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CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
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The Tyrants of Death;
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Chelsea versus the Hidden Danger
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Cassandra looked at her deck, and then at the cards that were already spread out.
"This next draw should show me the final player…" she said.
She drew a card…
…and then it slipped out of her fingers, and fell on the floor.
She looked down.
"It landed on the diagonal…" she mused.
She bent down and picked it up.
It bore the picture of a regal, bearded man on a throne, wearing a crown and a robe, holding an orb and a scepter.
She placed it between The Moon and The Hangman.
"The Emperor," she said. "The symbol of authority and loyalty, adherence to tradition."
She paused.
"When this card is upright," she mused, "it represents achievement, discipline, and willpower. When it is inverted, it represents weakness, immaturity, and failed ambition…
"But… This time, it landed in neither direction… It now could represent both concepts at once… Or something else entirely…
"Rasputin… What secrets lie hidden behind your veneer?"
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Every year, preparing the Coliseum for the finals was a big task. Each year, whatever new improvements that had to be installed usually meant gutting the whole complex and rebuilding it.
Inside right now, a small army of well-trained (and well-paid) construction workers were determined to complete construction of the new systems and improvements by the opening ceremonies. And a squad of supervisors were overseeing them.
One of the supervisors stood out. It wasn't like them, because it wasn't human. It was an android.
The android was built of titanium and other lightweight but strong metals, ensuring it would survive any construction-related accident, and its four arms were incredibly strong, yet incredibly dexterous at the same time. Looking at it, you could best compare it to a cross between a four-armed C3PO and a pro-wrestler. It wore a bandoleer holding several tools (the power ones it could plug right into its own battery if necessary) and many tools which didn't fit in it were built right into its limbs. It was intelligent too, with many gigabytes of artificial intelligence, but almost all of it was programmed with construction work in mind.
The other workers loved this co-worker. Something about the way it was always serious about everything (talking in "robot-speak") was just funny.
The head foreman, however, was just as serious, and didn't have much of a sense of humor. He was very dedicated to getting this job done. He walked up to the robot, who was taking measurements using a device.
"You have a progress report, Macros?" he asked.
"Affirmative," said the robot. "Alteration of northeast holographic projector is ahead of schedule. Estimated completion time is before eighteen-hundred hours."
"I do hope you mean by that six o'clock, and not literally eighteen-hundred hours," replied the foreman.
"Affirmative…" said the robot.
The foreman shook his head and turned away.
"Why couldn't the army tell time like everyone else?" he mused.
The robot watched as he walked away.
The robot reached into its bandoleer and took out a deck of Duel Monsters cards.
It nodded, put them back, and went back to its work.
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Shortly after his discussion with Edan had concluded, Rasputin was back out on the streets of Duelatopia again, doing what the guests of Duelatopia were supposed to be doing – dueling. Winning the tournament was a bonus for him, but he still intended to do so.
The deck he was using right now wasn't his best deck, nor his Ice Deck, but it was one of his favorites.
Right now, he had Darkfire Soldier #1 and Darkfire Soldier #2 in Attack Mode, and a facedown defensive Monster, with 3,600 Life Points remaining. His opponent, a snobbish teenager in boarding school clothes, had a clear field, with 4,200 Life Points remaining.
His opponent drew a card.
"You're in trouble now, pops," he said. "I activate my Advanced Ritual Art Spell Card."
The sky darkened... He took two cards from his deck.
"So, I send Neo-Bug and Insect Knight to the Grave, to bring out Demise, King of Armageddon!"
A huge, hulking form appeared on the field. It looked like the Grim Reaper in slate-grey armor, holding a huge axe. (2,400/2,000)
"Now…" he continued, "I merely have to give up 2,000 Life Points to activate his ability. It's a hefty price, sure, but now every card on the field except itself is destroyed."
His Life Points fell to 2,200, and Demise smashed his axe against the ground. Both Darkfire Soldiers were blown away by the shockwave. The facedown Monster was revealed to be a strange, catlike creature, before it also shattered.
"You're defenseless!" he shouted.
"True, but your turn is now over," said Rasputin. "That defensive Monster you destroyed was a Neko Mane King, and since it was destroyed by a card effect, your turn now ends."
"WHAT?" shouted the youth. "Wha… buh… I was going to…"
"I said your turn is over," replied Rasputin. "So you can't attack me, nor can you Special Summon your Doom Dozer, which I know you were going to do, nor can you do anything else."
The youth looked at the Doom Dozer in his hand. He growled.
"Yeah, well, next turn, I'll have just enough Life Points to do that again," said the youth.
Rasputin drew a card.
"You're not going to get a next turn," he said.
He discarded a card.
Then, Demise vanished, and reappeared on Rasputin's side of the field.
"WHAT?" shouted the youth again.
"I simply discarded a special Monster called a Marionette Mite," said Rasputin. "By doing so, I can take control of one opposing Fiend or Zombie until the end of the turn. As you likely can see by now, sometimes it pays to plan in advance.
"Demise… attack him directly."
The youth screamed as his own Monster struck him with the axe and he fell over.
The holograms shut down.
Nothing quite like taking egotistical duelists down a peg, thought Rasputin, looking at his badge. That brat likely never earned one of the rare cards he had.
I wonder if Edan has found Chelsea yet?
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Outside the Kaiba Memorial Library, the three friends sat on a park bench.
Ren and Chelsea looked at Yumi, who was simply staring at her feet.
"Maybe that Blessing of Diamond did something to her…" said Chelsea. "Maybe it messed with her mind."
"Yumi?" said Ren.
"I'm… I'm fine Ren…" she muttered, slowly.
The Pharaoh was sitting next to her, as confused as she was.
"You saw her, didn't you?" she asked.
"Mmm," he said, nodding. "Kind of stuck in my mind. She looked…"
"She looked like me!" answered Yumi. "That's who she looked like! It's crazy!"
The Pharaoh shook his head.
"It wasn't Mana, I know that," he replied.
"Mana?" asked Yumi.
"Dark Magician Girl," he replied. "Or rather, someone who would become her… It's… complicated…"
He looked up.
"She looked familiar, though… But I don't know from where. You'd think if I ever had a queen or something of that nature, she'd be the first one I'd remember…"
"I don't think I was ever your wife," answered Yumi. "I don't feel that close to you…"
They paused for a long time.
"Hey…" said Yumi, in an assured tone. "We will get all the Charms. Then your memories will all become clear. We'll find out then."
"Hey, Yumi," said Ren, taking his guitar, "I learned a new song… Listen… This will cheer you up."
He started playing…
Everyday,
it's a-gettin' closer,
Goin' faster than a roller coaster,
Love
like yours will surely come my way.
A-hey, a-hey-hey.
Everyday,
it's a-gettin' faster,
Everyone, they say, go ahead and ask her,
Love
like yours will surely come my way.
A-hey, a-hey-hey.
"Then, uhm…" he said, stopping. "Well, uhm, then it kinda just goes on into a Buddy Holly medley, but you get the idea…"
Chelsea shook her head as she watched Yumi.
"Ren…" she said. "Stay with her. I saw something I wanted to get a picture of, but we rushed past it on the way here. I'll be back in ten."
"Okay…" said Ren, as she walked off.
"So Yumi… Want to get a hot dog?"
"Good grief, no," replied Yumi. "Do you have any idea what those things are made of?"
Ren made a face.
"A little early for lunch anyway…" he muttered.
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It was indeed, according to what Chelsea wanted to photograph.
Standing in the middle of a square was a tall clock-monument, a clockwork device with a clock face shaped like Time Wizard.
It was a minute to ten. Chelsea aimed her camera and waited…
At the stroke of ten, a hatch opened below the Time Wizard, and a small Performance of Sword walked out. Two hatches under that opened, and a Harpie Lady and a Dragon Piper came out. A hatch opened under them, and a Spirit of the Harp came out.
As Chelsea took a picture, Performance of Sword flashed her blades and danced, Harpie Lady sang a melody, Dragon Piper played its flute, and Spirit of the Harp strummed her instrument, as the clock let out ten chimes.
Then the four Duel Monsters walked back inside the clock, as the Time Wizard continued to tick out the time.
Chelsea grinned…
…and then she heard sobbing.
"Oh no…" she muttered, as she saw who it was.
It was one of the most tragic ghosts she knew.
She looked, and saw the phantom of a thirteen-year-old girl, wearing the tattered remains of a peasant's outfit – that didn't hide her gaunt form – and a battered straw hat.
Chihiro.
Most would agree that it was a tragedy when children died. Chelsea thought that the ghosts of children were even more tragic. Not only were they denied Heaven, they never grew up…
She knew Chihiro's sad story. Over two-hundred years ago, she was the daughter of a poor farmer. Her father had died when she was a baby. One day, her mother came down with what they assumed was a stomach bug. They thought it would pass on its own, but as the days passed, the pain got worse and worse.
Finally, Chihiro ran to the nearest town to get medicine that she thought would help. The town was a day away, but she ran the whole way and the whole way back, on her bare feet…
And it was all in vain. When she got back, it was too late. Her mother had died from whatever had made her sick. Chihiro did nothing but cry at the side of her mother's bed after that, and she cried until she starved.
Chelsea knew what the case was now – Chihiro's curse was self-inflicted. She couldn't face her mother, blaming herself for failure, for not going sooner. No argument yet that Chelsea could think of yet could convince her that her mother would forgive.
Every time she saw Chihiro, the girl was crying. It didn't seem to matter what mood she was actually in – the curse that tied her to Earth seemed to make her weep constantly. She could stop if she wanted, but it took effort.
"Chihiro?" said Chelsea. "Come here…"
"Uhm… Hi, Chelsea…" said the ghost girl. "Uhm… the others told me this might help me… Cheer up…"
Chelsea hugged her (it helped a little). She brushed away tears.
"Although, all these weird creatures I've been seeing… It's interesting, but…"
"It takes some getting used to," said Chelsea. "But I assure you…"
"Where are we?" she asked. "Is this… Is this island part of the Spirit World?"
"No…" said Chelsea, with a small chuckle, "trust me, only mortals are here. No nature spirits, elemental spirits, or demons to worry about."
Chelsea sighed.
Some would call her a ghost whisperer, but she really didn't want to make a profession out of this. She didn't know why she had been given the power to see and hear ghosts… As far as she knew, she had been seeing them all her life.
Maybe it was because her dad had once been possessed by a demon. He had told her of that terrible ordeal, when the beast had invaded his mind, and he had to duel it to gain back ownership of his body. Maybe that touch of the supernatural had been passed down to her in this way.
It was a burden, that was for sure. No-one ever chose to be a ghost. It was always some sort of curse that kept them from resting in peace. Chelsea wanted so much to help all of them, and she would if she could… But each restless spirit had a mystery about it, which she could never unravel, no matter how hard she tried.
"Still talking to yourself?" said a voice.
Chelsea's eyes narrowed.
"Excuse me, Chihiro," she said, "I think a very big, smelly thing just oozed out of some sewer…"
"WHERE?" she shrieked.
They turned and saw Edan.
"I figured I'd meet you here eventually," she said. "Your stench was on those two goons you sent after me. Too scared to face me yourself, Edan?"
"I'm facing you now, aren't I?" he replied. "I was waiting for the right time, Chelsea, like now. And as for those two losers…"
He started shuffling his deck.
"Their cards were small fry compared to what I've got. You can't imagine how much I've improved this time. I'm going all the way to the top on this island now!"
"You really think you can?" asked Chelsea. "You have a hard time staying on the top of the evolutionary chart."
"You think you can?" asked Edan. "Your old man got his ass handed to him by a dame with a deck full of Fairies! I'd have died of shame if I was ever beaten by such girly wimps."
Chelsea clenched her fists.
"All right!" she shouted. "You want me to duel you, I'll duel you! But this is the absolute last time. If I win, you agree never to come anywhere near me again! Period!"
"And if I win, I want that fancy backscratcher you're wearing," said Edan, pointing to the Sword on her hip.
Chelsea paused.
The Sword of Tsunami? she thought, looking at it. Why on Earth does he want that?
"AND…" said Edan, with a grin. "When I win, you have to be my personal… servant for the rest of this tournament."
He smirked.
Chelsea's eyes narrowed.
"That's an uneven wager…" she replied. "So I'm adding a condition in case I win. You lose, you surrender your deck and take the next boat off of this island…"
"Fine!" said Edan. "This time it's gonna be different."
He loaded his deck into his Disk.
"You said that the last five times," growled Chelsea. "What makes you think it's gonna be so different this time?"
With my new strategy, it will be, he thought. She can up the ante all she wants… Victory will be all the sweeter…
Chihiro stood behind Chelsea.
"Be careful…" she whispered.
"Don't worry…" answered Chelsea. "I've taken down this guy so many times, it isn't even funny anymore… Not that it ever really was."
The Disks activated.
"Game on!" they both shouted.
(Chelsea: 8,000) -------------------- (Edan: 8,000)
"Ladies first…" said Edan with a chuckle. "So move while you still are a lady…"
"Keep dreaming, you ape…" said Chelsea, drawing a card.
She looked over her hand.
"I'll toss Vampire Lady out in Attack Mode…" she said.
Vampire Lady arose in an aura of shadow. (1,550/1,550)
"Then I'll toss this facedown…"
A facedown card appeared.
"End turn…"
"All right!" said Edan, drawing a card. "For my first brilliant move… I play my Graceful Charity!"
He played the card, and it glowed. He drew three cards.
Perfect… he thought.
He quickly discarded two, making sure to discard a specific one of them first.
"Next…" he said, "I summon my Mine Golem. I'm sure you'll remember him…"
A stout, blocky statue with a pug face, carved to look like it had a gas mask and a pack on its back appeared in front of him. (1,000/1,900)
"Attack her Vampire Lady!" he shouted.
"Oh no…" muttered Chelsea.
The Mine Golem lumbered forward. Vampire Lady punched it, and it smashed into shards.
"And when Mine Golem bites the dust," said Edan, "it blasts you for 500 Life Points!"
An explosion erupted around Chelsea, and she groaned.
(C: 7,500) -------------------- (E: 7,450)
"You still lost Life Points from that attack!" shouted Chelsea. "That means Vampire Lady's effect activates… And I declare Spell Card!"
"Heh, heh…" chuckled Edan, looking thought his deck. "Actually, Chelsea, this time, it would be my pleasure…"
He discarded a card.
"…because the Spell Card I choose to discard is called Neptune's Trident. When it goes from my hand or deck to the grave, I get to add any Water Monster from my deck to my hand that I want."
"Edan, when in your life has your deck even had one Water Monster?" asked Chelsea.
"Since I wised up, and put this guy in," said Edan, showing her Mobius the Frost Monarch.
"Still my turn…" he said. "So I'll place four, count 'em, four cards facedown, and then turn it over to you."
Four facedown cards appeared in front of him in bursts of light.
Chelsea drew a card.
"Do you think I'm actually going to walk right into that many Traps?" she asked, fitting another card into her Disk.
A new facedown card appeared.
"I'll just…"
"Why don't I activate one right now?" said Edan, as one facedown card lifted. "Call of the Haunted. Now, I get my Mine Golem back."
Mine Golem burst out of the ground in an explosion of dirt and dust. (1,000/1,900)
"Come to think of it," he said, as another card lifted, "while I'm at it, I think I'll bring out two more of those. I'll also activate Inferno Reckless Summon."
In two shadowy auras, two more of the Golems appeared. (1,000/1,900 x3)
"I'll use that effect to summon my other two Vampire Ladies…" said Chelsea.
Two more Vampire Ladies, forming a group now resembling three attractive vampire triplets, appeared in front of her. (1,550/1,550 x3)
"But I'm not dumb enough to attack all three of them…" she said.
She paused.
"Unless… another of those facedown cards is…"
"You got it!" laughed Edan, as a third facedown card lifted. "Minefield Eruption! This Trap blows away 1,000 of your Life Points for each Mine Golem I've got!"
Another explosion centered on Chelsea, this one much larger than the last one. She screamed and was thrown off her feet.
"Chelsea!" shouted Chihiro.
"I'm fine…" muttered Chelsea, crawling to her feet. "Nothing I haven't seen before…"
(C: 4,500) -------------------- (E: 7,450)
She glared at Edan.
"You overlooked one thing," she said. "Now you lose your Mine Golems…"
The three Rock Monsters exploded into rubble.
"Plus," she said, standing up, "you have three hungry Vampire Ladies coming after you…"
She looked at the cards in her hand.
"Check that… I sacrifice one of them, for Vampire Lord."
The Lady in the middle vanished in a shadow, and Vampire Lord appeared. (2,000/1,500)
"Let's see him get past this," said Edan, as his last Trap Card lifted. "Soul Resurrection. Now I get to take one Monster from my Graveyard, and Special Summon it in Defense Mode, so long as it's a Normal Monster. And I got a good one because of Graceful Charity… Labyrinth Wall!"
With a rumbling, a giant, stone maze rose out of the ground behind Edan. (0/3,000)
Chelsea looked at the rest of the cards in her hand.
Well that's a new trick, thought Chelsea. Okay, maybe he has gotten a little better…
"I have to end my turn…" she muttered.
"Then I draw…" said Edan, drawing a card.
"Then I play… Pot of Greed."
He played the card, and the jar appeared in a flash. He drew two cards.
"And I got some good ones," he said. "First I throw a card facedown…"
A facedown card appeared in front of him.
"Now I sacrifice my Labyrinth Wall…"
The huge maze vanished in a swirl of dust.
"…to summon his royal majesty, Granmarg the Rock Monarch!"
With a low rumble that sounded like the tectonic plates grinding together, a huge, fifteen-foot-tall giant made of stone, carved in exotic shapes and wearing a cape, rose out of the ground. He roared with a voice that sounded like an avalanche. (2,400/1,000)
"EEK!" screamed Chihiro.
"Calm down…" said Chelsea. "Good grief, how could a ghost be such a scaredy-cat?"
"Now, when Granmarg is summoned," said Edan, "as you no doubt know, I get to destroy one facedown card. I could destroy either one of your facedown cards, but… I think this time, I'm gonna destroy my own.
"Granmarg, do your thing!"
Granmarg lunged forward and punched the facedown card, smashing it and causing the ground to tremble.
"Why would you take out your own facedown card?" asked Chelsea.
Then she noticed the ground beneath her feet was starting to smoke…
"Because," said Edan, "it was a special Trap called Dormant Volcano, and when it's destroyed, it erupts, doing 300 more points of damage to you."
Chelsea screamed again as fire erupted around her.
She caught her breath and glared at him.
(C: 4,200) -------------------- (E: 7,450)
"It has another effect, but we'll have to wait until my next turn for it to activate," said Edan, taking one of the three cards in his hand. "In the meantime, I activate this… Mist Body, and I'll Equip it to Granmarg."
He placed a card in his Disk, and a pale mist surrounded the Rock Monarch.
"So long as he's Equipped with this card, Granmarg is invincible. Well, at least in battle he is.
"Now let's get serious…
"Granmarg… Attack her Vampire Lord! Royal stone blow!"
The Rock Monarch lunged at Vampire Lord, fist first.
"Sorry Edan," said Chelsea. "I'm gonna nip your plan in the bud. I activate Rush Recklessly."
One of her facedown cards lifted, and Vampire Lord shot up to an Attack of 2,700. As Granmarg tried to punch him, he punched back, and the Rock Monarch staggered backwards.
"And Granmarg may be invincible," said Chelsea, "but your Life Points still just took a hit. I activate Vampire Lord's ability, and since you pulled that stunt when I declared Spell Card, I'm gonna declare Trap Card this time."
"HA, HA!" laughed Edan, taking his deck. "Once again, it would be my pleasure, Chelsea!"
He discarded a card.
"Because I also had a Trap Card for just such an occasion. It's called Enchanted Sack of Aeolus, and since you made me discard it, it lets me take any Wind Monster I want from my deck and add it to my hand…"
He showed her a card.
"And I choose Raiza the Storm Monarch."
Mobius, Granmarg, AND Raiza? thought Chelsea. What is he up to? Is he using some sort of Monarch Control Deck?
"That's enough for one turn, beautiful," said Edan. "Let's see what you've got…"
(C: 4,200) -------------------- (E: 7,150)
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Back at the park bench, Ren was strumming on his guitar and singing.
Cause I got friends in low places,
Where the whiskey drowns, and the beer chases
The blues away…
"Ren!" shouted Yumi.
He stopped short.
"Anyone ever tell you that you sing too many depressing songs?" she asked.
"I like to sing," protested Ren.
"Well, try singing something happy for a change!" replied Yumi.
Ren looked at his guitar for a few seconds.
He started to play again.
I want to be the very best, like no one ever was…
To catch them is my real test, to train them is my cause…
"No, NO!" shouted Yumi. "Anything but THAT!"
"Gee, Yumi, moody much?" asked Ren.
Yumi paused.
"Chelsea's been gone much longer than ten, and I don't like it," she replied. "As long as she has that Sword, she's a target. We should never have let her go off on her own…"
Ren tapped his fingers on the guitar nervously. The same thought had crossed his mind once or twice...
"You wouldn't happen to know what she wanted to photograph?" he asked.
"No clue…" answered Yumi.
Then the gem on the Crown of Souls started to glow.
What? she thought. Granmarg the Rock Monarch? What am I seeing?
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Chelsea drew a card.
"Be careful, Chelsea," moaned Chihiro. "He scares me..."
"Yeah, he is pretty ugly…" said Chelsea, looking at her draw. "And Granmarg doesn't have a very pretty face either…"
"I move my two Vampire Ladies to Defense Mode…" she said.
The two female vampires sat down.
Then I remove my Lord from play, to summon Vampire Genesis!"
Vampire Lord vanished, and the mighty vampire deity appeared. (3,000/2,100)
"Ooh, I really hate that guy…" said Edan with a frown.
"I'm pretty sure he doesn't like you much either," said Chelsea, as she pocketed the Vampire Lord card. "Genesis, clobber his Rock Monarch!"
Genesis burst into his crimson shroud, and Granmarg fell backwards, landing on his seat with a thud.
(C: 4,200) -------------------- (E: 6,550)
"Forget about his Mist Body?" asked Edan. "Granmarg can't be defeated in battle no matter how hard you hit him."
Chelsea fit two cards into her Disk, and two facedown cards appeared next to her other one.
"That's all for my turn," she said.
Edan drew a card.
He looked at it.
"Remember my Dormant Volcano?" he asked. "Well, now its second effect kicks in. Both players are allowed to take any Fire Monster from their decks and add them to their hands."
He took his deck.
"Of course, all your Monsters are Dark, so…"
"Au contraire," said Chelsea, taking a card from her deck. "I have one Fire Monster."
She showed him Pyre Ghost.
"Eh, so you do…" said Edan. "It can't be as good as this guy…"
He showed her the card: Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch.
Another Monarch? thought Chelsea. Swell… All that's missing now is Zaborg. So now what is he gonna do? If he were smart, he'd sacrifice Granmarg for Raiza to send my Genesis to the top of my deck… But then, no one ever accused him of being smart.
"Next, I summon Dummy Golem," he said.
He played the card, and a short, squat statue appeared. It had a smug, overconfident look carved on its face. (800/800)
"You summoned your Dummy Golem?" asked Chelsea, in disbelief. "You don't summon Dummy Golem, you dummy! You're supposed to set it in Defense Mode, and then flip it into Attack Mode, so you can use its Flip Effect!"
"Not gonna use its effect," said Edan, taking another card. "I'm gonna use it to power up my Rock Monarch so he can pulverize gruesome over there."
He played a Spell Card.
"I play Gift of the Martyr. Now, I just have to sacrifice Dummy Golem, and…"
"Guess again!" interrupted Chelsea, as one of her facedown cards lifted. "I activate Spell Shield Type-8. Now, I just have to toss one Spell Card…"
She discarded Symbol of Heritage.
"And your Gift of the Martyr is negated."
The Spell Card shattered.
"Clever…" growled Edan. "I move Granmarg into Defense Mode…"
The Rock Monarch knelt and shielded himself.
"…and my turn is over."
Chelsea drew a card.
"I'll place a Monster in Defense Mode…" she said.
A facedown Monster appeared.
"Genesis, destroy his Dummy Golem!"
Genesis flew forward, and Dummy Golem suddenly appeared far less confident. It was blasted into dust.
"That's all I can do…" muttered Chelsea.
(C: 4,200) -------------------- (E: 4,350)
"I draw one card…" said Edan.
He made a draw.
"Now it's time to use that second card I discarded when I played Graceful Charity," he said.
"What?" replied Chelsea. "But… it's in your Graveyard."
"True," said Edan. "It was a special Spell Card called Buried Treasure.
"See, as any pirate can tell you, great treasures are often buried, waiting to be dug up by those fortunate enough to find them. So I buried it at the bottom of my Graveyard. And now, since there are now at least ten cards on top of it in my Graveyard, I can remove it from play, and we both draw two cards."
The card slipped out of his discard slot, and he pocketed it.
"Fine by me," said Chelsea.
They both drew twice.
Edan looked at the six cards in his hand.
He laughed. He laughed out loud.
"Now he's really scaring me…" muttered Chihiro.
"Get good cards, Edan?" said Chelsea with a scowl.
"You bet!" he said, placing one in his Disk. "The key to my strategy in this deck…
"But first, one card facedown…"
A facedown card appeared on his side of the field.
"Now… I play the Spell Card, Shadow Moon!"
The arena darkened, and a pale, full moon rose overhead.
"Here's how it works," said Edan. "I need four Monsters total on the field and in my hand. Each one has to be Level Five or higher, and each has to be of a different Attribute.
"Then I sacrifice all four of them…
"So… I sacrifice Raiza the Storm Monarch…"
A violent tornado blew onto the center of the field, and Raiza appeared in front of him.
"…Mobius the Frost Monarch…"
A chilling wind blew through the field, and Mobius appeared.
"…Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch…"
The street erupted into a fountain of lava, and Thestalos appeared.
"…and my personal favorite, Granmarg the Rock Monarch completes the set!"
Granmarg stood up, and the whole arena started to shake. The four Monarchs vanished into orbs of multicolored light.
A card slipped out of Edan's deck, and he fit it into his Field Slot.
"Now I can play the Field Spell… Blue Moon…"
Chelsea watched, half in fear and half in confusion, as the whole street was transformed into a bleak, sandy, rocky desert with blue sand under a blue sky with – naturally – a blue moon providing illumination.
"What's happening?" she shouted.
"It's getting more interesting…" said Edan. "Now, one Spell or Trap Card on my side of the field turns into something called a Homunculus Token…"
His facedown card lifted – it was the Trap Card, Rock Bombardment – and vanished, and a female form that looked like it was growing out of the desert sand appeared on his side of the field, shielding itself in Defense Mode. (800/800)
"AND, the same thing happens to one on your side of the field!"
One of Chelsea's facedown cards lifted, and transformed into a similar creature.
"Hey!" shouted Chelsea. "My Mystik Wok!"
"It's no good anymore," said Edan. "And Shadow Moon has another effect… It lets me summon someone who'll win the whole duel for me! Arise, Demiurge Ema!"
Thunder rumbled, and a powerful figure flew out of the sky. It was feminine, and clothed in golden, birdlike armor, with huge wings with spokes in them. It glowed with a powerful light. (3,300/2,000)
"And guess what?" laughed Edan. "For each Homunculus Token, it gains 800 more Attack Points."
(4,900/2,000)
"Demiurge Ema… Attack Vampire Genesis! Elemental wrath!"
Demiurge Ema raised her arms, and eldritch energy started to flow around her. Vampire Genesis stepped back in panic.
"I activate… Interdimensional Matter Transporter!" shouted Chelsea.
Her other Trap Card, lifted, and the strange device appeared. Vampire Genesis vanished in a beam of light.
"Sorry, Edan," she said, "but your target has left the building."
Edan scowled.
"Fine!" he shouted. "Ema… Attack one of her Vampire Ladies!"
A blast of lightning bolts shot towards the Zombie, atomizing her. Chelsea shielded herself from the blast with her arm.
"Well…" said Edan, smugly, as he crossed his arms. "Bet you're impressed with me now…"
Chelsea stared at him.
"Sorry, no…" she said, shaking her head. "You've pulled some dumb stunts before, Edan, but this is the worst deck you've ever had."
Edan looked shocked.
"WHAT?" he shouted. "I've got the best Monster ever! I'm finally beating you!"
"You don't get it, do you?" asked Chelsea. "That thing may be powerful, but constructing a whole deck centered around one Monster? It works for some themes, but not in this case. Not to mention the fact that summoning it required you to toss four incredibly useful Monsters. You could have used Raiza's effect to spin Genesis back to the top of my deck, where he'd have been useless, but instead you saved it for this thing. That's poor strategy, Edan.
"Oh, and by the way… Your so-called 'best Monster ever' is a Fairy. You said yourself that they were 'girly wimps'."
Edan gave a look of shock. Chelsea grinned.
"Uhm… uh…" he muttered. "It's a… strong Fairy…"
He couldn't hide it. It was clear that he was mortified beyond belief.
"Not much to say, huh?" asked Chelsea.
Vampire Genesis reappeared on the field in a flash of light.
She drew a card.
"Now watch, as your strategy comes tumbling down!" she said.
"Moving my other Vampire Lady to Attack Mode…" she said.
The other Vampire Lady stood up. Clearly she was angry.
"As well as my facedown Monster… My Pyre Ghost."
The card flipped, and the flaming Zombie appeared. (1,200/200)
"You remember him, right? I got him from your Dormant Volcano.
"Now, since you turned my Spell Card into a Monster… I'll sacrifice this Homunculus Token to summon Ryu Kokki."
The token shattered, and the Bone Dragon Ogre rose out of the ground with a loud rumble. (2,400/2,000)
"Now your Demiurge is weakened."
Demiurge Ema fell to an attack of 4,100.
"Big deal!" shouted Edan. "It's still stronger than any of your Monsters!"
"We'll see…" said Chelsea. "I sacrifice Ryu Kokki to use Pyre Ghost's ability, and raise its Attack Score by that of Ryu Kokki's."
Ryu Kokki was consumed in flames, and Pyre Ghost rose to (3,600/200)
"Still not strong enough!" shouted Edan.
"Oh?" asked Chelsea. "Vampire Lady, destroy his Homunculus Token!"
Edan gasped, as Vampire Lady flew forward, and smashed the token to pieces with a swipe of her claw. Demiurge Ema fell to its original Attack of 3,300.
"Pyre Ghost… Attack Demiurge Ema!" shouted Chelsea. "Funeral pyre!"
Pyre Ghost flew forward in a burst of flames. Demiurge Ema screamed as fire started to consume it…
Then it fell to the ground, a burning heap. Finally, the flames subsided, and ashes scattered in the wind.
Chelsea smiled.
"Vampire Genesis, attack that big ape directly!"
Vampire Genesis formed into its crimson shroud, and Edan hollered as it slammed into him.
(C: 4,200) -------------------- (E: 1,050)
Edan stumbled and gasped for breath.
"Yes!" laughed Chihiro, showing positive emotions for a change. "Give it to him!"
Chelsea fit a card into her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.
"My turn is over, so my Pyre Ghost goes away," she said.
Pyre Ghost vanished in a burst of flame.
"Do your worst…"
Edan slowly drew a card.
He grinned.
"My worst, eh?" he shouted. "I just drew someone you're sure to remember…
"I'll toss my three Mine Golems, Granmarg, my Labyrinth Wall, and my Dummy Golem…"
He placed the six cards in a pocket in his jacket.
Then he threw a card on his Disk.
"In order to summon THIS!"
In an explosion of dirt, dust, and rubble, an enormous creature that looked like a huge boulder in the shape of a dragon appeared in front of Edan.
"My Megarock Dragon," he said. "I'm sure you know, that in order to get points, I add up the number of Rock Monsters I just removed from play, and then multiply by 700. I may stink at math, but I know that it equals a BIG number!"
(4,200/4,200)
"Screw that dumb Fairy," he said with a scowl. "And screw Rasputin! I'm gonna win with my own cards! Megarock Dragon… Attack her Vampire Lady! Mega breath!"
The Megarock Dragon roared… It blasted a stream of corrosive, green smoke from its jaws, and Vampire Lady screamed as the flesh melted off her bones…
She shattered into bits.
When the smoke cleared, both Chelsea and Vampire Genesis were looking at him with hateful expressions.
(C: 4,200) -------------------- (E: 1,050)
"What?" said Edan. "Your Life Points are untouched?"
Then he noticed her Trap Card.
"Hallowed Life Barrier?" he gasped.
"Yeah…" she said. "I had to toss a card in my hand, but it shielded me from any damage."
She crossed her arms.
"So… You are working for Rasputin… I knew it was easy enough for you to become sleazy enough to turn from an underground duelist to a mobster's henchman…"
"Mobster?" said Edan.
He glared at her.
"What are you talking about? Edan Abercrombie doesn't work for any mobster! I have some standards, Chelsea! He just invited me to join this club of his, and…"
Chelsea shook her head.
"I take it back…" she said. "You haven't gotten any sleazier than usual, but you have gotten dumber. You don't realize that you've been being manipulated this whole time.
"I'd almost feel sorry for you… Trouble is, you're such a festering pile of walking fertilizer, I really don't care.
"Anyway… It's my move…"
She drew a card.
"Well Edan… Seems I can bring your Dragon down now too. I just drew Blood Sucker."
"Please…" said Edan. "That guy only has 1,300 Attack Points. How's he going to beat my Dragon?"
"HE isn't," replied Chelsea. "Perhaps you're forgetting my Vampire Genesis, and his special ability. You made a big mistake attacking my Vampire Lady instead of him.
"I merely have to send one Zombie in my hand to the grave…"
She discarded Blood Sucker.
"…and I get to summon one from my Graveyard that's a lower Level. And since Blood Sucker is Level Four, and Pyre Ghost is Level Three, Pyre Ghost is coming back."
Vampire Genesis glowed with a shadowy aura. Pyre Ghost appeared again, in a burst of flames. (1,200/200)
"Now I'll sacrifice Genesis itself, to use its ability again."
Genesis shattered into pixels, and Pyre Ghost rose to an Attack of 4,200.
Edan gulped.
"Go!" shouted Chelsea. "Destroy that thing!"
Pyre Ghost flew at the Megarock Dragon. It roared…
The two Monsters collided, and an explosion lit up the Blue Moon field, incinerating both Monsters.
"To end my turn, I'll play my last card… Mirage of Nightmare."
She played the card.
"JUST Mirage of Nightmare?" asked Edan. "No card that could be Mystical Space Typhoon or Emergency Provisions? That's stupid, Chelsea."
She just stared at him.
Edan growled, and drew a card.
"My card activates," said Chelsea, "and I get to draw four cards…"
She made four draws.
"But you have no way to get rid of that Spell Card," said Edan with a grin, "so next turn, you discard four cards."
Oh, don't worry, thought Chelsea, looking at the four cards, I fully intend to…
Edan looked at the card he had drawn.
"I'm not through yet Chelsea," he said. "I usually keep this guy in my deck as an easy way to summon Granmarg, but he's not too bad by himself…
"I remove my Dragon from play…"
He took the card from his discard slot and pocketed it.
"In order to summon… Gigantes!"
The ground rumbled, and a hulking figure burst out of the ground. It looked like a muscular ogre with earth-toned skin and a horn in the center of its forehead, wearing ragged armor and holding a large log as a weapon. (1,900/1,300)
"Well, Chihiro, I guess I was wrong," said Chelsea. "There's an elemental spirit right there…"
"Attack her directly!" shouted Edan. "Tree trunk bash!"
Gigantes roared, and swung its log. It slammed into Chelsea's torso, and she fell backwards.
"Chelsea!" shouted Chihiro.
"I'm all right…" she replied.
She slowly crawled to her feet.
(C: 2,300) -------------------- (E: 1,050)
"Why don't you just give up?" asked Edan. "That Mirage card is going to decimate your deck, and no Monsters you could summon without a sacrifice could beat this guy."
"I'll never surrender to you, Edan…" growled Chelsea.
She drew a card.
"Like you said, I discard four cards," she said, discarding four of her five cards.
"And now I'm gonna play the one I kept!
"I play… Book of Life! Now, I'll banish your Demiurge from the game…"
Edan looked down in surprise, as Demiurge Ema fell out of his discard slot.
"And I get to summon a Zombie from my Graveyard. And I'm gonna summon someone I just put in there… Penelope, come on out!"
In a flash of light, Penelope, Lady of the Night appeared. (1,000/200)
The Mirage card shattered, and the landscape of the Field Spell crumbled, and the blue sky faded away.
"Where'd you get her?" asked Edan.
"Like I'm gonna tell you," said Chelsea. "And she gains 400 Attack Points for each Zombie in my Graveyard. Counting the Zombie Werewolf that I tossed to activate Hallowed Life Barrier, and the Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower I just had to discard, there are nine Zombies in my Graveyard right now…"
(4,600/200)
"…so with this sort of firepower, I can end this right now. A fitting end to our last duel, wouldn't you say?
"It's over, Edan. Let this serve as a reminder to keep your end of the bargain and never bother me again.
"Penelope, destroy his Gigantes! Light of vengeance!
"Go to Hell…"
Penelope blasted a beam of pure light from her scepter, and Edan was thrown backwards as Gigantes was blown into dust.
(C: 2,300) -------------------- (E: 0)
Penelope vanished. Edan was on his knees, gasping for breath.
"You lose…" said Chelsea. "Now hand over the deck, get off this island, and I never want to see you again. Stay in the underground dueling arenas with the rest of the dueling slime."
Edan glared at her.
"By the way…" she whispered. "This Sword I have makes me incredibly strong. I could beat you up without breaking a sweat now."
Tears flowed down Edan's cheeks.
He threw down his deck, and ran away, sobbing.
Chelsea picked up the deck.
Chihiro came up to Chelsea as she looked at the cards.
Hmmm… thought Chelsea. I could sell these…
"Great job, Chelsea!" said Chihiro. "Can I watch next time?"
"If it will cheer you up again, sure," said Chelsea. "But anyway, I'd better find Yumi and Ren. They're likely worried."
She looked at her badge, which was now at Violet.
I'm tied with Ren, she thought, but Yumi is one ahead… Heck, we've got three days left… Winning two more will be easy.
And I have a feeling I'll sleep sounder, knowing that Edan won't trouble me again. He was a pain in the ass for such a long time… He's one part of my life I don't need…
Chelsea didn't know it, but Rasputin had been watching from a safe distance.
He wasn't very happy. The cards in that deck weren't exactly cheap, and he certainly hadn't told Edan to wager them.
Well, it serves me right, he thought. I should have known that pit fighter would never amount to anything no matter what powerful cards he had. It takes more than good cards to make a good duelist…
He looked at the talisman.
I think a new one might reveal itself soon… I simply have to keep an eye on this…
And the one I send after it will be much more expendable than Ferdinand. I've been saving this for… just such an occasion.
As Chelsea looked over the cards, she noticed something…
He had dropped something else… A piece of parchment…
She slowly picked it up and unfolded it.
It was a map of some sort. She studied it for a minute, and realized it was the Museum District.
A message was written underneath.
If you are of the fairer gender and are fair of heart, seek the place where ancient beasts stand, taken from their earthen tombs, and find the Tomb of the Elders below. If you believe your power can overcome the lurking danger, challenge the master of the tomb for power and station. But be warned… Few who enter the parlor of the Midnight Caller are allowed to leave.
Chelsea scratched her chin…
"This is the map to an Eliminator!" she shouted.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Congratulations, Chelsea, thought Yumi.
She had seen her victory over Edan, and in doing so, learned one power of the Crown of Souls:
The ability to view the other owners of the Charms when they were in a crisis.
She guessed that, perhaps, the original Sorcerer Kings were allies of a sort, and that Machius was concerned about their welfare.
She had also, in the process, learned about Olga getting the Cat's Cradle Comb. She had even learned Nicholas and Olga's last names. They were Algernon and Warren, respectively. However, an attempt to spy on them hadn't worked. She guessed it would only work if they were in trouble.
But at least she was getting something out of this Crown. Hopefully, there'd be more to come…
Having defeated her old foe with a pumped-up deck, Chelsea advances to Violet, two steps away from qualification! What more awaits in Day Three? Are more of the Shadow Charms about to resurface?
0
0
0
DORMANT VOLCANO (Trap Card)
Normal Trap
Image: An ominous looking volcano with snow on the top.
Card Description: This card is activated when it is destroyed by a card effect while facedown on your side of the field. Inflict 300 points of direct damage to your opponent's Life Points. Then, on your next Standby Phase, both you and your opponent may search your respective decks for one FIRE Monster and add them to your respective hands.
0
0
0
SHADOW MOON (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: A full moon over a dark countryside with its reflection in a lake.
Card Description: Offer as a Tribute four Monsters on your side of the field and/or from your hand who are each Level Five or greater and each of which are a different Attribute. Activate one "Blue Moon" from your hand, deck, or Graveyard. Then, Special Summon one "Demiurge Ema" from your hand or deck.
0
0
0
BLUE MOON (Spell Card)
Field Spell
Image: A mysterious blue moon over a rocky wasteland with a disheveled female form under it.
Card Description: This card can only be activated by the effect of "Shadow Moon". Choose one Spell or Trap Card on your side of the field and one on your opponent's side of the field. Both are treated as "Homunculus Tokens" (Fairy/Light/2 stars/800 ATK/800 DEF), their original effects are negated, and they are Special Summoned to their owners' Monster Zones in Defense Position (they are still also treated as Spell or Trap Cards).
0
0
0
DEMIURGE EMA (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type:
Fairy/Effect
Attribute:
Light
Level:
8
ATK:
3,300
DEF:
2,000
Card Description: This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card can only be Special Summoned via the effect of "Shadow Moon". Increase this card's ATK by 800 for every "Homunculus Token" on the field. If this card is destroyed, destroy all "Homunculus Tokens" on the field.
Note: "Dormant Volcano", "Shadow Moon", "Blue Moon", and "Demiurge Ema" were first used by T-Bone in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "J-Dawg and T-Bone". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0
0
0
NEPTUNE'S TRIDENT (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: The powerful form of the god Neptune amid crashing waves, holding a huge trident.
Card Description: This card is activated when it is sent from your hand or deck to the Graveyard by your opponent's card effect. Search your deck for one WATER Monster and add it to your hand.
0
0
0
ENCHANTED SACK OF AEOLUS (Trap Card)
Normal Trap
Image: A windy-looking deity holding a cloth bag tied shut with a golden rope.
Card Description: This card is activated when it is sent from your hand or deck to the Graveyard by your opponent's card effect. Search your deck for one WIND Monster and add it to your hand.
0
0
0
BURIED TREASURE (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: A gang of pirates digging up a treasure chest.
Card Description: You can activate the effect of this card when it is in your Graveyard, and at least ten cards are on top of it in your Graveyard pile. Remove this card from play. Then, both players draw two cards from their decks.
0
0
0
Yumi: There's a feeling in the air. I think another Shadow Charm might show up soon.
Ren: We can get it. We just need to know the place.
Anastasia: Beware, Ren. For now you face an opponent without emotion or feeling, and he plans to use a weapon that attacks from the stars…
Coming up next: "Ren's Challenge: The Horn of Chance".
Ren: My Shadow Warriors are fighting in outer space!