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CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
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Ichigeki Hissatsu
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Chelsea's Bid For Gold
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Midnight.
Sheena Arachne sat in her dark office.
She turned on a recording device on her desk.
"Log of Sheena Arachne, CEO of KaibaCorp, supplemental," she said, as it recorded. "Now, the actions of this League of Ascension have resulted in a death. I consider myself lucky that it was a death of one of their own number, and not an honest guest or one of my employees, even though this is cold comfort. Even criminals have families… Did this one have a wife? Children? Parents? If he did, I must explain what happened once he is identified…
"Their actions are becoming more and more dangerous. If I raise an alarm, I risk causing panic. But I can still do more to stop them…
"Once this entry is recorded and saved, the alert level of the Centurions will be increased again, to level eight. I'm willing to raise it further if I have to, to find the one behind these rogues…
"This must end…
"It's times like this that I miss dear Siegfried with all my soul…"
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It was six AM the following morning.
The beginning of Day Four. A foggy mist was covering the shores of the island, which was still a bit chilly…
On the streets of the Entertainment District, a duel was in progress between two early risers…
"Idaten…" shouted Olga, "attack Ebon Magician Curran!"
Cyber Angel Idaten charged at the small, child Spellcaster, who screamed and covered her head before she was smashed flat.
"So much for her," said Olga, to her opponent, an older girl with short, strawberry-blonde hair. "So, Natasha… Want to show me just how you became the national champion of Russia? Or are all the duelists there wimps?"
(Olga: 7,400) -------------------- (Natasha: 6,300)
"I'm still standing…" said Natasha, drawing a card. "And my true strategy has yet to be unleashed.
"I play Pot of Greed."
The jar appeared in front of her, and she drew two cards. She looked at them.
She smirked. She played two cards, and a facedown card and a facedown Monster appeared in front of her.
"That all?" asked Olga, drawing a card.
She added it to her hand.
"Idaten, attack!"
Idaten charged. A Mystic Tomato appeared on the card, and was blown to pieces.
"I activate my Trap!" shouted Natasha, as her facedown card lifted. "Michizure… I hope your Angel isn't afraid of heights…"
The ground shook, and then cracked open. Idaten screamed as she was swallowed into the abyss.
"And due to Mystic Tomato's destruction…" continued Natasha. "I can summon a Dark Monster with 1,500 or fewer Attack Points. Meet the diva of my deck…"
She placed a card on her Disk, and a dark shadow crept across the arena…
"I summon… Reficul, the Fallen Angel Nurse. She'll give you the prescription for death…"
A man-sized, female figure appeared in front of her. She was covered in bandages from head to toe, and had long, purple hair, and huge, leathery wings. Most remarkably, her wrists, ankles, and neck were bound by chains that had been broken, as if she were a prisoner who had broken free from some place. She looked at Olga with an evil smile. (1,400/600)
"Urk!" exclaimed Olga. "Okay, that's… very scary… But she isn't exactly the strongest Monster in the world…"
She looked at her cards.
I could defend myself with Cyber Petite Angel… she thought, but then I might lose the chance to get rid of this thing…
"I… have to end my turn…"
Natasha drew a card.
"Reficul, attack her directly!"
Reficul flicked her head forward, and her hair shot forward. Olga hollered.
It was razor-sharp…
"I've heard of bad hair days, but that's ridiculous…" muttered Olga.
(O: 6,000) -------------------- (N: 6,300)
"I place three cards facedown," continued Natasha. "And that will be all…"
Three facedown cards appeared.
Olga drew a card. It was Shining Angel.
"Okay…" she said. "Time to bring out Idaten's sister… I summon Cyber Petite Angel…"
She played the card, and the tiny Fairy appeared. (300/200)
"I activate a Trap Card!" shouted Natasha.
One of her facedown cards lifted.
"Huh?" asked Olga, looking at it. "Dark Cure? What does that do?"
"Whenever you summon a Monster," said Natasha, "it gives you Life Points equal to half the Monster's Attack Score."
"What?" said Olga with a laugh. "I can't believe there even IS a Trap that does that! How do you expect to win that way?"
"Did I forget to mention Reficul's powerful effect?" asked Natasha. "When she's on the field, any effect that would increase your Life Points does the opposite, taking them away instead…"
Reficul's eyes glowed with fiery pinpoints, and Olga felt a twinge of pain…
She looked at her hand.
Okay, so it's a pretty good combo, she thought. I'm going to lose a few Life Points… but this Fallen Angel has got to go...
"Due to Cyber Petite Angel's effect," she continued, "I get to pull Machine Angel Ritual from my deck."
She took the card.
"Now I use it, and sacrifice it, and Shining Angel, to summon Cyber Angel Benten!"
Shining Angel appeared on the field. Both Fairies turned to metal, and vanished into motes of light…
Benten appeared on the field, and gave a fierce battlecry. (1,800/1,500)
Reficul's eyes glowed again, and Olga sweat as the burning pain coursed through her…
(O: 4,950) -------------------- (N: 6,300)
"I activate my other Trap!" shouted Natasha.
Her second facedown card lifted.
"Sadistic Potion…" she said. "Now, whenever you take effect damage, and you just did, Reficul gains 1,000 Attack Points for the rest of the turn. So now your Angel isn't strong enough to kill her."
Reficul grinned evilly, and her Attack grew to 2,400.
"I should probably mention," said Natasha, crossing her arms. "Reficul just despises other Fairies. They're the ones who locked her in chains in the first place."
"Given the nature of her powers…" muttered Olga, "I'm guessing she has only herself to blame…"
She placed a card in her Disk.
"I'll end with this."
A facedown card appeared.
Natasha drew a card.
"I activate another Trap Card," said Natasha, as her third facedown card lifted. "It's called Gift Card.
"Normally, this Trap would increase your Life Points by 3,000. But…"
Reficul's eyes burned with fire, and Olga screamed in pain.
Reficul rose to an attack of 2,400 again.
"Next, I summon Burning Algae…" she said.
In a burst of flame, a Monster that looked more or less like a bush that was on fire appeared in front of her. (500/1,500)
Oh no… thought Olga. When Burning Algae goes to the Graveyard, I'd normally gain 1,000 Life Points… But with Reficul on the field…
"Burning Algae…" ordered Natasha. "Attack Cyber Angel Benten!"
The fiery bush shot a wave of flame at Benten…
"Sorry…" said Olga, "but I'm going to nip your plan in the bud…"
Her facedown card lifted.
"I activate Doble Passe. Now your attack turns into a direct attack on me…"
Benten leapt out of the way, and Olga winced as the flames hit her.
"And even better, now Benten gets to attack you."
Benten leapt at Natasha, and smacked her upside the head with her fans. She shrieked and fell over.
Natasha angrily got up.
"Let's see her avoid this!" she shouted. "Reficul, attack Benten!"
Reficul's hair-blade slashed forward. Benten screamed before she was literally cut in half.
(O: 850) -------------------- (N: 4,500)
"So what will you do now?" asked Natasha. "If you summon anything with an Attack Score of 1,700 or more, Reficul will finish you off!
"But just in case…"
She took the last card in her hand.
"I play Swords of Revealing Light."
The cage of shimmering swords fell around Olga.
Olga drew one card.
"I play… Pot of Greed…" she said.
She drew two cards.
"And I have just enough Life Points left to play this… Brain Control!"
She played a Spell Card.
"Reficul, get over here!" she shouted.
A fiendish brain appeared on her side. Reficul gasped as two long arms reached out and grabbed her, pulling her over to Olga's side.
"Fat lot of good that will do you," said Natasha. "That only lasts for one round, and you can't attack with my Swords in play."
"Which is why Reficul is going to be leaving," said Olga.
"I sacrifice your Nurse… To summon Cyber Prima."
Reficul bowed her head, and then vanished, and in her place rose a much more beautiful female figure. She wore a silver bodysuit, with golden hoops around her waist, and a Mardi Gras-style mask over her eyes. (2,300/1,600)
"Your Dark Cure is still active," said Olga, "but Reficul is gone, meaning I gain 1,150 Life Points.
"And that's not all. When Prima is summoned, all Spell Cards on the field are destroyed."
Prima's eyes glowed, and the Swords shattered into shards of light.
(O: 1,200) -------------------- (N: 4,500)
"Now that I have Life Points to spend, I'll spend 800 of them, to play Premature Burial. I'll bring back my not-so-gruesome twosome that you destroyed on your first turn, Gellenduo."
She played the card, and two cute-looking creatures that looked like they were shaped like little hearts, one pink and one green, appeared in front of her. (1,700/0)
"That means I get 850 more Life Points back right away, thanks to your Dark Cure…
"Next, I play Double Summon. This means I get to make another Normal Summon this round."
A Spell Card appeared on the field, showing an image of a sorceress casting a spell at an onrushing Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts.
"Now I can sacrifice Gellenduo to summon someone else. And when they're sacrificed to summon a Light Fairy, they can count as two sacrifices.
"So, I sacrifice them to summon Guardian Angel Joan!"
Gellenduo vanished in a burst of brilliant light, and the mighty form of Guardian Angel Joan flew out of the light. (2,800/2,000)
Natasha stepped back in fear…
"That means your Dark Cure kicks in again…" said Olga.
(O: 2,650) -------------------- (N: 4,500)
"Guardian Angel Joan…" ordered Olga, "attack her Burning Algae with searing light of Heaven!"
Joan blasted beams of pure light, and Burning Algae was vaporized. Olga glowed with energy as she was healed once more.
(O: 4,150) -------------------- (N: 2,200)
"Ho boy…" said Natasha.
"Now the fun part…" said Olga. "Prima… Attack directly!"
The Warrior charged at Natasha. Prima kicked her in the gut, and she flew backwards.
Natasha fell to the ground. She was out cold.
(O: 4,150) -------------------- (N: 0)
Olga looked at her badge.
Silver at last… she thought. I'm even with Yumi…
Maybe I should check up on her and the rest of them…
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The warm sun finally rose, and burned away the fog.
At the border of the Hotel Strip and the Restaurant District sat a large coffee house called the Daily Grind. Coffee house chains didn't last long these days with Starbucks dominating the business, but Sheena didn't like monopolies, something that Starbucks was threatening to become with each passing year, and adamantly refused their petitions to open one in Duelatopia. They had made several offers, but no amount of money could tempt a company as rich as KaibaCorp. (The fact that KaibaCorp was somewhat of a monopoly itself in the world of dueling was always answered with the explanation that it would only become one if it owned Industrial Illusions, which was something that would never happen, due to a clause in the company charter set by Seto Kaiba himself. He didn't like monopolies either, mostly because his stepfather had loved them so much. Industrial Illusions had a similar clause. The two companies were currently allies, but would never be owned by the same group.)
Thus, this independent coffee shop had opened here, and this morning, Yumi, Ren, and Chelsea were at a table, drinking mocha lattes and sampling bear claws. Chelsea was wearing sunglasses for some reason.
"Gee, Chelsea," said Ren, "why the shades?"
"Uhm…" she said. "I didn't get to sleep until one in the morning last night…"
She smirked a little.
The Midnight Caller had helped a great deal. She now knew how to help all the ghosts who had come to her, and had started to do so. She had started with Chihiro because she was the most tragic, but she had gotten to others.
Sir Percival had been easy. He hadn't been looking for an object all this time at all. It seemed that he had a beloved niece that he had an argument with before he left on the trip where he had lost his life. He now simply had to find her descendant and apologize, and he'd be released. She was even able to direct him to that descendent – she was living in Nikko.
The Baroness had been a little harder. Her curse had been inflicted on purpose by her rotten husband, who wanted to punish her dearly for her infidelity – which, of course, she had been innocent of. He had called in a favor of some royal court magician to cast the most diabolic curse before he murdered her. Both her husband and that magician were burning in Hell now, but that hadn't lifted the curse.
Chelsea told her what to do, however. Since the curse had royal authority, she had to enter a structure that represented a completely different monarchy which was older than that of her home country, and thus had a higher authority as far as spiritual energy went. The Emperor's Palace in Tokyo fit the bill. Once she went there, it would act as an escape route, and the curse could do nothing to stop her.
Both Sir Percival and the Baroness had wasted no time in leaving, nor did two other ghosts she had spoken to last night. Chelsea could hardly believe she was going to miss them and Chihiro, but at least they could rest in peace now… She'd get to less tragic ones tonight.
Of course, it did little to ease their most recent troubles. A Shadow Game had occurred, and this time, the loser had paid with his life. They all tried to reason that he was a jerk who'd have killed Sam without a second thought, but it was still a lot to take in.
"Well…" muttered Ren. "Some pizza last night…"
He sipped his coffee.
"First the Eliminators, now secret restaurants… What else in this place is secret?"
"All resorts have their secrets," replied Yumi. "According to legend, Disneyland Anaheim has a secret, hidden restaurant where only a few select members are allowed entrance."
"That place?" said Chelsea. "Oh, it's real. Dad told me that according to what folks say at work, Maximillion Pegasus was a member."
She sipped her coffee.
"I mean, think about it… The guy was a billionaire, and he played a Toon Deck. It kind of makes sense that he would belong to the most exclusive club in Disneyland.
"Anyway, the place is located in the New Orleans section of the theme park, behind a nondescript door. But even if you know what you're looking for, you can't get in… Members only.
"And becoming a member is hard. It only has about five-hundred members, and it takes nine years to get membership, at least. Then you have to pay a fee of $9,500 to become a member, and after that, the annual membership fee is $3,175. That doesn't cover the cost of a meal, but if you have reservations at the restaurant, admission to the park itself is free.
"Anyway, it's certainly a posh club. The restaurant is five-star, and according to the legend, it's the only place in the park that serves alcohol."
"So who the heck are members of this place?" asked Ren.
"Dunno…" muttered Chelsea. "I'd assume A-list actors, musicians, and celebrities, former and current heads of state, basically people with more money than they know what to do with."
"Hey…" said Ren, pointing to a table. "Isn't that Heck?"
It was indeed. The V-through-Z cowboy duelist was sitting alone at a table with a cappuccino, looking somewhat sullen.
"Hey, Heck," said Yumi, as they walked up to his table. "What's up? Blue, I see…"
"Yeah, ah'm Blue…" replied Heck. "But ah'm thinking of throwing in the towel, Yumi… It seems every time ah get Violet, ah lose it again. Too many good duelists, and not many top ranking ones left… Word is that so many of them are getting sloppy, finding the Eliminators and being wiped out…
"Ah hear the Eliminators have the right to lock you up or something if they beat you. Ah'm not that dumb."
Yumi gave a nervous look, remembering how Mystara had threatened to seal her in amber. Mystara did indeed have the power to seal a person in a gemstone – the Gift of Diamond was proof. She doubted Mystara would have imprisoned her forever… But there was the possibility that if she had lost, she would have been trapped until the end of the tournament…
The door opened, and he entered.
Everyone turned to take notice. It was the duelist in the dark trenchcoat with long, dark hair. He looked around, and strode up to the bar.
"Surreal…" muttered Ren.
"Ah've heard of that guy…" muttered Heck. "They call him Angel…"
"Angel?" asked Yumi.
"Short for Angel of Death…" replied Heck. "Ah've never actually seen him duel, but they say his strategy is lethal… His deck is based on a concept called… Oh, what is it now…
"Ichigeki Hissatsu… Whatever that means…"
Yumi looked at him.
"I know what it means…" she said. "It's a term used in some martial arts, like Karate and Iaido. It refers to the ability to finish off your opponent with a single strike."
"Whoa…" muttered Ren. "So he has some sort of OTK Deck?"
Chelsea looked at him.
"Let's find out…" she said.
"Chelsea!" said Ren. "You aren't gonna do what I sure hope you aren't gonna do…"
Chelsea walked up to the dark figure, who was drinking a large coffee.
"Angel?" she asked.
He turned to her.
"I hear you're good."
He looked at her.
"Yes," he said, in a soft voice. "Seeing as your badge is one step away from Gold, you must be no slouch yourself."
"Well then…" she said. "I'm at Silver, you're at Silver… If we were to duel, the winner would get the first spot in the finals, I believe…"
"She's crazy…" said Heck.
"Heh, heh," said Angel, with a small grin.
It was a very small grin. It sort of looked like it would hurt his face if he actually smiled.
"I have to warn you…" he said. "Since I started using my current deck, I've only lost three times. The three folks who beat me knew exactly what the key card in my deck was.
"Several other of my opponents knew, but they lost anyway.
"But if you're really serious…"
He stood up, and Chelsea flinched a little. He stood about six-foot-four…
"I'll gladly accept your challenge…"
Chelsea was quiet for a few minutes.
"You're on!" she said.
"Then I'll meet you outside…" said Angel.
He walked past her and head for the door.
"Chelsea!" shouted Ren. "What are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking I'm going to be facing a valid challenge…" she answered, "or make a complete and absolute fool of myself.
"But I'm not scared…"
Yumi looked at her.
"Chelsea, it's one thing not to be scared, and another thing to be stupid," she said. "Are you sure?"
"Let me put it this way…" said Chelsea. "He's at Silver. That means we likely would have had to duel him eventually. It might as well be now."
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Yumi, Ren, and Heck followed Chelsea as she walked out.
"Cyber-Stein Deck?" asked Ren.
"Cyber-Stein is illegal," answered Yumi.
"Cyber Jar Mill Deck?" he asked.
"Also illegal," replied Yumi. "Let's face it… They try their hardest to outlaw cards that make OTK strategies easy. But there are several legal methods. I have no idea what he might have waiting for Chelsea."
"So, you came," said Angel, as Chelsea approached him. "I wasn't sure if you would… Folks who challenge me have been known to chicken out at the last minute and run out the back door."
Chelsea's Disk activated.
"Does this look like I'm chickening out?" she said. "I'm starting to like you less and less…"
Angel's Disk activated.
"Let me tell you one thing, Chelsea," he said. "A lot of people don't like me… And you know what? I really don't care whether they do or not…
"In this game, you don't have to worry about people liking you… Especially your opponents. You crush your opponents. That's the way it is…"
He pointed to Ren and Yumi.
"I mean, what's going to happen if you should win?" he asked. "You'd have to duel them in this contest eventually. Would you all still be so friendly once you became rivals?"
"I'll cross that bridge when I come to it…" said Chelsea, with a sneer. "And you have a lot to learn about being a good sport."
"There's an old saying," said Angel, as his eyes narrowed. "It says that nice guys finish last. I play to win. So I'd rather not be a nice guy."
"Game on!" they both shouted.
(Chelsea: 8,000) -------------------- (Angel: 8,000)
"Here goes…" said Chelsea, drawing her first card.
She looked over her hand.
"I summon Blood Sucker in Attack Mode," she said.
She played the card, and in a burst of darkness, the bat-like Zombie appeared. (1,300/1,500)
"One…" said Angel.
Chelsea looked at him funny.
"Uh, yeah…" she said. "Then I'll toss two cards facedown, and that will be my turn."
Two facedown cards appeared behind Blood Sucker.
"Two, three," he said, "and the turn comes to me…"
He drew a card, and looked at it.
"I set a Monster in Defense Mode, and end my turn," he said.
A defensive Monster appeared.
"Well, Chelsea's still alive…" said Ren. "But I think he's up to something…"
Chelsea drew a card.
"I summon Zombie Werewolf in Attack Mode," she said.
In another burst of dark energy, the vicious Werewolf appeared and howled. (1,200/1,200)
"Blood Sucker…" ordered Chelsea, "attack the facedown Monster!"
Blood Sucker lunged forward. The creature that appeared on the card was a weird-looking Fiend with red skin, green trousers, and eyes all over its body. Blood Sucker slashed with its claw, and it shattered.
"Thank you…" said Angel, again with that small grin. "That was a Monster called a Big Eye, and due to its Flip-Effect, I now get to take the top five cards on my deck, then look at them, and then rearrange them any way I want…"
He took five cards off of his deck and looked over them. He made one adjustment, putting one card underneath the one he would draw on his next turn, and then put them back.
"I don't know what your game is," said Chelsea, "but now your side is clear! Zombie Werewolf, attack Angel directly! Terror claw."
Zombie Werewolf flew forward and made a slash with his claw, and Angel staggered back.
(C: 8,000) -------------------- (A: 6,800)
"Heh, heh…" said Angel. "Nothing I like more than a little pain… Especially when I'm the one dishing it out…
"By the way… Four…"
He drew a card.
"I play a Spell Card," he said, holding a card up. "It's called Obligatory Summons, and it works like this… I choose one Monster on your side of the field, so I think I'll choose your Zombie Werewolf.
"Zombie Werewolf is a Dark Attribute, Zombie Type, Level Four Monster. Now, you must Special Summon all the Monsters you can from your hand or deck that fall into those three categories."
Chelsea gave him a funny look.
"Whatever you say…" she said, taking her deck.
She played three cards, and her three Vampire Ladies appeared in front of her. (1,550/1,550 x3)
Angel nodded.
"Five, six, seven…" he said, "all good girls go to Heaven…"
He took another card from his hand.
"Now I play Mischief of the Goddess…" he said.
A shower of sparkling motes showered on Chelsea. She stood spellbound, as a beautiful maiden appeared behind her and let out a girlish giggle.
"Now I get to look at your hand," continued Angel, "and if there's a Spell Card there, I can set it facedown."
The maiden gently took hold of Chelsea's right hand. Chelsea didn't resist as her hand of cards was turned around.
"Book of Life will do," said Angel.
The maiden plucked the card from Chelsea's hand, and then slid it into her Duel Disk. Then she kissed Chelsea on the cheek, and vanished.
Chelsea held her head as the facedown card appeared.
Weird… she thought. This whole strategy is weird…
"Now…" said Angel, taking one more Spell Card from his hand, "you all wanted to know what my kill-card was? I'll bet you're… dying to find out."
An ominous wind started to pick up around the field. Everyone started to shiver…
A Spell Card appeared on his side of the field, showing the image of a hand pulling a sword from a sheath.
"I play… my Slash Draw," he said. "I'll explain this in small words. First, I discard one card from my deck at random for each card on the field. In other words, eight…"
Eight cards shot out of his deck, and he caught them. He threw them into his Graveyard slot.
"What's the point?" asked Chelsea.
"Then I get to draw one card," continued Angel. "If it happens to be another Slash Draw, all cards on the field are destroyed… and, then, this is the part I savor… you lose 1,000 Life Points for each one."
"One grand for each one?" shouted Heck. "If he draws it, she'll be wiped out!"
Ren's eyes opened wide.
"He rearranged the cards on the top of his deck…" he said, aghast. "He knows exactly what the top card is…"
Yumi shook her head.
"Poor Chelsea…" she muttered.
Angel reached for his deck. He drew a card.
In a flash of light, a sword – a katana blade – appeared on his hip. He grasped it by the hilt, and with one swift motion, drew it from its sheath…
"DIE!" he shouted.
A blade of energy shot towards Chelsea's side of the field. An explosion erupted over Chelsea and her Monsters, and her scream could be heard over the blast…
The explosion and the flames slowly started to subside…
Angel smirked again, and slowly returned the sword to the sheath.
"That's it…" said Angel, as it disappeared. "Game over…"
The smoke cleared. Chelsea was crouched down, with her chin to her knees, her whole side wiped out, with smoke rising from her body…
"But you did have guts, kid," he continued. "Not many would have…"
"Uh, Angel," interrupted Ren. "Better check the score…"
"Huh?" he said.
(C: 3,550) -------------------- (A: 6,800)
"What the…" said Angel, in shock. "No way! That's not possible!"
Chelsea slowly staggered to her feet, holding her chest. She coughed, and gasped for breath.
"Oh but it is…" she said, slowly. "Close, but no banana, Angel."
He glared at her.
"See, one of the facedown cards I set on my first turn was Mystik Wok. I chained it just as you played your Slash Draw, sacrificing a Vampire Lady. And as a serious duelist knows, Quickplay Spells gain priority over Normal Spells.
"So when your Slash Draw's effect hit, there were only six cards on the field, so I only lost 6,000 Life Points. In addition, due to the effect of Mystik Wok, I gained 1,550 of them before I lost any.
"This duel is not over yet. Seems your strategy has a few flaws that you have to work out."
"How-dee!" shouted Heck. "That was the best save ah've seen since Macintosh recovered the fumble at the Superbowl last year."
Angel growled.
"You must think you're so smart…" he said. "Well, it's still my turn… I'll set a Monster in Defense Mode, and that will be all."
A facedown Monster appeared in front of him.
Chelsea drew a card.
"I play Pot of Greed," she said, playing the card.
She drew two cards. She looked at them
"All right!" she said, throwing a card into her Disk. "I play… Symbol of Heritage. Since there are three of the same Monster in my Graveyard, I can summon one of them to the field, so long as I Equip it with this."
The strange variation of the ankh symbol appeared on her side of the field, and Vampire Lady appeared in front of her. (1,550/1,550)
"Attack his facedown Monster!" she shouted.
Vampire Lady flew forward. A Mystic Tomato appeared on the card. With one swipe of her claw, it was blown into tomato paste.
"I activate Mystic Tomato's effect," said Angel. "I don't use this guy very often… I keep him in my deck because he's sort of… symbolic…
"I summon Demise Lord."
A shadowy aura appeared over the arena, and ghostly, demonic shapes started to fly around the two duelists. A tall, diabolical figure appeared. He was a man-shaped creature in a fiendish, flowing brown robe and a helmet with a long cape, holding a scythe. (1,300/2,000)
"Ugh," said Chelsea. "Okay… That's… creepy… But he's all bark and no bite."
Angel just glared at her.
Chelsea placed a card in her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.
"My turn is over…" she said.
Angel drew a card.
"I play my own Pot of Greed…" he said.
He played the card, and then made two draws.
He fit a card into his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.
"That will do for now…" he said.
"Huh?" said Ren. "His Lord is clearly weaker than Vampire Lady… Yet he kept him in Attack Mode?"
"Something is up…" said Yumi.
Chelsea drew a card.
She raised an eyebrow. It was the card that the Midnight Caller had given her. She had taken Ryu Kokki out of her deck to make room for it…
[IHis facedown card is likely some Monster-killing Trap,[/I she thought, looking at the card. [IBut if it is, he'll be in for a surprise.[/I
"I sacrifice my Vampire Lady…" she said.
Vampire Lady vanished.
"To summon someone I had to defeat in order to get this card… Meet The Midnight Caller!"
In a dark shadow, a tall form appeared in front of Chelsea. Ren and Yumi were surprised. The Monster looked exactly like The Midnight Caller whom Chelsea had dueled against – every exact detail was there. (2,400/1,000)
"Is that cool or what?" asked Chelsea.
"I'll give it an 'or what'," replied Angel.
"Fine…" said Chelsea. "Attack his Demise Lord! Dark curse!"
The Midnight Caller's eyes glowed red, and he held his hand out. The Lord strained, and then shattered into pieces.
(C: 3,550) -------------------- (A: 5,700)
"Well, so much for him…" said Chelsea. "I end my turn…"
"Not before the effect of my Lord activates," replied Angel. "He has an effect that can be used once per duel…"
The ground started to crack…
"If he's destroyed in battle and sent to the Graveyard, he makes a quick recovery… Only he comes back much stronger than he was before…"
Demise Lord burst out of the ground, holding his scythe menacingly. His eyes burned with fire. (3,000/2,000)
"Three G's?" exclaimed Heck.
"Not only that…" replied Angel, "but his new ability is unlocked… He can't be destroyed by card effects from this point on. Not even my own Slash Draw.
"You probably thought that my deck didn't have any offensive power. Well, as you can see, you were wrong. The first rule of dueling is, always bring a backup plan.
"And since that was the end of your turn, it's my move…"
He drew a card.
"I play Pot of Avarice," he said, playing a card.
The goofy, pink version of the Pot of Greed appeared in front of him.
Five cards slipped out of his discard slot. He combined them with his deck, reshuffled, and then drew two cards.
"I place one card facedown…" he said.
A facedown card appeared.
Then he played a Spell Card.
"Now, Magical Stone Excavation," he said. "I just have to toss two cards, and a Spell Card comes back to my hand."
He tossed his A Feather of the Phoenix and Exchange of the Spirits into his Graveyard. Then a card slipped out of his Graveyard.
"Slash Draw, right?" asked Chelsea.
Angel nodded.
"But before I use it…" he said.
His first facedown card lifted, showing the image of a mad scientist in a cramped study.
"It's a Trap called Fruits of Kozaky's Study," he said. "Now I get to look at the top three cards on my deck, and rearrange them however I want…
"It goes without saying that when a card plays such a vital role in your deck, you always have to have three copies of it."
He took the three cards and looked at them. Again, he gave that small smirk… He made one adjustment.
"It's okay!" gasped Ren. "He can only destroy three cards… Chelsea will survive…"
"But after that, what will protect her from his Monster?" asked Yumi.
Angel placed the cards back.
"Now, I play Slash Draw again," he said, playing the card. "And since there are four cards on the field…"
Four cards shot out of his deck, and he caught them, and quickly discarded them.
"Now…"
He quickly drew the top card from his deck…
The sword appeared by his side again. He grabbed hold of the hilt and drew it again…
The blade of energy shot towards Chelsea again. Angel's facedown Monster Reincarnation lifted up and shattered as the explosion centered on Chelsea again. Chelsea was barely visible, staggering against the blow…
But when the smoke cleared, she was grinning. And The Midnight Caller was still standing.
(C: 2,550) -------------------- (A: 5,700)
"NOW WHAT?" shouted Angel, with his eyes opened wide.
"The Midnight Caller has a special ability of his own," said Chelsea. "If I toss a Monster from my hand that's Level Four or greater, he becomes immortal for one round. Of course, I can only use that effect three times, and there's a hefty price if I use it a third time… But whatever works…
"Not only that, I chain-activated my Rush Recklessly, which removed it from the field and raised his Attack to 3,100. That's a Quickplay too, in case you didn't know. So your Slash Draw only destroyed one card this time – yours."
Angel angrily sheathed the sword, and it vanished.
"You're getting on my nerves, Chelsea…" he growled.
He frowned.
Then he made that slight smirk again.
"Although, I must admit, this is the best challenge I've had in a long time. It's kind of… Invigorating…
"I'll end my turn there."
Chelsea made one draw.
Nuts… she thought, adding it to her hand.
"I move The Midnight Caller to Defense Mode," she said.
The Caller knelt down, and covered himself with his cape.
"That's all I can do…" she said. "But what will you do? You're all out of Slash Draws."
"We'll see, won't we?" asked Angel, drawing a card.
"Demise Lord, attack The Midnight Caller!"
The Lord's eyes glowed, and his mouth twisted into an evil smile. He made a slash with his scythe, and The Caller exploded into shards.
"Didn't have a Monster you could discard, huh?" he asked. "Your move."
Chelsea looked at the two cards in her hand.
Both of them were Monsters, but one of them was only Level Three, and the other was too valuable to discard. Not to mention it was one of only two cards in her entire deck which might be able to defeat his Lord.
She drew a card.
Will this work? she thought, looking at the Lord. I'm not sure if…
"Angel… question…" she said. "Is your Monster a Zombie or a Fiend?"
"Fiend," he replied. "Why?"
"Because now that means I can take it down without losing my own Monster…" said Chelsea.
She played a card, and Premature Burial appeared on the field. In a burst of shadowy darkness, Vampire Lord appeared in front of her. (2,000/1,500)
"Wait a second…" said Angel. "When was he in your Graveyard?"
"I discarded him to activate The Midnight Caller's effect," replied Chelsea. "And now, I remove him from play, to bring out Vampire Genesis!"
Vampire Lord vanished, and the mighty vampire deity appeared, glowing with his dark aura. (3,000/2,100)
"Lovely…" said Angel. "Now we've got a standoff."
"Not quite…" said Chelsea, taking the last card in her hand. "Since I haven't Normal Summoned yet, I summon Vampire Bat."
A swarm of bats flew onto the field, forming into one giant bat. (800/800)
Vampire Genesis grew to an Attack of 3,200, and Vampire Bat grew to 1,000.
"Uh oh…" said Angel.
"See?" said Chelsea. "Vampire Bat increases the Attack Score of all Zombies on the field. So if your Lord were a Zombie, it really would have been a standoff.
"Vampire Genesis… Attack his Lord!"
Genesis burst into his crimson shroud, and plowed into Demise Lord. He tried to shield himself from the onslaught, but toppled over and shattered into pieces.
"Vampire Bat, attack directly! Nightmare scourge!"
Angel covered his head as the swarm of bats flocked at him, biting and clawing. He grunted and fell on one knee.
(C: 1,750) -------------------- (A: 4,500)
"So, what do you have to say to that?" asked Chelsea.
Angel got up.
"I say," he said, "bring it."
He drew a card.
"I place this in Defense Mode…" he said.
A facedown Monster appeared.
"Next I play The Shallow Grave. Now we each summon a Monster from our Graveyards in facedown Defense Mode."
Another facedown Monster appeared in front of him, and one appeared in front of Chelsea.
"Your move…" he said.
Chelsea drew a card.
Hmm, Zombie Bed, she thought. Couldn't hurt…
She placed it in her Disk, and the facedown card appeared.
"I Flip-Summon my facedown Monster," she said. "You remember The Midnight Caller, right?"
The facedown card flipped, and The Midnight Caller appeared again. (2,400/1,000) – (2,600/1,000)
"Attack the Monster on the left!" she shouted.
The Midnight Caller's eyes glowed, and he held out his hand.
Magician of Faith appeared on the card, and she cowered before she was blasted into pieces.
"Oh, great…" said Ren.
"Thanks…" said Angel. "Now one Spell Card comes back to my hand…"
One of his copies of Slash Draw slipped out of his Graveyard, and he added it to his hand.
"I'm not done with you…" said Chelsea. "Genesis, attack the other Monster!"
Vampire Genesis erupted into his crimson shroud and flew at the facedown Monster. A fiendish-looking reptilian creature appeared on the card, and was blasted to pieces.
"A Des Feral Imp?" said Chelsea, startled.
"Uh huh…" said Angel. "Thanks again…"
A second copy of Slash Draw slipped out of his discard slot. He placed it in his deck and reshuffled.
"Having a strategy where you pitch so many cards into your Graveyard is usually a problem… But it does have an upside."
"I'm still not done…" said Chelsea. "Vampire Bat… Attack directly!"
Angel covered his face as the cloud of bats swarmed at him again.
(C: 1,750) -------------------- (A: 3,500)
"I have to end my turn…" said Chelsea.
Angel drew a card.
Then he placed two cards in his Disk, and two facedown cards appeared.
"Well, Chelsea…" he said, holding up his last card. "One copy of Slash Draw is right here, and the last one is in my deck…"
He played the card.
"They say third time's the charm, and I don't see any way you could dodge it this time… Not even if that facedown card could remove all three of your Monsters from the field."
"You're drawing blind this time," said Chelsea. "No Big Eye, no Kozaky's Study… No way of knowing what your top card is."
"True…" said Angel.
He held up six cards.
"But after I discard these, I'll only have nine cards left in my deck. So my chances are better than you think. And to tell you the truth, I've always wanted to try it without help…"
He discarded the cards. Then he reached for his deck. Everyone tensed…
He quickly drew the card…
There was dead calm…
Nothing… The sword didn't appear.
Chelsea smirked.
"Well…" she said with a small laugh. "I guess that without help, that card is just a shot in the dark that isn't worth taking."
"Oh, just finish it…" growled Angel.
"I will!" said Chelsea, drawing a card.
"Midnight Caller, direct attack!"
The Caller's eyes glowed with evil energy. He cast his dark curse, and Angel hollered.
"Vampire Genesis, your turn!"
Genesis flew forward, and Angel was propelled backwards.
(C: 1,750) -------------------- (A: 0)
"Phew!" said both Chelsea and Ren at once.
Chelsea took off her badge, which was now glowing Gold.
"YES!" she shouted, holding it up. "Duelatopia, I'm heading for the top!"
Yumi and Ren ran up to her, and she was beset by hugs.
"Uhm, guys…" she muttered. "You're hugging me…"
Angel walked up to them.
"Chelsea," he said, "I don't say this often, but I'm impressed. Maybe I shouldn't be so sure of myself.
"Here… uhm, take this too."
He handed her a piece of cloth parchment.
"What is it?" she asked.
"Someone slipped this under my door," he said. "It's a map to an Eliminator. I know you can't use it, but maybe you know someone who can."
"Uh…" she said. "This Eliminator… Did you beat him?"
"Of course I beat him…" he said. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't, would I? Wasn't that hard… Won in one turn…"
"Let me see!" said Ren.
He looked at it.
Angel started to walk away as Ren looked at it.
"Both of you are ineligible," he said, "but I still have a chance… And I was psyched by the two of you…"
He looked at the inscription.
Seek the place where Pendragon held court, and challenge the one who stands guard over the Siege Perilous.
"Pendragon?" he said, confused.
"That was King Arthur's last name, I believe…" said Yumi. "In some versions of the story, at least. The place where he held court would be…"
They paused.
"Camelot!" they all said at once.
Ren looked at the map again.
"There's an Eliminator lurking under our hotel?" he mused.
Not far away, Angel shuffled his deck.
"That was humiliating…" he muttered. "I hate losing…
"Chelsea has no reason to duel me again unless I get into the finals, a goal which just became harder… But I'll settle for letting her see her boyfriend sacrificed on the Siege Perilous…"
He chuckled.
"I didn't fib… I beat that Eliminator in one turn… But that one turn was NOT my first turn… Far from it…"
"Incredibly diabolical…" said a voice.
Angel turned and saw Nicholas standing in front of him.
"I see you're at Violet now," said Nicholas. "So am I… Care to try to gain back the rank you just lost?"
Angel made that slight smirk again…
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Sheena stood on the bridge of Duelatopia.
Her cell phone rang. She looked at the number.
"Talk to me," she said, answering it.
"Good news," said Descartes voice. "We've caught one of the Ascenders. And he isn't being very cooperative, I might add. He's screaming about suing for false arrest."
"Figures," said Sheena. "Take him to the brig, and I'll be there to have a word with him."
"Ms. Arachne," said one of the technicians. "We have a Gold Alert. The first finalist has been decided."
"Oh?" she asked. "Who?"
"Ms. Chelsea Ramset," replied the technician. "She's…"
"I know who she is," replied Sheena. "You know what to do…
"I'll be back shortly…"
Chelsea has defeated a duelist's OTK strategy, and has become Duelatopia's first finalist! More are sure to follow, as Ren seeks out a challenge of his own. Can his Horn of Chance bring him the luck he needs to survive the Siege Perilous? And what the heck IS the Siege Perilous? And where are Sam and Erik anyway?
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REFICUL, THE FALLEN ANGEL NURSE (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Fairy/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 4
ATK: 1,400
DEF: 600
Card Description: When this card is face-up on your side of the field, any effect of increasing your opponent's Life Points is changed to inflict the same amount of points in damage to your opponent's Life Points.
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DARK CURE (Trap Card)
Continuous Trap
Image: A dark angel with large, feathered wings, holding a glowing orb of light.
Card Description: Whenever your opponent Normal Summons, Flip-Summons, or Special Summons a Monster, his/her Life Points increase by an amount equal to half of that Monster's base ATK.
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SADISTIC POTION (Trap Card)
Continuous Trap
Image: A ghostly, angelic form embracing a burly muscleman who is chained with shackles.
Card Description: You can activate the effect of this card whenever your opponent receives damage from a card effect. Increase the ATK of a "Reficul, the Fallen Angel Nurse" on your side of the field by 1,000 until the End Phase of the current turn. This effect can only be used once per turn.
Note: "Reficul, the Fallen Angel Nurse", "Dark Cure", and "Sadistic Potion" were used by Prof. Fontaine in a third season episode of "Yu-Gi-Oh GX". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
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OBLIGATORY SUMMONS (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: The image on this card was not clear.
Card Description: Choose one face-up Monster on your opponent's side of the field. Your opponent must Special Summon from his/her hand or deck all the Monsters he/she is able to that have the same Type, Attribute, and Level of the chosen Monster.
Note: "Obligatory Summons" was first used by Kaiba in "Yu-Gi-Oh! The Movie: Pyramid of Light". Creative credit goes to the screenplay writers of that movie.
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MISCHIEF OF THE GODDESS (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: A smiling beauty lurking behind a duelist holding a hand of cards.
Card Description: Look at your opponent's hand. If he/she is holding one or more Spell Cards, choose one, and set that card in one of their spaces in their Spell/Trap Zone.
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SLASH DRAW (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: A hand drawing a sword from a sheath.
Card Description: Send cards from your deck to your Graveyard at random equal to the number of cards on the field. Then, draw one card from your deck. If the drawn card is "Slash Draw", destroy all cards on the field, and for each card destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, inflict 1,000 points of damage to your opponent's Life Points. When this effect is activated, it cannot be destroyed by the effects of Spell, Trap, or Monster cards, nor can its effect be negated. After the effect is resolved, discard the drawn card.
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DEMISE LORD (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Fiend/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 5
ATK: 1,300
DEF: 2,000
Card Description: If this card is destroyed as a result of battle and sent to the Graveyard, Special Summon it during the next End Phase with a base ATK of 3,000. When this card is Special Summoned this way, it cannot be destroyed by card effects. This effect can only be used once.
Note: "Mischief of the Goddess", "Slash Draw", and "Demise Lord" were first used by Lucien in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Don't Fear the Reaper". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
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THE MIDNIGHT CALLER (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Zombie/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 6
ATK: 2,400
DEF: 1,000
Card Description: If you discard from your hand a Monster that is Level Four or greater, this card cannot be destroyed via battle or by card effects for the remainder of the round (damage calculation still applies). This effect can only be used three times during the course of the duel. If you use this effect a third time, remove this card from play at the next End Phase, and inflict 3,000 points of direct damage to your Life Points.
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Ren: I knew this would happen sooner or later…
Chelsea: We should have expected it… Darkness is being opposed by light…
Yumi: It's been like this since the dawn of time… Darkness opposes Light… So every duelist who plays a deck of Dark Monsters should expect a challenge like this…
Voice: One cannot know Light if there is no Darkness, but that does not mean the two forces are equal. It is time to see which one is superior, Ren…
Coming up next, "Elimination Duel Three; The Siege Perilous".
My light will overcome your darkness…
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Before I leave…
The secret restaurant in Anaheim Disney is very real. An article about it was published recently in The LA Times. If anyone here ever becomes incredibly rich and famous, and is interested, the only advice I can give you is to ask around at other high-society clubs. Maybe you'll meet another incredibly rich person who's a member, and he can refer you.