorgrath."

"Are you my opponent?" Minkth wondered.

"Why no; I'm not your opponent. But he will be arriving shortly. In fact, here he comes now."

What Minkth took for an eagle moments before flew down to the castle top.

Landing smoothly, the new creature turned toward the Shadow Puppet.

"Let's make this brief. I'm Sillus, and it's time to duel!"

4000/4000

"I'll go first, if you don't mind," Sillus said, grinning broadly. "And I summon Magician of Faith in attack mode! Then I set one card face-down, after which I end my turn!"

"Good! Now I summon Dancing Fairy, and have him attack your monster!"

"You can't! Dancing Fairy has Summoning Sickness!"

"Huh?"

"He thinks this is Duel Masters not Duel Monsters," Zorgrath supplied.

"Well, what ev. My monster still attacks."

The Dancing Fairy sent its magic to destroy the Magician of Faith, but Sillus activated a Quick-play Spell card.

"Book of Moon! Now Magician of Faith goes into face-down Defense mode. Then your attack flips it face-up, allowing me to pull one spell from my Grave."
'

"Yes, but there's no point! All you get back is Book of Moon. What a lousy move."

"Whatever, it's my go. And I summon Neo Swordsman! Break his shields!"

"This is not Duel Masters!"

"Well, then, he'll just attack your fairy."

"But that'll destroy them both!"

"Big deal!" Sillus shouted defiantly. And after that, he set two face-down cards and ended his turn.

"My move."

"Wait," said Zorgrath. "I have something to tell you."

"What?"

"You both are an integral part of me."

"What's he barking about?" Minkth asked.

"I'm saying that I need you all back in my body to become whole again. So that I can once again be free to terrorize the world. As long as you both remain free, I must stay here, with no liberty. Whoever loses this duel will become a part of me again."

"You're joking, right?" Minkth said.

"Oh no. You see, Sillus is my nonsense side, my humerus, my funny bone. Without him I cannot but be serious, nor can I smile. As for you, you are a Shadow Puppet, meaning you were created from a shadow, namely mine. And there's one more who has yet to join the party."

When Zorgrath finished this speech, they heard a scraping sound. Someone was climbing the castle.

Ere long, a female's face appeared. She had jet-black hair, though she was not exceptionally beautiful.

"Hiya, all!"

"And that is Krissa, my feminine side." A jet of spidery thread emitted from Zorgrath's hand at this time, trapping everyone present. "Now, none of you will be free to go until someone faces me and wins. But that's not happening."

Minkth was very scared at this point, knowing he'd really have to play his best if he wished to live.