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CHAPTER TWENTY NINE
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Elimination Duel Four
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Shaolin Dragon
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While Chelsea's duel with Angel was ending, Olga had come back to the hotel, having beaten that Russian duelist with that creepy Fairy.
She took a scrapbook out of her suitcase. She sat on her bed and looked through it.
There was a picture of her and Rasputin, standing in front of the newly renovated London Gentleman's Club six months ago…
Chauvinist's Club might have been a better name for it, until she had helped Rasputin take control of it…
She remembered that night well…
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Inside the very fancy and posh bar, a man in an expensive suit looked over a deck of Duel Monsters cards. He was sweating nervously.
"I say, Tulsey," said an older man. "You look like the end of the world is afoot."
"It may well be…" said Tulsey. "The judge ruled in favor of the plaintiff again. My last appeal has been denied.
"Now that snake gave me a choice…
"Either I hand over what he was awarded, or I can wager my position as president of this club in a duel against his representative.
"I can't come close to paying him, my two ungrateful sons won't lend me the money, so I have to take the second option."
"You disowned your sons when you still had money, remember?" said the older man. "You forbade them from marrying those girls you didn't approve of, and they chose them over you. Seems their choice was the right one."
Tulsey glared at him.
"Oh, don't worry, old sport," he continued. "How hard could it…"
A young waiter ran up to Tulsey.
"Sir," he said. "Rasputin's representative is here…"
Tulsey gulped.
"Send him in…" he said.
"Uh, that's just it, sir," said the waiter. "It isn't a 'him'…"
"Out of my way!" shouted a voice from the entrance.
Olga walked in, ignoring the fact that every set of eyes were on her.
"What is the meaning of this?" asked Tulsey. "No women are allowed in this club."
"That's exactly why Rasputin sent me, your honor," said Olga, saying the title sarcastically. "When he's president of this club, the ban on female members is the first rule he's going to abolish."
Everyone gasped.
"Oh please…" said the older man. "Even if such a rule were proposed, no member would vote to support it."
Olga grinned.
"Check your club charter, pal," she said. "Page three, paragraph four, subparagraph two, a clause included by Jacob Humphrey, this club's esteemed founder."
She pointed to a portrait on the wall, of a stern-faced man wearing the clothes of nobility from several centuries ago.
"And Rasputin intends to take that down as well," she added.
The older man turned pale…
"Tulsey…" he said in a scared voice. "I… I know about that… The president has the authority to kill any rule banning a demographic from membership, so long as said demographic has had a member serve as a member of Parliament or Prime Minister of Britain. For decades now, that rule could have been done away with by a single stroke of a pen."
"How could Humphrey have been so stupid?" asked Tulsey, in fear.
"I doubt he ever believed that a woman would ever hold such a high place in government," said the older man. "But times change…"
Tulsey looked at Olga.
"This club has existed as a men's-only club since the days of Henry VIII…" he said, terrified. "We will not allow that tradition to die…"
"It's an outdated and misogynistic idea," said Olga. "And anyone who objects to the rule being abolished will have his membership card burned. Unless you can beat me, of course."
"I will not duel a woman!" shouted Tulsey.
"You can't renege on the deal you made with Rasputin," replied Olga, crossing her arms. "You and he agreed to it in writing. If you don't duel me, you forfeit. That's what he said…"
"Tulsey…" said the older man. "You duel her right now! And God help you if you lose!"
He gave the younger man a shove.
Everyone glared at him with looks of fury.
"Fine…" he said. "How hard could it be…"
Their Disks activated.
(Olga: 8,000) -------------------- (Tulsey: 8,000)
"I'll go first…" said Tulsey, drawing a sixth card.
"Chauvinistic AND rude, I see…" muttered Olga.
Tulsey played a Spell Card.
"I play the Spell Card, Ancient Rules," he said. "Now I can Special Summon a Normal Monster from my hand, no matter how powerful it is.
"And I choose to summon the Red Eyes Black Dragon!"
In a roar, and a burst of dark energy, a Dragon just like the ace of Joey Wheeler's deck appeared above him. (2,400/2,000)
"Of course, I can't actually attack with it on the first turn, but I can play this… the Spell Card, Inferno Fire Blast!"
He played the card, and the onlookers cheered as the huge Dragon launched a stream of flames at Olga. She closed her eyes and sweat as the fire hit her.
(O: 5,600) -------------------- (T: 8,000)
"Are you quite done?" asked Olga.
"Not by a long shot," he replied. "Moving to my second Main Phase, I play Polymerization, to fuse it together with Summoned Skull…"
The intimidating form of Summoned Skull appeared next to Red Eyes, and the two merged into a dark vortex…
"I summon the Black Skull Dragon!"
Out of the vortex came a giant, fiendish thing, resembling a Dragon with a skull-like face and a bony exoskeleton. (3,200/2,500)
"And to think we were worried…" chuckled someone who was watching.
Tulsey crossed his arms.
"Do you want to know why Humphrey didn't allow women into this club?" he said with a frown. "Because he knew the cold, hard, fact. Men are superior. I mean, just look at Seto Kaiba. Did he ever use a female Monster in his deck? No!"
Olga chuckled.
And then she laughed. She laughed out loud.
"What?" asked Tulsey.
"Blue-Eyes is a female Dragon," she said.
"That's absurd!" shouted Tulsey.
"Obviously you didn't read Kaiba's autobiography," said Olga. "In it, he tells the story of a beautiful, blue-eyed woman named Kisara… Although her life was tragically cut short, she was reborn, as the spirit of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon.
"Anyway, is that your turn?"
"Yes!" shouted Tulsey.
"Well, you certainly know how to combo," said Olga, drawing a card.
She played a card, and the Pot of Greed appeared in front of her. She drew two cards.
"But then again, so do I…
"I play Magical Market," she said, playing a Spell Card. "I have to give up half my Life Points, but then I choose one Spell Card in my hand. Then I get to take all other copies of it from my deck, and they go to my hand as well…"
Her Life Points dipped, as she took two cards from her deck.
"And the three Spell Cards I have now are called Advanced Ritual Art. They work as follows… When I use one, it serves as a substitute for a Ritual Spell Card, and instead of sacrificing Monsters on the field or in my hand, I summon the Ritual Monsters by sacrificing Normal Monsters from my deck."
She took a card from her deck.
"So, for the first one, goodbye Gyakutenno Megami, hello Cyber Angel Idaten."
She discarded the card, and Idaten appeared, scowling at Tulsey. (1,600/2,000)
"Second time…" said Olga, playing the second one, "I'll get rid of another Gyakutenno Megami, and bring out Benten."
She discarded another card, and Cyber Angel Benten appeared, just as angry. (1,800/1,500)
"Third time's the charm," she continued, playing the third card. "I'll bid adieu to Cosmo Queen, and we can all welcome Dakini."
She discarded another card, and Cyber Angel Dakini appeared in a maelstrom of energy. (2,700/2,400)
"And due to Dakini's effect, you can kiss your big scary Monster goodbye."
Dakini's eyes glowed with fire, and Black Skull Dragon exploded into shards.
"I'm not finished yet!" shouted Tulsey.
He looked at the last card in his hand, which was Fusion Recovery. Any number of draws on his next turn would allow him to summon his other Black Skull Dragon, or his Meteor Black Dragon, which was even better.
"Oh?" asked Olga, playing a Spell Card. "I play Reckless Charge. So long as this card is in effect, all battle damage I do to you is increased by fifty percent. Of course, in exchange for that, all battle damage you do to me is doubled, but we won't really have to worry about that, now will we?
"Ladies… Attack him directly!"
Tulsey screamed as the three Cyber Angels mercilessly plowed into him…
He fell to his knees…
(O: 2,800) -------------------- (T: 0)
There was dead calm in the room. Tulsey had been beaten – by a girl – in her first turn…
Olga deactivated her Disk.
"Men are superior…" she said with a scowl. "You'll note I'm not the one who's just been reduced to her knees.
"Rasputin will be by soon to do the paperwork."
"Over my dead body," said Tulsey, reaching into his jacket. "I'm thinking we could just do away with you and tell him that you never showed up…"
He pulled a gun out of his jacket.
"I see one thing wrong with that plan," said an angry voice from the door. "I've been here the whole time."
Everyone looked up in fear, and saw Rasputin standing there, accompanied by four hulking bodyguards.
"The punishment for committing a crime with a firearm in this country is very severe, Tulsey," he said. "Your own security cameras have a perfect view of this room. And if anyone here harms a single hair on her head, I'll make certain his punishment won't stop when the law is done with him. So drop it now."
Tulsey sadly dropped the gun.
"You agreed to my terms," said Rasputin, "and you lost, so this club is now mine… Anyone who doesn't like it… Tough…"
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Olga had enjoyed that. Rasputin did indeed lift the ban on female members, and a great many women joined. A lot of longtime members soon found out that his threat to expel anyone who objected was not empty. Women could come to that club without fear now…
Sadly, Rasputin had another, less noble reason for wanting control of the club – it made a good front for many illegal activities. Sure, the place was more enjoyable for more members of the community now… But as enjoyable as it was, it was controlled by the underworld, just as gangsters had seemingly owned the best nightclubs during the Prohibition Era in America...
Olga lay back on her bed…
She closed the scrapbook, and shook her head sadly…
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Sam was going through some things in her suitcase at her hotel room with Erik watching.
"Those twerps think they're so hot," she muttered, tossing things out of her suitcase. "They can beat Eliminators, huh? They think I'm too scared to face one of them, huh?
"Well, I'm gonna get Gold by doing just that… I'm sick of trouncing common duelists anyway…"
"Sam…" said Erik, "your aunt is an Eliminator… She likely knows the others. They might not even accept your challenge."
"Taken care of…" said Sam, taking something from her suitcase.
She held it up. It was a doll-like mask, one which would make the wearer's face look like that of a porcelain figurine.
Sam placed it on her face and fit together the straps as Erik nervously watched. Then she tied her hair up with a comb, and covered it with a bandana.
"See?" said Sam, picking up her Disk. "I'll just keep my identity secret for this duel."
"Are you sure you can beat one of them?" asked Erik, nervously. "I mean, the threats they make…"
"Oh, I can beat them," said Sam. "I know about all of them, and all of their strategies. That Midnight Caller was a surprise, but if I know where to go, they can't surprise me.
"Come on…"
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In the Duelatopia Topiary Park, a small clearing stood where there were grouped miniature shrines. These were commonly found in Japanese rural areas; superstition said you could use them to leave offerings to spirits, strange beings who presided over nature.
Sam walked to the center of the clearing. On the paved ground was carved a strange glyph that looked similar to a kanji symbol.
"I… can't seem to tell what that means…" muttered Erik. "It isn't Japanese…"
"It's Chinese…" replied Sam. "It's a symbol. In the Chinese Zodiac, there are five mystical elements: Fire, Water, Earth, Metal, and Wood. This is the symbol for Earth. This Eliminator is supposed to use a Rock Deck.
"Nothing I can't handle… I've beaten such decks several times.
"Now, let's see, how do we get in?"
Then, the strange sigil started to change. A verse appeared on the stone:
From the beginning of eternity,
To the end of time and space,
To the beginning of every end,
And the end of every place.
What am I?
"Uhm… heh, heh…" chuckled Erik. "Very interesting… That's…"
"The letter 'E'," said Sam. "It's a simple answer disguised as a hard one."
Then, a burst of light shot up from the sigil.
"Someone thinks she's bright," said a voice. "Step into the light, and we'll see if she truly is."
Sam nodded to Erik. He took her hand, and they stepped into the light.
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Sam was somewhat surprised when she saw where they were. Her Aunt Diane had never mentioned this place.
It seemed to be a Chinese temple of some sort. The most remarkable feature was that the floor was simply soil. There were statues of oriental dragons in each corner.
There was no exit on her side of the temple. Across the room was a large archway, with a huge set of doors that were closed with a seal. The symbol for Earth was above it.
"Great," said Sam. "So now what?"
"Patience," said a voice.
And then, a figure rose out of the very ground in front of her.
He was a young, handsome, very muscular man, wearing a pair of black pants with a red sash, and no shirt. Sam had watched a few Bruce Lee movies in her time, and this guy bore a slight resemblance to the Master.
"Enter the Dragon?" asked Sam, putting a hand on her hip.
"Indeed," replied the man. "You are in the presence of Togashi Hoshi, Shaolin Dragon of Earth."
"Shaolin?" asked Sam. "As in Kung-Fu?"
"In a way," replied Hoshi. "And you are?"
"I'd prefer not to give my name," replied Sam. "But I'm here to duel…"
Hoshi grinned.
"You wouldn't be so eager if you knew what was waiting at the end…" he replied.
He gestured, and the soil beneath Sam started to ripple…
"What?" she said, looking down.
Then, a huge hand made of soil reached out of the ground and grabbed her.
"HEY!" she shouted.
"Let her go!" demanded Erik.
"I will, for now…" said Hoshi, "but I can control the very earth, and it lives… And it hungers. It can swallow those who aren't worthy opponents…"
The fist released Sam.
"You mean…" she gasped. "If I lose… I get buried alive?"
Hoshi nodded.
"However…" he said, "you may have a reason not to surrender just yet, if my suspicions are correct.
"I'm not only an Eliminator, young lady… I'm a guardian."
He pointed to the sealed door behind him.
"Behind that vault lies a secret that I was entrusted with. As you know, those who defeat Eliminators get a priceless gift, and I just might be able to show you what it is…
"But you must not only win… You must be the type of duelist who can handle it. The secrets that lie in that chamber can only be mastered not only by a powerful duelist, but by one of a special variety. I doubt that even Yugi Mouto could have mastered them. He was a master duelist, the best of his time, but he wasn't the right type of duelist. Neither was Seto Kaiba or Joey Wheeler."
Under her mask, Sam's eyes opened wide.
A power that Yumi's grandfathers or my great uncle couldn't have handled? she thought. I have to have it… I have to win…
"Okay, Hoshi…" she said. "I accept your challenge…"
Hoshi raised his left arm, and a silver Disk with a flared tray and a yin-yang on the deck holder appeared on it.
"Be careful…" muttered Erik.
"Game on!" exclaimed Sam and Hoshi.
(Sam: 8,000) -------------------- (Hoshi: 8,000)
"I'll start this…" said Hoshi, drawing a sixth card. "And to start things off, I'll summon… Chu-Ske the Mouse Fighter in Attack Mode."
He placed a card on his Disk, and a figure burst out of the soil. It was a tall, humanoid mouse, wearing trousers and slippers. He made a fighting stance. (1,200/0)
"I end my turn," said Hoshi.
Huh? thought Sam. He summoned a weak Monster in Attack Mode, and that's all? What is he up to?
Is he planning to summon The Rock Spirit? Or Gigantes? I have to be careful…
She drew a card.
"I throw a card facedown, and summon Gil Garth in Attack Mode," she said.
A facedown card appeared, followed by the armored, mechanical Fiend. (1,800/1,200)
"Kill his Mouse Fighter!" she shouted.
Gil Garth made a slash with his katana. Chu-Ske fell backwards and shattered.
(S: 8,000) -------------------- (H: 7,400)
"I end my turn…" she said.
"Not bad…" said Hoshi. "I draw…"
He drew one card.
"Master Kyonshee in Attack Mode," he said.
He played the card, and a new Monster appeared. It was a tall figure dressed in a kimono, with a veil over its face, with a kanji symbol on the veil. Again, it made a fighting stance. (1,750/1,000)
"Once again, I end my turn."
"Uh, are you sure?" asked Sam. "In case you didn't know, you can do more."
Hoshi just looked at her.
What the heck is he doing? thought Sam. He put a Monster that's clearly weaker than mine in Attack Mode, with no facedown cards? It's as if he doesn't even understand the basic rules of the game…
And this certainly doesn't seem like any Rock Deck I've ever seen. His Monsters aren't Rocks, and they just seem… random. Not to mention lame.
"I don't know what your game is," she said, "but it's your funeral. I summon Opticlops."
She played another card, and the muscular, cyclopsed Fiend appeared. (1,800/1,700)
"Attack Master Kyonshee!" she shouted.
Opticlops charged forward, and rammed the Zombie, blowing it to pieces.
"Gil Garth, attack directly! Terminate…"
Gil Garth slashed with his katana, and Hoshi staggered backwards.
(S: 8,000) -------------------- (H: 5,550)
"This has got to be the easiest duel I've ever had…" chuckled Sam.
Hoshi smirked at her, and drew a card.
He placed a card on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.
He nodded.
"That all?" asked Sam, drawing a card.
She played another card.
"Skull Knight #2 in Attack Mode," she said.
In an aura of darkness, the armored, skeletal Fiend appeared. (1,000/1,200)
"Opticlops, wipe out his facedown Monster!" shouted Sam.
Opticlops charged…
A huge rodent appeared on the card. Opticlops ran it down.
"A Giant Rat?" said Sam, startled.
"Yes," replied Hoshi, taking his deck. "I'm sure you know its effect. I'll use it to summon a second Giant Rat…"
He played a card, and another Rat appeared, ready to pounce. (1,400/1,450)
"I'm not afraid of that!" replied Sam. "Gil Garth, smash that Rat!"
Gil Garth swiped with his sword, and the second Rat shattered into pieces.
(S: 8,000) -------------------- (H: 5,150)
"Look before you leap, little girl," said Hoshi. "For now you have enabled me to bring out the key to my strategy. I use this Rat's effect, to Special Summon Monk Fighter."
With a rumble, a tall figure burst out of the ground. Sam was a little surprised. It looked somewhat like Hoshi himself, with slate-grey skin, in a ragged yellow martial arts gi. (1,300/1,000)
"Yeah, well I'm not scared of him either…" muttered Sam. "He's still weaker than two of my Monsters…"
She took a card from her hand.
Bark of Dark Ruler.
Although… she thought, looking at it, he likely intends to sacrifice that Monk Fighter for some stronger Monster…
"Is that a good card you have there?" asked Hoshi. "Maybe you should play it, instead of just looking at it."
"Yeah, yeah…" said Sam, placing it in her Disk.
The card appeared facedown next to the first one.
"My turn is over."
Hoshi drew a card.
"I don't want to suggest that my Monsters are scared of yours, child," he said, "but even so, I will activate Banner of Courage."
He played a card, and a Continuous Spell Card appeared.
"This means…"
"That one I know about…" said Sam. "It means your Monsters gain 200 Attack Points, but only for your Battle Phase."
"Smart…" said Hoshi, taking a card. "Now, I sacrifice Monk Fighter, to summon Master Monk!"
Monk Fighter shattered into pixels…
And then, a hulking, far more powerful form burst out of the ground. He looked like he could have been Monk Fighter's father, a powerful man with white hair and a beard, again with slate-grey skin, dressed only in a ragged pair of trousers. (1,900/1,000)
"Whoa…" said Erik.
"Whoa is right," said Hoshi. "True, his Attack Score seems a bit low for a Tribute Monster, but due to his powerful effect, he can attack twice in one Battle Phase.
"Master Monk, attack her Opticlops! Shaolin fist!"
The Banner of Courage glowed. Master Monk's Attack Score rose to 2,100, and he charged towards Opticlops…
"I activate Bark of Dark Ruler!" shouted Sam, as her Trap lifted.
Dark Ruler Ha Des appeared behind her, and howled.
"I'll pay 400 Life Points, and your Monk loses the same amount!"
"Clever…" said Hoshi. "But I can be clever too!"
He threw a card into his Disk.
"I play Trap Booster! Now, I toss one card from my hand…"
He quickly discarded Trojan Blast from his hand.
"And now I can activate one Trap Card from my hand. And I choose to activate… Lone Wolf!"
A Trap Card appeared on the field. It bore the image of Master Monk with his back to a starry sky.
Opticlops deflected the blow and punched Master Monk, but he simply fell backwards, landing on his feet. He didn't shatter.
"He survived?" gasped Sam.
"My Trap Card protected him," replied Hoshi. "I can only use Lone Wolf when I have one Monster on the field, and it must be one of three specific Monsters. But now… Master Monk cannot be defeated in battle. And Lone Wolf is a Continuous Trap, by the way.
"And remember… Due to his own effect, he can attack twice, and your Bark of Dark Ruler only lasts for one battle…"
Master Monk loomed over Opticlops, as his Attack Score rose back to 2,100…
"Master Monk, attack her Opticlops again!" shouted Hoshi.
Master Monk kicked Opticlops hard, and the Fiend groaned before shattering into bits.
(S: 7,300) -------------------- (H: 5,050)
"It's your move…" said Hoshi, with a smirk.
Sam simply stared for a minute. She slowly drew a card.
"I… I move both my Monsters to Defense Mode…" she said.
Skull Knight and Gil Garth crouched in defense.
"That's all I can do…" she said.
She was still rather shocked. This was the first time her Bark of Dark Ruler had failed to work.
Hoshi drew a card.
"I recall that you said a minute ago," he said, "that this was the easiest duel you ever had. Well, it doesn't seem so easy now, does it? And it's only going to get harder from this point. In a minute, it will not matter what Mode your Monsters are in.
"I Equip my Monk with Legendary Black Belt."
He played a card, and a black belt made of cloth appeared and tied around Master Monk's waist.
"Don't tell me it gives him a trampling effect?" asked Sam, getting nervous.
"Even better," replied Hoshi. "Now, whenever he destroys a Monster, that Monster's total Defense Score is taken out of your Life Points."
"You gotta be kidding…" said Erik.
"I never kid," said Hoshi. "Master Monk, destroy Gil Garth!"
Master Monk leveled another kick, and Gil Garth was smashed to pieces. Sam cringed as she was struck by stabbing pain.
"Now, destroy the Skull Knight!"
Master Monk threw another kick, and Skull Knight was blown into a pile of bones and armor. Sam cringed again.
(S: 4,900) -------------------- (H: 5,050)
"That's all for now…" said Hoshi.
Sam looked at her deck.
She drew a card.
Under her mask, she smiled. It was Dark Ruler Ha Des.
"I activate my facedown card, Call of the Haunted!" she shouted.
Her other Trap Card lifted, and Skull Knight #2 crawled out of the dirt. (1,000/1,200)
"Now I sacrifice him…" she continued, "for Dark Ruler Ha Des!"
The temple darkened, and in a shadowy flame, the King of the Underworld appeared, looming over the arena. (2,450/1,600)
"Now I activate Skull Knight's effect…" continued Sam. "I'll summon another one, in Defense Mode."
A second Skull Knight appeared, crouching in Defense. (1,000/1,200)
"Ha Des, attack his Monk! Stygian blast!"
Ha Des roared, and then blasted a wave of black fire. Master Monk staggered against it, and Hoshi sweat in pain…
(S: 4,900) -------------------- (H: 4,400)
"See?" said Sam. "I figured out your Monster's weakness. He may be invulnerable, but you sure aren't. And now my Monster is too strong for him to defeat."
Hoshi laughed as he drew a card.
"You'd like to think that, wouldn't you, little girl?" he asked.
"First, I'll summon a second Master Kyonshee…"
He played the card, and another of the Zombie monks appeared. (1,750/1,000)
"Next, I play this Spell Card," he said, holding up a card. "It's called Kaminote Blow, and it gives Master Monk a special ability. On the round I use this card, he can destroy any Monster he attacks, no matter how strong it is. And thanks to Lone Wolf, he'll survive the battle as well."
"Wait a minute…" said Sam.
"Master Kyonshee," said Hoshi, "destroy the Skull Knight!"
Kyonshee's Attack rose to 1,975, and he leapt at Skull Knight, kicking it and blasting it to shards.
"Master Monk, attack the Dark Ruler! Kaminote Blow!"
Master Monk's Attack Score rose to 2,100 again, and he darted forward, and delivered a fierce punch to Ha Des's chest. The Dark Ruler groaned, and then shattered into pixels.
"Ha Des…" muttered Sam, sadly.
And then she cringed in pain…
"Don't forget the effect of Legendary Black Belt…" said Hoshi. "Or the fact that he can attack twice. Master Monk, attack her directly!"
"NO!" screamed Erik.
Erik's protests did nothing to stop Master Monk. He savagely kicked Sam in the stomach, and she screamed as she was thrown backwards.
(S: 1,200) -------------------- (H: 4,050)
"Pity…" said Hoshi. "You seem to have at least one loyal friend here… But once this is over, you'll have to learn to make friends with the grubs and worms underneath this temple."
"All right, pal!" shouted Erik. "I'm gonna…"
"One more step, young man," said Hoshi, "and she loses automatically."
Erik stopped.
Think of something, baby… he thought.
Sam slowly got up, clutching her gut.
"It's your move…" said Hoshi. "Unless you want to give up."
"No…" muttered Sam. "You see, you may think you have a powerful strategy, but it does have a fatal flaw.
"See, you rely too much on one powerful Monster. All you're really doing is using cards to juice up Master Monk again and again. You're forgetting one of my…"
She caught herself.
"Uhm, you're forgetting one of Seto Kaiba's cardinal rules of dueling: Never base your whole strategy on one powerful card."
"…said the man who had three Blue-Eyes White Dragons in his deck…" said Hoshi, crossing his arms.
"I will beat you…" said Sam, drawing a card. "You'll see."
Don't make me a liar… she thought, looking at it.
"I play… Pot of Greed."
The laughing jar appeared in front of her, and she drew two cards.
She looked at them.
All right… she thought. Now we're talkin…
"I throw a card facedown, and a Monster in Defense Mode…" she said.
A facedown card, and a facedown Monster appeared.
"That will be all…"
Hoshi drew a card.
"Go, Trap Card!" shouted Sam, as her set card lifted. "Shadow Spell!"
A mass of chains burst out of the ground, and grabbed Master Monk. He grunted as they bound his arms and legs. His Attack Score fell to 1,200.
"Heh, heh…" chuckled Hoshi. "Very clever… But it's only a matter of time before I break those chains…"
"Well… Move…" said Sam.
"Actually…" said Hoshi, "I choose to end my turn without making any move."
"Suit yourself," said Sam, drawing a card.
"I flip my facedown Monster to Attack Mode…" she stated. "Go, Night Assailant!"
The card flipped up, and a shadowy Monster appeared. It was dark creature, clothed in a dark cloak and hood, holding two glowing blades. (200/500)
"When this guy is Flip-Summoned, one Monster on the field is instantly slain," said Sam. "So say goodbye to your Monk! Night Assailant, destroy Master Monk!"
Night Assailant crossed its blades, and a blast of energy shot towards Master Monk…
He didn't seem to care. The blast just glanced off his rocky skin.
"It… It didn't work?" asked Sam.
"Heh, heh, heh…" chuckled Hoshi. "My Lone Wolf Trap also renders him immune to Monster effects. Your Night Assailant's effect couldn't kill him any more than attacks could."
"Now you tell me…" muttered Sam.
She looked at the card she had just drawn.
"My move isn't over!" she shouted. "I sacrifice Night Assailant, for Lesser Fiend!"
Night Assailant shattered into pixels, and Lesser Fiend rose up, roaring savagely. (2,100/1,000)
"Attack his Master Kyonshee!" she shouted.
Lesser Fiend lumbered forward, and with one double-swipe with its left claws, the Zombie was torn to shreds.
"By the way…" said Sam, "any Monster that it destroys is gone for good. I'll end my turn there."
(S: 1,200) -------------------- (H: 3,700)
Hoshi drew a card.
He smirked.
"I set a card facedown…" he said, "and that will be all."
A facedown card appeared.
A facedown card… thought Sam, and I bet I know what it is, too… I have to make this move count…
"I draw one card…" she said, drawing a card.
"And I activate my Trap," said Hoshi. "Dust Tornado!"
The Trap Card lifted up, and the fierce wind tore across the field. Master Monk lifted his arms, and broke free of the chains.
Do something, Sam… thought Erik. If that Monk attacks on your next turn, you lose…
Sam looked at the card she had drawn.
"I play… Graceful Charity," she said.
She played the card, and it glowed. Angels didn't tend to come to duelists who used Fiend Decks, but she still was able to draw three cards.
She looked at them closely before making two discards.
Then she placed a card in her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.
"That's all…" she said.
Hoshi drew a card.
"This ends now…" he said. "I summon a second Chu-Ske the Mouse Fighter."
He played the card, and another of the mouse monks appeared. (1,200/0)
"Master Monk, attack Lesser Fiend!"
Master Monk's Attack Score rose to 2,100 again. He leapt, and aimed a kick at Lesser Fiend.
"Go!" shouted Sam, as her Trap Card lifted. "Draining Shield!"
A dome of energy surrounded Sam and her Monster, and Master Monk's foot slammed into it. He grunted, as energy flowed into Sam.
"Very clever…" said Hoshi, "but he can attack twice, remember? Master Monk, attack again!"
Master Monk kicked Lesser Fiend in the gut, and it groaned before exploding into pixels. Sam groaned too, as the pain ripped through her.
"Chu-Ske, attack directly!" ordered Hoshi. "Hardened hands!"
The Mouse Fighter's Attack Score rose to 1,400. He charged towards Sam.
"Sorry, but he won't get to me," said Sam, discarding a card, "thanks to my Kuriboh."
A swarm of the little, furry Fiends popped up between Sam and Chu-Ske, and the Mouse Fighter fell backwards as they exploded.
And to think I almost didn't put that little guy in my deck… thought Sam. That's not the first time it saved my ass… Hard to believe my uncle hated it so much…
(S: 2,300) -------------------- (H: 3,700)
"You saved yourself that round," said Hoshi. "Next round will be different.
"I set one card facedown, and I'll end my turn…"
A facedown card appeared.
Sam looked at her hand.
She had a Monster that was stronger than his Monk, but with that Lone Wolf, it would be pretty much useless…
She drew a card.
She frowned. This was going to be risky, but it was the only way…
"I place one card facedown…" she said, fitting a card in her Disk, "and then summon Giant Orc."
A facedown card appeared, and then the huge, muscular ogre holding a bone club appeared. (2,200/0)
"HA!" laughed Hoshi. "Do you think I'm scared of that brainless brute? It may be strong, but once it attacks, it must shift to Defense Mode, where it is helpless."
"We'll see, won't we?" asked Sam. "Giant Orc, attack his Mouse Fighter! Bone basher!"
Giant Orc roared, and with one smash of its club, Chu-Ske the Mouse Fighter was squashed flat.
Giant Orc tumbled backwards and fell on its behind, its eyes in a daze.
(S: 2,300) -------------------- (H: 2,700)
"I hope it was worth it," said Hoshi. "It's my move…"
He drew a card.
"And it's time for your Monk to split…" said Sam. "I activate my Trap Card…"
Her facedown card lifted.
"Go, Ring of Destruction!"
Hoshi gasped in fear, as the ring of grenades formed around Master Monk's neck.
"I may lose as many Life Points as you will from this move…" said Sam, "but I know from experience now, that Lone Wolf doesn't protect him from Traps. So your annoying Master Monk is history."
"So be it…" said Hoshi, "but I can still activate this…"
His facedown card lifted.
"Emergency Provisions. I'll send Lone Wolf, Legendary Black Belt, and Banner of Courage to the Graveyard, and while I may lose my Monster, I'll still come out ahead."
The three Spell Cards vanished…
As soon as they did, Master Monk exploded into shards of rock. Both Sam and Hoshi were thrown backwards by the blow. They toppled over.
(S: 400) -------------------- (H: 3,800)
Hoshi slowly got up. He looked at the two cards in his hand.
"I'm not through yet…" he muttered. "I play Monster Reincarnation."
He played the card, and then discarded his other one. He took Giant Rat from his discard slot.
"I'll set this in Defense Mode, and end my turn…"
The Monster appeared facedown.
"I have 3,800 Life Points compared to your 400," he said. "And all you have is a brute with a nonexistent Defense Score. You'll still lose…"
If she manages to attack my Rat, he thought, I can summon another Monk Fighter… And even if she manages to attack him, his effect will reduce the damage to zero. I can still win…
Sam drew a card.
"I play… Pot of Avarice," she said.
She played the card, and the goofy pink jar appeared. She took Dark Ruler Ha Des, Opticlops, Night Assailant, Opticlops, and one Skull Knight from her Graveyard and shuffled them into her deck.
"Now I get to make two draws…" she said, drawing twice.
She looked at the two cards and smirked.
"Well…" she said, "it's been fun… But now it ends…
"I play Monster Reborn, to bring back Gil Garth."
The golden ankh appeared, and Gil Garth appeared once again. (1,800/1,200)
"Next… I play the Spell Card, Medicine Eater."
"Medicine Eater?" said Hoshi. "I've never heard of that…"
The Spell Card appeared on Sam's side of the field. It bore a picture of a man turning into a werewolf.
"You'll see what it does in a minute," said Sam. "Now…I'll sacrifice my Orc, to summon Ha Des once again, using my second copy."
Giant Orc shattered into triangles. In a burst of darkness, Ha Des appeared once more. (2,450/1,600)
Then he raised his hands, and glowed with green flame. His Attack Score rose to 3,550.
"What on Earth?" shouted Hoshi.
"That's what Medicine Eater does," said Sam. "If I play it before I summon a Monster by sacrifice, the summoned Monster gains half the Attack and Defense of the sacrificed Monster, as well as its effect.
"Gil Garth, attack his Monster!"
Gil Garth flew forward, and the Rat appeared on the card. It was smashed to pieces.
"Sorry…" said Hoshi, "but you activated its effect…"
"No I didn't…" said Sam. "Due to Ha Des, its effect is negated. Despite Medicine Eater, Ha Des gets to keep his own effect."
Hoshi stopped short.
"I'm not finished yet!" he shouted. "I'll still have Life Points left, and if He Des truly has Giant Orc's effect, he'll switch into Defense Mode after he attacks me!"
Sam glared at him.
"Didn't think about that, did you, little girl?" he asked.
Sam played a card from her hand, and Rush Recklessly appeared behind Ha Des. Hoshi stopped short, as Ha Des's Attack Score shot up to 4,250.
"Actually…" said Sam, "I did.
"Ha Des… attack directly and end this! Stygian blast!"
Dark Ruler Ha Des conjured up his dark flames, and the Shaolin Dragon of Earth screamed and was propelled backwards.
(S: 400) -------------------- (H: 0)
"All right!" shouted Erik, running up to her.
He hugged her.
"You won!"
"Heh, heh, heh…" chuckled Sam's opponent. "Not bad, Samantha…"
Sam looked at him. She took off her mask.
"You knew it was me the whole time?" she asked.
"It wasn't much of a disguise," said Hoshi. "Besides, I don't need to see someone's face to identify her…"
He chuckled.
"They say a warrior's fighting style is like a fingerprint… A master of the martial arts can tell who a warrior is merely by seeing him fight, even if he's in disguise…
"And by the same token, a master duelist can tell who a duelist is by watching her dueling style, even if she wears a disguise."
"Okay…" muttered Sam. "Now you're scaring me."
"But anyway…" said Hoshi.
He waved his arm, and Sam's badge changed color, turning to Gold.
"All right!" she shouted. "I'm heading for the finals!"
"That you are…" said Hoshi, "and you might need this…"
He handed her a card.
"It's a Field Spell that might do wonders with your deck…"
Sam looked at it.
"Yes…" she said with a smile. "But, uh… What about this other treasure… This thing that not even Yumi's grandfathers could have used?"
Hoshi looked at her with a sullen look.
"Are you truly the mistress of Fiends, Samantha?" he asked.
Sam paused.
"Uhm, I guess so…" she replied.
"Perhaps you know then…" said Hoshi, somberly, "that there are groups of Fiends who do not recognize Ha Des's authority… Groups that even he is reluctant to deal with… Fiends older than he is, who know of dark secrets…"
"Yeah…" said Sam, "that would be the Archfiends."
"Even older," said Hoshi. "I refer to the Fiends who ruled Pandemonium before the Archfiends threw them out… Primordial, ancient creatures, born from the darkness of Chaos… The Fiends of Dark World…"
"Dark World?" asked Erik.
"Wait…" said Sam. "I've heard of those cards… Pegasus made them as part of some promotion… But everyone who tried using them eventually stopped… Some people said that they were cursed…"
"The Fiends of Dark World are very dangerous Duel Spirits, Samantha," said Hoshi, gravely. "Only a duelist who can truly control Fiends, who can tame them like no other duelist, can use their powers without falling victim to the incredible evil they exude…"
He pointed to the sealed door.
"Years ago, a duelist who had nearly fallen victim to their evil influence gave me a Dark World Deck, telling me to keep it secured. I have done so, and I have several times offered it to duelists who I thought could tame the spirits…
"But so far, everyone who has gone in there trying to claim the cards has run screaming from the chamber… The Spirits won't be tamed without a fight.
"I'll make you the same offer Samantha. The cards are in there, and you can have them… If you can get to them."
Sam looked at him.
"Open the door…" she ordered.
Hoshi pointed to her Duel Disk.
"Take that off first," he ordered. "No help from other Spirits allowed."
Sam paused. She slowly removed the Disk, and handed it to Erik.
"Be careful, baby…" said Erik.
"I'll stay by the door, Samantha," said Hoshi. "You'll still be able to hear me. The Spirits of the Dark World Fiends will try to halt your advance. You must try your best to prove you are superior to them. In other words, show them who's boss."
The seal broke, and the doors slowly opened.
"Good luck…"
Sam looked beyond the doors. A dark, creepy temple, dimly lit by violet torches was beyond the doors. Vaguely, she could make out an altar far on the other side.
She stepped inside the doors, and wisps of spooky energy flew around her.
"All right…" she said, "come on out…"
As she said this, two spooky forms appeared. One was a short, blocky, egg-shaped creature holding a dagger. The other was a tall, thin creature with a green cape and an enlarged cranium.
The one with the dagger advanced on Sam. Her eyes narrowed.
She made a backhand slap, and it fell backwards before vanishing.
She turned to the other one.
"Your move, weirdo," she snarled.
It turned, and fled into the darkness.
"Impressive," said Hoshi's voice. "But don't get too cocky. Those were weak Spirits. More powerful ones are ahead…"
Sam started to walk forward, and a spooky mist covered the ground.
Two more ugly Fiends rose up to either side of her. One was dressed in bone armor, and held a spear. The other wore metal armor and furs, and held a bow and arrow.
Sam glared at the two of them for a minute.
"Go on…" she said. "Attack me if you want to…"
The one with the bow hesitated. The one with the spear didn't. It charged.
Sam dodged aside, and then slammed her fist into its face. It was kind of like punching dough, but the creature still recoiled, and then vanished.
Sam motioned for the one with the bow to come closer. It didn't. It simply vanished.
"You're not doing bad, Samantha, but beware…" said Hoshi. "The next one won't be tamed so easily…"
Sam continued to walk forward.
An aura of darkness appeared in front of her…
Another Fiend, this one clothed in armor and a blue cape, holding a longsword, appeared out of the darkness.
It glared at her. Its eyes glowed.
Then it rushed at her, with its sword held high…
Hardly knowing what she was doing, Sam reached out with her hand, and caught the blade as it fell towards her. It didn't seem sharp at all, and she was able to block its advance.
The Fiend grit its teeth and stared at her.
Then she gave it a violent kick in the gut. It fell backwards, and shattered into bits.
"Not bad, Samantha," said Hoshi's voice. "You're doing much better than most folks have done. That's the easiest I've ever seen anyone get past Zure.
"But still, be careful… It only gets much harder from here."
Sam started to walk again…
She was startled to hear laughter.
Not normal laughter. It sounded like the laughter of some madman…
Someone was behind her…
Two spectral arms grabbed her from behind. Sam cringed… The touch was like that of a corpse…
She threw her head backwards, hitting where she thought its head would be. It let go.
She spun around, and saw the Fiend fully. It reached for her again, but she grabbed its arms. They struggled…
Finally, Sam forced it to its knees. After about a minute, it gave up, and vanished.
Sam paused to catch her breath.
"Samantha…" said Hoshi, "you may be interested in knowing that you are now at a spot where no one has ever gotten to. No one's ever made it past Brron before.
"Now look sharp. Brron may be the ruler of Dark World in name, but some say that his two top generals are even stronger than he is…
"And whispered legends say that he answers to an Overlord of much greater power."
Sam looked up, and saw the altar in front of her. It was an ominous, dark thing, with a small pine box on top.
She walked towards it.
Then two horrific forms appeared to stop her advance.
"You guys don't waste time, do you?" she said nervously.
One of the fiendish creatures was clad in silver, decorated armor, and held a sword. The other wore golden armor, and held an axe.
"Come on you two…" said Sam. "You think I'm scared of…"
She didn't finish that sentence. It was interrupted as the two Fiends' weapons slashed into her.
Sam fell to her knees. She didn't expect that…
She also didn't expect what happened next. The two Fiends each grabbed hold of one of her arms and dragged her up to the altar.
"Sam!" shouted Hoshi. "What's going on?"
"You tell me!" she shouted back.
A burst of black smoke appeared in front of Sam.
"Offhand…" muttered Sam, "I think I'm about to meet that Overlord you just mentioned…
"Figures… Dungeons always have a boss character…"
The creature that appeared was hideous. It was ten feet tall, with huge wings, a muscular torso, with four gems embedded in its chest, and a ram-like head with a skull-like face and curved horns. Its shoulders and lower body were covered with gleaming armor. It clutched a two-pronged, golden-bladed sasumata in its claw. It was surrounded by an odd aura – darkness, in which a multitude of colored lights flickered.
It stared at Sam in stony silence.
Then it pointed down.
"In your dreams…" snarled Sam.
The creature frowned. It motioned to the two Fiends holding Sam, and they started to force her to her knees. She struggled and cursed, but they were too strong.
Then the creature aimed its sasumata at her. It glowed with dark energy…
A scream echoed through the whole temple.
Erik was trying hard to see what was happening.
"I'm going in there…" he said.
"Don't be a fool…" said Hoshi. "Unless you play a Fiend Deck as well, your chances of making it past even the first guards are practically zero."
Back inside, Sam gasped for breath. Smoke rose from her chest. She slowly looked up.
The creature in front of her looked a bit puzzled. Maybe it didn't expect her to survive that blast.
It aimed the sasumata again.
"ENOUGH!" shouted Sam.
She leapt to her feet, throwing the two Fiends who were holding her aside. Then, she grabbed hold of the sasumata, and wrenched it out of the creature's hands.
"How did I do THAT?" she said, looking at it.
She looked at the creature, who was now less sure of itself. It clearly hadn't been expecting that.
She would figure it out later.
Sam looked at the two lesser nobles. Then she turned to the big one again.
"I'll get to you in a minute…" she said.
She aimed the sasumata at the one in silver armor, and a blast of multicolored light shot from it. The Fiend was blown into shards.
Sam grinned. She aimed at the gold one. It backed up and dropped its axe.
"Sorry…" said Sam, "not interested."
She fired another blast, and it was blown to pieces.
Finally, she turned to the Overlord. She pointed its weapon at it.
"Dark Spectrum!" she shouted, not even knowing how she learned the name of the attack.
The Fiend howled, and fell backwards.
Then it slowly got up…
It bowed its head, and then knelt on one knee.
"Well…" said Sam. "That's more like it…"
She didn't even see the slight, sinister grin on its face as it bowed its head…
She gave it a kick, and it vanished. The sasumata vanished as well.
She stepped up to the altar, and opened the pine box. A deck of cards was inside.
She took the cards, and leafed through them. A smile started to form on her face as she looked at the card texts.
Hmm… she thought. Powerful… Maybe I'll save these for a special occasion…
After all, I'm at Gold now, and Yumi will be there too before you know it… When we finally duel, I'll need to surprise her like never before… Regular run-o-the-mill Fiends might not fit the bill…
Why cast her into Hades, when I can condemn her to Dark World?
She ran out of the temple.
"Thanks for the cards, pal," she said to Hoshi.
"Samantha, one final thing…" said Hoshi. "Those cards…"
"Don't worry…" interrupted Sam. "I can handle them…
"Come on, Erik… Let's go find Yumi and laugh at her…"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Rasputin sat at his computer, with Nicholas and Olga watching.
"Yumi is at Silver," he muttered. "If someone is to challenge her, it has to be someone who is Violet or Silver. That means me, one of you two…
"…or her…"
He looked at the face on the screen. It was a young woman, dressed in the clothing and style of a 1960's flower child.
Rasputin grinned.
He picked up the phone.
"Rasputin?" said a voice over it. "What's the word?"
"I need you to duel someone, Aisha," he responded. "You only need one more win for the finals, after all… but I warn you, this opponent might be difficult…
"I recommend that you use your… Uhm, special card.
"Uh…" came the response, rather nervously. "Uhm, sure… I guess I could use it again… But… That card… It keeps giving me a feeling…"
"It's nerves, Aisha," said Rasputin, "nothing more. You have a powerful card, you should use it. Why let it molder in your side deck? It's completely legal. Duelists buy racks of card packs hoping for a lucky pull like that one, and if it helps you win, you should use it.
"Now stay put… Yumi will be there shortly."
He hung up.
"You just told a big, fat lie, didn't you?" asked Olga.
"No…" replied Rasputin, "I simply didn't tell the complete truth."
"And how will some hippie girl be able to beat Yumi?" asked Nicholas.
"So long as she uses that card, she's invincible…" said Rasputin, "and her opponents don't recover from losses easily.
"The card I mentioned… Is cursed…
"You see, like I said, she got it from a very lucky pull. It's a rare and powerful Trap Card. She started using it in her deck for every duel, and kept winning all the time.
"Finally, she boasted in front of the group who had come to watch that Fate itself must have smiled on her to grant her such a lucky find…
"Such a bold claim would not go unchallenged…
"From out of nowhere, a stranger appeared, and issued a challenge, which she eagerly agreed to. Poor Aisha didn't know that her opponent wasn't human – he was a rakshasa, a type of demon who embodied disease and pestilence. These demons are the bane of humanity… They invented all of the plagues that have tortured mankind during history, like smallpox and the bubonic. Some modern scholars who know of them blame them even for the HIV virus.
"Anyway, Aisha had no idea that the duel she was entering was a Shadow Game. I won't share the grizzly details of that duel… Suffice to say she lost.
"The demon had the right to take her soul, or inflict any of a variety of cruel tortures, but it chose a very ironic punishment. It placed a curse on that powerful card. From that point on, every time she would use it in a duel and win, her opponent would get sick from its realistic effect.
"The lucky ones have only caught cold. Others have come down with bronchitis or even pneumonia. Aisha has gotten suspicious, of course, and doesn't use it all the time, but if she wants to win an important duel, she often has to.
"So, we wait for her to beat Yumi… And with Yumi sick, she'll be easy prey. One of you two will merely have to challenge her, and winning her Crown will be a cakewalk."
There was a long pause.
"Sounds a bit…" said Nicholas, "what's the term I'm looking for?"
"Playing dirty…" said Olga.
"Perhaps…" said Rasputin, "but as they say, to make a great omelet, you have to break a few eggs…
"After all…
"It's not a perfect world…"
Sam has advanced to Gold, and has claimed the Dark World Deck from its fiendish guardians. But Rasputin is starting to plot again, and a duelist whose deck holds a curse inside is waiting for Yumi. What's going to be the outcome?
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MEDICINE EATER (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: A man turning into a werewolf.
Card Description: Activate this card before Tribute Summoning a Monster. Half of the ATK and DEF of the Tributed Monster are added to those, respectively, of the Tribute Summoned Monster. The Tribute Summoned Monster gains the effect(s) of the Tributed Monster. If you are making a Tribute Summon where more than one Monster is Tributed, the Tribute Summoned Monster only gains this benefit from one of the Tributed Monsters (choose which one).
Note: "Medicine Eater" was first used by Ted Banias in an issue of "Yu-Gi-Oh R". Creative credit goes to the writers.
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MAGICAL MARKET (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: Magician of Faith behind the corner of a store, showing a pine box with glowing, golden contents to Dark Magician.
Card Description: Pay half your Life Points to activate this card. Choose one Spell Card in your hand (other than this one). Search your deck for up to two copies of the same Spell Card and add them to your hand.
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RECKLESS CHARGE (Spell Card)
Continuous Spell
Image: Marauding Captain slamming his sword violently into Terrorking Archfiend and knocking the Fiend over.
Card Description: This card cannot be destroyed by your own card effects. Battle damage you inflict to your opponent is increased by half. Battle damage your opponent inflicts to you is doubled.
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Ren: I've never seen Monsters like this before… What about you, Chelsea?
Chelsea: Me neither… This duelist isn't garden variety…
Yumi: The weather in the arena keeps changing… It goes from sun to rain to driving snow in the space of an instant! How can my Spellcasters face the power of nature gone crazy?
Anastasia: You'll find a way, Yumi. The clouds may obscure the sun, but it will come out to shine again.
Coming up next, "Calm Before the Storm; Yumi's Quest For Gold".
A demon put a curse on a card, but your family has faced far worse…