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CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
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Invincible Duelist!
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Ren versus the Dark One
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Cassandra was meditating…
She opened her eyes…
"Still safe…" she whispered. "Still safely locked away…"
She sighed, and looked at her own dueling deck. She looked through the cards.
When Neos had defeated the Light Ruler in Jaden's final battle with Sartorious, the Light of Ruin had been sealed away…
Making sure it stayed gone was something Jaden couldn't do. That task fell upon others.
How Cassandra got appointed to the task, and how she did so was complicated to say the least. But being a duelist helped a great deal. After a few years at her task, the source of her precognitive abilities – which was a much more benign source of light – gave her these cards. Sartorious's evil Tarot Monsters had been reborn as benign creatures who would now work to make sure the Dark Light stayed sealed away.
After all… The Light of Ruin had given most powers of light a bad name.
Cassandra was glad that Icarus's slop-job copies of Candellado had been confiscated. Without the proper protection, custom copies of cards that the Light had made sent out a beacon, reaching to the Light's prison, slowly eroding at its chains…
Fortunately, only minute damage had been done by Icarus. He had absolutely no loyalty to the Light. He used the cards because they were powerful, simply put. There was no danger of any new cult starting, or the cards would have been made with the intent to weaken the bindings.
Still…
She'd be on guard… Obviously, these Ascenders schemed carelessly with total disregard for the possible consequences.
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Yumi ran through the streets of Duelatopia towards the Entertainment District.
According to Chelsea when she had called her, Ren had received a challenge he had been waiting for, and the least she could do was lend support.
She just hoped she could spot them. Duels were happening everywhere.
She passed by just as a Warrior Lady of the Wasteland slammed her sword into one hapless duelist. Yumi always had one thought whenever she saw a direct attack occur in a duel that she wasn't involved in:
Glad that wasn't me!
She passed by a few odd sights. In one spot, a duelist was facing an opponent with five multicolored Kuribohs.
She knew that strategy… Her grandfather had used it.
She passed by another duel. A duelist was behind a Neo Aqua Madoor Equipped with a Ring of Magnetism, with a Cannon Soldier right next to it. Yumi slowed down and saw the duelist activate Stray Lambs and fire two shots at his opponent.
She smirked. Her grandmother had used that sort of strategy before changing to a Gain/Burn Deck. Except her Wall Monster was the Millennium Shield.
As she ran on, she thought of that card, the Millennium Shield. Her grandmother had given it to her, and it was now in her second deck, the one she had yet to even test.
She sighed… She didn't know if she ever would use it at all. Maybe she'd come back here during Christmas vacation when there wasn't a tournament involved to break it in, and if it was successful, it would be her weapon if she got invited to next year's tournament.
She ran past a theater and saw Chelsea sitting on a park bench. She was holding Ren's guitar in front of her.
"Chelsea…" gasped Yumi, panting for breath. "What did I miss?"
"Not much," said Chelsea, pointing.
Yumi looked. In front of them, Ren and a boy around his age were shuffling each other's decks.
The other boy didn't exactly stand out. He had short, neatly cut blonde hair and a boyish face. He wore a white shirt, blue jeans, and a jean jacket that had the sleeves torn off.
"Who is that?" asked Chelsea.
"Kenta," answered Chelsea. "Daikato Kenta. Apparently, he's Ren's pen pal…"
"Ren has a pen pal?" asked Yumi.
"Yeah, he never mentioned him to me either," replied Chelsea. "But apparently, at some point, they promised to duel each other if they ever met at a tournament where an open challenge could be made."
"And now is the time…" said Yumi, sitting down. "So is this an official duel?"
"Oh yeah…" answered Chelsea. "You bet. They insisted."
Yumi thought for a minute…
"Daikato…" she muttered, as she sat down. "Where have I heard that name before?"
She shook her head. She was sure it would come to her soon…
Ren and Kenta stood apart from each other.
"So Kenta…" asked Ren. "Any chance I can get a hint as what's in this deck of yours you've been harping about?"
"Get real, Ren…" answered Kenta. "Remember the deal… We each keep it a secret until we duel."
"Then now's the time…" said Ren, as the two Disks activated.
"Game on!" they shouted.
(Ren: 8,000) -------------------- (Kenta: 8,000)
"After you…" said Ren.
"Oh, no," said Kenta, "I insist, after you…"
Ren paused, and then made his first draw.
Best start out slow… he thought. I haven't got a clue what his strategy is, but it's likely an unusual one…
"I summon Chthonian Soldier in Attack Mode," he said.
He placed a card on his Disk, and in a burst of darkness, the infernal infantryman appeared, holding his wicked blade. (1,200/1,400)
"Not bad…" said Kenta.
"Now I'll place this facedown, for later…" continued Ren.
He fit a card into his Disk, and a facedown card materialized.
"Now let's see what you've got," he said.
"All right, watch out!" said Kenta, drawing a card.
He looked over his hand.
"I'll start by setting this in Defense Mode," he said. "And that's all for now."
A facedown Monster appeared, and Kenta smirked slightly.
Ren paused, and drew a card.
My Chthonian isn't exactly the best Monster Attack-wise… he thought. But I might be able to get in a lead if I took a chance…
"Chthonian Soldier, attack!" he shouted. "Berserker blade!"
The Chthonian charged, swinging his sword…
…and then, his sword was halted by another blade.
Ren looked, and saw a Spirit Reaper kneeling on the card. (300/200)
"Super…" muttered Ren. "Your move…"
That won't shield him for long, he thought. As soon as I draw Getsu, it'll be gone.
Kenta drew a card.
"I'll play this Spell Card…" he said, holding it up. "It's called Goblin Charlatan."
As he played the card, a figure materialized in front of him. It was the Goblin of Greed, wearing an expensive-looking Italian suit, with shifty eyes.
Kenta took his deck and spread out the cards.
"When I play this card, I have to take any six cards in my deck, and remove them from play…"
He quickly chose six cards and then handed them to the Goblin, who placed them inside the suit.
"…but in return, I get to add to my hand any one Monster that I want."
The Goblin handed him a card, and he took it, adding it to his hand. Then the Goblin vanished.
"By the way, if you think I'm planning to use Dimension Fusion, don't worry. I can't Special Summon those cards while they remain removed from play.
"Sure, it seems like a rip-off, but it will all come into place soon. I'll show you right now…"
He chose another card.
"I sacrifice my Spirit Reaper… to summon my Dark Cultist."
He placed the card on his Disk, and Spirit Reaper faded away. In a shadowy aura, a new Monster appeared. It was a cloaked, hooded figure in black, its face completely concealed behind the hood. Its hands were gaunt, and it drifted off the ground, rather than walked on it. It let out a chilling moan. (1,000/1,000)
"I activate my Trap!" shouted Ren, as his facedown card lifted.
"Hidden Soldiers. Since you summoned a Monster, now I can Special Summon one Dark Monster from my hand, Like Zombyra the Dark."
In a burst of energy, Zombyra flew out onto the field. (2,100/500)
"Cool Monster…" said Kenta. "But Dark Cultist also has a cool ability."
He raised his hand, and six cards appeared in it.
"When it's summoned, all cards that have been removed from play go to their owners' Graveyards…"
He discarded the cards.
"I thought he said he couldn't bring them back," said Chelsea.
"He said he couldn't Special Summon them," corrected Yumi. "That wasn't a summoning at all."
"…and even better," continued Kenta, "for each one sent there this way, Dark Cultist gains 100 more Attack Points."
Dark Cultist glowed, and rose to (1,600/1,000)
This is interesting… thought Yumi. But I can't help but think that this Dark Cultist plays a part of some larger strategy…
"Dark Cultist," said Kenta, "attack the Chthonian Soldier! Dark curse!"
Dark Cultist put its hands together, and formed a ball of crackling, dark energy between them. It hurled a blast of black magic at Chthonian Soldier. The Warrior groaned, and then exploded.
"Uh, Kenta?" said Ren. "You might want to… look up."
"Huh?" asked Kenta, looking up.
Then he saw that Chthonian Soldier's sword was flying towards him. He yelped in pain as it hit him.
"You obviously didn't know…" said Ren, "when Chthonian Soldiers die in battle, they curse the ones who land the killing blows. This is translated by the fact that you lose as many Life Points as I do."
Actually, I did know… thought Kenta. But I didn't have any other way to get rid of him…
(R: 7,600) -------------------- (K: 7,600)
"I'll set a card of my own facedown," said Kenta, as a facedown card appeared, "and that's all for my turn."
Ren drew a card.
He smirked.
"I'll place another card facedown to start…" he said.
A facedown card appeared behind Zombyra.
"And then…" he continued, "I summon a Warrior whose name is known and feared throughout the East as… Mataza the Zapper!"
With a battle cry, a new Warrior somersaulted onto Ren's side of the field. It was a dark ronin, with black hair tied in a ponytail, wearing green leather armor. He wore a lethal-looking katana at his side. (1,300/800)
"He's called the Zapper because he's very fast. So fast, that he gets two attacks in the same round. But first…
"Zombyra, attack the Dark Cultist! Super-powered punch attack!"
Zombyra leapt forward and clocked the Dark Cultist. It let out another chilling moan, and was blasted into shreds of cloth.
Zombyra moaned a little, as his Attack Score fell to 1,900.
"Mataza…" ordered Ren, "attack directly! Zapping blade!"
Mataza the Zapper leapt up and drew his katana in mid-air…
This is gonna sting… thought Kenta.
He grunted, and stumbled backwards as Mataza slammed his blade into his chest.
"And again!" ordered Ren.
Mataza followed through with another slash, upward, and this time, Kenta screamed. He fell to one knee.
(R: 7,600) -------------------- (K: 4,500)
"Huh…" said Chelsea, putting her hand on her chin. "I was expecting Kenta to put up more of a fight… Ren is going to chew him up and spit him out if this keeps up…"
"I'm worried…" said Yumi. "This looks a little too easy…"
"Your move…" said Ren, crossing his arms.
Kenta took some deep breaths, and got up. He drew a card.
Perfect… he thought, looking at it. Now I have all I need to bring out my star…
He opened his Field Slot and placed a card in it.
"I play… Necrovalley!" he shouted.
In a blur, the city street faded away, and the buildings were replaced by rocky cliff walls, with ominous caves in the sides. Ren and Kenta were now facing each other from opposite sides of a deep canyon.
"What is he up to?" asked Chelsea. "Is he going to use Gravekeepers?"
"Ordinarily, I'd assume he was…" answered Yumi. "But that Goblin Charlatan card and the Dark Cultist didn't exactly fit into a Gravekeeper theme…"
"Continuing…" said Kenta. "Now I play a Spell Card… Magic Reflector."
He played the card, and a large, robot spider-like thing appeared on the field.
The card shattered, but the spider remained. It scurried up the cliff wall, and then embedded its legs in the stone.
"See that?" asked Kenta. "That's a counter, technically. It's there to protect my Field Spell. If you do anything that would destroy Necrovalley, the counter will be destroyed instead, leaving Necrovalley itself safe. In other words, to take out this Field, you have to destroy it twice."
"I see…" muttered Ren.
"Now we get to the fun part…" said Kenta, with a sinister grin.
He held aloft a Spell Card.
"I play… Contract With Exodia!"
Yumi stood up in surprise.
"It can't be…" she muttered.
As Kenta played the Spell Card, the gargantuan form of Exodia the Forbidden One rose behind Kenta, and his eyes glowed with fiery light… Terrible storm clouds formed over Necrovalley, and wind howled.
"You see, Ren…" said Kenta, "the six cards I removed from play and then sent to my Graveyard… One was a second Goblin Charlatan, which I didn't need anymore… But the other five… They were the five pieces of Exodia the Forbidden One! And since they're in my Graveyard, I can use this card to summon the Dark One… Arise, Exodia Necross!"
Exodia's eyes flashed with energy, and fiery beams shot from them. Where they landed, a dark portal opened…
The Forbidden One slowly vanished, and an arm emerged from the portal, followed by a second arm. The rest of the colossal creature slowly emerged. It resembled Exodia at first glance, but its skin was black and dull, and its face was skull-like. It was surrounded by an aura of evil, dark energy. (1,800/0)
Ren sweat nervously.
He actually built a deck designed to summon Necross? he thought. This is… is…
…well, it would be kind of cool, actually, if I wasn't the one facing it…
He looked at his facedown card.
My facedown card is Rising Energy. When he attacks, I'll trigger it, and Mataza will gain 1,500 Attack Points for one round. He won't be able to destroy Necross, but at least he'll be safe for now.
"Exodia Necross…" ordered Kenta, "attack Mataza the Zapper with your mighty fist!"
Exodia Necross bellowed an inhuman roar, and lunged at Mataza the Zapper…
"I activate… Rising Energy!" shouted Ren, as his Trap Card lifted.
He quickly discarded a card.
"Did you forget I had a facedown card too?" asked Kenta. "I activate Royal Decree."
His own Trap lifted.
"And so long as this decree is enforced, no Traps are allowed except this one."
The Rising Energy card shattered.
Necross's fist struck Mataza, and the ronin was thrown back. He shattered into black shards.
(R: 7,100) -------------------- (K: 4,500)
"This looks bad…" said Chelsea.
"Tell me about it…" said Yumi.
"I don't know who first proposed that Contract, or who wrote it up, or who got Exodia to agree to it, but the creature that it summons is not one to fool around with.
"You see… Exodia Necross is dead. And I don't mean undead like your vampires. Simply dead. And since it's already dead, it's incredibly hard to destroy. Attacks can't do it, and neither can Spells or Traps…
"It only has two basic weaknesses. One way is to destroy it with Monster effects, and I don't even know if Ren has a Monster that fits the bill.
"The other way is to somehow move one or more pieces of Exodia out of the owner's Graveyard. But as you can see, Kenta thought ahead and made doing that all but impossible. Unless Ren can get rid of Necrovalley, Kenta's Graveyard is completely off-limits."
Ren drew a card.
She's right… he thought, looking at the machine embedded in the cliff wall. And so long as that thing is there, it would take two anti-Spell cards to destroy this Field. And as for Monsters who can destroy other Monsters… Well, if Necross were a Fiend or a Zombie, Getsu Fuhma could do it, but it's a Spellcaster…
Sure doesn't look like one, but it is.
"I move Zombyra to Defense Mode…" he said.
Zombyra knelt and shielded himself.
"Next, I summon Dark Squire."
A new figure appeared on his side of the field. It was a young girl, dressed in the clothing of nobility, with a formal coat and a beret, but while her clothes were fancy, they were all black and grey (300/300)
"Don't worry, she's not the attacking type," said Ren. "In fact, when I summon her, she moves into Defense Mode quickly."
Dark Squire crouched in Defense Mode.
"That's all I can do…"
Kenta drew a card.
"In case you didn't know, Ren," he said, "Necross gets stronger with each passing round…"
With a creaking, cracking noise, Necross grew slightly, and rose to (2,300/0).
"Now to wipe out your side of the field. This next guy isn't the strongest Monster, but he'll do. I summon Plague Wolf."
The ground on his side of the field cracked, and a small figure burst out. It was rotting, decaying, Zombie wolf, its skin pulled taunt across its bones and its fur falling off. (1,000/1,000)
"Plague Wolf, attack his Squire! Breath of pestilence!"
The Plague Wolf belched a cloud of black gas from its jowls. Dark Squire coughed, and then was literally decayed alive, rotting before collapsing into dust.
"Looks like she just bit the dust," said Kenta.
"Eww…" muttered Ren. "Well, Dark Squire has another special ability. When she dies in battle, we each get to draw two cards."
"You don't hear me complaining…" said Kenta.
They each drew twice.
"Exodia Necross, your turn," he continued. "Flatten Zombyra the Dark!"
Necross threw a punch, and Zombyra shattered into pixels.
"Any questions?" asked Kenta.
"Only the obvious," replied Ren. "Why on earth did you decide to build a deck based on Exodia Necross?"
"Heh, heh, heh…" chuckled Kenta. "That's quite a story, Ren… But I have nowhere to go…"
He paused.
"My mother Genki was a great Pro League duelist… She played a standard Exodia Deck, and she won most of the time…"
"That's where I heard the name before!" exclaimed Yumi. "Daikato Genki… She was known as the Exodia Empress…"
"Indeed…" said Kenta. "I watched her duel so many times… I was so excited every time she summoned the almighty Exodia and blasted her opponent into next week… The thrill was almost intoxicating.
"Eventually, she retired, and I was overjoyed when she gave her deck to me…
"But the thrill, sadly, didn't last…
"I soon found that I wasn't as good at it as she was. I didn't win nearly as often. And even when I did win, even when I managed to summon Exodia, it seemed so… empty. There was no thrill when I did it. In my hands, Exodia wasn't the same.
"Then, somebody told me what the problem was. He told me that reason I couldn't use the deck with as much skill and as much satisfaction was simple – it wasn't mine. As long as I used my mother's deck, I was copying someone else. To be a true duelist, I had to find my own calling.
"It made sense… But what was I to do? Sell my mother's priceless Exodia cards? I could not, would not, should not do such a thing…
"Then it happened… I was browsing in a card store, when I saw it… Exodia Necross. My heart leapt… This was it! A new way to use Exodia!
"The deck took a full year to design and build. Finding all the cards for it was a tedious and arduous task…
"But I succeeded. I created my Exodia Necross Deck! And the thrill is back!"
"Swell…" said Ren. "But, uh… You realize I'm still going to try to beat it…"
"By all means…" said Kenta. "I believe it's your move."
Ren looked at the four cards in his hand.
Polymerization, Frontline Base, Final Attack Orders, and Penumbral Soldier Lady.
If this next draw isn't a Monster I can summon, he thought, I'll be wide open… Bluffing likely won't work against something that can't be killed by Traps.
Not only that, I've heard of Plague Wolf… He can double its Attack Score if he's willing to destroy it at the end of his turn…
He nervously looked at Exodia Necross…
He drew.
Well, that's halfway there… he thought.
"I play Pot of Greed…" he said, playing the card.
He drew two cards.
He smirked.
"Okay, Kenta…" he said. "First thing's first… Your canyon is coming down…"
"Oh, come on…" said Kenta. "No one could have been lucky enough to draw Heavy Storm AND Mystical Space Typhoon at the same time!"
"Actually…" said Ren, "I'm gonna do it with only one card."
"What?" said Kenta. "You can't!"
"Yes I can," replied Ren. "Magic Reflector may be powerful, but it has one weakness.
"You see, when it's used to protect a Field Spell, which is what it's doing right now, it can NOT prevent the Field's destruction if a second Field Spell is played."
"Ren is right…" said Yumi, in surprise. "That thing can't prevent Necrovalley from being displaced by another Field."
"So…" said Ren, opening his own Field Slot. "I play Mystic Plasma Zone."
The cliffs of Necrovalley crumbled to dust, taking the Magic Reflector with them, the ground solidified, and the dark fog, with crackling energy coursing in the sky, covered the arena.
"You'd better hope you can make use of that," said Kenta. "Because Necross happens to be a Dark Monster."
Necross rose to (2,800/0), and Plague Wolf rose to (1,500/600)
"He won't be around much longer," said Ren, taking the other card he had drawn. "I play Monster Reborn!"
He played the card, and the ankh glowed with golden light in the darkness. Kenta's discard slot glowed as well…
The disembodied head of Exodia the Forbidden One appeared in front of Ren. (1,000/1,000) –) (1,500/600)
Exodia Necross moaned. Its skin shriveled, and then its left arm fell off and crashed to the ground. Then its right arm followed, then its head. Then what was left of it shattered into pixels.
"Very clever…" muttered Kenta.
"Oh, I'm not done…" said Ren. "I sacrifice this guy…"
Exodia's head vanished.
"To summon Penumbral Soldier Lady!"
From out of the darkness, the tall, female Warrior appeared, holding her sword and shield. (2,100/1,400) –) (2,600/1,000)
"Attack his Plague Wolf!" shouted Ren. "Sword of shadows!"
Penumbral Soldier Lady charged forward and slashed at Plague Wolf with her blade. It was blown to pieces.
(R: 7,100) -------------------- (K: 3,400)
"Not bad…" muttered Kenta.
He paused for a minute.
"I believe it's my move…"
He drew a card.
"I'll place this in Defense Mode, and that will be all."
A facedown Monster appeared.
Ren drew a card.
Pitch-Dark Dragon. He figured he'd save it for later.
"Penumbral Soldier Lady, attack!"
The Warrior charged again. Sangan appeared on the card, and she cleaved it in half.
"I'm sure you know what Sangan's effect is," said Kenta, taking his deck.
"Yeah, yeah…" said Ren.
Kenta got what he wanted, and then reshuffled.
"My turn is over, Kenta…" said Ren. "But why don't you just give up? Your key card has been destroyed, and Exodia Necross is a NOMI, whatever the heck that means."
Kenta laughed as he made his next draw.
He laughed even harder when he saw what it was.
"Ren, you are so naïve!" he said. "I'm playing a Necross Deck! Do you honestly believe that this deck has only one copy of Necross?"
Ren stared at him.
"Your deck has… two copies of Exodia Necross?" he asked.
"Nope," replied Kenta. "Three."
"THREE?" shouted Yumi. "But… Wha… Exodia Necross is even rarer than the pieces of Exodia!"
"Having a mom who had celebrity status in the Pro League helped a great deal," said Kenta. "And now you've foolishly put Exodia's head back in my Graveyard, and used your only copy of Monster Reborn. Unless you also have Autonomous Action Unit in your deck, you won't be able to destroy it that way again…
"Speaking of which…
"I play my second copy of Contract With Exodia."
The storm raged, this one different than last time, given the different Field. A fiery circle appeared, and Exodia Necross appeared again. But this time, it knelt, and crossed its arms in Defense Mode. (1,800/0) –) (2,300/0)
"I'll put it in Defense Mode for this round," said Kenta. "But next round, it will be strong enough to kill her, and then… watch out!"
Ren nervously drew a card.
ARGH! Call of the Haunted? he thought. Even if I had something in my Graveyard that could stand up to Necross – and I don't – I can't use it. His Royal Decree is still on the field!
He turned the card on his Disk, and Penumbral Soldier Lady knelt in Defense Mode.
"I can't do anything else…" he muttered.
"Then I draw…" said Kenta, drawing.
Necross rose to (2,800/0)
"I'll move it into Attack Mode…"
Necross stood up…
"Then I'll summon the guy I got from Sangan. My Shadow Cultist."
He played the card, and in another low moan, another cloaked figure appeared. It looked much like Dark Cultist, except with a midnight blue robe. (1,200/800) –) (1,700/400)
Ren gulped.
"By the way…" said Kenta. "When Shadow Cultist is on the field, all Spellcasters on my side of the field except this one are immune to Spells, Traps, and Monster effects that target.
"Get the idea? I have cards in my deck to eliminate both of Necross's weaknesses."
Yumi looked at Shadow Cultist.
Interesting… she thought. I should look into that card…
"Shadow Cultist," ordered Kenta, "attack Penumbral Soldier Lady with shadow flux!"
Shadow Cultist fired a blast of shadowy energy at the Warrior. Penumbral Soldier Lady gasped, and was literally consumed by the darkness.
"Exodia Necross, attack Ren directly!"
"Watch out, Ren!" shouted Chelsea, as Necross lunged for him.
"Sit down!" said Yumi.
Necross slugged Ren in the stomach, and he was thrown backwards. He skidded ten feet across the pavement.
"Ow… ow… ow…" he muttered.
(R: 4,300) -------------------- (K: 3,400)
"Heh, heh…" said Kenta. "Your move…"
Ren slowly got up. He walked back to his position.
He looked at the four cards in his hand again.
Only one guy can do it, he thought. And I have to draw him NOW.
He drew a card.
YES! he thought, looking at it. Lady Luck is truly on my side!
"I play Polymerization!" he shouted. "And I'll fuse together Dark Blade, and Pitch-Dark Dragon…"
The two Monsters appeared on the field, and then swirled into a dark blur.
"Come forth, Dark Blade the Dragon Knight!"
From out of the blur, Dark Blade flew, riding the Pitch-Dark Dragon, his sword held high. (2,200/1,500) –) (2,700/1,100)
"Are you kidding?" asked Kenta. "Necross will flatten him."
"He doesn't need to mess with Necross," said Ren. "Dark Blade, attack the Shadow Cultist!"
Dark Blade the Dragon Knight took to the air. He swooped down, and swiped at the Spellcaster with his sword. Shadow Cultist groaned, and burst into an explosion of cloth.
(R: 4,300) -------------------- (K: 2,400)
"And now…" said Ren, "since he inflicted battle damage, I get to remove from play three Monsters in your Graveyard. So, let's see…"
The images of the Monster Cards in Kenta's Graveyard appeared in front of him. He quickly touched Exodia the Forbidden One, Left Leg of the Forbidden One, and Right Leg of the Forbidden One, and they vanished.
Exodia Necross groaned again. This time, it turned to stone, and then cracks appeared all over it. It fell into a pile of rubble.
Kenta coughed as dust rose from the pile before it vanished.
"Not bad…" he muttered.
"Your move…" said Ren. "This is getting fun."
"Indeed…" said Kenta, drawing a card.
"I play… Card of Demise," he said, playing the card. "Now I get to draw five cards."
He made five draws.
"Yeah…" said Ren, as five lit candles appeared in front of Kenta, "but after five rounds, you lose your whole hand."
"I'm thinking more about the immediate future," said Kenta, looking at the eight cards in his hand. "As for this round, I play Heavy Storm."
He played the card, and the fierce wind erupted over the field, clearing away the dark fog of the field card, and shattering his own Royal Decree. Dark Blade the Dragon Knight fell to (2,200/1,500).
"Nice…" said Chelsea. "Now Ren can use his Traps again… Although if Kenta somehow summons his third Necross, it might not matter…"
"Next…" said Kenta. "I play my own Monster Reborn."
The ankh appeared on his side of the field.
"I'll use it to bring back my Dark Cultist, in Defense Mode."
Dark Cultist reappeared, now crouching and shielding itself in defense. (1,000/1,000)
"I'm sure you remember how Dark Cultist works, right?" asked Kenta. "All cards that have been removed from play now go back to our Graveyards, and it gains 100 Attack Points for each one."
Kenta slipped three cards into his discard slot, and Dark Cultist rose to (1,300/1,000)
"Nuts…" said Chelsea. "Now all five pieces of Exodia are in his Graveyard again…"
"I'll place a second Monster in Defense Mode, and that will end my turn," said Kenta.
A concealed Monster appeared.
One of the five candles blew out.
Ren made one draw.
He played the card.
"I summon Getsu Fuhma," he said.
The lovely, redheaded ronin in armor appeared, holding aloft her katana. (1,700/1,200)
"Getsu Fuhma, attack his Dark Cultist!"
Getsu Fuhma made a slash with her blade, and the Spellcaster burst, just like he had before.
"Dark Blade, take out that mystery Monster."
Dark Blade swooped towards the facedown card.
Magician of Faith appeared kneeling on the card, just seconds before she was blown to pieces.
"Nuts…" muttered Ren, rolling his eyes.
"Thank you…" said Kenta. "Now I get to reclaim one Spell Card from my Graveyard…"
He took a card from his discard slot.
"Give you one guess what it is," he said, showing him the Contract With Exodia card.
He added it to his hand.
"I have to end my turn," muttered Ren. "So why stall? Bring out the big guy again…"
Kenta made a draw.
He looked closely at the card.
"I will…" he said. "Let's play Contract With Exodia once more…"
He played the card, and once again, lightning flashed…
Kenta placed his third and last copy of Exodia Necross on his Disk, and for the third time, Exodia's evil twin arose. (1,800/0)
"Come on Ren…" muttered Chelsea. "Just once more… You can take it down just once more…"
"Necross…" ordered Kenta, "attack Getsu Fuhma!"
Necross punched with its mighty fist. Getsu cried out in pain as it struck her, and she shattered.
(R: 4,200) -------------------- (K: 2,400)
"I'll end with this facedown…" said Kenta, placing a card in a slot.
The second candle blew out.
Ren slowly drew a card.
It was The Fiend Megacyber, not someone he could use right now.
He seems to have made a fatal mistake, he thought. Dark Blade the Dragon Knight doesn't need to destroy a Monster to use his effect… He just has to inflict battle damage. His Attack Score is higher than Necross's right now, and Kenta will still take battle damage if I attack it…
And then, Necross will be gone again.
"Dark Blade… Attack Exodia Necross!"
Dark Blade flew at Exodia Necross.
"You took the bait!" shouted Kenta. "I activate Rush Recklessly!"
His facedown card lifted.
Ren's eyes widened as Necross grew to an Attack of 2,500…
It threw a punch, and Dark Blade the Dragon Knight shattered into bits.
(R: 3,900) -------------------- (K: 2,400)
"So Ren…" said Kenta with a smile. "What are you gonna do now?"
Ren placed one of his cards into his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.
"That's it for me…" he said.
Kenta drew a card. Exodia Necross grew to an Attack of 2,300.
"Well…" he said, "I don't usually attack with this guy, but…
"I summon Des Feral Imp in Attack Mode."
He played the card, and a fiendish-looking, reptilian, humanoid creature with sharp claws appeared. (1,600/1,800)
"No…" groaned Chelsea. "If both those attacks go through, Ren loses…"
"Necross, attack Ren directly!" ordered Kenta.
"I activate… Call of the Haunted!" shouted Ren.
His Trap Card lifted, and a tombstone rose on his side of the field…
Dark Blade the Dragon Knight burst out of the ground, facing Necross again. (2,200/1,500)
"Oh, you are good!" said Kenta with a laugh. "Necross, attack that Knight."
Exodia Necross threw his fist, and Dark Blade shattered again.
"Des Feral Imp, you attack directly. Jagged claw."
The Reptile lunged at Ren and slashed with its talons. He grunted, and staggered backwards.
(R: 2,200) -------------------- (K: 2,400)
"That's all for my turn," said Kenta. "I'll turn it over to you for now…"
The third candle blew out.
Ren drew a card.
This will cost me, he thought, but at least I can take down his Imp…
"I Special Summon The Fiend Megacyber," he said, playing a card.
In a burst of dark energy, the powerful, cybernetic Warrior arose. (2,200/1,200)
"Attack his Des Feral Imp!" he shouted. "Mega slash!"
The Megacyber swiped at the Reptile with its talons, and the smaller Monster shattered into bits. Kenta cringed a little.
(R: 2,200) -------------------- (K: 1,800)
"Your move…" said Ren, nervously.
Kenta drew a card. Necross grew to (2,800/0)
Burial From a Different Dimension? he thought, looking at it. Nuts… I was hoping for a Monster…
"Necross, attack his Fiend Megacyber!"
Exodia Necross lunged forward and punched The Fiend Megacyber. It shattered into pieces.
(R: 1,600) -------------------- (K: 1,800)
"So what now, Ren?" he asked. "Next round, it will be strong enough to take down Kaiba's Blue-Eyes. You'll never stand up to it."
The fourth candle went out.
Ren looked at the three cards in his hand, which were Bait Doll, Final Attack Orders, and Frontline Base. Not exactly the most useful cards right now.
He drew.
"I play… Graceful Charity!" he said, playing the card.
In a flash of light, the beautiful angel appeared, and her feathers fell on his deck.
Ren drew three cards and looked at them.
One of them was Crescent Moon Queen.
A tear fell out of his eye.
Sorry Queenie… he thought, but I can't use you this time… You'd be no help. Maybe next time…
He discarded her and Final Attack Orders.
"I play… Double Spell!" he shouted. "Now, I'll discard my Frontline Base…"
He discarded a card.
"…and I get to use any Spell Card in your Graveyard, Kenta. And the card I choose…
"Monster Reborn!"
The ankh appeared, and the head of Exodia appeared again, floating in mid-air. (1,000/1,000)
Exodia Necross groaned again, and this time burst into pieces of black rubble. Then the rubble vanished.
"Now uhm…" said Ren. "Sheesh, I can't believe I'm attacking with this… Attack directly!"
The eyes of the disembodied head glowed, and fired two beams of energy, striking Kenta in the chest. He grunted and staggered backwards.
"I'll end my turn with that," said Ren. "And I learned my lesson, Kenta… This time, I'm keeping this Monster on the field if I can help it.
"I'll place this facedown, and end my turn."
He fit a card into his Disk, and a facedown card appeared in front of him.
(R: 1,600) -------------------- (K: 800)
Kenta nervously drew a card.
He looked at it strangely.
"Are you now?" he said, adding it to his hand. "Sorry, Ren, but I was prepared in case the pieces of Exodia wound up stuck on the field."
He took a card.
"See this card?" he said. "It's a Spell Card called Last Day of Witch, and when it's played, all Spellcasters on the field are destroyed. Fortunately for me, the pieces of Exodia fall into that category."
He played the card, and the head of Exodia shattered into bits.
"Glad I'm not dueling him…" said Yumi.
Man, this guy is serious! thought Ren. Last Day of Witch isn't a card you can simply buy at a card store!
Never before have I seen someone put so much dedication into a deck… I'd like to let you win, Kenta, but… The thing is…
I've put a lot of dedication into my deck too, and I'm going to try my hardest to win.
"Now…" said Kenta, "I'm going to beat you, Ren, and I'm gonna do it using my backup plan…"
He placed a card on his Disk.
"I summon Prometheus, King of the Shadows."
A dark fog rose on Kenta's side of the field, and a tall, fiendish form stepped out of it. It was a muscular man in black, his face hidden under an orange hood, also wearing a red cape and clawed gauntlets. His eyes glowed with pinpoints of light, and a shadowy aura was around him. (1,200/800)
"He may not seem very strong, but he has a powerful ability if I use him late in the duel. I can remove any number of Dark Monsters in my Graveyard from play, and for each one I get rid of, he gains 400 Attack Points for one turn.
"I really only have to remove one in order to make him strong enough to beat you… But I promised I'd give you my all…
"So… I think I'll toss my Spirit Reaper, Dark Cultist, Shadow Cultist, Des Feral Imp, Sangan, and Plague Wolf."
The six cards slipped out of his discard slot, and he placed them inside his jacket. Prometheus glowed, and rose to (3,600/800).
"Hold on one second!" shouted Ren.
"Yes?" asked Kenta.
"Uhm…" said Ren. "This really doesn't make any sense. If I remember my mythology correctly, Prometheus was the Titan who stole fire from the gods in order to give to humanity. So why the heck is he a Dark Fiend? Wouldn't something along the lines of Fire/Pyro be more appropriate?"
Kenta looked dumbfounded.
"Dunno…" he said with a shrug. "I guess it doesn't make much sense to me either now that I think about it… Eh, blame the designers.
"Anyway… Prometheus… Attack Ren directly with shadow blast!"
Prometheus, King of the Shadows raised his claws, and started to conjure up an evil spell of darkness…
"You almost had me," said Ren. "But unlike Necross, that guy isn't immune to Traps."
His facedown card flipped up, revealing Sakuretsu Armor.
Kenta gasped, as Prometheus cast his lethal hex, but a shimmering wall of energy formed around Ren, and it backfired, blowing the King of the Shadows to pieces.
Kenta sighed.
"In that case," he said, taking another card from his hand, "I play Burial From a Different Dimension."
He played the card, and then took three cards from his pocket.
"Now, three Monsters that I just removed from play go back to my Graveyard – Plague Wolf, Des Feral Imp, and Dark Cultist."
He slipped the three cards into his discard slot.
Kenta fit two cards into his Disk, and two facedown cards appeared.
"That ends my turn," he said, "and since five turns have now passed…"
The final candle went out. He discarded the last card in his hand.
I've still got a chance, he thought. There's still one more copy of Contract With Exodia in my deck, and one of my facedown cards is Jar of Greed, which will give me two chances to get it.
And my other facedown card is Monster Reincarnation. Since I'll have two cards next turn, I'll be able to use it with one to spare. I can get back Exodia Necross.
And even if I don't draw the Contract, I can use Monster Reincarnation to get back Prometheus. Counting the five pieces of Exodia, I still have ten Dark Monsters to remove from play.
He has one card in his hand right now, and if it were a Monster, he would have summoned it last turn. It all depends on whether or not my luck is better than his.
Ren drew a card.
"I activate Jar of Greed," exclaimed Kenta, as one of his facedown cards lifted. "Now I get one draw…"
He drew a card.
He gave it a look, and then looked at Ren.
"Heh…" chuckled Ren. "Sorry, Kenta, but this duel is over…
"I summon Familiar Knight."
He played the card, and in a dark aura, a knight in shining armor and a red cape, holding a longsword and a large shield, appeared in a fighting stance. (1,200/1,400)
Kenta sighed…
"Attack directly!" shouted Ren.
Dark Blade charged, and slashed at Kenta with his two swords. Kenta fell over on his behind.
(R: 1,600) -------------------- (K: 0)
The holograms vanished, and the next thing Kenta saw was Ren holding out his hand.
"Need help getting up?" he asked.
Kenta took the hand, and got up.
"Uhm, Kenta…" said Ren, "I kind of figured out what that other facedown card was… Monster Reincarnation, right?"
"Maybe…" said Kenta.
"Well…" asked Ren, "may I ask, what did you draw with Jar of Greed? Because that was a very close duel."
"Ah, it was this," said Kenta, showing him the card. "My other Royal Decree. Wouldn't have done much good…"
"Oh?" asked Ren. "Well, for the sake of novelty, why don't you see what your next draw would have been?"
Kenta looked at Ren…
He slowly drew the top card from his deck, and looked at it.
He showed it to Ren.
"Mmm-hmm…" said Ren, with a smile. "Well, it was nice to meet you, Kenta. If you ever want a rematch, just call."
"I will," said Kenta, shuffling his deck. "And next time, it will be different!"
Ren walked up to where Chelsea and Yumi were sitting and checked his badge, which was now at Violet.
"So… what was the card?" asked Chelsea, as Ren took back his guitar.
"Lets just say I see good things in Kenta's future," said Ren. "He's found his call as a duelist, and it will take him far."
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Ren never realized, of course, that someone was watching the duel that he would rather have not.
In his penthouse apartment, Rasputin had been watching the duel live on the internet, with a sulk on his face.
Exodia Necross… A card that reminded him of Gozaburo Kaiba.
Rasputin never forgave Seto Kaiba from wresting control of KaibaCorp from his stepfather. Not that he cared much for Gozaburo, mind you. The man was a snake with moral standards that were worse than his. Rasputin had big plans, and had intended to seize KaibaCorp in a hostile takeover himself…
At first, he was pleased when Seto beat him to it. He thought that the adolescent boy would be far easier to overcome than the ruthless tycoon…
But then, Seto quickly destroyed the military firm that Gozaburo had built, and remade KaibaCorp as a gaming company. The company was of no use to Rasputin any more, or so he thought. Even if he could take it over, he doubted some toy company would profit him at all.
He was even angrier years later, when the company became more successful as a gaming company than it ever had been as a military firm, becoming one of the two pillars in Duel Monsters along with Industrial Illusions, not to mention becoming the most successful gaming company in the world, edging out even Nintendo and Electronic Arts. Rasputin would have gladly tried to seize the company at that point… But by then, Seto Kaiba was far too powerful for him to challenge from a business standpoint. He had planned to crush him via Kaiba's chosen method – in a duel – once he had won the Egyptian God Cards, but that plan had been ruined by his failure to do so.
Still… Watching the duel, Rasputin couldn't help but be a little impressed. Ren had defeated that Monster three times. Kaiba struggled to do so once in his final confrontation with his hated stepfather…
This was saying something…
Clearly, Yumi wasn't the only one he should keep his eye on…
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"So what time is it?" asked Chelsea.
Yumi looked at her watch.
"Four o'clock," she said. "We're all pretty tired… Maybe we'd better spend what's left of the day sightseeing rather than…"
"Oh, Yumi!" said a cheery voice from behind them.
Yumi grimaced.
Sam…
She turned to face her rival, who seemed in a pretty good mood for a change. Erik was with her.
Yumi didn't like this. Whenever Sam was happy, it often meant that someone else was unhappy. Or was going to be.
"Doing good, Yumi," said Sam, with a chuckle. "Violet, I see…"
"What do you want, Sam?" asked Yumi. "I've really had enough dueling today… Just an hour ago, I was up against a Monster that had 9,000 Attack Points, and…"
"Wouldn't think of it, Yumi," said Sam, with a pleasant smile. "I was wondering if you were up for a different challenge…"
She handed her a scroll made of cloth parchment.
Yumi gave her a strange look, and unfolded it.
"Sam…" she muttered, "this is the map to an Eliminator!"
"Uh huh…" said Sam. "I don't care for such things myself. Not like I need to make risky wagers for rare cards…"
Yumi looked at the map. It showed the Museum District, and a circle was drawn around the Kaiba Memorial Library.
Script was written at the bottom:
Seek the inner sanctum of the tomb where the three brothers sleep in eternal hibernation, where their Guardians maintain their vigil. Triumph, and emerge with greater vision. Fail, and face the same fate that the brothers willingly accepted.
"Interesting…" muttered Yumi.
"Well…" said Sam, "let me know how it turns out, kay?"
As they left, Erik spoke to her.
"Sam, I don't get it," he said, "I thought you didn't believe in the Eliminators' powers."
"I don't," said Sam. "I just want to give Yumi the scare of her life, and hand her the worst defeat ever…
"You see… The Eliminator that map leads to…
"…she's my aunt. And she's really good!"
Meanwhile, Yumi was studying the map.
"You aren't really gonna…" said Ren.
"Dunno…" muttered Yumi, as she folded it up, and put it in her satchel, "but it might be a good opportunity. Who knows, I might be able to…"
"Yumi!" said a voice.
Yumi turned, and saw Anastasia standing by her.
"Sorry to interrupt," said Anastasia, "but I'm certain now. Another Shadow Charm has surfaced."
"Which one this time?" asked Yumi, anxiously.
"Who is she talking to?" asked Ren.
"It's called the Sword of Tsunami," answered Anastasia, "and it's a very powerful one. It was forged by Salla the Warrior Queen, the most martial of all the Sorcerer Kings. It is said that whoever wields this weapon cannot be bested in physical combat."
"Good lord…" said Yumi. "We have to find it before Rasputin does. Where is it?"
"The zoo," said Anastasia. "Hurry!"
"Come on guys!" shouted Yumi. "We have to get to the zoo!"
"Why?" shouted Chelsea, as they started to run.
"I'll tell you on the way!" answered Yumi.
After a friendly duel, Ren has advanced to Violet, and is well on his way to the top. But now, a new Shadow Charm is in sight, and the heroes must race to get it before their foes do. Who will claim the Sword of Tsunami?
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DARK CULTIST (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Spellcaster/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 5
ATK: 1,000
DEF: 1,000
Card Description: When this card is Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned, all cards that have been removed from play go to their respective owners' Graveyards. For each card that goes to the Graveyards in this manner, increase the ATK of this card by 100.
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SHADOW CULTIST (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Spellcaster/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 4
ATK: 1,200
DEF: 800
Card Description: All Spellcaster-Type Monsters on your side of the field except this one cannot be targeted by Magic Cards, Trap Cards, or Monster effects that specifically designate a target while this card is face-up on the field.
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GOBLIN CHARLATAN (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: The Goblin of Greed dressed in an expensive Italian suit.
Card Description: Remove any six cards in your deck from play. Then, add any Monster Card in your deck to your hand. Monster Cards removed from play by this effect cannot be Special Summoned while they remain removed from play.
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CARD OF DEMISE (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: An executioner about to chop a deck of cards in half with a guillotine.
Card Description: Draw five cards from your deck. At your fifth End Phase after playing this card, discard your whole hand to the Graveyard.
Note: "Card of Demise" was used by Kaiba several times in the original anime series, originally in "Clash in the Coliseum".
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DARK SQUIRE (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 2
ATK: 300
DEF: 300
Card Description: When this card is Normal Summoned, move it into face-up Defense Position. If this card is destroyed as a result of battle while in a face-up position, both players draw two cards from their decks.
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Ren: I gotta tell you, Yumi, ever since this thing started, it's gotten… Interesting…
Yumi: It might get more so… I fear a new Yami no Oujou might start, and the loser might not be so lucky this time.
Chelsea: You're still spent from the last one, Yumi. I might have to do it this time.
Ren: Chelsea, no! Don't do it!
Anastasia: She may not have a choice Ren…
Coming up next, "Chelsea's Challenge; The Sword of Tsunami".
As Chelsea pits her Zombies of Darkness against the Light of Ruin…