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CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
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Ren's Challenge
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The Horn of Chance
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Cassandra rubbed her chin.
She lifted a card from the deck. It was The Fool.
"Ren…" she said, placing it on the table.
She slowly picked up another card.
It wasn't the most encouraging picture. It showed a man with a long stick, defending himself from the attacks of six other men with long sticks.
"The Seven of Wands…" muttered Cassandra. "The 'under siege' card. Clearly, Ren is about to face a difficult situation where the stakes are high and he'll be pushed to his limits.
"He has only one recourse…
"He must set new limits. Push himself to levels he didn't know he had. Because success can be achieved…
"He just has to fight for it…"
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Shortly after Chelsea's duel with Edan…
At the Coliseum, in an office shanty made for the foreman, a panicked construction supervisor was speaking to two Centurions.
"I don't know how it could have happened!" he shouted.
"Sir…" said one of the Centurions.
"I mean, it couldn't have unplugged itself from the thing…" babbled the supervisor. "It isn't programmed to…"
"Sir!" said the Centurion. "Just calm down and try to give us the whole story…"
"Well…" he said. "I plugged Macros into the generator to recharge its battery like I always do at that time, then I went to get something out of a toolbox, and when I got back, it and its equipment… Well, it was gone!"
"Macros?" asked the Centurion.
"M.A.C.R.O.S.," said an angry voice.
The supervisor gulped, as the foreman marched in, looking incredibly angry.
"It stands for Multifunctional Anthropomorphic Construction Robotic Operating System," said the foreman. "It's an android. The size of a man, two-hundred gigabytes squared of memory, artificial intelligence, able to bench half a ton, over two-hundred functions, worth thirty million dollars, and this JERK loses it!
"When Ms. Arachne finds out about this, she's gonna…"
"Calm down, sir!" said the Centurion. "Getting angry isn't going to help. I assure you, a robot like that won't be able to hide easily. Now, does it have anything on it that could be dangerous?"
"Thankfully, no…" muttered the foreman. "All of its built-in tools are disabled before it's recharged, and it isn't able to turn them on itself.
"But if someone else manages to turn them back on…"
He held his head with a nervous look.
"Okay…" said the Centurion. "Now, before we go look for it, was anything else taken?"
The supervisor thought for a minute.
"I don't think…" he started.
He looked towards the desk.
"Uhm, now that you mention it, Clyde, wasn't your own Duel Disk there before you left?"
The foreman moaned.
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In the Restaurant District, hiding in an alley, the robot called Macros slipped the stolen Duel Disk on its upper-left arm. Its optic sensors glowed with a fiery, red light.
"Reprogramming complete," it said. "All systems back online. Awaiting orders… Rasputin…"
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Still waiting for Chelsea, Ren was passing the time playing his guitar and singing another old tune…
Anthony works in the grocery store,
Savin' his pennies for someday.
Mama Leone left a note on the door,
She said, "Sonny, move out to the country."
Workin' too hard can give you
A heart attack-ack-ack-ack-ack-ack,
You oughta know by now…
Who needs a house out in Hackensack?
Is that all you get for your money?
And it seems such a waste of time...
If that's what it's all about,
Mamma, if that's movin' up, then I'm...
Movin' out…
"No one sings Movin' Out quite like you, Ren…" muttered Yumi.
"Actually, Yumi," said Ren, "the proper name of that song is Anthony's Song. A lot of folks called it Movin' Out because of the refrain – well, that and the musical – and it stuck."
"Mmm, yeah, Ren…" replied Yumi. "Ren… Do you remember the incident when we were both ten?"
Ren frowned.
"How could I forget…" he muttered.
Back then, Ren wore glasses and braces, making him look sort of like a nerd. He got teased a lot… And then one day, the biggest jerk in school threatened him with violence if he didn't hand over his MAX-10 (the latest handheld game system from Nintendo, as hard to find back then as a DS was when it came out).
Yumi heard the commotion, and wasn't about to let some thug steal Ren's birthday present. She had her deck of cards with her, and said she would duel the guy in a tabletop game and wager her own MAX-10. The punk was somewhat of a chauvinist, and figured there wasn't anything he couldn't beat a girl at, so he agreed to it. He regretted it when Yumi beat him in five rounds.
The punk tried to renege on the deal, and Yumi dared him to try to get past her to get to Ren. He almost hit her, at which point Yumi's true plan came into effect – delaying him long enough for a teacher to arrive. A lot of stolen property was recovered, and that punk never bothered her or Ren again.
"You know, Yumi," he muttered, "usually, it falls upon the man to protect the woman…"
"I helped you towards that path," said Yumi. "Your eyesight cleared up, your teeth got straight, and you put on fifty pounds of muscle since then…
"And there is a way you can help me now, and I can help you at the same time…"
"I'm listening…" he said.
"I think another Shadow Charm might show up soon…" she muttered. "I feel it in the air. When it does, we have to try to avoid another Yami no Oujou if possible, of course. However, one way or another, I think you should try to claim it."
Ren gave her a strange look.
"And why is that, your Yumi-ness?" he asked.
"Well…" she replied. "I found out something this Crown can do, see, and…"
At that moment, Chelsea came running up.
"You look happy," said Ren.
Chelsea beamed.
"Let's just say I've put a very unpleasant part of my life behind me," she said.
"And won Violet too, I see," added Yumi.
"It seems you three are doing well…" said a familiar voice, "but the game is still afoot."
They looked around, and saw Maria behind them.
"Uh…" said Yumi. "Guys, this is… Maria. She's…"
"You can tell them later, Yumi," said Maria. "There's little time to chitchat. My ally and I know of a new Charm that has surfaced, and Rasputin will know of it too, possibly within minutes."
They got up.
"What is it?" asked Yumi. "Where is it?"
"The Horn of Chance," answered Maria. "It's in the main room of the Temple of Osiris, under the stage.
"Good luck. I'd help, but I can't be seen by Rasputin's henchmen."
Anastasia appeared next to Yumi as Maria hurried away.
"The Horn of Chance…" she said. "The Charm belonging to Jeremo the Natterer, a merchant and trader among the Sorcerer Kings. He was known for dealing in anything and everything that was valuable. And not just material goods. Legends said he could sell things like love and joy as well, for the right price.
"Whenever people told him that there were some things that money couldn't buy, he often proved them wrong.
"His Horn was said to be able to alter probability, and give the user incredible good luck."
"The duelist who owns that could well be undefeatable…" muttered Yumi.
"Come on!" she said to Ren and Chelsea. "The Temple of Osiris is a fancy restaurant with an Egyptian theme. It should be opening for lunch any minute now."
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The Temple of Osiris was a landmark to say the least. From the outside, it looked more like an Egyptian temple than a restaurant.
Inside the very fancy, and likely very expensive restaurant, the Egyptian theme was continued, with a huge mural of the ancient Egyptian skyline, showing the Pyramids and the Sphinx. The very large stage that Maria spoke of dominated the back of the large dining room. This place occasionally hosted live entertainment.
Yumi, Ren, and Chelsea rushed in; fortunately, the place was nearly empty, with the kitchen not ready to open for lunch just yet, and the only customers in the bar, which was in another room.
"The stage…" said Yumi.
They ran up to the stage.
"Don't leave a single stone unturned…" she said.
Yumi looked on the stage itself. Chelsea looked behind the backdrop. Ren started looking around the circumference.
"It's easier in the movies…" muttered Ren. "There, the treasure is always under a marking of some sort. Sure, X doesn't always mark the spot, but…"
Then he noticed a small hatch, which apparently opened to the crawlspace under the stage. And faintly drawn on it, as if with a dull pencil, was the Eye of Wdjat.
"Well, there's a marking…" he said.
He rubbed his chin, and then opened it with a tug.
"Aha!" he said, looking inside.
Right in front of him was a very old hunting horn, made apparently from the antler or tusk of some large animal, with a long leather strap attached to it.
"Guys, I found it!" he said, getting on his knees.
He reached for it, but it was just out of reach. He got on his stomach, and reached further.
"That's it…" he said. "Come to Ren, baby…"
He inched towards it.
"I've almost got it…" he said, groaning. "Just a few more inches."
His hand dangled over the precious Horn…
"REN!" screamed Chelsea.
Ren looked up…
He only had a second to roll out of the way before a blast of fire aimed for him would have burnt him to a crisp. Fortunately, he had that second.
He looked up, and to his shock, saw a very unfriendly-looking robot with four arms looming over him. A Duel Disk was on its upper left arm, and its upper right arm was equipped with some sort of butane torch.
"Move away from the artifact," ordered the robot.
Ren slowly got up.
"Who's gonna make me?" he asked.
The android aimed the torch again. Ren dove out of the way as it fired another blast.
When, when, when, WHEN will I learn that sometimes I shouldn't say that? he thought.
"So Rasputin…" said Yumi. "You're reduced to using machines to do your dirty work…"
Ren backed away from the creature as its torch started to burn again. Then he grabbed a fire extinguisher off the wall.
"Do you actually think a fire extinguisher will stop me?" asked the robot, pointing its torch. "Illogical thinking…"
Ren aimed the extinguisher, and squirted fire-smothering foam in the droid's eyes. It took a step back, and its torch shut off.
"Optic sensors obscured…" it said, wiping its face. "Easily remedied…"
"We'll see…" said Ren, holding the extinguisher above his head.
Then charged and slammed it over the robot's head…
It didn't flinch.
Ren looked at the fire extinguisher, which now had a large dent in it.
"What the heck are you made of?" he asked.
The robot didn't respond. Instead, it grabbed Ren by the throat with one of its arms and started to choke him…
Then a drill-like tool extended from one of its lower arms and started to spin.
"Foolish carbon lifeform," it said. "By the order of the programmer, I'll deal with you before claiming the artifact."
Ren struggled as the drill got closer to his face… Chelsea was about to grab the Sword of Tsunami from its sheath, hoping it would somehow tell her how to use it…
Then a dark fog started to rise around the restaurant. The robot slowly lowered the drill and released Ren… Its eyes glowed.
"What?" said Yumi. "Don't tell me a Yami no Oujou is starting? How?"
Anastasia appeared.
"Ren had better hope so…" she said. "Because there's no way you can outfight this android physically… This way, there's a chance that he and it are on even standing…"
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The dark fog receded, and the restaurant was gone. In its place was a foreboding temple, with evil-looking statues resembling men with the heads of snakes, jackals, and hawks, and a domed ceiling. Yumi, Chelsea, and Anastasia were on a balcony overlooking Ren and the android, who were facing each other on the floor.
The statues' eyes glowed with an evil light…
"Welcome to the Temple of Doom…" muttered Chelsea.
"This is crazy!" said Yumi. "Robots can't duel in Shadow Games! I thought that only living creatures with souls could do so!"
"As did I…" muttered Anastasia. "As did I… Ordinarily, that is the case. Clearly, whoever is in charge of this contest is incredibly powerful, and is able to break the rules. He or she either doesn't know that this creature isn't alive, and is soulless, or just doesn't care.
"And Rasputin is showing an intelligent strategy. If this android wins the Horn, all he'll have to do is shut it down, and he'll be able to claim the Horn for himself with no problem."
"So, what are you?" asked Ren, looking at the robot. "By the way, I take it you've never heard of Asimov's Three Rules For Robots?"
"That was a fictitious concept," said the robot. "I am M.A.C.R.O.S. Multifunctional Anthropomorphic Construction Robotic Operating System. My original prime directive was to function as a construction worker. But due to reprogramming, I have new prime directives. I am now both a warrior and a duelist.
"Soon your fragile organic life will be terminated. The Horn of Chance will belong to the programmer."
"You think I'm scared to duel you?" asked Ren. "Please. You're a robot. Beating you will be no harder than playing a video game."
"An interesting comparison," said Macros. "But inaccurate. The typical video game requires only five gigabytes of memory. I possess over two hundred, squared."
"Uh… How much is that, exactly?" asked Chelsea.
"A little less than a mainframe," replied Anastasia. "Bottom line, this android is very high-tech. I think Ren might be in trouble."
The robot's Duel Disk activated.
"Commence battle," it said.
"Not just yet," said a haunting voice.
A glowing, golden globe drifted down between them.
"Ren, Macros," it said, "I am Jeremo the Natterer. And let me tell you how I achieved my magical power… I got it through money, money that I earned by dealing and selling rare and exotic goods. Jewels, spices, wines, even magic when I eventually learned how to use it.
"Some say that money is the root of all evil, but commerce and trading is the backbone of any society.
"And that is the way the special rules for this contest will work. Listen closely.
"It is called Spell Seller. At any time during this duel, you may pay 1,000 Life Points to request almost any Spell Card you can think of from me, and I will provide it.
"There are some limitations, of course. First, you may only do this three times. Second, Spells that destroy your opponent's cards, brainwash Monsters, or inflict direct damage are off limits. Third, you cannot request the same card more than once. Finally, Spells that are illegal under current rules are not allowed. I never dealt contraband, nor do I intend to start. Understand?"
"Analyzing house rule," said Macros. "Analysis complete."
"Good," said Jeremo. "Now begin. Honor goes to Ren."
"Well, he's giving our side the honor for a change…" said Chelsea. "At least that's something."
"Very well," said Macros, drawing five cards. "Game on, as you humanoids often say."
(Ren: 8,000) -------------------- (Macros: 8,000)
"All right…" said Ren, making his first draw. "To start…"
He looked over his cards, and placed one on his Disk.
"I'll summon Dark Blade in Attack Mode."
In a dark shadow, the armored Warrior appeared, holding aloft his two swords. (1,800/1,500)
The Warrior looked at Ren over his shoulder.
"Dark Blade, at your service, my liege," he said.
Ren took a step back. He looked at the other cards in his hand.
Cool… he thought. They talk!
Macros looked at Dark Blade.
Analyzing… it thought. Dark Blade… Normal Monster. Dark Attribute, Warrior Type, Level Four. Danger level: minimal.
"Over to you, rust-bucket," said Ren.
Macros ignored the insult and drew a card.
Eh, I'm wasting my breath trying to trash-talk to this overgrown vacuum cleaner, thought Ren.
Macros looked at its hand.
Analyzing situation, it thought. Hand contents incomplete. Requires one other card for perfect execution of strategy. Will initiate house rule.
"Official…" it said.
The small globe of light appeared next to it.
"Will pay 1,000 Life Points to request Spell Card known as Stumbling," it said.
"An odd choice," said Jeremo, "but request granted…"
A seventh card appeared in Macros's hand.
(R: 8,000) -------------------- (M: 7,000)
"Now playing the Continuous Spell Card, Stumbling," it said, placing a card in its Disk.
A card bearing the image of a large, reptilian creature crawling over a pile of bones appeared.
"So… what does that do?" asked Ren.
"Stumbling activates whenever a Monster is Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned in any way," replied Macros. "The Monster must move into Defense Mode on the round it is summoned.
"Continuing my turn, summoning Satellite Base."
It played a card, and with a rumble, a tall, metallic tower rose up beside it. It looked like some sort of space station's antenna, with odd paraphernalia and solar panels on top, reaching twenty feet high. (0/0)
"And due to Stumbling, it immediately moves into Defense Mode."
"It has zero Defense Points!" laughed Ren. "I'll smash it to pieces with no problem!"
"Improbable assumption…" said Macros. "Satellite Base can only be destroyed by Monsters who are Level Six or higher. Battle damage applies, but it is in Defense Mode, so with most Monsters, that is not a concern. In addition, it will gain 1,000 Defense Points each time I end my turn. When I choose to make an attack with a Monster, it will lose all of its Defense Points…
"But, by the time I do, it will be too late for you… Your humanoid Warriors are utterly worthless against the forces in my deck."
"He's right, my liege…" muttered Dark Blade. "I couldn't scratch that thing…"
"Then we'll just have to improvise…" whispered Ren, looking at his hand.
"I end my turn, meaning Satellite Base's Defense rises to 1,000," said the android. "Your move, you mass of carbon and water."
"Boy, you need to take a lesson on clever banter…" said Ren, drawing. "That one was really bad."
He added the card to his hand.
"I'll play a Spell Card of my own," he said. "Perhaps you've heard of Frontline Base?"
The card appeared on his side of the field.
"Next, I'll use it to Special Summon Pitch-Dark Dragon."
Pitch-Dark Dragon appeared. The Stumbling card glowed, and it crouched in Defense Mode. (900/600)
"Next…" he said, "I'll sacrifice Pitch-Dark Dragon, to summon Kiryu."
The smaller Dragon vanished, and a larger one appeared, this one with a longer neck, and red scales. (2,000/1,500)
The Stumbling card glowed again. It curled up in Defense Mode.
"And it doesn't matter if he's in Defense Mode," continued Ren, "because he's a Union Monster that I can Equip to Dark Blade, who's already in Attack Mode."
Kiryu got up, and Dark Blade leapt up, landing on the large steed's back.
"While mounted on Kiryu, Dark Blade gains 900 Attack and Defense Points!"
(2,700/2,400)
"Dark Blade remains Level Four," replied Macros. "Still insufficient to destroy Satellite Base."
"Who said I wanted to?" asked Ren. "Now I can sacrifice Kiryu, so that Dark Blade can attack you directly. Dark Blade, take to the air!"
Kiryu flapped its wings, and Dark Blade flew towards the ceiling on the mount…
Then in a flash of light, Dark Blade swooped down, and slashed with his swords against the robot's metal torso. It staggered back a step.
(R: 8,000) -------------------- (M: 5,200)
The eyes of the temple statues glowed with fiery light. A low chuckle sounded through the chamber.
"Yes!" shouted Chelsea. "He's winning, he's winning!"
"That's my move for now, oil stain," said Ren, as Dark Blade appeared back on his side.
"Insolence," said Macros, drawing a card. "I will delete you from existence."
It placed a card on its Disk.
"Summoning Shining Angel."
In a burst of light, the familiar Light-Attribute searcher appeared. (1,400/800) The Stumbling card glowed, and he knelt and folded his wings.
"Ending turn," he said, "and Satellite Base gains a further boost."
(0/2,000)
Ren drew a card.
"I sacrifice Dark Blade…" he said.
Dark Blade nodded to him, and then vanished.
"To summon Penumbral Soldier Lady!"
Penumbral Soldier Lady appeared in a dark shadow. She tried to resist as the Stumbling card glowed, but it forced her to kneel and shield herself. (2,100/1,400)
"Ren…" she said. "I can't do much now… If he manages to attack with something I can't defend against…"
"Calm down," said Ren, placing a card into his Disk, "it's all taken care of…"
A facedown card appeared.
"That's all for me," he said. "So make your move."
Macros drew a card.
It looked at Penumbral Soldier Lady.
Analyzing, it thought. Penumbral Soldier Lady. Effect Monster. Dark Attribute, Warrior Type, Level Six. Effect: Gains 1,000 Attack Points when battling Light-Attribute Monsters. Danger level: severe. Will proceed with caution.
"Sacrificing Shining Angel…" it said.
Shining Angel vanished into pixels of light.
"Summoning Satellite Cannon."
A burst of energy erupted from the spot where Shining Angel had been…
Then, with an odd glow, the domed roof of the temple turned into a large screen, showing a view of the Earth from space, with a huge satellite armed with a powerful laser at its tip. (0/0)
"What on Earth?" shouted Chelsea. "What is that thing? Besides bad news…"
"How do I fight a Monster that's… orbiting the Earth?" shouted Ren.
"Fighting it is simple," answered Macros. "Destroying it, however, is improbable. Satellite Cannon cannot be destroyed by Monsters who are Level Seven or lower. Battle damage still applies, but due to Stumbling, it is now in Defense Mode.
"Plus, each time I end my turn, it will gain 1,000 Attack Points until I decide to attack with it, at which point this duel will be over.
"Continuing my turn. Now playing the Spell Card, Machine Duplication."
"Machine Duplication?" gasped Chelsea.
"A deadly combo with this Monster," said Anastasia. "It only works on Machines that have 500 Attack Points or less, and as you can see, that thing now has zero Attack Points. It now gets to summon all other copies of Satellite Cannon from its deck!"
In two bursts of light, two more of the huge satellites appeared to either side of the first one. (0/0 x2)
"Three of them?" shouted Chelsea.
"I know how to count," muttered Yumi. "And this isn't good. My grandparents never personally faced one of these things, but they saw Seto Kaiba face one in his duel with one of the Big Five. Kaiba only had to fight off one of them, and it was hard enough… But three?"
"Now setting one card facedown," said the android.
It fit a card into its Disk, and a facedown card appeared.
"Ending turn," said Macros. "Satellite Cannons… Begin charging sequence."
Satellite Base grew to (0/3,000). The three Satellite Cannons glowed with energy, and grew to (1,000/0) each.
"Does Ren even have a Monster powerful enough?" asked Chelsea.
Ren paused. He glanced at his deck.
I don't want to tell that scrap heap this, but no! he thought. The most powerful Monster in this deck is Crescent Moon Queen, and she's only Level Seven…
Penumbral Soldier Lady turned to him.
"Don't give up, Ren," she said. "We'll find a way…"
Ren nodded. He drew a card.
"Activating Trap Card," said Macros, as his facedown card lifted. "Gift of the Mystical Elf."
The gentle form of Mystical Elf appeared behind it, and cast a spell.
"This Trap recharges my Life Points by 300 for every Monster on the field. There are five Monsters on the field, so I receive 1,500."
(R: 8,000) -------------------- (M: 6,700)
"You'll need them," said Ren, looking at his hand.
"I activate… Final Attack Orders!" he shouted, as his facedown card lifted. "Now, all Monsters on the field move to Attack Mode!"
Penumbral Soldier Lady stood up, and Satellite Base's solar panels turned.
"Who cares if your Stumbling moves Monsters to Defense Mode when they're summoned?" asked Ren. "My Trap Card will move them right back to Attack Mode.
"And guess what? Penumbral Soldier Lady is Level Six. Not enough to bring down your Cannons, but strong enough to scrap your Base.
"Penumbral Soldier Lady… Demolish his Satellite Base! Sword of shadows!"
"You got it!" she shouted, lifting her sword.
She leapt up, and ran her sword down the whole Base from top to bottom. Sparks flew from the whole Machine, and it exploded into a conflagration of scrap metal. Macros shielded itself from the flying debris.
(R: 8,000) -------------------- (M: 3,600)
"Your move…" said Ren.
"Ren is doing great!" laughed Chelsea. "He's brought this guy down to less than half his Life Points, and he still has all of his!"
"True…" said Anastasia, "but he still has those Cannons to deal with…"
Macros drew a card.
"Playing Mystical Space Typhoon," it said. "Destroy Final Attack Orders."
It played the Spell Card, and a fierce storm ripped across the field. Final Attack Orders blew away.
"Next, playing Emergency Provisions. Sending Stumbling to Graveyard to gain 1,000 Life Points."
He played a second card, and the Spell Card disintegrated. The android glowed with energy.
What is he doing? thought Ren. Why would he take away his edge?
"Now placing one card facedown," said Macros.
It fit a card into its Disk, and a facedown card appeared.
"Ending turn," it said. "Attack if you dare."
(R: 8,000) -------------------- (M: 4,600)
The three Satellite Cannons glowed again, and grew to (2,000/0)
Ren drew a card.
"I activate a Trap Card," replied Macros, as his facedown card lifted. "Spirit Barrier. Now, I can't lose Life Points from a battle so long as I have at least one Monster on the field."
"Fine…" said Ren. "Thanks for getting rid of my Trap Card. I summon Dark Squire…"
He placed a card on his Disk, and the young girl dressed in dark royal attire appeared. (300/300)
She knelt in Defense Mode.
"Now I'll use Frontline Base, to summon a second Pitch-Dark Dragon in Defense Mode."
He played another card, and another Dragon appeared, folding its wings and crouching.
"Now, one card facedown," he said.
He fit a card into his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.
"Your move…"
Macros drew a card.
"Activating Spell Card," it said. "Charge. Now all three Satellite Cannons gain 2,000 Attack Points."
The three cannons glowed, and each rose to (4,000/0).
"No!" shouted Chelsea.
"Not even Penumbral Soldier Lady's bonus could let her withstand that…" muttered Yumi.
"Satellite Cannon number one," said Macros, "attack the Dark Squire."
One of the Cannons' weapons extended… It glowed with energy…
It fired a bolt of pure energy towards Earth. An explosion covered the whole arena. Penumbral Soldier Lady dove for cover as Dark Squire was atomized without even being able to scream.
Ren looked around, and saw that the explosion had smashed two of the creepy statues to pieces as well.
Good… he thought. They were freaking me out.
"Since she was destroyed in battle," he said, "we both draw two cards."
Macros looked at him. Both of them drew twice.
"Since it attacked, its Attack Score falls to zero," said Macros.
"Satellite Cannon number two; Attack Pitch-Dark Dragon."
The second Cannon glowed, and again the burning beam crashed down. Penumbral Soldier Lady shielded herself as the Dragon was blown to bits.
The second cannon fell to zero Attack.
"Number three," it said, "attack Penumbral Soldier Lady."
The third Cannon charged up. Penumbral Soldier Lady looked up in fear as it started to fire…
"I activate… Rising Energy!" shouted Ren, as his Trap Card lifted. "Now, I toss one of my cards, and Penumbral Soldier Lady gains 1,500 Attack Points for this round!"
He quickly threw Double Pinaska into his discard slot. Penumbral Soldier Lady smiled, and glowed with a fiery aura. Her Attack Score shot up to 3,600. As the beam crashed down, her Attack Score went up again, to 4,600, and she swatted it aside with her sword, and it was deflected through the roof. Debris rained from the ceiling and stones fell to the temple floor.
Macros stared at him as the final Cannon's Attack Score fell to zero.
"Clever," it said. "But I still take no damage due to Spirit Barrier.
"Ending turn. Satellite Cannons, recharge…"
All three Cannons glowed, and rose to (1,000/0)
(R: 8,000) -------------------- (M: 4,600)
Ren drew a card.
With its Spirit Barrier, attacking would be pointless, he thought. There has to be some way to ground those three Cannons… But how? I just don't have a Monster that's strong enough in my deck…
Wait…
Maybe I don't… But maybe… Maybe my opponent does…
"Jeremo?" he said.
The globe of light appeared next to him.
"Can I use the Spell Seller effect more than once in one round?" he asked.
"Yes," replied Jeremo.
"Okay then…" he said. "I'll use it twice, to request Dark Designator and Exchange."
"As you wish," replied the Sorcerer King.
Two cards appeared in Ren's hand.
(R: 6,000) -------------------- (M: 4,600)
What is he up to? thought Macros.
"All right, tin can," said Ren, "first, I set a Monster in Defense Mode"
A facedown Monster appeared.
"Now I play… Dark Designator! Now, I name any Monster that I can think of, and if that Monster is in your deck, it goes to your hand.
"Now, let's see… I name…
"Perfect Machine King!"
Macros gave a look of surprise.
"Illogical," it said, taking a card from its deck. "How did you know I had that card?"
"I used a little logic of my own," said Ren, pointing to his head. "I figured you had a Monster in your deck to use in case someone used one of your Satellite Cannons against you. It would have to be Level Eight or higher, and I figured it would be a Machine, and the only Machines I can think of that aren't Fusions that fit the bill are that one, and Ancient Gear Golem.
"You don't look like the kind of guy who'd use Ancient Gear Golem.
"Now I play… Exchange!"
The android's eyes looked surprised again as Ren played the Spell Card. Ren walked up to him.
"Now kindly hand it over…" he said.
Macros held out its hand, and Ren took the Perfect Machine King.
"Thank you," he said. "Now you take one…"
He held out the three cards left in his hand. Macros's eyes narrowed, and then it snatched the Double Spell.
"I'll end my turn there," said Ren, walking back to his position. "Thanks for the help."
Macros drew a card.
"Placing one card facedown," it said, fitting a card into its Disk.
A facedown card appeared next to Spirit Barrier.
"I end my turn."
The three Cannons rose to (2,000/0) apiece.
"All right…" said Ren, "I draw!"
He drew a card.
"And I Flip-Summon… Getsu Fuhma!"
His facedown card flipped, and Getsu Fuhma stepped off of it. (1,700/1,200)
"All right ladies…" he said. "Let's do it…"
Penumbral Soldier Lady and Getsu Fuhma both nodded.
"I sacrifice both my Warriors, to summon Perfect Machine King!"
The two Warriors leapt up, and then vanished into globules of shadow…
And then, a huge robot, with armor and strong limbs, crackling with electricity all over, appeared in a burst of energy. (2,700/1,500)
"And if I know my Monsters," said Ren, "it gains 500 more Attack Points for every other Machine on the field. And I see three of them!"
(4,200/1,500)
"Now…" said Ren. "Perfect Machine King, attack one of the Satellite Cannons!"
A jetpack on Perfect Machine King's back ignited, and it soared into the air, through the ceiling…
Everyone watched the screen, as it soared through the stratosphere, struggling until it finally achieved escape velocity, and flew into orbit, towards the three Satellite Cannons… It glared at them for a second or two…
A hatch on each shoulder opened, and a volley of missiles shot out towards the one in the center. Explosions erupted over the hull of the satellite, until finally, it exploded into pieces of space debris.
Yumi and Chelsea cheered.
"Activating Trap Card," said Macros, as its facedown card lifted. "Debristation."
"What?" said Chelsea.
"Debristation?" said Yumi. "What the Hell is that?"
Everyone looked shocked, as the two remaining Satellite Cannons exploded, leaving a junkyard of debris floating in orbit. A look of surprise appeared on Perfect Machine King's face before its jetpack ignited again, and it turned around.
"What?" said Ren, as Perfect Machine King landed back on his side of the field. "You're trashing your own Monsters?"
"Foolish human with simplistic, terrestrial Monsters," said Macros. "Debristation is an incredible powerful Trap that can only be activated when a Satellite Cannon is destroyed in battle."
Then a huge space station appeared in the middle of the debris field. A hatch on the bottom opened, and all the broken pieces of the three Satellite Cannons were sucked into it.
"Now I can use the destroyed Satellite Cannon with the two I had on the field to build a much more powerful satellite weapon…"
The Debristation exploded in a burst of light…
In its place was another satellite, but this one was much larger, and resembled more of an armored space station. It had a cannon that looked even nastier than the previous one, with armored plating all over it. (0/2,000)
"The Satellite Laser X-06S Balsam," said Macros. "And because it was summoned with Debristation, it gains 3,000 Attack Points right away."
(3,000/2,000)
Perfect Machine King fell to an Attack of 3,200.
"What's the minimum Level a Monster needs to be to destroy this one?" asked Ren, looking up with a look of fear on his face.
"There is not one," answered Macros. "But it gains 3,000 Attack Points each time one of my turns ends, so now, your chances of summoning a Monster with simply enough Attack Points is improbable at best.
"Calculating chances. Odds of victory, greater than 95.2."
Ren placed a card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.
"Just move…" muttered Ren.
Macros drew one card. It added the card to its hand.
"Will simply draw and pass," it said. "Satellite Laser X-06S Balsam now grows to an Attack of 6,000."
The huge, astral Machine glowed with energy… (6,000/2,000)
"Six-thousand Attack Points?" gasped Yumi. "Not even Kaiba's Ultimate Dragon could take it out now… Not even the F. G. D. could destroy it!"
Ren drew a card.
Okay, Ren... he said, looking at it. It's down to the wire... You're facing overwhelming opposition, but fate has given you one small chance...
This is what mythic moments are all about... Let's go...
"I play… Pot of Greed…" he said, playing the card.
He drew two cards, and looked at them.
Mythic moments always seem to turn out better in the movies... he thought.
"I switch Perfect Machine King to Defense Mode…" he said.
Perfect Machine King knelt, and shielded itself.
"Then I set another Monster in Defense Mode."
He placed a card on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.
"That's all I can do…" he said.
The android's eyes narrowed as it drew a card.
The card was Shooting Star Bow – Ceal.
Three options, it thought. First option: Can Equip Balsam with this now, and attack him directly. Outcome would result in him being reduced to only 1,000 Life Points. However, Perfect Machine King could possibly still be a threat.
Second option: Could attack Perfect Machine King and then use Equip. Outcome would result in him being reduced to 1,500 Life Points, and he likely would pose no further threat.
Third option…
Can use house rule…
"Official," it said.
The globe of light appeared.
"Will pay 1,000 Life Points to request Limiter Removal."
A card appeared in its hand.
"Now you die, human," said Macros. "Due to Satellite Laser X-06S Balsam's effect, when it destroys a Monster in Defense Mode, the difference between its Attack Score and the destroyed Monster's Defense Score is deducted from your Life Points as battle damage.
"Now playing Limiter Removal."
"REN!" screamed Chelsea.
"Not so fast!" shouted Ren, as his facedown card lifted. "I activate Spell Shield Type-8!"
He quickly discarded his Fusion Sword Murasame Blade, and the Spell Card shattered.
"This duel is not over yet…" he said with a grin.
Macros glared at him.
"So be it," it said. "Satellite Laser X-06S Balsam, launch targeting probes."
Five missiles launched from the front of the huge satellite, and arranged themselves in a pentagonal pattern in front of the huge Machine.
"Target locked. Attack the Perfect Machine King."
The satellite's laser extended, and it glowed with energy… It fired a blast through the pattern, and the blast was magnified to enormous intensity.
A dome of energy surrounded Macros…
"Hit the dirt!" screamed Yumi. She grabbed Chelsea and dove for cover.
A far more intense blast fired from orbit, and when it struck the Perfect Machine King, Ren screamed, and was thrown off his feet by an explosion more violent than anything he'd ever experienced in Duel Monsters.
He slowly picked himself up, shaking with pain. The temple chamber had been completely burned out, the décor reduced to pulverized dust, and scorch marks blasted on the walls. Only a smoldering crater was left where Perfect Machine King had been.
(R: 1,500) -------------------- (M: 3,600)
"My Life Points…" he groaned.
"Since it attacked," said Macros, "its Attack Score is now reduced to zero. Proceeding to my second Main Phase…"
It fit two cards into its Disk.
"Will first set two cards facedown."
Two facedown cards appeared next to Spirit Barrier.
"Next, will Equip Satellite Laser X-06S Balsam with a Spell Card… Shooting Star Bow – Ceal."
It played another card.
"That's one of the Equips Mystara used!" shouted Yumi. "How could I forget… Next turn, that thing will be able to attack Ren directly!"
"And never has a Spell Card been more appropriately named…" muttered Chelsea.
"Now ending turn," said Macros. "Now, Satellite Laser X-06S Balsam's Attack Score increases to 3,000."
(3,000/2,000)
"Don't give up the ship, Ren!" shouted Chelsea. "Remember what you said before you beat that waitress!"
Ren drew a card.
She's right… he said, looking at it. But if he's prepared for the last card played, I'd best be prepared too…
He paused.
Well, what have I got to lose? The duelist who duels in a Shadow Game and has a lot of Life Points when the last blow strikes doesn't get a better funeral than the one who only had a few…
"Hey, Jeremo…" he said.
The globe of light appeared next to him.
"I'll use my third Spell Seller request…"
He whispered something, and a card appeared in his hand. Macros's eyes narrowed.
(R: 500) -------------------- (M: 3,600)
"All right…" said Ren, taking the card he had just drawn. "First, I'll summon Mataza the Zapper."
In a burst of dark energy, the armored ronin appeared, and drew his katana. (1,300/800)
"Now I'll flip my other Monster into Attack Mode. Meet… Familiar Knight!"
The card flipped up, and the knight in shining armor appeared, holding his sword aloft. (1,200/1,400)
The eastern Warrior and the western one nodded to each other.
"Now I'll play… Monster Reborn!"
He played the card.
"Activating Trap Card," replied Macros, as his facedown card lifted. "Magic Jammer. Sending Double Spell to Graveyard to negate Monster Reborn."
It discarded the card, and Ren's Spell Card shattered.
"NO!" screamed Chelsea. "That was Ren's only chance!"
Ren bowed his head.
And then he started to chuckle.
"Heh, heh…" he laughed. "I kinda figured your facedown card was something like that, junk heap…"
He played another Spell Card.
"I play Monster Reborn again!"
The ankh appeared, and Penumbral Soldier Lady appeared in a flash of light. (2,100/1,400)
"Illogical…" said Macros. "A duelist is only allowed one copy of Monster Reborn in his deck…"
"Forget the house rule?" asked Ren. "I drew my own copy, and then requested another one with the rule. The guy didn't say I couldn't.
"And since Penumbral Soldier Lady gains 1,000 Attack Points against Light Monsters, she's just strong enough to turn your Laser into space junk!"
Penumbral Soldier Lady nodded to Ren, and then, like she was teleported from a transporter in Star Trek, dematerialized.
Everyone looked up, to see Penumbral Soldier Lady on the surface of the immense satellite. She looked around for a weak spot… Her Attack Score rose to 3,100.
"Activating facedown card," said Macros, as its last facedown card lifted. "Rush Recklessly. Now, Satellite Laser X-06S Balsam gains 700 Attack Points."
The huge Machine glowed, and rose to (3,700/2,000).
"Is that so?" asked Ren, throwing his final card into his Disk. "Well joke's on you… I have a Rush Recklessly of my own!"
Penumbral Soldier Lady glowed, and her Attack rose to 3,800.
Macros's eyes widened, as if in fear…
Finally, Penumbral Soldier Lady found the weak spot she was looking for. She lifted her sword with two hands, and then stabbed it into the huge Machine, sending a shower of sparks flying from it.
Then she dematerialized again, and reappeared on Ren's side of the field. Everyone looked up, as the Satellite Laser X-06S Balsam glowed with burning energy and sparked as explosions started to burst over its hull…
Finally, it exploded in a blast of light with a ring of light around it, and fiery debris rained towards the Earth…
"Dost thou still think Warriors are worthless against thine deck?" asked Familiar Knight. "It seems your technology hath failed you."
"Technology is only as good as the one who designs it," said Mataza, "a poorly built Machine is no match for a trained and skilled Warrior, just like a poor strategy is no match for a well thought-out one."
"Well said…" said Ren. "You can base your strategy on logic all you want… But some abilities… Well, they simply defy logic.
"Familiar Knight, attack that scrap pile directly!"
"With pleasure, sire!" said the Warrior, lifting his sword. "Tallyho!"
Familiar Knight leapt up, and slashed at Macros with his longsword. The android took a step backwards…
"Mataza, finish him off!" ordered Ren.
Mataza the Zapper ran forward, and in a blur of energy, split into two separate Matazas. Both of them smote the android with their katanas, and it fell backwards.
"Incredible…" muttered Macros.
(R: 500) -------------------- (M: 0)
Then it collapsed, and all signs of its functioning shut down.
Ren took some deep breaths. He turned to his Monsters, and then nodded to him.
Then the dark fog started to rise in the ruined temple again…
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
When the fog cleared, Ren was standing in front of the stage in the restaurant, with his opponent slumped against it.
He suddenly noticed that a leather strap was slung around his shoulder, with the Horn of Chance attached to it.
"Neat…" he said, giving a thumbs up.
He was startled as Chelsea grabbed and hugged him.
"You won!" she shouted, squeezing him. "Thank God…"
"Uh, Chelsea…" gulped Ren. "Chelsea, please…"
Yumi looked at the Horn.
"It wasn't easy…" she said. "But all three of us have one now. And now, thanks to my Crown, Rasputin won't be able to ambush either of you without me knowing about it."
"Huh?" asked Ren.
Yumi pointed to her Crown.
"I found out how this works," said Yumi. "Part of it, anyway. It lets me know when the owners of other Charms are in trouble.
"We have three of them now… Olga has another, Nicholas has a fifth. Three more remain. We have to get those three before Rasputin's forces do, hopefully without any more deathmatches."
They were startled by a beeping sound.
Macros was starting to move.
It didn't get up, but it held its head with two hands. Its eyes glowed red for a second, and then they changed to blue. It held its head.
"Firewall activating…" it said. "Intrusion being neutralized. Reinitiating original programming…"
A whir came from within its torso.
"Initiating self-repair systems…"
The three teenagers stepped back as it looked at its Disk.
"Why am I wearing a Duel Disk?" it said. "This is illogical… I am not programmed to function as a duelist…"
"Not programmed?" said Ren, in surprise. "You almost beat me! You were pretty good!"
"This does not compute…" muttered Macros, looking at itself. "Where is my tool belt? I should not be here…"
A squad of Centurions rushed into the restaurant.
"About time you guys got here…" said Ren, under his breath.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Half an hour earlier. Sam and Erik had placed an order at the same hamburger place where Yumi's group had eaten lunch during Day One.
Sam couldn't resist any longer. She had to learn about Yumi's fate.
She took out her cell phone, and speed-dialed a number. She held it to her ear and waited.
"Aunt Diane?" she said, in a cheery voice. "Hi! Deal with any victims lately?"
She paused and listened.
"You don't say?" she said with a smile.
Then she frowned.
"Really?" she said with a scowl.
There was a pause.
"Even Aitos?" she shouted.
Another pause.
"Okay, Aunt Diane, I won't keep you. Don't let it discourage you. Keep doing your job…"
She hung up.
"What is it?" asked Erik.
"Yumi made a fool out of my aunt…" said Sam, angrily. "Now it's personal… Anyone who wants to humiliate an Arachne has to deal with all of us…
"She has Silver Status now, but she isn't keeping it. As soon as we're done here, we're gonna find that blonde minx…"
She drew the top card off her deck and looked at Dark Ruler Ha Des.
"And me and the Dark Ruler are gonna pound her black and blue…"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
A half-hour after Ren had beaten Macros, the Centurion with the purple sash walked into Sheena's office. Sheena was nervous, and drinking from a glass of gin and tonic.
"I thought you didn't drink on weekdays," noted the Centurion.
"Well, I don't as a rule," replied Sheena, "but I'm so nervous with all that's happening, I needed something. That robot could have torched an innocent guest before it was caught."
"It's under control now," said the Centurion. "And it was able to tell us a little. Apparently, someone was able to sneak into the Coliseum last night and download information into it when it was in its dormant state. The information enabled it to communicate with an outside source using its communication devices, and gave it the abilities of a duelist, and the ability to use its built-in tools as weapons.
"Fortunately, when it lost that duel to Mr. Marris, its built-in anti-intrusion systems kicked in, and enabled it to erase the improper data. Unfortunately, it now has no idea who did this to it.
"But we can safely say, it is likely no longer a threat."
"The key word is 'likely'," said Sheena, finishing the glass. "I want an armed Centurion escorting it everywhere from now on."
"Yes, ma'am," he said. "By the way, we have one clue. This is the deck it had. Apparently, whoever reprogrammed it gave this to it."
He placed the deck on the table. Sheena took the cards and looked at them.
"Satellite Cannon…" she muttered. "An incredibly rare card… And it looks like it had three of them."
She looked at the Satellite Laser X-06S Balsam.
"Good lord…" she muttered. "There are only twenty confirmed copies of this one…
"Whoever we're dealing with is someone with incredible resources…"
She got up.
"Descartes, you're in charge until I get back. Tell anyone who wants me to call back.
"I'm going out to get some fresh air…"
As his employer left, the Centurion slowly lifted the helmet off his head.
He was a man who looked to be in his early fifties, his hair and neatly-trimmed beard now slate-gray. He had once been a Sergeant for the Domino City Police Department… Twenty long years ago. Siegfried Kaiba had offered him a job as a Centurion because he was one of the best on the force, and had offered more money and benefits than a cop ever could have gotten.
And during training as one, Descartes stood out head and shoulders among the others in all areas. Siegfried clearly saw that he was the best one he had, and soon Descartes was the head of the Centurions, reporting only to Siegfried himself. He was even privy to the secret that Siegfried and the Master of Games were the same person.
When Yumi battled Saurius, Descartes stood at the head of the defensive wall that repelled the army of Hell that had invaded the island. It was nineteen years ago.
He was still the leader of the Centurions, and one of the small handful of the original Centurions left. Most of them took the early retirement package. But Descartes had grown to love this island, and was convinced to do his job until he was no longer able to, no matter who was running things.
If someone was going to threaten this island again, he and his men were going to respond. That's what they did. He wasn't going to rest until the one causing this was led away in handcuffs…
The balance of power tips in the favor of the heroes, as Ren wins the Horn of Chance. But now, Yumi has Sam mad at her! Watch out Yumi! Your rival is coming, and she's ticked off!
0
0
0
SATELLITE BASE (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Machine/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 4
ATK: 0
DEF: 0
Card Description: This card is not destroyed as a result of battle by Monsters that are Level Five or less (damage calculation still applies). Increase the DEF of this card by 1,000 during each of your End Phases. When you declare an attack with a Monster on your side of the field, reduce the DEF of this card to zero.
0
0
0
SATELLITE LASER X-06S BALSAM (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Machine/Fusion/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 8
ATK: 0
DEF: 2,000
Card Description: "Satellite Cannon" + "Satellite Cannon" + "Satellite Cannon"
This card can only be Special Summoned via Fusion Summon. Increase the ATK of this card by 3,000 during each of your End Phases. This card's ATK is reduced to zero after it makes an attack. When this card attacks with an ATK higher than the DEF of your opponent's Defense Position Monster, inflict the difference as battle damage to your opponent's Life Points.
0
0
0
CHARGE (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: A satellite orbiting the Earth, with the sun rising above the horizon.
Card Description: Increase the ATK of all face-up "Satellite Cannons" on your side of the field by 2,000.
0
0
0
DEBRISTATION (Trap Card)
Normal Trap
Image: A space station floating in Earth orbit.
Card Description: You may activate this card when a "Satellite Cannon" on your side of the field is destroyed as a result of battle. Send two "Satellite Cannons" from your side of the field and/or your hand to the Graveyard to Special Summon one "Satellite Laser X-06S Balsam" from your Fusion Deck in Attack Position. (This is considered a Fusion Summon.) When a "Satellite Laser X-06S Balsam" is summoned in this manner, increase its ATK by 3,000.
Note: "Satellite Base", "Satellite Laser X-06S Balsam", "Charge", and "Debristation" were used by Prince Orgene at various times in the second season of "Yu-Gi-Oh GX". Creative credit goes to the writers of the episodes.
0
0
0
Ren: Looks like we're looking at a catfight, here, Chelsea.
Chelsea: Hmmm… Don't think so… It might have to wait. Someone else is taking an interest in Sam…
Yumi: Uh oh! Someone is getting in trouble!
Coming up next: "Sam versus the Centurion; The Plague."
This I gotta see.