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CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
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Erik's Challenge
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The Talisman of the Mind
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Having the curse lifted had done wonders for Aisha, it seemed. She seemed more than willing to sing one song after another from her almost limitless selection.
When the moon is in the Seventh House,
And Jupiter aligns with Mars,
Then peace will guide the planets,
And love will steer the stars!
This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius,
The age of Aquarius...
Aquarius! Aquarius!
"Uh oh…" said Ren, looking up. "Guys… Bad news at two o'clock…"
They looked where he was looking, and saw Sam approach, with a big smile on her face. Erik was following behind her, as always.
"Hey, Yumi," she said, smugly. "Wondered if you had any golden opportunities dueling lately, huh?"
Yumi looked at her, and noticed that her badge, clearly at Gold, was pinned over her left breast – the most obvious location.
Yumi sighed and shook her head.
She lifted up her own badge to show it to Sam.
Sam frowned.
"I guess I should have expected that…" she muttered. "All the better, Yumi… We'll meet in the finals now, and the whole world will be able to watch me humiliate you!"
Yumi looked at Erik, and saw that his badge was only Violet.
"Hey, Erik," said Yumi. "Are you ever going to be anything more than her sidekick?"
"What?" shouted Erik, shocked.
"I mean it…" said Yumi. "It seems that you take no initiative of your own unless someone offends your girlfriend.
"You know, my grandfather, Joey… A lot of people thought he couldn't do anything without his friend Yugi watching his back. He didn't like that. He always tried his hardest to be his own duelist and prove such people wrong.
"So what are you, Erik… Are you your own duelist, or some lapdog?"
Erik glared at Yumi. It was clear he was very angry, but apparently, he didn't know how to respond. Sam looked a little embarrassed by the whole speech.
Yumi was about to say something else, but then she was startled as Anastasia appeared in front of her.
"Yumi!" exclaimed the angel. "Listen closely, there isn't much time… A new Shadow Charm, and a very powerful one. It has just woken up."
"Where… What?" asked Yumi.
"The Talisman of the Mind," answered Anastasia. "It was crafted by Nan-Challac the Sage, the smartest – but not necessarily the wisest – of the Sorcerer Kings. It had many powers that enhanced thought, making Nan-Challac even smarter, enhancing his memory, letting him think faster… No one is certain which of those benefits it might still grant."
"Where is it?" asked Yumi.
"The Egyptian Exhibit," said Anastasia. "Hurry… Rasputin already knows it is there."
"Guys!" shouted Yumi. "We have to get to the Egyptian Exhibit!"
"Another Charm?" asked Chelsea.
"Bingo," replied Yumi. "I'll tell you about it on the way."
As they started to run, Sam ran after them.
"You don't have to worry about those Ascender creeps," she said, as she and Erik ran alongside them. "My mom has the Centurions hunting them down as we speak. When I last spoke to her, nine of them had been arrested."
"But we don't know how many more of them there are!" replied Yumi.
"Good luck, guys!" shouted Aisha, waving goodbye.
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Cassandra took a card from the Tarot Deck, and placed it on the table.
It was The Lovers.
Her eyes narrowed.
She slowly picked up another card.
It was a picture of a boat carrying swords being ferried across a river, with a woman as the passenger.
"Ah, the Six of Swords," said Cassandra. "A positive card… Erik has reached a point where he will be able to put his difficulties behind him, and move forward to an easier path…
"But before he does that…
"He must succeed in overcoming one big difficulty…"
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Very few people who played Duel Monsters knew that it was no ordinary game. Its roots were founded in an ancient ritual that went back to the times of the Egyptians. Not everyone was willing to believe in Shadow Games, but the legends were amusing when told.
So it was no surprise that the Museum District of Duelatopia had an extensive Egyptian museum.
The five teens walked in.
"Okay…" said Yumi. "Last time, Sam had to win her Charm, but this time, we're gonna be more careful.
"We'll split up again, and when you find this Talisman, just guard it. Stand with your back to the wall, and wait for another one of us to find you. We don't want any more Shadow Games."
"Agreed," they all said at once.
They each took a separate exit from the entrance hall, Erik moving into the Hall of Warriors.
He walked down the hallway, where ancient statues stood by the walls.
"All right…" he said. "Magic talisman… magic talisman…"
His eye caught a shiny thing on one of the statues, a marble likeness of the god of the dead, Osiris.
"Heh…" he said. "It wouldn't happen to be that amulet with the ruby with the Eye of Wdjat etched on it, would it?"
He looked at it. He backed up against the wall, and took out his cell phone.
Be careful, Erik… he thought, hitting the pager. If you just ring Sam, she'll be here to give you backup, and there'll be no Shadow Game…Shadow Games are bad…
He heard a chuckle coming from the shadows.
"Why try to deny it, Erik?" asked a sinister voice. "You want to claim that Talisman… You want to prove to Yumi that you're no henchman… Maybe you want to prove it to Sam as well.
"In fact, I'd say you want to prove it to yourself more than you want to prove it to anyone else."
"Show yourself…" ordered Erik.
A man appeared out of the shadows that made Erik's flesh crawl. He was a handsome, yet diabolic-looking man, with a charming smile. He had slick, tightly cropped hair with a widow's peak, and hazel eyes. His clothing, while black, looked expensive, though not formal. Sort of like a leisure suit that a vampire might wear. He also wore a Duel Disk.
"So who are you?" asked Erik, not sure if he wanted to know.
"My name is Samen," said the man. "I'm an Ascender in name only, by the way. And now that we've taken care of that unpleasant business, I still mean to acquire that Charm…
"And I'll have you know, I fear no Shadow Game…
"So Erik… You can either step aside and let me take it… Or you can stand in my way and start something…
"Step aside, and you'll likely never be anything more than just a follower…"
"I'm no follower!" shouted Erik. "Come here, you little…"
He rushed at Samen. The man grinned wickedly.
Sam and the others ran into the chamber.
"Erik?" said Sam.
She saw Erik rush at the Ascender.
"No, baby, don't!" she screamed.
It was too late. The Talisman of the Mind glowed with red light, and the eyes of the statues in the hall burned with fire. A dark fog started to rise…
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Yumi looked around.
They were at an outdoor locale, and the sun was setting…
It was some sort of desert ruin. They were in the courtyard of the destroyed remains of some building that had been made of granite.
Erik was facing Samen in the center, and Sam was beside herself with fear.
"Oh, why did he do it?" she cried. "We were almost there!"
Anastasia appeared.
"I feel his opponent may have tricked him," she said. "And might have done so in an unorthodox way. I can't put my finger on it, but this Samen doesn't seem like your average duelist. Certainly, an aura of evil emits from him that he can't hide."
"What?" asked Ren. "Is he some sort of sorcerer?"
"Possibly," said Anastasia. "We'll have to watch. Maybe I can discern who – or what – he is by observation…
"Sadly, it's too late to stop the Yami no Oujou. Erik must duel."
"I hope you're happy, pal," growled Erik. "You got my girlfriend scared…"
"As she should be," said Samen. "Because we're about to duel, you will lose, and you will die. I'll make sure of…"
With a flash of light, a glowing portal appeared in the air above them. Everyone looked up.
Something slowly emerged from of the portal…
It was a young woman, though not a normal one. She was indecently dressed, wearing only a bikini top and a breechcloth, and gold bangles on her wrists and bare feet. Most remarkably, she wore a mask over her face, which was pure white on the left side, and pure black on the right. Her billowy, blond hair reached to her waist, and fluttered behind her.
She silently hovered over Erik and Samen, and looked them over.
"It can't be…" whispered Samen.
"Who is THAT?" asked Erik.
A voice came from the clouds.
"Erik… Samen…" it said. "As the intellectual among the Sorcerer Kings, I have researched many ideas and theories. One that I never managed to make much headway on was Chaos Theory. I still attempt to make sense of it, and I still conduct many experiments to that means.
"I'm using this duel as such an experiment, and I've recruited someone to help. Meet the Princess of Chaos.
"She's here to serve three functions. Two of them are vital to the experiment, the last… Well, she insisted on it…
"First, the rule which will be in effect throughout the whole duel. It works as if both of you had a Blind Destruction active. In case you're unfamiliar with that Trap Card, a number between one and six will be chosen at random at each End Phase. She'll then destroy any Monsters on the field that match that Level. A six will result in the destruction of all Monsters of that Level or higher.
"This effect cannot be changed by any card, such as Dice Re-Roll, because, simply put, she is not a card.
"Second, she will personally decide the outcome of any card that depends on random chance or luck to function.
"Her third function, the one she insisted on, you need only be concerned about if you lose the duel. She will execute the loser herself."
Sam covered her mouth with her hand, trying hard not to scream.
"Now begin," said the voice. "Honor goes to Erik."
"Gladly…" said Erik.
"This is crazy…" mutter Chelsea. "This guy is using them as lab rats?"
"It's his Talisman," sighed Anastasia. "Maybe that's why he feels he can do it. And we're in no position to argue."
"Isn't there ANY way we can rebel?" asked Sam.
Anastasia shook her head.
"No known way…" she replied. "What they say goes, like it or not… They're in a class by themselves. Maybe the Sorcerer Kings truly achieved their goal eventually…
"Maybe they actually obtained power that only gods could harness."
The two Disks activated.
"Game on!" they both shouted.
(Erik: 8,000) -------------------- (Samen: 8,000)
"Prepare for defeat!" threatened Samen.
"We'll see about that," said Erik, drawing his first card.
He added it to his hand and chose another one.
"I throw down a facedown, and summon my trusty Toy Soldier in Attack Mode," he said.
A facedown card appeared, and Toy Soldier appeared, aiming his musket. (800/300)
"I'll end with that…"
Everyone looked at the Princess of Chaos. She held her hands in front of her, and the numbers one through six flashed quickly in-between them.
Finally, the number four appeared.
"Looks like my Soldier is safe," said Erik. "He's Level Three."
"Safe from her," said Samen, drawing a card. "But not from me.
"First, I play Pot of Greed. So I pick up two more cards…"
The laughing green jug appeared, and he drew twice. He added the cards to his hand.
"Next, I play Mystical Space Typhoon."
He held up the card, and the cyclone tore forward. Erik's Mirror Force lifted up and shattered.
"Next," said Samen, "I'll activate the Spell Card, Tribute to the Doomed. I'll just discard one card…"
He discarded a Monster Card from his hand.
"…and your Toy Soldier is vanquished."
A swarm of mummy wrappings burst out of the ground, and wrapped around Toy Soldier. Then a huge claw grabbed him and dragged him under.
"You'll pay for that…" said Erik with a scowl.
"We'll see…" said Samen. "Next, I summon Pharaoh's Servant."
The ground burst open, and a tall figure rose out of the sand. It was a Zombie dressed in Egyptian-style raiment, holding a spear. (900/0)
"Attack him directly!" ordered Samen.
Pharaoh's Servant twirled its spear, and stabbed Erik in the chest. He staggered back, clutching the spot where it had hit.
Samen looked at another card in his hand.
I hate having to depend on a card like this, he thought, but with this sort of deck, it's a necessity.
"I'll place this facedown," he said, "and take a break…"
A facedown card appeared.
(E: 7,100) -------------------- (S: 8,000)
Once again, the numbers flashed between the Princess's hands…
A one appeared.
"Looks like we both got lucky," said Erik, drawing a card. "That guy is Level Two."
"Let's see if it holds out," said Samen, as his Trap Card lifted. "I activate Sixth Sense."
"Oh no…" said Yumi. "I remember this… Holly used it in our Yami no Oujou…"
"I name the numbers five and six," said Samen.
"You're forgetting something…" said Erik, with a smile. "A die isn't going to decide if you get any more cards… SHE is!"
He pointed to the Princess.
The Princess of Chaos silently looked at Samen. She raised her hands.
The number six appeared in them.
Samen smiled evilly as he drew six cards.
I wonder, Princess… he thought, looking them over, do you have any idea who you just helped? Would you have done so if you knew?
Maybe you do know, and you just don't care.
That's why Law will always triumph over Chaos… Because Chaos is dumb.
"It's still my turn, Samen," said Erik. "And I summon…"
He played a card.
"My Toy Wind-Up!"
A new figure appeared on Erik's side of the field. It resembled Toy Soldier at first glance, but there were differences that you saw when you looked at it again. This one was a head taller than the original, was made of metal instead of wood, and had a bronze turnkey in its back. Its gun was a blunderbuss rather than a musket. (1,000/700)
"Is that supposed to scare me?" asked Samen. "Sure, it can defeat my Servant, but I'll only lose 100 little Life Points."
"You're overlooking two small words," said Erik. "Special ability. When a Toy Wind-Up inflicts damage to your Life Points in battle, even if it's just one point, I get to Special Summon another one from my deck."
"Huh?" said Samen, in surprise.
"So…" said Erik, "Toy Wind-Up, attack Pharaoh's Servant with blunderbuss blast!"
The toy aimed its gun, and with a blast of noise and smoke, Pharaoh's Servant was blown to bits.
In a burst of energy, a second Toy Wind-Up appeared next to the first. (1,000/700)
"I'm not done with you yet, pal…" said Erik. "Second Wind-Up… Attack him directly!"
The second toy aimed its gun…
Samen howled as the shell hit him in the chest.
"And guess what?" continued Erik. "I have THREE Wind-Ups in my deck!"
A third Wind-Up appeared next to the second. Samen scowled. (1,000/700)
The third one blasted him and he fell over.
"That's my turn for now…" said Erik.
(E: 7,100) -------------------- (S: 5,900)
"All right, baby!" screamed Sam. "Way to go!"
The Princess gestured again…
The number was two.
"Seems my Wind-Ups are safe for this round," said Erik. "They're also Level Three."
"I beg to differ…" said Samen, drawing a card.
He smirked when he saw what it was.
"I discard one card from my hand…" he said.
He discarded another Pharaoh's Servant.
"…to play this… My favorite Spell Card, the famous Lightning Vortex! It vaporizes all of your Monsters!"
Lightning flashed, and then struck Erik's side of the field, blowing the Toy Wind-Ups to bits.
"Aw, no!" shouted Chelsea. "He's defenseless again!"
"I place a Monster in Defense Mode, and then two cards facedown," said Samen. "Then I'll let our host do her job, not like it will matter."
Two facedown cards, and a facedown Monster appeared. The Princess held up her hands, and a four appeared. She likely knew it was a technicality – no matter what number had come up, there was nothing to destroy.
Erik drew a card.
He smiled.
"Get a good draw, Erik?" asked Samen. "Well, just try to stop this."
One of his Trap Cards lifted. The image on it was a glowing blue sarcophagus inside a stone ark.
"I activate The First Sarcophagus!"
"Of course…" muttered Anastasia. "It makes sense now… The weak Zombie, the Spells that required discards…
"Erik had better be careful…"
"Oh, is that so?" asked Erik. "Well, I'll smash your Sarcophagus before you manage to summon the big guy.
"I play… Premature Burial. So I'll pay 800 Life Points to bring back Toy Soldier."
Toy Soldier crawled out of the ground, and stood up. (800/300)
"You paid 800 points for that scrub?" asked Samen. "I wouldn't have paid one point."
Erik glared at him. The Toy Soldier gave him a dirty look.
"Okay, this guy has gone beyond trash talking and turned downright nasty," said Yumi. "Anastasia, any luck figuring out who he is?"
"No…" she said. "He's trying his hardest to keep me from doing so. His ability to duel while keeping this façade – whatever it is – is a feat that would take a great deal of willpower. Especially since this is a Shadow Game. He's clearly something exceptional."
Indeed, angel, thought Samen, glancing at her. Games of Shadows are as easy as walking to my kind…
"Next…" said Erik. "I play a Spell Card called Crowning of the Emperor. I'll trade in my Toy Soldier for someone better…"
Toy Soldier vanished in a burst of energy, and Toy Emperor appeared, holding his saber forward astride his wooden horse. (2,300/800)
"Attack his facedown Monster!" shouted Erik.
Toy Emperor galloped towards the facedown card. A Zombie that looked somewhat like Pharaoh's Servant appeared on the card, and with one swipe of a sword, it was blasted to bits.
"So you destroyed my Pharaonic Protector," said Samen. "There's plenty more where he came from."
"Well Toy Emperor has a powerful effect," said Erik, taking his deck. "Since he defeated a Monster, I now get to take any Trap Card I want from my deck, and add it to my hand."
He took a card from his deck and looked at it.
Dust Tornado.
His other facedown card is likely Magic Jammer, he thought, or more likely, given his deck's theme, Judgment of Anubis. But I happen to know that neither of those Traps can counter another Trap. So this will throw a wrench into his machinery…
"I'll set this facedown, and let you go," he said.
"Not before I activate this…" said Samen, as a Spell Card appeared on his side of the field.
It bore the image of golden sarcophagus, open to reveal a blue glow.
"The Second Sarcophagus. One more to go…"
The Princess held up her hands, and the number five appeared in them.
(E: 6,300) -------------------- (S: 5,900)
"They've been lucky so far," said Ren. "But it's only a matter of time before their number is up…"
Samen drew a card.
"I activate Dust Tornado!" shouted Erik, as his Trap Card lifted. "Say goodbye to your Sarcophagi!"
"I think not…" said Samen.
His own Trap Card lifted.
"I activate Curse of Royal. It quells your tornado, leaving my card safe."
A gaggle of ghostly spirits flew out of the Trap Card, and flew into the Dust Tornado card, scattering it to the winds.
"Wha?" gasped Erik.
"Samen was too smart for him…" muttered Yumi. "Erik was expecting an anti-Spell Trap, but Curse of Royal could counter anything short of Heavy Storm…"
"Erik…" muttered Sam. "Please… Be careful…"
"All I have to do now…" said Samen, "is place one card facedown, and that will end my turn."
A new facedown card appeared.
The Princess lifted her hands again. Everyone watched…
The number was three.
"All right…" said Erik. "Watch out!"
He drew a card.
"I activate Threatening Roar," exclaimed Samen, as his Trap Card lifted.
A great beast appeared behind him, and bellowed.
"I'm afraid you can't attack this turn."
Erik looked at his hand.
"Well then…" he said. "If I can't attack anyway, now's the right time to play this…"
He played a Spell Card, showing the image of a group of Toy Soldiers around a broken one of their own.
"It's a powerful Spell called Toy Memorial. I have to skip my Battle Phase on the turn when I use it, but now, I have to anyway, so it's no big loss.
"Then, for every card in my Graveyard with the word 'Toy' in its name, I get to draw one card, and there are four of them there, one Soldier, and three Wind-Ups."
He made four draws. He looked them over.
"I summon Card Blocker," he said.
"Card Blocker?" asked Samen. "What the…"
Another toy warrior appeared, but this one was dressed in armor, with a round helmet, carrying a small shield and a toy sword. (400/400)
"He's not very strong, yes," said Erik. "In fact, he's better at defending. When I summon him, he moves right into Defense Mode."
Card Blocker crouched down, and held his shield in front of him.
"I end my turn."
"You know what that means, right?" asked Samen. "I get to play The Third Sarcophagus!"
Yet another Spell Card appeared. The sarcophagus on this one was closed and had a decorative carving on top.
The Princess gestured again. The number was one.
"Is she ever going to do anything useful?" chuckled Samen, drawing a card.
He looked at it.
"Now…" he said. "I sacrifice my three Sarcophagi…"
The three cards were consumed in bursts of light…
A glowing, pure gold sarcophagus appeared on the field. It slowly opened…
Stepping out was a figure with black skin, clad in golden armor, with shoulder guards shaped like a jackal and a hawk. He wore a tutan mask over his head, held a sword in his left hand, and a crook in his right.
"The Spirit of the Pharaoh!" shouted Samen.
(2,500/2,000)
"Impressive…" muttered Erik.
"I'm not done…" said Samen. "Where a Pharaoh goes, his servants are never far behind… So just by summoning him, I get to raise four Zombies from my Graveyard. So long as they have no effect, and are no higher than Level Two."
Spirit of the Pharaoh raised his crook, and it glowed with eldritch energy. Two Pharaonic Protectors and two Pharaoh's Servants appeared to either side of him. (900/0 x4)
"Not bad…" said Erik, grinning.
"I'm still not done…" said Samen, taking a card from his hand. "I play a devastating Spell Card called Thousand Energy. This raises the Attack Score of all Level Two Normal Monsters on my side of the field by 1,000!"
The four lesser Zombies all glowed with fiery energy, and rose to an Attack of 1,900 apiece.
"Very impressive…" said Erik.
Samen glared at him.
"You have an awful lot of confidence for someone who's facing three direct attacks in a few seconds…" he said.
Erik looked him in the eye.
"Spirit of the Pharaoh," ordered Samen, "destroy his Toy Emperor!"
The Spirit rushed forward, swinging its two weapons.
"Hold your horses!" shouted Erik. "Aren't you at all curious about my Card Blocker?
"He's like a magnet. When you attack one of my Monsters when he's on the field, he draws the attack to him!"
Spirit of the Pharaoh paused in mid-charge. Then, he turned, and swung his sword, smashing Card Blocker to pieces.
"And your other Zombies aren't strong enough to take down my Emperor," said Erik, with a shrug. "What a shame."
Samen burned with fury as the spectators on Erik's side started to cheer.
"So, are you done?" asked Erik.
"Not yet…" snarled Samen. "When I end my turn, Thousand Energy will destroy my Monsters… But before that happens, I'll sacrifice one of them by playing Mystik Wok."
He played the card, and one Pharaoh's Servant vanished.
"So now I gain 1,900 Life Points…
"I end my turn."
(E: 6,300) -------------------- (S: 7,800)
The three remaining lesser Zombies shattered into shards.
The Princess of Chaos gestured. The numbers flashed again…
A six appeared.
"Six?" shouted Samen, startled.
"Oh… lovely…" muttered Yumi
Balls of fire appeared in both the Princess's hands. She hurled them in both directions, and they struck Spirit of the Pharaoh and Toy Emperor. They screamed, before bursting into clouds of dust and ash.
"Looks like they're almost back where they started," said Chelsea. "Both of them took a blow there…"
Erik drew a card.
"First thing's first," he said. "I play Pot of Avarice"
He played the Spell Card and the pink parody of the Pot of Greed appeared.
Erik's Toy Soldier, all three Toy Wind-Ups, and Card Blocker slipped out of his discard slot. He combined them with his deck, and reshuffled. Then he drew two.
"All right…" he said. "I'll throw down a facedown, and then summon another Toy Soldier. Let's try this again."
A facedown card appeared, and Toy Soldier appeared on the field once again. (800/300)
"Attack him directly!" he commanded.
Toy Soldier fired his musket, and Samen grunted.
"Is that the best you've got?" growled the Ascender. "I've had worse mosquito bites…"
"Those would have had to be pretty vicious mosquitoes…" said Ren.
(E: 6,300) -------------------- (S: 7,000)
The numbers between the Princess's hands flashed again.
It was a four this time.
"Lucky," growled Samen, drawing a card.
He quickly placed the card on his Disk, and a defensive Monster appeared. He waved his hand.
The numbers flashed again…
Two.
Erik drew a card.
"Let's see you shrug this off," he said. "I activate my Toy Soldier's effect. In case you don't know how it works, when one of my military munchkins is on the field during my Standby Phase, I get to summon two more of them from my deck."
In two bursts of energy, two more Toy Soldiers appeared next to the first.
The three Soldiers looked at Erik, and nodded.
Erik looked a little surprised. He slowly nodded back.
Curses! thought Samen. My spell is weakening… I thought I could seal the accursed Spirits in their cards and take away the advantage his friends had… But they're slowly breaking free… Who would have thought that toys could be so strong?
"All right, pal," continued Erik. "I play a Spell Card called Forced March. All I have to do is cut the Attack Score of my Soldiers in half, and they can attack you directly."
The Toy Soldiers aimed their guns, and each fell to an Attack of 400.
"Go ahead!" dared Samen. "I've taken worse."
"Really?" asked Erik, playing another Spell Card. "How about a combo? I play Fife and Drum Corp."
The parade of toy soldiers appeared behind Erik, but this time, the song they were playing was much more somber.
It hardly mattered. It had the desired effect. The Attack Scores of the three Soldiers rose back to 800 apiece.
Three muskets fired, and Samen screamed in pain.
(E: 6,300) -------------------- (S: 4,600)
"Keep going, baby!" shouted Sam. "You're getting there!"
"I'll end my turn," said Erik.
The Princess raised her hands again.
This time, the number was a three.
"Aw, crud!" shouted Erik.
The Princess waved her hand, and a blast of fire shot from it. The three Toy Soldiers were incinerated.
"Heh, heh, heh…" chuckled Samen. "Not so lucky that time, were you?"
Erik tensed. His left fist clenched.
"Just make your move," he said, angrily.
Samen drew a card.
"Actually," he said, "I'm just going to draw and pass. You lucked out for now…"
Again, the Princess gestured. A one appeared, but it didn't matter.
"Suit yourself…" said Erik, drawing.
That's it… he thought, looking at the card.
"I summon… Toy Magician!"
In a flash of light, a new toy appeared. This one was a short, elflike wizard, dressed in blue, apparently made of plastic. He had a pointed nose, red hair, and held a glowing scepter. (1,600/1,500)
He turned to Erik.
"Huh?" said Erik.
"Erik," said the Toy Magician, "don't despair. This battle is far from over."
"You guys can talk?" whispered Erik.
"We've been trying to since the duel began," he replied. "This fiend's dark magic tried to seal our true powers away. But we can help with true support now.
"Do not be swayed by his deception or enraged by his insults. His kind has used these tricks since the birth of mortals. Keep calm, remember who you are, and you can vanquish this beast."
"All right!" shouted Erik.
He pointed to Samen.
"I don't know who you are, or where you came from," he said, "but your spell is broken, so this duel just became a whole new game!
"Toy Magician, attack his Monster with sparkle blast!"
"As you command…" said the Magician.
It aimed its scepter at the facedown card, and a Charcoal Inpachi appeared on the card. (100/2,100)
"Always look before you leap!" laughed Samen.
"I agree," replied Erik.
His facedown card lifted, and Rush Recklessly revealed itself. Toy Magician's Attack rose up to 2,300, and his blast struck the Pyro, smashing it into black dust.
"That's my turn…" said Erik.
The Princess waved her hands again.
The number was a four.
"Oh no!" shouted Sam.
"Erik…" said Toy Magician. "Don't forget what I said…"
The Princess hurled a fireball at Toy Magician, and he cringed before exploding into pixels.
"No…" said Erik, sadly, bowing his head.
"Get ahold of yourself, Erik!" shouted Chelsea. "It isn't over yet!"
"No but it might as well be…" said Samen, drawing a card.
"I play Silent Doom," he said, playing the card. "Think I'll bring back my Charcoal Inpachi…"
The burnt-out wood spirit appeared again, crouching in Defense Mode. (100/2,100)
"Next…" he said, "I summon Aswan Apparition."
A cloud of smoke appeared on the field, and a phantom-like creature, apparently made from the smoke itself, formed out of it. (500/500)
"Say what?" asked Erik.
"Attack him directly!" shouted Samen. "Ominous howl!"
The Aswan Apparition howled, and Erik staggered back as the ghostly sound plowed into him.
(E: 5,800) -------------------- (S: 4,600)
"What's the point?" asked Erik, holding his chest.
"Glad you asked," said Samen, raising his Disk. "It may be weak, but when it hurts you, I get to take any Trap Card from my Graveyard, and place it on the top of my deck…"
A card slipped out of his discard slot. He glanced at it, and placed it on top of his deck.
"A Trap Card?" asked Sam.
"Yes…" said Anastasia. "And I'm almost certain it's The First Sarcophagus. He's going to start the whole process over again."
"I end my turn," said Samen.
The Princess of Chaos waved her hands again. Her eyes glowed red. It seemed she was getting impatient…
The number was two.
"Well, no Level Two Monsters on the field right now…" said Samen. "So it's your move…"
Erik drew a card.
"I place a Monster in Defense Mode, and that will be all," he said.
A facedown Monster appeared on his side of the field.
The Princess frowned. She gestured again.
The number was a three.
She threw the ball of fire again, and it struck Aswan Apparition. It burst into pixels.
"OOH!" cursed Samen. "You got that result on purpose, you filthy chaos spawn!"
The Princess glared at him, angrily.
"It's your move, buddy," said Erik. "And I wouldn't get her angry if I were you."
"Fine!" said Samen, drawing a card.
"I place these two cards facedown, and that will end my turn."
Two facedown cards appeared.
The Princess gestured again, and the number four came up. She shook her head, and looked at Erik.
One of them is definitely The First Sarcophagus… thought Erik. But what is the other one? Another Curse of Royal?
He drew a card.
"I activate The First Sarcophagus!" shouted Samen, as his Trap Card lifted.
"What a surprise," said Erik, sarcastically.
"You may be brave now," said Samen, "but soon, my Spirit of the Pharaoh will destroy you.
"And should you try to destroy my Sarcophagus, you'll simply die sooner."
Erik looked at him.
No doubt about it… he thought, looking at the other facedown card. Judgment of Anubis.
"I play Pot of Greed!" he shouted.
The jar appeared, and he drew two cards.
He looked at one of the cards.
Well, he's in for a big surprise…
"Sorry, Samen," he said, "but there's no way I'm letting you summon that guy again. And I have just the cards to stop you.
"I summon Spell Striker in Attack Mode!"
In a flash of light, a small form appeared on Erik's side of the field. It was a toy wizard with a horned helmet and cape, with a big smile on his face. (600/200)
"Oh, please," said Samen. "That's the most pathetic one yet."
Spell Striker frowned at him.
"Really?" asked Erik. "Well, let me introduce a friend of his… I Flip-Summon… Armor Breaker!"
His facedown Monster flipped up, and another toy warrior appeared. This one was short and squat, and wore a huge helmet shaped like a hammer. (600/200)
"Okay, guys…" said Erik. "Why don't you show Samen here the little trick you two can do…"
Spell Striker and Armor Breaker nodded and gave him a thumb's up…
Then Armor Breaker leapt into the air, spinning like a top, and started to change shape. Quickly, he turned from a humanoid Warrior into a big mallet. Spell Striker caught it and held it up high.
"And that's supposed to impress me?" asked Samen. "Now instead of two weak Monsters, you have one weak Monster that's holding a big hammer."
"A weak Monster that's holding a big hammer who can attack you directly," said Erik, with a grin.
Samen's eyes narrowed.
"Bring it…" he said with a scowl.
"Spell Striker, go!" shouted Erik.
Spell Striker leapt up into the air towards Samen, and clobbered him with the hammer. The Ascender staggered backwards.
"Ergh…" he muttered. "Nice try, but you barely left a dent!"
(E: 5,800) -------------------- (S: 4,000)
"I forgot to mention…" said Erik. "When Spell Striker deals damage when swinging Armor Breaker, he gets to destroy one Spell or Trap Card."
"He does?" said Samen, shocked.
Spell Striker lifted the hammer, and slammed it into the ground, sending a shockwave towards Samen's side of the field. Samen braced himself, as The First Sarcophagus was blasted to bits.
"I'm beginning to get… angry!" yelled Samen.
"Deal with it," said Erik, placing a two cards in his Disk.
Two facedown cards appeared.
"And by the way, if you think you can hurt me by attacking Spell Striker because he's weak, think again. When he's involved in a battle, I don't lose any Life Points.
"I'll end there."
The Princess of Chaos waved her hand…
The number that came up was a one.
"Oh look…" said Erik. "Looks like your Charcoal Inpachi is gonna be leaving."
The Princess hurled her fireball, and the Inpachi was blown to pieces.
Samen drew a card and looked at the two cards in his hand.
"So…" he said. "You take no damage if I attack your Spell Striker… And since it's Equipped with a Union Monster, it will survive one attack… I have to admit, that is rather clever…
"But I can still destroy it.
"I play my second Tribute to the Doomed!"
He played the card, and discarded his other one.
"Not so fast," said Eric, as his facedown card lifted. "I activate Spell Shield Type-8. Now your Spell Card is negated, and since Tribute to the Doomed is a targeting effect, I don't have to pay a thing."
The Spell Card shattered.
"Fine…" said Samen. "My turn is over. Do your worst…"
The Princess gestured again, and the numbers flashed. A six came up.
Erik drew a card.
He looked at it.
"Sorry, Samen," said Erik, "but this duel is ending now…
His last facedown card lifted.
"First… I activate Call of the Haunted. I'll bring back an old friend."
In a burst of energy, Toy Emperor reappeared. His mount whinnied and leapt on its hind legs before turning to face Samen. (2,300/800)
"Next…" continued Erik. "Armor Breaker… Separate from Spell Striker!"
The mallet flew from Spell Striker's hands, and changed shape again. After a few seconds, it had transformed back into the Warrior with the huge helmet. (600/200)
"I'll still survive!" shouted Samen.
"No you won't…" replied Erik. "Thanks to my Toy Dragon."
"Toy Dragon?" gasped Samen.
"Oh, you're wondering where my Toy Dragon is?" asked Erik.
Spell Striker and Armor Breaker nodded to each other.
"Well, he's right THERE!"
The two Warriors leapt up, and vanished into globules of light. The huge form of Toy Dragon materialized from out of the shadows. (2,300/2,000)
"And with Toy Emperor on the field," said Erik, "he gets a little boost."
(2,700/2,000)
"Toy Emperor… Attack directly with imperial charge!"
The Emperor charged forward on his mount, and slashed at Samen with his saber. The Ascender screamed.
"Toy Dragon… Attack directly, with shooting star shower!"
Toy Dragon breathed its blast of light motes, and Samen howled before falling over.
(E: 5,300) -------------------- (S: 0)
Erik took a deep breath.
The Princess of Chaos's eyes glowed fiery red. She flew down towards Samen.
"Stay away!" he shouted.
The Princess reached for him, and he caught her wrists as she lunged.
"Huh?" said Yumi. "What's happening?"
"He's… he's fighting back somehow…" said Anastasia.
A black flame surrounded the two of them as they struggled.
Then, a glowing portal appeared to the side of Erik and those who were supporting him.
"That portal's our way home!" shouted Anastasia. "Let's go!"
Yumi rushed through the portal with Anastasia behind her. Then Ren followed, then Chelsea, then Sam.
Erik paused for a minute before leaving. He looked at the struggle between the Ascender and the Princess of Chaos…
Then an explosion from where they were fighting blew him through the portal.
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Erik held his head.
Something was around his neck. He lifted it up, and saw that it was the Talisman of the Mind.
"Erik!" shouted Sam. "Baby, please be okay… Please be okay…"
"I'm okay…" said Erik. "But Samen wasn't so lucky. Seems he was… vaporized…"
Yumi gave an odd look.
"Seems we may never know just who he was," she muttered.
She paused.
"But now… We have five Shadow Charms between us… Our enemies have two…
"One more is still out there, and we have to stay alert. Rasputin will try his hardest to get it…"
"Hey…" said Ren. "We'll be ready for him…"
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On another plane of existence, very far from the Prime Material, there stood a great city, bigger by far than any metropolis on Earth. In fact, to someone traveling its streets, it would seem to go on forever, even though you could see mountains in the distance. The city was composed of diabolic-looking structures made entirely of iron – scalding-hot iron that could burn the flesh of the unprepared visitor.
And visible from every part of this city was a great tower. This tower's appearance fluctuated with each passing minute, always changing. One minute it could be a tall spire, the next it might be a squat fortress. Natives of the city knew how to get to it, but if you didn't know the secret, you couldn't approach it. No matter how long you walked towards it, you'd never arrive at its entrance. It would always seem to be on the block ahead of you, but you could walk for weeks and not get there.
Deep inside the great tower, Samen – for he knew well how to enter – walked through a long hallway. His clothes were torn and burned from the struggle with the Princess of Chaos, but there were no wounds on his skin.
The ruined clothes made him feel a little self-conscious, but he'd change later. Someone was waiting for him to make his report, and this was not the type of person that you kept waiting.
As he walked down the hallway, his appearance started to change. His shoes vanished, and his feet turned into cloven hooves. A long, barbed tail extended from his spine, small horns sprouted from his forehead, and his eyes glowed red.
He approached a huge pair of double doors. They opened, and he entered a throne room, where a grim figure brooded on a throne of iron.
Samen knelt.
"The plan didn't go as I intended, sire," he said. "Mr. Matell was quite formidable. Although, I doubt he would have beaten me had I been using my true deck.
"His group and Rasputin now believe me to be dead… Slain by the Princess of Chaos."
The figure on the throne chuckled.
"She didn't know who she was dealing with," replied the figure in a deep voice. "And apparently, neither did Non-Challac. How could some servant of Chaos harm one who is protected by an exemplar of Law?
"At any rate, it wasn't a total loss. You managed to get as much information from Rasputin as you likely ever would have, and this way, we don't need to devise a way for you and he to part company.
"And the information you gained will help us a great deal. I have a feeling that Rasputin will finally decide to complete the bargain at long last. And when he does, this… bad investment of ours will finally be nothing more than an unpleasant memory."
"And what of young Yumi Mouto?" asked Samen.
The figure on the throne paused for a minute.
"Her we'll watch for a bit longer," he replied. "She is the offspring of the one who defeated Saurius, and she has the same spirit guide.
"That upstart was a thorn in my side for a very long time, and as far as the Mouto family goes, you know what they say about 'the enemy of my enemy'…
"So we will watch her very carefully… She may be a benefit or a curse to us. I simply do not know yet.
"You've done well, Samen… You may resume your regular duties for the time being. If I need you to duel again, I'll let you know."
"Thank you, sire," said Samen, removing the deck from his Duel Disk. "This game is fun, but it does tend to get tedious…"
He placed it a pouch by his side, and turned to leave.
The dark figure – who was not human, but something far more terrible than anything humanity could ever or would ever produce – leaned back on his throne to consider the new developments…
Erik has proven that he's no lightweight, and the Talisman of the Mind is now in his possession. But a strange new factor may have been thrown into the mix, one which makes Rasputin's dark nature even darker. Soon, toys may not be strong enough to combat the evil that will oppose our heroes…
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TOY WIND-UP (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Machine/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 3
ATK: 1,000
DEF: 700
Card Description: When this card inflicts battle damage to your opponent's Life Points, you may Special Summon one "Toy Wind-Up" from your hand or deck.
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TOY MEMORIAL (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: A group of Toy Soldiers standing around a broken one of their own.
Card Description: Draw one card for every card in your Graveyard that has the word "Toy" in its name. You must skip your Battle Phase on a turn in which you use this card.
Note: "Toy Memorial" was created by Master of Paradox for use in his fic "Tilting the Balance". Creative credit goes to him.
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TOY MAGICIAN (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Spellcaster/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 4
ATK: 1,600
DEF: 1,500
Card Description: This card can be treated as a Spell Card and set facedown into your Spell/Trap zone. When this card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard by the effect of an opponent's card while set in your Spell/Trap zone, Special Summon this card onto your field during the End Phase of that turn. In addition, when this card is successfully Flip-Summoned, you may destroy a number of Spell and Trap cards up to the number of face-up "Toy Magicians" on the field.
Note: "Toy Magician" is a Japanese card that has not yet been released in the United States.
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CARD BLOCKER (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 3
ATK: 400
DEF: 400
Card Description: When this card is successfully Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned, it is switched to face-up Defense Position. When a face-up Monster you control is targeted by an attack, you may switch the attack target to this card. When this card becomes an attack target, you may send up to three cards from the top of your deck to the Graveyard. For each card sent to the Graveyard in this manner, increase this card's DEF by 500 until the End Phase of the turn.
Note: "Card Blocker" is a Japanese promotional card that has not yet been released in the United States. It was first used by Jaden in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Heart of Ice (Part Two)".
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ARMOR BREAKER (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Warrior/Union
Attribute: Earth
Level: 3
ATK: 600
DEF: 200
Card Description: Once per turn, during your Main Phase, if you control this card on your side of the field, you may Equip it to your "Spell Striker" as an Equip Spell Card OR change it back to a Monster in face-up Attack Position. When the Equipped Monster inflicts battle damage to your opponent, you may destroy one face-up Spell or Trap Card. (One Monster can only be Equipped with one Union Monster at a time. If the Monster that this card is Equipped to would be destroyed in battle, this card is destroyed instead.)
Note: "Armor Breaker" was first used by Jaden in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Heart of Ice (Part Two)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
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Yumi: Ren, look! Felicia is back!
Ren: Really? Wonder if she wants to duel again?
Chelsea: Guys, I'm not sure… Felicia's eyes are strange… She's not blinking…
I think something's happened to her…
Ren: What's going on? Is there something you want to tell me, Felicia?
Yumi: We'll see soon enough…
Coming up next: "Ren versus the Cat Goddess; Divine Bestiary".
As Ren tries for Gold, in his toughest fight yet…
Felicia: Meow… Ren… Don't you want to duel me?